May The Way Be With You

Love and Death

As I start to wake, I can hear people walking about outside. Then I hear Mando's voice softly tell me, "Come on, Cyar'ika. It's time to wake up." I groan and snuggle into his armored chest. The last three weeks have been horrible for my sleep schedule. He chuckles and rubs my back. "Come on, I need to check your leg before we move camp to the Crest." He says, getting up.

I curl into the blankets and refuse. Mando patiently lifts me up to my knees, and I flop against his chest. "I don't wanna move!" I grumble, slowly sliding off. He chuckles and catches me before I fall, then lifts me like he did last night. I wrap my arms around his neck and nearly fall asleep again as he carries me.

He sits me on a log and leans me against someone else. I hug that person's arm and sag, not ready to start the day. Mando tells the person to get me breakfast while he checks on people and gets supplies for my leg, then walks away. Once he does, I finally sit up, rubbing my eyes. "Morning." Fiona's voice chuckles.

"Morning." I yawn, stretching my back. I look down at the gauze on my leg, and start removing it. As usual, the blaster wound is completely healed. As if it had never been there.

"What the fuck!? I saw that wound! You should be limping for the next week!" Jacsava gasps from across us, staring at my leg.

"Greyling. Apparently we heal fast." I tell her.

"She's also come back to life like, five times during my stint in the orphanage." Dumbfuck says, sitting down next to me and handing me a plate with eggs and meat. Fiona looks stunned, while I'm confused.

"The fuck are you talking about?" I ask her.

"Don't you remember? A couple of times you've woken up gasping for air after Madame Grizel beat the shit out of you with tools until you blacked out, or stabbed you with her fork repeatedly? Yeah, you died, and came back to life a few hours later. Scared the piss out of Mr. Slime the first time, he was dragging you to the incinerator when you came back." She explains.

Fiona is having a small crisis next to me as I remember that old lady's words. I've actually died and come back, like she said our people can? Why do I not remember? Mando returns with more bacta spray and gauze, only to pause when he sees my leg is already healed.

He looks up at me and I shrug, "Like I said before, I heal fast."

"SHE'S FUCKING DIED BEFORE" Fiona exclaims, still processing it. Mando looks between the three of us, and seems to decide he'll deal with it later. The morning is spent making sure everyone has eaten enough, then dismantling and packing up camp. Everyone carries something, and once we're ready, we move out.

Most of the walk is in silence, mostly to keep an ear out for anyone following us. We stop at midday to have a quick lunch, and I suddenly get a bad feeling. I look around, knowing something is off.

"Thief? What's your gut telling you?" Dumbfuck asks, looking around.

"We aren't alone." I tell her. I see a glint in the trees and yell "DUCK!!!" before dropping to the ground. A blaster bolt flies through the air as all of us without weapons drop to the ground. Mando, Jacsava and Fiona immediately start firing back, and about ten guards come out of the woods, firing.

I get everyone to safely get in the treeline and hide, then grab a dead guard's blaster and fire at the remaining guards. The fight is over quickly, and I look around. "Is anyone hurt?" I call out.

"Nope! All good!" Dumbfuck assures, coming out of the trees with people.

"Alright, we need to finish quickly and get-" I'm cut off with a blaster sound and burning pain that goes from my back to out my chest. The last thing I see before I black out is Mando frozen in place as I fall to the ground.