Hello All! Here is the next update. I hope you are all safe and well this holiday season! 

Happy Reading

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Mando woke early the next morning as the sun broke the horizon. He was surprisingly warm and comfortable. When he opened his eyes he looked down and realized the reason for it was Yara had somehow ended up snuggled against him. She had fallen asleep sitting up early on and at some point during the night had fallen sideways into him without him realizing it. His arm, which had been resting along the back of the wagon, had gravitated down and was now holding her securely against his side.

He froze. He wasn't sure if he should move and risk waking her. He didn't know if she would be upset about their closeness. He was surprised to find it didn't bother him. He normally hated to be touched, but Yara was different. Frankly, he was surprised Yara had managed to sleep against the hard surface of his beskar chest plate. She must have been exhausted. He opted to just stay still and let her sleep.

Yara woke a little after dawn. She frowned, wondering how she had managed to sleep on the uncomfortable wagon. She pulled back in surprise when she realized she was leaning against Mando's chest plate. His arm had dropped down from the back of the wagon and was resting warmly over her shoulders.

With a blush heating her cheeks she tried to pull herself away before he woke. His arm tightened for one second before he released her and readjusted. She breathed a sigh of relief and settled back into her own space and when she looked up Cara Dune was watching her with a bemused expression on her face.

Mando gave Yara a few moments to think he was still sleeping. It saved both of them the awkwardness and embarrassment. The wagon bumped hard as it came to a halt and he moved as though it had woken him. Yara's gaze flew to his helmet, her eye were a wide and guilty and her cheeks were still a little red. Behind his helmet he felt his lips twist into what may have been a wry smile. 

Yara quickly looked away from Mando to take in their new surroundings. The village was idyllic. Not at all what Yara was expecting. It sat in a forest clearing surrounded on all sides by the large and ancient trees that seemed to cover most of the planet. There were primitive wooden huts laid out in a geometric pattern surrounding the krill ponds. 

A large group of children were laughing and running around excitedly. They stopped and pointed when they spotted the wagon. "Come on!" "They're here!"

The children ran up to the side of the wagon and the child met them at the edge. They all started laughing and giggling once more. The child cooed happily and held out his hand to them. 

"Well, looks like they are happy to see us," Mando said. Though his words were light there was still a tension in his body that belied his feelings. He helmet was lifted, scanning the whole village for any potential signs of danger. 

"Looks like," Cara agreed. She ignored the Mandalorian and climbed out of the wagon with her backpack slung over her shoulder. Yara however waited for Mando to decide. 

Members of the village came out to help them unload. Mando looked them over and then climbed out of the wagon. He reached back without looking at her to offer Yara a hand down. His hand was gentle on her arm as he steadied her. She frowned as she tried not to blush again. Although the Mandalorian didn't even seem to notice, his comfort with the casual touch made her wonder if he would have been as upset by the sleeping arrangements as she assumed. Once she was on her feet beside him, he scooped up his gear and they followed the villagers towards the huts.

"Welcome," a woman said, bowing her head in greeting. "My name is Omera. I am told you will be needing accommodations." She looked over their group with a frown and couldn't seem to decide how the group was to be paired off. "I'm afraid we only have two vacant huts," she said apologetically. 

"Two is fine," Mando said and he nodded his head towards Yara and the child. "They're with me."

Omera bowed her head once more and moved into the smaller of the two huts. She gestured for Cara to follow her inside. Yara turned in a small circle while she tried not to think too hard about sharing the small hut with Mando. The farming village was so peaceful. It was like nothing she had ever seen. She didn't realize places like this still existed, somehow untouched by the ugliness of the outside.

Omera stepped back out into the sunshine and gestured towards the other hut. She led the way inside and moved to the windows. She pulled the blinds up, letting warm rays of sunshine inside. "Please come in, I hope this is comfortable for you," she said. 

"This will do fine," Mando replied. He set down the crate he had been carrying and the child toddled in after them, looking around at their new surroundings. There were two pallets set on opposite sides of the hut, a small table and chairs, and a single chest sitting beneath the window. The hut was simple, but it would be warm and dry. 

