THIRD PERSON POV
The Razor Crest touched down on Arvala-7 only several yards from the Ugnaught Kuiil's farm, who welcomed the crew aboard inside his home where Kuiil was content to discover Reina could finally had her vision back.
"You can see? That is good news." The Ugnaught congratuated her. "How is it possible?"
"Well, it's complicated to explain." Reina smiled, relieved she could finally lay her eyes on the kind farmer for real. "Mando and I still don't know how exactly. But it was..." Her gaze fell upon the baby, who cooed in Kuiil's direction.
"It hasn't grown much." he noticed, leaning away from the baby's grabbing hand. "It looks evolved. Too ugly. This one," Kuiil pointed at Cara. "looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora." Cara smirked as if that was a compliment.
"This is Cara Dune." Mando introduced her. "She was a shock trooper."
"And a Dropper." Kuiil's finger went to the tattoo on Cara's right bicep.
"Did you serve?" Cara questioned.
"On the other side, I'm afraid." Kuiil admitted. "But I am free because I was able to pay off my debt, and now I serve no one but myself." From behind the Ugnaught, a towering black droid ducked under to enter the hut, carrying a tray of cups. Immediately, Cara and Mando whipped out their blasters, aiming at the droid's longated head, while Reina tried to process what was going on. "You guys?! Hold on!"
"Wait! Please!" Kuiil rose and stood between the droid and his guests. "Lower your blasters. He will not harm you."
Reina finally got a good look at the droid and recognized it as an IG unit assassin droid. A very dangerous machine with only one order in its programming: to kill. And yet...here was an IG unit offering them tea?
"That thing is programmed to kill the baby." Mando stretched his blaster out even more.
"Not anymore." Kuiil assured, and told them how he found it back at the compound where Mando and Reina (or really, just Mando) 'captured' the child as an asset...it seemed years ago since Reina's first job with the Mandalorian. Kuiil then continued to explained how he completely rewired and reprogrammed it to where he had to teach the droid the very basics of functioning.
"Is it still a hunter?" Mando excused.
"No," Kuiil assured again. "But it will protect."
Reina watched as Mando glared deeply at the IG unit, until the droid offered tea again, at which Cara and Reina accepted, and Mando sighed audibly.
Suddenly, Reina's temples were triggered into a painful sensation, as if her skull was shrinking into her brain. Her eyes squeezed shut as her palm pressed into the sides of her head, but she didn't make a sound to announce the abrupt discomfort. "Excuse me for a momenf." She gritted through her teeth and quickly left the Kuiil's house.
"Reina?" Mando called, but received no answer. He looked at Kuiil and Cara, who both gestured to follow her. When he did, the Ugnaught and ex-shock trooper exchanged glances as Cara quietly sipped her tea.
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REINA'S POV
I sucked through my teeth and gasped to exhale as I stumbled away from the house, thrashing my head side to side. Once I was near the Crest, I crumbled to my knees and keeled over, my hairline digging into the dirt. Every part of my body was screaming as if every cell was a needle. My eyes wanted to pop out of their sockets they throbbed so profusingly. Tears managed to spew out from my crushing eyelids.
Make it stop. Make it stop!
"Reina!"
I heard a muffled voice call me through my clouded hearing under the excruciating pressure. A pair of gloved hands clutched my biceps and started shaking me.
"Fight it." The voice was almost inaudible. "Whatever it is, you can win!"
In response, I screamed. The hands pulled my quivering body into its plated chest, the cool metal singed against my burning skin. The arms wrapped around me and cradled me as my voice cracked from my wails.
"I'm here." The voice breathed right into my ear. "I'm here."
I stopped crying. My feverous body fell limp, my hands dropping from my head, which was caught by the palm of whoever was holding me. My strength had disintegrated and my eyes refused to open, but I was still conscious. My hearing cleared and I finally recognized that voice.
"Mando..." I croaked, wishing I could open my eyes. The darkness seemed to swallow me whole and I wanted to escape, but my decrepit body wanted rest, and I was powerless to resist it.
"Reina, stay with me." Mando begged through his modulator. "Stay—"
My consciousness succumbed to sleep.
