Chapter Text
You slowly sip on a drink in the dirty cantina as the gossip flows. You carefully filter all the rumors from Boba Fett's supposed death/resurrection to the new Mando who just got a ton of beskar for turning in a huge bounty.
You hum thoughtfully as you wonder just who the bounty was for. Was it some rich lord or someone that ran away? You, sadly, were new to the guild and as such, Karga did not trust you with a fob. The older more experienced hunters got the chit for it.
You slip out of the cantina as a hushed roar breaks out and a mass exodus of bounty hunter follow you.
You walk into the shadows just as your mentor taught you and watch as they follow a Mando wearing shiny unpainted beskar. He was clutching something to his chest.
You squint your eyes and seethe with rage. This was the bounty? A little green guy with floppy big ears? He must have been what they are hunting.
Your mind flashes back to the countless siblings you had helped raise. Since being the oldest of nine, you had taken them under your wing and helped them grow. Your mother just kept on sleeping around and having more kids.
When she reached nine kids in all, thankfully, she had gotten too old for more kids. The youngest was just reaching fourteen and she charged the second oldest with the last few years of her raising while she got the credits for food and other things.
The Mandalorian halted in the middle of the street.
“Welcome back, Mando,” Karga called out. He stepped from the shadows pointing a blaster at the Mandalorian. “Now put the package down.”
“Step aside. I’m going to my ship.” The Mandalorian’s voice was deep and his tone was firm.
“Hm. Put the bounty down and perhaps I’ll let you pass.” Karga offers.
You hiss and pull your blaster. That was a sucky deal and if this green being was what you thought, he was going down.
“The kid’s coming with me.”
Dank Ferrik! It was a kid and that means you are not leaving this bounty hunter to face these odds alone.
“How do I know if I can trust you?” Mando sounded unsure. He tightened his grip on the child and you saw him subtly reach for his blaster.
You edge your way to the speeder that Karga motioned to.
The Mandalorian jumps on the speeder throwing his body over the child while firing his blaster at the nearest bounty hunter.
You take out the one behind him and the Mandalorian’s helmet whips over to face you. You give a quick nod to him and keep firing at bounty hunters until they take notice of you. A bolt flies a little too close to your ear and you jump over the side of the speeder as Mando convinces the droid to start going.
A mini explosion happens and the droid gets taken out. Mando pulls out this wicked-looking rifle and fires a few rounds at the hunters surrounding them. They disintegrate into dust.
You whistle lowly. “Love your style, Mando.” You keep firing until Mando holds up his hand for you to stop.
You don’t lower your blaster and keep it aimed at the asshole that hid in the shadows the whole fight.
“That’s one impressive weapon.” Karga sounded like he was across the open courtyard.
Too far away for your blaster’s range. Now, if you had your sniper rifle it would be a whole other thing.
“Here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to walk to my ship with the kid and you are going to let it happen.” Mando really wanted to end things peacefully you guessed.
You sigh. “They aren’t going to take it Mando.” You murmur softly.
The only acknowledgment you get is his helmet tipping towards you slightly.
You eye the bounty hunters that slowly surround you. You tighten your grip on your blaster while bending down and snatching the vibroblade in your boot. You hold it in your grip as your finger hovers over the trigger of the blaster.
The firefight breaks out again and you fire your blaster at the hunter ahead of you while Mando takes out the ones in the back. You viciously slash the exposed throat of one hunter only to bring your knife around and cut the arm of another.
Suddenly armored angels appear from the sky and fight back the hunters. You gape as a whole bunch of Mandalorians land on the ground and start open firing.
“Hey!” A hand roughly slaps your arm. “Are you coming?”
You scramble after the Mandalorian to his ship. You don’t have time to marvel that an actual Razor Crest still flies because you are quickly going up the ramp.
The cowardly motherfucker Karga was waiting for you. “Hold it Mando.” His gaze snaps over to you. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but you broke the code.”
When Mando acts you take advantage. A line shoots from his wrist into a pipe. It lets out steam and you duck behind a bunch of crates. A blaster bolt fires and then one more and then silence. There are thuds of Mando climbing a ladder.
You see the hem of his cloak disappear up the metal rungs. The ship lifts up off the ground and takes off. You can feel the ship lurch as it jumps to hyperspace.
Soon Mando came back down with his blaster aimed at you. “Who are you and why did you come to my defense?” He demanded.
You give your name to him as you try to spot a glimpse of the kid you helped save.
Mando repeats your name and Maker did it sound good coming from his vocoder. “Why did you come to my defense?”
“It was a kid. I’m not going to let a bunch of bounty hunters take a kid and do who knows what to it. That’s just immoral and wrong on so many levels.” You explain. You eye the only weapons you have left. A single vibroblade and your blaster pistol. You didn’t have your rifle and your collection of knives.
You sigh in dismay. Two weapons. You only have two out of the many you had stowed on your ship. You resign yourself to not seeing your ship and all your things for the next few months. You hope your security holds up against thieves. You didn’t pay for a long stay though.
