CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

THE RECLAMATION 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

"Wake up, girl and Mandalorian." The modulated, accented voice jolted Tess awake from her fitful sleep. 

The girl shot upright, her arms flailing, as her eyes opened wide, startled from the nightmare still playing across her mind. The Mandalorian laying beside her did the same, one hand flying to the blaster at his hip, the other finding Tess' forearm. Both breathed heavily, looking around for the origin of the strange voice. The Mandalorian recognized it, and knew that it only meant danger, but Tess did not, and her brows furrowed at the sight of the warrior so stressed.

Mando pointed the blaster towards the broken down protocol droid strung up in front of them, while Tess pushed herself up, her chest aching. She winced as she tried to move her metal leg, the steel cutting into her flesh where the fabric separating her calf and knee had torn during many years of use. It felt like icy fire upon her skin, and for a moment, Tess could see or hear nothing, all her attention focused on her leg, which was compressed from the cold, ice lining the crevices. It was worse than the sand.

Mando released Tess' arm as she tiredly pulled the blanket down from around her shoulders, letting it rest on her legs.

"This cannot wait until morning." the voice came again. Once Tess had let herself breathe, she finally looked back up, following the Mandalorian's eyes to where wires spewed from the lopsided head of the droid, lighting up when it spoke. A small croaking came from beside it, and when Tess turned a little more, she saw Frog Lady standing before them, a modulator in her hands, connected to the wires.

Understanding dawned on her a little too late as the droid spoke again. "Do not be alarmed. I bypassed the droid's security protocols and accessed it's vocabulator." Tess sat up more, ignoring the creaking in her leg, eyes widening at the droid's —or, frog lady's— words.

Tess furrowed her brow, eyes alight at the mention of a machine. "How did you—" she began, wondering exactly how their passenger had done such a thing without any noise. She let her voice drop however, as a round of pain shot up her body. Frog Lady just looked at her, and Tess could have sworn a mischievous glint passed across the woman's eyes. Tess frowned, and turned to the Mandalorian. He looked at her, and while she couldn't see his face, Tess had a good idea of what he looked like. Brow furrowed, eyes wide, mouth puckered. She was right. The Mandalorian watched Frog Lady cautiously, but put his blaster back in the holster.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked her. Tess had to agree. The Mandalorian pointed towards the broken protocol head, his words laced with malice. "That droid is a killer." the girl beside him whipped her head around in confusion, but said nothing. Something about the way he spoke made Tess understand it was not something he wanted to talk about, despite her burning curiosity. She understood what it was like to want to keep yourself secret, so she shut her mouth.

Frog Lady walked towards Tess, and she leaned back, but the woman passed her and laid a hand on the capsule she'd slept beside. "These eggs are the last brood of my life cycle. My husband has risked his life to carve out an existence for us on the only planet that is hospitable to our species." Tess' frown softened. "We fought too hard and suffered too much to resign ourselves to the extinction of our family line." Tess looked down at her leg, which ached like it had before, the first time she'd walked with it on. Tess would never forget the loss that plagued her slowly dwindling heart those years. To feel the emptiness of having nothing below her kneecap. She'd risked everything by having it removed, and in her chest, where her breathing had all but gone back to normal, something twinged with sympathy.

Tess knew what the Frog Lady was speaking about. She'd also felt it.

"I must demand that you hold true to the deal that you agreed to." Frog Lady continued. Her voice went silent after, leaving a heavy air that seemed to suffocate those inside. The Mandalorian sighed, his shoulders setting as he stared at Frog Lady. Tess looked between the two, her voice gone from her body. All she could do was watch, waiting for the Mandalorian to answer. She knew what she wanted. She wanted the Mandalorian to agree. She wanted him to get them off this planet, accept her help, and get them to Trask. No matter how much she wished it wasn't true, Tess wanted Frog Lady to save her family line, and reunite with her husband.

She didn't know why, exactly, and that made Tess' stomach do flips. She hated not knowing why.

The Mandalorian grimaced, peering at the girl watching him, her eyes hungry for an answer, and finally spoke up. "Look, lady." both Tess and the Frog Woman leaned closer, and the Mandalorian made sure his next words were clear and precise, slow and steady. "The deal is off."

Tess' eyes burst into a raging flurry. "Mando!"

The Mandalorian held up a hand. "I'm sorry, but we're lucky if we get off this frozen tomb with our lives." However much it pained him to see Tess —and Frog Lady— deflate in front of him, he held his tongue, because the words he'd spoken were the truth.

