DEFENDER • THE MANDALORIAN

FIVE

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Heavy breathing and grunting soon alerts Alya of the bounty hunter becoming conscious. Staring over the barren landscape, Ayla listens as the Mandalorian regains consciousness.

The man soon awoke with a deep grunt, no doubt in pain from the shock he had received. The Mandalorian turns his head to the side to see the Child looking at him curiously.

The Child's wide eyes focus on the bounty hunter as its ears go up. In a small state of drowsiness, the bounty hunter inspects his location, knowing that he did not land here when he fell.

"You're awake finally." His helmet snaps in the direction of Alya, whose tone remained indifferent. "I moved you to keep us from being out in the open."

The Mandalorian took this time, while she was looking away, to actually look at the woman that he is suppose to turn in. Her body is primarily leaning against the towering rock, much like his had, and exhaustion decorated her frame like a picture; her shoulders slumping, voice less attentive.

"You are okay? No head damage? I know how you Mandalorians are, so I did not touch your helmet."

"No. I am fine," the Mandalorian stands up. "The Jawas got away."

It was more of a statement than a question, but Alya still answered it. "Yes. You have been unconscious for about an hour or two; I kept watch."

Confusion fills the Mandalorian's frame as he stares down at the now standing Jedi. The bounty hunter did not understand this woman at all.All of the people he had captured before would have ran if they had a mere sliver of a chance that she had, but instead she stayed, instead she helped him. This puzzle of a woman just kept getting harder to solve by the day.

She could have stolen the child and ran; regardless, he would have caught her, but she still remained. The helmet covering the man's face shows none of his confusion to the woman, only the mask of a bounty hunter could be seen.

The Mandalorian quickly steps around the carrier, marching up to the Jedi. Giving her a quick shove, the bounty hunter backs her up against the rock and unholsters his blaster. Alya does not flinch back, holding her own against the imposing man.

"What sort of trick are you trying to pull here?"

Alya could feel the fierceness of cold glare, despite not being able to see his face. The blaster points right at her face and the Jedi could see the tightness of the hand holding it.

"I am not-"

"Cut the lies," the Mandalorian demands. "Your hands are untied. I was unconcious. You could have run away and taken the kid; any normal person, fearing for their life would have run away, but you stay? There is no way that you do not have some ulterior motive."

"You want me to flee?" the woman raises an eyebrow skeptically.She is staring up at the masked bounty hunter, no fear in her tall stance.

"No," he says, frustration dripping from his tone. Alya watches as the grip on his gun becomes less tight. "I want to know what you are planning."

"I would say that I am planning nothing, but I know you will not believe me. An old... friend of mine, before he died, asked me to find the child, to take care of it."

For a split second, the Mandalorian caught a look of unsureness on the woman's face; it was the first time he had ever really saw her express anything other than neutrality. But as quick as the man saw the look, it was gone; disappearing with the blink of an eye.

"That doesn't explain why you haven't stolen the kid, tried to get away."

"I believe that everything in the galaxy happens for a reason. Who am I to alter what the galaxy plans for me." Alya knew that her statement was a partial lie, but she did not wish to tell the Mandalorian her exact reasons for remaining. He would sooner fire the blaster than listen to how her dead mentor told her that the bounty hunter would help her.

The Mandalorian grunts, not entirely satisfied with the Jedi's answer. Holstering the blaster, the bounty hunter takes a single step back.

"Don't think that you are getting your weapon back. I'm still going to turn you and the kid in; nothing you do is going to change that."

Taking more steps back, the Mandalorian swiftly turns. The
carrier holding the cooing Child follows the man, and after a swift second Alya follows, sighing slightly.

Looking down at her feet while walking, Alya whispers softly, "There is no emotion, there is peace.

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A/N: This chapter is a little shorter, but I may update later tonight. Thank you for reading!