Calamity || The Mandalorian

thirty-four

"So, the package is being moved on a fortified transport ship," Mayfeld began to explain the plan as Kasia yawned loudly. Glaring at her, he clicked a button on the holo-pad that they were all clustered around, causing a hologram of what Kasia took to be the transport ship to flicker to life. "Now, we got a limited window to board, find our friend, and get him out of there before they make their jump."

Kasia's mouth dried as she stared down at the hologram, eyes widening as she recognized the layout of the ship. "That's a New Republic prison ship," she managed to say as she stared at the hologram. She had spent the last couple of years avoiding such ships—and now they were going to waltz right onto one and try to steal a prisoner?

"Your man wasn't taken by a rival syndicate. He was arrested," Mando finished her thought, his voice holding an air of accusation. Underneath his visor, his eyes dipped to Kasia, knowing that with her criminal history and the strict New Republic regulations and laws, getting caught by a New Republic officer—particularly while trying to smuggle a prisoner off the ship—would be a one-way ticket to a New Republic prison for the rest of her life.

Mayfeld leaned forward slightly, his eyes darting to an annoyed Kasia and then back to Mando. "So what?" he asked with a goading smile on his face, obviously enjoying the moment.

"A job is a job," Ran put in, a small smirk on his face as well.

"That's a max security transport," Mando insisted, his voice cold as he spoke, "and I'm not looking for that kind of heat."

"Well neither are we. So just don't mess up," Ran answered, his unflinching tone matching the resolution regarding the job that Kasia could feel emanating from him: he needed them for their ride, and he wasn't just about to let them go.

It's your call, Mando's words came a moment later in Kasia's head.

Her heart seemed to clench as he offered her the choice of backing out, knowing full well they needed the money but willing to say to hell with it if she so desired.

For a moment, Kasia even considered the possibility of being selfish, of choosing to take the safe, easy route and avoid the possibility of being caught. Then, she shifted slightly to look up at Mando and gave a small nod.

Let's do this shit.

"The good news for you," Xi'an crooned as she walked around the table the holo sat on and towards Mando and Kasia, smiling flirtatiously up at the former, "is the ship is manned by droids. Still hate the machines, Mando?"

At the words, Kasia couldn't help but give a small hmph, knowing full-well of his hatred for droids; his family had been killed by them, so Kasia doubted he would ever get over it. She certainly couldn't blame him; Gods knew she would never be able to look at a man of the Empire without a rush of hatred, revulsion, and disgust again.

"Despite the recent modifications, the ship is still quite a mess," a mechanic tone rang out through the hanger, Zero the droid appearing as though on cue. "The power lines are leaking, the navigation is intermittent, and the hyperdrive is only operating at 67.3% efficiency. We have much better ships. Why are we using this one?"

At the surge of annoyance that rolled off of Din, Kasia chuckled slightly—and then held up her hands in mock innocence as he turned and glowered at her. "Hey, he said it, not me," she quietly laughed up at him.

Yeah, but you agreed.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I don't really think there's much room for argument."

Quirking an eyebrow at the Mandalorian and the girl as they spoke quietly—well, the girl spoke and Mando really just stood there—Ran answered Zero's question, "Because the Razor Crest is off the old Imperial and the New Republic grid. It's a ghost."

"Yeah, and we need a ship that can get close enough to jam New Republic code," Mayfeld elaborated. "So, when we drop out of hyperspace here, if we immediately bank into this kind of attitude we should be right in their blind spot which will give us just enough time for your ship to scramble our signal," he explained as the hologram projector displayed the visual flight plan.

Kasia tilted her head as she frowned down at the hologram and the flight pattern it displayed, "I'm still a relatively new pilot so correct me if I'm wrong," she began, pausing only to smirk as Mando admonished her silently, you're definitely not a pilot, "but that's like fucking impossible."

Next to her Mando nodded in confirmation, his voice cold as he verified, "It's not possible. Even for the Crest."

Kasia gave a small scoff and crossed her arms. "Especially for the Crest," she muttered under her breath. Glancing up, she grinned cheekily at Mando's death-glare.

"That's why he's flying," Ran retorted, nodding towards Zero.

At the information, the smile dropped from Kasia's lips and she gave a small groan. Well, this keeps getting better and fucking better, doesn't it? What next, we learn that Toro's actually alive and he's the one that we're trying to break out of the prison or some shit?

Mayfeld began to laugh as Mando's posture stiffened and he turned to look at the droid, aggravation and anger radiating from him.

"Look Mando, I know you're a pretty good pilot, but we need you on the trigger. Not on the wheel," Ran told him, his voice soft and calming even as Kasia felt his internal satisfaction at the Mandalorian's anger.

And honestly, at the thoughts flowing from the man's head in a stream, in that moment Kasia wanted nothing more than to take out her own blaster and show Ran what it meant for her to pull the trigger. Before she could act, however, Din's hand closed subtly around hers, halting its steady progression towards the holster at her side.

Don't be hasty, he reminded her silently.

"Well, what if I damn well want to be hasty and rid the world of one more asshole," she grumbled under her breath in response, even as thoughts of shooting the bastard began to dissipate. She tried not to concentrate on the feel of Din's hand in her own, his glove the only barrier between the touch of her skin against his.

"Don't worry, Mandalorian," Zero spoke up, grabbing both Kasia and Din's attention. "My response time is quicker than organics. And I'm smarter, too."

Now it was Kasia's turn to tighten her grip around Din's hand, keeping him from reaching for his own blaster as the droid condescendingly tapped on his own metaled head in emphasis.

"All right. I—yeah. That's good," Ran was quick to dismiss the droid, obviously able to sense Mando's rising anger. "Forgive the programming," the old man apologized as Zero walked back towards the Crest, "He's a little rough around the edges. But he is the best."

"How can you trust it?" Mando demanded, pointing at the droid's back as the three of them walked after the rest of the crew towards the Crest. Still, though it might have seemed as though he were asking Ran, he stole a glance towards Kasia who trailed the two of them slightly.

His hand still burned where it had touched hers, the movement to take her hand and stop her from reaching for her weapon and blowing this whole thing to shit an almost involuntary, natural action. He couldn't help lament the fact that her hand had slipped from his own as they had begun to make their way towards the Crest.

Sensing his attention, Kasia glanced up at him and shrugged.

I don't really trust anyone in this world, she tried to convey nonchalantly as she smiled up at him. But while in the past that would have been the end to the thought and the honest-to-Gods truth, now a second element to the confession rose unbidden into Kasia's brain—an element which she tried her hardest to keep from showing on her face.

No one, except for you.