𝖁𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎 !
XII. PRINCESS

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THERE IS SOMETHING BITTERSWEET when Kera descends the ramp of the Razor Crest after the others. In reality, Kera is happy that she's made it. That she's one step closer to going home to Takodana. But there was a connection, a web strung and knitted together that had been torn apart.

   Trask is wet and humid. Different from all the places Kera has ever travelled to. Kera can almost feel a strangeness, an unsettlement that wavers through the air, that something is very wrong as she stands in the docks with nothing but ocean surrounding her. But Kera shrugs it off, unable to let herself be encapsulated by such idiotic thoughts.

   You are safe, Kera reminds herself.

   A dock worker of the Mon Calamari aquatic species quickly converses to the Mandalorian about possible repairs to the Razor Crest whilst Kera and K-3SO aid the Frog Lady in sighting her husband.

   As the Frog Lady continues to wander aimlessly through a crowd of dockworkers and call for her husband and only seconds later the Frog Lady's call is returned by a deeper croak. From across the dock the two spots one another, speeding on their feet through the crowds to embrace one another.

   Kera folds her arms across her chest, mumbling to no one in particular as she and her droid follow after the Mandalorian and his child in his egg-shaped floating pram, "That is probably the most heartwarming reunion I've ever witnessed."

   Whenever the Mandalorian mutters to the child is inaudible to Kera as she is truly focused in the heartwarming moment as she watches the couple bask in joy as they both press hands to the egg canister for a minute. Kera can feel her heart wrench at the sight and a smile tug at the corners of her lips because suddenly everything she had transpired over the course of leaving Tatooine and travelling to Trask is worth it. The Frog Lady and the Frog Man will finally have the family and the life they fought so hard for.

   The Frog Man arises and clasps the Mandalorian by the hand, bowing his head in respect and croaking in an attempt to display his gratitude.

  "You're welcome," The Mandalorian informs politely.

   The Frog Man quickly makes his way over to Kera and K-3SO, both offering them the same thanks as he did to the Mandalorian. Kera smiles brightly but confesses, "Oh no. It was all the Mandalorian. My droid and I, we, just tagged along for the adventure."

   The Frog Lady croaks in defiance, informing her husband that it wasn't true and Kera feels her gaze softens and she murmurs a 'thank you' as rare blush dances across her cheeks. Kera wasn't expecting any sort of praise or thanks. She and K-3SO just did what had to be done.

   The Mandalorian turns to the Frog Lady's husband, "I was told you could lead me to others of my kind."

   The Frog Man points into the distance towards an inn on the other side of the docks.

  "The inn over there?" The Mandalorian confirms and the Frog Man nods and together as a group they all make their way towards the inn.

   The doors slide open as the group enters. Kera knows that this is where they will part goodbyes. Kera smiles to the Frog Lady as a goodbye but surprised to be embraced by the amphibian woman of a shorter species. Kera smiles and returns the embrace, quickly murmuring before she let go, "I hope your new life on Trask is kind to you, your husband and your future offspring. M-May the Force be with you."

  "Thank you," The Mandalorian confesses to the Frog Lady with a hand on her shoulder.

   The Frog Lady nods and with a final croak and her husband disembark from the inn, leaving Kera and her droid K-3SO with the Mandalorian and the child.

  "Have a seat over there," the male Mon Calamari sever informs the Mandalorian as he points to a vacant table, not even a few feet away.

   Kera remains stagnant, unsure if this is the part where they too separate ways and she and K-3SO return to the Razor Crest whilst the Mandalorian continues to look for other Mandalorians. Yet, the Mandalorian's actions surprise her when he turns to her, Beskar armour gleaming under the dim lighting with a nod. And she knows it universally means: you can come.

   Swallowing cautiously, Kera and K-3SO follow and alike, the Mandalorian and the child take a seat at the circular wooden table.

  "What can I get you?" Mon Calamari sever asks, its goggle-like eyes peering into the party before him.

  "Nothing for me, " The Mandalorian replies. "A bowl of chowder for my friend. And whatever the lady chooses."

   Kera perks up, fixing her posture, already reaching into her pocket for a loose couple of credits which she knows that is well over enough to pay for both she and the child's meal. Hastily, Kera presses it against the table which the server collects. "Uh, I'll have the same as the kid. I've heard that chowder is nice."

