WinterRaptor's Fandom Trash VI

The Nightmares [A Mandalorian Drabble]

They were running as fast as they could, but the motion dragged on forever, like they were running on quick sand. He stared out at the massacre from his father's shoulders. The bodies of his neighbors littered the ground. Droids were shooting down crowds of humans without hesitation. No mercy. His parents couldn't move fast enough to escape. They were running out of time to save him.

They fell to their knees at the double doors of a cellar, giving him one last hug and kiss as they cried. He could still feel his father's facial hair brush against his cheek. He could still smell his mother's perfume.

They lowered him into the cellar. "I love you," they mouthed. He heard no words, his ears were ringing. He felt dizzy and terrified. They closed the doors, leaving him in complete darkness save for a small sliver of light emitting from the gap between the doors. The explosion of the bomb hitting just outside the cellar bolted him out of his sleep.

It took Din a second to realize that there was no danger. Thunder rolled viciously outside as rain beat down on the outside of the ship. He sucked in a deep, shaking breath, running his hand through his wavy mess of hair to get it out of his face as he tried to settle his nerves. As anxious as that dream made him, he was relieved that he and his crew were in no intimidate danger.

Lightning cracked outside, lighting up the sky momentarily, before it went back to a deep, cloudy purple. Mando shuffled over to the window, looking out in the field the ship sat in. He had tried to find tree cover when they arrived, but it was getting dark so quickly, he needed to land. He had felt uneasy about it before he went to bed. Were they easy targets? Now he worried about what kind of liquid made up the rain that was failing from the sky. It'd better not corrode his ship.

Lightning split the sky again, making his hair stand on end. Maybe his nerves were still fried from the nightmare, but his instincts were telling him to check on the others. He walked over to his bed, where he scooped up his helmet and slipped it on. Mando was as quiet as possible as he made his way down the ladder to the lower level. He didn't want to wake up Rian and the child because he was being paranoid. He landed on the ground with a soft thud and turned to the cot and cradle. The child laid fast asleep, bundled up in his blankets like a burrito.

Rian's cot, however, was empty.

"What the-" He cut himself off, clenching his jaw and cursing under his breath. That girl needed bell. He stormed towards entrance ramp, which he hadn't noticed was gapping open in the darkness. In his head he was counting out the pros vs cons of deciding to take Rian on their mission. Sometimes, it felt like she was more work to reign in than the child. The last thing he wanted to do right now was go on a search and rescue mission in the middle of a bad storm.

However, when he dropped down onto the ramp, he discovered he didn't have to travel far. Rian was sitting in the tall grasses at the edge of the ship, centimeters away from the sheets of rain pouring from the sky. Underneath the ship, she remained perfectly dry as she stared out into the night.

All of Din's muscles relaxed slightly when he saw she was safe and not out in the wilderness making an ass of herself. He walked away from the ship a few feet so his voice wouldn't wake the child. "What are you doing?"

Rian look back at Din, her face solemn, almost sad. He blinked, slightly taken aback as Rian shrugged. "I like the rain." She stated simply, turning away and looking to the sky again. She stuck out her hand, letting the precipitation beat against her pale palm.

He rolled his eyes slightly. "It's the middle of the night and there's no cover out here. It's not safe."

Rian didn't move. "I'll be fine."

"Can't you just go pout inside?"

"Can't you go nag someone else?" Another flash of lightning illuminated the field again as she snapped and turned to glare at him. Her blue-green eyes were misted and teary, making them glisten and churn like a rocky ocean. Rian's anger left as quickly as it arrived, and she wiped at her eyes as she turned away again. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean that."