The Mandalorian

Chapter 5: The Gunslinger

Estella wasn't exactly sure what the bounty hunter was trying to achieve with shooting at their ship. They were all warning shots, and he was aiming for the engines, but a lone bounty hunter boarding this ship, to come up against herself, and a Mandalorian seemed like a poor idea. 

Not to mention, the rattling around the cockpit, as Mando dodged the shots, was always insufferable. She hated being unable to do anything when in a tight spot. Being fired upon in someone else's ship was one of those moments. She just had to sit there, being thrown left and right, if it weren't for the secure straps of her chair, the same was said for the Kid. 

The bounty hunters voice sounded through the cockpit, his demand filling their ears. "Hand over the child, Mando." A blast hit the ship, the right engine crackling with damage. "I might let you live." 

Another hit to the hull, Mando was now looking around rapidly at the different buttons and switches, trying to redivert power, and finally be rid of the pest that pursued them. The little one whimpered as he jostled around the box, that they had strapped to the chair as a makeshift pram. Estella held her hand out across the cockpit, his tiny fingers wrapped around hers. 

More evasive manoeuvres nearly caused the little one to lose grip of the bounty hunters fingers, his ears drooping in fear. The Razer Crest took a direct hit to the left engine, it sputtered. Alarms rang through the ship, Mando, desperate to contain the problem, began hitting the necessary buttons to temporarily fix the issue. 

"Hold on." The child let go of her hand, gripping onto the edge of the box, her own hands holding tightly to the straps of her chair. Mando pulled the levers back rapidly, the Razer Crest spun round and round, dodging the rapid fire from behind them. "Come on." He stopped the spinning, now heading straight, more gunfire raining down upon them. 

"I can bring you in warm or I can bring you in cold." Estella noticed Mando tense, she couldn't help the smirk, knowing that that line, being used on him, wasn't going to go down well. The hunter begin to fire again, Mando hit the breaks, the three of them being pushed forward in their chairs at the sudden stop. As the ship flew over them, it grazed the top of one of the engines. With the bounty hunter now in front, trying to turn back round. Mando targeted him, fingers on the triggers. 

"That's my line." It only took one shot and the bounty hunter's ship was destroyed. The Razor Crest floated through space, Mando turning to find Estella looking down, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, her hair strewn about her face. The child looked rather dazed but his two companions were just fine. The same could not be said for the ship. 

The alarms were ringing out, Mando turned his attention back to the console, flicking switches and pushing buttons, trying to asses the damage and see what could be done. "We're losing fuel." The engines suddenly died, the lights going out, not a sound to be heard but the giggling of the child.

Rising from his chair he stood over Estella, her face looking up at him as she leaned her head out of the way. His gloved hand reaching for a switch behind her. The cockpit glowed red, the power back on, back in his seat he flicked more switches, the engines powered up and he headed right for Tatooine. The radio sounded, the operators voice coming through. 

"This is Mos Eisley Tower. We are tracking you. Head for bay three-five, over." 

"Copy that." He flicked a switch over his head. "Locked in for three-five." They descended towards the desert planet. The left engine having relative difficulty, but Mando swiftly got them down, heading straight for bay three-five. The landing was a little shaky, but considering the damage, it wasn't too bad. They unbuckled, turning to find that the child had fallen asleep on the descent. Mando wrapped him up in his blanket, carrying him down and gently placing him on the bed, before shutting the door.