A Life Without Meaning

𝕊𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪 (𝕀)

Ellia was slumped over in the passenger's seat, as she had been for hours at that point. They had dropped out of hyperspace and were now floating through free space for the time being, following an out of reach lane as the Mandalorian had explained it to her, trying to get them as far away from the reaches of the guild as possible.

The cockpit was still very quiet, and Ellia absentmindedly picked at her nail beds with her utility knife. Across the small space, the child was sitting up on the console, where the Mandalorian had allowed him to watch from as he piloted the ship. When no one was looking, the young one quietly reached over and pressed one of the flashing green buttons. A brief, and unalarming sound omitted from the box but quickly went away as the Mandalorian flipped a few switches to shut it down. Undeterred, the child simply let a few seconds pass before starting to lean over to do it again,

"Stop touching things" the Mandalorian said sharply.

Ellia looked up just in time to see the creature look back at the masked hunter innocently. Stifling a laugh, she twirled her knife over in her hand before her attention fell back down to her lap. More silence passed them by, but it was soon interrupted by the sound of another switch, and suddenly the whole ship began shaking. Ellia's head shot up, noticing that the kid had somehow managed to turn off the stabilizers.

The Mandalorian quickly jumped to action, with one hand still on the controls, the other lurched over to flip the switch back into its position. He grabbed hold of the kid, moving him into his lap with a huff.

This time, Ellia couldn't keep down a laugh as it bubbled out of her throat.

The Mandalorian heard this, and looked over at her accusingly,

"You think he's so funny? Here, you hold him" he said begrudgingly.

Ellia shrugged her shoulders, clipping her knife back onto her hip before reaching out her arms. The Mandalorian passed over the kid before turning back to the main screen in front of him. The child looked up at her with a squeal that almost sounded like a laugh. She smiled back down at him, scrunching up her nose.

The system map blinked a bit as the Mandalorian flicked through it,

"Let's see-" he mused as he pulled up a chart of the planet that was looming in the distance, "Sorgan. Looks like there is no star port, no industrial centers, no population density. A real backwater skug hole. Which means it's perfect for us."

He looked over his shoulder again at the two other passengers. Ellia simply nodded her agreement. The Mandalorian then turned his attention to the small, green creature in her arms.

"Ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple months, you little womp rat?" he asked.

As the child cooed in response, Ellia swallowed another warm smile. The Mandalorian turned back to the console, grabbing onto the control sticks,

"Nobody's gonna find us here." he noted as he pressed the ship forward, heading for the planet looming on the horizon.

They descended into the atmosphere, and Ellia's eyes widened as they zoomed over the trees. It was only then that she realized how little of the galaxy she had truly seen. Hopping from spaceport to spaceport hadn't left much room to notice the more lush, green planets of the universe.

The sky was a clear, crystal blue and the surface was littered with sparkling lakes. It was easily the most beautiful view she had ever seen. Leaning her head closer towards the front most windows of the cockpit, she let out a soft "wow" in amazement. Missing the way that the Mandalorian glanced over at her.

They landed the ship in a clearing, just beyond a small, bustling settlement. When the Crest was rested securely on the ground, the Mandalorian rose from his seat.