EMPIRE, 𝐃. 𝐃𝐉𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍.

- THREE.

     AMELIA WAITED IN THE RAZOR CREST while Mando went to the covert. She sat cross-legged in his seat, and upon hearing him enter the ship, she stuck her feet back up on the control panel, knowing that it would annoy him. 

     "Really, Amelia?" He muttered, coming up to the cockpit to stand beside her. He sighed. "Feet off. And get in your seat, we're going."

     "Wow, Mando, no need to be so bossy," Amelia raised her hands at him in mock surrender as she kicked her feet off of the panel and moved into her own seat. Spotting his new shoulder plate — the Armourer must have made it for him — she smiled a little. "Nice plate. Looks good."

     "Yeah. It does."

     They stopped talking as they took off, but once they were nearing the planet, Amelia spoke up again, pointing to a considerably large and bright star.

     "Look at that," she started, smiling at the sight of the star she'd pointed out. "You know what would be so cool? To be named after one of those. Someone needs to find the brightest star in the galaxy and name it after me." She joked.

     Mark scoffed jokingly. "In your dreams." He said in response, to which Amelia mimicked offence. "Oh, and we're here."

     The two entered the planet's atmosphere and flew past several large hilltops of desert, before landing. As Amelia stepped out of the ship behind Mando, she felt herself being bombarded with a wave of heat. "This is where the asset is?"

     "Yes." Mando walked out further, weapon in one hand, fob in the other. He checked from the fob to the landscape, and back again as Amelia watched him, walking up to stand beside him and get a better view of the planet.

     Mando lifted the weapon to his eye, likely to seek out any creatures that may have been lurking nearby. Amelia watched with disinterest, growing bored of the silence between them and the lack of bounty hunting thus far.

     It was then that a creature ran towards the two. Amelia managed to swerve out of its path, but Mando wasn't so lucky, the creature grabbing his right arm. Mando yelled out in surprise as the creature tossed him about. Amelia's eyes were wide as she watched Mando punch its eye a few times, attempting to break free. She grabbed out her blaster.

     "Mando!" She yelled out in a panic, aiming her blaster at the creature. He yelled again in response, having been temporarily let go of but then rammed into by the creature. Suddenly, a burst of electricity ran through the creature's body, knocking it out.

     As Mando tried to free himself, another creature roared and ran towards him, only to meet the same fate. A man rode up to them, on another creature, as Mando watched.

     Amelia ran over to Mando and kneeled down to where he was sitting up. "Are you okay?" She asked him softly, looking him up and down with concerned eyes.

     Mando freed his arm and looked up at her. "Yes," Turning to the man, he said, "Thank you."

     The man nodded at them. "You are a bounty hunter," He turned to look at Amelia. "And you..."

     "I'm his partner." Amelia spoke quickly, standing up and looking at the man.

     "You are a soldier. You have a soldier's stance."

     Amelia winced at the term, and noticed Mando looking at her. Shit. He didn't know yet.

     "Yes," Mando said again. He sounded as though his teeth were gritted. He must have been pissed. Amelia didn't know why — it wasn't like he'd told her much about himself.