CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

THE BILLOWS 

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BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Tess peeled open her eyes slowly as the faint alarm continued to ring inside her ears. She leaned her head back, cracking her neck, looking around at her surroundings. The girl jolted upright, wincing as her chest gave a faint twinge. The stars outside twinkled brightly, swirling nebulae of blistering stardust, a cataclysm of space and time and matter culminating together into one, harmonious galaxy. Tess rubbed her eyes tiredly and yawned, her nose wrinkling.

The child in her arms cooed, tugging on her jacket as Tess sat up straighter, her exhausted limbs stretching heavily. The seal on her chest heaved as she moved. Tess' eyes widened when she realized that her ribs no longer ached. Her lungs, which had been filled with tar-like substances pulling her chest inward, had disappeared. She frowned for a moment, experimenting with holding her breath, then releasing the air through her nose. She felt nothing. Tess smirked softly, savoring the feeling of her body healed. Her limbs, pulled taut from years of mistrust, were finally set into place. Her veins, for so long filled with black, filled with discarded blood that only flowed because it had to, now raced along her veins, elated to be noticed once more.

Tess became aware of every part of her body, from her hair, it's curls died down to become straight. Her legs, strong and nimble, one metal calf, and the other of flesh. Her teeth and mouth and lips and eyes, all features that found comfort in destruction, now lay silent. It was as if, for the first time, Tess had finally awoken from a wakeful slumber, the final layer of her intricately woven facade peeled back, stripped down to reveal what she really was; flesh and bone and human.

Tess Oprin was human again.

She turned her attention to the front seat, where Mando had awoken with a start, his steel plated shoulders shifting as he flicked the switches on the console, moving his hands to steer their half broken ship. It was then that Tess saw the planet ahead of them, the wide sphere of pastel blue and forest green. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Looks like we made it." the Mandalorian said, his voice light. He turned his head back to see the girl, half dazed from her long sleep, sit up and watch him. The child in her arms rubbed it's own eyes, gurgling happily. Tess petted it head's absent-mindedly, only half paying attention to her actions. The Mandalorian's smile was as bright as the sun under his helmet.

"That's Trask?" Tess asked, leaning forward to get a better look. The Mandalorian nodded slowly.

"Get ready for landing." he said softly. Tess nodded, but didn't move. Her wide eyes watched as the planet grew closer. Her chest, properly healed and breathing with more vigor than ever before seized at the sight of the blue. The sapphire, crystalline blue which washed over the planet like a cloud. Ingrained with the rivulets of green, the blue made Tess felt like she was falling. The Mandalorian noticed her eyes, widened to the point of popping out of her head, and for a moment his brows furrowed, wondering what could be the matter.

Tess noticed him looking at her, and her expression hardened, but she pointed out to Trask. "Is that water?" she asked softly, as if she were afraid to question it, as if she thought she should already know the answer.

The Mandalorian gave a small chuckle. "Yes?" he posed it almost like a question, wondering why Tess had asked such a thing. Red spread along her cheeks, and she looked away bashfully.

"I didn't know there was so much." she whispered, barely loud enough for the Mandalorian to hear. His smile faltered, eyes glazing over her face, so filled with awe that at first he couldn't process this was the same little girl from all those days ago. The same little girl that the Marshal had carried into the bar. That girl was all frowns and fear, of making sure nobody came close. Now she sat forward, her hands stroking the child's ears, face completely placid, yet... content. And she had smiled. That was the thing which made the Mandalorian halt. Just the day before, Tess Oprin had smiled.

She'd changed. The Mandalorian didn't know why or how, but Tess had changed since he'd first met her. It confused him as much as it confused her, yet both kept quiet about it.

Mando laughed gently and turned back around, pressing the controls lightly. Tess watched the back of his chair, her eyes blazing with a bright fire. For a second, the smile both were thinking about returned. Then, noticing it, Tess bit her lip carefully and looked down at the child in her arms. It peered up at her with a puckering mouth.

