"I found a job."
Glancing up from your work of cleaning weapons, you meet Din's gaze as he leans against the door. His hands rest on the front of his belt and his head is tilted in curiosity as he watches you.
"Good for you," you smile, turning back to your work.
You and Din have been taking a break from getting involved in the troubles of the galaxy. The three of you have been simply drifting through space for the past couple of weeks after a quick restock of supplies.
The days on the ship have been peaceful, blissful. You've passed the time through meditation and speaking with Din. After the blowup between the two of you, Din has been careful about how he addresses you, both by name and emotions. The pet names in Mando'a have lessened slightly but Din still speaks to you with a kindness in his voice that you've rarely heard in your life. His feelings towards you still make you nervous; not because you don't share those feelings, but because of your fear of what those feelings could cause in the future. You can't deny the warmth you feel in your chest and joy that fills you whenever Din is near. He's become your comfort... your person.
The two of you have been finding small things to talk about... Things that seem unimportant and simple, and yet you couldn't get enough of these tidbits about Din. Din's favorite color was purple, like how the sky turns during sunset. You had smiled when he had told you, making you think back to the nights of Arvala-7. How you had watched the explosion of color that spread over the sky as the suns set.
"What about you?" Din had asked. "What's your favorite color?"
"Green," you'd whispered. "Dark green, like the forests."
"Like the ones on Endor?"
"Yes, exactly like that."
You treasured those conversations and how random and strange the questions eventually became, leaving the two of you in a laughing fit.
Din asked about your travels and adventures during the Wars; careful not to upset you, but curious to know more about your mysterious past. You told him about the people and the places you'd known, seen, and been. About Obi-Wan and Anakin and how they would bicker and banter in their missions as if they were brothers. About the clones and Waxer and Boil, the duo gracing your path during your missions with the Republic. You'd detailed the planets and fights you'd seen, explained the trainings of the Jedi, and told him about your arrival on Endor. Sometimes you'd talk about Ari, replaying the memories in your mind as you told the tales of your adventures and your narrow escapes from the Empire. You told Din about your master, Kya Thorn.
"So, you're assigned to a Jedi Master once you're of age to be a Padawan?"
"Essentially, yes. And that Jedi Master is meant to train you until you are of age and ability to face the Trials... to become a Jedi Knight. My master was Kya Thorn."
You smile at the memory of your old master. The pain of her tragic death starting to fade as you spend this time with Din, shifting through the memories and tragedies that you've seen and endured. You describe your old master to Din, your eyes shining as you remember the sisterly bond that you had created with her.
"She was of Togruta descendence, and she was stunning." You touch Din's hand, sending the image of the powerful woman into his mind for him to see. The memory of your battle on Ryloth flickered through Din's mind and he can see the Jedi Master standing before you. She had torn through droids to get to you, cutting you free of your bonds from capture. Din watches your face blossom into a smile that matches the one you had worn when your master had rescued you from those droids. The woman truly was stunning. Master Thorn's skin had been light blue and decorated with white markings. Her head tails and montrals displayed similar pigmentation. A golden band of akul teeth adorned her forehead, displaying her strength and power in battle. She's wearing tan and brown Jedi robes in your memory, and Thorn's arms and chest were covered in plates of white armor, which have been painted in varying colors and symbols.
"Kya was incredible. She was wise and focused, but she could be carefree. The amount of times that we should have been training with our sabers or going over battle tactics and she had decided to take a trip to some random jungle planet for a hike," you giggle. "She was like my sister and mother rolled into one. Master Thorn raised me... trained me, and yet treated me as her equal. We spent most of our time together. Sometimes, when we were bored, we would swap pieces of our armor to paint on them." A small smile graces your lips as you doze off in the memory. "The symbols and colors on her armor were drawn by me... and I had worn the ones she had made for me. Like siblings coloring to pass the time."
The nights, however, were the opposite of the days. Not all of your stories were joyous as the fond ones of your old master. You were still often overwhelmed by ones filled with pain and sorrow. They were overflowing with the recollection of past pain and heartbreak. An entire lifetime of it. Every night, you would meditate to balance and sort through the emotions and memories that constantly flow through you. And every night, Din joins you in your meditation, sitting and watching you quietly.
When he sees a bad memory overwhelm your facial expression, he simply holds out his hand for you to hold until it passes.
Din asks you about the memories when you've broken out of your meditation. He's sort of becoming your therapist, soothing you when you're in distress and helping you to work through the horrors of the past. As time passed, your fear of those horrors has calmed as well.
The bond that you share with Din through the Force allows him to see flickers of the memories as they pass. Din winces at the memories of your anguish, but he stays by your side. You can feel his grip on your hand tighten whenever he sees the images of your pain and torment.
However, allowing the memories to break through the barrier you had created has also allowed them to leak into your dreams. It's become more frequent. Nearly every night you wake up screaming or crying or both. Ari's dying body in your arms, the smell of the blood that coated the Temple floors, and the sounds of broken screams swarm you as you bolt up from your cot in sweat and tears.
