CHAPTER SEVEN. 

THE STRUGGLE 

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When Tess was ten years old, she lost everything.

Her home. Her parents. Her leg.

But the thing that hurt the most was losing her heart. It stopped beating the day something inside her snapped, the day she saw that her parents weren't holding hands, the day her screams pierced the cosmos, blistering black and agonizingly loud. When she slept on the streets, no blanket to warm her shivering body, no one to hold her as she dreamed of oblivion, of the sweet confines of death. It would be so much better than the life she was leading. If she were to stop breathing, stop moving, eyes downcast and life seeping from her fingertips. Tess might be able to see her parents again.

She thought of those days when she was just a small, innocent child, a girl who loved machines, who was the dawn and the light of her family's life. They seemed like a far off dream, despite only having happened three days prior. She lost her leg, she lost the will to fight, she lost everything. Those first few days, Tess wished for death. All she wanted was to rest. To stop the beating of her heart, stop the feelings of agony and torment working it's way through her body and mind.

But when had Tess' wishes ever been answered?

Instead of dying, Tess got something worse. Her heart froze. It still beat, it still worked, but there was nothing left on the inside. No love, no hate, no compassion for anyone but herself. Frost lined her organs, ice stained her lips, and storms found a home in her eyes. She became an enigma, a paradox. She became heartless.

And for a while, Tess lived with it gratefully. She decided it was better to live without a care for others than to love as she once had. Love like when her parents were still alive, when they told her each night that when the dawn came, it was a new day to fight. Tess knew better after they were dead. She knew that they were wrong, that the very words they preached were the very thing that had gotten them killed.

Tess wouldn't live like that. She couldn't live like that.

As she stood beside the two men, looking out across the sands to where three Tusken raiders were yelling towards and gargantuan cavern, she realized that this had all been a mistake. This wasn't what she did. She wasn't a fighter, she didn't join in battles or stand to watch them. Whenever there was conflict, Tess would walk the other way, hiding behind her blistering frowns and eyes of lightning so that no one would even think to get her involved. She was a mechanic, nothing more and nothing less.

So why was she standing here, wrist gripped by a strange warrior that turned to give her reassurance, about to watch a war unfold before her?

The answer was she did not know. Tess couldn't understand why she didn't run the other way. She couldn't believe that she stood in place, watching the ground rumble as the dragon awoke from its slumber. Why didn't she run away? Why didn't she hide, just as she'd always done? When fear gripped her heart and her body began to shake, why didn't she turn around and flee?

The reason was because once Tess Oprin made up her mind, she couldn't change it.

Days before she'd sat, heartbroken and hoarse from having lost the only place that gave her solace. She'd just been carried in by a man bruised from where she'd punched at his arms and torso and face. He'd sat her down and helped her return to normal, but they all knew that something had changed. Once she'd downed her glass and put on her mask, Tess had finally looked up. Right into the eyes of the man now holding her. Beskar clad armor glinting in the sun, broad shoulders and helmeted features watching the young girl carefully, the Mandalorian had been intrigued by the girl ever since she changed her face. Ever since her features went from pained to placid. When he'd vowed to help them kill the dragon, Tess had made a similar promise; to get revenge. Ever since then she'd gone with the two, and slowly, something started chipping away at her.

She'd been all anger that first day, when the mechanic's shop was destroyed yet she survived. Bent on one thing and one thing only, to kill the dragon and have her heart return to normal. But no such thing occurred. Instead, everything seemed to change. When the raider's strange pet had erupted from the sands, she'd had adrenaline rush through her veins. She went to the Mandalorian and pet the small thing, a smirk playing on her lips. She'd gotten up and stepped in front of the Marshal as he insinuated a fight between the raiders and them. Thunder had erupted from her lips as she'd stood up from her spot, putting herself in the middle of a fight. When she'd come out of her tent that very same night, she hadn't gone back in when she saw the Mandalorian sitting by the fire. Instead, she'd gone to him, spoken to him. And when the child began to heal her leg, he'd caught her.

Everything had changed since the dragon destroyed her forge, and as Tess stood rigid on the crest of the fight, she realized she didn't know if it had been for better or for worse.

That was what scared her the most.

The Tusken's loud calls brought Tess out of her daze, and when they finally stopped, the growling of the dragon rising in the air, Tess took a deep breath. This was it. The fight. The battle. Her revenge. She was so scared.

The Mandalorian did not let go, and Tess did not pull away as the Marshal handed her the detonator. Tess took it in her other hand and released the safety pin. She positioned her thumb over the large button, skin barely brushing the plastic. One push of this and everything would be set off simultaneously. Every single canister that the townsfolk, Tess, and the Mandalorian had built would blow up, destruction reigning down from their detonation.

