"Do it again, Aria!" The children cheer surrounding me. I laugh smiling and grabbing another ball of dry straw. "Are you ready?" They cheer as I light the straw on fire and float it about above their heads. "1... 2... 3!" I push the force high and the fire explodes looking like a blazing firework.
Into the night the kids thin out and the child stumbles plopping next to me in exhaustion. "Are you sleepy?" I coo and pick him up walking inside the barn.
I place him in his crib and ready myself for bed. I brush my hair down my shoulders and sigh looking at my reflection. I walk out to get a change of clothes when I see Mando holding a picture in his hand. "What are you doing?" I ask looking at the photo.
Han, Leia, Ben, Luke, Chewy and I standing together smiling. "Is this your family?" I nod smiling at the photo. Mando points his finger at Ben in my arms. "Who is this? You never said you had a child." I shake my head laughing. "I don't. That's my nephew, Ben." I wander over to my bag grabbing clothes to sleep in.
"What if I did?"
Mando looks at me and places the photo back on the table. He looks at the child fast asleep. "Did what?"
"Have a kid."
"Guess I'd have to protect you both."
Mando closes the distance and raises one of his hands sliding the gloves off and exposing his flesh padded fingers. He places a hand on my cheek and sighs. "Remember when you asked me if I had ever kissed anyone?" I nod drawing my hand to grasp his wrist. "Can I show you something?" Mando asks softly. I agree, giving my trust unto him.
"The Mandalorians don't remove their helmets, not unless they want. This kills the contact, but we can in a way... kiss." I furrow my eyebrows. "How do you do that?"
Mando places his other hand on my shoulder firmly and rests his forehead against my own. I stare into the black visor blushing. "This is a Keldabe kiss." Mando's voice waves with emotion. I lay my hands on his shoulder and incline my body into him, deepening my gaze.
"This is nice," I say breathlessly. How can this man make me so frail without even comprehending his surname?
He lingers one fingertip across my cheekbone. "It is."
We spend a long time just gazing at each other. I fight the urge to remove his beskar and see who has prompted me to act like this. I let my eyes drop shut for a moment and wrap my arms around Mando's neck. "Are you tired?" I nod smiling as he picks me up and walks me to the bed without glancing elsewhere.
Mando sets me softly on the bed and draws back his hold. "I'm going to scope out the-" "Stay" I whisper rolling over and facing the wall.
~
"Stay"
I stare at her for a moment quickly making the choice to accompany her request.
I begin to remove my beskar pieces one by one setting them on the table. Left only in my mock cloth underclothes I stare at Aria through the black visor. She rolls over onto her side now facing me again. She sits up and reaches for my hand, pulling me to sit next to her. "Why can't you just relax, huh?" Her eyes sink and she breathes.
"Because I'm afraid," I state freely.
Aria watches as I lower myself to lay down comfortably next to her. "A Mandalorian scared? What could be so frightening to make you shake in your boots?" I smile at her from under my beskar, I wrap one arm around her waist and pulls her flush against me. "Losing you, Aria."
The two stay quiet in the barn. Staying still and unmoving from the others hold. Was this how life was meant to be?
~
By morning when the Mandalorian awoke he smiled down at his Aria curled up in his arms. Mando removes himself and dresses in his amour. He kneels next to Aria and pushes her hair out of her face. "Aria." She mumbles and grabs his wrist smiling. "Can't you just come back here?"
Mando smirks chuckling at her. "Did you forget we're on a job?" She nods her head kissing his palm. "Cara and I are going to scope out the surroundings. We shouldn't be too long." Mando goes to stand but Aira pulls him back. "What?"
She places her hands on his helmet and rests her forehead on his covered forehead. She looks into his visor hitting his eyes directly. Aira smiles and kisses the middle of his beskar. "Be careful." Mando nods standing up. "Watch the kid." Aria nods watching Mando walk out of the barn. "Always."
Mando and Cara walk through the brush and trees tracking their target. "About 15 or 20 of them came through here on foot. And something big sheared off those branches."
"AT-ST." "Imperial walker." "What's it doing here?" "I don't know. But this is more than I signed up for." Cara sighs as they make their way, breaking the mood when she starts to laugh.
"What?" Mando replies gruffly. "Nothing. Just wondering how you and Solo ended shacked up." Mando shakes his head. "We're not married. She was part of... a bounty... with the kid." Cara shakes her head. "If I were you I wouldn't tell others that story. I'm surprised she really ended up alive." "Why do so many people want her dead?" Cara shrugs continuing to walk.
"She was the most deadly weapon we had. She did her job well. Most enemies don't take kindly to their army being torn apart by a young woman." Mando nods running every fact and theory about Aria through his mind.
"The kid seems to like her a lot." Mando nods smiling under his mask. "Yes. She's very good with him."
~
Mando and Cara walk back into the village as I sit on the porch playing with he child. I smile as Mando stands on the steps next to me. "You made it." He nods watching the villagers rally around with concerned faces. "I take by the silence you're thinking of a plan?" "More like the fastest way out of here." I narrow my orbs and watch the man in metal as he speaks to the village.
"Bad news. You can't live here anymore." A sudden uproar took over the group. Cara mocks looking at him. "Nice bedside manner."
"You think you can do better?" She shrugs "Can't do much worse."
"I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options."
"Miss, Your husband took the job! Isn't there anything you can do?" A farmer yells looking at me. I look at Mando seeing him already looking at me. "Why can't we-" "AT-ST." I understand now. If we even attempted this it would be like signing our own death certificates.
I sit the child in my seat and stand in front of the crowd.
"Well, we took it before we knew there was an AT-ST."
"What is that?"
"The armored walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us." Mando agues harshly. I place my hand on his chest. "Just hold on, Mando."
"We have nowhere to go." "I'm sure that's not true." "This is a big planet. I mean, I've seen a lot smaller." Cara inputs.
"My grandparents seeded these ponds. It took generations."
"I understand. I do. But there are only two of us." Mando says again. "There are three," I say narrowing my eyes at him. "You wouldn't be fighting." He says flatly.
"No, there's not. There's at least 20 here." Cara stands forward frustrated. "I mean fighters.
Be realistic."
The whole village once again roars out in protests claiming to fight. I watch them scream with passion and fear. They just don't want to lose their home.
"I've seen that thing take out entire companies of soldiers in a matter of minutes."
"We're not leaving."
"You cannot fight that thing." Mando agues. I trail my eyes up to Mando's visor. "We could teach them. You have enough weapons, and the three of us can take groups and rotate them around." I smile at Cara and Mando with hope. "We can do this." I nod looking over the village.
~
As Mando and Cara get ready to leave once again I pull Mando into the barn. "What are you do-" "You haven't even told me what I'm supposed to do. I know you're going to lure them back but what am I-" "You're staying in here to keep the kids safe." Mando says walking towards the door. "You want me to babysit instead of fight? Do you know I could be the biggest help right? I've fought a lot." "You're not going. Just stay here. We can handle it." "Why? I can-" "Stay. Here. Aria." He overlooks me making my cower back, hitting the table and knock a few cups over.
"Did you hear me?" Mando bends down towards my face. I nod feeling the nerve in his voice.
"Promise me something, Mando?" He nods silently. I place my hands on his shoulders resting my head on his. "Come back to us." Mando grabs my hands squeezing them and nodding. "You better listen to me." I laugh shooing him away. "We'll see."