ash'ad | the mandalorian

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When they finally reached the market again, Beth welcomed the noise and music playing through the streets.

"I wish we could stay a little longer. It's so beautiful here," she said as she looked to the sky that was now littered with stars.

Din glanced over at her, still feeling that sense of peace as he watched her visor reflect the stars. It was so much easier for her to relax in a situation like this. He wished he had that same skill.

"Yeah, it seems a lot nicer than the inside of a prison cell," the bounty agreed. Mando groaned at the interruption and hit him in the back with his blaster to tell him to shut up.

"The ship is safer," he continued talking to Beth. "And we have enough eyes on us here,"

He didn't share her thoughts on the planet. He had seen many places throughout his life, but he found his ship more comforting than any beauty a planet had to offer him. Though as of late, he was happy he had someone to share it with again.

"Thank Manda!" Beth exclaimed as she saw the Defender on the landing pad in the distance.

"This is the second happiest I have ever been to see a ship in my whole life," she admitted, laughing lightly.

Din shared the feeling, though he didn't say anything else. As they approached the ship, he was about the lower the ramp when footsteps caught his ears.

"Stop," he whispered, holding his arm out to hold Beth beside him and grabbing his blaster with the other. The bounty turned around from his place in front and looked at Mando with confusion.

"I didn't hear anything," he countered.

Beth had heard it; the sound of shuffling on the hard launch pad.

Suddenly, a figure popped up from behind a storage crate and shot at Beth. Before she could react, it hit her in the side and her skin started to burn.

"Ah!" She exclaimed in pain, instantly knowing the wound was bad. It wasn't enough to knock her off her feet though, and she quickly fired back at the man and shot him in the shoulder. He didn't pop back up, so she turned her attention to the bounty who was running away from the scene. She lifted her gun with another grown as she felt the blood running down her leg and shot him in the thigh to keep him from escaping.

Mando had been attacked from behind and was being held by the throat by another man. He locked onto his arms and used all his strength to flip the brute onto his back and shot him point-blank.

He straightened his stance and scanned the launch pad, keeping his blaster drawn until he knew the coast was clear.

"Din," she whimpered, feeling the pain shooting through her side more by the minute. Just as her body went to fall, he caught her and pulled her up again.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he promised, throwing her arm over his shoulders and helping her up the ramp onto the Defender.

He sat her down carefully on the floor right outside the door and shut the ramp before running off to grab supplies.

"Those chakaar's (scumbags) came out of nowhere," she grunted, trying to sit up and inspect her wound.

"Save your breath," Mando instructed, coming back over with the medpac.