"I'm glad you're the one they sent." Rumlow's voice echoed out.
I spun around to see him, wearing his black armor with white paint. His face was covered by a black mask with a white skull engraved on his mask in paint. No doubt it was covering his scarred face.
"Brock..." I whispered. "Please don't continue down this path. This isn't who you were."
He scoffed as he approached me. "Don't tell me you still have feelings for me."
"As if. I'm trying to save your ass, to stop you from doing something you'll regret." I protested.
He let out a dark chuckle as he took off his mask, showing off his face, which had several scars. My heart clenched. Once he stood right in front of me, he retaliated. "It's you who is nothing without me."
I scoffed. "What are you talking about?"
"It was thanks to me that you were helping out STRIKE with the hijack of the Lemurian Star." Rumlow clarified.
"That's a lie." I retorted. "I earned that spot."
"Oh please, I was the one who moved around the strings around." Rumlow rebuked, placing a hand under my chin. "But that's what I got for falling in love with you..."
"No, you're lying, just like you've done all this time. That's what you're good at, lying." I shot back.
I then swung an arm towards Rumlow, but he immediately deflected it with his own arm. We both fought on though, neither one of us was backing down. I didn't wish to kill him, but I knew Rumlow wouldn't back down. I didn't love him anymore, but I still cared about him, which Rumlow immediately noticed. He wore a smirk. "You can't kill me, can you? You still have feelings for me, don't you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "No, I don't. I'll prove it to you, Rumlow!"
Rumlow let out a chuckle. I continued to fight Rumlow until his reinforcements arrived, surrounding me. I did my best to fight them all on my own, but all it took was one wrong move...A blade then pierced my side. I let out a yell as I felt immense pain spread through my body. But I kept fighting, pushing past the pain. It wasn't long though until one of the mercenaries fired a bullet, piercing my back. I let out a whimper as I collapsed onto the ground. It felt like my body was engulfed in flames. I raised my head, and the last thing I saw was a pained look on Rumlow's face as he looked over at his mercenaries, giving them a nod.
My eyes widened as I sat up, letting out a gasp. R8 quickly approached my side, letting out several high pitch beeps, asking if I was all right. I glanced around to find myself back in the room I was after I got hurt on Nevarro.
I nodded. "I'm fine, R8."
All of the sudden, I heard footsteps followed by Mando's voice. "Ayla?"
In a matter of seconds, he was by my side, holding a kit in his hand. I furrowed my brows. "Where am I?"
"In my room." He answered.
My eyes widened. I'm in Mando's room? Well, it's the only room to rest, Mandy. Still I could feel my face heating up. Don't be an idiot...I then decided to change the subject. "And Toro?"
"Dead." He informed me as he opened up the kit.
He then took out a bandage along with a bottle that I didn't recognize. He gently grabbed my right arm before spraying the liquid on my wound. I winced as I felt a sharp pain.
"Sorry." He apologized.
"It's all right." I assured him, waving it off.
As Mando wrapped up my wound, he spoke again. "You need to stop getting hurt."
His words didn't sound harsh, it sounded like he actually cared. Someone else might've assured him that they wouldn't get hurt again. But me being me, I couldn't help and tease, which is exactly what I did. "Aww, does the metal man care for me?"
Mando remained silent as he continued to patch up my wound. My heart clenched. Did I say something wrong? Of course you did, now is not the time to tease him. After what felt like a long while, Mando replied. "I do, mesh'la, more than you know."
I smiled, touched by his words. My heart skipped a beat. What did that word mean? With that in mind, I responded. "Uh, what does that word mean?"
Mando went silent for several moments. Then, when he answered, he had changed the subject. "We have to be more careful. Bounty hunters will be after both the kid and you."
I still didn't understand how these bounty hunters found me. Fennec said that my mother, Deara was searching for me, but that can't be. She's dead. Father told me that she died along with many other Alderaanians when the planet was destroyed.
"How did they find me? Know about me?" I questioned.
Mando shook his head. "I don't know. But we can't use your birth name anymore, at least not in public."
I nodded. "I understand...What's our next move?"
I noticed Mando hesitated, remaining silent. I placed a hand over one of his. "Mando, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
And that was enough to get him to open up. "We need credits, but we can't do any Guild work. I know a place...but it's dangerous, he's a mercenary."
