【ＷＯＬＶＥＮ】
The Mandalorian finds more than he bargained for when a chance meeting brought him, a child and a Wolven together.
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Elodie suffered at the hands of the Empire for years. Fighting for the child is all she knew. She would soon come to realiz...
The Mandalorian stood before his restored ship on Arvala-7, and beside him was the Ugnaught he'd become acquainted with. The Child he had recovered from his recent tussle in the mercenary hideout was sleeping peacefully in the pram, blissfully unaware of the Mandalorians' true intentions. The woman had been right.
Despite being fifty years old, it was but a child.
It made him wonder more about the woman they had in chains. What else did she know?
He kept checking on the infant, unsure if it was okay since the attack by the Mudhorn. The Razor Crest was now in the best condition it could be without a qualified mechanic to reassemble it. Cables still hung from the rafters, and panels were skewed, but that didn't matter. Din just needed to return the bounty in order to receive the plentiful reward his tribe was rightfully owed. Beskar belonged to the Mandalorian's.
"I can use a crew member of your ability, and I can pay handsomely." Mando offered Kuill, but the Ugnaught politely declined.
"I am honoured, but I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude." Mando could not tear his mind away from the woman who lay desolate in the arms of the empire. He wanted to know more about her, who she was, and how exactly she knew his adopted language. Mando'a was not common, nor was it easy to learn. Verbally or written.
His duty as a bounty hunter drew certain boundaries, and he wasn't sure yet if he was ready to overstep this one considering the heavy reward. He owed that to his tribe.
Din rested his hands on his belt loops, changing from one foot to the other. "I understand. Then all I can offer is my thanks. May I ask you a question before you leave?"
Kuill mounted his ride, "You may."
"What do you know about the empire testing the blood of slaves? Have you ever known any to speak Mando'a, the Mandalorian tongue?"
Kuill hummed in contemplation, "I merely worked in their labour camps and never ventured near their testing facilities. The Empire uses and manipulates what they can, and then disposes of what they do not find useful. I wager that this slave you speak of will soon outlive their usefulness and will likely be terminated." Din stayed silent, digesting the information with a torn heart. He'd hoped for a better answer and couldn't comprehend why the woman had piqued his curiosity.
Nodding, he thanked the Ugnaught.
"And thank you for bringing peace to my valley. And good luck with the child. May it survive and bring you a handsome reward." Kuill rode off on the blurrg, and Mando made his way to the cockpit, passing the cradle. He activated the close mechanism on his wrist for the ramp to seal shut.
It was time for the Mandalorian to bring the child in.
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