CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. 

THE INFORMER

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 FOR TESS OPRIN, the world had always been black and white. 

There was good and evil, sure, but that wasn't what Tess believed. For Tess, the black and white was life and death, living and survival. She was a survivor, a defender of herself, not caring who protected her, because they didn't matter. She looked out for herself and herself only, always had. When her parents died, she had no one else to rely on, and she found that was how she liked it.

She lived in the dark, in the black ebony and midnight sky, alone and unburdened. Her strength came from being alone, from the silence which followed. Yes, she had Jo and the Marshal, but she didn't rely on them, she couldn't have cared if they left her or stayed.

The rest of the galaxy lived in the white, in the pale clouds and glistening stars. They had commitments, they had family. They loved and they laughed and they were ruined because of it.

Tess had vowed never to lose herself in the light, as it would only end in heartbreak.

Yet there she was, speeding along a grey corridor, alarms blaring in her ears so loud she could barely hear her hurried breaths, stepping into the light. Her heart ached, more than it had for a long time. Her mind was torn in two, her steps laboured, limp pronounced. She felt the same as when she'd stood on the edge of the canyon, looking down to the bombs planted in the and in front of the Krayt Dragon's layer. She'd been terrified, and the only solace came from a beskar clad warrior reaching down to grip her clenched fist.

It was that very same Mandalorian that Tess couldn't get out of her head as she sped now through the halls, Greef Karga at her side, Cara Dune and Mythrol up ahead. A stun blaster was tucked into the pocket of her coat, the coat the Mandalorian had given her on the ice planet as her bruised ribs healed and she fought with him to help fix the ship.

Tess almost smiled at the memory, remembering the fresh wind on her cheeks and easy manner in which the Mandalorian, the child, and her lived for a time. For some reason, it felt like a million years ago, like Tess and him would never get that back. It was silly, of course, as nothing had really changed, and yet, it seemed everything had.

Because Tess Oprin trusted the Mandalorian.

That was what had changed. It was a stark shift from who she'd been on Tatooine, not even letting the Marshal, a man who'd basically taken care of her for 5 years, get close. But with the Mandalorian, it was different. He understood. By some unseen force, some good graces, some deep and hidden past, the Mandalorian understood her. He knew what it was like to wear masks, knew what it as like to live your life alone.

That was who he'd been, for years and years, a lone bounty hunter trying to live in a galaxy intent on stripping his armor —the only protection he had— off his back.  He'd met the child, and his sealed up heart had opened, if only slightly, to let the little creature's warmth guide his next actions.

Then he'd gone to Tatooine. There, the Mandalorian had met a little girl with a heart of ice and eyes like storms. Made of frowns and fear, a monster with a child's skin, Tess Oprin was an anomaly he'd wanted to understand. How could someone so young hold so much pain in the palms of her hands, in the veins running along her body? She had blood instead of tears, and none of it was her own.

On Tatooine, the world was simple, for both the girl and warrior. Slowly, their hearts were chipped at, stone statues of veined marble carved away to reveal the truth hidden underneath. It wasn't until the girl stepped forward and slowed a dragon with the flick of her wrist that everything changed.

Power does that. It will transform the world wherever it goes. Power corrupts even the most valiant of hearts, turning planets to ash and ash to flames, burning bright into the dark night. Tess' power resulted in a choice. Destroy the pain which came with the force spiraling out of control inside her, or live with the fear it would unleash again. That was what she'd told herself, at least.

The real choice, the decision that caused a fracture in her soul , was much simpler. Stay on a planet that had never done anything for her, or go with a man she'd already begun to trust. A man who knew what she was, despite knowing her for so short a time.

When she'd chosen to leave, she left behind two people that cared for her, but knew it was the right decision.

Now, Tess had changed, she'd transformed, just by stepping onto a ship and flying into a future unknown. She'd smiled, she'd told Mando about her parents' saying. She'd admitted she wanted to stay. And now, with the base breaking apart and the world blinking red around her, she'd let someone win an argument.

