STILL
"THE EGG"
THE JAWAS looked over to their new intruders with wild expressions unseen by the group. In seconds every Jawa was on edge with some kind of weapon in their hand, ranging from blasters to pointed scrap metal. Natalia found their reaction a little dramatic but then again the Mandalorian had disintegrated a few of them.
"Wow, they really don't like you." The Ugnaught commented as he stopped the Blurrg a few feet away from the Jawas.
"Well, I did disintegrate a few of them." The Mandalorian bluntly stated.
The Ugnaugt jumped down from the Blurrg and the Mandalorian followed his actions, climbing out of the trailer. Natalia went to follow them but was pushed back down before she could fully stand. Natalia's eyes narrowed into a glare as she stared up at the Mandalorian.
"You stay here." He ordered as he picked up his rifle and slung it on his back.
Natalia opened her mouth to protest but was cut off but the sudden yells of the Jawas. Her left brow raised slightly and she turned her head to see them all pointing at the Mandalorian.
The Ugnaught turned to face the Mandalorian and pointed to his rifle. "You need to drop your rifle."
"I'm a Mandalorian." The Mandalorian stated as he grabbed his rifle from his back and held it tightly in his hands. "Weapons are part of my religion."
"Then you're not getting your parts back." The Ugnaught said with a small shrug.
"You know..." Natalia spoke, a smug smirk forming on her face. "For a while Mandalorians were a peaceful people."
The Mandalorian's visor faced Natalia for a few seconds before he placed his rifle in the trailer and like a small child throwing a tantrum he grumbled, "Fine."
Natalia watched as the Mandalorian and Ugnaught walked over to the Jawas and sat down. Once she was sure none of them were watching her anymore she looked down to the pod beside her and picked up the small creature inside, placing it on her lap.
"This is going to be a long day kido." A small sight ran past her lips as she stared down at the child in front of her. "You know, you kinda look like that goblin Luke used to talk about." The child tilted it's head to the side slightly with a small coo. "Yoda, that's his name. You're like a little Yoda."
Screams and shouts rang out from beside her and Natalia's head snapped in the direction to see the Mandalorian springing at the Jawas', fire coming from his arm. The Ugnaught acted quickly and pulled the Mandalorian's arm back, the fire dying with his movement. Two of the Jawas' who had run from the scene started to make their way over to Natalia and the child. She pulled the child closer to her and sent a glare at the incoming Jawas.
"Get away from them!" The Mandalorian sternly shouted. The two Jawas instantly jumped back with shrieks and ran back by the others.
"What'd we get ourselves into, kid?"
_oOo_
Natalia's back ached and she was fairly certain her left leg had no intentions of waking up anytime soon. After today she 10/10 never recommended riding in a Sandcrawler unless you're 3 feet and below. The ride was crammed and overall uncomfortable and she'd be dammed if she was ever going to suffer through that again.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Natalia asked as they finally reached the cave that lead to the object they were supposed to collect.
"An egg." The Mandalorian stated as he grabbed his rifle from his back. "Wait out here."
"Don't worry, I don't plan on degrading myself by being the Jawas' bitch." Natalia said with a sly smirk. The Mandalorian's head turned towards Natalia and she could only guess he was sending her a glare. "Feel free to not grab the egg. The longer I'm out here the quicker my friends will be to find me."
"Nobody's gonna find you out here." The Mandalorian stated as he began walking towards the cave.
"It appears you're oblivious to whom my friends are." Natalia spoke with a smug smirk. "Trust me, you won't be the first Mandalorian they've taken out."
The Mandalorian's steps paused for a split second before he resumed his walk into the cave. "This time they won't be as lucky." He spoke before disappearing from Natalia's view and into the cave.
A small scoff ran past Natalia's lips with a shake of her head. "I hate men." The child's head perked up at Natalia's response with a small coo. Natalia smirked down at the child. "Glad to see we have something in common."
A blast sounded from the cave and Natalia's attention instantly snapped to the opening. Her left brow raised slightly as she tried to make out anything in the darkness. Silence filled the air for a few moments before a scream sounded, followed by the Mandalorian flying out of the cave. Natalia's eyes widened and she jumped back, pulling the pod with her.
"What the hell was that?!" Natalia questioned as the Mandalorian slowly sat up with a series of groans and grunts. His chest plate was hanging on by one corner, the rest popped up.
But the Mandalorian never got the chance to answer for a low, deep growl suddenly filled the air. Natalia's eyes widened even further as she watched the horned creature emerge from the cave. She began to frantically tug on the handcuffs trapping her wrist together as the Mandalorian picked up his rifle and rose to his feet.
Panic washed over Natalia as the handcuffs gave no sign of budging. She would be utterly useless to defend herself against this thing with no hands and even if she had full use of her hands she feared she would perish anyways.