Din is always there, sitting at your bedside and ready to provide you comfort from the terrors of your nightmares. After the dreams started making regular appearances, he formed a bed of blankets on the floor of your compartment next to you.
Sometimes your wake is violent, lashing out to fight off the Empire's torture in your dreams or to strike down Vader as he storms towards you. You saw the troops of clones who once were your friends, and watched them die and kill and betray. Those dreams were reminders that your life used to be filled of friends and loved ones. The clones Waxer and Boil throwing banter at you through the loud noise of battle. Anakin smiling and giving Ahsoka a playful shove. Obi-Wan coaching you through lightsaber forms. Master Thorn pulling you into a warm embrace.
These dreams were the worst, as they remind you of what you've lost.
Every night, apologies spew from your lips to Din. Apologies for your fits of violence as you wake and for the physical and emotional pain that you may have caused him. There are scratches and bruises scattered over Din's hands and arms from your assaults on nothing more than a memory... a conjuring of the dread and pain that fills your mind as you sleep.
You had dreamt of Darth Vader's torturous interrogations just the other night and had woken up in screams, lashing out in the dark in fear of the dark figure looming in the shadows. Din was there, dodging your arms as he sprang from his own sleep to calm you in your fit of terror and rage.
"Shh, shh, it's okay. You're okay, Alora, you're safe. It's not real."
But it was real. It had happened. It had stripped away a piece of your soul and left your heart shredded from the pain. But once the realization hit that it was simply a nightmare, and not current reality, the apologies rambled out of your lips.
"Din. Din. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I hurt you, I-"
"I'm fine, I'm just lucky that you didn't summon your lightsaber," he had chuckled. But his joke had only made your face pale as you remembered the one night that you had in fact summoned the blade to your hand as you'd awoken.
Gradually, the attacks of pain and panic have subsided slightly as you became accustomed to Din's presence by your side. The moment your eyes shoot open from the dream, you were washed with a soothing calm when you laid them on Din.
Slowly, but surely, peace has started to return. A sensation that you haven't felt in decades. All because of Din.
"The job is for both of us."
This time, you set down the equipment and let your hands fall into your lap. Din looks nervous as if he worries about how you'll respond to the idea of a job.
"Last time I went on a job, I left you behind and you got hurt. I want you to come with me on this one."
He continues to ramble as you watch him. A small smile spreads over your lips as he stutters out the words. Over time, Din has opened up, just as you have, but you've gradually started to see his nervous or excited ramblings. He could go on for several minutes while you just watch him, and you watching him only makes him even more nervous and his words turn from the topic to the fact that he must seem crazy or weird because you're just watching him.
It's kinda cute. Endearing.
"And I know what you're gonna say and you're gonna say that you don't want to go on this job because it's dangerous. But we need money because we're going to need supplies again soon..."
"Din..."
"I promise it's nothing too dangerous and we can leave the kid here on the ship where it's safe and I promise that I won't let you get hurt like last time..."
"Din."
"I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt again. And we'll be together this time so we won't have to worry and..."
"Din."
"What?" His voice is breathless from his rambling.
"It's going to be fine. I figured that we'd need to go on a job eventually. It was nice to have a break from running for a while though, I have to admit."
The tension in Din's shoulders dissipates and he relaxes.
"Yeah, it was. It was nice to just be with you..." His voice drifts off and you can't help but tilt your head in amusement. Your brows raise slightly and the corners of your eyes crinkle as you allow your mild amusement to decorate your face.
"Er... Uh. And the... The kid too. We got to take care of the kid."
"Nice save," you smirk.
He stands awkwardly in the doorway, suddenly unsure what to say or do.
"I'm sorry," he mumbles. "I didn't mean to..."
"It's okay, Din. I don't mind." A soft laugh laces your words as you stand from the floor. "So... A job... What are we looking at?"
"I used to work with a gang of mercenaries. I know, I know, I'm not proud of it, okay?" He rambles as he watches you scrunch your face in disapproval.
"The head of the group offered to pay us handsomely if we help them out. Breaking out one of their captive members from some crap they got caught in. Shouldn't be too difficult."
"Mercenaries? I don't know, Din..." You lean against the door as he continues to stand in the space before you, mere inches distance away.
"It's going to be fine, I promise," Din murmurs as he looks down at you.
"Last time you encountered a mercenary you got shot in the chest," you joke.
"Well, I know these mercenaries... To a degree."
"Din," you groan, leaning your forehead against his chest of beskar.
"We'll get paid." His voice lifts in a singsong manner and you fight back a snort of laughter.
"What, you sing now?"
"I have many surprises up my sleeve, Jedi." You can almost envision the smile that must be crossing his lips at the moment.
You lean back and stare into his visor for a few moments, contemplating the offer.
He's right. We need the money. And to get out of this ship and stretch our legs.
"Okay, fine, I'll do it. What are we getting ourselves into?"
Din's smile fell as he remembers the team that he used to be a part of. He turns to return to the cockpit as he speaks and you follow him up the ladder.