Frog Lady looked down at her shoes, the glint in her eyes vanishing. Tess pulled her leg close, daring to place a hand on the freezing metal. She flinched as her fingertips, half blue from the cold, touched the steel. She pushed the blanket over and began to rub the metal with the cloth, hoping to bring some heat back, melting the ice which clogged the screws.

"I thought honoring one's word was a part of the Mandalorian code." the droid's voice rang out again, and Tess' face twisted. The Mandalorian didn't move. It looked as if he was frozen in place. Tess' eyes never left the side of his helmet.

"I guess those were just children's stories." The Frog Lady's final word left only trepidation in it's stead. The belly of the ship filled with silence. The world seemed to careen, tilting on it's axis as the Mandalorian, doubtful and mistrusting, looked between the young girl and the Frog woman. The girl with eyes like the steel of her leg held a plea in her irises. She was asking him to agree, asking him to help. The Frog woman looked at him expectantly, as if she already knew what he would do. It unnerved the Mandalorian, because even he himself didn't know.

When Mando could no longer hold Tess' gaze, he moved his eyes down to the little green child still resting upon his thigh. The creature looked up at him, wide emerald ears perked upwards, mouth slightly agape. The same plea that found a home in Tess was reflected in the child's orbs. The kid which he would do anything for, of which the thought of parting brought a bitter taste to his mouth, looked like Tess in that moment, asking the Mandalorian to get up and fix the situation he'd gotten them into.

When Mando realized this, the decision was made. He gave a long, drawn out sigh. Tess shifted from where she sat on the ground as the Mandalorian moved the child aside and stood cautiously. Tess looked up at Frog Lady, who waddled over and held out a webbed hand. Raising an eyebrow, Tess hesitated, but then grasped the woman's arm and stood up. Her leg creaked, and that same fire burned up her leg. Tess flinched and let go, backing up to hit the wall. The Mandalorian, who'd gone to pick up the toolbox laying by the table, whirled around instantly.

As always, Tess put up a hand, instinctively biting the inside of her cheek. The Mandalorian frowned under his helmet, head moving to the side as he watched her, independent as always, go to stand. She hid the cry of pain by biting down on her lip.

The Mandalorian scoffed, but Tess brushed it off, forcing herself to walk towards him. "I'm helping." she said plainly. "Let's go." She made to move toward the door, discarding the blanket behind her. Immediately, the cold of the planet seeped through her jacket, chilling her skin, making goosebumps rise along her flesh. She gasped and shivered, rubbing her forearms.

The Mandalorian stopped her from leaving, holding up a hand when she got beside him. Tess looked up, frown growing on her face. However, the Mandalorian noticed, her eyes were as soft as the snow that lay outside. He'd never seen them without a blue fire burning underneath, and it shocked him enough that he let his hand drop. Tess didn't move.

"Are you sure?" the Mandalorian's raspy voice was light.

"I'm sure." Tess replied, but the Mandalorian did not believe it. Her words shook, a product of the chilly air.

"You're cold." the Mandalorian stated. "And your leg—"

"I'm sure." Tess repeated again, then after a moment said. "Let me do this, Mando. Let me help." her words washed over him, like a swath of rain on a warm day. They weren't filled with daggers or unsaid meanings, but instead were as clear and bright as a cloudless sky. Tess wasn't the marble sculpture anymore, being picked apart layer by layer. Instead, she was an ice statue, carved by the finest hand, as clear as glass.

It confused the Mandalorian.

It confused Tess.

"You can't go out like that." the Mandalorian finally said, and when Tess gave an offended scoff, he shifted from foot to foot. "I just mean, you shouldn't go out in just a jacket. You'll freeze." Tess cocked an eyebrow, and the Mandalorian blew out a frustrated breath. He moved away, going towards one of the drawers near the back of the ship. Tess peered after him, and Frog Lady croaked behind her. Tess shrugged in agreement.

When the Mandalorian came back, he was holding something rough-spun and large in his hands. He held it towards Tess. The girl took it, and saw with surprise that it was a long coat made of black fabric that slipped over her fingers like sand, coarse as the dune sea. She rubbed her thumb along the collar, and looked back up to the Mandalorian, but the man was already moving towards the flap leading outside.

"This was not part of the deal." she heard him mutter before the warrior disappeared from view.

Tess pursed her lips and quickly put the coat on. It fit a little too large, almost reaching the floor, but the moment it fit over her shoulders, heat blossomed across her arms. The ice seemed to melt away, and Tess tugged it closer around her body, taking a deep breath, then followed after Mando.

