Happy Reading!

><

The steam swirled around Yara as her eyes adjusted. She was surprised to realize the entire building seemed to be built over a natural cave system. The healing bath chamber was illuminated with red light that came from crystal torches mounted on the natural rock walls. It was meant to be soothing, but against the black volcanic rock Yara found it unsettling.

There were others already occupying several of the shallow pools and Yara resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest and shield herself. They were also wearing the same almost see-through white gauze garment. The only difference was that they looked entirely comfortable. She drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves and coughed as the steam hit her lungs. Her eyes watered and her head swam for a moment as she forced herself to keep breathing the dense air. She rested her hand against the wall to steady herself and after a few moments her body adjusted.

Yara moved to the first unoccupied pool and sat at the edge, sliding her feet into the warm waters. The coolness of the rock against her skin was in sharp contrast to the heavy, hot air that surrounded her and the warm water lapping at her skin. Sweat began to drip down her skin, soaking the thin fabric, and plastering her hair to her body.

Yara shifted and she felt the cool beskar of the knife Mando had given her against her skin. Her thoughts shifted to Mando. It was impossible to tell exactly where he had been looking with his helmet on, but somehow she knew he had been staring straight at her. She had been able to feel his intensity like a physical thing. Unbidden the image of how other beskar would feel against her skin went over her. She shivered and drew in another deep breath of steam. This time it made her limbs feel heavy and she felt more relaxed than she had in ages.

She slid herself down into the shallow water. The healing waters lapped against her skin, only inches deep and served to deepen the relaxation as another fresh puff of steam filled the room. Yara breathed the steam in and sighed as she felt warm and content both inside and out.

There were other women sitting around the edges of the other pools. Some of them had Twi'leks massaging their shoulders, doing their nails or working on their hair. They laughed and talked together quietly. Yara just sat and listened. She hadn't relaxed in this way since before her family died. A giggle bubbled up in her throat. Not only had she completely forgotten why she was there for a moment, but it was like the last year of her life didn't matter. It somehow felt removed, like it had happened to someone else. She scowled and forced herself to think. How had she forgotten they were here on a job?

She allowed herself to look over the other women, but it took more work than it should to focus on their faces. None of them matched the description of their target. A small Twi'lek approached her after a while and began massaging her shoulders. Part of Yara felt like she should tell the woman no, but there was another part of her that felt like it was too much work to make a fuss and it was important to blend in with the other clients.

"The next treatment is starting my lady," the small Twi'lek warned her as her hands moved over Yara's skin.

"What treatment?" Yara asked with a frown. She hadn't realized there had been a first. She must have missed it while she was enjoying the steam and the baths. "What was the last treatment?" she asked looking around.

"Relaxation," the Twi said and she took another deep breath of steam as if to illustrate to Yara how it worked. All of the stress and tension seemed to leach out of her slim body and she smiled dreamily at Yara.

"The treatment is in the steam?" Yara clarified.

"Of course," the Twi said with a giggle as though Yara was being funny. "The next treatment is starting now," she informed Yara.

Just as she spoke a fresh puff of steam rose from the grates filling the room with so much moisture it was difficult to breathe. Yara had to suck in a deep breath hard to feel like she was getting enough oxygen. For a moment she couldn't see the water lapping around her body all she could do was feel the pulsing pressure of her own heartbeat inside her body.

"What's the next treatment?" she asked and her voice came out breathier than she intended as a shiver wracked her body. Her thoughts flickered unbidden to Mando for some reason and she pinched her eyes shut as she fought for control of her body.

The Twi cocked her head to the side as she watched Yara curiously. "Sensual," she said.

"What?" Yara asked, she shifted away from the Twi's hands. "No thank you," Yara said quickly. For some reason she couldn't remember when the servant had shown up and begun the message in the first place. She blinked stupidly as she fought to rearrange her thoughts but it was like time was slowing down around her and she was powerless to stop it.

The Twi giggled again. "Not from me," she said haltingly and she lifted her arms as though to present the room. "From the steam."