"Well, they're mercenaries. But, um... uh." Din punches coordinates into the dashboard awkwardly and slightly aggressively, as if the topic suddenly makes him uncomfortable. "When I left the group, we didn't exactly part on good terms."
"What does that mean? What happened?"
"Well, uh... it's complicated. But I want to warn you... some of them may say some things about me."
"Like what?" Your head tilts in curiosity as you watch Din bumble around the cockpit.
"Just... things. Lies. They were angry for many reasons. I, uh... I-"
He stops when your hand falls onto his arm.
"Regardless of what they say or do, Din, I won't believe them. How long have we been traveling together?"
"I don't know, um... a few months."
"Exactly. I've been traveling with you for months now. I've lived with you, spoken with you, disclosed very personal and painful memories with you, and, most importantly, I trust you."
A sigh rumbles through the modulator of his helmet and his hand settles over your own.
"Thank you, cyar'ika."
"What does that mean, anyway?" you say, cocking your head to the side in interest.
"Huh?" His voice cracks briefly and he hurriedly busies himself with the ship controls to avoid the question.
"Never mind," you chuckle. "I'm going to feed the kid and set him down to sleep for the job."
Din grunts in response and you smirk as you leave the cockpit. His awkwardness at your question proves that the word was a pet name of endearment, but you've found yourself enjoying hearing him address you in words of Mando'a in these past few weeks. In fact, it saddened you when he started keeping himself from addressing you in that way.
By the time you make it back to the cockpit, the child is sleeping and you've grabbed your weapons in preparation for the job. You're wearing a simple gray long-sleeve and black cotton windbreaker, paired with dark trousers. Daggers are tucked into your boots and belt and your blaster rests on your hip, alongside your saber. You tie up your hair in a simple braid and pull a few strands loose, to curl around your face. You've locked your compartment doors and checked for anything else that you may need for this job. Now, you're nervously tapping your boot on the ground as Din lands the Razor Crest in an incoming hangar.
"Relax, Alora. It's gonna be fine. Don't let them see you nervous, they'll use that against you one way or another."
You mumble your understanding and try to quiet your nerves. The Crest's engines power down as the ship settles onto the landing platform. Din sits for a moment, staring at the area ahead of the ship hesitantly before he stands and offers you his hand.
"Come on," he mutters. "Let's get this over with. I want to get away from this group as soon as possible."
Taking his hand and walking about the cockpit, you mutter under your breath.
"'Cuz a comment like that will definitely not make me nervous."
Din lets go of your hand as the ramp of the ship lowers to touch the floor. You swallow your nerves and put on a stoic face, ready to face this crew that Din despises so much. The two of you walk through the bustling crowd of people moving equipment in the hangar, fixing ships, and shooting Din confused glances at the sight of the Mandalorian. Din pays them no attention, as his visor sweeps the crowd to find the one man that he's looking for.
"Mando."
You turn to see a man approaching Din with a small smile on his face. He's slightly shorter than Din, with long wiry hair that's speckled with grey and white. He's balding at the top of his head and he sports a long white beard. The man's smile widens as the two of you walk closer.
"Is that you under that bucket?" he chuckles, holding out his hand in greeting.
"Ran," Din nods, returning the gesture and the two of them shake hands.
"I didn't really know if I'd ever see you in these parts again. Good to see you. You know, to be honest, I was a little surprised when you reached out to me. You know, 'cause I... I hear things."
Ran glances over at you and gives you a once-over. His eyes show his confusion at your presence and there's a hint of suspicion flowering in them. You keep the emotionless facade as he turns back to Din.
"Like, maybe things between you and the Guild aren't workin' out."
"I'll be fine." Din's voice is void of emotion, while your jaw tenses slightly at the mention of the Guild.
"Okay. Well, you know the policy. No questions. And you, you're welcome back here anytime." Ran turns to you with a giant smile. "Why, hello, miss."
"Hello," you nod curtly and keep your voice similar to Din, monotone and emotionless.
"What're you doin' hangin' out with Mando here? You look far too pretty to be partakin' in such a rough business," Ran chuckles as his bushy eyebrows raise.
"I thought you said no questions." You cross your arms over your chest.
The man's eyes widen with a tinge of surprise and he bellows out a laugh.
"HA! I like her!" He nods at Din with an impressed look on his face as he points at you. "I like her! I like you!" He chuckles as he starts to walk with the two of you. "No questions, heh."
"So, what's the job?" Din holds his gaze on you for a moment before turning back to Ran. A small smile flickered behind his helmet at your response and you can sense a flash of pride run through him.
"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."
"You got six."
Ran turns to look at you, surprised that you cut into his conversation with Din.
"Sorry, dear, but I only need five."
"You have six." Din steps closer to you, his stare burning into Ran. You can sense his agitation as he towers over you and Ran.
"Very well... I have six." Ran's gaze flicks between you and Din warily.
You elbow Din in the arm as Ran continues to walk and explain the job. The two of you had agreed not to let the group know that you and Din were close. They might use it against him and him getting all protective isn't exactly helping.
