" family "
When they arrived at the dewback, Lana's legs felt as if they were going to fall out from beneath her. Mando untangled the man's foot from the rope still attached to the dewback. With a grunt, Mando stood up facing Lana on the side of the giant reptile.
Mando noticed how exhausted she was, all she wanted to do was sleep. He noticed her dark circles mirrored the ones she had when he met her. He tilted his head slightly, before nodding for her to get up.
She tried, she really did to climb onto the dewbacks back. Every part of her body was exhausted and sore. Mando saw this weariness and grabbed her waist and threw her up to the dewback. With a thump, Mando landed in front of her. Their position mirrored that of when they rode the bikes, Lana was slumped against Mando's back. This time there wasn't any sand being kicked up in her face, but she was in such need for more shuteye.
By the time Mando and Lana were close to where they left Toro with the bounty, Toro was long gone. Approaching, Lana woke from her slumber rested against Mando's harsh back. Lana reaches her head up to look over Mando's shoulder as the dewback stopped. She saw that the bike was gone, Fennec laid dead in the sand. "What happened?" She asks Mando resting her chine on his shoulder
All his response was, was a sigh. Lana accepted that response as the dewback made a U-turn back toward the hangar they came from. The ride back was silent, she could tell Mando was upset.
Nightfall came again, the were back to the warming lights of the city. Once they got closer to the hangar, Mando saw the bike parked just outside, with the door open. Mando dropped from the dewback, as did beside him.
As Mando approached the open door, he withdrew his pistol, as did Lana. Cautiously, Lana followed Mando into the hangar. The silence was deafening. Mando searched the surroundings slowly with every step. One of Peli's droids darted across Mando's step and joined the other droids inside.
Lana started walking toward the ship, her gun drawn and pointed in front of her. "Took the two of you long enough." Lana hears his voice from inside Mando's ship. Walking out of the ship, Toro had the child in his grasp with a blaster pointed at Pelis head.
Mando ran to Lana's side sighing at the sight.
"Looks like I'm calling the shots now. Huh, partner?"
Lana feels her blood boil at his words. She was so angry but afraid. Mando spotted her shaking hand. He put his hand on her blaster, lowering it with his hand.
"Drop your blasters and raise them." Toro demands. Mando does as he says, tossing his blaster to the ground. When he reaches back up, Lana still had hers in hand. "Drop it." Mando says, she trusts Mando, but she was afraid for the child and Peli.
Reluctantly, she drops her blaster in the sand next to Mando's. The two raise their hands over their head. Lana's look on Toro could shoot daggers. "Cuff him." He demands Peli. "The girl, come up here."
Lana's breath hitches. She looks to Mando, all he does is nod. Lana gave him a begging look. All he could do was drop his head. Lana took her first step toward Toro, her body screaming at her not to go toward him.
As Lana walks up the ramp, she passes Peli. Peli looked terrified walking with the bindings. Lana replaced Peli in her position in front of Toro. She felt the cold barrel of his gun touch the back of her head.
Behind her she heard the child cooing, cooing for her. She swallowed the ball in her throat and shut her eyes, trembling under the touch of the gun.
Mando's heart hurt seeing her this way, he knew he had to get her out of his grasp. Mando slips a flash charge into his hands before Peli walked behind him.
"You're a Guild traitor, Mando." Toro says while Peli brings the cuffs up to Mando's wrists. "I'm willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape."
"Bringing you in won't just make me a member of the Guild, it'll make me legendary."
Lana sighs.
Then, from behind Mando's head he released a flash charge into the air. It blinded Toro, but also Lana. She knew what it was and rolled away from Toros weapon. She landed in the sand beside the ramp spitting out the grains that went into her mouth. She stayed down, not daring to pop her head up.
A shot rang out and the weight of Toros body hit the ground parallel to her. "Stay back." Mando states to Peli walking toward the dead man.
"Where is it?" Peli says anxiously. Lana sits up from her position, resting her elbows on her knees while rubbing her eyes. She feels the three little fingers of the child touch her thigh. She could barely see the child through her blurred vison, but she felt his presence. She heard its soft babble and slowly reached her hand out to find the top of its head.
"He's right here." She states. Mando and Peli run toward her. Peli picks up the child, Mando helps Lana up from where she fell off the ramp.
"That was really loud for your big old ears wasn't it?" She coos at the child.
"I can't see." Lana says attempting to grip Mando's armor. "You're alright, it'll go away in a couple minutes." He promises her.
Mando leaves Lana's side for a split second to grab the money off the dead bounty hunter's waist. Finding his way back to her, Lana found her grip back on Mando's wrist.
Mando accepted the child from Pelis hold. "Be careful with him."
"So, I take it you didn't get paid?" Peli half-jokes. Mando took the money that he retrieved from Toro and starts pouring the bag into her hand.
Dropping the credits in her hand Peli couldn't believe how much he had given her. "That cover us?"
Lana began getting her vison back, she drops her grip from Mando's wrist.
"Yeah, yeahs that's gonna cover you." Peli agrees. Mando and Lana give her a final nod.
"Thank you for everything." Lana states smiling down to her, then to the child.
"You have a beautiful family, keep that way. Stop getting yourselves into so much danger." She states giving the child a final grin.
Mando turns to walk up the ship, Lana gives Peli a final nod before following Mando into the cockpit.
Mando started the ship, slowly lifting them into the air before sending the trio out of Tatooine's atmosphere. Lana was in her seat behind him swaying the child gently back and forth trying to relieve herself of what just happened.
Lana glances up to the back of his helmet. He had his head down. Lana scooted herself forward in her seat slowly not to disrupt the child who was nearly asleep. She reached her hand out to lightly touch Mando's shoulder.
Lana took a deep breath. Mando's head finally rose, his breath stretching his broad shoulders. Mando turned in his chair to face the two. He felt his heavy heart lighten at the sight of the child resting soundly in Lana's arms. There was a long pause before Mando does something that confuses Lana.
Mando leans forward, Lana does the same not exactly knowing what was to happen. Mando rests his helmet lightly onto Lana's forehead. Under his helmet he closes his eyes, imagining a world where they were settled down, and his helmet was no longer the boundary between the two.
Where the child could be free of other bounty hunters, where he could play with the other children and grow up with a mom and dad.
It was a life he knew he could never give the child.
Mando rested one of his hands on Lana's knee, pulling his head away from her he realized he should have never had yes to having her come with him on Sorgan. He realized he cared for her, for her safety.
"I put you into danger. You could've gotten killed. I should take you home. You don't deserve this life." Lana had never heard the Mandalorian ramble like he did right now in front of her.
She places her hand over his on her knee. "I'll be alright." She repeats her father's final words. "I'm strong."
"I know you are... I just..." he draws out. He comes to an ultimatum with himself. "If we're going to stay by each other' sides, I want you to learn to fight."
She smiles. "I know how to fight."
"Learn to fight better."
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Hi so like I really liked writing these last couple of chapters, let me know you guys liked them :) also I'm almost at 700 reads which is crazy to me.