Anwyn didn't know at what point she'd fallen asleep, but she suddenly became aware of gaining consciousness again. Her shoulders ached, and she sucked in a breath, wincing at how her body ached from sitting against the ship's hull for so long. Her stint in the rafters hadn't been comfortable, but the awkward angle the binders forced her in now only exacerbated it.
The brunette her back as far as she could to pop her spine. She opened her eyes, blinking away the fog and fatigue, before looking around the cargo bay. No change, and at the very least she wasn't dead or frozen in carbonite. A win in her book.
Man, had she been stupid. Grabbing the ration pack must have caused some noise loud enough for the bounty hunter to hear, but Anwyn had been cautious. She'd been quieter than a mouse droid, and still he'd taken her by surprise. How had he moved like that with all the beskar on him, anyway?
A soft scuttling sound caught her attention, and she tried peering past a crate set to her right, wondering what had caused it. Her eyes narrowed, listening for it again, but it was silent. It had been the faintest brush of noise, like fabric against metal, or feathers. Or fur. Maybe the Mandalorian had a pet? Honestly, at this point it wouldn't surprise her. He had a kid with him, after all.
Whatever, she though to herself, closing her eyes and settling back against the wall to rest her eyes. If only the bounty hunter had been thoughtful enough to leave her with some cards or something to pass the time. She had yet to really perfect the art of Sabbac, but maybe the trip to Bothawui could've given her time to practice. Oh, right. Wrists trapped behind her back. There went that possibility.
Again, the noise sounded closer this time. And her eyes snapped open, searching everywhere for a source. Nothing, still. There was no way it was just herself hearing things. It had to be something. "Who's there?" She asked, then felt stupid about it afterwards.
No response, of course. Just the gentle rumble of the ship in hyperspace. Swallowing past the nerves that were rising in her chest, she leaned back against the wall and waited, watching back and forth for any sign of the thing.
A few minutes past without incident. Eventually, her suspicion lowering as nothing further happened, Anwyn blinked a few times and settled back against the hull. The more time passed, the more she thought that perhaps it had just been from the Mandalorian or the kid up above.
She hissed in a breath, startling in place, as something metal landed on the ground right next to her. The sudden appearance of the child not a foot away from her was jarring, and her heart thumped painfully in her chest. A little metal ball sat resting against her leg. Perhaps he'd dropped it.
The kid just stood there, staring up at her from over the top of his robe's collar. His ears lowered and his head tilted down ever so slightly, perhaps in response to her violent reaction. Anwyn let out a breath.
"Uh...hi."
He blinked. She blinked back. What did it want? Why was it down here? Surely the bounty hunter didn't know. He'd been very keen to keep him away from her the night before. The creature was pretty small and quiet, so maybe he'd just snuck off to explore.
"What's your name?" She decided to ask after awhile. Obviously the kid didn't know how to talk yet, because his ears perked up and he only cooed quietly in response. Then, he took tiny steps towards her, reaching one of his tiny hands upwards. Anwyn frowned, edging away as he came closer.
"You shouldn't be here kid. If the bounty hunter finds you-" Her sentence was cut off by the child grabbing onto the end of her hair. He pulled a little and he was surprisingly strong for something so small. "Ow, let go!"
If she could have used her hands to push him away, she would have. However, they were currently still tethered to a rail attached to the ship, so she was at this kid's mercy. He simply moved the strands in his hand back and forth, playing and experimenting on finding out what they were, or simply because he was bored.
Anwyn huffed a breath. "Come on, little guy...Go away, shoo..." No amount of suggestion on her part was working. Instead, he just looked up at her with the first smile she'd seen it make. And damn her if it wasn't an adorable fucking sight to behold.
"No, you're not allowed to do that. Stop...smiling. It's too cute." She begged half-heartedly, but felt her resolve slipping as the little guy finally let go of her hair and began attempting to climb into her lap. "You're gonna make me call the Mandalorian down here, aren't you?"
She knew it was probably a good idea to tell her captor that the kid was here, lest he panic and then jump to conclusions thta she'd somehow kidnapped him. She didn't relish the sight of being thrown in the carbonite chamber just because the kid got curious. But, honestly, she was bored. And a little lonely down here in the hold. For a few minutes, maybe she could enjoy the little thing's company.