The moment the mechanic stepped out into the ivory world, she stopped in her tracks, the breath snatched from her lungs. Her eyes widened, mouth opening in a silent gasp of wonder, hand reaching from within the jacket pocket as the white flakes blew down, trapping themselves in her hair.

She had entered a world of frozen clouds, wisps of air from the heavens above. The flakes of celestial ash tickled her nose, and Tess couldn't believe where she was, standing in the center of a wide canyon, walls of snow compacted up around her. The Mandalorian stood several feet away, surveying the space, and when he heard Tess approach, the man quickly turned. He stopped when he saw Tess standing before him, hand outstretched to catch the swiftly falling snow.

He didn't stop because he was scared. He didn't stop because he was trying to give Tess space as she got used to the new environment. He didn't stop in his tracks, blood turning cold, for any of the reasons he would usually.

No. The Mandalorian stopped, eyes transfixed on the girl, because Tess Oprin was smiling.

As if the world had pulled up a veil, as if the sculptor had finally peeled back enough layers of her frozen frame, Tess Oprin smiled. The edges of her lips curved upwards, teeth gleaming in the pale sun, dimples appearing on her rosy cheeks. The Mandalorian stood, shocked, as Tess grinned up at the snow falling against her face. The moment the icy flakes hit her cheeks, she crinkled her nose, smile appearing again.

And it was beautiful.

The smile wasn't the sun. It wasn't the beaming rays of heat spreading from her face. It wasn't warm or nice, like most smiles. Tess Oprin's smile was an anomaly. It was something the Mandalorian had never seen before.

It was the moon and the stars and the entire galaxy fit into one little girl.

Tess moved her head downwards, and she locked eyes with the Mandalorian. Under his helmet, the Mandalorian's expression had gone completely slack, his brown eyes widened to the point where they looked like they were going to burst from his head. His mouth was hung open. Though Tess couldn't see his face, her eyebrows furrowed when she saw his stiff shoulders and straight head.

Then she realized it. She could feel the twinge in her lips, the bareness of her teeth.

And just like that, Tess Oprin's moonbright smile disappeared. The Mandalorian still didn't move as Tess' signature frown came back upon her face, her tempered cheekbones moving to their original place. The Mandalorian shook his shoulders, but still didn't move. Neither did the girl in front of him.

They stood there for what felt like hours, the girl biting the inside of her cheek, confusion passing along her veins as she tried to figure out where the smile had come from, and what it meant. She didn't find an answer. The Mandalorian was shocked, his surprise never leaving his features. For a long while , ever since he'd met Tess, Mando had wanted her to smile, to know that she wasn't just heartless, but that she could care about others. He'd wanted her to smile when the child had healed her leg. He'd wanted her to smile when he brought her into space for the first time. He'd wanted to see if the girl now in his care could have a heart, instead of an empty void that she tried so hard to make everyone believe.

Now he'd gotten it, and it was more than the Mandalorian had ever imagined.

"Should we get to work?" the girl's voice cut through his thoughts. Her words seemed to have extra fire as she looked at him, a flicker of uncertainty passing across her eyes. The Mandalorian came to his senses and nodded slowly. Tess did the same movement and quickly whirled around. She tugged the jacket tighter around her, hoping it would swallow her whole. The Mandalorian followed Tess as they surveyed the ship.

The two said nothing, but they didn't need to. It was as if they had an unspoken understanding between them. No words were needed as the two got to work, the Mandalorian handing Tess tools as she placed a pair of his goggles over her eyes and began to slowly but surely repair the demolished ship.

They worked for hours, the white sun dawning, bouncing against the metal. In silence they made the repairs, slow and precise, glancing at each other every few seconds, the event of before still clear in both their minds. As a team, they tackled half the ship, fixing the fuel leak, reducing the incredible amount of carbon scoring, and welding the broken engine back together.

They had spent almost a quarter of the day out there. Tess now sat on top of the window, legs spread out, sparks flying around her face as she welded the panes of glass together, making sure that when they got into space, they would be able to breathe. Despite the cold, sweat lined her brow, and while she still wore the jacket the Mandalorian had given her, heat rose up her neck. Down below, the Mandalorian was re-configuring wires.

A small gurgling noise came from below, and Tess looked down in surprise to see the child peering up at her, it's little arm pointing to the side. Tess frowned and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as she saw the barely visible prints in the snow. The child gurgled again, this time alerting the Mandalorian. He also turned to the child.