"Dank Farrik!" Tess' head shot up as the Mandalorian hit the side console, the metal of his armour rattling the carefully constructed the walls of the ship. Tess pursed her lips. "The Landing array isn't responding.'' Despite feeling incredibly warm, Tess froze, her eyes narrowing.

"That means that without the guidance system—" She began.

"I know." the Mandalorian finished. "It'll be a manual re-entry." Tess' face twisted as the Mandalorian switched to manual, his hands slightly shaking. She knew what it meant. She'd heard the term thousands of times in the holograms back in Mos Pelgo. Despite seeing very few ships in her life, Tess was well-versed in the knowledge of the crafts, and when you had to do a manual re-entry, it wasn't good. It was very, very bad.

"Dank Farrik." Tess repeated back to Mando. Despite the tense air which had arisen, he smirked under his helmet. Tess didn't look as amused. She held onto the child firmly, placing her other hand on the arm of the seat. No longer elated at the sight of the water, anxiety rose like bile in her throat as the Mandalorian prepared the ship.

"Hold on," he said, glancing at his passengers. "It might get a little choppy." Tess shrugged, sharing a look with the Frog Lady, who held onto her eggs tightly. It will get a lot choppy, Tess' gaze said, and Frog Lady gave a loud, nervous croak. As if sensing the upcoming danger, the child stuck it's head into the inside of Tess' jacket, nuzzling it's head against her chest. The plastic gauze which healed her ribs stung as the child traced it's finger over it. Tess reached a slightly shaking hand over and let the child grab onto her thumb. It cooed happily, just like always.

"Okay," she told it. "It's gonna be okay." the child didn't seem to believe her. Tess didn't blame him. She barely believed herself.

"Once we're through the atmosphere," the Mandalorian spoke up. "There should be enough fuel to slow us down." his words were halting and apprehensive, which did nothing to ease the churning in Tess' stomach.

She dared to ask. "And if we don't?"

The Mandalorian sighed and looked back to her, being completely honest. "We'll probably burn to a crisp." Tess gulped slowly, nodding her head in consolidation,. The Mandalorian despised his answer, but he couldn't lie to her. The man turned back to start the descent, and Tess held tightly onto her seat, keeping the child firm in her grasp. It simply giggled and stared at her. However, it's wide eyes and small pink mouth did nothing to ease the rapid thump of her heart.

"Great." she muttered to herself. "It's going to be great." the child nodded it's head, not having a clue what she was talking about. Tess moved her head to side slightly, watching it for a moment, then forced her eyes back up.

"Hold on." the Mandalorian exclaimed a half second later, then pulled the ship up, the bottom facing the ground of the planet, and they began to drop. Tess gritted her teeth as the ship fell down towards the face of the planet, the gravity shifting as they gained speed leading towards Trask. Towards the water. It didn't look as beautiful now as they raced towards it, most likely heading for their deaths. With each second they grew closer the cockpit started to warm up. Heat blossomed on Tess' cheeks, and the jacket which Mando had given her, still worn over her shoulders, grew hot quickly.

The ice hanging from the walls of the ship melted, dripping down the sides, pooling at the floor, pouring into the crevices of the ship. Alarms began to blare around the ship, and Tess gasped as the front of the ship looked to burst into flames. The Mandalorian tugged on the buttons, and his back straightened.

"Tess!" he called. "Come up here!"

"What?!"

"I need your hands!" he answered. Tess frowned, sweat dripping down the side of her forehead as the ship exploded into a sea of magenta, burnt and ash-filled. Tess undid the belt and placed the child gently on the seat, then scrambled up beside the Mandalorian. He glanced at her, then pointed to one of the gadgets on the center console.

"This lever needs to stay back." he continued. "Can you do that?" Tess gave him a patronizing look, saying nothing, then reached over and placed both gloved hands on the lever, pulling it back. She braced her legs against the counter, her hair falling over her panicked eyes.

"I got it!" she called out when the lever fit steadily into her palm.

"Alright, keep it steady!" Mando cried. "Here we go." Tess pulled hard on the lever, keeping it back while the Mandalorian tried holding the ship steady. They continued to drop, and Tess felt her weight shift. She dug her teeth into her lips and pulled, her feet sliding a bit on the metal floor. They fell through white clouds that looked like puffs of snow.