Normally Tess would almost smile at the thought of seeing her work in action, but not this time. This time, her machines were weapons, and they could kill. They were used to fight with. It brought a wave of nausea roiling inside Tess' stomach. The Mandalorian gripped her wrist tighter, hoping his touch would bring her the reassurance he himself was lacking in that moment.

But Tess was too smart for that, he knew. He held on tighter nonetheless.

The ground trembled as the dragon's horrible screams grew louder with each second. The raiders ran back, rifles in hand. They tripped over their robes, scrambling to get back to safety behind the crossbows. Silently, Tess pleaded for them to make it. She'd already seen one raider perish at the jaws of the dragon, and found she did not want to see another.

It was a fruitless thought. Death would find it's fortune that day.

Tess tried not to take a step back as the sands behind the raiders began to twist and spread apart. The leviathan moved underneath the grains like a snake, slithering through the field of it's home loudly and carelessly. It knew how big it was. It knew the townsfolk and raiders were no match for it's might. Tess' eyes narrowed. Let's see if it thinks that once I blow it sky high, she thought. Tess looked down at where the Mandalorian gripped her wrist, and slowly, carefully, so as not to seem rude, she lifted her arm up and pulled away. The Mandalorian glanced at her, and saw that she was not angry at him, so he released her gently. So, very gently.

It was then that the dragon burst forth from the sands. Tess took a step back, the Marshal placing hand on her back as they both stared at the dragon's head now protruding from the sand. A large, sharp edged mouth with rusted scales and a scream that pierced her eardrums, the dragon made itself known to all. A monster with a thirst for blood, a behemoth that could crush them in an instant, the krayt dragon bared its teeth and slithered out from the darkness of it's cave, ready for war.

Tess thought she might pass out.

The dragon moved out farther, screams reverberating across the field. The raiders and townsfolk moved to their stations, winding up the crossbows. The first arrow flew and collided near the dragon's mouth, digging the metal into its flesh. The dragon gave another growl and moved up forward.

Tess positioned her hands to grip the detonator firmly, hand ready to push the button when necessary. The Mandalorian held up a hand, signalling for her to wait. Tess' stomach constricted tightly, but she nodded. She wanted this to be over soon, wanted the fight to end as quickly as it had begun. She squinted at the dragon, then down to where her charges were set. Just a little more.

They fired another arrow into the flesh, and Tess jolted forward in terror as she saw that two of the raiders had made it back safely behind the weapons, but the third had fallen down in the sand, and the dragon was inching closer. The Marshal lowered his hand from her back as she gripped the detonator so tightly her knuckles began to ache. Come on, she thought, come on! She couldn't deal with another one, another unnecessary and pointless death.

But it was too late. The dragon swallowed the raider whole, it's screams drowning out the Tusken's pleas, and the beast's large jaws snapped closed. Tess' mouth opened slightly, silent terror on her lips.

"No," she whispered, loud enough only for her own ears. The dragon went closer to the bows and the Mandalorian held up a small electric telescope. Tess looked out again, and then she saw what he was staring at. The dragon was moving slightly backwards, the arrows still stuck in it's flesh moving the ropes attached flying closer to it's jaws.

"Dank farrik," the Mandalorian cursed. "It's going back in." The raiders and townspeople quickly moved towards the rope, grabbing onto the wire and hastily tried to pull it backwards. Tess looked to her left, and saw that all the children were now scrambling upwards towards the hill, hiding behind the rocks.

Screams erupted from down below as the ropes snapped from where they were tied up, pulling several raiders forward. Everyone scrambled to grab onto each other, pulling out blasters to try and singe the skin off the thing. The dragon showed little strain as it retreated farther back into its cave.

"No!" Tess screamed, taking several steps forward, then turned to the Mandalorian. "What do we do?"

"It's retreating." he answered.

"What do we do!?" Tess asked again, her voice pleading. "Should I hit it?" she moved her hand over the button, but the Mandalorian stopped her.

"Hit it." the Marshal said slowly. Tess frowned and went to push.

"No, wait!" the Mandalorian cried out. "We only have one shot. We've got to get it out." Tess scowled, but moved her hand away. She looked at the Marshal, who stared back at her, the same frustration in his eyes. Tess turned back to watch down below as the townspeople moved forward in unison towards the dragon and threw the leftover grenades at the beast's hide. The explosions rattled inside Tess' head, and she dared not blink as the dragon shrieked.

The townsfolk's destruction paid off, for the dragon burst ahead again, mouth opening wide as they continued to fire at the monster. It moved heavily, gliding along the sands with it's jaws outstretched. For a moment, it hung in the air, then it came crashing down on several fallen villagers, crunching them under its weight. The Marshal stiffened.

"Now?" he asked. Tess looked between them, breath becoming ragged as she watched more and more townsfolk get eaten by the dragon. Lives being snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Her hands shook as she tried to keep a steady grip on the detonator.

