Mandalorian Lost

Chapter 20

"How's your head?"

Mando's voice suddenly breaks the brief silence that had fallen between all of us in the cockpit as the ship surges through hyperspace on its new course. I gently set Grogu in his crate beside my seat, absentmindedly patting the top of his head as I shrug.

"Just fine," I mumble, sinking into my usual seat again. I eye the screen on the control panel. The planet's not far now, meaning there's no use in trying to get some sleep or anything like that while we fly.

Cara clears her throat as she leans against the side of the ship, crossing her arms over her chest. "What happened to your head?"

"Fell off a cliff. Got buried alive in a Sith Lord's abandoned castle." I raise my eyebrows when Cara's jaw drops and she stares at me in disbelief. Mando heaves a tired sigh and spins in his seat to face me, his helmet tilted to the side. I lift my shoulders, looking back and forth between the two of them. "What?"

One of the signals on the ship panel beeps at us, and we fall out of hyperspace. That was fast. We all look out at the planet looming ahead of us, a large golden sphere growing larger as we sail closer to it. As we enter the atmosphere, I furrow my brow. The force is practically singing through this planet with warmth. Grogu coos from behind me and I quickly scoop him up, pressing him closer to the window so he can see the planet better. I bounce him slightly in my lap and he giggles, forcing a smile onto my face. Mando glances at us for a moment and I meet his gaze, my smile widening.

"So, who's your friend?" Cara asks, taking a few steps forward to gaze out the window. Rocky canyons and sandy deserts fill our view as we plummet closer to the planet's surface.

"An Ugnaught. He helped me when I first found the child," Mando answers, pressing a few buttons as he starts the landing cycle. I peer out the window as we lower in front of a few huts and scraggly paddocks. A large creature runs around in the larger paddock while a short, portly man watches.

As soon as the ship touches the ground, we all file out of the cockpit. Cara and I share a curious glance , both of us eager to see Mando interact with a friend. Neither of us have really seen that happen before. Unless you count Xi'an, but I really don't want to.

"Whoa, easy!" The Ugnaught shouts, his arms flinging out to calm the creature in his paddock. I tug Grogu closer to my chest as the large creature stamps into the ground, and Mando brushes his hand against my arm.

"He's safe here, there's nothing to worry about," he says, dipping his head down so only I would hear him. I shoot him an uneasy look and he nods, gently taking the child from my arms and setting him on the ground. He waddles away quickly, giggling as he runs, and I look up at Mando. He gives my arm a squeeze before letting go and walking toward the Ugnaught.

The man hums in thought as Grogu waddles up to him. He plucks him off the ground, eyeing him carefully. "It hasn't grown much," he says in a voice that's gruff with age and time in the desert.

Mando shrugs one shoulder, grunting. "I think it might be a Strand-Cast." I frown, my eyes darting between them. They never even said 'hello' to each other, or anything resembling an actual greeting.

The Ugnaught shakes his head, turning Grogu to examine him. "I don't think it was engineered. I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved. Too ugly."

He jerks his head, beckoning us inside the small hut behind him. As he walks, I get a better look at him. He's small, his pinkish orange skin wrinkled and pulled tight against a bulbous skull. He walks with a slight limp as he hobbles down into the hut. I duck under after Mando and Cara. I scan the room, immediately noticing the sparse contents of the place. A few chairs, one small table. Some stray shelves tucked around the sides, all stuffed with tools and things to tinker with. The light is soft and dim as it reflects off Mando's beskar.