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I adjust the child's swaddle, making sure it wouldn't slip off my shoulders. Mando is leaning against the wall, next to the open door. He's impatient, and I like it. He isn't restless to the point of complaining, however.
He flew us to an ocean moon. The air is salty with a hint of seaweed. The sky is currently very cloudy and misty, skewing my vision. It's dangerous, but we have to leave the ship to gather supplies and fuel.
"We're ready," I exclaim. "Do I look threatening?" I ask, hiding my teasing smirk.
"Definitely," he says, and I can't tell if he's being serious or sarcastic. I follow him off the ship and onto the sandy earth. The child's eyes close instinctively as the mist hits our faces from the wind. I pull up my hood over my face, wishing I had a helmet like Mando.
He walks with ease, but the child's movement and squirming makes it difficult for me to walk and retain balance. I huff with frustration as the hike continues. Mando stays silent the whole way to the village, so I just stare at the back of his helmet.
The mist doesn't let up, so we duck into a small trading shop. I yank my hood down from my head, staring up at Mando. "You have water on your face," he says stoically, but then his gloved finger flicks away the drop on my cheekbone. I blush a beet red and quickly avert my face.
It's mostly useless stuff in here, but Mando intensely looks around for supplies. The child takes enjoyment from examining old toys and trinkets. I pick up a discarded ring, turning it over in my fingers. The metal is familiar, it almost looks like-
"Haysian smelt."
Mando stands to my left, peering at the ring in my hand. "It feels lucky," I admit, turning it over again. Mando doesn't speak for a moment, watching the child try to reach to the ring. He plucks it out of my hands and turns away, leaving me staring at him, confused.
Once we step back out into the misty storm, he hands me the ring. I look up at him, frowning. "You didn't have to do that," I say, and he shrugs in response. "The dealer didn't know it was haysian smelt. It was cheap."
I take it, saying a small thank you, and tucking it into my jacket pocket. Mando is already walking to the next store. I huff and adjust the child before following him.
I'm wrong about him. He's not a cold man, he's not selfish. He bought the ring for me, just because I was looking at it. All of the teasing and playful flirting before between us has been just for fun, but now it's different. It's meaningful, gentle, and has purpose.
If he knew about me, he'd leave. He'd hate me. I can't risk these feelings getting in the way of work. Besides, he's just a faceless man, concealed, so I can't truly see him.
The trek back to the Crest was easier since the wind has died down. The child watches the birds in the cloudy sky, often pointing and squealing. Every time the child makes a noise, Mando turns around to check on it. It's kind of adorable how protective he is of the child.
The hatch to the ship hisses as it opens, and I get on first, setting down the sack of supplies next to the cabinet. I let the child out of the swaddle, and it immediately went towards the sack, obviously a bit hungry.
"Don't you want to save room for-"
Blaster fire interrupts my sentence, and I quickly whirl around, blaster raised. Mando's stumbling, as if he got hit on the head. The sand doesn't help, and he collapses, clutching his side. I jump into the ground, grabbing him from under his armpits. The blaster fire goes off again, ricocheting off the Crest and on the ground nearby.
I snag the huge disintegrator off of Mando's back, skidding across the sand and aiming. The bounty hunter is closer than I thought, secluded behind palms. I fire quickly, and it hits him square in the chest, but he fires again before he's disintegrated. I dive down, skidding again, back to Mando, slinging the gun across my back.
"Hey! Did you get shot?" I ask loudly, and I just hear a modulated groan. Grabbing him again, I drag him across the sand as the child watches from inside. I continue to move Mando across the floor and onto the cot, throwing him on. "He's heavy," I tell the child. "Watch Mando."
I jump into the cockpit, getting us the hell out of here.
