A Complicated Profession | A Mandalorian Mini-Series | The Mandalorian x Reader

Part 2 | Chapter 5

   You could feel the beat of your heart in your throat as you fought back the tears; Din was taking off his helmet. He was not facing you but Grogu instead. You found yourself unsure of where to look, not wanting to take your eyes off of his shaggy brown hair but knowing the significance of what was happening and not wanting to intrude on the moment. Even though you couldn't see his face, you could feel the emotion radiating off of him, a mixture of heartbreak and pride. You felt it too. You had grown fond of that little green guy, ever since the masked bounty hunter showed up at your farm, asking for your help to bring the child to his own kind. Watching him go wasn't easy, especially after crossing the galaxy with Din to save him from Imperial remnants, but you knew he would be in good hands with Luke Skywalker, a name you had heard but someone you had never met. You kept pinching yourself to make sure the Jedi wasn't a figment of your imagination.

   Time slowed but yet went too fast as Grogu and Skywalker made their way back down the hallway. A tear escaped as you waved goodbye but knowing it would not be the last time you would see your little friend.

   An uncomfortable silence took over the bridge as everyone's eyes honed in on the back of the Mandalorian's helmetless head. Any hope of seeing his face slipped away as he put the shining beskar back on before turning to face you.

   "What's next?" He asked, his voice thick and filled with uncertainty.

—-

3 Months Later

   The wind whipped through your hair as the speeder bike you "borrowed" flew past the jungle landscape of Yavin 4. The target was approaching fast on your right, a female Twi'lek, and recent prison escapee; Xi'an. You were determined to get this job done and get it done right because, truth be told, it was likely the last job you would be doing with Din, and you were guiltily pleased about the prospect of going home.

   Din had been hesitant to take this job, even though it was high paying, but refused to say why; he only asked that you take the lead. Your gut told you this would not be his first run in with the Twi'lek, but you tried not to ask questions you didn't want to know the answer to. However, you did have to bite your tongue to keep yourself from asking. At least it would have got him talking about something. 

   Din had been distant towards you since Grogu left with the Skywalker. You had decided to stay with him, knowing he would be lonely though he would never admit it. It was also an opportunity to figure out whatever the two of you meant to each other. When he arrived at your farm, asking for help, you both were focused on Grogu and his safety. There was no right time for the conversation. You hadn't even mentioned the kiss though you still thought about it often. Now, it felt like he couldn't make up his mind about you. For every two steps forward, a small touch or embrace, there would be a large step back, days without a word barely spoken to each other. You didn't know how much more you could take. You deserved better than this. You deserved some damn good rum. As you pushed the speeder bike faster, there was no doubt in your mind that you would be headed back to the farm after this.

   Further and further, you pushed the bike to its limits, tightening your grip as your knuckles turned white. You were next to Xi'an's bike within seconds and dared to take a look at her, hoping a tree wouldn't pop up in front of you. To your surprise, Xi'an was laughing with flashes of wildness in her eyes. Something raged within you. Keeping the bike up to speed, you rammed it into hers. She rammed back, and you took the opportunity to lept onto the seat behind her. She roared with anger as your now empty bike crashed into the ground, turning into a giant ball of flames. Xi'an slashed her knife backwards, trying to puncture any part of you she could. Before the blade could meet flesh, you grabbed her arm and pulled it farther back, causing her to scream in pain. Abruptly, the bike screeched to a halt, throwing you both off it and slamming you into the ground.

   You could feel the pain of your body taking the beating from the rocks and dirt but had no time to acknowledge it. Xi'an was on top of you with her knife ready to find its target. You desperately reached for your blaster, but it was nowhere to be found, likely lost as you jumped from bike to bike.

   "Shit," you hissed.

   Thinking fast, you did the only thing you could do and grabbed Xi'an by the collar of her shirt. You reeled back, using all the force you could as you slammed your head into hers. Xi'an fell back with a howl. You launched yourself forward, but she still held her knife, and this time it found its target as she collected herself just in time to drive the blade into your abdomen.

   Time stilled as you fell back to the cold, hard ground. You could feel your heartbeat pulse throughout your body. The jungle around you started to blur, the greenery turning black. Xi'an was on top of you once more; her blade pulled back for the fatal strike. You tried to move to block her, to do something, to do anything, but all strength had left your body along with a lot of blood; too much blood. You closed your eyes, ready for the piercing steel to meet your skin, but it never did.

   "Mando..." Xi'an purred with surprise and lust.

   The sound of a blaster filled your ears, followed by the thud of a body falling next to you. Coaxing yourself to stay conscious, you opened your eyes to see Din standing only a few feet away from you, pistol still drawn. Xi'an laid dead on the other side of you.

   You could feel Din's eyes on you through the helmet, and his panic.

   "No."

   His voice was barely audible, but it told you what you already knew, your soul was fading fast. You tried to say his name, but nothing came out.

   He rushed by your side as your mind began to fog.

   "Stay with me, you need to stay with me," he begged, placing all the pressure he could to try and stop the bleeding from your stomach, but it was too late. You could feel the blood seeping into your clothes, drenching your entire lower body.

   You had no strength or voice to say what you needed to say to him, but, somehow, you had just enough to bring your shaky hand up to the side of his helmet, where his soft cheek should have been.

   His body shook too, as though he was crying. "I'm sorry," he said, "for everything."

   He was crying, and so were you.

   Your hand dropped as the darkness grew more profound.

   "I can help."

   You had nothing left within to see where the voice was coming from, but it felt warm and familiar.

  "Who are you?" Demanded Din.

   "Kes. Kes Dameron."

   Everything went black.

A/N: Hello there! Yes, I have finally updated! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I stared at the screen forever, unsure of what I wanted to write until it finally clicked. I'm incredibly excited about the next three chapters! I have been so busy balancing writing my own novel, running a new small business, and trying to be a good mother to my three kiddos (including a newborn) in the middle of a pandemic so I'm le tired but hoping it will only be a week or two until my next update!