"All I need is the ride, and you brought it," Ran says as he looks over at Din.
"The ship wasn't a part of the deal," Din rumbled.
A surge of panic shoots through you at the thought of a group of mercenaries on the ship. The kid is hiding in the compartments and you don't them to find out that you are the reason that Din isn't doing well with the Guild. If they find out that you are wanted by the Empire, then who knows what would happen?
"Well, the Crest is the only reason I let you back in here."
Din turns to stare at Ran in disbelief. Waves of anger, confusion, and panic flare around his aura, and you're thankful that his helmet is hiding his facial expressions at the moment.
"What's the look?" Ran chuckles. "Is that gratitude?" His voice is heavy with sarcasm as he stares at Din. He laughs as he steps away. "Uh-huh. I think it is." His laughter echoes down the hangar as he walks away.
You and Din exchange a solemn look. You're still trying to keep your expression void of reaction but Din can see panic and anxiety flickering in your eyes.
Ran guides the two of you over to a man prepping weapons and calls out to him.
"Hey, Mayfield."
The man turns to look at Ran. "Yeah?" The guy was bald but had red scruff around his jaw. He's donning shoulder holsters equipped with blasters and was dressed all in black. More holsters are attached to his belt and you can see a mechanical arm-kinda thing attached to his back.
"This is Mando, the guy I was tellin' you about. We used to do jobs way back when," Ran says as he casually waves his arm towards Din.
"This is the guy?" There's a scoff in his voice as he walks into better lighting and looks Din up and down.
"Yeah, we were all young, tryin' to make a name for ourselves." He chuckles. "Yeah, but runnin' with a Mandalorian, that was... That brought us some reputation."
"Oh, yeah?" The guy Ran had called Mayfield scoffs. "What did he get out of it?"
"I asked him that one time. You remember what you said, Mando?" Ran turns to look at Din with a smile tugging at his lips.
When Din remains silent, Ran looks back to Mayfield.
"Target practice," he says, laughing through the words, and Mayfield pulls a tight-lipped smile that is filled with awkwardness.
You fight to keep a smirk off of your face at his words.
Target practice. Why am I not surprised that Din would say that?
"We did some crazy stuff, didn't we?"
"That was a long time ago." Din's voice is gruff and you glance over at him. His shoulders are slightly tense and you want to nudge his arm to calm him down, but the feeling of Mayfield staring at you makes you stop.
"So, what's the deal with her?" Mayfield's eyes are boring into you as he looks you up and down, making you bite back a grimace of disgust.
Why do men...?
You meet his eye with a bored glance, void of all emotion or care for his attention.
"She'll be joining you on the job," Ran replied simply.
"You run with the Mandalorian? What are you, his little pet?"
You work to keep your appearance unbothered by his comments. The last person to dare speak to you in such a way was that drunk on Tatooine over a month ago. Your eyes narrow slightly and your lips pull into a small frown but you try to maintain your composure.
"You look kinda familiar, now that I think about it..." Mayfield steps closer to you, analyzing your face. You want to kick yourself for not bringing your mask off the ship. It was stupid of you not to.
"I get around," you retort, looking at the man with disinterest. "Probably seen me in some bar gettin' a job."
"Nah, you look too pretty to do bounty hunting... but then again, those are some nasty scars you're sportin' there." You cock your head at his comment. "But maybe they're from playing too rough with old Mando there," he scoffs, making your eyes narrow even more. "You guys rough in the sack?"
When you don't retort or show any interest in his jabs, Mayfield turns back to Ran with a huff. You can feel Din tense at your side and he's shuffled slightly closer in his protectiveness of you. His fists are clenched and his arms are stiff at his sides.
Calm down, Din.
His shoulders relax when Din senses your nudge at him through the Force. You're sending as much calm and comfort his way as you can. Din told you how they will say things against him... Berate him, mock him, even threaten him. And the fact that they know that you are traveling with him, and therefore have some sort of connection to him, they will direct that negative attention to you.
"Well... Well, uh, I don't go out anymore. You understand?" Ran looks between the three of you. "So, uh, Mayfield, he's gonna run point on this job."
Of course, he is. Your inner voice is dripping with bitterness as you look between Ran and Mayfield.
"If he says it, it's like it's comin' from me. You good with that?"
Mayfield's eyebrows raise in pride and his face is filled with smugness as he looks at Din. It's as if he's waiting for Din to throw a fit or argue with the order. Din holds the man's gaze, obviously not good with this deal.
"You tell me." Din tilts his head to the side in a challenging manner as Ran laughs.
"You haven't changed one bit," he laughs.
"Yeah, well, things have changed around here," Mayfield cuts in. It's evident that he didn't particularly like Din's challenging tone. And with that, he turns and walks away from the group, back into the darkness of the hangar.
"Mayfield, he's... He's one of the best triggermen I've ever seen."
You raise your brow at Ran's statement, making a mental note of that for later... just in case.
"Former Imperial sharpshooter."
That definitely caught your attention. Your head whips from watching Mayfield walk away to Ran as he utters the word, Imperial. Your eyes widen and Ran takes notice.