"Not yet." the Mandalorian replied incredulously, and Tess scowled at him. "It's gotta come out further." and so the fight continued, the raiders continually pounding the dragon with arrows, the townsfolk shooting at the monster's scales with no apparent success. The dragon reared its head and crashed into the sands, moving it's neck from side to side, trying to rid itself of the bonds.

Tess held on tightly to the detonator, needing something to ground herself in all the chaos. Her mouth quivered and her hands grew sweat slick under her gloves. Time seemed to slow, and Tess felt as if she could see every little movement the dragon made. Every breath it took, every shriek that left it's gaping jaws. Every death it craved. Bile rose at the back of her throat, and it took anything in her not to fall to her knees. This was the fight she'd dreaded for so long. It was happening right now, and Tess was caught up in the middle of it. She didn't know how much longer she could go.

Then it happened. As the dragon reared closer to the group of villagers, it wound it's head up farther. Neck rising into the air, the arrows that pierced it's flesh snapped at the movement, ropes flinging forward, taking the raiders with it. The red bolts of blaster fire ceased as the dragon gave a loud shriek. Tess stepped forward, watching the proceedings with wide, harried eyes. The storm that raged beneath her skin boiled to the surface as the monster shrieked, and a thick green liquid came spewing from its mouth. Tess gasped, body convulsing as the acid washed over the villagers and raiders, covering them in the stuff. She looked down to where they had been drowned, and saw none of them get back up.

They were dead.

Tess' legs gave way under her, and the Mandalorian raced to catch her before she fell. He looked at her wide-eyed expression, fear glinting across her pupils like lightning from behind a cloud. He could see her hands shake, grease stained and calloused, her bitten lips quivering at the sight of the dragon.

He didn't know how to help her, so he kept her steady, her back pushing against his chest as she watched the dragon spew more of the acid liquid, destroying the bows and killing with ease. It's head dived back into the ground, sand flying in all directions, and the force of the blow made Tess' hair whip this way and that. She moved her hand over the detonator.

"Now?" she asked, voice hoarse. The Mandalorian watched the dragon, glancing at the girl every few seconds.

"Almost," he said, and Tess bit her lip. "Almost." The dragon fell against the sands, it's growl quieter as the remaining townsfolk and Tuskens ran farther up the hill, trying to get away from the streaming liquid. Tess did not blink, watching the dragon with a keen eye.

When, she thought, when, Mando?!

As if hearing her thoughts, the Mandalorian put a hand on her shoulder and yelled. "NOW!"

Tess didn't need to be told twice. Her thumbs slammed down onto the red button, plastic moving under her touch. The detonator gave a loud beep, and it shook in her palms as she slid her gaze back up to the dragon.

The world erupted into fire and ash.

The dragon screamed, it's voice reverberated across the field as a blast of wind shook the very canyon they were standing in. Red hot flames broke out across the dragons underside, spewing bits of sand in all directions and the townsfolk down below were pushed back, falling over their feet at the impact of the explosives. The fire was illuminated in Tess' eyes as her, the Marshal and the Mandalorian were thrown back by the force. The Mandalorian kept a protective grip on her shoulder as they watched the destruction rain down upon the dragon. The Marshal took a step closer to them as they looked back out across the field. A swirling cloud of dust settled over the fallen villagers and Tuskens.

Tess did not smile, but she did not frown either as the dust cleared and they waited to see if the dragon was dead. Tess didn't smirk with joy or let her heart seize because if she was being honest, she didn't think it had worked. It hurt to admit, hurt to even think, but with the explosion subsiding and the dragon nowhere to be seen, doubt crept along her bones.

The Mandalorian let go of her shoulder as Tess stepped forward hesitantly, the detonator hanging loosely from her fingertips. The townsfolk down below began to help each other up, and Tess turned to the rocks all the children hid behind, eyes scanning hurriedly for any sign of one curly haired girl. She couldn't find Jo. Tess turned back to the Mandalorian and the Marshal, Vanth staring out at the sands, and the Mandalorian gazing at Tess. She pulled on a cool expression quickly, if only to stop the rapid thrum in her heart. The Mandalorian raised an eyebrow as her features went numb again, frown on her face and eyes flashing with something vicious.

The only thing that gave her away was how hard she was shaking.

The townsfolk and villagers down below took hesitant steps forward, rifles raised, watching the sands where the dragon had disappeared. Everyone stood still, watching the field of churned rocks and tan rivers before them. Tess cocked her head slightly to the side, her eyes never leaving the sight below.

Tentatively, the Marshal finally spoke up. "I don't think it's dead." He stopped and looked towards the Mandalorian, and they shared a private word. Tess knew what they were thinking. They were wondering how she would react knowing that her machines hadn't worked. Knowing that all that time spent reassuring everyone it would be enough had suddenly just failed.