"How 'bout you come over here and give us a hand?" he told it.

"Mando." Tess said softly, letting herself speak. The words were hoarse on her tongue, after hours of not uttering a single sound. The Mandalorian didn't hear her. The child continued to point, and Tess slid off the ship, coming to land with a hard crunch near the child. She gritted her teeth as her frozen metal leg banged against her kneecap, bending over to catch her breath.

"Mando." Tess called again. This time he did hear her, and the Mandalorian bolted upright at her cautious tone. He quickly stopped what he was doing and rounded the corner. When he saw Tess with the child beside her and the worried expression on her face, the warrior frowned.

"What is it?" he asked.

Tess pointed to the faint prints in the snow leading away from the ship. "She's gone."

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

They found Frog Lady about a minutes walk from the Razor Crest, through the large ice canyon, where hues of sapphire and ivory swirled together. If Tess hadn't been so anxious about running into something monstrous through the cave, she would have stopped to relish in the beauty of the planet.

"There you are." the Mandalorian said, child in one hand as he and Tess walked into the large, encased space. Tess found herself relaxing, arms going back down to her sides as heat billowed from the large pool the Frog Lady swam in. Tess froze in her tracks as the Mandalorian moved closer. He also stopped when he saw Tess not moving, her eyes trained on Frog Lady.

"Tess?" the girl jolted out of her daze and looked to him, her eyes flickering with something that looked like... embarrassment.

"Is she..." Tess whispered to him, slowly pointing to the woman in the bath. "Is she naked?" The Mandalorian coughed loudly, trying to hide the laugh which built up inside his throat. Tess was not amused. It had been a serious question, just like everything she wondered, and she crossed her arms, waiting for the Mandalorian to answer.

He finally composed himself enough to speak truthfully. "I don't know." This only made Tess' eyes widen more, and she gave a pained expression as the Mandalorian beckoned her to follow him. She took cautious steps forward, and under his helmet, the Mandalorian smiled.

The cavern they'd found the Frog Lady in was wider than the one their ship had fallen into. Large, clear shards of pointed ice hung from the ceiling, a murderous chandelier, waiting to break and skewer it's victims. Steam rose from the pool in the center, but the snow around it did not melt. It seemed that despite the heat, nothing would destroy the perfect peace of the ice world. Tess turned her gaze towards a field of uninterrupted snow at her side. Upon the ridge sat thousands of small bulbous plants, row after row. She made a questioning face as to what those could be, but turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"You can't leave the ship." the Mandalorian was telling Frog Lady. "It's not safe out here." In her still-healing chest, something twinged, and she pursed her lips, trying to ease the nerves rising through her body. Tess walked over with Mando and knelt beside the child, who looked into the water, where Tess now realized the lady's eggs were floating. The Mandalorian walked around to come beside Tess and reached his hand into the water. The child bent closer, and Tess instinctively moved it back, remembering how it had eaten several of the little orbs the other day.

"Let's gather these up." the Mandalorian finished, beginning to place the eggs back in the capsule. The Frog Lady gave a disapproving croak, but went to help the warrior. Tess gazed at the child, who looked up at her, mouth puckering. She gave a quiet, disgusted sigh and dug her hand into the surprisingly hot water, pushing the eggs towards the capsule.

"It's warm." Tess mused, looking at him. "That's why she's here."

The Mandalorian replied. "I know." the Frog Lady croaked again. "But night's coming fast, and I can't protect you two out here." Tess moved her head to look at him, taking in his words with bewilderment. The Mandalorian could feel her eyes on him, but didn't turn. A smile like the moon, something he might never see again. Tess turned back, frown on her face, and saw the child reaching for the water again, little green hand barely touching the orange egg close by him.

Tess gasped. "Mando!" The Mandalorian turned, and when he saw what she was looking at, he reached a hand across her and held up a finger.

"No!" he cried. "No!" the child jerked back, looking up at the two staring at him with wide eyes. Tess shook her head slightly, and the child cooed. The Mandalorian sighed and turned back to helping Frog Lady. Tess did the same.

They worked in tandem, just like back at the ship, and soon most of the eggs were tucked safely into the capsule. The heat from the pool blew around Tess' face. Her hair, which she'd been noticing had greatly lost a lot of it's curl, was frizzy from the heat, twisting around her cheeks, making sweat bead along her brow. She wiped her soaking hands on the wool as the Mandalorian finished packing the rest of the eggs.