"I have brought extra blankets," Omera said. She looked down at the child. "I also have a bassinet my daughter used. I will bring it for your son," she said with a gentle smile. 

There was movement by the door behind them and while Yara didn't react, Mando whipped towards it. His hand dropped to his blaster, although he didn't draw when he saw it was a young girl. Omera strode quickly to the young girl, wrapping her arms around her. "This is my daughter Winta, we don't get many visitors here. She's not used to strangers," she said stroking the girl's hair. "This nice man and his partner are going to protect us from the bad ones," she told the small girl.

"Thank you," the little girl whispered. Her eyes were wide as she stared at Mando's armor. 

"Come on Winta, let's give our guests some room," Omera said and she went out, leaving them alone and assuming Winta would follow her. 

Winta hesitated in the doorway and looked over to where the child stood. "Can I play with him?" she asked gently.

"Sure," Yara said with a warm smile.

Winta approached the child, giggled and ran for the door with the child toddling along behind her.

"I don't think-" Mando started to say and moved to follow the child outside. Yara stepped forward and laid her hands on his chest plate, stopping him in his tracks. He looked down at where her small hands rested against his baskar and it was difficult to breathe for a moment. He shook his head and lifted his gaze back to the door where the child had gone. "I don't-" he started to say again, but he couldn't even remember what his arguement was at this point.

Yara smiled up at him. He always seemed so together all the time, sometimes it was nice to see him looking a little uncertain. "They'll be fine," Yara said, pressing her palms against the metal more firmly to get his attention. 

Mando stopped and turned his helmet to look back down at her from only inches away. He just waited as she stood there touching his chest. 

"I-" Yara started and then stopped. A blush colored her cheeks and she looked away. "I don't think there's anything bad here."

"Other than the Raiders," Mando pointed out dryly.

Yara made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat and pushed against his chest plate with a scowl. "I mean in the village right now. I don't feel...I just mean I think this is a good place."

Mando stared down at Yara. He wasn't sure why he trusted her so completely, but she had proved time and time again to have a good sense of people and she certainly always seemed to know if there was anything wrong. "Good," he said, his voice low and gravely through his modulator. Yara continued to stare up into his helmet. 

Omera returned carrying a tray of food. A teenage girl came in following her, carrying a bassinet. Ormera gestured for her to set the bassinet down between the sleeping cots. 

Yara quickly stepped back away from Mando, putting some space between them. She dropped her hands from his chest quickly as though she had just remembered she had been touching him and a blush climbed it's way up her neck again. Mando cocked his head to the side. Behind his helmet he was free to study her curiously. There was a part of him that liked that she was becoming comfortable enough to joke with him and no longer seemed intimidated, even when he moved fast.

"The children are playing happily," Omera said, seeming oblivious to the tension of the people in the hut. She set a tray of food down for them on the small table. "Evening meal won't be until later, and you must be famished from your journey," she said.

"Yes, thank you very much," Yara said warmly.

Omera nodded her head respectfully. "I'll leave you two," she said and she slipped out of the hut.

Yara turned back to the food. She was glad for the distraction. Her stomach rumbled uncomfortably, but she saw Mando was standing over it. "I'll ah," she started to say. "I'll take mine outside," she offered. "Keep and eye on the kid, that way you can eat."

Mando's helmet snapped back up towards her as though her offer surprised him. "Thank you," he said. "That's very kind."

Yara flashed him a teasing smile. "That's me," she said. She stepped up to the tray and took a small bowl of what looked like krill soup and headed towards the door. She stopped and turned back to him. "I'll stay outside until you're done. Take your time if you want to leave it off for a while," she looked around the small hut. "I know there isn't a lot of privacy here, but I'll try to make sure-" Yara was babbling now and she wasn't quite sure how to stop. For some reason this felt even more intimate than even the ship.

Mando stepped towards her. "Yara," he interrupted. 

