The Mandalorian's Slave

The Love Expert

The Mandalorian's POV
Aster hates me. Of course she does. I can't take back what I said. 

I think this will be my life's biggest regret.

I've been conflicted for weeks now, wondering if the Jedi will solve my problem. And now that I know an actual Jedi, and where to find her, I thought perhaps it was time that Aster and I parted ways. Aster has seen enough death and hardship in her lifetime. She deserves a life of luxury, with her people. Anything that they can give her is better than what I can do.

That's what I told myself, over and over again. That Aster deserves better. But it still didn't prepare me for the look on her face, or the way her voice wobbled, or the way her words dripped with hatred.

I'm never going to fix this. I curse myself. No one ever taught me how to love, how to say fuck the rules and have a partner. I guess it doesn't matter now. There's no turning back.

An alarm jerks me out of my solemn daze. "Fuck," I say, just as another alarm goes off. Screens and buttons flash red and yellow. At this rate, I won't make it to Corvus. I need to make a pit stop. And right now, I'll be lucky if we make it to the closest planet. I need help. And the only help around currently hates me and doesn't want to speak to me ever again. But I have no choice.

I knock lightly on the door to the bedroom that Aster and I now share. Or maybe we used to. I'm not sure what's happening with us now.

The door squeals open. "I'm assuming by the blaring alarms that we haven't landed yet," Aster says lightly. Her voice is raw from crying and her eyes are rimmed with red. My heart feels like shattering in my chest.

"The Razor Crest won't make it to Corvus," I explain awkwardly. "We need to stop at Nevarro. And before that, I need your help just so we can make it there."

"Well, thank the Force you have a scavenger Jedi aboard!" Aster flashes me a murderous smile. "It's your lucky day Mandalorian."

She shoves past me and immediately grabs my tool set. "Sit back, relax," she calls over her shoulder. "Let the slave do all the work. It's what she's here for, after all." Aster pauses. "Or maybe not. Maybe this is too many decisions for her little brain. Fixing a ship can be a very hard task for a little slave."

"Aster, please," I beg as she studies the alarms going off. "I made a mistake."

"Trust me, Mandalorian, so did I." Aster opens a control panel. "Just let me do my work. Just watch the Child while you brood in self-righteousness."

"I'm not self-righteous," I argue. I just want to keep her talking, keep her in my life.

"You deserve better," Aster says in a bad impersonation of my voice.

"You do!" I snap. Why can't she understand everything that I'm giving up to give her a better life?

Smoke drifts out from somewhere on the dashboard. "What could be better than traveling the galaxies with the one person you love?" Her voice is so soft, it's barely even a whisper.

My heart races. I've always loved Aster. But now she's here, saying the words, and I can't remember how to speak.

"But I must thank you," she continues. "You showed me just how foolish I was to think that this would ever end well."

The bitterness in her voice fills the room, clawing at my soul. I want to sob. I want to wrap her up in my arms and never let go.

"I don't know much about the Jedi," I finally admit. "All I know is that they're powerful. With power comes money. I want you to have a life where you don't have to worry about where your next meal is coming from. I want you to wear clean clothes made just for you. I want you to fall in love with someone who actually knows how to treat you."

"I've lived my whole life never knowing where my next was coming from, if it was coming. I like the surprise of it. I've seen many men with money and power. It doesn't make them happy." There's a faint sizzle sound and the alarms stop blaring. "As for love, well, it's not something you can control."

"Are you the love expert?" I stare at Aster. She's facing me now, with the darkness of space and the twinkling of stars outlining her silhouette. With her wild tumble of curly hair, soft lips, and curvy figure, she looks as if she could be a love goddess from some ancient religion.

"I was in love once," Aster says flatly. "I didn't want to fall, but I did. You can't control it."

"You're not in love anymore?" I hope Aster can't hear the agonizing pleading in my voice.

"I thought he saw me as more than a slave. I was mistaken." Aster's voice is numb. It cuts my heart out of chest.

"Perhaps he was trying to help you." I take a step closer to her. "Perhaps he loved you so much he would force himself to endure a lifetime of meaningless days just so you could thrive." 

"A cute idea," Aster says, turning away from me. "But he made the decision without me. I loved how free I was with him. And he took all of that away."

"I'm a love expert myself," I say, taking another small step closer to the sun in my galaxy. "I say you should give him another chance. Make the choice together."

"I didn't realize Mandalorians were comedians," Aster faces me again, her lips tantalizingly close to my own. "Because a Mandalorian in love sounds like a joke."

"I am in love," the words come out before I can stop them. "I'm in love with a girl who has changed my entire life. I can't imagine a life without her. She is perfection, and she deserves perfection. And I am far from perfect. So I thought it would be best if I let her go. But I didn't realize that my heart would ache every minute I am apart from her. I didn't know my entire universe would collapse in on itself."

Aster finally looks at me. Her beautiful eyes are filled with tears. I resist the urge to wipe them away. "Perfection doesn't exist," she says firmly.

"Then how am I staring at it?" I can't hold myself back. I reach out and tuck a wayward curl behind her ear. "If you would ever want to consider continuing your life with me, it would make me complete. But if you want to leave and be with your people, I would feel nothing but happiness for you."

Aster wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. "Maybe we shouldn't let you think so much," she teases as I hold her.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy," I sat fiercely. "Say the word, and I'll do it."

"Well, I suppose you should take us to Nevarro. Being stranded in space isn't something that makes me happy."

I type in the coordinates. Aster stands behind me. I know we aren't perfect again, but she's talking to me, looking at me. That's all I could ever want.