Yara sucked in a breath in surprise but all it did was bring another deep draw of the tainted steam into her lungs. "Oh no."

><

Mando was anxiously pacing the receiving room. He knew Yara would be back soon, but he hated the thought of sending her in there alone with nothing but a knife to protect herself. A serving girl had come and left food and refreshments. She had eyed him fearfully before slipping out of the room. To keep himself occupied he had tried to read the brochure of treatments they offered, but they were in Twi'lek, which was a language he hadn't taken the time to learn yet. He could however make out the time frames for each treatment and knew Yara had been in the chamber for two complete treatments by now.

The door swung open and Yara stepped into the room. He frowned as he watched her. There was something off in the way she was moving. Her skin had beads of moisture clinging to it and her hair hung in damp ropes down her back. The steam and bath had soaked the white dress and her nipples were hardened peaks against the thin wet fabric. Mando swallowed thickly. She was absolutely stunning, but there was something wrong.

Yara stumbled a step and Mando moved to catch her. His leather gloves caught her slick skin and she turned into him. She giggled once and blinked up at him. Her tongue snaked out and licked her bottom lip as she stared up into the reflective T of his helmet.

"Mando," she said in a low husky tone that made all of his blood run south.

"Osi'kyr," He swore in Mandalorian half under his breath. This close he could see her pupils were blown wide and she seemed unstable on her feet. She had been drugged.

Yara cocked her head when he spoke. "That was beautiful. What did you say?" She asked in a low husky voice. She leaned into him letting more of her skin press against the cool of his beskar armor. "You feel so good," she said, her initial question forgotten. She shifted closer again. The heat from the baths made her skin tingle. The cool relief of the armor on his body made her almost lightheaded. She made a sound low in her throat. She wanted to feel more.

"Stop," Mando ordered sharply. He moved her back away from him, but kept his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "What happened?" he demanded

Yara frowned. Then it seemed to take a minute for her thoughts to catch up with their conversation. "Sensual relaxation," she said in her best impersonation of the Twi'lek accent and she giggled again. She loved the feeling of his beskar against her over heated skin and she tried to move closer once more.

Yara tried to take another step towards him but Mando held her back. He wasn't going to give in to this. He cared about her too much to let this happen like this.

When Mando didn't respond the way she wanted Yara pouted her lower lip and moved away from him. "You're no fun," she whined and dropped into the couch. "It's so hot," she said distractedly and she ran a hand down the exposed skin along her side.

Mando tried not to watch the way her fingers slid through the beads of moisture and how her body arched in response. He was grateful that at least the flimsy white cloth hadn't gotten more see through now that it was saturated. Although it had bunched together more, leaving more skin exposed. He swallowed again, fighting for control. They needed to finish the job and get out of here.

Yara was watching him intently and seemed to notice his struggle immediately. She smiled triumphantly and leaned back on the couch, positioning herself in a way that showed off her curves. She knew exactly what she was doing. She took a long sip from the goblet that had been sitting within easy reach. "You think I'm pretty," she said smugly.

Mando's helmet snapped up. Inside he was blushing furiously for being caught staring, but it was a relief to know she would have no idea. "You know you are," Mando replied evenly. He was unwilling to be moved, no matter what she did. She was under the influence of something strong. She hadn't been gone that long.

Yara threw back the rest of the contents of the goblet. She set the cup aside and ran her fingers down the exposed skin of her thigh. Her eyes were locked on the visor of Mando's helmet as she gauged his reaction. He was watching her, she knew he was, but he had that damn unbreakable control. Normally she respected him for it, but now her skin was on fire, and she wanted him. She shivered as she considered what it might look like for him to lose control.

"What was in that?" Mando asked sharply.

Yara shrugged. "Probably the same drugs in the steam."

"In the steam?" He asked.

Yara could hear the frown in his voice. He was so intense and powerful. His wide shoulders took up so much room when he was upset. She liked it.