I've dealt with mercenaries before, some were better than others. So I understood what he meant.
"Can we trust him?" I questioned.
"No." He replied, causing me to tense up, which he immediately noticed. "But don't worry, I've got everything under control."
Once we landed at the station, R8 remained in the ship with the child, while Mando and I walked through the station, which was filled with people, working behind machines or with tools, and tables filled with equipment. I remained calm, following Mando's lead. As we walked past them, many stared at us. At that moment, a man with long gray hair and a matching beard approached us. "Mando, is that you under that bucket?"
"Ran." Mando greeted.
"I didn't really know if I'd ever see you in these parts again. Good to see you." The man named Ran mentioned. "You know to be honest, I was a bit surprised when you reached out to me. You know, 'cause I hear things...like maybe things between you and the Guild aren't workin' out."
My heart clenched. Was he onto us? I tried to remain calm as I stood beside Mando, staying quiet. Mando responded with ease. "I'll be fine."
"Okay, well, you know the policy. No questions. And you, you're welcome back here anytime." Ran commented. He then noticed me as he turned to face me. "And who's this?"
"This is Miranda Rambeau, a friend of mine." Mando said, introducing me. "Mandy, this is Ran."
I extended out a hand, shaking Ran's hand. Ran wore a chilling smile that send a shiver up my spine. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Mando is a friend of mine."
"So, what's the job?" Mando asked, changing the subject.
"One of our associates ran afoul of some competitors and got himself caught. So, I'm puttin' together a crew to spring him. It's a five person job. I got four. All I need is the ride, and you brought it." Ran explained.
"The ship wasn't part of the deal." Mando argued.
"Well, the Crest is the only reason I let you back in here." Ran retorted.
I glanced over at the Mando to see him looking tense as he clenched his fists. Without thinking, I slipped a hand over one of his clenched fists, feeling his anger and frustration. Immediately, I felt him tense up. However, before I could pull my hand away, I felt his fist uncurl. And to my surprise, his fingers interlaced with mine. My heart skipped a beat. I mentally shook my head. Stop it, Mandy. I could feel him relaxing at once. However, Ran was not finished with testing Mando's patience. He wore a smug look as he stared at Mando. "What's the look? Is that gratitude? Uh-huh. I think it is."
Ran then out a laugh before leading us towards a table where a bald man stood. There were all different kinds of weapons behind him. Ran greeted the man. "Hey, Mayfeld."
Upon hearing Ran's voice, Mayfeld turned to face us. "Yeah?"
"This is Mando, the guy I was tellin' you about. We used to do jobs way back when." Ran mentioned.
Mayfeld glanced over at Mando. "This is the guy?"
Ran nodded. "Yeah, we were all young, tryin' to make a name for ourselves. Yeah, but runnin' with a Mandalorian, that was...that brought us some reputation."
Mayfeld raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? What did he get out of it?"
Ran chuckled. "I asked him that one time. You remember what you said, Mando?"
"Target practice." Mando admitted.
Ran laughed. "Target practice. We did some crazy stuff, didn't we?"
My heart clenched. At his words, Mando immediately glanced over at me before looking back at Ran. "That was a long time ago."
"Well, I don't go out anymore. You understand? So, uh, Mayfeld, he's gonna run point on this job. If he says it, it's like it's comin' from me. You good with that?" Ran questioned.
"You tell me." Mando mentioned.
Ran laughed. "You haven't changed one bit."
"Yeah, well, things have changed around here." Mayfeld retorted before looking over to me. "Who are you?"
"I'm Miranda Rambeau." I said, introducing myself.
Mayfeld then inspected me before replying. "And who exactly are you?"
I opened my mouth, prepared to say a spy, but Mando beat me to it, speaking up. "She's a bounty hunter like me."
I looked over at Mando, who gave me a small nod, silently urging me to follow along. Mando knows these people, so if he's lying he must have his reasons. I trust him. I returned his nod. "Yeah, before that I was on Tatooine, taking on different trades to survive."
Mayfeld looked impressed with my words. Ran then intervened, changing the subject. "Yeah, well, Mayfeld, he's one of the best triggermen I've ever seen. Former Imperial sharpshooter."
