Chapter Text
Chapter One
A Meeting Most Inconvenient
Cavan, Lehon
The warm light of the afternoon sun shone through the wide windows of the small medical shop, creeping across the dingy tile floor as the time passed. It was currently that awkward time of day where customers were few and far between. Situated on the corner of a narrow street, the shop was largely ignored by the people flooding the market stalls at the southern end of the street, hoping to catch the merchants who closed before nightfall. Others were piling into the various cantinas and restaurants, partaking in the planet’s customary late-afternoon meal. Taking the free time, the lone woman behind the counter, Meira, performed her job’s more menial task: data-keeping. She situated herself comfortably atop the counter, absently swinging her legs back and forth, sending notice after notice and inputting information into her datapad.
The hiss of the door, sudden and loud within the silence of the empty shop, startled her, but the feeling easily gave way to annoyance. Meira let a deep sigh escape past her lips and slipped herself off of the counter. “What can I..” The customary greeting died in her mouth as she took in the approaching patron. A Mandalorian. The sight caused a coil of fear to tighten within her stomach, ready to spring her body into flight-mode at the ‘tick’ of a bounty fob. Mandalorians came in and out of her life for years when she was a child, emotionless metal masks always ready to show themselves whenever there was a hint of trouble. His presence sent her back, the echoes of blaster fire and screams playing in her head from old memories. She let her expression of surprise come through but she hoped the fear she felt could not be noticed. Meira gave a short clearing of her throat to settle herself and casually leaned against her side of the counter. “What can I do for you?” she asked. She gave him a small smile but the act of friendliness was lost with the slight waver in her voice.
“Just stocking up on some supplies,” the Mandalorian replied. He began listing off some basic items, sending Meira to scramble for her datapad. “And…” HIs voice trailed off for a moment, his fingers tapping against the countertop. “What would you suggest for a child? More of a baby, really.”
“Basics?” Meira shrugged her shoulder as her typing caught up with the Mandalorian’s order. “You just need the same medications as for adults, only in liquid form. Depending on the species of course.”
The man gave a casual sweep of his hand. “Just add whatever you think I need. What’s it gonna cost me?”
Meira tilted her head as she typed in the last few items, tallying up the cost. “Four hundred and twenty-six credits.”
Her words had the Mandalorian jerking his head back in her direction. “You’re kidding”
“No,” Meira replied through an exhale, a humourless smile playing on her lips. “They spell ‘medicine’ here ‘M-O-N-O-P-O-L-Y.”
The Mandalorian sighed in annoyance and gave a slight tilt of his helmet. “I can deal with it for now,” he said, placing the credits down and sliding them across the counter, “but I can guarantee that I will not be coming back.” Meira allowed herself a genuine laugh at the man’s words - merely a small chuckle huffed under breath. “Is it possible to have it delivered? I’ll pay extra.”
Meira rolled her eyes to the chronometer on the wall behind him. 1020, it read. She would be off work in a little while. “Does 1130 work for you?”
“That would be convenient.” The Mandalorian tossed a few extra credits across the counter while he told her where he was docked at the spaceport.
“Did you hear what happened?” A young aide burst through the interior door leading from the med centre and tossed his bag carelessly under the counter. Den Prismath was a Bothan with a penchant for gossip. It was a trait Meira appreciated since she never had to go far to hear any news happening within the facility. At the moment, his fur was rippling with excitement. “A med unit was stolen last night!” He jogged around the shelves, following Meira around as she filled the Mandalorian’s order. “Kaylex...You’ve met them, they work in the data centre upstairs. Well, I ran into them and they told me that The Heads are livid. Apparently, they are having NRS agents flown in from Chandrilla!”
Meira’s heart suddenly sunk into her stomach, making her momentarily pause her reach before she could collect herself. She had known it would be risky to stay an extra day in Cavan but NRS agents are not what she expected. “A med unit only costs three thousand credits,” she said, cutting Den off as he rambled on. “Why would they care so much if they can so easily replace it?”
“Well from what I heard, it wasn’t just a med unit. Whoever stole that also stole five thousand credits worth of replacement medpacs for it. From what Priwak told me, The Heads are embarrassed.” Den let out a deep rumble of a laugh. “I mean...how was someone able to walk right out of the building pushing a loaded med unit, right?”
