The Mandalorian's Slave

The Next Morning

I barely slept. How could I, after all that happened? It didn't take long for me to hear the soft sounds of the Mandalorian snoring. He acted as if nothing happened. Sleep evaded me last night. All I could think of was the mess that I got myself into. And fuck, this is a huge mess.

The Mandalorian is awake now. I'm lying as still as possible, pretending to be asleep. I'm turned away from him, so he won't see the concern etched on my face.

"Aster, get up." Fuck.

I stretch slowly, pretending to just wake up. "What is it Master?"

"Last night." He pauses, sending my thoughts into a nervous frenzy. "What happened wasn't supposed to happen. I had taken too many painkillers. I was still in shock of everything that happened earlier that day." He strides over to the floating orb, checking on the strange child now in his possession.

"So?" I dare myself to ask. This is risky. Everything about this. This conversation, this sequence of events.

"So it didn't happen. We will not speak of it. Ever." He walks steps into the doorway and glances over his shoulder. "It did not happen." He repeats, "we leave in a few minutes."

I watch as the Mandalorian leaves the room and the child floats behind him. I should feel relived right now. But I feel strangely hollow.

I force myself to get up and tidy the mess that the Mandalorian left behind. This is my life, after all. A slave is all I am.

I meet my Master in the kitchen were he is talking with Kuiil. Kuiil hands me a pack filled with food and water.

"Good luck," Kuiil says as the Mandalorian and I walk out of his small house. "Thank you for bringing peace once again to my home. Now go. I have spoken."

Even though the sky is still a pale gray, the day is still hot. I tie my hair in a messy knot atop my head as sweat trickles down my back.

"We must move quickly. There will be other bounty hunters looking to take the child and get the bounty." The Mandalorian sounds as distant as ever, as if last night truly never happened.

We keep a brisk pace as we trek across the rocky surface of the planet. We're near the landing site when I stop.

"Do you feel that?" I ask.

"Feel what?" The Mandalorian looks back over his shoulder.

"I'm not sure. I think there's something up ahead."

"There is. My ship." Even under his mask I can the clear annoyance in his voice.

I shut up and continue walking, leaving my eyes fixed on the child in the strange cradle. The poor thing. What its fate is, it won't be pleasant.

The ground begins to lurch upward to form a steep cliff when voices drift towards us. It's a sound I could recognize anywhere. The high pitched voices of Jawas on the hunt.

"Get down," the Mandalorian hisses.

I do as I'm told, pressing myself against the rough rocky surface. Slowly, the Mandalorian and I peer over the edge of the ridge. He peers down at the them a narrow scope, studying the strange robed people. With steady hands he draws his rifle.

"What are you doing?" I demand. The Jawas are not a people to mess with.

Without answering me, the Mandalorian releases a shot, sending a tiny body flying through the air. He reaches down to his boot and loads another shot into his rifle. The Jawas are scattering, their tiny voices filled with fear. The Mandalorian releases another shot, and it hits its target with a sickening thud. He loads another bullet and shoots at a Jawa attempting to fire at us. The Jawa lets out a strangled cry as the bullet hits him.

But the three fallen Jawas have bought their comrades enough time. The other have ran inside the giant steel ship that the Jawas call their home. The machine begins to roll forward, a giant, ugly beast with an impenetrable hide.

The Mandalorian leaps down the cliff and runs after the lumbering contraption. I have no choice but to follow. He fires a shot at the ship, succeeding only on sending a lousy shower of sparks to the ground.

The Mandalorian runs forward (fuck he's fast) and grabs onto a part of the ship, dangling precariously close to the grinding wheels. From a hidden hatch above him, a Jawa peers down at my Master, eyes glowing an angry red.

Either the Mandalorian is incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid. He pulls himself higher onto the Jawas ship, grabbing any bit of metal he can. I'm still running behind, sweat dripping down my body. My lungs are burning. I've never seen Jawas move so fast.

The Jawa's vehicle turns quickly, causing its side to scrape up against an overhanging cliff. The Mandalorian stares helplessly as he's about to get crushed.

"Let go!" I shout, my voice hoarse and out of breath.

I watch as at the last second, the Mandalorian tucks himself into some tiny crevice on the ship's surface. I let out a sigh of relief. He's alive. At least, for now. Jawas have gathered on the roof of the craft and are now throwing bits of scrap metal down at him, hoping to dislodge their unwanted passenger.

The Mandalorian shoots a grappling hook and it lodges somewhere on the roof of the ship. He begins climbing up the side, dodging as pieces of scrap metal are thrown at him. A few hit him, but he persists. A barrel of a gun pops out a hidden window, but the Mandalorian snaps it as if it were a twig. He throws the gunman of the vehicle and the Jawa lands on the ground with a satisfying splat.

I gasp for breath as I watch my Master swing over the top of the craft. He draws his gun, and aims, but before he can fire, over a dozen bullets fly through the air, crackling with electricity. A scream leaves my body as the Mandalorian plummets to the ground.

I run to his side as fast as my burning legs can take me. He's sprawled out, but alive. I breathe a sigh of relief. The occasional arc of blue electricity stills runs down his armor. I'm hesitant to touch him.

Behind me, the child lets out a concerned coo. I reach out, about to poke him, when he lets out muffled grunt. He's breathing heavily, but at least he's breathing.

"You're alive!" I gasp, wiping sweat off my brow.

"You let them escape!" He tries to get up, but his legs buckle and he falls to the ground.

"They were Jawas. There's no way you would have won against them."

"Maybe I could have had a chance if you would have helped. Or better yet, none of this would have happened if we returned to the ship last night!"

His yelling catches me off guard. I stand there, stunned. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised. It seems that once again I've forgotten my place.

"You're alive. That's all that matters." I mumbled quietly. "Let's get back to Kuiil. Maybe he can help."

The Mandalorian stares at me for a long moment.

"Let's go." Without waiting for me, he turns back the way we came. And I, as always, follow.