"Me either." the Mandalorian replied. Tess stiffened. She knew she should be angry, she knew she should be cursing herself that nothing had worked, that her and the Mandalorian had spent all that time working side by side only to have it all be for nothing. She knew she should feel something with the knowledge that she had been wrong, but if she was being truthful, all Tess felt was... numb. It was ironic, how the one place she'd spent her entire life trying to get to was the one thing Tess cursed herself for being. She didn't care that the machines didn't work, didn't care she had been wrong, didn't care that it was now clear Tess couldn't do everything, not even with the one thing she was near perfect at.

She didn't care. And what scared her even more was that she wanted to care.

"What do we do now?" Tess asked.

As if it could read her mind, as if some unseen force had wormed its way through the air to hear her words, a thunderous cacophony of breaking rocks and reigning carnage met the troupe's ears. Tess almost fell over at the sight of the dragon bursting forth from the top of the large canyon, it's gargantuan head rearing from the townsfolk's efforts. It shrieked, a noise loud enough to burst the eardrums of anyone close enough, and Tess put her hands over her ears, tears brimming her eyes. She forced them back down. Now was not the time to break. Not the time for unwanted emotions, she'd had enough of that already. Tess lowered her hands and looked up at the dragon.

It opened its mouth wide, cavernous jaws snapping open, the sticky acid of pewter green pouring down from the mountain. The Mandalorian gripped Tess' forearm as her knees grew wobbly beneath her. She struggled to breathe in as she watched countless more perish. They had no reason to die, no heroic purpose. All they'd done was join in the fight, and they had lost their lives.

Just like her parents.

Tess swallowed sharply and struggled back to an upright position. The Mandalorian let go of her as the Marshal seethed beside her. He watched the battle down below with a frown growing on his handsome features. Vanth had never been one to back down in a fight if it meant he could save the town he lived in. Tess knew what was about to happen next, and she dreaded it. Despite everything, she did not want the Marshal to die.

"It's picking us off like womp rats." Vanth yelled at the Mandalorian, and slowly turned away, shoulders setting. He ran towards his speeder bike where his scratched helmet rested on the seat. Tess and Mando shared a look, then hurried after him.

"What are you doing?" Tess demanded as the Marshal put on his helmet and turned to them. Underneath the metal, his eyes looked over Tess' face. Hardened as steel and just as difficult to read, the Marshal had spent years trying to get close to the girl, to know her name, what she liked to do, and just how much she cared about others. It'd taken him years to finally understand that he was never going to get her compassion, her love, only her respect. It had taken him years to realize that that was enough. The Marshal watched Tess for a moment, the detonator still in her hands and sweat licking her brow. Her umber hair flew around her sharp cheekbones and cobalt eyes. Gods, those eyes were hard not to look at. They were dangerous and volatile, yet captivating all the same. The Marshal had never met a stronger girl than Tess Oprin, and he smiled to himself at her courage for coming to this fight, despite how much she hated getting involved.

In spite of her tough exterior and non-existent heart, her cutting edge words and dagger like sneer, the Marshal loved Tess Oprin, just as he loved all the townsfolk of Mos Pelgo. He adored her, and that was one of the reasons he grabbed his blaster and turned to the Mandalorian.

"Let's get after it." he told the warrior. Tess' mouth thinned to a line as the Mandalorian nodded swiftly and grabbed his rifle on the speeder bike. The child, still cradled in his bag, reached out towards Tess and Mando as he went and stood next to the Marshal. Both men looked back to where Tess stood frozen beside the Mandalorians bike.

The bounty hunter pointed a finger at her. "Stay with the child." Tess didn't need to be told twice. She nodded slowly and went to stand next to the child. She set the detonator down onto the seat and let the child take one of her fingers in it's little hands. Tess looked up into the sky, eyes burning from staring at the suns, and watched with a heavy heart as the Mandalorian and the Marshal flew into the air, streams of flame and gas erupting from the bottom of their twin jet packs. They flew high and towards the mountain, then landed a little off to the side, hidden behind a rock.

When Tess couldn't see them anymore, the dragon gave another scream, and it's strange liquid fell in thick droplets to the ground. Tess stepped forward, letting go of the child to stand on the edge of the ridge overlooking the battle. Her heart ceased in her chest. The sand was littered with darkened splotches, cuts digging deep into the hardened rock like claw-marks. Bodies littered the ground around the broken wood and fallen blasters. Crumpled in different directions, there were dozens of still-warm corpses. Blood seeped from angry red burn marks and welts sprouting across their skin, sticky ruby liquid oozing from the cracks in their skulls.