Then, she felt it. The rumbling. The shaking. It was barely there, just a slight quaking under her feet, a rustling in her hair, but it was present nonetheless. Tess perked up from where she stood, watching the Mandalorian finish, crossing her arms over her chest. The patch still pressed into her skin had begun to ache, a sign of her ribs healing. She rubbed the area, frown deepening as she looked at the ground. What was that sound?

"Mando?" Tess whispered, her voice hoarse as the Mandalorian closed the lid to the capsule and Frog Lady waded over towards her piled clothes. The Mandalorian barely had time to acknowledge her when softened screams and gurgles made both turn around.

Tess' eyes bulged as she watched the little child, out in the middle of the field of strange plants, run back over to them. At some point while they cleaned up, he had wandered off, and Tess let herself gasp when she saw the greenish white plants behind him begin to move. Seeming to erupt from the inside out, the orbital eggs stripped their green leaves down, revealing goo and long legged creatures of pure white. Blending in with the snow around them, the creatures burst from their shells with spindly talons and cone-like bodies. Tess scrambled back as the Mandalorian ran to pick up the child, running back over to where Tess stood, half-frozen in place.

Mando came up beside her and turned, watching the many plants hatch, spawning the little monsters.

"What are they?" Tess asked. Mando couldn't reply, his throat had seized up. Instead, he lugged the capsule over one shoulder. Frog Lady croaked loudly, fearfully, and shot out her tongue to grab her clothes. Tess' breath grew more ragged with each spider that appeared from the depths of the cave. Mando instinctively grabbed onto her forearm, just above her clenched fists.

Finally, he found his voice. "I don't know, Tess, but I think we should—'' He didn't have time to finish, as his voice was cut off by a garish roar that shook the foundations of the cave. Both took a step back, their faces holding the same panic as the largest spider, almost as big as the Razor Crest, came into view from the black. Tess' screams pierced the air like a sword, driving itself home in the Mandalorian's soul. He found his legs again, and spurred his body into motion. He whirled to the Frog Lady, who'd gotten dressed fast and ran up beside them.

"Go, go, go!" he yelled, and Frog Lady began to move. "Back to the ship!" then he turned to Tess and tugged her by the arm. "Run!" She didn't need to be told twice.

Ignoring the pain rising up in her metal leg, Tess gritted her teeth and never let go of the Mandalorian as they raced after the Frog Lady, back into the winding halls of compacted ice. A large thump made the hair on Tess' neck stand on end. Her eyes widened and she could barely breathe as they ran as fast as they could back to the cave.

Her head swam, thoughts all focused on one thing and one thing only: Getting out of there. The Mandalorian never let go of Tess, noticing how her limp grew more pronounced as he looked back to see the spider-like creatures coming after them, some large and some small, but all with the same purpose to kill. Tess gasped in air, her chest, still on the mend from their fall, cracking under the weight of her fear. And oh, was she scared. It boiled her blood, turning her heart into an orb of something hot and putrid. Fear dripped off her like sweat, and she wasn't the only one who knew it.

The Mandalorian pulled out his gun and began to blast the spiders behind him, determination running through him like a rolling wave, only this time it wasn't trying to drown him, it was trying to move him forward.

Tess didn't dare look back. If she did, then she would already be dead, maybe not from pain, but from the shock. Instead, she followed after the coursing river, forcing herself to move. All that could be heard besides the scuttling of a thousand legs were Tess' ragged breaths, the noise of her throat closing in on itself, until the girl could barely breathe.

A cacophonous crash shook the cavern wall, and Tess was almost tempted to look back, but she kept going. Suddenly, the blast of lasers whizzing past her ear made Tess jump. She gasped when she saw the little spiders, dozens upon dozens of them, climbing up the walls in front. The Mandalorian blasted them down one by one, keeping a tight hold on Tess, who was shaking uncontrollably.

They continued to run for their lives.

Small little legs tugged at the girl, but she shook them off. Her hair flew around her face, sweat pouring off her forehead. Her fingers, which were half frozen from the cold, sparked with energy, that same energy right before she stepped up at the battle of the dragon. That same divine force flowed through her veins. Only Tess did not release it. She couldn't. She stuffed it down, no matter how much it hurt, she pushed it away, sending it to the knot under her bruised and broken ribs, under her slowly aching heart. It was all she could do not to scream.