She stopped speaking and lifted her chin to look at him. "Sorry," she said letting out a sharp breath. "I just don't want you to think I don't respect your...culture," she said.

Mando chuckled quietly.

"Did you just laugh?" she asked, tipping her head to the side so she could stare up into the reflective black T of his helmet.

Mando cleared his throat. "Course not," Mando replied sharply.

Yara laughed and turned for the door. "Enjoy your meal Mando," she called over her shoulder. She was more pleased than she should be to have made him laugh.

Mando watched Yara go. The fact that she seemed to care so much about him and his choices was something entirely new to him. In the past he had been met with nothing but judgement and derision for his Mandore beliefs, but Yara didn't seem to care either way. 

Mando sat near the window, set his helmet on the ledge, and he ate his food as he watched the children play. Yara sat down on crate near where the children were playing. From here he could see the sun shining through her dark hair as she enjoyed her meal. The warm rays shone into the window and he closed his eyes for a moment, letting them warm his bare face. 

When he was done he put his helmet back on and strode out to find Yara and Cara. They had work to do. He found the two of them sitting together and chatting. 

"Are we ready to do this?" Mando asked the two women. 

Yara nodded once and stood. The three of them set off into the woods in the direction the villagers had indicated the Raiders were coming from. They moved through the ancient trees, following tracks from the last raid.

"About fifteen or twenty of them came through here on foot," Mando said adjusting the settings of his visor so he could pick out the individual trails.

Yara trailed behind Mando, her eyes on the forest. It was different out here than it had been near the village. It felt older somehow, more menacing maybe. She lifted her eyes to the ancient boughs and scowled. 

"Something big sheared off these branches," Yara said, pointing up at the trees.

Cara and Mando were already kneeling down and looking at the dirt between the broken branches. Yara came up behind them and sucked in a surprised breath.

"AT-ST,"Cara said in disgust. 

"Imperial Walker. What's it doing here?" Mando asked.

"I don't know," Cara said with a shake of her head, and she stood. "But this is more than I signed up for."

The a warm breeze blew through the trees and Yara shivered. She wasn't cold, it was just a feeling. She blinked, and in the darkness between blinks there was a flash of tumbled images and she knew. She turned and lifted her blaster in the same moment she opened her eyes. 

Before Cara and Mando even realized what was happening a Raider jumped out from behind a tree, aiming his weapon at Cara's chest. Yara drew in a breath and fired a single shot. Both Cara and Mando flinched and whirled around as they reached for their blasters, but the body crashed to the forest floor.

Cara and Mando both glanced towards Yara in surprise then slowly approached the downed body cautiously just in case he might get up. Yara however slid her blaster away knowing he was dead. Mando looked back at Yara as though to reassure himself she was fine and then toed the body of the raider, studying his weapons and armor. 

Cara crouched down over the Raider's body, there was a single blaster shot square between his eyes. She turned back to the unassuming woman shock written all over her face. "How did you do that?" she asked in disbelief. She looked back and forth from where Yara stood and the body. The distance was too great for the clumsy little blaster Yara used to make the shot. "I didn't even hear him," Cara said. 

When Yara didn't offer an explanation she turned her eyes to Mando. She knew soldiers better than most, she knew that a shot like that was nearly impossible. Even The Mandalorian hadn't realized the Raider was sneaking up on them. Mando stared back at her for a few moments and then he just shrugged. He wasn't going to explain anything. 

"Anything else?" Mando asked, turning his helmet towards Yara. 

Yara shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. 

"Then Let's head back," Mando said. 

Yara stepped up beside him and the two picked their way silently through the forest. 

Cara shook her head and trailed behind the two of them on the way back to the village, but she  kept her eyes on Yara the whole way. There was something off about her, but Cara just wasn't sure what exactly. 

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Thank you all for your continued support! I appreciate all votes and comments! I hope you are enjoying the story. I have most of season one already written so edits should be fairly easy. I have to say, for those familiar with my previous work, you will be pleasantly surprised to find while I am historically the queen of the glacially slow burn, this story will more than likely move right along!