"Razor Crest, this is Trask flight control," A female voice sprang out of the comms. "Please reduce your speed to port protocol." Tess glanced at Mando worriedly, but he kept his gaze firmly ahead. She grumbled to herself, letting out a frustrated breath, and continued to keep the lever down.

"I'm trying my best here!" Mando called out to Flight Control.

"I don't think it's working!" Tess pointed out. Under his helmet, Mando gave the girl a disdainful look.

"Engage reverse thrusters." he called instead. "Brace!" Tess moved one hand to grip on the back of the Mandalorian's chair, her feet up against the console. Frog Lady croaked behind them and held onto her eggs tightly. The child had his hands raised in the air, a smile on his face. Tess frowned at him and turned back, half closing her eyes, face scrunching. The Razor Crest rocked back and forth, shaking violently. Tess watched in horror as several bits of the ship ripped off, flying up through the grey sky.

"Mando!" she exclaimed, her voice almost drowned out by the rumbling of their dying engines.

"Hold on!" he yelled back again, and Tess almost wanted to look away as the water she'd admired minutes now looked like death rising up to meet them. She squinted her eyes and turned her head to the side, looking at the Mandalorian. Under his helmet, his eyes shifted towards her, panic playing like a violin inside his chest.

"Razor Crest, do you copy?" flight control came on again. "You have to reduce speed."

"Almost there," Mando replied. "Almost there!"

"Razor Crest, do you copy?"

"Oh, gods," Tess exclaimed as the landing platform came into view, a rickety old stage floating in the middle of the water. Red lights blinked around the edges, and the town leading away from the port bustled, the citizens oblivious to the catastrophe now barreling towards them. They looked at the screen in the center of the console, the manual docking patterns flashing red and green as the ship flew in and out of the marked area. Tess' breaths were more like gasps as Mando tried to hold them together.

"Razor Crest, you're coming in too fast." Flight control called again, and Tess groaned in frustration. "You have to re—" fed up with the lady on the other end, Tess reached her hand from the back of the Mandalorian's chair and switched off the comms. Mando looked at her in surprise, and Tess gave him a quick smirk. Mando smiled and turned back, releasing the landing gear. The engine's whirred as the ship slowed down, still coming in too fast, but slowing down a little.

The Razor Crest teetered in place, and the Mandalorian said softly. "Here we go, nice and easy." Tess refrained from telling him that this landing was anything but nice and easy, instead loosening her grip on the lever. They lowered to the ground, the green blinking screen staying the same colour. Tess just hoped it continued to do so.

She shouldn't have jinxed it. At that moment, Tess shrieked as the engine to her right burst into a firestorm of red and burnt orange, ashes falling to the ground. Mando grunted and held onto Tess' forearm, tugging her close to him as the ship rolled away. He'd lost control and a scream burst from Tess' lips as the water rose up to meet them.

The Razor Crest rolled under the water, the clear liquid enveloping them fully. Tess closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to see the enormous amount of water come up to drown them. She couldn't swim, and definitely did not want to feel the water filling her lungs. She kept her eyes shut tight.

Tess did not open them until the tug of the crane jostled the passengers inside. Mando kept her steady as Frog Lady shrieked, and they were all thrown forward by the force. Slowly but surely, the four were lifted out of the water. Tess let out a loud breath as the ship landed hard on the dock, wavering on the edge before coming to a complete stop. Mando did the same, letting his shoulders relax.

Tess let go of his chair and stepped back. Frog Lady got up, and once Mando had powered down the ship, the four of them walked to the hull, opening the doors.

When Tess planted both feet on the concrete dock, she took in a deep breath. The air fizzled with fresh water, spraying her face like mist in the morning. Tess looked around, her eyes transfixed on the bubbling water around her. She'd heard stories, of course, about things called oceans and seas, but had never believed them. The tales were old wives stories, made up by women and men who had nothing better to do than scare little children and make them go home squealing in fear at the idea of a pit of endless, churning water. Tess had never believed them. Now she realized how wrong she was. This sea, this ocean, stretched for miles on end, with no stoppage in sight. Large crests of the water rose up and down, and Tess saw vehicles speeding across the top.