A large talon, white as the ice around them and sharp at the tip, slammed down through the roof of the cavern, stabbing at the ground right in front of Tess, Mando, and Frog Lady. Tess shrieked, and the Mandalorian pulled her to him, guarding her little body with his own. She looked up through the hair falling about her face, and the talon retracted. A faint shadow of a large body scuttled over the fragile ice, moving towards the Razor Crest.

Mando pushed Tess forward, and they continued towards the ship now visible at the end of the hall. Mando twisted his blaster into the holster and pulled from his pocket three small explosives. He tapped each one on the top, and they began blinking red. All at once, he threw them back, not caring where they landed, so long as they were able to kill a few of the beasts.

No longer holding onto the Mandalorian, Tess did nothing but run. A pale fire ran up along her spine, following the explosion of Mando's efforts, but she didn't look to see if it had done it's job.

"Tess!" the girl felt something grab onto her wrist again, and she turned slightly to see the Mandalorian running beside her, child in hand. He looked at her, and despite the terror written plainly on her hardened features, Tess smirked. Mando remembered her smile.

At last they made it into the wide cave of the Razor Crest, the broken down ship covered in a thin sheet of snow. Mando continued to blast at the spiders racing towards them, and Tess hurriedly followed Frog Lady into the belly of the ship. The woman was croaking loudly, on the verge of screams as Tess scrambled forward, tripping over the blankets and pillows still lying on the floor. The child followed after her as it raced as fast as it could to follow them. Mando was still blasting the things outside and Frog Lady was cradling her eggs.

Tess leaned forward and picked up the child. It tucked it's head under her jacket. She turned to Frog Lady still looking at her eggs and beckoned her over. "Come on! Come on!" she screamed at the woman. "Into the cockpit!" the lady pushed past her eagerly and started to climb up the ladder steps. Tess could hear the Mandalorian's grunts from outside, and she paused at the foot of the ladder, turning to watch anxiously if he would appear.

As if he had heard her call, the Mandalorian dashed through the flap in the ship, but Tess' eyes widened when she saw a hundred spiders also followed him.

Mando gestured for Tess to move up. "Go, go!" Tess put one foot in front of the other and climbed up the steps. She entered the cockpit quickly, running towards the center console, rapidly flipping the controls. Underneath the console a wire sparked, and Tess groaned in frustration, moving to kneel.

"Hurry, Mando!" she called out.

"I'm trying!" he replied back, and she was surprised to hear that his voice was closer than she'd thought. At last, Tess did look back to see where the warrior was. The sight before her made her blood run cold. The Mandalorian was trying to hold the door closed, his blaster going off every second. The spiders piled on top of each other, white legs protruding from the gap in the door. The child stood off to the side, whining as a little spider, no bigger than him, danced atop his green head. Several creatures were able to make it through, and one scrambled towards Tess. She reared back, lungs banging against her chest, heart beating faster than she could count. The creature extended it's long legs towards her, small mouth opening wide to show gums of effervescent ruby and teeth as sharp as daggers.

It shuffled forward, and Tess pulled back until her body hit the console fully. Her chest rose and fell as the spider began to creep up onto her flesh leg, spindly fingers digging into her pants. Tess flinched and gritted her teeth. The spider's talons ripped through the bottom of her pants and began to dig into her flesh. Tess screamed, a burning fire rising up along her limbs.

Not quite knowing what she was doing —only that the pain would soon become unbearable— Tess let her hand fly up, the tips of her fingers buzzing. They split open, revealing that same celestial power back at the dragon's den. The spider froze, caught in an invisible web. Tess' screams made the Mandalorian release the flames hidden in his wrist, and began to blast the creatures into oblivion, charring their skin to ash. Tess raised her hand up, the spider following, and slowly closed her fist. The creature seemed to implode, combusting inwards, it's limbs flailing, nerves torn apart, until all that was left was a bloody green ball that dropped to the floor.

Tess let out a gasp, hand rising to her head as pain exploded across her temples.

The door to the cockpit closed shut with a shuddering snap. Tess, still wheezing for air on the ground, was gently yanked up. The Mandalorian directed her over to the empty seat. Frog Lady, blaster still in hand from where she'd saved the child, found her own chair. Mando stood up, pulling his hand away from where Tess shook violently, eyes darting back and forth, the pain in her head and hands growing to be a raging inferno. She stuffed them into the folds of her jacket, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to forget the power she held.

"Strap yourselves in." the Mandalorian said curtly, moving over to the pilot's seat. He paused for a moment, surprised to find most of the controls already online. He didn't dare sneak a glance back at a shivering Tess, but silently thanked her and buckled himself in. Tess did the same, but it took her longer, as the shaking in her hands made the metal slip and side through her fingers. She took a deep breath, trying to keep herself steady just long enough.

