𝖁𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎 !
VII. REVELATION

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IT WAS PALPABLE, THE Mandalorian recognised ── his brown eyes observing behind the visor of his Beskar helmet. He could see how she was discomforted, how she clung to the child's side as if he were a lifeline. Kera Verr still hadn't informed him of what exactly she wanted to talk to him about. A hundred reasons of why she had searched for him and the kid filtered and rumbled about in his mind.

   Kera was whispering, low and a jumble of words and sentences to the child settled in her all too welcoming arms. Then only the soft echo of laughter, overlapping and morphing with the child's little happy coos could alter the Mandalorian from his original narrative of thought.

   Dank farrik. The Mandalorian needed this to be over with. It was becoming far too much. He was exhausted as it is. As much as he tugged and pushed for her to stay away she always came barreling back. With that all too smug devilish smile and confidant strut as if she owned the entire galaxy.

   A pair of white optics seemed to glower as Kera Verr's reprogrammed imperial droid approached them, it's moving gears and circuits whirring in the air. Tension coiled automatically in his shoulders. His opinion on droids had adapted from a close death experience and sacrifice of a friend. Yet, it didn't stop his gloved hand that automatically lingered by the blaster strapped to holster on his hip and only to fall away once he realised what he was doing.

        It washed over him in heavy waves that reprogrammed droid was her friend.

   "I am surprised that you are so concerned about my wellbeing," K-3SO drawled in a bitter monotone to Kera, ignoring everyone else, a large leather rucksack and green paint chipped tool box weighted in his robotic hold.

   Kera Verr's eyes flicked to the droid for a moment only to turn back to the child. "Sarcasm doesn't very look good on you, Kaythree."

  "And it does on you?" K-3SO retorted.

   The Mandalorian noted how Kera's lips quirked upwards into a grin. "I imagine so. What'cha do with the speeder?"

   "I sold it."

   Kera settled the child on the ground, turning to her droid with fuming eyes. "How great. Just kriffing perfect! Now we'll have to walk. Thanks."

   "What about the Mandalorian?" The droid asked.

   Kera waved a hand at her droid, dismissing the matter completely, obviously thinking that it wasn't important. "I didn't ask him."

   He turned his gaze towards her, his voice gravely and rough. "Ask me what?"

   Kera didn't answer him. Her gaze remained at her droid and she sighed in frustration.

   "What do you want?" The Mandalorian gritted out. At his tone, he had expected a reaction, something, anything at least. But she had remained the same. Like almost always. Despite those small fleeting moments, when he could read her, see a snippet of her. It was almost ironic. No one ever saw his face and with it his facial expressions. It was his creed and his Mandalorian culture. And somehow Kera Verr had mastered the ability to conceal the emotion from her facial expressions, even her voice in if she desired.

   It was unsettling, to say the least.

  "I'm asking for passage to Takodana, for myself and my companion. In exchange, I have information on the Jedi or I know someone who can give it to you. My mother, Maz Kanata ── she might possibly know a Jedi or someone of the sort but if you want information, I have to come with you. . . Otherwise you can stick my offer up your Mandalorian ass because I don't offer to help or whatever to just anyone."

   There was a revelation within those brown eyes of hers after she had spoken ── snagging, pulling and tearing at his heart. It was a glimpse. A moment. Despite how she had somehow mastered the ability to meet his eyes through the visor, it felt his armour had melted away and had ceased to exist. It was a vulnerable feeling but there was something just as vulnerable in her eyes too.

   The Mandalorian sighed and shifted his footing, his gaze through the visor never leaving hers, "Deal."

   Kera stepped forwards and held out her bare, slender hand and the Mandlorain took it within his own gloved one. Then as gently as he could muster the Mandalorian tore his hand away from her warm touch, he could virtually feel it sweeping its way through the thick leather of his gloves.

   Words spilled out of her lips in a mighty rush and he could actually hear how grateful she was and something yanked at his heart. "Thank you, Mando."

         He nodded, resting hands his on hips. The Child had looked to him with twinkling eyes and cooed happily. At least someone was truly happy about his deal with the Deputy of Mos Pelgo. Kera Verr was pleasant company. . . sometimes. But she could be draining, exhausting.

         When Peli finally returned from her office she prattled about to her droid about how the krayt dragon meat had to be medium-rare. Eventually, the curly-haired woman settled before him, glancing sideways at Kera before she spoke to the Mandalorian, "All right, here's the deal."   

        From beside him, Kera Verr had given him a look with a raised brow. He ignored it as Peli continued, "A Mandalorian covert is close. It's in this sector, one system trailing." 

