𝖁𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎 !
VI. FAREWELL

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KERA VERR WAS EXHAUSTED. So much had transpired over the past couple of days then there had in weeks. Life in Mos Pelgo was simple, very much routined and isolated. An inevitable weight crashed and squeezed at the remnants of her heart ── Kera would have to find the strength to leave the place she had just scarcely begun to refer as home sooner or later.

    Upon entering the threshold with Jo by her side, the child had already waddled towards her, little arms outstretched. A smile graced her lips before she reached down scoping the child into her arms in a quick fluid moment. Kera's voice was soft, dripping with tender warmth, attempting to mimic the way her mother had once spoken to her as a child. "Hello there, little one."

    The child cooed delicately, Kera could see how its features shifted to the blue-painted door. Kera examined the child's expression, able to see how such worry lingered in its little green features. "I know. I know. Your papa will be back soon to come and get you. He was very selfless and heroic today. It's quite the impressive story though. Lived up to all those Mandalorian tales I was told about as a child. . . Anyways, I'm quite sure your papa will tell you all about his impressive kill once you go wherever you need to go."

    This time the child cooed sombrely, its rounded brown eyes shimmering with tears, burying itself, flushed against her the breathable fabric of her shirt. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean kill! Your papa just put it to sleep, that's it. The Krayt Dragon is asleep for always."

    In a helpless attempt to soothe the child, Kera tried to rock the child in her arms but the tears in his brown eyes scaled down his green cheeks. Ever so gently, Kera brushed gently them away with the pad of her thumb. Kera's facial expressions moulted into one of understanding, her feet moving to shuffle against the smooth floors and take a seat opposite to where Anza was lulled motionless in deep sleep.

    "Aw, kiddo. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you with talk of such things. I forget you're so little and young and have so much to see."

    Kera continued to watch the child's expressions, noticing how they had remained the same, honeycombed with such despair.

    "Are you hungry? Is it nap time? I'm stressing a little here." The child had only let out a little giggle in response and it made Kera sigh but smile all the same. "Okay, so you're all good then? Lovely."

          Seconds ticked by. Then minutes. Anza snoring away in the chair opposite to Kera wasn't really helping all that much. Jo was in her room, probably attempting to work on some mechanical project alike Kera had been teaching her. Kera assumed that K-3SO was running diagnostics in the little shed out the back where Kera kept all of her tools and such.

           Kera often felt horrible for K-3SO. She had found the droid on Jedha when she was a child in a scrap pile of junk and rubbish, ruined and unable to operate. With the help of her uncle, Kera had managed to reprogram and repair the droid. It was never forgotten that Kera's companion had helped her survive the attack of the Inquisitors that slaughtered her village and killed her uncle for mere sport.

          K-3SO had been at Kera's side almost all her life, never abandoning her as almost everyone in her life had ── even if the leaving and abandoning her wasn't always intentional. Kera just wished she could have given her companion a better life, even if the poor droid wasn't even technically alive.

         It crashed over her in mighty waves ── they'd have to leave again. They'd have to start over just like they had many times before. And each time Kera had to leave, a strain grew deeper on her ruinous heart.

         The sound of the hiss of the hatch door opening startled Kera from her thoughts, making the poor woman jump out of her skin, almost taking the poor child with her.

    Relief riddled her voice, Kera swerved in her seat to face him. "Oh, it's only you."

         The Mandalorian stood in the threshold of the small, cluttered house, adorned in the amber sunlight the deep slivery Beskar armour had a strange unearthly glow. Instantaneously, the child's ears perked and Kera stood from the chair, moving to stand before the Mandalorian. 

        "C'mon kid, it's time to go." The child whined at the Mandalorian's words, it's long, slender ears lowering sorrowfully, and it's little fingers intertwining and clinging to her shirt.

     "Let go of Kera. I won't tell you again."

        The child merely let out a soft coo in defence, almost as if he had wanted to inform the Mandalorian of something. Despite, how Kera was touched by how much the child had grown fond of her, she understood that it was time to say goodbye ── and she recognised that bribery was probably the best way to go.

        "Your papa was going to tell you all about the story about the Krayt Dragon and how amazing he was. You'd like to hear that, won't you? And I'm guessing, you'll have some nice, perfectly roasted Krayt meat for supper too."

        The Mandalorian gently pried the child from Kera's grasp and large sweltering tears formed in the corners of the child's eyes as he was nestled in his father's arms.

         Kera watched as the Beskar helmet tilted downwards, his gaze watching the child attentively in an attempt to piece together strange behaviour stemming from his foundling.

         The Mandolorian's words were a soft, fleeting whisper. "The kid has never acted like this before."