Tess' whole world had changed, and though she didn't know it yet, it was the best thing to ever happen to her.

"They're on the move!" the sound of static voices pulled Tess into reality, and she barely had time to see the stormtroopers running toward them when Greef pulled her to the side, tugging her by the sleeve behind a steel pillar.

"Thanks." she muttered, then flinched as a blaster bolt singed past them, missing the two by a hair's-length. Tess could barely hear anything over the roaring in her ears. Greef and Cara raised their blasters, shooting the stormtroopers, whose blaster bolts missed them each time.

In a few minutes, all were lying dead on the floor, smoke rising from their drained bodies. Tess couldn't look at them.

"Let's go!" Greef yelled, and Tess didn't need to be told twice. She whirled around and followed the older man through the next corridor. The alarms grew louder, and the soft patter of armoured feet reached their ears.

The blaster fire continued. Every time they thought they were clear, another legion of stormtroopers made themselves known, and Tess was succumb to unsteady breaths and shaking hands that came with seeing so many dead bodies at once. It was the Krayt Dragon's destruction all over again, only this time, the death was their doing.

Through passages glaring red against the ashen grey, they weaved themselves like a map through the base, crisscrossing lines and jagged edges which made up the building. Tess had lost count of how many passages they'd ran through. All she did understand was that her leg was aching terribly and sweat clung to the back of her neck like a child grasping for it's mother.

Finally, when they rounded the last corner, the large, closed doors leading to the hangar they'd come through was visible. Tess almost heaved a sigh of relief as they rushed towards it. Her throat was dry from the heat of the lava, and the blaster bolts that had sung past her seemed to blaze and burn against her skin. She didn't hesitate to move over to the panel, pushing Mythrol aside as he went to do the same.

She punched in the codes, hitting the buttons with extra tenacity, and the doors moved open. Greef reached out to her, but Tess ignored it and followed Cara out into the space. The fresh air hit her warm cheeks, blowing her dark hair in all directions. She was grateful for it.

Despite being more used to heat, to the blazing bright suns and condensed air that Tatooine brought, these past few weeks had been a stark change, a bright new world that introduced Tess to snow and ice and oceans. Things she had only heard of in legends come to life right before her eyes.

It was brilliant, like magic, and Tess had found herself slipping farther and farther away from the homesickness leaving had brought. She didn't longed to be back at her forge, wiping the sweat off her forehead, trying to wash the grease-stains from her calloused hands. She no longer missed the sounds of old banthas grunting outside her shop, or the whimpers and cries of the children practicing combat with Tofta in the sand fields. While she did think of Jo, with her sunshine smile and care-giving ways, as well as the Marshal, sculpted face tinged in respect and pride for Tess, the mechanic didn't want to go back.

Tess almost paused at the thought as they all made their way out into the open.

She didn't want to go back.

She'd said it before, of course, straight to the Mandalorian's face, but even then, only half of her had actually believed it. Her heart still yearned for the quiet monotony of Tatooine, for the life led alone and unburdened. But not anymore.

She didn't want to go back.

Tess almost fell to her knees.

"Tess!" Cara yelled from beside her, and the girl forced her head up. "Let's go!" There wasn't really anywhere they could go, but Tess nodded, swallowing down the bile in her throat. Gritting her teeth, the girl pushed herself up and followed after them. The four stood in the center of the room, and began to run towards the steep drop at the other end.

The sound of the door to their right sliding open caused a pause in their determination.

"There they are!" A stormtrooper yelled, and Tess froze as she caught sight of the group of them running out of the elevator. "Blast 'em!" There was nothing to stop the blaster bolts from hitting them, and tess almost screamed as the ruby lasers flew past them, a dozen at a time flying past. One nearly hit Tess' shoulder, and she was pulled away just in time by Cara, who then pushed her down. They all ducked behind a large metal box, crates carrying medical supplies, Tess saw with bitter irony.