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THIRD PERSON POV
"I need someone to protect the little one, Kuiil." Mando attempted to persuade the Ugnaught in joining his crew. "And now with Reina in her condition, I need you even more."
"Reina can handle herself." Kuiil argued. "As for the child, I'm not suited for such work. However, I can reprogram IG-11 for nursing and protocol."
"No," Mando denied forcefully. "I don't want that thing anywhere near him. Or Reina."
"Why are you so distrustful in droids?"
"It tried to kill him. Reina doesn't understand because she didn't see it in action, but—"
"It was programmed to do so." Kuiil reminded the Mandalorian. "Droids are not good or bad. They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them. Do you trust me?"
"From what I can tell, yes." Mando nodded.
"Then you will trust my work." Kuiil spoke. "As for Reina, she is stronger than you seem to realize, even after the time you've been together."
"I know that she is strong." Mando said. "But after what happened earlier, I'm not sure she's ready."
"I can tell you have the habit of overprotecting the ones close to you. I can tell you've been holding Reina back quite a lot in order to keep her safe. After what happened earlier, you fear that it might happen again during a crucial moment and you won't be able to save her?"
"Yes..." Mando paused before replying.
"Then, how is she to grow? She has her sight by a miracle. Let her use her strengths to support you while you support her. That is how trust and partnership works. It is not a one-sided agreement." Kuiil looked up at the Mandalorian with great concern. "If you truly care for Reina, let her be there for you, too. No matter what happens."
Before Mando could respond, Cara walked up with a deep worrisome look in her eyes. "You better come with me." She gestured to the Crest with a nod of her head, and Mando didn't hesitate to follow her.
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I woke up in the Crest, my head supported by bunched-up fabric blanket. When my eyes opened, my vision blurred.
And it wasn't adjusting...Oh, no. No...
I blinked. Then, again. I fluttered my eyelids. That only made it worse.
"Reina, what are you doing?" A voice appeared on my right, causing me to jump. It was Cara's voice, but all I could make out was her blurred frame and her skin pigment separated by her clothes and armor. But I couldn't see her mouth moving or her eyes looking at me, in fact, her pale face was empty to me...
"Cara," I stammered. "I'm losing my vision again. Where is Mando?"
"He is outside with the Ugnaught." She replied, but pushed on my shoulder to prevent me from rising. "You're staying here. You gave Mando quite a fright when you had your episode."
"I need to talk to him now."
"Hey," Cara matched my urgent tone. "If I go get Mando, will you calm down?"
I nodded, and sat myself up against the wall as Cara stormed out of the Crest. Cradling my knees against my chest, I breathed deeply in through my nose and out of my mouth, praying it would help clear my mind and my vision. I heard babbling to my left. Turning my head, I could barely make out a tiny green blob floating inside a grey spotch. I reached out and lifted the baby under its arms.
I held him in my lap, lightly squeezing its side. "You can heal me, right?" I breathed, staring deeply into its large, wandering, dark orbs. "You did it once. You can do it again. Right?" My voice began to crack under the sudden reality I was succumbing to the dark once again. "No," I said aloud. "I don't want to go back." I raised the child closer to my face as a few tears streamed down my cheeks. "Please, I can't go back. Not after everything that's happened. You can do it. I believe you can." In response, the baby reached a three-finger hand and brushed it against my chin, cooing softly, its eyes never left my gaze, but nothing was happening...
My bottom lip began to quiver as I struggled to control my emotions. I swallowed the baby in my arms, hugging it close to my chest as I cried, hiccuping a few sobs.
My hearing myst have escalated due to my deminishing vision, for I heard Mando, Cara, and Kuiil approaching the Crest, and I quickly dried my eyes and face, sniffling along the way, and managed to regulate my breathing just in time for the three to walk up the ramp.
"Reina." Kuiil was the first to kneel down next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't even make out his face anymore, even though he was only a foot away. Colors seemed to merge together. I didn't say a word, but everyone got the message.
Kuiil then turned to Mando. "I will join you under these conditions: IG-11 comes, I serve only to protect the child and Reina, and the blurrgs come as well."
"Okay." was all Mando said, not once acknowledging me before he and the Ugnaught left the Crest to prepare for departure.