The Enigma

The Puck

Peace.

Something the villagers were finally feeling after months of living every day in uneasiness. Ember could sense this among the people around her and she was happy for them, but it seemed the happier they got, the more she grew uneasy, impatiently waiting for something to come along and ruin it. It happened to be a regular occurrence for her; wherever she walked, destruction and chaos was sure to follow. Something was coming and she knew it. As they laid low a couple more days within the safety of the village, the worry continued to grow until the unease followed her everywhere she went, making it difficult to sleep at night or settle down during the day. The moment she felt any peace rub off from the townsfolk, no sooner was it stripped away only to be replaced with a newfound dread she could not explain. It had been ten years since the loss of her family and home and perhaps that was just it: she was terrified of losing anything that might substitute for a home. What did it matter anyway? She was now in the possession of the bounty hunter, forced to parade around his side like she was some prized trophy. As she sat comfortably in the tall grass, watching the children of the village run around her in circles, not a care or worry in the galaxy, smiles etched on all their faces, she couldn't help but join them with a grin of her own. They continually prided on her calling her "their hero"-but she never thought of herself as one: on the contrary she was more fearful than ever, but in this case she was really good at hiding it.

The Mandalorian extended his leg out to better prop his body up against the wooden hut, arms crossed and watching the kids play around the girl in the grass. 

"So what happens when you take that thing off?" Cara asked coming out to stand by him with a spotchka in hand. "Will they come after you and kill you?" 

"No. You just can't ever put it back on again," his tone was firm reply. 

"So that's it?" She turned her head in his direction taking a sip of her drink. "You can literally slip off the helmet and settle down with a beautiful woman, sipping spotchka?"

"You know we raised some hell here a few days back," he pointed out avoiding her previous question. "It's too much action for a backwater town like this. Word will travel fast. We might want to circle the charts and move on." 

"I wouldn't want to be the one who has to tell her, or those kids for the matter," she gestured towards them as they continued to giggle and entertain themselves in a game of duck duck goose. 

"I'm leaving her here. Traveling with me, that's no life for her. I've done my job and she's safe. It's a better chance at a new start."

"It might not go well for her," Cara stated matter of fact.

"She'll get over it. We all do." 

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Omera was crouched over her hands dipped in the pool of water washing away the dirt and grime of the children's clothes when a familiar voice boomed behind her. 

"Excuse me, can I have a word?" 

She stood up instantly a soft smile crossing her face as the Mandalorian stood in full view before her. "Of course."

"It's very nice here," he started. 

"Yes," she prompted him to continue. 

"I think it's clear she's...happy here."

"And what about you? Are you happy here?" 

"Me?" he pointed at himself. His posture stiffened at her abrupt invasive question, unsure and hesitant to the idea that someone would want him to stay around after a lifetime of pushing others away and being pushed out.

"We want you to stay. Our community is very grateful. You can pack this all away in case there's ever trouble-"

"I don't belong here. But the girl does," he cut her off. 

"I understand. I will do my best to look after her," she smiled though her tone sounded disappointing. "Does she know?" 

A blaster shot rang through the air not far from the village and the Mandalorian quickly darted his head in the direction it came from. 

The woods. 

He sprinted full speed for the forest leaving behind a shocked Omera and startled village. He didn't have to travel far into the thickness before he found the ex Imperial officer Cara handling a smoking blaster. He dragged his gaze to the lifeless body lying on the dirt ground at her feet. He had bounty hunter written all over his pathetic boy and was confirmed by the tiniest sound of a familiar ping coming from underneath his form. He used the front of his boot to roll the man to his side and sure enough in his hand was a blinking red fob.

"Who was he tracking?" Cara asked breath catching. 

"The girl," his tone sounded frustrated. 

"They'll know she's here and they'll keep on coming," she reasoned, sticking the blaster back in it's holster. 

"Yes," he picked up the beeping fob, threw it on a rock and came down hard with his heel  destroying every piece knowing any chance of her staying in this quite little village was no longer an option. 

                                *            *            *            *

How can you miss family when you've never had one? And how would you now what one feels like if you never had the chance to experiene? Whatever that feeling, she concluded this must be what it feels like. The children clung to her, gripping onto her clothes so tightly with their little palmed fists refusing to let go. She had only been in this village for a few days but the villagers had made her feel welcome and a part of their clan. These children, with their laughter and goofy smiles brought out a side of her she never knew existed. A side of her that was lost or maybe discovered. As much as a part of her wanted to stay and bond with the little things it wasn't safe anymore. Trouble was lurking in the shadows, ready to snatch her up. She would never be safe, always on the run as long as the Empire existed. 

"Are you sure you don't want an escort?" The ex imperial offered stepping through the crowd of villagers surrounding the two as they prepared to leave. 

"We'll be bypassing the town and heading straight to the Razor Crest." The Mandalorian turned down the offer and placed one last item into the cart. One of teh villagers had graciously offered to take them back into town so they didn't have to walk all the miles back to his ship. 

"Well then," Cara offered a friendly arm to the armored soldier and he accepted it respectively. "Take care of this one." she made eye contact with Ember and nodded. 

Two more children ran up to Ember embracing her in a enormos hug. She noticed the tiny tears falling down their cheeks and her heart ached. 

"We're going to miss you so much," one of them looked up with puffy eyelids. Uncertain what to do in such a situation she took the little ones hand in hers and squeezed it tenderly. 

Omera broke through the crowd and gently pulled the children away to give Ember room to hop onto the cart. As she did she met the Mandalorians gaze and nodded. 

"Thank you," he nodded back before leaping onto the cart shifting his weapons to teh side so he wouldn't sit on them. As the cart slowly pulled away and the villagers waved farewell, she realized she would miss this place she almost called home. But if one bounty hunter had almost caught her in teh middle of a remote planet, more were bound to come. 

They always did.