She had never witnessed something so equally terrifying and exhilarating, at the same time.

"Tess," the Mandalorian's hoarse voice pulled the girl out of her daze, and she quickly followed after him and Frog Lady, capsule of eggs tightly clasped to her back.

A creature Tess had never seen before walked up to them. He had a shiny face of burnt orange and amber, with wide eyes and a puckered mouth. His head was shaped like an oval, and gills lined his neck. He looked like the fish that were sometimes imported through mos Pelgo.

"So, how can I help you?" Tess was surprised the creature spoke their language, she'd gotten used to other species having their own specific tongue. His voice was crotchety and sounded like the static of a broken hologram.

Mando paused for a moment, and Tess stuck closer to his side as the man looked down to her, his unnerving unblinking eyes watching her face. "Can you fix it?" the man turned away and looked up to the ship. Tess scoffed, already knowing the answer, but held her tongue.

"Fix it?" he finally spoke, voice shaking. "Nah." Tess rolled her shoulders, smirking at her predictions being correct. "But I can make it fly."

"Barely," Tess muttered to herself, the plans running rampant inside her brain. Mando glanced at her, tilting his head to the side, clearly annoyed by her statement. But he couldn't hold her knowing gaze for long, and turned back to the Mon Calamari.

"Do what you can." Mando said through a sigh. Tess followed him, walking by his side as they sauntered into the fishing town. Frog Lady went ahead, gazing fervently around. Tess took the slow pace to look at their surroundings, watching the town hustle and bustle around her. Their way of life, already, was foreign and new, nothing like the subdued, slightly downcast nature of Mos Pelgo. Despite the muted tones of this town, life seeped from every corner and crevice. It was a drastic change from her previous life, and Tess forced the smile creeping up to her mouth down as little children of the same fish species ran happily through the streets.

Pulled in his floating tram, the child flew beside them. Mando, Tess, and the kid walked in a line, the girl limping with her barely noticeable metal leg, the man sauntering with his heavy armor, and the child simply laying there, enjoying the ride. Frog Lady ahead of them stood in place, looking around, shouting in her language through the streets. Tess' pace slowed, and she too peered around, trying to find a similar looking creature as the woman. Mando stopped beside her, and the two shared a look of sympathy. Tess rubbed the muscles in her hands, Mando's coat trailing behind her in the light breeze.

A deeper, baritone croak sounded to their side. All of them looked over, and as the crowd dispersed, Tess saw a blue frog creature, the same as their passenger. His eyes widened when Frog Lady screamed in joy and quickly raced towards him. The Mandalorian, Tess, and the baby followed after her. The two frog creatures collided, wrapping each other in a tight embrace, their foreheads connecting. Tess' chest twinged at the sight. Both the creatures squealed, and the husband seemed to be smiling.

Frog Lady took off the capsule and placed it carefully on the ground. Mando and Tess walked around them. Tess paused to see the husband lovingly holding the woman's hand and Frog Lady touching his face softly as they looked down at the last of their line. As the two watched the capsule of eggs, the child beside Tess cooed. Both looked at him, and Tess reached over ,petting it's head.

"I know you're hungry." Mando told him. "We'll get you something to eat." the child whimpered. At the Mandalorian's comment, Tess' stomach grumbled loudly, alerting her that she too was hungry. No, not just hungry, Tess was starving. She placed a hand to her stomach and frowned.

Frog Lady's husband got up from his crouch and moved towards them. He reached out his hands towards Mando, who raised his arm. The man took it lovingly.

"You're welcome." Mando said respectfully. Tess shifted from foot to foot as the man turned to her, and held out his hands again. She paused for a moment, frowning. Mando hit her in the arm with his elbow, and Tess glared at him before reaching up as well. The man took it and bowed his head. Tess awkwardly did the same.

"You're...." she started. "You're welcome." it felt weird on her tongue, and Tess looked back down to her shoes when the man released her. The Frog turned back to Mando, who stepped forward.

