Star Wars - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Odd Bounty ❯ Enemy of my Enemy ( Chapter 4 )

The Armorer had given him much to think about and his mind whirled.

Could he forgive the girl for being something that he hated more than anything?

'Her mother was killed instantly but her, my sweet little girl was nearly ripped apart but still alive. I couldn't lose her...So I used all my technological knowledge to save her.'

She was a child...his child and the old man turned her into a thing of wires and parts, hell even her flesh isn't real. Just a material created to give the illusion of skin. He grit his teeth, his hands clenched into fists as he remembered how soft she had felt.

She was a droid.

He shook his head violently of that thought.

IT was a droid.

Eyes like bright sparkling sapphires shimmering, filling with tears as he pointed the blaster at her. He had been ready to kill her...to destroy that painful connection to his past. And he had hesitated...because it cried.

He had been too soft. Too weak.

He yelled, punching the wall next to him, utter rage ripping through the vocoder of his helmet like overburnt static.

"Mando?"

"Go away, Karga."

"I know that you're angry, Mando."

He snorted, "Oh really, what gave that away? The fact that I almost shot them or the hole in the wall next to me?"

" I don't know what happened to you in the past and its not my place to ask but they are just trying to escape the hell they had been put through."

"You can't escape it. It will always come looking for you, no matter where you go."

"Its worse for them. The imps have put out a bounty for her capture. I just got the notice thirty minutes ago."

Din groaned in annoyance. "How many pucks?"

"All of them. I will try to keep as many back as possible but there are other guild leaders that will start handing them out."

"Dank farrik."

"You have to get them out of here. Fett has already gotten his ship prepared."

"And why should I help them?"

"Because its the right thing to do. And because I gave them back my cut of the bounty too."

That made Din turn towards him in shock. "You what?"

Greef nodded, "I know. Its completely not my thing to do. But if there is anything I have learned about war...is that there are always casualties on both sides. I did some digging into the old man and found out that after the attack that killed his wife and nearly killed his daughter...he defected. Left it all behind to care for and protect his child. Sound like someone else, doesn't it? All he ever wanted, Mando, was to give his daughter a chance at a normal life and the imps tore that away from her...from them both. Don't condemn them both for that."

"Fuck."

"Mando?"

"I heard you the first time. Fine, but as soon as they are somewhere safe I am done...no more specialty bounties and no more damned droids."

"Read you loud and clear, my friend."

/  -  /  -  /   -  /

He stepped inside the room and quickly drew his blaster, lifting it up at the sound of a blaster whirring to life in the hand of the old man.

"So you have returned?"

"What's your name, old man?"

"Dr. Beler Veile."

"They put a bounty out for her. You need to leave now. Fett and I will get you to a safe location."

"Why are you doing this? You made it quite clear that you wanted nothing to do with us. That you would kill us if we crossed paths again."

Mando ripped the blaster out of his grip, "Keep talking and I will. Now get your stuff and the droid and lets go. Or do you want the imps to have her again?"

The man nodded quickly, "Telana, come. We are leaving."

"Yes father." She stepped out and he stilled. 

She was wearing a large ragged black poncho the hood pulled back. He could also see sturdy leather boots that reached to her knees. Her hands that were encased in fingerless gloves were wringing themselves in front of her nervously.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes. I didn't have much-"

"Good, now move."

She lifted her hood up and over her head and stepped close to her father, as far from him as possible.

And she was refusing to look at him...she was scared.

A twinge of something jolted through him and he pushed it away just as fast.

She should be scared.

/  -  /  -  /  -  /

"So decided to take the job then?"

"Don't. Just fly the damn ship."

Boba shook his head, "This is my ship, kid. You don't give the orders here. I do. Now you sit down and shut up."

Din visibly bristled but relented nonetheless, sitting down next to the console, noting that the Dr. and the droid sat on the other side of the room.

"So where to?"

"Until the bounty is taken care of, they need to lay low."

"Well, what about that one planet...the one that makes the spotchka?"

"No. I won't put that village in danger, not after just setting them free from those bandits."

The doctor perked up at that. So he had done good things before. He looked down at his daughter who decided to lean against his shoulder and he smiled.

He had his little girl with him...no more would they be separated. They would find a nice quiet planet to live on and he would teach her to take care of herself...how to repair any damages...so that when he finally passed on she would be self-sufficient. He only hoped that he could use this situation to teach her how to disappear and who to trust and who not to trust.

But as his eyes drifted back to the young hunter...he couldn't help but feel pity for the man. Something terrible had to have happened to make him hate droids so vehemently. Maybe being around Telana would help to lessen that hate but he did not know how long he has been harboring that hate...that rage...and he didn't want him to hurt her. He had already had to comfort her after she had broke down sobbing against him after he had nearly shot her.

'Why does he hate me, father? I have done nothing to him.'

He couldn't explain to her that it was because of what he had done...what he had turned her into that had ignited that hatred.

Beler patted her back gently, his eyes staring into the featureless visage of Mando's helmet as if compelling him to say something.

His silence spoke volumes.