Chapter Text
You were running from some guards that almost caught you stealing from one of the most popular food vendors. The owner was a wealthy man who held a majority in the local market. Many locals worked for him but most of the jobs weren’t ones you wanted to have. Someone as poor as you would likely become an indentured servant to that Pig. Running around stealing wasn’t a great life but at least you weren’t a slave. The guards chasing you were dressed in a clean long sleeve navy top with a scarf and harem pants to match. The sleeve was embroidered with a family crest that matched the sign above the merchant’s business stand. They shouted at you in the local tongue and Galactic Basic commanding you to halt and return the goods or face severe punishment. Of course you didn’t listen and clutched your sack of stolen goods closer to your chest and pulled the ratted hood of your jacket further down over your face as you kept running. You were dressed in an old green and brown jacket that gave you good camouflage in the forest when you hid from the law, but it didn’t help you too much in the wealthier part of town which was full of tall ornate buildings made of white stone, steel, and eggshell spires overwatching the town.
Your shelter was hidden east of the village but the last thing you wanted was a pair of eccentric guards following you there so you ran west. You sped through alleyways, twisted around corners, and hurdled over gates and trash bins all in attempt to shake them off your tail. You were very surprised to find they were still following when you made it to the slums. Clearly these guards must have had nothing better to do or were trying to prove themselves to the Pig. Your breath was running ragged now as the forest came into view.
Breaking through the tree line you didn’t stop even as the guard’s voices became more distant. The sun was setting and you knew you didn’t have enough time to make it back to your shelter before nightfall. Had they not followed you so far you would’ve turned back east near the outskirts of the slums. You decided to continue onwards in hopes to find a spot to bunker down for the night that had enough coverage. Raiders and other bands of more aggressive thieves hid in these woods. Not many people went in them. In the city walls you’d have some protection but out here you were on your own. That’s how you thought you liked it.
You stopped running at that point as your exhaustion had taken over about half an hour ago. The water in your canteen was low and your had already snacked on the small amount of food you were able to grab before you bolted out of the market. Trapping small animals to eat was your specialty so you hoped to have something waiting for you when you get back to your shelter tomorrow. You were far enough in now where you thought it would be safe to make camp and not cross into any enemy territory. The remaining light of the setting sun that could break through the tree line gave the forest a spectral orange haze. It was quite beautiful. That’s when you saw the reflection of something metallic a dozen or so yards from you. Ah, well, there goes your camping plan. You were so tired and you hand to keep moving, but part of you wanted to investigate the strange reflection.
As you get closer you realize it’s a large silver ship hidden in a small clearing. The canopy above had opened just enough for this ship to land. The pilot must have been skilled to navigate such a tight spot. You noticed the plant life that was unlucky enough to be close to the engines was scorched. The ship was definitely not abandoned and probably landed as recently as a day or two ago. Observing the ground around the ship you found some humanoid tracks near the back of the ship. Looking up at the ship’s rear you saw what looked like a ramp or door. The ship looked nice to you but it was not fancy by any means. You had seen much better ships flying over town but never something like this.
Then, you heard a faint voice coming towards you.
By now the sun had set over the horizon and left you in near darkness. The light from stars and moons shone through the canopy opening illuminating the ship in a faint blue glow. It was hard to see through the more dense parts of the forest so you scuttled to a nearby fern patch and laid down on your stomach. You steadied your breathing and listened closely to the area around you. As the voice got closer it sounded as though it was talking to itself. Squinting through the treeline you began to make out the forms of two people walking very close together.
You spotted the one dressed in white first. From what you could see he was about middle aged. His outfit looked pristine with colorful accents on his breast you couldn’t quite make out in the lowlight. This man seemed to be angry with the person who accompanied him. His partner was hard to see being dressed in darker garments and walking slightly behind. When they passed under the open parts of the canopy the darker man’s form had a strange shine similar to the moonlit glow on the ship. The lighter dressed man sounded like he was yelling and whining pathetically and when they got close to your hiding spot you understood why.
You had only ever heard rumors about this second man. Maybe legends was a more appropriate term. The shining helmet and full set of armor reflected the starlight in a way that made it look like a far off galaxy had been forged into the material itself. You had to hold your breath they were so close now.The two figures came to the edge of the clearing and The Mandalorian shoved the cuffed white clad man to his knees. That man must have had some credits on him since the only dirt you spotted on him was on his pant bottoms which you guessed was from walking in the woods. You didn’t recognize him but white suit jacket bore the merchants family crest on its shoulder. The Mandalorian flicked back his cape and holstered the baster he was using to escort his bounty, then looked down at his prisoner before raising his arm and pressing some buttons on his bracer. The ship’s lights began to flick on one by one and the engines came to life with a hum. The ramp you had spotted earlier began slowly descending and touched down right in front of the captive.
