The Princess, The Pea And The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Seven: Fate Crap...

Making their way to the nearest village, Litha would sit the little one down on his own high chair while she took her seat across from Mando...

Moments later, the barkeep was with them. Mando would order broth for the child and pay extra for discreet information on a particular patron...

A rather intimidating looking woman sitting at another table just across the way...

And of course, not a few moments after Mando chose to step outside, she followed and a fight ensued...

One which would go on until they were both ripped apart by and unseen force, pinned to opposite wooden walls in the alley, "You know, picking a fight five minutes after we get here with a former Rebellion Shock Trooper..." they both looked to see Litha as she came walking, "...isn't exactly the best way to lay low, Mando," she finished her advice before releasing them both from the force and as they hit the ground they heard slurping.

The two then looked to see the little one hiding behind Litha's leg, sipping his cup of broth. Mando then groaned, "You want some soup?" he offered and off they went...

***

After Litha paid for a thermos of soup and a bundle of fresh vegetables, they resolved to make camp outside of the village...

"So... you've just been hiding this?" the trooper questioned. Her name was Cara Dune, "Your Highness, if you're a Jedi, then you belong with Luke Skywalker. Not running around with a Mandalorian-" she held up a hand toward him, "No offense."

Mando tilted his helmet then, "None taken...and I actually agree," he admitted, "I don't know anything about the Force, or Force Visions or whatever you think-" he looked to Litha, "-I saw, but I do know that you're not safe traveling with me," he declared and Litha narrowed her eyes.

"I've been in danger since I was born. I've dealt with it and I've kept my abilities to myself until now...and I refuse to spend the rest of my life hiding from my duty to uphold the balance," she reasoned sternly, leaning back against the downed tree behind her, "But if you think I'm going anywhere without you after we collect your reward and pardon my Zabrak, but you're our of your skutting mind. There's a reason-"

"Don't start!" Mando exclaimed.

"I will start, because you're the one who had the vision. And don't you think I haven't noticed that can't put down my crystal," she pointed out logically, "You're meant to be there when I build my lightsaber. I can sense that much is certain," Litha elaborated and Mando shook his head.

"Again with the certainty and fate crap. There's-"

"Actually..." Cara spoke up, sitting forward, "I might know about as much about the Force as you, Mando, but I used to live on Coruscant...I had to watch Order Sixty-Six unfold. I had to watch Younglings be publicly executed... it's part of why I joined the Rebellion. We need the Jedi back," she assured him of that much, then glancing between the two, "And if she doesn't even have a lightsaber yet, then that means she should have someone like you to watch her back. I mean-" she finally thought to ask, "Where's your Master?" she wondered and Litha smiled wryly then.

"They're all dead," she declared, pushing a bundle of her braids back over her shoulder as she looked around to see if anyone was there... and of course, Maul was as always, "But they'll never really leave me. The greatest Jedi live on through the Force...in fact, most of my lessons I learned in contemplation among the dead. As...cryptic as that may sound to an outsider," she admitted, knowing it sounded strange.

Maul grinned then, "Go ahead and materialize me. I'll gladly give your Mandalorian pet a good scare," he joked, but Litha didn't find this amusing in the slightest.

Mando made a sort of grunting sound then before Cara asked, "What do you mean, among the dead? Like in cemeteries?"

"No...I-" Litha knew she couldn't tell them the whole truth. They wouldn't understand, "I'd rather not explain my entire way of life. It's not exactly polite dinner conversation," she declined to continue, rubbing her hand across her forehead as the prospect of losing Mando over a technicality was too much to bear.

"I'd tell you about my religion if you asked?" Mando countered, but Litha shook her head.

She then came to sit with her legs crossed, pulling the little green babe into her lap before he could wander away, "And I respect your privacy in that regard. A Mandalorian's faith is their own, unless explicitly shared," Litha countered, taking the little one's face in her hands, wiping crumbs from his little cheeks, "I only tell you what you need to know, because I would've been found out eventually. Your people trained for centuries to combat or even hunt Force users and often succeeded," she added then as the little one seemed to look up...and hold a hand out toward Maul.

Litha's eyes widened at this...

He could see him...

"What do you mean...?" Mando inquired then as she paused.

She remembered that he was a foundling, "Your people didn't tell you, did they...?" Litha's expression dropped to one of evident remorse, "Before the warriors of Mandalor were banished to their barren moon of Concordia, many tribes would use the hunting and execution of Jedi as a right of passage...taking lightsabers for trophies, much like General Grievous did during the Clone Wars," she confessed to him with regret as both warriors around her halted.

"Was wondering why I wanted to kill you in your sleep yesterday," Mando joked poorly, drawing a sad smile to Litha's face.

"Feeling's mutual..." she assured him before he stood to go fetch them fresh firewood, "...and you snore like a gundark, by the way. Like this!" Litha added before bending down to simulate such by nuzzling piggy noises into the babe's neck and cheek.

All the while, the child squealed and giggled while Cara chuckled across the way. She chose to wait until Mando was out of ear shot before speaking, "Have you known him long, your Grace?" she asked, remembering her rebellion decorum for Naboo had always been their ally.

"I first met him when I was very young. One of my visits back to my family's estate in the capital city when I was...fourteen, I believe," she furrowed her brows, grinning as she realized just how young she'd been, "I'd been Queen for only two years by then and my family had been pestering me incessantly about choosing an eventual suitor so that I could marry the first born of some rich family like the rest of my siblings," she began to paint a picture for her, waving her hands over the flames wafting the smoke to form figures.

Cara watched in amazement as they formed five couples dancing in a circle, "Naturally, I refused. Ended up inadvertently helping Mando take down a bounty during the gala that night...and even with my training, I'd never seen a Mandalorian in person, let alone watched them fight. He was...absolutely spectacular," she confessed and Cara's eyes widened in intrigue as Litha let the child waddle over to her as she came to hug her knees.

Cara took the child in her arms, letting him play with one of her plated gloves that she'd been repairing, "You seem very close, if you don't mind my saying. Do you know what he looks like under that helmet?" the trooper couldn't help but to ask.

"I do," Litha admitted, "I saw his face through the vision he had..." she declared and Cara grinned.

"So...? What does he look like...?" she beamed, eager to know for the Mandalorian would never tell her.

A soft smile then crossed Litha's freckled face, "A good man," was her only reply...

And thankfully so, for Mando had been closer than they realized...