"That's not saying much." Din doesn't seem bothered by this piece of information, but the word Imperial makes your mental alarms go off.
"I wasn't a stormtrooper, wiseass," Mayfield yells from afar, still close enough to hear the conversation.
"The miss must've had a run-in with the Imperials at some point or she wouldn't have reacted that way. What trouble did you get into, sweetheart?" Ran asks after glancing back at Mayfield.
"Just... run-ins during a job... maybe that's why he recognizes me," you mumble, watching Mayfield as he turns his back once again. You're hoping that he believes this lie... or that they just think that you're another pain in the Empire's ass.
Ran nods slowly and chuckles, ushering the two of you to follow him and Mayfield back to the Razor Crest. As the group approaches, Mayfield decides to run his mouth.
"Razor Crest? I can't believe that thing can fly," he scoffs, squinting to stare at the gunship. "Looks like a Canto Bight slot machine."
Din simply ignores him and glances at you by his side. You nudge his hand softly to check on him and to let him know that you're okay. Everything will be fine. Just as he said.
But every minute you spend with the members of this gang makes you more and more nervous about how this job will turn out.
Mayfield gestures with his arm to someone on the side of the hangar. "The good-lookin' fellow there with the horns, that's Burg."
A large Devaronian man is carrying boxes towards you. His skin is a bright red and two large dark horns sprout from his skull, giving him the look of a devil. His ears are pointed like an elf's and there are dark red scars across his face. He's a buff being and you can tell that he's the designated muscle of this team of mercenaries.
You can't help but jolt slightly when he slams down the luggage he was carrying onto the hangar floor.
"This may surprise you, but he's our muscle."
Burg stalks up to Din without giving you a glance and stands off against him. Their faces are a few inches apart and Din has to look up slightly to meet the Devaronian's eyes. Burg looks down at Din and starts to circle him.
"So this is a Mandalorian," he rumbles, his voice deep as he speaks. "I thought they'd be bigger."
"Droid's name is Zero," Mayfield continues.
A man-sized droid turns to look at you. Its face resembles that of an insect and there's a small antenna that protrudes from its head. Zero's plating is a dark gray and its eyes are a silvery color. It's carrying a gun in its arm and the droid approaches the group slowly, looking at Din up and down... as if it's scanning him. You bite back a grimace at the sight of it... Din won't like having a droid on his ship.
"I thought you said you had four," Din says, taking you by surprise. You were sure he would have refused to have this droid on board.
"He does."
A female voice rings out in the hangar and you can visibly see Din tense up at the sound of it. The two of you turn to look for the owner of the voice to see a Twi'lek with purple-tinted skin approaching. The Twi'lek dons a brown headdress to hold back her montrals. She's wearing a maroon long-sleeve shirt and gloves, as well as a belt holding various knives and pockets.
"Hello, Mando," she whispers, giving him a sly smile. Her voice scratches the air as she speaks and you're fighting to keep yourself from wincing at the sound. Your senses spike in awareness and you have a bad feeling about this woman.
I don't like this group...
"Xi'an," Din mumbles in annoyance.
"Tell me why I shouldn't cut you down where you stand?"
She suddenly lunges forward as a blade spawns in her hand, holding it against Din's throat. Your instincts kick in and you can't hold yourself back anymore. The moment that she lunged forward, you drew your blaster to point at her head. Xi'an freezes right before the blade meets Din's neck and the two of you are frozen in your threats. Her eyes flick to you as the barrel of your blaster presses against her temple.
You raise your brow to challenge her and continue to stare her down as her eyes narrow. Din just looks down at her as her blade hovers in front of his neck, unimpressed with her threats.
"Nice to see you, too," he mutters.
Xi'an gives him a sinister smile as her gaze moves from you to his visor. She cackles with glee, mischief crackling in her eyes.
"I missed you," she sighs, lowering the blade to her side. You keep the blaster raised to her head, a scowl threatening to cross your lips as you watch her.
"I like your shiny new gear," she giggles. "You wear it well." Her eyes continue to glance between you and Din as she playfully taps the point of her blade against his armor.
"Do we need to leave the room or something?" Mayfield pipes up from behind you, disgusted with the interaction that's happening before him.
"Well, Xi'an's been a little heartbroken since Mando left our group," Ran answers.
Din's helmet turns slightly towards you and you start to lower your blaster back to your side, keeping a watchful eye on Xi'an.
"Awe... You gonna be okay, sweetheart?" Mayfield snarks.
"Oh, I'm all business now. Learned from the best." She glances back at Din. "Besides, it looks like Mando has replaced me with this... pet."
The entire group stares at you as you maintain eye contact with the Twi'lek. You can hear Mayfield chuckling behind you as Xi'an closes the small distance between you. Her face is an inch from yours as she whispers.
"Is that what you are? His little pet?" she taunts. "Does he get lonely out there?"