The sounds of sweet death whizzing past their heads made sickness reek through Tess' senses. Cara and Greef looked over the crates every once in a while, firing at the stormtroopers now fanning out across the room. Their guns were trained on the group in the center. Tess pushed her back up against the metal crate, ears ringing from the sound of so much destruction. Her fears were focused on the bolts blasted from the troopers, and it didn't occur to her in the slightest that they weren't actually hitting any of them. So convinced she was about to feel the molten laser digging through her flesh once more, Tess lost all sense of reality. The stormtroopers couldn't hit them, not at all.

But Tess didn't think of that. She was too busy trying to hear over the roaring of her heart.

The girl had lost herself again, just as she had so many years ago, when her parents said their last goodbyes and rounded the corner.

Goodbye.

Tess shut her eyes closed, the determination which had been coursing through her only minutes before vanished into oblivion. Her brain, usually so quick and agile to find new possibilities, were reduced to nothing but cinders, bricks of stone that weighed her down like a block of lead. The firefight continued, and it brought back memories she wished would burn and never come back. 

What she forgot was that after a flame comes the ashes, and soon enough, the ashes rise again.

Her past rose up again, in that moment, and Tess could do nothing but watch. Her parent's eyes making contact together, lips crushing in one final goodbye.Tess didn't notice Cara grabbing for her hand, trying to shake her out of her daze. A bomb going off near her, making Tess fall to her knees. Shadows of crimson dance on the walls near the square. Cara looked to Greef, and the old man watched Tess solemnly, knowing exactly what was happening. Tess rounds the corner, and all she sees is her families' reckoning. Cara frowned, raising her blaster again to fire at the stormtroopers, eyes landing on the sheet glistening over a vehicle in the middle of the room.

Her parents lie cold and blue in the middle of the square, their hands not laced together, as they normally are.

"Tess, come on."

Their own fault. It was all their fault. Tess started to shake, her eyes closing tighter, rocking back and forth. Greef watched as her hands curled into fists, bare fingers digging into the soft leather of her gloves. Her hands were grease-stained and calloused, a whole story, one of heartbreak and loneliness, fitting into the crevices of her skin.

"Young one, you need to come back."

Tess shook her head. Their fault. Their fault. Her parents shouldn't have rounded that corner, shouldn't have gone into the fight. They should have turned around and taken Tess home, back to her little cot and miniature mechanical toys. Back to the smell of spotchka and her father's signature rising cakes. Not into the square. Never into the square. The square was death, the square was terrifying, the square was where that man in black was. His frown and glinting eyes wormed their way into Tess' head, and his smile made shivers run down her spine.

"Tess, come back." Tess' eyes snapped open. She looked straight ahead, eyes widening as the Mandalorian's voice receded to nothing. She looked around frantically, trying to find the glint of beskar armour, or even the stiff shoulders and cocked head. There was nothing. The world careened, a console short-circuiting as Tess sat up, gasping for air.

A hand was rubbing her back, and she batted it away.

"Easy, easy." A rough baritone voice spoke out. Tess turned, peering into the softened and wrinkled features of Greef Karga. Mythrol was behind him, shaking from head to toe. The blaster fire hadn't stopped, but it had lessened. Tess suspected the group had killed a couple stormtroopers while she'd been trying to forget her past. Smoke rose from Greef's blaster, and Cara, who was on her other side, wasn't paying attention to where Tess was on the floor.

"Child," Greef said, shaking Tess' shoulder gently. "Are you all right." Tess looked back down, her mouth opening and closing, a response falling past her lips. Her mind was whirring, the pieces fitting together inside her head. Suddenly everything was clear, a veil pulled back. Her dark life, her dark and lonely life, finally letting the light pour in.

Tess wanted to smile.

Instead, she said. "Moff Gideon." Greef tensed at the words, remembering the vile man's cruel crusade to bring the Mandalorian down.

"What of him?" Greef asked. The blaster fire was drowned out as Tess's scrunched eyebrows released, her frown easing into a numb and somber look. Her features softened, something Greef didn't think possible. She looked almost... peaceful.

"It was him." Tess replied, not quite speaking to the man beside her, simply out into the Universe. It was him. She remembered now, after so many years of the memory pushed down, she remembered.

