Against the Odds

Chapter 8: The Job

Neither said a word, but both of their minds were running wild. Din turned back around to stare into hyperspace while Vella stared at her burnt and bandaged hands resting on her lap.

Din knew full well he couldn't trust this woman yet but this made him at least consider the idea. She'd revealed a lot by telling him about her daughter even though she didn't need to. He knew how difficult it was to recount losing someone you love and that it was no small deed. Din found his heart warming over the fact she trusted him enough to do so. Warming, or twisting, he wasn't sure. Because now he knew he was letting his guard down. Letting her into their lives slowly. She was becoming less like a client or a paycheck as much as she was beginning to seem like an acquaintance, maybe almost a friend.

The more he was learning about her, the more difficult it would be to go their separate ways. But Din knew he'd be able to, he always was.

Vella wasn't sure if she thought of him as a friend yet, she certainly wanted to. But there were things she couldn't tell him about herself. Things she knew he wouldn't like about her. Things they probably wouldn't stay friends for. So, much like she'd been trained to, she fought the temptation to get attached.

She took in a deep breath and let it out. It was good for her to think about her daughter. For years she didn't want anyone to know about her life at all, and now someone did. It felt nice, like it wasn't her against the galaxy.

She'd felt that way before. With the Jedi, where she had her master and countless other Jedi Knights all working towards the goal of a better galaxy. And in the Rebellion, when all sorts of people, good and bad, rallied together against a common enemy. She trusted her daughter, she trusted Nahla, she had trusted her crew.

Vella's jaw clenched, regret washing over her. What made him, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, any different than her tried and true friends? She'd let them in, now they were out to get revenge. Why wouldn't Mando do the same if she revealed her secrets?

She knew it was best for him to stay away anyhow because wherever Vella Delaba went, pain followed. It was a pattern she'd seen time and time again. First for the Republic, then for the Rebellion, and now that those days were over, she found herself living by herself. And she'd noticed she'd lost a significantly less amount of friends that way, with no one left to lose.

The truth was, after her master died, Vella had learned to keep everyone out of her blast radius so no one got hurt. But then she stopped, time had turned her soft. That's how she let in Nahla, Lara, her crew. Then she'd lost everyone. Suddenly that old Jedi rule was looking pretty attractive. So that's how she'd lived for three years. Only having to take care of herself. No attachments.

But she'd broken that rule, she'd broken it the moment she saw the Child sitting with the Mandalorian. Because just like she couldn't say no to the small girl she'd adopted, she couldn't say no to the adorable youngling that was slowly settling into a place in her heart.

Vella's jaw clenched tightly and her voice was tense as she excused herself. Din slowly turned around in his chair and watched her leave the cockpit. He let out a sigh and looked at the baby who babbled up at him. "What are you looking at?" He asked, tipping his helmet.

The boy did nothing but coo and reach out towards where Vella had left.

Din could tell what the kid meant but he just got a better hold on him and turned back towards the viewport. There was no way Din was going to follow her.

It took a while, but the Crest exited hyperspace and was soon lowering into a port with the soft thud of the legs hitting the ground. Din turned off all the systems and with a tension he didn't understand in his chest, he carried the kid down the ladder. He found Vella seated on the farthest chair on the wall, rewrapping her arms carefully.