   The server nods but doesn't seem satisfied with how the Mandalorian hadn't ordered anything. "These seats are scarce, buddy. Everyone seated needs to eat. We don't even serve their kind ── droids."

   Kera looked more angered and disgusted than the Mandalorian had ever seen. Her voice words are harsh and come as a mere sneer, "If you ever demote a droid to be without other basic simplistic privileges in comparison to other life forms and species ever again without equality and moral reason, it won't just be scare seats that you'll be worried about. . ."

   The server scoffs, hardly intimated by the threat placed by the inky haired young woman before the waiter, wedged between the child and her droid. Kera ground her teeth together, displeased and unable to understand the horrid individual before her. She had never been more disgusted with someone in her life.

  "What my companion seems to say is I can buy something else," The Mandalorian prompted as he slid a few credits across the wooden table towards the waiter. "Infomation."

   The sever collected the credits and Kera furrowed her brows together. It was an awful amount of credits, worth real a lot in the current galactic currency and it could display desperation that could be used against the Mandalorian if he wasn't careful. Then again, it was like dangling a bone before a Massif hound, of course, they'd take it.

  "Have you seen others that look like me?" The Mandalorian asked, seeking information for other Mandalorians.

   For a moment the server blinked, glancing around as if he was lost in thought before reaching upwards above the table for a slender hose and pulling it downwards with a slight yank, filling up the two bowls. Kera looks to the child and notices the delight on its features. She was starved too, but probably had a better way of concealing it.

  "Others with Beskar have been through here."

   And it's all the confirmation the Mandalorian seeks.

   Kera couldn't help but think of the Mandalorian and how he probably hasn't eaten in too long. Dangerously too long. Maybe she'd be able to find something for him to eat when they part ways when he goes to find other Mandalorians so he could have it when he and his child return?

  "Who can take me to them?" The Mandalorian inquires.

  "I know someone who might help," The Mon Calamari server is quick with his answer and then moves away to discuss with another table to seek passage with the Mandalorian.

   Taking the wooden spoon, Kera lowers it into her chowder and careful not to spill the contents in her spoon and lifts it to her lips. The child looks to Kera curiously and she smiles and urges the child to eat too, "Go on kiddo. Be careful though. It's still a bit hot."

   Kera watches at the child coos, dipping his own spoon into his bowl for a moment then only to let out a series of squeals when an octopus-like creature launches itself onto the child's face.

  "Oh no, " Kera murmurs snagging the Mandalorian's attention from the server who was still conversing details with the other table.

  "Don't play with your food," The Mandalorian murmurs to the child, drawing his vibro-knife from his boot and pricks the octopus-like creature to return to the bowl full of chowder. The child looks to Kera with a bewildered expression and she laughs a little peering into her own bowl with curiosity before continuing to eat her warm and fulfilling meal.

  "It's much more like the food is playing with the child," K-3SO confirms. Kera feels guilty. K-3SO does not deserve to be treated so poorly in such a place like this and she wishes she could change it, walk out that door right now but she can't because the Mandalorian needs this information.

   Kera peered from her bowl of chowder looking upwards to see a Quarren take a seat at their table. As a child, a lifetime ago, Kera heard all out the feud between the Quarren in the Clone Wars from her mama and it was strange to see the two species mingle together in peace.

  "You seek others of your kind?" The Quarren asks.

   Kera can feel the hope in the Mandalorian's voice. "Have you seen them?"

  "Aye," The Quarren confirms, elbow pressed against the circular wooden table. "I can bring you to them."

  "Where?" The Mandalorian queries.

  "Only a few hours sail," The Quarren put in place and letting out an airy chuckle before he continues. "It'll cost you though."

        "Deal," The Mandalorian decides without a beat, raising a hand to shake with the Quarren. At the Mandalorians words that strange, peculiar feeling, the same one she felt when she descended the ramp of the Razor Crest ebbs its way back into Kera's stomach. It was then she seemed to recognise that she has a very bad feeling about this whole deal the Mandalorian has made with the Quarren.

        As Kera and the child finishes their meal, the Quarren Captain informs the group of where to find his ship upon the docks. Kera hardly pays any attention, this should be the part where she would separate from the Mandalorian and his child. But Kera doesn't move and in turn, neither does K-3SO.