At his words, I tensed up. He was with the Empire? Mando's right, we can't trust them. Mando didn't seem impressed though as he retorted. "That's not saying much."
"I wasn't a stormtrooper, wiseass." Mayfeld shot back before storming off towards the Razor Crest.
"Don't take long, does it?" Ran inquired before letting out a laugh.
With that, we followed Mayfeld to the ship. As soon as Mayfeld saw the ship, I could tell he wasn't impressed. Mayfeld scoffed. "Razor Crest? I can't believe that thing can fly. Looks like a Canto Bight slot machine. All right. The good-lookin' fellow there with the horns, that's Burg. This may surprise you, but he's our muscle."
A tall and muscular alien with red skin, sharp teeth, and horns named Burg made his way towards us. He narrowed his eyes, examining Mando. "So, this is a Mandalorian. I thought they'd be bigger."
Mayfield and Burg both chuckled at his words. I narrowed my eyes, but remained silent, not wanting to pick a fight. I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself down. At that moment, a droid who looked much like a bug walked past us.
"Droid's name is Zero." Mayfeld informed us.
"I thought you said you had four." Mando commented.
"He does. Hello, Mando." A feminine voice rang out.
We then turned around to see a woman with purple skin and fangs. I heard Mando let out a sigh, sounding irritated. "Xi'an."
"Tell me why I shouldn't cut you down where you stand?" Xi'an questioned.
Xi'an then placed a dagger underneath his neck, but Mando doesn't flinch. I grimaced. Well, this is just peachy. Mando remained unfazed as he greeted her. "Nice to see you, too."
Both Ran and Xi'an laughed, while I watched with clenched fists. Xi'an smiled, showing her fangs. "I missed you."
My stomach churned. I don't like one bit. Xi'an then placed her dagger on his chest, standing way too close to Mando. "This is shiny. You wear it well."
"Do we need to leave the room or something?" Mayfeld inquired.
"Well, Xi'an's been a little heartbroken since Mando left our group." Ran explained.
"Aw. You gonna be okay, sweetheart?" Mayfeld mocked.
Xi'an nodded. "Oh, I'm all business now. Learned from the best."
"Good, I wanna keep my food intact." I retaliated.
I moved in between Mando and Xi'an, keeping her away from Mando. Immediately, Xi'an turned towards me. "And who are you?"
"I'm Miranda, Mando's...friend." I replied.
Xi'an wore a grin on her face as she looked at Mando, batting her eyelashes. "Oh, I see you have a new plaything, Mando."
"Don't call her that. She's...just a friend." Mando argued, defending me. "...Like she said."
At his words, my heart dropped. I mentally shook my head. Stop this, Mandy. You know it's the damn truth. That's all you and Mando will ever be...friends, and perhaps it's better that way. You'd only mess it up. Xi'an twirled her dagger as she flashed him a smile. "I knew you couldn't replace me."
I clenched my fists at her words. Ran then intervened before things could get ugly. "All right, love birds, break it up till you get on the ship. Right now we don't have much time."
I glared at Xi'an, who narrowed her eyes at me before looking over at Mando, giving him a wink. I let out a huff. Unbelievable. I didn't want for Mando as I followed the others around a table. A hologram of a ship appeared at once.
"So, the package is being moved on a fortified transport ship. Now, we got a limited window to board, find our friend, get him out of there before they make their jump." Mayfeld informed us.
"That's a New Republic prison ship. Your man wasn't taken by a rival syndicate. He was arrested." Mando mentioned.
My heart dropped. What now? We're going to trespass on a New Republic prison ship? But they're the good guys. Mayfeld shrugged. "So what?"
Burg grunted in agreement. They were definitely mercenaries. They didn't have codes or rules. All they cared about was the money. Not all mercenaries were like this, but most were.
"A job is a job." Ran retorted.
"No it's not. This is the New Republic we're talking about." I protested.
Mayfeld raised an eyebrow. "You have a problem with the New Republic?"
"No, I..we just can't afford to be caught." I rebuked.
"Neither can we." Mayfeld shot back.
"Mandy's right, this isn't just any job. That's a max security transport and I'm not looking for that kinda heat." Mando added.
