Alora hates Tatooine. She especially hates that Mando just left her and the Child with his precious ship without even a warning for his departure. Sure, she had watched him the whole time, but a little conversation would've been nice.
Sharpening her knives, she remains in the cockpit, the Child secure in the small chamber Mando had given them to sleep. She'd rather never step foot back on this planet again, but Mando just had to land here. Stupid fuel leak.
A sudden screech and thud make Alora go still. With her newly sharpened daggers resting in her palms, she makes her way down to her sleeping quarters only to find it empty. A bolt of panic swims through her as she races out of the ship, a deadly glint in her eye when she sees the mechanic holding the Child.
"Now here's the plan: I am going to look after you until the Mandalorian gets back. And then I'm gonna charge him extra for watching you. You see how that works? Yeah, bright eyes? We're a team," she says with a grin.
Alora rips the Child from her grasp, a knife angled at the woman.
"Whoa!" She yells, throwing her hands up. "Watch where you aim that thing!"
Narrowing her eyes, Alora's grip tightens as she glances at the Child to find its bright eyes watching her.
The woman motions to the Child. "Is...is it yours?"
Alora grimaces, shaking her head.
"Well, you can put the knife down. It wandered out to me, ok? Your Mandalorian friend should be back soon with my money."
Pursing her lips, Alora reluctantly puts the dagger away and places the Child in her clothing having once-again made a small hold for him. She plucks the tablet from the woman's grasp, eliciting a sharp gasp from her.
Alora writes: I can work in exchange for a discount. Let the Mandalorian pay for the parts, and I'll do the labor.
When she returns it to the woman, she eagerly watches as the mechanic nods. "Fine, but he's getting charged for not telling me about you two. Name's Peli Motto. What can I call you?"
Alora shrugs.
"Not a talkative one, eh? No matter. I'll talk enough for the both of us. Little one's cute, ain't he?" Somehow, Peli grins at Alora; a wide grin, one full of trust Alora does not deserve. "How about this? I'll get him down for a nap while you get started on the fuel leak? You know what to do?"
Alora nods, though her face scrunches up when she looks down at the Child.
"Don't you worry, girlie," Peli says as she picks the Child up. "You do the work, and I get a break! We both win."
She can't stop the upward tick of her lips. As Alora gets to work, she removes her outer clothing, leaving her in just her pants and a strip of cloth that used to be white hiding her chest. She's learned the hard way in the past that Tatooine only gets hotter the longer you stay; better not to get her small supply of clothing dirty and sweaty from a half-day of work.
The only downside is someone recognizing her tattoos. Mando had seen her back, but the small insignia in the center of her chest had always remained hidden until now. She honestly does not know what she will do when he returns—hide it or remain unbothered. Perhaps, he won't recognize it. Most don't.
It isn't long before she looks over to see the Child fast asleep in Peli's arms in her own little office quartered off from the hanger. The view brings a smile to her face. Despite the rocky start, Alora likes to think she is a good judge of character; Peli Motto may be in it for the money, but she cares deeply.
Satisfied with the Child's safety, Alora continues working on the Razor Crest fervently, wiping away soot and sweat with the back of her hand constantly. It's nice to just focus on something as mind-numbing as the ship. Especially since she can feel a tug in her chest.
The tug only strengthens over time, and Alora finds it hard to not jump on a speeder and follow it to what she knows lies on an abandoned moisture farm in the middle of nowhere. Her hands itch for the weapons she once used so frequently and passionately, they acted as an extension of herself rather than just another weapon.
A loud robotic shout makes her jerk away from the Razor Crest, the blow torch in her hand sending sparks everywhere. She falls back onto the ground, shutting the torch off quickly and tossing it to the side. With a grimace, she looks over to see Peli jerk awake with Mando standing just outside the opening of his ship.
"Quiet!" Peli snaps. "Oh! It's ok. You woke it up! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?"
"Give him to me," Mando demands as Alora gets back up on her knees.
"Not so fast. You can't just leave a child all alone like that. You know, you've got an awful lot to learn about raising a young one."
"He has a babysitter." As if realizing her absence, Mando's helmet jerks around.
"Oh, you mean your saving grace?" Peli asks with a laugh, pointing him in Alora's direction.
With a sigh, she stands and wipes off her soot-covered hands on her pants before making her way towards the machine next to them. She arches a brow at Mando before she pushes a few buttons, hits the machine, and returns to the landing gear, picking up a hammer and some metal on the way.
"Girlie over there offered to do the labor for a discount," Peli explains. "You pay for parts, no labor. No droids, not even me. She's fixing your ship, so it'll probably take her a bit of time. I figure you're good for the money since you've got extra mouths to feed."
Alora doesn't hear the rest of the conversation as she begins to weld the metal to the side of the side to repair the hole she had to make to get at the fuel tank. She does catch Mando leaving out of the corner of her eye, but the real issue for her is that the desire to get her precious weapons is mounting with each second.
Tossing the hammer to the side, Alora reaches towards her discarded jacket, picking through the sewn pocket on the inside. The measly amount of coins makes her sigh.
But she has to get them. She'd hopefully never come back to this planet again; it's her only chance.
Standing up and putting on her clothing, Alora makes her way to Peli who is walking back into the hanger. "Your man got a job," Peli says with a sigh. "Seems like he'll be gone awhile, leaving just us girls."
Alora winces as she takes Peli's tablet and writes: I'm going to get some necessities in town. Should be back in two hours tops. Can I trust you with the kid?
"Aw, you're leaving too? I was just getting used to you," Peli jokes. "The kid'll be fine. Should I get some work done while you're gone?"
Alora shakes her head.
"Alright. See you soon."
Before Alora leaves, she makes sure to press the pad of her finger to the Child's nose in goodbye. The Child coos happily with a loud giggle, watching her go.
Alora pulls her cloak over her head, coving the bottom half of her face. She easily slips through town unnoticed, sticking to the walls of the crowded streets until she makes it to the edges of the settlement. There, she spies old speeders guarded by a man trying to sell them off. When he turns his back, Alora hops onto the closest one, tossing a coin at his head.
She is long gone before he turns around.
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It may have taken Alora closer to five hours.
After returning the speeder to the owner and taking back her coin, Alora purchases a few fruits and delicacies from the merchants still selling as the suns begin to set. She munches on a juicy fruit as she returns to the hanger to find Peli Motto angrily glaring at her.
"I thought you said two hours?"
Her eyes widen at the woman before darting to find the Child standing by her feet. In response, Alora offers them the half-eaten fruit with a delicate smile.
"You're lucky I like you." Peli snatches the fruit away and begins munching on it while Alora shakes her head.
Scooping the Child into her arms, she coos as he giggles. They walk into the half-fixed ship, and she places him down in their sleeping quarters as she sorts through her newly-acquired goods, placing the food with Mando's reserves save a stick of some meat Alora didn't get the chance to ask about.
She hands the Child the meat and lets him eat in silence.
Her fingers reach for the dual weapons now attached to her belt. With a sigh, she climbs onto the makeshift bed Mando gave her, pulling it up to reveal a small compartment beneath the mattress. She places the two weapons inside, sealing it shut after only a moment.
The Child watches her closely. She wants to say something—she truly does—but she can only hope the Child never has to wield the weapons she has. Not the knives or the guns or the daggers she keeps up her sleeve—none of it. The Child deserves better than what she got.
✦✧✦✧✦
Tatooine...What an interesting place.
Hope you enjoyed!
-L