She leaned towards him. Her hair slipped over her shoulder, tangling together in long ropes. "That's how they give the treatments. I was two treatments in before I realized they put drugs in their steam," Yara frowned distractedly. "No wonder it's so expensive!" Yara said throwing her hands dramatically in the air. "Bloody aristos can't just buy their drugs on the corner like everyone else..." she dragged off with a frown. "I also think it's kind of a brothel...but like a nice one. You know? Why else would you give your patrons something that made them feel like this?"

Mando frowned under his helmet. Mandalorians as a rule didn't deal in drugs. It was against their code. He had done a few heist jobs that involved stealing some cargo that he had no doubt was drugs, but he wasn't terribly familiar with their names or what they could do. Drugs were big business on the Outer Rim however, and it looked like they had walked right into the middle of it.

"Feel like what?" He asked fairly certain he was going to regret asking. Judging by the way Yara was moving her body and the way she had been stroking his armor he knew exactly what she was feeling and no good would come from him asking her to elaborate.

Yara frowned. She reached up and traced the tips of her fingers down her opposite bicep. "Like..." she dragged off. "Like my skin is on fire like I-"

"Would pay just about anything to be touched," Mando filled in. Somehow his voice had come out steady.

Yara stopped, dropping her hand and frowned as though she had actually managed to hold on to the thought. "Pretty great business model actually."

Mando grunted.

"You don't have to be so grumpy about it," Yara told him indignantly.

Mando turned his helmet towards her. "I'm not grumpy," he argued.

"Okay fine, you don't have to be so stoic and badass about it," she rolled her eyes. "Our target is here every evening. So I just need to hang out a little longer and boom," she said and she giggled.

"No, we need to get you out of here," Mando said.

"No," Yara snapped in a sudden moment of clarity. "I can do it," she said determinedly.

"You've been drugged. I'm not going to send you back in there," Mando snarled. "We'll figure something else out."

Yara pushed herself to her feet and grabbed his forearm. Her fingers locked around his wrist. "I can do this," she said again, this time with more intensity. "It's no different than being drunk," she told him. "You've seen me drunk before, I'm fine."

"Except on Sorgan I only had to worry about Cara," he griped half under his breath.

"This is our best chance. Trust me," she implored.

Mando didn't want to send her back in there. Didn't want to expose her to even more of the unknown drug, but she was right. This was their best option.

"If I was Cara you would trust me to do this," Yara snapped accusingly.

Mando pulled back. Was she right? Would he have let Cara? He would have trusted Cara to tell him how far she could go but that was different. Yara was different. He set his jaw. Hating that he had been caught in the double standard and couldn't explain to her why it felt so different.

"I think you should eat something before you got back in there, get something in your stomach. Maybe absorb some of it," Mando said sternly. "And give me back the knife. I want you to take the comm instead. Then I'll know as soon as Gamete arrives."

Yara nodded and reached beneath the folds of cloth to pull out the knife. "The twi'lek will be in any time to give me a message before I go back out," she said. She frowned a little. "I tried to talk her out of it but she said it's part of the treatment and I didn't want to make a scene."

"Then we-" Mando started to say and stopped as the door slid open. He took a fast step back against the wall to assume the position of diligent bodyguard.

The beautiful twi'lek bowed. "Please," she said and she gestured to the lounge for Yara to lay back down.

Yara did as she was asked. Laying on her stomach. The fabric came down over her shoulders in a deep V to the swell of her ass and came together to just cover her where the belt gathered low on her hips. Mando exhaled out a stressed sigh and it came out like static through the modulator.

The Twi took out a special bottle of oil and began to message Yara's skin and muscles. The small blue Twi's hands were slow and sensual as she moved over Yara's body.

Mando's jaw was clenched as he watched but he was able to hold it together until the Twi had Yara roll over. Although she kept Yara covered, the woman moved her hands over every part of her and Mando had to look away, his jaw tightening. He was in turmoil.

