See Me, See You: A Mandalorian Story

C H A P T E R S I X T E E N

THIRD PERSON POV

"I'll go with you." Reina decided. "I didn't know about Mando and Nevarro...Mando...betrayed me, too."

"Then, let's go get your revenge." Toro leaned forward and kissed her. After pulling away, he lifted her onto the speeder and they flew across the desert all the back to Hangar Three-Five, where they waited patiently for the Mandalorian to return, keeping Peli Motto as a hostage. The entire time, Reina avoided eye contact with the mechanic so she wouldn't blow her cover. In Reina's lap, was the babbling child, and to calm her nerves, she softly stroked its velvety long ears.

Eventually, Mando arrived. Toro took it upon himself to snatch the baby from Reina and use Peli as a shield, sticking his blaster in her spine. "Welcome back, Mando." Toro said, standing upon the open ramp leading into the Razor Crest. Reina stood behind him, close by, waiting for the right opportunity. "Drop your blaster." Mando obeyed and raised his hands behind his head. "Cuff him." Toro jabbed Peli to move. Toro then focused his aim on the Mandalorian.

"You're a Guild traitor, Mando. And I'm willing to bet this," Toro gestured to the baby in his arm. "is the target you helped escape. Not only did you use me, but also Reina. Your own loyal partner who relied on you with her life."

Mando's T-shaped visor aligned with Reina's eyes just as Peli reached him to cuff him with restraints.

Now.

"Wait, Peli." Reina marched forward. "Come here and take me to the Mandalorian. I'll cuff him. After all, he did betray me." Toro allowed the blind hunter to be guided by the mechanic. To give Peli reassurance, Reina lightly squeezed her hand, and she got the message. At last, Reina stood before Mando and circled him to be hidden behind him. At the moment, Reina only had one shot as she swiftly unshealthed Mando's hand knife from his belt. Mando froze, and Peli backed away. Jumping from behind her partner, Reina whipped the knife over her head, finding its mark in Toro's gut. But, upon impact, Toro fired his blaster and struck the Unseeing Assassin in her shoulder, and she collasped to the ground.

Mando immediately dove for his blaster and finished the job without hitting the baby. Toro's body toppled off the ramp, the child rolled away from his lifeless arm. Peli dashed over to recover him, while Mando frantically dropped to Reina's aid, lifting her limp upper body in his arms, her head cradled in the crook of his arm.

"Hey!" The Mandalorian lightly tapped his partner's cheek. "Reina, come on. Come on, wake up. Wake up! Please!"

"Hmm..." Reina moaned, squeezing her eyelids tightly shut. "Ow..." Relief washed over Mando as a sigh escaped his modulator. He didn't let her go as Peli brought the child and her med pack to patch up Reina. In Reina's own medicene pack was her ointment Mando remembered she used on his arm back on Arvala-7. Sometime during the bandaging process, Reina finally opened her eyes and saw Mando right there by her side, and a gentle smile was cheeked. "Hey." she exhaled.

"You're better now." Mando nodded, still supporting her head in his arm. "I used that medicene of yours. You'll be fine."

"Thank you." Reina breathed, and she was helped to her feet, leaning on her partner for support. Peli then handed over the baby to Mando. "I'm taken you guys didn't get paid. Oh, well. You take care of him now, or she might end up saving both your lives again." Reina noticed Mando holding the child a little closer to his chest. "Yes." he said, and then bent down to Toro's body and fished a pouch from his belt and poured its golden contents into Peli's hands. "This cover me?"

"Yeah, yeah?" Peli shrugged, trying to contain her joy. "This'll cover ya."

"Thank you for everything." Reina embraced the mechanic in a quick hug, then she staggered one one side as she followed Mando onto the Razor Crest and Mando flew them off the planet of Tatooine. Once they were in space, Mando set the ship in auto-pilot, and turned his attention to his partner, who help bounced the baby on her lap.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Mando." Reina sighed with a grin, but at the same time, her eyes began hurting once again, and she rubbed them. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Get some rest, okay?"

"Aye-aye, sir."

"Thank you, Reina." Mando added. "For saving me."

"You've done the same for me plenty of times. What are partners for?" Reina said. "We trust each other to look out for the other. That's all that matters. Toro almost had me with that charm of his. He wasn't a bad kisser, either."

"Really?" Mando groaned at the unnecessary extra detail, swinging back around in his seat.

"I'm just kidding!" Reina laughed, and Mando just scoffed as his head lowered, thinking about how amazing she was. "How did you do it?" He asked, still facing the console.

"You mean, fool Toro? Well, it was easy. I just switched on my charm back and he fell over it." Reina bragged. "He was smitten over me the moment he laid eyes on me at the saloon. Fennec had revealed the truth about my vision, but I still managed to convince him I was blind."

"Is that how you hunt?" Mando questioned. "By 'switching on your charm'?"

"Oh, I see." Reina noticed the sudden change in a low tone. "You were jealous, weren't you?"

"Excuse me?" Mando swiveled in his seat with a cock to his head. "Jealous?"

"Nevermind." Reina rolled her eyes, gazing down at the child, who cooed. Don't pry on it. "To answer your question, Mando, yes. I earned my end's meet flirting with my bounty. It was the only way I could get them to approach me and then snag them. They all underestimated me because I was blind. Tried to take advantage me every time, but I came out on top. Most of the time."

"Most of the time? What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes I bit off more than I could chew." Reina leaned back in her seat, cuddling the child close to her. "Wasn't there a job every once in awhile that you couldn't quite complete."

"Yes. Twice." Mando sighed.

"I guess that's what made you the best in the Guild." Reina smirked, and then lightly rubbed where she was shot by Toro Calican. Instantly, Mando felt guilty. "If I had not left to retrieve that Dewback, you wouldn't have been hurt saving me. We could've avoided the whole confrontation."

"Mando."

The Mandalorian lifted his head to meet Reina's dark and confident eyes. He then watched as her hands reached out and clasped onto the sides of his helmet, her face inches from the Beskar surface. "Do you trust me?" she breathed softly.

"Yes." Mando exhaled.

Slowly, Reina closed her eyes and lifted the helmet just enough to where Mando's mouth was exposed and gently planted her lips on it. She did not dare open her eyes, as she deepened the kiss for a moment and released, returning the helmet to its rightful position. Only then, did she allowed them to open.

"That was..." Mando paused, as if to find the right words. "...nice."

Reina only smiled, the baby softly cooing as it had drifted off to sleep.