Bile rose to the back of Tess' throat as she saw blaster bolts ring out from atop the mountain. She stood on the precipice, eyes darting from the where the Mandalorian and Marshal were getting nowhere in killing the dragon, to down below, where the last remaining villagers ran for their lives, leaping over the dead. Tess stood on the edge of war, hair whipping around her face, and slowly the fight cracked and peeled back her mask layer by layer. On the edge of the fight she'd vowed never to join, Tess Oprin was whittled down to nothing more than a skeleton. A body of crumbling ivory bones and glowing marrow, a heart of wires and metal, beating ruby-tinted blood reluctantly through her blackened veins.

Tess was just a little girl, a mechanic with no skills in combat, and she was useless in this fight. But as she stood, body shaking and heart pumping ferociously, Tess realized what she had to do.

The girl took a deep breath in and stepped forward. Her metal leg thrummed as she continued her way down the sands, feet digging into the soft grains. The child watched after her, eyes widening as the girl made her way down to the remaining villagers. He frowned slightly, as the child had come to know Tess as a girl who stood still.

Now she was running down the crest, making her way to the last remaining bantha loaded with explosives. Her fingertips shook with crackling energy, her head swimming with determination, with blind fear and rage mixed into one senseless objective. As she walked downwards, she tried to turn around. Her thoughts scrambled to gain footing as she forced herself to move forwards, thrusting her movements towards the gnawing bantha. Half of her screamed for her to turn back, to clamber up to the safety of the Mandalorian's speeder bike and the small green child sitting in the brown bag. The other half was something inexplicable, something indescribable and powerful enough to keep her moving forward. It burned her bones and flashed white across her irises, a faint ringing pounded her ears as she reached the bantha and quickly grabbed the detonator she'd placed in her jacket pocket.

The ringing in her ears grew louder as she pulled the detonator apart piece by piece, standing behind the bantha, facing where the dragon was still screaming on the mountaintop. Tess maneuvered the detonator with ease, hoping that by making a few adjustments the explosives would all explode at once, instead of simultaneously. She ignored the roaring of her heart and the churning of her stomach, ignored the way her eyes darted around anxiously and her mouth went dry at every dragon's screams.

Gods, she was so scared.

Tess pulled on the wires frantically as the dragon's shrieks grew more pronounced. She looked up, hair falling over her eyes, and she sucked in a breath. She could see the small silhouettes of Mando and Vanth on the cliff side, facing the dragon. Small dark specks against the desert sands of burnt orange and umber red. Tess' breaths grew louder in her ears as she frantically placed the panel firmly on to the back of the detonator and looked up.

The dragon turned its head, and her breath caught in her throat. It's large mouth widened as it slammed it's teeth down onto the place where the Mandalorian and Marshal had just been. Her knees fell from under her and Tess was just able to catch the saddle of the bantha before she collided with the floor. The ringing in her ears, like a thousand tiny bells shivering from the cold, grew louder as she watched the two specks fly from the top of the mountain and down near the grass. The Mandalorian and the Marshal landed beside the bantha where Tess now stood. The Mandalorian at first didn't see the girl, only turned around and raised his rifle. It took him a moment to recognize that someone was watching him, someone breathing heavily and holding onto the bantha beside them.

He almost didn't recognize Tess when he turned and locked eyes with her.

She looked so broken. So frail and untamed and scared, so very scared. Tess' mouth was slightly open, ragged pants heaving against her burning lungs as the Mandalorian lowered his weapon slightly and turned to her. Her hair was slick with sweat, hands shaking from where she held onto the bantha for support. The detonator in her hands quivered as she pulled herself up and looked back at him.

Those stormy eyes made a wash of cold slither through his bones as the Mandalorian realized just where Tess was. She was right in front of him, standing in the center of a battlefield with a charge in her hand and a load of explosives at her side. The girl who ran from a fight was standing in the middle of one, and the Mandalorian wanted nothing more than to grab onto her and fly her out of danger, for he knew that the real fight was just beginning, and Tess was caught right in the middle of it.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, voice barely audible amid all the chaos around them.

That was when Tess finally made herself stop and think. What was she doing here? What was she doing out in the middle of the sand field, below a beast that could kill her any moment, gripping a detonator connected to a dozen explosives? What was she doing here? Tess was not a fighter. She did not raise her fists and throw her arms out to clip someone on the jaw. She did not hold blasters and point it at a living being, watching the life leave their eyes as the ring of molten laser cut a hole in their chest. She did not run out into a battle, blind and frenzied, full of hope that she might make it out alive.

Tess Oprin was not a fighter, and yet here she was, standing beside two warriors, explosives in hand, and a harsh ringing in her ears. Here she was, fighting. Tess' stomach lurched, and she took a staggering step forward as everything came crashing down around her. This was it. This was everything she'd ever vowed not to do coming to serve her justice.

This fight was Tess' reckoning, her blind hunger for vengeance coming due, and now she was paying the price. She was paying the price in fear.

Tess looked back up to the Mandalorian, who had seen her mind whirring, fear growing on her face. He could do nothing to comfort her in that moment, and it pained him. It hurt him so much. The Mandalorian took a step towards Tess as she held out the detonator to him.