"I was told you could lead me to others of my kind." Mando said. The Frog man nodded, his croak long and drawn out, then whirled around continued to speak in Frog, pointing towards a small building several feet away. The sign on the front read in galactic basic; inn. A simple name, but to the three now stuck together until each found peace, it was everything. The Frog man face them.

"The inn?" Tess asked, and the man nodded, going back to his wife. Tess let out a heavy and relieved sigh, grateful that finally, after days of wandering and aimlessly falling into danger, they had a destination of sorts.

When they started to walk forward, Tess halted again. The side of her head seemed to burn, and she furrowed her brow, looking around. A little ways away, near a collection of silver boxes stacked together, a woman with bronze skin and heavy black cloak watched them. Her eyes found Tess', and something lit on the woman's face, like a match flickering to life. Tess didn't break her gaze from the woman staring at them, only nudged Mando in the side. The man turned, confused, and followed her gaze. When he too saw the woman, the warrior froze. Tess and Mando watched the cloaked figure carefully, but as a large group of citizens passed by, the moment they dispersed, she was gone. Tess gasped and turned back to the Mandalorian.

They shared a concerned look, then peered down at the child. Mando said nothing, so Tess kept her mouth closed, and they walked over, following the two Frog creatures towards the inn. However, Tess did notice that Mando dragged behind slightly, shielding her and the child with his body. Tess gulped and kept a steady pace, ignoring the thunk of her leg on the concrete floor.

When they entered the bar, Mando pushed ahead to walk beside Tess, and his hand grazed her arm. The Frog man raised a hand, and a Mon Calamari greeted him. Frog Lady's husband turned to Mando and Tess, croaking and pointing towards the waiter. Mando placed a hand on Frog Lady's shoulder as Tess walked ahead, trying to ignore the many pairs of eyes landing on her.

"Thank you." he told Frog Lady, and followed after the girl. Tess looked back and met Frog Lady's eyes. clumsily the girl nodded her head in thanks, and Frog Lady nodded back. Tess whirled around quickly, her hair falling over her blazing eyes. The Mandalorian trailed after her.

The fish-like waiter called them. "Have a seat over there." he pointed to a table near the center of the room. Mando nodded and directed Tess over. They were a strange pair, the Beskar clad man and the little girl with a dangerous eye. The customers inside found their attention drawn towards the two, as well as the green child resting in the pram. Their gazes fell on the girl, so small and thin, yet her frown and steel gaze felt like they was cutting into their skin as she surveyed the room.

However, in her haste to eat, Tess did not see the two men in the back, tucked away in a corner. Unshaven beards, pistols clung to their side, the men watched her cautiously, smirks playing on their faces as the girl sat beside the warrior, massaging her hands. The two looked at each other, glints in their eyes, and went back to eating their sludge.

Tess could feel eyes on her, but she pushed her unease away. One felt like it was burning, eating away at her skin, but when she looked up and turned her head slowly, she saw no one to match the feeling.

Of course she didn't see him, standing with a cloak slung over his shoulder, one leg pulled up to rest on the wall. It was his job to remain invisible. The man let out a puff of smoke from his old fashioned pipe, his eyes grazing over the bounty hunter and the girl. He knew them, or, he knew the man, and when he'd gotten inventory of their business in the inn, the man swiftly left without anyone seeing him. He had a job to do.

Tess and the Mandalorian were unaware of what had just occurred, and turned to the waiter with ease.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Nothing for me," the Mandalorian said. "Two bowls of chowder for my friends." Against her will, Tess' stomach grumbled again, and she bit the inside of her cheek as the Mandalorian glanced her way.

"These seats are scarce, buddy," the waiter spoke up, causing Tess to move her gaze to him. "Everyone seated needs to eat." Tess opened her mouth to protest, but under the table Mando kicked her leg, and she grimaced, but kept quiet. Mando nodded softly and looked back up.

"I can buy something else," he said. Swiftly gliding the currency across the table, Mando's hand retreated and Tess looked cautiously at the matte white coins of something like plastic. "Information." Mando finished swiftly. The waiter paused, then grabbed the currency and pulled them toward him.