       "Are they the ones that left Navarro?" At his words, the Mandalorian could see how Kera Verr's mind reeled, her lovely face tilted to the side, her gaze following after the child. He could see how she attempted to piece together and understand the conversation. Kera had mentioned being a bounty hunter, had she been to Navarro? Was that how she knew of Mandalorians? Had she once been apart of the Guild?

       Peli shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know. All I know is that the contact will lead you to them."

       His voice was bitter, straight to the point. "How much will it cost me?"

       "Well, that's the great news! It's free."  

       "Nothing is ever free," Kera murmured to no one in particular. Despite how she was angled, her gaze and body arched away, she was listening in on the conversation and very willing to contribute.

        Peli eyed the young woman for a moment, considering her words, "Aside from the finders fee, of course."

       "What's the not great news?" He inquired, his slight muffled voice gravely.

       "Nothing! It's all great."

     "Okay," The Mandalorian affirmed, settling the matter.     

       "However," Peli drawled cautiously, a few moments later. "There is one small skank in the scud pie."

       "I knew it," Kera mumbled to no one in particular. Again.

        Peli continued, once again words spilling out of her lips in a careful manner. "Which is the contact wants passage to the system. It may be a little crowded with your other companions──"

       "Do you vouch for them?" The Mandalorian interrupted. It was more leads. More possibilities for the child to find his own kind were better than none ── even if his heart did ache when he thought of saying goodbye. He had no idea how reliable this Maz Kanata was or even how much Kera knew of the Jedi. There was a matter, so much more perilous, so much more catastrophic ── it was that he had chosen to trust Kera Verr's word.

         (But it didn't mean he couldn't have a backup plan. Another alternate option if things went sideways.)

         Peli didn't miss a beat, mainly to console the Mandalorian. "On my life."

         "Fine," The Mandalorian affirmed, settling the matter once again.

         "And," Peli drawled, hesitant. "No hyperdrive."

          Behind the helmet, gazing through the visor, the Mandalorian could see how much Kera Verr was trying not to smile. From the beginning, she had always seemed to know that nothing would ever come easy. How typical. She always had to be right.

       "You want me to travel sublight? Deals off."

          Peli pursed her lips, clearly unhappy. "It's one sector over."

          The Mandalorian shook his head. "Moving fast is the only thing keeping me safe."

          "These are mitigating circumstances."

           His tone was harsher than he originally recognised or, well, thought. "What do you mean 'mitigating'?"

           From around the corner, by Peli's office, a female of amphibious species shuffled unsurely towards Peli and the small group. The Mandalorian leant over towards Peli, his hands on his hips, lowering his voice in a gruff confession. "I'm not a taxi service."         

           Kera snorted, but the corners of her lips upturned into a slight smile. Those glimmering brown eyes of hers illuminating and reflecting the orange flame of the ship's thrusters cooking the kyrat dragon meat. Kera rolled onto her tippy toes towards the Beskar of his shiny helmet to whisper, "You sure do look like it." 

           "I know, I know. I hear you," Peli soothed, ignoring Kera's remark. "But I can vouch for her."

          "Hi!" Kera smiled towards the Frog Lady, offering her an enthusatic hand to shake. "I'm Kera Verr. It's lovely to meet you!"

          The Mandalorian was sure, that Kera had done it ── said those words and provided that overly warm welcome just to irritate him. Would she always be this painful? Or did she just relish in knowing that she could get under his skin, even despite how she had no way of even knowing?

         "What's the cargo?" He asked Peli.

     For a moment Peli and the Frog Lady conversed in another language before Peli turned to the Mandalorian. "It's her spawn. She needs her eggs fertilised by the equinox or her line will end. If you jump into hyperspace, they'll die. She said her husband has settled on the estuary moon of Trask in the system of the gas giant Kol Iben."

            "She said all that?" At the Mandalorian's words, Kera had smiled a little and he had just managed to notice before that little flash of humour sculpted into her pretty lips and that twinkling her eyes vanished entirely.

            Peli shrugged her shoulders gently and confessed, "I paraphrased."

            The Mandalorian shifted his footing. "Is she sure there are Mandalorians there? I also have Kera Verr and her companion wishing to travel to Takodana in the mid rim."

            Kera smiled, all bright and sunshine, a smile which he had never seen, yet something danced like fire in those brown eyes of hers. "That's okay, Mandalorian. I understand that these are mitigating circumstances."

   Peli conversed with the Frog Lady. "She said her husband has seen them."

   "Do you know the husband?" The Mandalorian asked Peli.

   Peli shook her head. "No. I met her ten minutes before you walked in."

   Kera stifled a laugh at Peli's words, it almost as if she was aware of how it would cause a reaction from him. Nevertheless, his voice was laced with slight irritation. "I thought you said you vouched for her on your life?"