The trooper that took her from Moff Gideon's grip had called him by name. He'd asked what to do with Tess, asked Moff Gideon. Tess' hands unfurled, knuckles white from the pressure she'd applied. They'd all been calling his name, the words ringing through the courtyard, bouncing off the bodies still seeping with life. They'd called to their leader standing in the center of the square, clad in black armour with a hungry look in his eyes.

Moff Gideon.

"Cover me!" Cara yelled out, and moved around the two, crouching low. Tess moved, her limbs creaking, as she whirled around, eyes following where Cara had run out of the safety of the crates. Greef and Mythrol fired at the stormtroopers. Cara ran towards the large vehicle, and Tess' frown returned.

"What does she think she's doing?" Mythrol exclaimed.

Tess grumbled under her breath, silently echoing Mythrol's concerns. The vehicle was the same one he'd been keen to sell when they'd first arrived, covered by a plastic sheet and sitting like a king on his throne in the center of the room. The thing was impressive, Tess had to admit, made by a craftsmen rivaling even her own skill, but she failed to see how that could help them right now. the stormtroopers were closing in. Tess ducked behind the crates again as a shot came dangerously close to her ear.

She took a deep breath, swallowing thickly, and forced herself up again, aiming her stunner at the closest stormtrooper to her right. She wasn't quite thinking. Her mind was in two places at once, thoughts focused on the Mandalorian back in town, and the new revelation with Moff Gideon. This had fueled her, burning away the ice in her veins and rot along her bones, fusing together with her heart to create something new and foreign.

Determination, unlike anything Tess had witnessed before, was coursing through her body, slamming against her flesh like a bantha rearing it's large, ugly head.

She didn't even hesitate, letting something higher than herself guide her hand to the trigger, pointed straight at the stormtrooper's chest. It was like her arm had detached from her body, having a mind of it's own, and she didn't quite understand what had happened until the stormtrooper fell to the ground with a sickening thump.

Tess' eyes widened.

She was pulled down before the other troopers still conscious could fire at her, but seeing the body was enough to make Tess' heart careen against her ribs. She was on fire, burning from the inside out. A fire had lit inside her heart licking at her organs and lungs, seizing up and tearing away the skin. It boiled her blood, and Tess was down once more, her knees trembling as the gun fell from her hands.

So quick to change. For a few blissful seconds, Tess Oprin had feared nothing. She hadn't been frightened of seeing a body on the ground, not after she let the flood of memories bring new information tumbling into her mind. For a few blissful seconds, Tess Oprin had felt fully, irrevocably free.

It had vanished as quickly as it had come. Because Tess had only ever felt cold beneath her skin, frozen fractals lacing her veins. But there was the fire now, the burnt crisp of blood and ash filling her senses. Tess wasn't used to it, and therefore, she decided to hate it.

The electric buzz of an engine roaring to life made the group behind the crates look up. The sheet over the vehicle was blowing in all directions, and blue light cascaded from the back like an artificial waterfall. The stormtroopers turned confusedly and began to shoot at the truck, but it was too late. The driver inside pulled down the lever, and the vehicle was sent flying forward, as smooth as a mountain cat.

The truck moved forward until it was beside the small rebel group, and the sliding door opened to reveal Cara Dune, in all her strength and glory, in the seat, maneuvering the vehicle seamlessly.

"What are you guys waiting for, an invitation?" she called out. "Let's move!"

Greef continued to fire at the troopers while Tess grabbed a squirming Mythrol, took a deep, shuddering breath, and followed Cara's instructions. It was like walking in a nightmare, treading carefully so that the monster beneath the bed did not awake. Running through the open air, Tess' leg almost gave way beneath her, metal cracking under the copious amount of strain she'd given it recently. The rust growing from being in the ocean on Trask had done nothing to help.

Her limp was tremendous, and as she felt it tightening under her knee, tess pushed Mythrol into the open doorway, and fell into the truck. Mythrol whirled and pulled her the rest of the way in, helping her sit against the back of the truck, out of the line of fire.