"Blasters aren't going to work." Her voice was so small, as soft and light as a feather floating to the ground. Her blunt words were no more, all that could be heard was a clouded voice, a voice too far past the brink of reasoning that she no longer cared what she sounded like. For once, the Mandalorian wished he could wince when she spoke, for this new gentle tone was far far worse.

"What are you doing here?" the Mandalorian repeated. "You should be back with the child."

"Blasters aren't going to work!" Tess started to yell as the dragon plunged into the mountain, rocks flying down towards them. "You need to get it from the inside!"

"What?" The Mandalorian asked. He was only half listening, because he was too busy scanning her for injuries and wondering why she had come down there. Tess growled and stepped forward shoving the detonator into his hands. He took it, but wrapped his palm around Tess' fists, so that she couldn't turn away. Tess frowned slightly, but did not make him let go.

"You should be back with the child." the Mandalorian argued.

"Well, I'm not, am I?" Tess retorted back, but her words did not have the same earth-shattering impact they usually did. The Mandalorian's brows scrunched together.

"You shouldn't be here, get back to the speeders!"

"Listen to me, if you don't take these explosives and try to blow that dragon to the pits of Tatooine then we're all going to die!" Tess exclaimed. She retracted her hand from where the Mandalorian gripped it, breaths coming out of her in pants, the ringing in her ears growing. She shook her head slightly to get rid of it, but the noise only increased. She looked back up at the Mandalorian.

"Take the explosives." she said slowly. "And kill the dragon."

The Mandalorian stood before her, dumbfounded. Tess' hands shook violently, her shoulders heaving as she grabbed the bantha from beside her and pulled it towards the warrior, handing the reins over to him.

"Kill it." she said with a finality he couldn't object to. "please." The last word made his heart seize in his chest, and the Mandalorian grabbed the reins from Tess. She took a step back, and her lips closed into a thin line, eyes widening, hands shaking. The ringing hurt her skull, as if a hammer were banging at the back of her head.

The Mandalorian took a step forward as she winced, but in that moment, a giant scream made them both turn to the sands behind them. The dragon erupted from below, a colossus titan bursting forth from it's home, large teeth gleaming in the afternoon sun. It reared its head and dove into the sand, landing on top of a bunch of villagers. Tess screamed. It wasn't a loud scream, and nor was it long, but in that one scream a million words could be heard, unspoken and filled with so much emotion. The Mandalorian took a step back, shielding Tess' body with his own as the dragon shuffled along the sands, it's screeches bouncing around his helmet. The Marshal still had his blaster raised.

Everything had gone wrong.

The Mandalorian watched as the dragon continued to slaughter the townsfolk and raiders one by one. The explosives were supposed to weaken it, the Mandalorian and the Marshal were supposed to kill it, and Tess was supposed to be somewhere safe. Instead, she stood behind the Mandalorian, her mind racing and her eyes squinting as pain exploded at the back of her head.

The Mandalorian was debating what to do, his thoughts a jumbled mess. He needed to get Tess back to safety, then he would be able to do as she'd said, but how could he get her back to the child when she was holding onto his forearm with no intention of letting go? He could hear her scared breaths behind him, feel the determination in her grip. Why did she have to be so stubborn? He looked back to the dragon, rifle in his hands, but his thoughts betrayed him, and the Mandalorian couldn't figure out what to do. Tess wished he would hurry up and take the explosives.

But it was too late. The dragon burst forth from the sands once again, and Tess gasped when she saw that it was heading straight for them. The Marshal started to fire at the dragon hurriedly with his blaster, the rings of blazing ruby doing nothing to slow its course. It was heading straight for them. They were going to die.

And then, in that moment of pure dread, of the knowledge that death approached, something inside Tess Oprin shattered. Maybe it was that she was so full of revenge that her judgement was clouded. Maybe it was that she'd known this fight had been coming for some time, and now it had arrived full force. Maybe it was the fact that Tess didn't want to die, for she had seen death too much that day, watched life seep into the earth like water poured over dried dirt, seen the light leave the townsfolk's eyes as they left this world. For so many years Tess had wished for oblivion, hoped that one day she would simply never wake up, her heart finally abandoning the young girl after so many years of neglect. Whatever it was, in those few seconds before the dragon arrived to snap her in half with it's gargantuan jaws, the ice cracked along her body. It shattered in her bones. The frost lining her soul melted, and in its stead, a beating, crackling energy, divine and fierce wormed it's way through her organs, pushing up against her skin, numbing her fingertips and exploding in her ears.