   Peli's droid Treadwell scooted by with a plate of dragon meat and Peli took a slice with her fingers before bringing it to her mouth, "What can I say, I'm an excellent judge of character."

   "Oh, yes," Kera confirmed folding her arms across her chest, her voice dripping in nothing other but compassion and lightheartedness. "There's never been anyone better."

      ────────── ☆ ──────────

THE RAZOR CREST HUMMED, a gentle whirr brought to life, shooting past the blur of the blanketed whirlpool of onyx darkness. Kera Verr moulded into her seat, stoic and still, a statue carved of stardust. With her elbow pressed against the armrest as she nestled her chin on the palm of her hand, anxiety coiled and curled in the pit of her stomach, raking through her body like a ravenous and malicious disease. Not even the protracted company of K-3SO could make it fade.

   To Kera's right, the Frog Lady remained posed, composed, patient and silent. Her frog-like features looking ahead and not daring to look back. Kera observed that the Frog Lady was brave and willing to sacrifice so much for her spawn and return to her husband. It warmed Kera's heart with unexplainable warmth. Perhaps there was hope for this galaxy yet.

   In the pilot's seat, the Mandalorian sat face forwards, his Beskar helmet gleaming in the dim light, his leather gloved fingers flicking switches and pressing buttons. His voice echoing throughout the cockpit, his muffled deep baritone cool and assertive. "Now, I'm gonna ask you to stay strapped in whenever you're seated. Travelling sublight is a little dicey these days."

   Reaching for a switch overhead, the Mandalorian continued, "Whether it be pirates or warlords, someone either ends up with a nice chunk of change or your ship."

   Behind Kera's seat, the one on the left, K-3SO's voice fired back, the robotic monotone laced with smugness, "How pleasant. My diagnostics calculate that the chance of capture is fifty-two percent. At least I'll have Kera for company."

   Kera sighed, swerving in her seat to face the towering gangly droid as the poor Frog Lady appeared to be overwhelmingly distraught, "How many times have I told you, Kaythree? Sometimes people don't want to know percentages or statistics. Especially me. You know that."

The droid was like a stern, back chatting child who assumed that they knew best. "I cannot override my sole reprogramming, Kera."

The Frog Lady let out a selection of guttural frog noises. The Mandalorian swerved in his chair slightly. "I don't speak whatever language that is. You speak Huttese?"

  "Tagwa wermo," Kera murmured to the Mandalorian as the Frog Lady remained silent. However, as much as she ached for it there was no reaction from the Mandalorian whatsoever. He remained stony, still and the same as always and more importantly, it made her blood boil.

   The Mandalorian sighed and attempted to converse in Huttese with the Frog Lady. Kera watched the poor Frog Lady's reaction who blinked twice and remained silent. Seconds passed and the Mandalorian began to switch more buttons and dials, "So, I'm gonna hit the rack. I've set the nav for our course. It's gonna take a while."

   "Lovely," Kera murmured as the Mandalorian stood, brushing past both Kera, K-3SO and the Frog Lady.

   Before he left, the Mandalorian lingered, his burning gaze in Kera's direction and something within her stirred, "I recommend you get some rest."

         At the Mandalorian's words, Kera recognised that he was much more observant of her in the past couple of days than she had originally thought. And it rattled her to the core. Kera furrowed her brow, trying not to overwhelm herself with thoughts, was the Mandalorian trying to be sort of nice?

   It did not matter how exhausted and tired she was Kera did not like the idea of falling asleep. She did not like how she would be plagued with haunting memories of red. She did not like how she would collapse and corrode into them. How she would tumble and fall into that girl she once was. What she had experienced and endured and survived.

   K-3SO gently pressed a mechanic hand to her shoulder, its optics bright and attentive. "I am here, Kera. I will not leave your side."

   Kera could feel her eyes burn and her voice crack as she spoke. "Thank you."

        The Frog Lady had spoken something but it was inaudible and Kera couldn't understand due to their language barrier. Instead, Kera turned to face the Frog Lady with a soft smile, praying to herself that it looked genuine and real. "Sweet dreams. You'll be home with your husband before you know it and with your spawn on the way. I promise, but you gotta let yourself rest."

       Kera's words must have provided some sort of comfort for the Frog Lady had closed her large rounded eyes and had fallen into a deep sleep, leaving Kera and her droid K-3SO in complete tranquillity.

   Tranquillity was something Kera would feel, just the mere emptiness of silence, ruining her, twirling and twisting memories stained in crimson rising to the surface of her mind. Nothing but a cruel reminder that she had always been meant to lose.