Sweet Dreams-The Mandalorian

One

Din Djarin is pissed. He'd woken up in a foul mood and it had lasted all damn day.

No that wasn't exactly true.

He'd been in a rotten mood ever since he'd...let Grogu go with that Jedi or whatever the hell he actually was.

Supposedly, Mandalorians and Jedi's were mortal enemies. Like Din cared about some centuries old feud.

But then again, these days he didn't care about much of anything anymore.

He went on a few more jobs, rounding up galactical scum and collecting his pay, only to find himself sitting in the back of some questionable cantina, nursing a bottle of Spotchka.

Cara kept trying to cheer him up and eventually, Din would just stand up, walking out.

He slept fitfully, waking from realistic dreams that continued to haunt him, well after he'd awoken.

He was a mere shadow of the man he once was. He'd cared for the child for so long now, he couldn't even hardly remember what his life was like before he found Grogu and took him in.

So when Din arrives back at his ship and discovers three service droids chasing after...he had no clue who or what, his bad mood went into hyper drive.

Din Djarin despised droids. People always thought his distrust of them was bordering on paranoia.

He had his reasons, though, and he didn't care to share them with anybody.

Din grabbed his blaster, firing like crazy at the damn droids, hoping fervently he'd blow them to pieces. He was in no mood to have it out with some mechanical piece of shit.

After firing several times, Din finally managed to destroy all three droids. He sighed, setting his blaster aside as he pushed the button for the back hatch of the Razor Crest.

The ship had seen better days, but it was a part of Din and he wasn't trading it in for nothing. As long as the ship got him where he needed to go, that was good enough for him.

Din is halfway up the ramp when a flash of white catches his eye. Scowling, he tramps back down to investigate.

He finds a young woman, unconscious and wedged halfway inside his ship.

Din swore loudly. This was not what he needed nor wanted at the moment. Din kneels down, gently tugging the woman loose and carefully scooping her up into his arms and carrying her aboard the ship.

Din carries her to his own sleeping quarters, gently laying her on the small cot and straightening out her body.

He lifts his helmet off, studying her. Who is she? Where did she come from? Was she the one those droids were after?

Possibly. Din doesn't have time to dwell on it. He just wants to get the hell out of here and go somewhere quiet, where he can be alone with his thoughts.

And besides that, he didn't need any more damn droids arriving and he really ends up completely losing his mind.

......

Two guards hurry towards the man dressed in a long, white robe. His face is old, weathered and weary looking.

"Did you catch her?"

"Unfortunately, no. She had a ship waiting to get her off of here." The old man cursed loudly.

No! This could not happen! She needs to come back. She has no idea what she's done by running.

"Did you get a good look at the ship?"

One of the guards suddenly smiles, pulling out a small disc and holding it up.

"I didn't have to. One of your security droids managed to place the tracking device on the ship before the pilot blasted them."

The old man smiles. All was not lost! All they had to do was play the disc and track the ship to wherever it was headed.

Then...he'd bring her back.

Warm or cold.

......

She awakens, groaning. Her head is throbbing with pain. She struggles to recall what happened.

Oh, yes. She had finally escaped from those awful people who expected her to do...well. She isn't going to think about it anymore.

She props herself up on her elbows, surveying the room she's in. It's small, but clean. There's not much in here to look at.

It's basic and bare and at first glance, one might think that no one even used this room on a regular basis.

She scoots over, sitting on the edge of the cot. She can feel the vibrations and knows that the ship is moving.

Crap! She's immediately wary of who's ship this belongs to. Is it pirates? Or maybe some sort of creature, like Jawas or Wookies?

The thought makes her quake with fear. But only momentarily. Surely, whoever this ship belongs to can't be as awful as those she's running from.

She stands, almost immediately getting pitched towards the wall. She puts her out hands, steadying herself as she slowly makes her way out of the room.

The ship is rolling and weaving now and she wonders if the pilot is being pursued by someone or if they're just this bad of a pilot.

She eventually makes her way over to a metal ladder and slowly climbs up, figuring it leads to the cockpit and...the pilot.

She pokes her head through the opening and strains to see who's driving this bucket of bolts.

She reaches the top, steadying herself as she stands, staring in disbelief at who's behind the controls.

Is that a...Mandalorian?

It's been several years since she's come into contact with any Mandalorians.

She knows of their code, of how they never remove their helmets, never showing their faces.

That is the way.

Or so they say.

Unless this guy killed a Mandalorian and took his armor OR perhaps simply stole it from a Mandalorian.

She's about to find out.

She slowly walks closer, hoping her presence won't startle him.

"You're awake," his modulated voice catches her off guard. Yet...it sounds...deep. Beautiful. Soothing.

She shakes herself as she moves to take a seat, buckling herself in.

"Yes."

"Did you know that droids were following you?" He tilts his head slightly and she finds herself being drawn to the shiny silver and black helmet.

"Yes. I..was..running away." She expects him to ask her to clarify, but he doesn't. He simply turns his attention back to his controls.

"I must have passed out?"

"Yeah. I figured I couldn't just leave you there, in that sorry condition." His voice is gruff, but gentle.

"You're a Mandalorian?"

"Yes. Din Djarin."

"Cressida Orion." Din turns his head back to her. Cressida feels her face get warm and she looks down at the floor.

"Where are we going?"

"I have a stop to make on Navarro and speak with some old friends. Then after that..." His voice trails off.

Cressida leans back in her seat, wrapping her arms around herself. She still can't believe that she actually ran away.

But deep down, she knows that she can't continue on this way.

Besides, she wasn't going to drag this man down with her. He didn't deserve the wrath that she'd eventually find coming down on her head.

Unless...she manages to...completely become invisible.