"This better work." the Mandalorian muttered to himself. The child came up onto his lap, and the Mandalorian tucked him against his chest, then went and pulled the engine toggle. Tess braced herself against the chair. "I've got limited visibility." the Mandalorian told them. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride." Tess didn't say anything. She kept her mouth shut, bile rising up, filling her tongue and nostrils with putrid liquid.

Slowly, the Razor Crest began to rise in the air. Tess dared to open her eyes, watching the ice fall away around the ship. The engines roared to life, reverberating around the cockpit as the half demolished ship slowly made it's way to the opening in the roof of the cave. Tess dared herself to let warmth creep into her heart. Under his helmet, the Mandalorian grinned softly.

Their celebration was short-lived. A large spider, bigger than any before, a leviathan to rival the Krayt Dragon, landed atop the Razor Crest, pushing it back towards the ground. Tess screamed as the spider's legs cut through the glass of the cockpit, missing the Mandalorian and Frog Lady by a hair's length. Tess was faintly aware of the Mandalorian screaming at them both, but she could barely hear anything above the ringing in her ears.

All four passengers stopped moving as the giant spider crawled down, it's large eyes coming to be in line with their own. The Mandalorian didn't move. Tess was shaking, trying to keep the sick in her stomach down as the beast's large fanged mouth moved the swallow them whole. This time she didn't look away, she couldn't bear to.

Tess had looked death in the eye many times, and when the wide, gaping mouth of the spider hit the glass of the window above their heads, she found herself meeting it once more. After grazing it's teeth along the window once, the spider's mouth retreated, it's jaws closing. Tess knew what that meant. It was going in for the kill.

Only the sharp edged teeth of the spider never found a home in Tess' chest or Mando's head. She never felt death take her. One single crimson blaster bolt stopped it all. The spider reared it's head back, screaming as the laser singed it's eyes, moving it's body away from them. Both Mando and Tess furrowed their eyebrows. More blaster bolts rung out, hitting the behemoth in it's scaled white belly. The beast jolted back, falling against the ship, rocking the craft back and forth. They only watched as the spider slid off the cockpit, eyes glazed over, death claiming it's victim. The red flashes of fire continued to pierce the pale night. They grew more frequent, and the Mandalorian undid the straps of the seat, placing the child carefully in his stead, and walked towards the door.

He paused briefly when he reached Tess, whose eyes were half dead as she looked up at him, a placid look on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and found her to be shaking. "Stay here." he told her softly, voice as light as feathers. Tess barely heard him, but she nodded her head and looked back forward. Guilt crept along the Mandalorian's veins as he made his way out of the cockpit and into the belly of the ship.

When he found his way outside, blaster raised, bright lights assaulted his eyes as the two X-Wings which had been chasing them before continued to fire at the spiders crawling along the outside. The Mandalorian stood, his mind in two places, as the rangers finished firing on the ship. Silence followed, dissonant and thundering.

The Mandalorian lowered his weapon, and the rangers followed suit. A prick of gratefulness wormed it's way into the Mandalorian's heart. These men had just saved his passenger, had saved him and the child. They had saved Tess. They'd gotten her out of a mess he'd started. Shame replaced the ease quickly.

Finally, the ranger he'd come to know as Carson spoke up. "We ran the tabs on the Razor Crest." the Mandalorian stiffened. "You have an arrest warrant for the abduction of prisoner X-6-9-11." His thoughts wandered to those still in the cockpit, and what they would do if these Rangers took him away. It made his blood boil. "However, onboard security records show that you apprehended three priority culprits from the Wanted Register."

The other Ranger stared at the Mandalorian, but said nothing. Mando tried not to show the relief as his shoulders sagged, realizing that maybe he wouldn't leave Tess and the others alone just yet.

"Security records also show that you put your own life in harm's way to try to to protect that of Lieutenant Davan from the New Republic Correctional Corps." Mando put his blaster away, securing it in his holster. "Is this true?"

The Mandalorian didn't answer the question. "Am I under arrest?" he needed to know, before anything else, he needed to know if he would have to abandon the others against his will.

"Technically, you should be." Carson answered. "But these are trying times."