Your eyes narrow but you keep your mouth shut. Anger is pumping adrenaline through your veins, blood rushes in your ears, and you're trying to regulate your breathing to keep that anger from showing. Aggravating them and starting a fight is not what you want right now.
"I bet he needs company when he comes back from a job," Mayfield sneers. "Is that what you are, honey? The special company to blow off some steam?"
Din's fists clench in anger and he slowly turns his head to look at Mayfield. His helmet masks his expression but you can feel the fury dripping from him as he turns.
"All right, lovebirds. Break it up till you get on the ship," Ran interrupts. "Right now we don't have much time."
The group starts to move towards the Crest to prep for the job, leaving you and Din on the platform. Xi'an turns and shoots you a wink and a sneer as she saunters away. Din shakes his head in annoyance and disbelief as Burg moves to stand in front of him once again.
"Tiny," Burg grunts before he walks away laughing.
Your grip on your blaster has turned your knuckles white and you throw the gun into your holster angrily.
"Calm down, Alora," Din murmurs.
"I am calm... Are you calm?" you whisper sarcastically, avoiding Din's gaze as the two of you walk up to the Crest.
Din is silent for a moment, knowing that you're angry but that you're trying to hide it from the mercenaries.
"... Just don't let them see."
"Same goes for you... I'll be fine... They just bug me that's all. Disrespectful assholes." You glance at him in disbelief before you reach the group. "But, her? Really?" Your head jerks towards Xi'an before returning to meet Din's gaze.
"She's lying," Din grumbles, his voice gruff. "That never happened. She always created these... scenarios in her head that she thought would come true. She's one of the reasons I left."
You snort in amusement but fall silent as the two of you step up to the mercenaries. Din stares at the droid Zero as it enters the Crest to look at the flying controls. He keeps looking back at the ship every few moments as if he expects it to burst into flames.
"So, the package is being moved on a fortified transport ship." Mayfield presses a button on the holo table, projecting a holographic layout of the transport ship into the air. "Now, we got a limited window to board, find our friend, get him out of there before they make their jump."
You squint at the hologram and glance back up at Mayfield in disbelief.
"That's... that's..."
"That's a New Republic prison ship," Din finishes your sentence and you can hear the frustration in his voice as he glares at the sharpshooter. "Your man wasn't taken by a rival syndicate. He was arrested."
What have we gotten ourselves into?
"So what?" Mayfield leans forward with a smirk plastered on his face.
"A job is a job," Ran pipes in, a similar but smaller smirk on his own expression.
"This isn't just a job," you grunt, crossing your arms in aggravation. "As Mando said, that's a Republic prison ship. A government ship."
"That's a max security transport and I'm not looking for that kinda heat," Din says, glancing around the table at the mercenaries.
"Neither are we. So don't mess up," Ran comments.
"Are none of you listening? This is government property... a prison ship. If anything goes wrong at all-," you start.
"And nothing will, sweetheart."
You scowl at Mayfield, choosing to show a glimmer of anger in this situation.
This is not what we signed up for.
"The good news for you is the ship is manned by droids," Xi'an smiles. She waltzes over to Din, grinning like an idiot as she nears him. You look away in annoyance and stare at the hologram of the New Republic ship.
"Still hate the machines, Mando?" she whispers, tracing his armored shoulder with a finger.
She's interrupted by the droid exiting the ship and you glance up at Din for a moment as the droid rambles on about the state of the Razor Crest. The voices around you fade away as you stare at the transport... You never thought that you would interact with any part of the Republic again... not after the Empire and the fall of the Jedi. The old Republic had failed you and the Empire tortured you... you have lost trust in governments, regardless of what they stood for. But that doesn't mean that you're willing to break into one of their ships... Not the Republic, not the enemy of the Empire. If this "friend" of these mercenaries got arrested, then it was probably for good reason.
You watch as Mayfield messes with the controls of the holo table and projects the plans for the rescue to the crew. A red line traces through a zoomed-in and enhanced portion of the ship where they believe that their comrade was being held. Their voices are still distant in your ears, but the sound of Din's voice brings you back to the conversation.
"It's not possible. Even for the Crest."
"It's why he's flying," Ran replied, nodding his head towards the droid across the table. Mayfield starts to cackle when Din looks up shocked and angry.
"Mando, I know you're a pretty good pilot, but we need you on the trigger. Not on the wheel."
"I could fly it," you suggest, turning everyone's attention to you. You can see Din shaking his head softly in your direction, trying to tell you that it's not a good idea.
"You can fly?" Mayfield jeers as he looks at you incredulously.
"Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised that I can? Can you not?" You spit out the question as you glare at him, while he continues to laugh.
"No, it's better to let the droid handle that. Based on your previous interaction with Xi'an, you've got fire. We need that," Ran nods. The mercenaries chuckle and you can see Xi'an smirk at you from the corner of your eye.
"Don't worry, Mandalorian. My response time is quicker than organics. And I'm smarter, too," Zero quips, tapping his head as he speaks.
The group makes their way up the ramp of the ship and into the hangar. You quickly fall into step beside them, refusing to let them stand in Din's ship without supervision. Din stays back to speak with Ran and his voice fades behind you as you walk into the hangar of the Razor Crest.
