Desideratum | The Mandalorian

Begrudgingly Saving Some Farmers

Faye had dozed off in her seat, leaving the young child unattended and bored in her lap. He noticed the Mandalorian sitting silently in his pilot's chair and slowly reached forward to press a button on the console.

"Stop touching things." The child looked innocently at Mando and moves to push another button. The hunter picked him up and held him in front of his helmet.

"Stop. You'll wake her up. She needs to sleep." Large eyes blinked slowly in understanding. Or so Mando hoped. He sighed and placed the child in his lap, one hand absentmindedly stroking the child's ear. The Razor Crest quickly approached the planet Sorgan, and Mando brought the ship into a descent. Mando had pride in his ability to fly and handle his ship and thought that he had landed smoothly. But apparently it was rough enough to pull Faye out of sleep.

She jerked into an upright position, one hand over her chest that was heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Mando watched her eyes flit around trying to gage her location before they landed on his visor.

"Calm down." Mando scoffed, "The landing wasn't that bad." Faye's forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Wha- landing?" Faye looked out of the front window and noticed the expanse of trees for the first time. She realized that the hunter must have thought she was making fun of how he landed the ship.

"The landing didn't wake me Mando, you did good." She smiled slightly as his posture unconsciously straitened at the praise.

He continued to stare and Faye could feel the question in the air.

"I have bad dreams sometimes. It's nothing to worry about." Faye grabbed the child from his lap and made her way down the ladder, ending the conversation. The hunter followed her down and grabbed his blaster to holster.

"Listen. I'm gonna go out there and look around. It shouldn't take too long."

Faye crossed her arms. "I'm coming with you. I can handle myself."

"Not long ago you were bleeding out in an Imperial base."

"I'm alive aren't I? I think that shows my ability to survive more than whatever could be in those trees."

"No. Stay here. I'll come back after I find lodging." Before Faye could say some choice words at him, he turned and left the ship. The ramp lowered and Mando started his trek into the forrest. He halted when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to find Faye with the child in her arms, a smirk on both their faces. Mando sighed. Maker. Sometimes he wanted to kill her.

"Fine. Come on." Faye let out a victorious whoop, and skipped next to Mando. Despite being peeved with her, Mando found himself grinning slightly at Faye's childish nature. This girl was a paradox. She could be sarcastic and ready to jump into a fight one second, and then acting like a goofy child the next. Honestly, Mando was glad to have someone who could bring joy into his life that had otherwise been constant work and war.

The pair traveled in silence for longer than Mando bet before Faye broke the silence.

"Would you teach me to shoot?" Mando's steps halted briefly.

" I thought you knew how to shoot?"

" I wouldn't call what I do shooting. I mainly just point a blaster and hope I hit something. My blaster was taken when I was captured, so it's not like I've had time to practice. If I had, you may not have been so lucky the first time we met."

"I doubt you would have been able to shoot me even with practice." Faye's mouth dropped open.

" You're so big and shiny anyone with a blaster could hit you."