"Are you okay?" the blue creature asked, and Tess just nodded, her hands around her steel calf. A few seconds later, Greef appeared in the doorway, and the slab of metal closed behind him with a snap. He turned away from Tess to sit in the other seat beside Cara, who was furiously punching buttons.

Tess lifted her head up and went to get up, but Mythrol pushed her back down. "Relax." he said, in a perfectly calm tone, something Tess had never heard come out of his mouth before. "We got this." Tess opened her mouth to argue, but in that moment, exhaustion decided to make itself known; the heavy weight of unconsciousness was laid over her body.

Touching the glass in the science lab above had made her power come right to edge of explosion. Her leg was of no help, the metal deciding to creak and groan and rust as if it had a mind of it's own. And her head, burdened with new realizations and unwanted memories, was like a block of quartz.

Slowly, Tess nodded, her eyes drifting back to the Magistrate and the Marshal moving the truck backwards. The vehicle jostled, and from where Tess sat on the ground, she could see open sky moving above them through the glass.

Mythrol got up and stood between Cara and Greef. Tess stayed on the ground, pushing herself so that her sore and tired back was propped against the metal wall.

And then she was flung forward, unable to grab onto anything as Cara slid the truck over the edge of the cliffside, catapulting down towards the rocks below. Tess gasped, managing to hold onto a ringed side of the wall before she fell straight into Mythrol. Everyone in the truck screamed as certain death rose up to meet them.

Luckily, Cara found something to lighten their fall. The sound of crunching metal reached their ears, and they landed hard on top of Mythrol's beloved speeder, flattening it to smithereens.

Cara pushed the speeder forward, and Tess lost her grip on the wall, flying backwards, back hitting a hard metal crate on the other end of the truck. Stars danced in her vision, and from the pain in her leg to the exhaustion on her heart, she watched the next chase as if watching a glitching hologram.

Greef moved past her to man the guns behind, giving Tess a sad smile, but unable to stop and help her as blaster fire jostled the truck and it's passengers.

Tess pushed herself up again, grabbing onto the wall and pushing down one of the seats. She sat down and strapped herself in, resting her sore head on the back rest.

The next thing she knew, they were weaving violently through the canyon, a pack of TIE fighters, ships Tess had only heard of but never actually laid eyes upon, coming down on them. They were light beasts of machines, agile and quick to move out of the way of incoming fire.

They were beautiful, Tess saw, despite the fact that they were presently trying to kill them. The craftsmanship was superb, better than anything Tess had seen inside the base. These ships were able to move at a pace faster than almpst anything, but that didn't mean they were the best in the galaxy.

Greef had shot one down, but when Tess looked his way, her eyes widened at the sight of the flaming ship barreling towards them. She reached down to her belt, unstrapping herself and falling onto the ground. Greef jumped out of his seat, and together the two leapt forward. There was a resounding crash, and when they looked back, the whole backside of the ship was demolished and smoking.

Ash found a home in Tess' hair, and she gulped.

"We're almost there!" Mythrol exclaimed, and when Tess looked forward, she could see the flat landscape and raised edges of the entrance to town, where Mando certainly was by now. Her heart ached, longing to see him again, to tell him about what she'd remembered. Tess wasn't sure if it would make a difference, or if she was even ready to reveal her past to him, but the words felt like a heavier burden on her alone than it would be on both their shoulders.

The light sound of the tie fighter's blasters roared in her ears, and the whole truck grew silent as the three remaining ships came into view. Their guns hadn't hit them yet, but in this open land, it was only a matter of time.

Tess almost wanted to close her eyes, that was how close death felt. It was like a raindrop on the tip of the tongue, icy cool and unforgiving. Tess tensed, her shoulders stiffening, but her face remained placid. Peaceful.

A ringing began at the back of her head, jingling like merry bells on the side of a four-legged creature. The sound brought more calm into tess' mind, and though the TIE's were almost upon them, she did not cry out.

Because for some reason, Tess knew the truck would not be destroyed. She knew they were not going to die.