You lean against the wall as the rest of the group settles in the area, sitting on cargo or leaning against the wall as you are. Din passes you to get to the cockpit, nudging your hand as he walks by. The ship jostles slightly as the droid lifts the ship from the ground and takes off into the depths of space.
Xi'an stares at you with a smile for some time before she loses interest. You meet her gaze for a few moments, holding it while a small smile crosses your lips. Her presence urks you, but you have no problem playing this game with her. At this point, they know that you and Din are somewhat close and, if they believe that you are Din's "little plaything", then so be it. You'll just prove them wrong later, in one way or another.
If she wants to play a game, then fine. Let's play a game. She annoys me, I annoy her. I was a pain in the Empire's ass for quite some time... I can definitely be one in hers.
Eventually, her smile turns into a frown when she realizes that you've decided to partake in her games in your own way and she averts her eyes. Xi'an instead focuses on balancing her dagger's point on the tip of her finger. Mayfield starts to pace in the hangar as time ticks by and you can sense his impatience. You're still on high alert. If these people find out about you being the missing Jedi, you're done for.
"So, tell me, sweetheart."
You look up at Mayfield, who's stopped his pacing to lean against the door of Din's quarters. Your eyes flick to the door for a moment but quickly return to the man's gaze out of fear of him seeing that your attention was drawn to it.
"How long have you been with the Mandalorian?"
"Why do you want to know?" Your voice is smooth as you watch him.
"I'm just curious about how attached the bucket is to you... How long has he been playing with his toy."
Your eyes narrow when he mentions your nickname for Din. A sense of protectiveness washes over you and you hate the sound of the name in Mayfield's mouth... the nickname is special to you. It's one of the first things that you called Din when you had first met.
Din is in the cockpit, carefully watching the droid move over the controls of the ship. You're not sure when he will return, but you'd rather not have him see these people address you in this way... Knowing him, he might not be able to keep his composure and all hell would break loose.
"Hm, well, I'm not his... what did you call it? Playtoy. I am his crew member," you say as you give him a small smile. "And there is no relevance in me telling you how long I have in fact worked with Mando. We're here to do a job, so let's get it done."
You watch as Burg stomps his way over to where Din stores his weapons and starts to mess with the keypad to open the compartment. The beeping of the keypad fills the air as you turn back to stare at Mayfield.
"She can keep her cool as much as she likes," Xi'an whispers from her seat. "But I can see how connected you two are. How you defended him. It was cute," she sneers. "She may not be his plaything, but she is definitely his... company."
Burg chuckles as the weapons compartment opens up behind him and he reaches out to touch one of the many guns that Din has stored.
Right as he reaches in, Din jumps down from the cockpit and pushes controls on his vambrace. The doors to the weapons shut on Burg and Burg grunts in frustration, punching the doors in an attempt to get to the weapons once again.
You hold back a chuckle as Burg turns in confusion and that confusion quickly becomes anger. He faces Din and reaches out to grab him, but Din shoves his arm away. The two start to standoff once again and you roll your eyes, turning away when Mayfield starts to intervene.
"Hey, hey, hey. Okay. Okay, okay. I get it. I'm a little particular about my personal space too. So, let's just do this job."
You scoff at that last sentence, gaining the group's attention once again. You meet Mayfield's gaze and shrug, knowing that you had uttered those same words only moments ago when they were berating you.
"We get in, we get out. You don't have to see our faces again," Mayfield continues.
"Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian. And his pet," Burg rumbles.
"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy. So they say."
The same could be said about the Jedi, you think to yourself as you stare at the floor.
"Then why are they all dead?"
Your eyes widen as they laugh and a wave of anger washes through you. Anger for Din. For the Mandalorians. For the Jedi. Both groups were killed off by the tyranny and the torture of the Empire. Both of them are nearly extinct. Din walks over to lean against the wall by your side. Your hands are fists at your sides and you tense when Din's hand brushes your own. He had sensed your anger through your bond and he, too, shares that anger.
Din's hand brushes against yours once again and you open your fist to accept his hand. His fingers lace with your own and you hide your interlocked hands between the two of you, your body blocking your interaction. None of these mercenaries will see the soft gesture unless they approached the two of you.
"Well, you flew with him, Xi'an."
Looking up at the sound of her name, you watch them interact. They're revelling in the joy of mocking Din.
"Is he as good as they say?"
"Ask him about the job on Alzoc III," she smiles coyly.
"I did what I had to," Din cuts in, keeping your hands out of sight. His words earn him a chuckle from Xi'an.
"Oh, but you liked it." Din's head turns slowly to look at her and you squeeze his hand lightly. "See, I know who you really are."
"He never takes off the helmet?" Mayfield asks her.
"Uh-huh," she laughs. "This is the Way," Xia'an taunts, imitating Din's gruff voice and staring at Din with that annoying smile.