Maybe it was all of these things, a culmination of her entire life, of everything she'd endured in the past few days, that made Tess step in front of the Mandalorian, shoving him back as he tried to pull her to him, and walked to stand facing the dragon swimming towards her. The Mandalorian screamed her name, the Marshal tried to snatch Tess, but some unseen force seemed to keep him away. The Mandalorian's face was one of stricken panic under his mask, and he dropped the reins to run towards Tess.

Tess heard nothing. She could see nothing around her but the dragon, eyes blazing, hungry for her blood. Her hair whipped around her face in the wind, her fingertips crackled with the power that had been hidden deep in her bones for so long. She'd first noticed it when the child had healed her leg, when the tendrils of sand fell back into the ground, freeing her leg from the pain she'd had for so long. The faint ringing in her ears, the bond she'd felt attach her to the little green thing, it was all because of this. All because of the force inside her that had always been trying to break free, always pushed against her heart, against her very soul, pulling at her to let it be free.

Tess had never allowed it to overtake her. Now, as her need to see no more death overtook her fear, she did. Tess raised her hand, palm outstretched towards the dragon, and let herself break. The Mandalorian ran towards her, calling her name. Tess did not hear him. She narrowed her eyes towards the dragon and screamed.

Power burst forth from her fingertips like it had so many years ago, when she'd pulled her parent's bodies towards her, a broken girl with a numb leg and a shriek of pain that shook the very stars. That same scream came from her lips now. The stars trembled at her voice as the storm that was Tess Oprin erupted. Her blood seethed in her veins, glowing with a force unmatched by anything else. The Mandalorian slowed as he watched Tess.

Time seemed to slow. Inching towards them, seconds becoming minutes, minutes to days. The dragon growled, but it's movements seemed to move through water. Tess' hands shook as she reached towards the dragon, embracing the pull she'd feared only days ago. The world calmed as the girl as bright as a star held out her hands to stop the dragon from reaching them. The Marshal looked on with wide eyes, his mouth opening at the sight of Tess pushing the dragon back, it's body moving in reverse towards the hole which it had come out of.

The Mandalorian never stopped completely. He never stopped running towards Tess as she started to shake more violently, and the dragon's movements grew quicker. The power was draining out of her as quickly as it had come, and he was just able to reach her before Tess collapsed to the ground. The Mandalorian sunk to his knees and caught her in his arms, pulling her tightly to his chest as her eyes blinked slowly, closing and opening again.

The Mandalorian looked back up to where the dragon had been pushed back almost to the outskirts of the field. His eyes widened as he realized what Tess had done.

She'd given them more time.

Meanwhile, the said girl shifted in and out of consciousness. Her entire body ached, feeling as if she'd just been run over by a bantha. Her fingers were numb and her skull blazed with an unseen fire, eyes watering and blinking quickly. Her head lolled to the side, touching the Mandalorian's chest as he quickly pulled her up and ran back towards where the Marshal was coming towards them. Vanth looked worriedly down at Tess held in the Mandalorian's arms, her head drooping. The electricity that always seemed to run across her cobalt blue eyes had dwindled down to barely a spark. The Marshal took Tess in his arms, wrapping his arm under her legs, and the other to support her head. He looked back up to the Mandalorian.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked, voice hoarse from where tears brimmed his eyes at the sight of Tess barely conscious in his arms. The Mandalorian turned back to see the dragon coming at them again, it's gaping mouth out wide. His blood froze in his veins. Mando turned back to the Marshal.

"Get Tess back to safety." He told the Marshal. his eyes gazed over to her fluttering eyelids. "She gave me an idea." The Marshal frowned at the Mandalorian as he placed the detonator on his belt and seized the reins of the bantha.

"What's the plan?" Vanth asked incredulously. Tess squinted at the Mandalorian, forcing herself to stay awake when all she wanted to do was sleep. Her head felt like it had been pounded in with a wrench, like the cogs of her brain were smashed to bits and puncturing holes in her flesh.

"You're gonna take care of the child." the Mandalorian said to the Marshal. "And you're gonna take care of Tess." the girl raised her head slightly at the mention of her name. She gazed at the Mandalorian, who stared back at her with a worried frown growing on his face. She looked so tired, so hurt and fragile.

"What are you gonna do?" the Marshal asked as the Mandalorian gripped his rifle tightly, determination settling into his bones.

"I don't know but wish me luck." On the last word, the Mandalorian took one final check, making sure that Tess was tucked safely in the Marshal's arms, then pounded Vanth's jet pack with the butt of his rifle, and the man and girl were sent flying away from danger.

Tess lurched in the Marshal's arms as they were thrown off course. The Marshal clutched Tess tightly as they flew over the broken bows and landed a little far off to the side of the Mandalorian. The two landed with a thump, and they rolled on top of each other for a couple seconds before the Marshal was able stop them, pulling Tess into his lap before hurriedly taking off his helmet and looking in the direction of the Mandalorian. Tess, her head resting in the Marshal's hands, turned to look at the where the Mandalorian was holding onto the bantha, rifle in hand, staring at the oncoming beast.