You stare wide eyed at the scene before you. A bounty hunter here? You thought about several possible scenarios that could occur if you were caught spying. Nothing good for sure. You were not supposed to be here. Bounty Hunters grab their targets and as long as you keep your head down you’ll be fine… most of the time… It was probably best you stayed low. But then, you thought, what happens if you move right now as he’s distracted? Well, if you scare him he may shoot you… Why did you even think about moving, you should just stay still! Why were you thinking about the possibility of exploring far off planets and new places, or of the danger you’re always getting yourself into for the fun of it.
More importantly, why it when the Mandalorian grabbed his crying prisoner roughly by the arm, practically dragging him into the ship, did you start getting up? Why did you follow them at a distance quietly up the ramp while the Mandalorian restrained the man into the carbonite containment? Why when you made eye contact with the prisoner did you panic and hide in the tiny supply closet behind you? Why didn’t the Mandalorian turn when the prisoner tried to point you out before being frozen? All these questions finally registered in your mind as you peeked at the Mandalorian finishing his job through the horizontal lines of the supply closet door.
He stood in front of his now frozen bounty and huffed a long, deep, modulated sigh downwards. He looked back up at his target noticing the man’s frozen finger pointed towards your hiding spot. In an instant, the Mandalorian’s body turned and faced the closet. You swore that helmet’s gaze bore into your soul and you gasped. Your hands shot up to cover your mouth and still your breathing. Then, the Mandalorian silently and slowly, oh so slowly, began creeping towards your hiding spot. Your heart was racing, pounding against your ribs and you’re sure he can hear it. You saw through the door he was almost there, reaching towards the handle with one hand and his blaster with the other. You closed your eyes and waited for your inevitable demise. You just hoped he’d be quick.
But before he opened the door, his head snapped to the side at a different noise. You heard it too, something that sounded like... a bird? You didn’t know but it was definitely coming from somewhere inside the ship. The Mandalorian backed from the closet and removed his hand from his blaster allowing you a moment to silently let out your breath. He went out of your line of sight towards the source of the noise. You thought maybe you could run. You don't know why you were even on the ship to begin with but the ramp was still down and this was your chance. On three, you started psyching yourself to run out of the ship with any energy and adrenaline you may have had left. Grabbing the edge of the closet door you were ready to burst it open knowing you only had mere seconds to make it out, maybe alive.
One…
Two…
The Mandalorian is in your sight again, right in front of the ramp, your only means of escape. He took a look around the clearing one last time before he pressed a button on a panel near the exit and watched the ramp close. So much for running. You were in it for real now. Had he really not seen you? The Mandalorian flicked a few more switches on the control panel before he walked passed his carbonite prisoners and went out of sight again. You thought you heard him climb up the ladder you remember seeing on your way into the ship. You wait and hope maybe if he was in a different room you could find a way out or if you were really trapped maybe you could find a better hiding spot? In the closet were boxes of what you assumed were rations and they were tough to maneuver around. There were also some different clothing like coats and boots which muffled noise well but became very stuffy very fast. If you couldn’t escape, you weren’t sure how long you’d have to stay hidden. There were more sounds of movement and a few seconds of silence before you felt the rumble of the engines and what you guessed was the feeling of takeoff. Well, your decision of escape or hide was made for you. You felt as excited as you felt terrified. The thought of far off worlds, new adventures, and if you made it somewhere alive, you’d thank whatever gods or forces you could. That excitement only lasted a moment though because soon after the ship took off you heard the Mandalorian descending the ladder and huffing out loud again before he spoke.
“Okay, so,” the deep modulated voice said as the Mandalorian stepped off the last ladder rung, his heavy boots hitting the ships floor with a solid clunk very unlike his stealthy maneuvers before. You couldn’t see but you could hear his loud, evenly paced, confident strides stopping right next to the supply closet. You froze in fear not moving a centimeter as the Mandalorian swung the closet door open. He stood in front of you now, his shining beskar armor reflecting the colors you wore back to you. He was covered completely from head to toe in a thick dark long sleeve shirt and tactical pants to match. His cape waved slightly with the rush of air that went by him as he ripped the closet door open while his armor looked meticulously crafted. You thought when you first saw him in the forest that his gloves were fingerless, but you see now with a blaster pointed to your head that the fingers of his gloves were an orangey color. The blaster pressed to your forehead as he leaned in closer to your smaller frame, trapping you in the closet.
“Would you like to tell me what you’re doing on my ship?”