Another Galactic Adventure

03. The Unwelcome Guest

The Mandalorian sat at the cockpit with his back set straight against his chair. The gloves on his hands, orange-fingered and made of leather, creased as his hands adjusted the controls into autopilot. Overhead lights of bright white reflected off his beskar armor, unlike his old beat up and scratched armor. That set had been stashed away somewhere in the Razor Crest to be forgotten, unseen and unused. He always flew alone but, ever since acquiring the child, some trips had laughter and whining sprinkled in. Luckily for him the child had been quiet ever since the Mandalorian left Tatooine. The heat from the planet was long gone, replaced by the stagnant cool climate that was found in empty space.

But, of course, the loud banging coming from below raised various concerns.

In the shifting of manual to autopilot, the hunter was able to stand freely. His broad shoulders seemed to grow as his thick cape unfurled almost until it reached his ankles. Climbing down into the hull, he stood still as his visor scanned the seemingly empty ship. Nothing had been moved and, upon opening the door to the safe room, the child was safe. It was laying down on the metal bed, quietly snoring. His shoulders fell as a breath of relief came through his modulator.

A long and loud scraping noise came from behind him. His helmet cautiously turned to where the noise was coming from, near the closed hatch, where the case to his sniper had moved on its own. With his attention drawn to the case, his footsteps were slow and quiet. His tensed hand had already flown to his blaster and drew it out. Aimed at the end of the hull, the Mandalorian observed the empty space. There was nothing but the case itself and belongings of his ship. No one would be able to hide in an area like this with no cover.

All was quiet again. His gun had returned to its holster, as did his attention to the child. But the child was no longer in the room. The door was left open and, with no noise, it seemed impossible that the child would disappear on its own. The hunter's breath caught in his throat. Had the child found some hiding place within the room? Had the child walked away? No, it couldn't have... could it? The Mandalorian couldn't feel the set of eyes laying on his back, a predator hunting him as their prey.

In an instant, the Mandalorian's blaster was ripped from his waist. A kick went straight into his back and knocked him onto the ground. The impact of the beskar on the ground clanged with the metal of his ship. Face down, the Mandalorian was utterly confused as his hands and feet were pulled backwards and confined with surprising force.

A foot pressed onto his back, securing him into place. The Mandalorian remained still, unlike the hunter's usual criminals who would scream and squirm.

"For a Mandalorian, you're not very aware of your surroundings. I thought you were going to put up a fight."

Now hearing the feminine voice, the Mandalorian had realized he was dealing with a familiar face. The voice was laced with class and politeness, a voice he had just encountered on Tatooine. It belonged to that out-of-place woman he saw at bay three-five, the one who covered herself with that black cloak. The Mandalorian had an itch that there was something off about her and, hearing her voice on his ship, he figured he should have done something about it.

"I know who you are," he grunted, attempting to shift away from her foot. His hands were against the cold ground with open palms. "You're the girl from the hangar."

Annalisa took note of the Mandalorian's skills when they were presented. They couldn't be missed. His kind was known for being meticulous and strategic. Being able to recognize her voice and image were the bare minimum. She had yet to be impressed.

"So you remember me?" In her hands was the sniper rifle, which prongs had found a resting place on the Mandalorian's back. She held the weapon as though it were made by her own hands, finger set on the trigger. "I'm very glad you do. I was beginning to suspect you weren't as good as I heard."