The Mandalorian let himself breathe, life coming back to his limbs. He wasn't leaving. Now, he tried his luck. "What say I forego the bounties on these three criminals, and you two help me fuse my hull so I can get off this frozen rock?" He already knew Tess, as much as she wanted to, would not be able to help him finish the repairs. Using her power again had drained her, and he knew the shaking and fear wouldn't stop until they were able to fly again. He made a promise to get her to sleep while he worked, to get her to rest for once.

Carson cocked his head to the side. "What say you fix that transponder, and we don't vaporize that antique the next time we patrol the Rim?" Mando grimaced, and didn't move. The rangers looked at each other once, then began to go back into their ships, securing themselves to their seats. The Mandalorian sighed as he watched the two X-Wings fly out of the cavern, their engines purring, a sign of no damage. He turned and looked back towards his own ship. An antique, as the rangers had called it.

When he got back inside, the Mandalorian was surprised to find both Tess and Frog Lady. They peered at him expectantly, but he could see that Tess was leaning heavily against the wall. At some point she'd been wrapped in a blanket, and her head rested on one of the beams, webs caught in her umber hair.

"All right." the Mandalorian said, turning to Frog Lady. "I'm gonna repair the cockpit enough for us to limp to Trask." he looked up and around the belly of the ship. "There's nothing I can do about the main hull's integrity, so we're gonna have to get cozy in the cockpit." Tess' head straightened. "It's the only thing I can pressurize."

She moved, getting closer, letting the blanket drop to the ground, and made her way near the Mandalorian. "Okay, let's go." her words were lulled by the need to sleep, and she stopped short when the Mandalorian raised a hand, blocking her from moving forward.

"You're not helping." he said.

Tess frowned. "What? Of course I am." she tried to push his hand away, but it felt like running her arm through tar. "Let's fix the ship."

"Tess," the Mandalorian said, his words soft. "You're not going to help."

"Mando, I⎯"

"No." His blunt words made Tess stop short, and she dared to look up at him. "You need to rest. To heal. You still have a bruised rib, and your... power drained you." Tess pushed up against him, but the Mandalorian held onto her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Tess, go to the cockpit, and get some sleep. I can handle this."

"I⎯"

"Go."Tess stood for a moment, dazed and unrelenting. Then suddenly, she seemed to deflate under the Mandalorian's grip. Frog Lady moved as Tess turned around, grabbing the girl before she fell down. It seemed that everything had caught up with Tess, and she could barely move up the ladder. Frog Lady grabbed the girl's blanket and followed up. Before her head disappeared, Tess looked down one more time at the Mandalorian.

They held each other's gaze, and something passed across Tess' face that he couldn't quite discern.

Then, for only a flash of a second, Tess smiled again. It looked like the moon.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

When Mando had finished the repairs, and he came back to the cockpit, he found Tess fast asleep in her chair, small little head resting on the back, eyes closed. Her once blue lips had gone back to a soft pink, and her chest breathed easier, fluttering up and down as it should. The Mandalorian smiled, seeing how much the nap had done for her.

He didn't wake Tess up as they flew up into the sky, dashing out of the cavern and into the open plains of snow.

He didn't wake Tess up when they entered space, and he set them on course for Trask.

He didn't wake Tess up as he spoke softly to Frog Lady, telling her to get some rest.

In those hours, heading slowly for their destination. The girl slept soundly, better than she had ever before.

And little by little, Tess Oprin began to heal. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

GUYS. GUYS. GUYS!!!! TESS FRICKIN SMILED. omgomgomg I cannot express how happy it made me to write those words, to show you Tess smiling for the first time in so long, it made me soooo emotional, and I hope you felt the same because... wow... just wow. I honestly can't put into words how difficult but exhilarating writing this chapter was. I HATE writing action so the last portion might a little choppy (my bad) but I also adored writing the first chunk, with Mando and Tess and ahhhhh. THE FEELS MAN, the FEELS. ANYWAYS, what did you guys think of this chapter? What did you think (of course) of Tess smiling? Wasn't it so heartwarming, to see her watching the snow? It just shows how far Tess has come since meeting the Mandalorian, and her development will only further as the episodes move on. What did you think of Tess using the force again? What did you think of Mando feeling guilty because he brought Tess into the situation at the end? So many good scenes this chapter! 

As always, don't be afraid to comment or vote (and maybe even follow me?), I love reading your comments, they make my day and I always try to respond! Until next time (where Tess sees an ocean for the first time and families are reunited).

As a special treat for finishing another episode and only having a few more chapters left til act two, a gif dump of our little space fam (if you have any names for them pls drop them here so we can give Tess and Mando a proper family name): 

Love, Mal