"Well what are you waiting for?" Natalia asked at the lack of shots being fired. "Shoot it."
A loud roar came from the mudhorn as it charged at the Mandalorian who was still fiddling with his rifle. Natalia could only watch as the creature rammed into the Mandalorian at full speed, sending him flying once more. It was hard to feel bad for him, the man did absolutely nothing to even try and get out of the way.
"It's okay, little guy. We're gonna be fine." Natalia reassured to calm the child who was whimpering beside her.
But of course as she says this fate decides to test her once more. The mudhorn turned to face the child and Natalia, another roar emitting from the creature. Natalia began to panic as she stared at it. She knew of one way to stop it and it was something Natalia hasn't even tried to summon since her first encounter with Darth Vader.
The mudhorn charged at the two, snapping Natalia from her panicked daze. She quickly pushed the child's pod away before running herself. But she was too late and before she knew it the horn collided with the side of her body, sending her flying back into the mud behind her.
A strangled gasp of sorts left Natalia's mouth as she slammed into the ground. She felt the air thicken around her and black spots had formed in the corner of her vision. She laid there for a moment trying to catch her breath. The roars and stomps never ceased around her which only sent her panic further.
It was almost as if a pump of adrenaline had kicked into her system and her body went back to full alert. Her senses had returned and the black spots that threatened her vision had disappeared. Natalia quickly forced herself up from the ground and looked around at the scene before her.
The Mandalorian lay on the muddy ground, the mudhorn standing a few feet before him. Roars emitted from the animal as it kicked it's back foot, marking it's oncoming charge. Natalia cautiously walked towards the creature, taking slow and steady steps.
"What are you doing?" The Mandalorian questioned, no doubt believing Natalia to be crazy.
For once, Natalia agreed with the man. She was crazy, absolutely crazy for even attempting to calm a mudhorn. But it was too late to turn back now. Each step she took cause ripples of pain to shoot throughout her body but she knew if she came up to the animal nerved and panicked the mudhorn would only respond how it has been. So she calmed herself, pushing away her nerves and panic with each step closer she took to the animal.
"There is no emotion, there is peace." Natalia spoke as she grew closer and closer to the mudhorn. She extended her handcuffed wrists out in front of her with open hands as a small sigh of surrender. The mudhorn had stopped it's roars, now letting out ragged breaths. "There is no passion, there is serenity." The mudhorn kicked it's foot back and let out a low growl as Natalia approached it.
"Get away from it!" The Mandalorian yelled but Natalia ignored him and slowly placed her hands on the horn of the creature.
"There is no chaos, there is harmony."
But before the mudhorn ever had the chance to calm itself fully Natalia was suddenly yanked back by a cord that had wrapped around her waist. She hit the ground with a splash of mud and looked behind her to see the Mandalorian running up to her.
"What are you doing?" She questioned as the cord fell limp around her waist.
"What am I doing? What are you doing?"
The creature let out a roar much like the ones before as the Mandalorian quickly pulled Natalia up from the ground and behind him. "I had it under control." Natalia argued as the creature kicked it's foot back.
"Sure looked like it." The Mandalorian shot before pushing Natalia to the side, causing her to lose her balance and fall into the mud below her.
Natalia opened her mouth to yell at him but quickly shut it when she saw his fate. Once more the Mandalorian was sent flying back and once more Natalia did not feel bad for him. Mud had covered the majority of her body now but she sure looked better than the Mandalorian. He was covered from helmet to toe.
A loud roar snapped Natalia's attention back to the mudhorn in front of her. Her eyes widened and panic seized control over her as she could do nothing but watch the horn slam into her. A scream rang past her lips as a sickening crack sounded from her chest. Black spots instantly began to form over her vision and once more she felt the air thicken around her.
The mudhorn lifted it's horn from crushing her body and Natalia could do nothing but lay there and await the next crushing blow. Her body felt too weak to move and even breathing proved to be a difficult and painful task. She closed her eyes as the mudhorn let out another roar. She could do nothing to defend herself, nothing to try and get away. All that was left to do was await it's next act to harm her but slowly opened them soon after, feeling nothing happen.
Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the mudhorn that was now floating above her. She would have thought herself to be dreaming if it weren't for the hands that had grabbed under her armpits and dragged her away. Her eyes never left the creature as it floated in the air, trying to run on the ground that no longer harbored it. It seemed impossible and she would have thought it to be nothing but a hallucination in her current state if it weren't for the small almost unnoticeable grunts beside her.
She turned her head towards the sounds, her vision beginning to fade in and out. But she was able to make out the child sitting up in it's pod with it's tiny little hand sticking out into the air. Realization quickly dawned upon Natalia as the child dropped back into the pod, the mudhorn dropping to the ground with it. The last thing she saw was the Mandalorian plunging a knife in the mudhorn's neck before everything went black.