Calamity || The Mandalorian

four

"Why can't I just come with you?" Kasia demanded, leaning against the wall that Mando had tied her up against. "Even if I escape—which I won't," she added when the Mandalorian tilted his helmet to look at her, "You'll just hunt me down again. I mean, how long did it take you to find me the first time, huh?"

"The child's client is very secretive. If I go in there with an unexpected guest, it'll be all three of our heads that end up on his wall." Mando paused, sighing for a moment. "Is there anything you need before I leave?" he asked warily.

"Such a good host," Kasia crooned. When Mando gave no reaction, Kasia stayed silent for a moment, and any humor in her tone or eyes seemed to vanish. "Can I see the child again?" she requested quietly.

Behind his mask, Mando's eyebrows flitted up in surprise, but after a moment's hesitation he dipped his head once in confirmation. An almost unconscious smile seemed to spread across Kasia's face—the first real smile Mando had yet seen, one filled with no vice, no sarcasm, no tricks. For a moment he felt mesmerized as he stared at her.

Then he came to his senses.

Pressing a button on the control pad on his wrist, the child's cradle hissed open, and he gingerly picked up the baby. Din tried to ignore the feeling in his gut as the child smiled up at him, brown eyes shining with affection and warmth.

For a moment, Din thought back to the moment with the mudhorn, when the child had raised his hand and suddenly the massive beast was floating. It seemed impossible that it could have really happened, yet...

I suppose impossible things happening is a theme these days, he thought.

Slowly, he set the child down on the floor before glancing back up at the mind-reader.

*.*.*

As the child tottered toward her on its little legs, all Kasia could do was smile at the little creature. She knew that Mando felt slightly bad about tying her up, but he was adamant about doing so—no matter what she said to him, he wasn't going to let her go.

As quickly as his little legs could carry him, the child climbed into Kasia's lap, and peered up at her with big brown eyes. He tilted his head as he looked up at her, and once again Kasia simply couldn't comprehend how anyone could want to hurt a single hair on this creature's head.

"Hello there, Ue'lae," Kasia whispered in Eulentian. "You really are just the cutest aren't you?" the child cooed as if agreeing with her statement and Kasia laughed lightly. She dipped her head as far as she could until she was practically nose-to-nose with the little fellow, "It's a shame we just now met, but I'm gonna miss you little fellow. I... I hope you get the chance to live a very long, happy life."

At this point, Kasia doubted the likelihood of such a reality coming to pass. And for that simple fact alone, she couldn't hide her glare as she leveled her gaze on the bounty hunter who was about to turn this child over the people who would do... who even knew what to this small child.