In answer, the sing of a familiar blaster cannon turned the TIE in the middle to smoking wisps of steel.

The passengers inside leaned forward, looking upwards to see more and more blaster bolts rushing through the air, hitting the TIEs again and again. The ships were sent off course, and from behind them, the group watched their saviour come into view.

It was a rusted old ship. Broken and bruised, but in that moment, Tess could not see it's flaws. It was beautiful.

The Razor Crest sped up and twisted in the air, swooping out of their view, no doubt to finish off the kill, while the vehicle sped along closer to town. Everyone inside whooped and cheered. Even Tess, when they were not looking, gave a soft smile. He'd saved them, he'd saved her, again.

They made it to town quickly, and before Cara had even stopped the truck fully, tess opened the door and jumped out, followed closely by Greef and Mythrol. Greef had a pair of binocs in his hands, and Tess took them hastily, pushing them against her eyes to watch as Mando sped through the air with unmatched precision. His flying was better than the TIEs, making up for the lack in speed. The Razor Crest was a pile of junk, Tess had told him as such, but it still managed to destroy the rest of the fighters easily.

Tess lowered the binocs, her sharp eyes watching the Razor Crest swerve down through the flames of the destroyed ships, coming to the ground once more. She stepped forward, noticing that the ringing was gone, and her hands no longer felt like they were splitting apart.

She didn't care about the gust of wind that blew her way as the razor crest slowly lowered to ground, nor did she care that she had grown dangerously close to the spluttering engines. She held herself steady as they whirred off, and slowly, the newly repaired docking ramp came down.

The first thing she heard were happy coos. She saw them next. Mando rushed hurriedly down the ramp, his eyes grazing over tess' face, trying to search for any sign of injury. But whatever pain Tess had endured since leaving him an hour earlier was gone, and what replaced it was a moondbright smile that made his mouth twitch upwards.

She was smiling again, grinning at the sight of Mando and the little green child in his arms. It looked like the moon and the stars and even the sun. Tess walked towards him, bright smile softening into a tiny smirk.

He didn't mind, however.

"You didn't get hurt." she stated, not asking him. "And the child's okay."

"Yes." the Mandalorian responded. "Are you alright, Tess?" Tess looked down to her shoes, and she smiled to herself. When she looked back up again, it was as if the entire galaxy had made home in her cobalt blue eyes.

"Yeah." she said. "Yeah." Then she turned away, looking past his shoulder, as if contemplating something.

"Tess?" he asked.

She jolted back and met his eyes again. "I have something to tell you." she blurted. "On the ship. I have something to tell you." Mando's eyebrows knitted together, but he didn't object. He simply nodded his head. They could say nothing more, as Greef and Cara walked steadily towards them.

Greef was laughing, and he took Mando's arm in congratulations. "That was some pretty, impressive flying, Mando." Mando laughed softly. "What do I owe ya?"

"With the repairs, let's call it even." the Mandalorian responded, not a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Can we at least buy you a drink?" Greef said, looking down to tess and winking. The girl smirked and peered at Cara beside him. The woman did the same.

"We should get going." Mando responded. "We gotta hit the road before Gideon catches wise." Tess tensed at the name. The Mandalorian noticed.

"Well, good luck flying, my friend." Greef answered, then turned down to Tess. "And you take care of this one, child." he pointed at the Mandalorian.

"I will." Tess responded, and her voice held nothing but camaraderie in the simple words. Cara laughed and stuck out her hand. Tess took it, and they shook. The woman then turned to Mando, giving a courteous nod towards the Mandalorian and the child. Mando nodded back while Tess shook Greef's hand as well.

The old man chuckled and waved as the group of three turned away, heading towards the belly of the ship. Tess planted her feet on the metal ramp and looked back. Greef and Cara were turning away as well, walking back towards their reformed town.

"Hey." the Mandalorian's voice cut through her thoughts, and Tess looked back to him, her face solemn. "You sure you're okay?"

Tess nodded. "Yeah." she smirked, hinting on the edge of another smile. "I'm fine."