Your head snaps up. “Do you have a long-distance com I can use?”
Mando just looks at you.
You sigh. “I swear on my siblings’ lives that I will not double-cross you or turn the kid in.” You held up your hand. “I just need to call someone to pick up my ship. I left it in a hangar and I didn’t expect to run off and leave it.”
Mando sighs. “Come with me.” He goes up the ladder to the cockpit.
You follow behind him. You enter the cockpit and smile when you see the green kid. He wore baggy robes and had big floppy green ears with huge brown eyes.
The kid stares at you for a minute before giving you a bright gummy smile. He waves his little hands and you notice he only has three fingers tipped with tiny claws.
“Hey. You are what all the fuss is about, huh?” You reach out but Mando’s shifting to reach for his blaster stalls you. You roll your eyes. “A little overprotective he is, but I think you could use it.”
Mando clears his throat and points to a button on the console. “It’s all I have. So make it quick.” Mando picks up the child and goes down the hall. A door closes and a lock clicks.
You input the numbers for your oldest brother’s com. His smiling face appears in a blue holoprojection.
“Well if it isn’t the big hotshot Bounty Hunter. How’re things going sis?” He leans back in his ship’s pilot seat and crosses his arms over his head.
“How soon can you get to Navarro?” Your tone is brisk and he picks up on the no messing around in your voice.
He drops his arms and leans forward. “A week but Shelia is closer. She’s a few days out.”
You weigh the decisions in your head. On the one hand, having the middle sister get the ship sooner might be better for its protocols against break-ins but… you were wanted now that you left with Mando. Your keen eyes did not miss the way Karga eyed you up and cataloged everything he could about you.
“What’s wrong? Why are you calling me from this unknown number? What mess did you get yourself into?” His rapid-fire questions make the choice for you.
“I’m on a ship that’s not mine. A fellow bounty hunter got into a bit of a scrape and I’m helping him out. My ship is probably going to be impounded and under heavy security. This needs stealth and someone who can slice. Sheila won’t be able to handle this. I need you to get to Navarro as fast as you can. It’s going to be crawling with people looking for me or anyone who knows me.” You explain the situation quickly.
Your brother’s eyes narrow. “What have you done?”
“Jaysen. Please. I need you to do this… there’s… a kid involved. Someone put a bounty out on a kid and that’s not right.” You plead.
He sighed. “Kids are going to be your downfall one day. What’s your security code on your ship? It will be a whole lot faster if you give it to me.”
“It’s the date of Messa’s birth.” You name another of your sisters. In all, there was a pretty even amount. Four sisters and five brothers.
Jaysen scoffed. “I always knew she was your favorite. Inputting coordinates now. One lava ball of a planet coming up.” He moved like he was tapping on a screen. “Hey, is this line safe for me to call you on?”
“Yes?” You frown. You were full of confusion. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing, sis.” Jaysen held his hand out like he was hovering over a lever. “Take care of yourself. Don’t let that bounty hunter boss you around.”
“Thanks, Jaysen.” You hit the button to end the call. You slump in the pilot’s seat.
“Are you done? We need to talk.” Mando was at the door.
You get up and move tiredly to the main area below. You slump on some crates, exhausted out of your mind. You had a long day between waking up this morning to find your bounty trying to escape to a firefight for your life and escaping on an old ship. You were ready to crash.
“Who are you?” Mando demanded. “I looked you up.”
“Yeah?” You arch a brow at him. “What did you find?”
“Nothing. You came out of nowhere with an impressive bounty that had to of taken at least two to catch. Then you kind of fell off the radar into a normal bounty hunter.” Mando sounded frustrated. His hand twitched towards his blaster as you moved.
You lean back against the hull of the ship and cross your arms over your chest. “I’m just a simple woman who needs money to feed her family and can’t stand to see kids harmed. So… I am helping you. Where are we going?”
Mando was silent as he stared at you. His hand clenched into a fist and loosened slowly. “I’m not paying you.”
“I know. I have credits saved up.” You shrug and lean your head back, trying to get comfortable. You close your eyes and hum lowly.
Something was thrown in your direction and you automatically sit up and catch it. You look down to see a ration bar.
“It’s all I have.” Mando pointed to a little cubby across from some impressive double doors. “You can sleep there. I’ll bring you a blanket.”
Mando heads for the ladder.
“Mando? Thanks.” You slide off your crate with a little huff of air.
Mando doesn’t say anything. He climbs up the ladder. Soon, a thin blanket was tossed down to you.
“Get some sleep. We will be there in a few hours.” Mando called down the opening.
“Where?” You bend down and pick up the blanket. A cloud of citrus/metal/manly sweat reaches your nose. You resist the urge to press it to your face and take a deep whiff.
“Sorgun.” Was the terse reply. “After a stop for fuel.”
You could tell that Mando was done for the night so you made up your small bed in the wall and curled up. Before your eyes slipped closed you wondered where this new path you had taken would lead you.
The sounds of hyperspace are the last thing you remember before falling asleep.