Meira gave a half-hearted chuckle in agreement, though the knot in her stomach tightened. Luckily for her she noticed the time, giving her a convenient out from the conversation. She gathered up her own bag, as always packed for a quick escape, and tucked the box of medical supplies under her arm. Throwing a quick wave over her shoulder at Den, she merged into the crowded street.
It was dusk now and the setting sun, still shining from the south, cast a dim orange glow down the length of the street. Despite the dwindling light, there was still a crowd bustling beneath the artificial lights. The constant hiss of various doors and the overlapping chatter filled her ears. It was a welcome noise. Comforting. It was the type of incessant noise that made it difficult to keep a train of thought, but also, a reminder of being lost in a crowd.
After jumping onto public transport and badgering the half-asleep clerk for how to find the hanger, she found the ship just a few minutes after the agreed-upon time. Meria paused at the entrance of the hanger, finding the Mandalorian standing atop a platform, a pile of scrap metal beneath him, welding a panel to the outside of his ship. That coil tightened within her gut again, still half-expecting to hear that distinct ‘tick’, as she watched him. Her eyes methodically examined the space, committing to memory the exits. She made herself swallow her nerves and called out a greeting to catch his attention, raising her voice over the nearly deafening sounds in the port. “No wonder you asked for a delivery,” she called out, gesturing to the various tools and material strewn about. A nondescript noise escaped his vocoder. A hum, possibly? As he approached, Meira began rummaging through the box, listing off the items he ordered. “I also took the liberty of adding a few things. A pack of instant cooling packets, a couple tubes of synthetic kolto, a jar of salve, and..” She dug to the bottom of the box and pulled out a small bag, tossing it to the Mandalorian. “And the rest of your credits,” she finished.
The man weighed the bag in his hand. “Why would you do that?” he asked as he tossed the bag back into the box. “It isn’t necessary.”
Meria let out a tired huff of a laugh. “Yes it is.” She walked toward the ship, the Mandalorian following at her heels, and stopped short of the lowered loading ramp. She glanced back over at the black slit of his helmet. Beskar steel. The word sat at the tip of her tongue when she eyed his armor earlier. She remembered the look of it well enough but the name of it escaped her after all of these years. From the steel pad on his thigh to his polished helmet, the man was so shiny he was blinding. “These people who run the med centre have no right to set the prices that they do. Everything in this box should have cost you no more than two-hundred credits, so that is how much I took. Besides, you are a new father. I’m sure that money will be put to good use.”
“Then...I appreciate your kindness.”
“Don’t think too much of it.” Meira waved her hand in dismissal. “Before I go, though, is there anything you would like to know? Especially about the children’s medication?”
The Mandalorian reached into the box and made to take out a bottle. Before he could, a shot rang out and bounced off of his armoured shoulder. In one swift movement, he pushed Meira behind him and unholstered his blaster, pointing it out towards the seemingly empty hanger. There was an eerie silence around them. Even the cacophony of noises from the port fell quiet. As slowly and controlled as she could manage, Meira pulled her blaster out from the inside of her jumpsuit, scanning the Mandalorian’s blind spot to his right. Her eyes narrowed in focus and her breath caught in her throat.
There was a small movement from the corner of her eye
She blasted off a shot.
The next sound - a soft thud, followed by the metallic ‘thunk’ of a fallen blaster.
They both lowered their weapons as they scanned the area once again. Another shot rang out from the entrance to the hanger, narrowly missing Meira’s head. It was followed by another, then another, until the hanger once again filled with noise. Finally, the source of the shots showed themselves. Three beings stepped further into the hanger, blasters drawn. “Bounty hunters,” the Mandalorian seethed. He began inching up the ramp, pushing Meira with him as she used his armor for cover. “Get in the ship,” he yelled.
Meira ran into the cargo hold and took cover, closing the lid to the box and tossing it across the floor of the ship. She yelled back for the man to follow her and covered him as he ran on board. The Mandalorian wasted no time as he closed the ramp behind him, rushing up to the flight deck, and taking off with a harsh jolt that knocked Meira off of her feet. She followed him and climbed up the ladder, but a tight turn of the ship swung her back against a wall and dropped her onto the floor. She raised herself up to her feet once again but another jerked maneuver had her slamming her hands against the wall. One of her hands had pressed against a keypad and she heard the hiss of an opening door. A sudden and shrill whine cut through the sounds of blaster fire. Her eyes flicked over to the direction of the sound and found a small creature huddled in the corner. Without thinking, Meira scooped it up into her arms and the creature immediately burrowed into her jumpsuit.