Her eyes widened, and she sat up slightly. The Marshal kept his arms around her as she struggled to get up, reaching one arm out to the Mandalorian. "What is he doing?" her voice was faint, and her eyelids drooped. All the energy had gone from her body the moment her power had ceased.

The Marshal said nothing, only kept a firm grip on Tess. Tess tried to break free, pushing against the Marshal in order to get away. The Mandalorian did not look their way, he did not move, only held on tightly to the bantha as the dragon pressed onward, almost on top of them. Tess squirmed harder.

"What is he doing?!" she screamed, voice hoarse as sandpaper. "MANDO!" She kept screaming his name, trying to break free of the Marshal who hugged her close, keeping her from tripping after the bounty hunter.

"No!" she yelled, slamming her elbows against the Marshal's armor. "No! MANDO!"

The Mandalorian heard Tess' faint yells in the back of his mind, but he forced himself not to turn around. Instead, he held on tight to the bantha, and when the dragon's gaping jaws were right on top of them, he set his shoulders and closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.

The dragon swallowed him whole.

"NO!" Tess screamed, reaching towards where the dragon's body now disappeared under the sands." MANDO!" Tears brimmed her eyes as she fell back against the Marshal, exhaustion sweeping over her like a wave. She breathed heavily as she looked frantically over the dissipating sands, fear lining the edge of her heart.

"No," she whimpered. "No, please." The Marshal clung onto her, whispering nonsensical affirmation into her ear. He too was looking onward, hoping that by some miracle the warrior had survived, if only to have Tess stop shaking so violently in his arms.

There was silence.

The townsfolk and remaining Tuskens crowded around together, watching where the dragon had just disappeared. Tess' eyes closed for a split second, and she gulped, then peeled them back open. She couldn't fall unconscious now, not when she didn't know if the Mandalorian was alive or dead.

Then, a faint rumbling began to overtake the field of sand. It grew louder with each breath Tess took, a grumbling of the earth, a shaking of the rocks. Tess sat up slightly, watching the ground. What was happening?

Suddenly, a giant beast burst forth in front of them. The dragon reared its head and gave out a painful scream. It opened its jaws, and Tess frowned as she saw blue light dancing around the soft gums of the dragon. And then she saw him. A dark shape erupted from the mouth of the beast, smoke billowing from his silver jet pack, rifle in hand. Tess gasped as the Mandalorian spun around and hit the detonator Tess had shoved into his palms.

Both the Marshal and Tess scrambled to their knees, holding each other up as the dragon erupted from the inside, the force of the explosion knocking the two back on top of each other, sending a wave of sand flying in all directions. The mountains around them quaked as the dragon fell to ground, giving one final shriek before it's insides exploded and it lay limp on the grounds of it's home. The Mandalorian landed in front of it, facing where Tess and the Marshal watched, wide-eyed and speechless.

The Mandalorian met Tess' eyes, and she gave a slight nod, her insides turning to lead. He smiled and nodded back. The Marshal laughed into her ear as the Mandalorian turned back to look at his handiwork. Vanth stood up, pulling Tess with him, supporting her under the arm as they limped towards the warrior.

Tess looked down at the dragon, and a hint of a smirk played on her lips. Her stormy eyes scanned the carcass of the dragon, seeing with graceful finality that it was in fact no more. She gave an impressed snort.

The Mandalorian had done it.

The krayt dragon was dead. 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

aaaaa it happened guys! the krayt dragon is officially dead, which means we only have one more chapter to go before the first episode is officially done! honestly tho this chapter was so fun and also soooo difficult to write. action scenes are literally so hard for me and this entire chapter was just one big fight scene. so many cool things happened this chapter; firstly TESS USED THE FORCE! I'm pretty sure you guys already knew that she could use it because I've been hinting at it from the first chapter but it was still so fun to finally reveal Tess' hidden power; she is force sensitive! this is a huge part of the book and it will be talked about a lot more next chapter but I still wanted to include it in the battle. also TESS AND DIN ALMOST HOLDING HANDS AND WORRYING FOR EACH OTHER JUST MAKES ME SO HAPPY AHHHH! They are literally so soft around each other and I love it sm. 

ANYWAYS, what did you think of this chapter? What are you're thoughts, opinions, feedback? What did you love, what made you want to tear your hair out, and what made you cry? what did you think of Tess finally becoming involved in a fight (all to help Mando!!!)? What did you think of the Marshal's bits on Tess, and how he actually does care about her? What did you think of the actual battle with the dragon, was it good enough? Tense enough? Stressed you out enough? If so then good, because that was my main objective while writing this... 

As always, feel free to vote and comment your thoughts on this chapter, I always love reading them, and until next time (where tess had a big decision to make so be ready) 

Love, Mal