          "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have convinced you to let him stay here. I just. . . I didn't want him to see any of that horrible stuff."

          The Mandalorian had hardly paid attention to her words and was much more determined to converse on other questions that pried at his mind. "It is the powers, isn't it? It's because you have them too."

         "Maybe. I'm not entirely sure that's how it works though. I mean, Anza's a believer of the force, a possible force-sensitive ── but I wouldn't really know. It's hard to distinguish a person's abilities when you don't know exactly what you're talking about yourself."

          The helmet dipped once. A gloved hand outstretched, colliding and grasping a warm, slender hand. "I hope our paths cross again, Kera."

           It stunned her ── riveting Kera Verr to the core. It felt strange that it was the end. It almost didn't sit right within her. Almost as if there was more of the story to be told.

          "Me too, Mando. Good luck with the kid."

    And then the Mandalorian and the child were gone with a blink of an eye.

    Kera proceeded to walk and crumble into on the chair with a mangled sigh, her fingers rubbing at her temples. Anza's blind, scarred eyes peeled open, awaking from her slumber, making direct eye contact with young woman, "I was expecting you, sooner or later."

     Kera rolled her eyes teasingly, stretching her feet out before her, "Anza, you always say that. Every damn time I show up."

    "I always know, girl. And I know that Mandalorian will keep you safe."

    Kera furrowed her eyebrows ever so slightly. "Hmm, he did kill the dragon. I'm a little lost in your choice of words though because I can most defiantly take care of myself."

    "You want to help them," Anza noted softly, her lips pursing into an understanding smile.

    Kera sighed, torn. "Maybe. I just feel bad for the kid, the Mandalorian knows absolutely nothing of the Jedi."

    "And you do?" Anza retaliated, her tone almost teasing. Kera had told Anza a lot of her past but there were memories, certain fragmented pieces coated in crimson red and dying light she would never speak of. She was relentlessly haunted by memories, ones of which that lingered so softly in her mind ── almost as if it was a curse.

    Kera found herself unable to grasp the correct words, only wishing to manipulate them to her own pleasing. "I know what everyone knows about the Jedi. The Jedi Order. . . it was light, peace, hope and then it was manipulated and lost by the Republic. Then everywhere, all at once, they were gone, rendered to nothing but a mere legend. . . a myth."

        "It's time Kera. You must go. You must leave."

        "I–I don't think I can. I don't want to lose my family again."

        "You never lost your family, girl." Anza pointed at Kera's chest, to the young woman's heart. "They are always with you, as will I and Jo. Now go."

    A satisfied smile etched upon Anza's lips, for she knew. She had known all along. She had seen it. And it was only proven the very moment the Mandalorian had entered the threshold of her home asking for the Deputy of Mos Pelgo.

    For all along, destined as if it was written in the stars or souls threaded and woven together by some ancient, mystic, magical force ── Keirah Dorwin and Din Djarin were always meant to meet.

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THE HEAT OF TATOOINE had always been horrible. Kera Verr had always hated it with a passion. The long scraps of fabric Kera had wound around her face had done little to prevent bits of sand flicking towards her dark eyes and even with the wind from travelling upon speeder caressing against her pastel caramel skin and it didn't soothe her from the heat of the setting suns.

    Kera loosened the throttle, slowing the speeder to a complete stop, all too the familiar smell of oil and smoke filling her nostrils. Kera hurriedly, in a frazzled panic dismounted the speeder, calculating the scene before her.

     All she could think over and over was ── not them, please don't be them.

    "Do you think he's dead?" K-3SO asked from the seat on the speeder. It was too easy to let the corners of her lips upturned into a smile as she turned back to face her companion.

    "No. Don't you see those fresh footprints leading back to Mos Eisley? And do you see that trap over here Kaythree? Mando and his kid were ambushed. Then from what I can tell the Mandalorian kicked ass."

    "Oh, how great. Now we have to parade about with that tin can of a Mandalorian and that–that chaotic womp rat of a child."

    Kera let out a little laugh. "The kid is really sweet and the Mandalorian, well, is probably average company. But it won't be so bad."

  "That sweet kid chewed on my leg! How could it not be bad?!"

    Kera slung her leg over the leather seat, her tone light and babyish, "Aw, you big poor metal baby!" And then the duo proceeded to make rest of the journey to Mos Eisley.

    It was after sundown and the sky of Tatooine had been painted obsidian with dotted white stars by the time Kera Verr and K-3SO had made it to Mos Eisley. Instantaneously, after dismounting her speeder, Kera knew that Mos Eisley Cantina was probably the best bet to find the Mandalorian and the child.

    K-3SO felt that it was an important time to voice his opinion as the two settled before the Mos Eisley Cantina. "This feels like a bad idea."

