Consequence of Oversight

Princesses & Cover Stories

To say Hazel was disappointed in the silence of her guardian was an enormous understatement. Ben had refused to acknowledge her the entire walk down the stairs, and continued the silence even after they exited the building. The teen had to release her frustration into the Force before she did something she would regret.

She berated herself for even entertaining the hope of the possibility of Ben coming out of his shell and becoming the man he once was. She knew better than that. 

Or at least, she should have after almost nine years of him shutting her out.

The two of them turned the corner, both lost in thought, until an alarmed cry pulled them back to reality.

"Ben! Behind you!"

Hazel barely had time to process the shout before a sizable rock clunked harmlessly against her beskar'gaam, the dull sound more amusing than threatening. If anything, it sounded like a tap on the shoulder.

Pax let out a shriek, ducking behind his human's back to safety. The Kryze tried her hardest to hold in her laugh as her adoptive dad's expression morphed into shock. 

"Easy, princess! It's alright, she's with me." Ben hurried to lower Leia's carefully aimed arm, still clutching another rock like a tiny weapon.

Leia's eyes flicked between the Mandalorian and Ben, tension rippling beneath her sharp gaze. 

Hazel stepped forward, hands raised in a mock surrender. "Calm down, princess. I'm not here to turn you in," She said lightly. "But I'll give you this—you've got a good arm. Almost made me flinch."

The princess could almost picture the smirk under the Mandalorian's helmet by her tone. Leia's brow twitched—her small hand relaxing just enough that the rock lowered halfway.

Hazel let out a small chuckle, the modulator making the gesture sound less friendly than intended, but the smile in her stance was unmistakable.

Ben watched them, a creeping sense of unease flickering beneath his relief. 

Leia let out a reluctant huff, the tension slowly bleeding from her shoulders. "So, you're not after us?"

Hazel tilted her head. "Kid, if I were, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The small girl finally let her arm relax and let the rock fall from her grasp. She scrunched her expression and opened her mouth to ask the millions of questions running through her tiny head.

Ben quickly cut her off before she got the chance. "We need to keep moving." He muttered gruffly. "Come along, quickly."

The narrow back alleys of Daiyu twisted like a maze, walls humming with neon signs that flickered half-broken messages in every language. The trio moved quickly but carefully, shadows pooling around crates and shipping containers as they slipped through the city's underbelly.

Leia's eyes were sharp, never still, darting between Hazel, Ben, and their surroundings.

"So," Leia started, voice low but still laced with distrust, "you're not a bounty hunter."

Hazel glanced at her, then to Ben briefly, before easing her helmet off, revealing a face marked by determination and youth—a teenager, but with eyes older than her years. 

Pax chirped softly, having perched on her shoulder, watching as surprise flooded the small girl's expression from his human's shoulder. The teen chuckled at her droid before shifting her attention back to the princess.

"No," Hazel said simply. "I'm not. I actually live with him." She nodded toward Ben.

Leia's gaze flickered between them, surprise mixing with something like understanding. "Is he your father?"