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"Alright, so Cara's not really the type to stay in the middle of town because she straight up has trust issues- for good reason, of course. So, we should probably check the outskirts of the village because there's a higher chance of her being out there than somewhere around here," I say in one long breath, taking in a heavy breath afterward. I let out a small huff before opening my mouth to speak again, but a few loud cheers cut me off. 

"Pay up, mudscuffers!"

I perk a brow and look over to the tavern we had once stopped in the first time we had ever come to Sorgan. Another line of cheers ring out and I already know who everyone's cheering for. Since when did she start staying in town? It's not like her to stay in a place that's so crowded. 

Mando hums and lightly nudges my arm, nodding his head in a know-it-all way. He bends down, resting the bottom of his helmet on my right shoulder while his face hovered close to mine. "You were saying?" he teases, cocking his head to the side a bit to get a better look at me. I roll my eyes and set my hand on the front of his helmet, pushing his face away from mine. 

We walk into the tavern and instantly spot Cara collecting stacks of credits from different people while an almost unconscious man was lying flat out on his chest right at her feet. A dazzling smile was shining on her face as credits were placed in her hands. So, this is why she was staying in town. I guess I couldn't exactly blame her. 

"What kind of country ass duel shit it this?" I tease, taking a few steps towards her. She looks over at Mando and me and an even larger smile tugs at her lips. I smile back and nod my head once, holding my arms up as if I were presenting myself to her. "Did you miss me?"

"Looking for some work?" Mando asks, getting straight to business while completely overstepping my question. I frown and slowly look over to him, dropping my arms back down to my sides. We would've had a better chance of getting her on our side if we had waited a little longer and sweet-talked her a little more, but unfortunately, that's not Mando's style. 

I look back over to Cara to see the smile she was wearing falter a bit. She waves us over as she sits down at a table across the tavern. I sigh and stroll over to where she was, plopping down into the seat next to her. We look into each other's eyes before she smiles and pulls me into a quick hug before letting both of us sit back comfortably. She holds two fingers up and a drink is immediately set down in front of both of us. 

"Shit, maybe I should've just stayed on Sorgan with you. I could get used to this," I mutter under my breath, nodding my head to the side as I wrapped my fingers around the cup of spotchka. She laughs a bit and nods her head. 

"Yeah, well, I guess that's what happens when you get a little too familiar with the locals," she says, flashing her brows. This version of her was new to me. She never used to settle down and it was nice to see that she actually learned to relax for once in her damn life. "What happened to you? You look tense. Like you went through some shit or something."

"I kind of did- Anyway, are you looking for any work right now? If you are, we might have a job lined up for you if you're interested," I continue, tapping the tips of my fingers against the wood table in front of us. 

"That depends on the work. Also, what kind of shit did you go through while I was relaxing here in paradise?" she asks, picking her cup up by the base. I grimace, wishing that she would have just left the second part. Mando notices how I uncomfortably tense up and he subtly squeezes my thigh from under the table in an attempt to soothe me. 

"We need to head back to Nevarro, where we were previously stationed at. We're going to surrender the kid and then take out the guy who originally commissioned the bounty. It's an easy job. We'll be in and out within a few hours," I explain, shrugging my shoulders while taking another short sip of spotchka. "It could be a trap too, but you know how we work," I mutter into my cup. 

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