    "Isn't everything I do a bad idea?" Kera retorted knowingly. She was the sort of person to act upon first thought and mere whim and then allow herself to regret it later. Even K-3SO's influence had done little to change that over the years.

  "No. Not always." The droid spoke enthusiastically. K-3SO's gears and circuits whirring as they moved across the sand to stand beside his friend.

    Her gaze softened like molten butter before the cantina. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise. And that we won't get kicked out like last time."

    "Last time we were in Mos Eisley you had drinks with Han Solo and Chewbacca."

    "Last time we were visiting old friends, my dear companion. Don't make it sound like we were doing something illegal, Kaythree."

    "You were!" K-3SO informed.

    "Oh, so you're telling me that selling spice to the spice runners of Kijimi in order to lessen Han Solo's debt to Jabba the Hutt was illegal?!"

    "Yes!" The droid supplied, throwing its lengthy deep sliver arms in a tassel of dramatics.

    Kera's voice accelerated from the hushed whispers from moments ago. "I am the Pirate Princess of Takodana! I am supposed to be all about profit and business and being resourceful! And Han Solo is our friend ── despite a lot of terrible things about me. Look, if you want, wait by the speeder. I'll come back and get you after I strike a deal with the Mandalorian."

    The towering droid nodded. "Very well, Kera. I'll be by the speeder."

    Kera let out a huff of air in relief. That droid of hers ── she loved to bits, but nevertheless, it sometimes felt like she was constantly around an ansty back-chatting child with a perfect vocabulary and who dabbled with an excelled and above-average intelligence.

    The bubbly music and chatter of the Cantina doused Kera in a comfort she didn't know she needed. It was a recallment was who she was, of what she was just a little over five years before her incident on Coruscant. It clawed and tugged at her heart and she had wondered what she could do if she let herself go, let this whole 'Deputy of Mos Pelgo' facade slip and get a well-deserved drink and talk and converse and finally let go.

    But that didn't happen. Kera promised herself that she'd never fall into that darkness and tragedy in her veins. In fact, that part of her ever again. Even if it meant cutting away apart of her ── a part of her she had revealed to a Mandalorian and his child and more importantly family that she had cared and once provided for.

    Kera moved to the bar counter, resting an elbow upon it and she looked to the bartender droid with a lazy smile. "Excuse me, hi? Yeah, you sir. I'm looking for a Mandalorian. He's really shiny, like a new credit. Has a little green kid. . . Um, well, he has this raspy, deep sort of attractive voice and he also seems to be a bit of a softy, at times, possibly. If you ever see him, never repeat those words, please."

    The rugged red bartender droid tilted its body to a table to the left. "There is your Mandalorian."

    Turning her gaze to the right, Kera recognised the Mandalorian instantly, even with the long metal pole and bits and bobs draped and tied upon it, almost hiding the Beskar armour. Kera placed a single credit upon the counter and smiled a little more than usual, "Thank you for your help! You're a wonderful person!"

    Upon Kera's approach, she recognised that she had made it just in time, for the Mandalorian looked as if he was going to leave. Then a middle-aged human woman with unruly brown curls bellowed, "Is that your girlfriend, Mando?! My, my she's very pretty! ── You, darlin' look familiar. Did I happen to sell you a speeder a few cycles back?"

  "Yes," It took a moment for Kera to recognise what she had said yes too and a blush danced across her cheeks. "Stars, no. I'm not his girlfriend. Although, I do believe myself to be quite the catch. I-I did buy that speeder, I think, um, it was the one with the faulty engine? I'm Kera Verr, the Deputy of Mos Pelgo. You're Peli, right? I remember you."

    "Yeh, I am. Ah, I'm so sorry about that, darlin'"

    Kera forced a sweet, easy smile and a shrug of her shoulders. "I understand. We all have to make a living."

    Peli smiled in turn too. Kera took it as an opportunity to speak to the Mandalorian, allowing herself to look at him for the first time.

  "I'd like to talk to you just for a moment," Kera murmured delicately, the words rolling over her tongue at ease, despite how her cheeks still burned from embarrassing herself moments ago and the misinterpretation that she was the Mandalorian's girlfriend. "It's about something really important, like important enough for me to track you and your kid down as if you were a quarry and I was still a bounty hunter but without the tracking fob."

    Peli laughed as she stood, slamming her cards against the table, eying both the Mandalorian and Kera Verr with a knowing glint sparkling in her eyes. "Looks like you two have a lot to catch up on back at the hangar. More importantly, did you bring back any of that dragon meat?"

        Kera Verr winked at the child snug in the satchel thrown over the Mandalorian's shoulder, "See, kiddo, I told you dragon meat and storytime!"

        The child happily gurgled at her words.