Tess' shoulders stiffened as the Mandalorian continued. "Have you seen others that look like me?" the waiter paused, glancing around, his yellow eyes searching the bar, then turned back and reached up the wires Tess now saw hanging above them. The man pulled them down and over the bowls in front of the child and Tess. Light grey sludge poured out of the tubes into the bowls, squelching as the liquid was filled to the brim of her bowl. Tess tried to keep her gaze neutral as the man pushed the bowl towards her, then to the child. He released the wires and stood back up.

"Others with beskar have been through here," he whispered. Tess grabbed her spoon and began to cautiously poke at the sludge sliding around her bowl. She dipped into it and brought a small sip of the stuff to her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise as the hot liquid went down her throat, sweet and honey tinged. It was good. Tess began to hungrily dig in, letting the chowder fill her mouth without even finishing the sip before.

"Who can take me to them?" the Mandalorian said haltingly, his eyes continuing to move towards Tess as she downed the chowder quickly, leaning back when the bowl was completely demolished.

The child was not so fortunate. He peered into his bowl cautiously, taking his time to look at the chowder. Tess gulped down the last bit and looked back up to Mando and the waiter.

"I know someone who might help." the man said, turning to the side. Tess and Mando followed his gaze as the man walked away, slouching over to whisper to a squid looking creature. Tess knew who this species was, and she froze, frowning in his direction. A Quarren. Mando too knew, and he understood why Tess was uncertain. It was known throughout the galaxy that Quarren were a hard species to trust, only wanting and doing business for themselves.

Suddenly, the child started to shriek, and both Tess and Mando whirled on him, eyes widening in sync when they saw a small octopus creature plastered itself on the child's face. Tess was more panicked, jolting back and hitting her head against the Mandalorian's chest. The warrior pressed a comforting hand on her arm and pulled out his dagger, lightly tapping the squid. It fell back into the water.

"Don't play with your food." he told the kid, who paused and looked into the bowl suspiciously, ears rising. Tess raised an eyebrow and moved back into her normal seat, peering into her own bowl. She'd suddenly lost her appetite.

The Quarren the waiter had been talking to slid into a seat in front of them, and Tess let her steel gaze bore into the side of his head. She was angered to realize her look had no effect on the man. He stroked his tentacles and leaned forward. Mando kept a hand on Tess' arm, something she was grateful for.

"You seek others of your kind?" the Quarren asked them.

"Have you seen them?" Mando asked gingerly. Tess looked away when the Quarren's eyes met hers.

"Aye." he replied slowly. "I can bring you to them." the man chuckled quietly, his eyes raking over Tess' face. She gave him the best scowl she could, and the Mandalorian tried not to slam the Quarrens head onto the table.

"Where?" he asked instead.

"Only a few hours' sail." the Quarren answered. "It'll cost you though." he chuckled again, and Tess bristled, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. The Mandalorian didn't move, but he tilted his head towards Tess. She fervently shook her head, but the Mandalorian sighed in disagreement. She knew without seeing his face that Mando had already made up his mind. We have no choice, he was thinking. Tess glowered, but got up with him as the Quarren beckoned them out of the inn.

"This is a bad idea." she whispered to him as they went out into the market square.

"I know." the Mandalorian replied.

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Tess found herself beside the Mandalorian about 30 minutes later, her hands gripping the rails of the ship gliding over the water. Mando stood next to her, stoic, with his hands at his side, shoulders stiff. She kept her mouth shut, her face half green as she looked over the side of the boat into the depth of the ocean.

When she'd first stepped onto the Quarren's ship, the many brothers of the man bustling around them with ropes and nets and hooks, she'd wanted to turn back. The ship bobbed in the waves, moving up and down as it crested each sapphire hill. All the movement had mde Tess sick to the stomach, and she'd spent the rest of the journey peering over the edge, occasionally closing her eyes, clenching her jaw to stop the sickness from rising any higher.