He wanted Yara. He wasn't foolish enough to deny that, but not like this and not in a place like this. He wanted her safely back aboard the Razor Crest where he knew she was safe and he was in control.

When at last the Twi stepped back from the lounge Mando's torture ended. She bowed to Yara as Yara sat up. Yara's eyes a little glassy and her pupils were blown wide.

"Would you like me to assist you with anything else my lady?" She asked meaningfully, touching Yara's arm.

"No, thank you," Yara said and though her voice was shaky she waved her off.

The Twi frowned. Clearly this wasn't the reaction she expected. "The next treatment starts in ten minutes my lady."

Yara nodded and flipped her fingers dismissively. The servant bowed low and left them.

When the door clicked closed once more Yara leaned against the wall and forced herself to take deep breaths. She pinched her eyes shut and fought for control of her body. Whatever was in that lotion had her skin tingling and alive. She was desperate to be touched. Mando moved towards her and she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "If you aren't going to help, then stay back," she told him, uncertain if he would understand.

Mando went very still. He turned his helmet to look at the seeming innocuous bottle of oil the Twi had left behind. It wasn't labeled and though he wore gloves, he made it a point not to touch it. It was clear it had somehow made the effects from the steam worse, not better.

Yara moved over to the table and ate some of the food but it didn't help. Every one of her movements had the thin fabric moving against her body and it was driving her nuts. She closed her eyes and her hand rested in her thigh. She wanted to draw her fingers up under the cloth and glide her fingers over herself to ease the pulsing heat that was unrelenting.

"Yara. It's time," Mando said apologetically.

Yara shivered at the sound of his deep baritone. She forced herself to her feet but she swayed. She blinked once and moved towards the door. Mando reached out and caught her arm to steady her. She let him turn her towards him. Her hands came up and rested against his chest plate and she made a noise in the back of her throat.

Mando went very still beneath her touch. She realized she had finally gotten a reaction in that moment and she slid a little closer to him. So he was interested. She considered it a victory to have pushed his control that far. He was like an immovable stone statue beneath her hands but she could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

She tangled her fingers with his and took the communicator from his hand. "You never had to worry about Cara," she promised in a low, husky voice. Then she winked, flipped her hair over her shoulder and headed for the door.

Mando stared after her as her hips swayed and she disappeared back into the room of red steam.

><

Yara sat back down into the shallow pool. She had hoped it would help her come down and cool the raging fire beneath her skin. The gentle lapping water against her most sensitive place made her gasp in surprise and she let out a moan.

"If you're going to do that-" Mando growled a warning through the communicator. He couldn't take this. He couldn't listen to her making those damn noises in his ear. The communicator brought every noise she made through his helmet in surround sound. There was no escaping it.

"What?" Yara teased. Although listening to his growling baritone as the water touched her made her glide her fingers further down her thigh.

"I will take you out of there," Mando warned.

"And then what?" She challenged and her fingers traced along the edge of the fabric.

The steam puffed up filling the room. Yara drew in a deep breath and she moaned as her body became alight once more.

"Yara," Mando's voice was tight and angry now. She liked it even more as she breathed in the deep rolling puffs of steam. She tried to imagine what he might be like beneath all of that armor.

"Well now, I don't recognize you," a voice said in surprise. "What's your name little one?"

Yara flinched, she had been so distracted by her thoughts about Mando she hadn't realized a woman had approached her. "Yara," she told her with a smile.

"Where is your Twi slave?" The woman asked. "She should be able to assist you with that," the woman said and her eyes dropped to where Yara's hand still rested against her thigh. The woman moved through the shallow water closer to Yara.

"Perhaps I was hoping to find someone else to assist me," Yara said suggestively. "What's your name?"

"Gamete," the woman said and somewhere in the back of her foggy brain Yara remembered that was the name of their target. "What's your name beautiful?"

The door was thrown open in the next second and The Mandalorian charged into the room. He moved through the swirling mist and dim red light like some kind of phantom. He grabbed Gamete, dragging her away from Yara and slammed her back against the rock.