She was determined to make it up to the flight deck, and she awkwardly climbed her way up there with the little creature in front of her, stumbling into the room when the Mandalorian made another tight turn. She sat down in an empty seat and quickly buckled herself in just in time as the ship was abruptly stopped. Her body was pushed forward, the belt digging painfully around her thighs. The world outside the windscreen was running by so fast and the sound of gunfire thundered in her ears as it pounded against the ship. The resulting rocking of the ship brought her heart up to her throat and the worry from seeing four blips on the radar kept it there. He would not be able to get out of the firefight easily. But the last thing she expected to see him do was to direct the ship towards the upper atmosphere.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going!” she yelled out at him, her voice nearly a scream, to be heard over the cannons, over the deafening warning beeps from the control panel. He did not answer her but she knew that he had heard her. His head had tilted in her direction and she heard him utter a curse to himself as if he only just remembered that she had been on board. “I will not let you take me off-planet!” she screamed at him.
“You don’t have a choice!” The Mandalorian yelled back at her. “And neither d-” His words were cut off when a cannon blast shot out behind them, forcing him to send the ship into another tight turn that had Meira holding onto the back of the seat in order to keep upright.
Before Meira could refocus her senses enough to respond to him, the Mandalorian shot the ship into hyperdrive as soon as they left Cavan’s atmosphere. A growl rumbled between her clenched teeth and she promptly unbuckled herself and shot to her feet. “Take me back!” she seethed.
The silence that came over the ship was almost eerie, the sudden stop of thundering cannons and static from the electrical panels replaced only with the blood rushing in her ears. Meira noticed the way his hands tightened around the controls. “I made a decision,” he began, slowly, his voice low like he was speaking through clenched teeth. He did not even look her way. “You don’t have to like it but since you are on my ship you do have to respect it.”
Meira let out an annoyed huff, planting her hands on her waist. “I did not even ask to be on your ship!” She could feel her face getting warm from frustration. Her demand to be taken back was ridiculous but at the moment she did not care. All she cared about was the fact that she was stuck with a stranger on their ship and headed away from where she needed to be.
“I’d like to point out to you,” the Mandalorian started, finally jumping up from his seat, letting himself match her tone, “that I just saved your life!”
“You did not save my life. You ruined my job!”
The Mandalorian strode towards her, forcing her to back up against the wall behind her. “I didn’t get the impression that you like working for that med centre. So, why do you care?”
Meira held her gaze to the visor of his helmet, putting her hand before his chest in an effort to keep him distant. “That...is none of your business,” she hissed.
“Well, it sounds like you are trying to make it my business.”
Meira’s nose scrunched in her anger, the Mandalorian standing before her too close for her liking. She opened her mouth but her words were cut off from a sharp jolt of the ship. She barely caught herself as she flew toward the windscreen, her arm reaching out to the control panel and maneuvering her body so as not to hurt the creature still huddled inside her jumpsuit. The movement caused the creature to let out a small whine.
“Give him to me.” The Mandalorian’s words were spoken slowly, like a warning, and he held out his hand to her.
Meira narrowed her eyes at his tone but she had no intention of holding the creature over his head. In fact, she did not think the creature significant enough for leverage if the situation between them even came down to such tactics. Though, with the Mandalorian’s vaguely threatening tone and his repeated command, she figured he thought very much of the small creature clinging to her clothing. Not waiting to see what would happen if he had to ask her a third time, Meria scooped the creature out of her jumpsuit and handed it - him - to the Mandalorian. He pulled the creature against him and held it in the crook of his bent arm, the two of them returning to the pilot’s controls. “The dampers failed?” Meira phrased her words like a question but she knew that could be the only thing that would knock them out of hyperdrive. She was given a curt nod in response.
A deep sigh crackled through the Mandalorian’s vocoder. “It means a four-week trip to Takodana.”
Meira could feel her stomach drop. Four weeks, he said. They both turned to look at one another - her eyes still narrowed and his hand clenching into a fist. Four. Weeks.