Enough - The Mandalorian

Chapter 3

I walked into the cockpit, hearing the child chirp at my arrival, going over to it immediately with a wide grin. "It's awake!" I exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?" I shot Mando a dirty look as I played with the baby, tickling its chin and enjoying its little laugh.

Plopping down into my chair, I stared out at the stars in front of us for a moment. "Hey what were you doing fighting a mudhorn, anyway?" I asked Mando suddenly, remembering his story.

"Not important." He said. "Was this you?" He pointed at the little angry-face I had carved into his console, and I shrugged innocently.

"Maybe the jawas were leaving you a message." I told him with a small smirk. He decided to let it go, but I wasn't as mature. "Maybe it appeared as karma for ditching me alone on a hellish planet for two days."

"Take over for a bit." He said suddenly, standing up and leaving the cockpit without warning.

"You're trusting me with this?! Mando!" I groaned in annoyance as I dragged myself from my current chair to the pilot's seat. "He's a real team player, isn't he?" I said to the child with an eye roll.

It simply stared at me, not comprehending my words. Its wide eyes made me grin broadly, turning back to face the console so I could make sure we didn't crash into a moon on my watch.

***

A beeping noise alerted us that Mando had gotten a transmission, and he quickly turned it on, me leaning in to see it better.

It was Greef Karga, responding to our last update about our assignment. "Mando, Raden, I've received your transmission. Wonderful news. Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy. Safe passage! You know where to find me." And with that, he ended the transmission.

I noticed that the child had managed to climb up to the controls and steal the knob off one of Mando's levers. "It's not a toy." Mando said sternly, taking it from the child and putting it down, then lifting the child by its robes to return it to its cradle.

"Gentle with it." I warned, not liking the way he was carrying the kid. He didn't respond, just watching it for a few moments before turning back to his controls.

Sighing, I stood up. I rubbed a finger gently on its little green head, not being able to stop my small smile at its gleeful sounds. Turning, I told Mando I'd be back then left the cockpit for a small walk.

I heard Greef's words echo in my head. "I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy."

How was I supposed to give the kid over to him? It was just an innocent child.

The bounty hunting business was rough, with little in the way of mercy, but something that I learned over the years was that no one was innocent in this business. At least not until now.

Normally to get a bounty on your head, especially one this large, you'd have to have done some crazy and terrible things. But this child, what had it done but exist?

They wanted it for its power. To exploit it.

It couldn't protect itself as I once did, so who would protect it?

My heart was wrenching itself with guilt from what was to happen to this child if we handed it away.

Making my choice, I quickly made my way back to the cockpit.

"I'm not doing this." I told Mando, voice firm and more serious than I'd ever been.

He sighed heavily, shifting on the landing gear as we approached the planet's surface. "Doing what?" He asked.