He finally managed to climb onto her lap, and stood facing her. His tiny, three-fingered hand reached up again, but this time for her face. She closed her eyes, feeling it touch the skin of her cheek with wonder. Then it drifted to her nose and mouth, exploring her flesh slowly. She opened her eyes again, staring into the big, bright ones of the child. The startling innocence there is what made her really confused with this whole thing.
"What's a child like you doing with a bounty hunter?" She whispered, letting him extend his reach to the hair of her eyebrows and then to her eyelids, closing her eyes again so he wouldn't poke them. When they opened, she saw that cute little smile directed at her again. "Where are your parents?"
Naturally, the kid only let out amused coos, touching her mouth that moved with every word. She smiled sadly, gaze flicking over to the direction of the ladder. "Maybe he's taking you back home? Is that it?"
Seemingly satisfied with his exploration of her facial features, the kid adjusted his position and leaned into her chest, resting his head on her sternum. Anwyn took in a breath, not expecting him to try sleeping on her. This...was a little awkward. She didn't mind the actual sleeping on her part, but she felt even more worried about what the bounty hunter would say if he just found them this way. Cute kid be damned, the thief was keen on not being frozen.
With a resigned sigh, she lifted her foot and banged it against the closest crate a few times. Surprisingly, the kid didn't even stir, either used to loud noises or pointedly ignoring her. She didn't hear any movement from the bounty hunter above, so she kicked a few more times, this time a little harder.
"Hey...Mandalorian?" She called, careful not to cause the kid to tumble off her chest and onto the floor. "Need a little help here."
That did it. Footsteps above came closer, until she saw his boots and then the rest of him descend down the ladder. He turned to face her, then stopped, immediately spotting the issue. He let out a sigh through the modulator.
"Not that I mind it but...I'm sure you do." She explained with a tiny shrug, looking down at the sleeping kid. He was just as cute now as he was with his eyes open. "He's a pretty heavy sleeper."
The man uttered something she couldn't decipher, but shook his head.
"He...tends to wander." The Mandalorian stepped closer, then reached down to pick the kid up from her chest, gently settling him on his right pauldron.
"I don't doubt it. Kids get into everything." She responded. The weight lifted from her, but she sort of missed it.
The kid didn't stir, and he stood straight again, staring down at his captive. "It won't happen again."
He turned his back, returning to the ladder, but Anwyn couldn't help but ask, "Why is he with you, anyway? What happened to his parents?"
The Mandalorian stopped. Anwyn expected a short, cutting reply that she should mind her business and be quiet, but instead there was nothing. He was simply silent. And without any sort of answer, he left the cargo hold, carrying the child up with him.
The brunette's head fell back against the hull. So much for a little conversation.
The Mandalorian returned to the cargo hold later on, carrying a cup and one of the ration packs that she'd tried stealing. The thought of food made her stomach rumble. She never did get a chance to eat that pack.
The bounty hunter must have noticed her surprise as he set the items on a crate beside her, stooping to unlock one of her wrists. "You thought I was going to starve you?"
"We didn't exactly have a great first impression." She stated bluntly. Noticing the way his hand hovered at his blaster, she waiting until he'd stepped back several feet before moving her arm forward to grab the ration pack. "I try not to assume someone will be nice to me. Especially after I try stealing something of theirs."
He sat on one of the crates, watching as she opened the plastic packaging and tore off a piece of the dehydrated meat to pop in her mouth. After a few seconds, Anwyn realized he was going to stay there until she was done, and then lock her back up again. The corner of her mouth lifted.
"What, you think I might get through these tethers with a ration pack and a plastic cup?" The helmet's unwavering stare was her only answer, affirming a silent yes, he somehow anticipated she'd try to pull exactly that. Amused by his caution she shook her head, tearing off a piece of meat with her teeth. "I'm not that stupid, Mandalorian. There's nowhere for me to go out here in hyperspace. I'm not out to cause you problems."
"I've heard that before."
"I'm sure you have." She said. "But I actually mean it."
Now that they weren't fighting each other in the darkness of the ship, she actually got a better look at the man who'd captured her. Every inch of skin was covered. The only reason she knew him to be human was the distinct proportions and physiology, and the fact that he had five fingers on each hand. As to his planetary origin or appearance, she had no indications whatsoever.
