Bounty hunting is a complicated profession

Scary

The man that had tried to bargain with Mando when he rescued you from Nevarro — the same one Mando had shot out of the ship — was, in the shape of a hologram figure, on the display of the control panel.

"My friend, if you're receiving this transmission that means you're alive." He started talking. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even."

You looked at Mando, surprised by the 'my friend' bit.

"A lot has happened since we last saw each other." The holomessage went on. "The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy but we cannot get close enough to take him out."

He made a pause.

"If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staying off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize."

That was you, you guessed. Mando stirred in his seat, uncomfortable.

"So, here is my proposition: return to Nevarro. Bring the girl as bait." Mando shifted his position again. "I will arrange an exchange and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want."

He smiled, like what he had just said was the easiest thing ever.

"If you succeed you keep the girl and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honour should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."

The hologram message finished. You looked at Mando, he was agitated, his broad shoulders tense.

It was an extremely bad plan, you thought, so many things that could easily go wrong… Yet, if it worked, it meant you wouldn't have to keep on running. Although, it would mean you wouldn't have to keep on running, so there'd be no reason for you to stay with Mando.

He'd go back to his bounty hunting job for the Guild and you… you'd go back to being alone in some backwater planet. Your heart clenched at the thought of being alone again. These past months — had it been a year already? —, as dangerous and uncertain as they had been, had also been the best of your life.

You didn't want to go back to what you had before but you knew it wasn't fair for Mando. He'd given up everything to protect you because — only the stars know why — he'd deemed it as the right thing to do. The least you could do now was help him go back to the life he had.

"If you succeed you keep the girl" those words resonated in your head, maybe he'd want to still have you around afterwards. You had the right to hope.

You turned around to him and, before you even got the time to start trying to sign, he talked with an imposing tone.

"No. Don't even think about it."

He stood without warning and left the cockpit, seething and leaving no room for argument. You followed him down to the cargo hold, having to grab him by the arm so he would look at you again. The expression on your face when he turned seemed to stir something inside him because he was suddenly filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry." He apologised with a husky voice. "But I can't believe I have to discuss this with you. I know what you're gonna say and we're not doing that. I don't trust him nor the Guild. It's a trap, you know it as well as I do."

Nodding at what he was saying, you looked at him sternly, trying to let him know with just your stare that you didn't agree with him.

"No." He said again, in a thwarted and angry voice. "I haven't roamed the galaxy these past months just so I could hand you back to him in the end."