Bounty hunting is a complicated profession

Disagreement

After a bit over a week, Mando rounded up the villagers again. This time it was to give them more specific instructions about what they would be doing during the attack. He had clearly observed their skills and thought of a position for each of them to exploit their strengths to the maximum.

When he finished and everyone went back to what they were doing you approached him.

"What about me?" You asked, since he had not given you any specific instructions and he had neither asked to see how good you were at fighting or with a blaster.

"You'll stay with the children"

You looked at him in disbelief.

"No" you said "I fight"

"No" he said in an imposing tone, making it clear that he wouldn't accept a retort.

But at the time, you couldn't care less about what he wanted. If anyone else had told you this, you could have understood it. You didn't look like you could fight and you knew it, but appearances could be deceiving and Mando had seen you fight.

For Edge's sake! You had saved him from the Mudhorn! He had seen you take care of four storm troopers at once! And you weren't even at your best when that happened!

"I can fight" you insisted, anger starting to show in your face.

He seemed surprised, and you didn't know if it was because you dared to insist or because you looked angry, but you didn't really care. He sighed.

"I know, that's why you'll be with the kids, you'll protect them"

He was trying to appease you, but his unapologetic tone of voice only made you angrier.

You could feel your blood boiling, insulted by his lack of trust in you. If you had been able to talk, you'd have given him a talking-to but, since you couldn't express your anger, it was building up.

You were seeing red. You turned around and grabbed two of the sticks the villagers had been using to train, slamming Mando in the chest with one of them.

"No, I fight"

"I think it's fair" Cara said — you had forgotten about her — "if you win, she's not strong enough so she stays with the kids, if she wins…" she shrugged "nothing you can do"

You nodded.

"No" he said.

You slammed him in the chest again "fight" you repeated, signing at him furiously.

He sighed. "Ok, but don't expect me to go easy on you" he got closer and added "and no funny businesses, understood?" You nodded again.

You walked a few steps away from him and took a fighting stance. Mando had seen you use your abilities in the showiest of ways — making things and people float — and that's what he didn't want you to do right now. Little did he know that wasn't all you could do.

He stood defensively, holding the stick with both hands in front of him. You assumed he was going to wait for you to move, but you were wrong. In a split second he charged at you, swinging the stick towards your head.

You managed to dodge in the last moment, spinning on the spot, and used the momentum to attack.

He stopped you, surprised by your speed. This rubbed you the wrong way. You were fast and strong — much more than what you looked like — and even if he hadn't seen it before, he should have expected it. Why else would you challenge him to a fight?

You kept exchanging blows, none of you giving in. At all times, you were careful to keep your distance from him: you could hold your ground like this but he was stronger than you. If it came to a fist fight, you stood on the losing end.