And this time she meant it. She was fine.

So, the three left the planet of Nevarro, turning away and disappearing into the belly of the ship, ready to go off on another adventure.

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The man had been on the ship for hours.

The air was cold, tucking itself into the folds of his long cloak, making his dark eyes water and his smirking lips blue. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the group of stormtroopers came, and now he stood on the bridge of the ship, handing the man who'd hired him the hologram.

Moff Gideon, as the man had been told, was as fearsome as the legends spoke of. He had unforgiving eyes, and the man wondered if the Moff ever smiled. The Imperial's assistant, a comms officer who looked just as sour as the others, gave the chip over to Gideon.

The man crossed his arms over his chest, leaning to one side, watching Moff Gideon's face as the images of the girl popped up onto the screen. He shifted his gaze from the Moff over to the girl he'd followed on Trask. She was a small little thing with dark chestnut hair and a face that cut like glass. The first time he'd seen her, sitting beside the Mandalorian at the inn, the spy had actually flinched.

He knew now what type of power the girl held. If he was being honest, the spy kind of admired her. He'd seen her take down the two mercenaries at the back of the apartment building, watched the conflict wage war on her face as she'd blown them back with the palm of her head, pulling the blaster into her fingers with a flick of her wrist.

It was entrancing, a girl so young to be so strong. But the Spy wasn't going to say any of this out loud, he wanted to see the Moff's reaction.

The girl held out a hand, her eyes terrified, and the blaster came soaring into her hands. Moff Gideon stiffened, his eyes trained on the young girl. She was scared, unable to shoot the gun, and it soon dropped to the floor, but that was enough. The spy grinned. Moff Gideon turned towards him, freezing the image on a close up of her face.

Her eyes were wide, and even in the hologram, you could see a lifetime of pain within her irises. Her raised cheekbones were sharp, and the Moff paused, a flicker of recognition coursing through him. He knew this girl. Somehow, he could recognize the rough edges and coarse features, the flashing eyes. They were something he had witnessed before.

"This is the girl now with the Mandalorian and the asset?" the Moff asked, turning to his hired informant. The man nodded, moving back up to stand fully. He took a step forward.

"Saw her with my own eyes." he responded. "Followed them to Nevarro, where your hired mechanic was. It's her."

The Moff nodded, turning back around, moving until his hands were leaning against the counter, and his eyes were trained on the girl. His eyes widened. He remembered. Long ago, when his Empire had fallen, the Moff was on Tatooine. There was a little girl, no more than ten. He stood up,face falling slack, something his spy noticed.

Moff Gideon could still remember her screams.

"Who is she?" the spy asked, his lazy drawl falling off his lips, clunking against the pristine surroundings of the fallen Empire. Moff Gideon paused, turning towards the man. He raised an eyebrow.

"She is another asset." he answered, then moved to look at his comms officer. "When we are ready," he told her. "I want both the child... and the girl." 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

I found this on pinterest and needed to share it because this is basically Tess and Din: 

That's them. seriously. It couldn't be more perfect...

ANYWAYS, what did you think of this chapter? Did you enjoy the first part, all the reminiscing on tess and Mando's growing relationship? I loved writing it, and I think this was a perfect time to bring it up, as they've been through a lot together, and while they still have a long way to go, they're finally starting to see each other as daughter and father, which warms my heart SO MUCH. ALSO Tess knows about Moff Gideon, so that's is really interesting, and that leads me to my next question: thoughts on the final scene? 😳 Now Moff Gideon knows Mando has another force sensitive with him. Gideon remembers her, and knows exactly who she is. YIKES. 

In case you're wondering who the spy is, well... so am I. As you probably know he's the guy from the third episode, and I literally decided last minute to make him an actual character in this book. He's basically gonna be Tess' main villain (?) sorta I don't really know but yeah get excited for that. 

Also Joel Kinnaman is playing him. <3

As always, don't be afraid to comment, vote, and follow me! 

Until next time (where Tess FINALLY opens up and they go to a certain forest planet...) 

Love, Mal