Din tightens his grip on your hand and you give him another squeeze of support. Your heart breaks at the sound of Xi'an taunting Din for his livelihood. For something that he was raised in and had even saved his life as a child. It was the same as someone mocking the anguish of the Jedi.
"I wonder what you look like under there," Mayfield muses. "What do you think sweetheart? Maybe he's a Gungan. Would you still travel with him then? Hm? Is that why yousa don't wanna show your face?"
Burg lets out a bellow of a laugh and Mayfield smirks as he turns back to Xi'an.
"You ever seen his face?"
She gasps softly, her smirk never leaving her face. "A lady never tells."
"Come on, sweetheart, 'fess up." Your eyes narrow as they all look to you. "What's he look like? I'm sure you've seen. Why else would you stay with him, besides getting some special playtime?" His attention turns to Din when you stay silent, refusing to give him the reaction that he wanted. "Come on, Mando. We all gotta trust each other here. You gotta show us somethin'. Come on. Just lift the helmet up."
Burg rises from his seat and you quickly release your hold on Din's hand, unsure of what he's going to try. You rest your hand on your blaster, ready for anything they might try to pull.
"Let's all see your eyes," Mayfield smiles.
Din is silent, turning his head to look at Mayfield. He's fighting to control his emotions and his rage is leaking into his aura, tainting the air around him.
What do I do? I can't take that red hunk of muscle. While I myself want to see Din's eyes, this is not how I want it to happen... I would never force him to show me his face and break his Creed, let alone even ask him to show me. What do I do?
Your thoughts race a mile a minute and your eyes flick between each of them as Burg approaches.
"I'll do it," Burg rumbles, reaching out to grab the bottom of Din's helmet. Din knocks his hand away and shoves him back, knocking him into the door that hid the kid from view. You straighten from your position against the wall and fear takes hold in your chest. You reach for your saber on instinct, but quickly change the course of your hand back to your blaster. You're hoping that you hadn't drawn attention to your rare weapon. The door to the kid thankfully did not open upon impact but you're now bristling with anger at the brute's advance on Din.
"Awe, look at the bond that they share," Xi'an sneers, rising to saunter over to you. She leans in uncomfortably close. Your eyes narrow in warning as her breath touches your face and you fight back a shiver of disgust. "I have to be honest, Mando. I didn't think you were the type to keep a pet. I didn't even think that she was your type."
Xi'an reaches up to touch your face, intending to trace the scars on your cheek. Din grabs her wrist, stopping her from touching your skin, and he moves to stand in between the two of you.
"Don't touch her."
"Awe, look," Mayfield says. "The pet needs protecting."
"Trust me. She doesn't. I just don't want to make a mess in my ship," Din growls.
Xi'an's eyes narrow and she pulls her hand from his grasp as she backs away. You shoot her a taunting, innocent-like smile from behind Din and give her a little wave.
Zero's robotic voice interrupts the scene as it sounds through the ship.
"Dropping out of hyperspace now."
The ship rocks aggressively before anyone could register the droid's words and everyone goes flying. You grab Din's shoulder for support but still end up losing balance and start to fall forward. Din turns to grab a hold of you, bracing his body against the wall of the ship as everything shakes. You gasp in surprise and hold onto Din's arm around your waist. There's a moment of peace where the mercenaries start to rise from the floor, but Zero's voice crackles through the air once again.
"Commencing final approach, now. Cloaking signal, now."
Everyone grunts in pain and surprise as the ship rocks once again. You and Din are thrown into the air as the ship flips and turns in space. You brace yourself to hit the floor, but Din somehow turns in the air so that you land on top of him, cushioning your fall.
"Engaging coupling now."
The ship rumbles as it lands on the New Republic prison ship, and you groan in annoyance and pain. Your eyes widen when you realize that you're still lying on top of Din and you roll off of him, turning to check on him. His arm is still wrapped around you loosely, his hand has a tight grip on your bicep.
"Are you okay?" you whisper, still lying on the floor.
"Yeah," he groans. "I'm fine. What about you?"
"Thanks to you, I'm fine as well," you chuckle, struggling to stand and help him up.
"Coupling confirmed. We are down," Zero states.
"Useless droid didn't even give us a proper countdown," Xi'an grumbles from across the hangar.
"Alright, we got a job to do. Mando, you're up," Mayfield gestures at him as he stands from the ship floor.
Din makes his way over to a hatch in the Crest floor and opens it, creating a pathway into the prison ship. You stumble over to the group as they gather around the hatch, staring at Mayfield.
"What? It's me?" he asks, raising his hands to point at himself.
"Always you," Burg says gruffly.
One by one, the mercenaries make their way down into the prison ship, leaving you and Din in the Crest.
"I'm sorry, Alora. I didn't want this when I asked about the job. This isn't what you signed up for."
"Hey, it's okay." You lay your hand on his shoulder for a moment and then move to touch his beskar cheek. "It's not your fault." Taking a deep breath, you stare at the hatch. "I don't have a good feeling about this though."
"You can stay on the Crest if you want."
"And let you have all the fun? No, no way, you're not going alone," you joke. "Come on, let's finish the job."