The silver Mandalorian armor was shiny, well-kept. It stood out predominantly from the rest of the ensemble, but the gleaming crest of what she thought to be a mudhorn on his pauldron caught her attention.
"Eyeing my armor, thief?" He asked evenly and without surprise, but she scoffed.
"Stealing beskar from your people is a death wish. You're just the first one I've seen in a long time. Can't help but be curious."
"And I can't help but wonder why a thief from Ord Mantell is here in the Outer Rim." He said. "You're a long way from home."
"Ord Mantell isn't home." She corrected immediately, unsure why she felt the need to tell him this. It...just bothered her. "It's just the only place I remember growing up in."
"Isn't that the same thing?"
"No."
To stop herself from saying anything else, she took a long drink of the water he'd provided her, relishing the way it felt going down her throat. The cup hadn't been that big. A few gulps and it was all gone. Damn. It didn't feel like enough. Anwyn glanced up at her companion. "Don't suppose I could get some more?"
"Later."
"Right..." She set the cup aside, realizing he wasn't going anywhere until he tethered her free wrist back to the railing. Her attention focused on the rest of the dehydrated meat, slowly eating at it.
The bounty hunter leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "I searched your name in the guild database, though I assumed you'd given a fake one. Turns out you've got a few bounties scattered about the Colonies and Mid Rim. Theft, destruction of property...You're a hard one to catch, Anwyn."
"My current situation says otherwise." She replied neutrally, wondering why he was bringing it up. She watched him with a blank expression. "What about them? Planning on turning me in?"
His helmet tilted, then finally gave a single shake. "The payments wouldn't even cover fuel to get to the nearest planet. So, no. Unless you give me another reason to."
"Thanks...I guess."
Anwyn ate the last of her meal as she mulled that information over. So, her biggest fear of being turned in was quelled, for now. There was no telling if she could trust his word on anything, of course, but her gut feeling said she could. The guy was toting around a child, for stars sake. He had to have some honor about him. Mandalorians were known for it.
"You never answered my question."
His statement interrupted her thoughts, drawing her eyes again. Anwyn frowned. "What question?"
"Why so far from Ord Mantell? Why hop systems just to steal from an Imperial transport on Rodia?" He concluded, and pursed her lips thoughtfully.
"Traveling, drifting, seeing the sights. You know, the usual." Was her answer, shrugging nonchalantly. "As for the stealing...I just ran out of credits along the way, and a lady's gotta eat somehow."
Her eyes met the black emptiness of his visor, daring him to call her out. Even without seeing his eyes, she could tell he didn't believe her for one second. Sure, it was a lie, but he wasn't exactly spilling his life story, either. An answer for an answer, that felt fair.
Without breaking her gaze, she grabbed the plastic cup and held it out to him. "Thanks for the food and water."
He took the cup, but also grabbed her wrist in the same movement, guiding it so he could bind it once more to the railing. Anwyn took her restraint with resignation, knowing it would be a long way still to Bothawui.
The one thing about being confined to the cargo bay was that most vessels didn't have adjustable air control systems for that portion of the ship, since most passengers were expected to stay in the upper levels of this, Anwyn was constantly in a state of being just slightly too cold to be comfortable despite her socks and layered clothing. She made do, catching sleep when she could, but overall it wasn't a pleasant experience.
So when something extremely warm settled onto her chest after the lights had been extinguished for the night, she woke at the sudden change in temperature. She looked down through a tired fog, spotting a familiar green and tan creature curled up on top of her. She had no idea how long the kid been there, or how he got out of wherever the Mandalorian put him to bed, but she didn't mind the mild amount of warmth having him there provided.
"Hey, little man." She croaked in a quiet mutter, shifting to get a bit more comfortable. "Pretty sure you're not allowed to be down here with me."
The child just continued breathing deeply and slowly, eyes closed as he was lost to the comfort of sleep. Logic suggested calling for the Mandalorian again, but the pull of rest was just too much. Right now, she decided she'd deal with him in the morning, if it caused a problem.
Anwyn yawned, closing her own eyes and slowly slipping back into restful sleep. "That's alright. I won't tell if you don't..."
ns 15.158.61.20da2