"Well, neither are we. So just don't mess up." Ran warned.
"The good news for you is the ship is manned by droids." Xi'an commented as she approached Mando. "Still hate the machines, Mando?"
At that moment, Zero walked out of the Razor Crest and made his way towards us, informing us of his progress. "Despite recent modifications, the ship is still quite a mess. The power lines are leaking, the navigation is intermittent, and the hyperdrive is only operating at 67.3% efficiency. We have much better ships. Why are we using this one?"
"'Cause the Razor Crest is off the old Imperial and the New Republic grid. It's a ghost." Ran explained.
"Yeah, and we need a ship that can get close enough to jam New Republic code." Mayfeld chimed in. He then pointed to the coordinates above the ship. "So, when we drop out of hyperspace here, if we immediately bank into this kinda attitude, we should be right in their blind spot, which will give us just enough time for your ship to scramble our signal."
"It's not possible. Even for the Crest." Mando commented.
"That's why he's flyin'." Ran retorted.
At Ran's words, Mayfeld laughed. I knew how territorial Mando was with his ship, especially with flying. He wouldn't let anyone fly the Razor Crest, well no one...until now. But it's not like he had a choice.
"Mando, I know you're a pretty good pilot, but we need you on the trigger. Not on the wheel." Ran mentioned.
"Don't worry, Mandalorian. My response time is quicker than organics. And I'm smarter, too." Zero added, not helping the situation.
Ran patted his shoulder. "All right. Yeah. That's good."
As soon as Zero boarded the ship along with Mayfeld, Xi'an, and Burg, Ran spoke again. "Forgive the programming. He's a little rough around the edges. But he is the best."
"How can you trust it?" Mando asked.
"You know me, Mando. I don't trust anybody." Ran confessed.
I mentally groaned at his words. That doesn't make me feel any better. With that Mando and I made our way up the landing ramp. That's when Ran spoke up again. "Just like the good old days, Mando. Huh?"
Ran then extended out his hands as he smiled. Mando said nothing as he pressed a control panel to close the landing ramp. We made our way to the cockpit, where Zero was flying, while Xi'an, Burg, and Mayfeld were in the cargo hold. R8 and the child were hiding, so the mercenaries wouldn't harm either one of them.
"Calculations complete. Jumping to hyperspace now." Zero stated.
With that, he entered hyperspace in a heartbeat. He then spoke up without facing us. "Feel free to join the others. I will handle it from here."
Once we left the cockpit, I climbed down the ladder with Mando trailing behind me. Once we reached the cargo hold, I saw Xi'an playing with a dagger in her hand, while Mayfeld sat beside her. Burg had managed to open up Mando's weapon cabinet, which didn't please Mando. As soon as Mando saw this, he used vambrace to shut the cabinet. Burg grunted as he slammed the doors. When he tried to open the cabinet again, Mando stopped him. I watched as Burg glared at Mando. Mayfeld immediately intervened. "Hey, hey, hey. Okay, I get it. I'm a little particular about my personal space, too. So, let's just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don't have to see our faces anymore."
"Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian." Burg commented.
"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy." Mayfeld mentioned. "So they say."
"Then why are they all dead?" Burg inquired.
At his words, Mayfeld, Xi'an, and Burg all laughed. I noticed Mando was tense up, but I couldn't blame him. These mercenaries were the worst. They had no hearts. I did everything in my power to keep from telling them off. Mayfeld then turned to Xi'an. "Well, you flew with him, Xi'an. Is he as good as they say?"
"Ask him about the job on Alzoc III." Xi'an responded, keeping her eyes on her dagger.
"I did what I had to." Mando admitted.
Xi'an chuckled. She turned around to face him. "Oh, but you liked it. See, I know who you really are."
At her words, I glanced over at Mando. What did she mean by that? I then noticed Mando looking in my direction. I turned away as I thought about Xi'an's words. Was she saying the truth? Or was she just messing around with him and me? I knew Mando didn't have the best childhood, but I'd never judge his past actions. Why should I? I had my fair share of skeletons in my closet. I only opened a bit up to Mando, he didn't know about the Framework, Jeffrey, Rumlow, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell him any of that.
~Translations~
Mesh'la----Beautiful (Mando'a)