Twi'lek servants began screaming and the other patrons panicked and ran for their doors. Adrenaline burned through the haziness in her head and Yara shoved herself to her feet. She grabbed the blaster off of Mando's hip and turned her back to him so she could watch the doors. She fired the blaster twice at Twi'leks who tried charging them but Mando made quick work of interrogating Gamete. The drugs had done their job and Gamete didn't have the fortitude to hold off against the intimidating terror of Mando in a full rage. She answered all of his questions with only a little resistance.

The steam continued to puff around them thicker and thicker with each passing minute. Yara could feel her body growing heavy and her mind more clouded. The steam had never come through this thick before. The grates only gave off occasional plumes, now it was being pumped almost constantly into the room. She coughed and fought to force her lungs to continue to push the thick air in and out.

"Mando," she called between coughs. "I think they're trying to smoke us out," she called and she coughed as she inhaled another deep breath of the thick air. Every breath made her head pound and her body sluggish.

Mando swore. With his helmet on he was protected from the drugs in the air, but Yara wasn't. When Mando was done he threw Gamete away from him and held his hand out for the blaster. Yara reached to give it to him and her head swam. She staggered and Mando caught her. He swung her up in his arms and strode out of the pools and steam to their receiving room. He fired at two more Twi's that tried to stop him.

"Yara," he said her name but she was curled into him, her body wracked with coughs. He needed to get her out of here. He grabbed their things, and strode out into the main hall.

Once the servants realized he was trying to leave they let him. The women hid behind the counters and furniture as he stepped out of the dimly lit bathhouse and back into the city. No one seemed to think it was worth it to stop him, despite the fact that he had a blaster in his hand and a barely dressed woman in his arms. He strode purposefully towards the port. He strode up the ramp of the Razor Crest with Yara still in his arms.

There was a small chirp of welcome and he looked down at the kid. "She'll be all right," he promised the kid, and hoped he wasn't lying. Yara had started to shiver and hadn't been responsive the last few minutes. He punched the controls to close the ramp and carried her to her quarters. He laid her down in her bed gently.

"I'll be back," he promised her quietly and he drew her blankets up around her.

He went to the cockpit and took off. Once he jumped them into the safety of hyperspace he returned to Yara. Her eyes were still closed and she hadn't moved from where he left her.

Mando wasn't sure if the drugs were only inhaled or if there had been more in that oil they put on her skin, but he wasn't taking any chances. He scooped her back up in his arms and carried her straight to the Fresher. Cradling her in his arms he held her gently as he let the water run over her skin and washed away any remnants of the oil. He shifted her to make sure all of her skin was cleaned and she made a noise of protest in the back of her throat and tried to move away from the spray.

"It's okay cyar'ika," he told her. "We're done." He wrapped her up in warm towels and she wrapped her arms around his neck, snuggling tighter against his chest. "I've got you Yara," he whispered against her hair and he carried her back to her bed. He laid her down and pulled her blankets up around her.

Yara blinked up at him. "I told you I could handle it," she told him.

"Yes you did," he agreed. His gloved hand came up and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and he let himself cup her cheek in his palm. "Don't ever do that again."

"Are we home?" She asked sleepily.

"Yes," Mando said, his voice hoarse with emotion as she called the Razor Crest home.

She snuggled into her pillow and moved closer to him, leaning into his hand. "Good," she said. Then her eyes fluttered back open as though something occurred to her. "You think I'm pretty," She said.

Mando let his fingers glide over her hair, pushing it back away from her face. "Yes," he told her, his voice hoarse with emotion.

Her smile lit up her face and she leaned foreword. Pressing her forehead against his helmet. "Will you stay?" She asked, her warm breath fogging his helmet.

Behind his helmet Mando let his eyes drift closed and he relished the gesture. He pressed his own forehead gently against hers in response. Even though she coudn't know it's meaning in his culture, she still meant it as a sign of affection. "Yes," he promised her.

><