The Mandalorian could see that sailing was not something Tess enjoyed, but he had no way to calm her, or tell her it was going to be alright. Already, he was regretting choosing to take the Quarren's help, and stood stiffly as the men bustled around them. He wanted to turn back, to get Tess on dry land again where she wouldn't look like she was about to pass out. He'd already brought her through enough danger, and didn't want to hurt her more. Something pulled in his chest, and he looked down at the child beside him. He wanted to keel over, to hit something, to let the anger and the tearing in his soul be healed. But he couldn't. He couldn't do anything. He needed to be strong. He needed to show both kids that there was nothing to be afraid of, even if he knew he was lying.

"You ever see a mamacore eat?" Tess jumped as the Quarren's voice cut through her thoughts, and the two turned to the man now standing beside her. He placed one hand on the rail, a large staff with a spike at the end in his hand.

"No." Tess managed to say, but her voice was faint, and she felt another round of nausea swim through her stomach. The Quarren chuckled, and the Mandalorian took a step closer to Tess.

"Quite a sight." the man said through his laughs. Tess' thoughts were too jumbled to make out if he was patronizing her or if his tone meant something else. Mando turned his head back to looking at the sea, and Tess did the same. She forced her body to move, straightening her back, trying not to show the weakness in her legs, or the puke rising in her mouth.

"Kids might take an interest." the Quarren continued, and Tess huffed out a breath before turning to look at him again. The Mandalorian sighed and glanced at the child, who clearly had intrigue playing in his eyes. Tess wasn't really focusing, so she followed after the Mandalorian as he walked closer to the opening grate in the center of the boat.

"You should take a look," the Quarren hadn't finished speaking. "Come on over here." Mando held out a hand for Tess, seeing as she was wobbling horribly on her feet, but the girl declined. She pushed herself fully off the rail and walked over with them, standing beside the Mandalorian next to the Quarren, who also walked with them. He was still talking, but Tess could barely keep herself steady, and didn't quite make out what he said. The Mandalorian kept one eye trained on the grate, but his thoughts were scrambled, focusing on too much at once. Unease churned in his gut.

"Alright," Mando said as Tess stepped closer to look at the water. "Close enough." Tess stopped and looked down, her eyes narrowing at the silken water beneath them. The Quarren dropped a net of fish into the opening, and it soon began to bubble. Tess' frown deepened.

"She must be hungry." the Quarren said with a laugh. "Oftentimes we'll feed her in the early morning," Tess kept her eyes trained on the bubbling liquid, but her heart beat rapidly in her chest, as if she were waiting for something to happen.

"Mando." she whispered softly, but the bile rose to her throat and she choked on her words. The Mandalorian didn't hear her.

"But we missed that." the Quarren finished. "'Cause we were goin' out of port!"

And then the Quarren raised his staff, swung it around, and hit Tess swiftly in the back. Pain exploded across her body as Tess shrieked and lost her footing on the dock.

The last thing she heard was Mando screaming her name before she fell into the water below. 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

okay, before you get mad at me for that horrible cliffhanger, I would like to apologize 1000 or so  times. No really, I'm sorry. I'm going to try and make this author's note pretty short because mine are usually very long and I realize you guys probably don't want that, so this is what I will say: 

1. Frog lady and her husband need to be protected at all costs, they are too pure for this world and I love them with all my heart. 

2. Tess is slowly opening up and healing because of Mando and it makes me SO HAPPY, I love them with my entire being and I hope you do to because they're the only reason this fic exists. Soooo, do you like their blossoming relationship, give me your thoughts on Tess and Din in the comments. 

3. I hate Quarrens. that's it, that's the note. 

4. Finally, what did you think of this chapter? thoughts on the weird men in the inn, about Tess' healing at the beginning? What did you think of Mando's conflict at the end with wanting to protect Tess? I LOVE TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS AND THOUGHTS (sorry that was really aggressive, love you guys 😘). 

As always, don't be afraid to comment or vote (and give me a follow?), I love reading your comments, they make my day and I always try to respond! Until next time (where Tess learns how to drown and our space fam meets a certain red-haired queen).

Love, Mal