        "You done?" The Mandalorian asks Kera when the Quarren Captain rises from the table to meet his crew.

        "Yeah. Sorry," Kera mumbles, picking up her empty bowl and placing it under the child's one. Kera looks to the Mandalorian, her entrancing honeyed gaze directed at his visor, "I guess you wanna go? I'll meet you back that the Razor Crest, right?"

       The Mandalorian nods once, rising from his seat and Kera and K-3SO follow in suit and out of the inn. Kera watches at the Mandalorian swerves on his feet, the child's floating pram following after him and disappears into the crowd.

       "Kaythree," Kera mumbles to her droid as her gaze follows the Mandalorian who gets lost in the crowd of the dockworkers and fishermen. "Watch over the Razor Crest. I'll be back soon."

       Kera is moving on her feet, brushing past through the crowd after the Mandalorian. With little difficulty, Kera spots the shiny gleam of the Mandalorian and the child's rounded floating pram. 

       "Mando! Wait!" Kera calls and the Mandalorian stops walking and whirls to face her.

       She draws a deep breath, "I-I don't want you to go alone. I have this very bad feeling about those fishermen."

       The Mandalorian doesn't say anything for a moment and Kera's expression crumples and she decides to continue. "Look, I understand that you don't trust me. I personally understand that you have trust issues because I have them too at times but you can trust me."

     "I do not have trust issues," The Mandalorian defends, his voice laced with impatience as he speaks through the raspy modulator in his Beskar helmet.

       Kera seemed angered and frustrated and it melted away in her expression, into her brown eyes. "Well, you clearly seem to have trouble trusting me at least. I know that the Jedi were enemies to Mandalorians long ago but I am no Jedi. I would like us to get along despite our differences."

       The Mandalorian placed his hands on his hips. "What purpose does accompanying me and the child serve you? I am in search of my kind. Mandalorians."

       "And? I am a force-sensitive like your founding. The child is my kind. I can probably help you just as much as any Mandalorian, maybe even better."     

       The Mandalorian sighs, once again turning on his heel, letting his arms drop to his sides. "Go back to the Crest. We'll be back soon."       

        Kera sighs, her hand grasping the Mandalorians and pulling him back to face her. "I have a bad feeling about this. Please, let me come. I only want the child safe."

     "Fine," The Mandalorian grits. "One wrong move and our deal is off."

        Kera's lip quivered, the corners of her lips fairing into a grin. "Fair enough but we shook on it. Mandalorian's keep their word do they not? I'm taking back my compliment from before."

        "You can't do that. What done is done," The Mandalorian rebuts, unable to deny how the corners of his lips every so slightly tug upwards beneath his Beskar helmet. Kera was utterly impossible to deal with and yet sometimes its helplessly amusing and more often than not he can't help but let himself fall into it.

        Kera's smiles brightly at hearing the warmer shift in his tone, "I just did, Mando. Get used to it."  

        The Mandalorian offers no more conversation and Kera trails at his side passing through the diming crowds of fishermen and dockworkers and finally settle before the rugged and rusted fishermen ship.

        Quarren Captain from the inn nods and leads the three across the plank and aboard the ship. Kera can feel that warning feeling sink deeper and she chews at the inside of her cheek. Something feels truly off and mentioning it to the Mandalorian would be helpless, he hardly had taken her seriously and only let her accompany him and the child due to that she pushed him to let her come.

     Not too long later, once they truly set to sail and the crewmen of the ship began to work, Kera settled herself upon a discarded crate, drowned in her thoughts. The ocean all around with no signs of land was soothing, comforting. It was different from the lake she visited as a child on Naboo or even the numerous ones on Takodana. Then again, this very body of water was in fact saltwater very very different to freshwater. Kera couldn't help but notice it had a different way it glimmered in the sunlight.

        From a few feet away, the Mandalorian and the child looked into the distance. Kera knew the Mandalorian wasn't much for talking so she hadn't even bothered and he was far too obsessive over finding other Mandalorians. Kera couldn't blame him though, it meant a lot to him.

          "You ever see a mamacore eat? Quite a sight." At the words purposed by the Quarren Captain, Kera furrowed her brow ever so slightly.

          Kera began to hum a little too loudly, her fingers fixating at the ends of her hair and move from her crate to stand at the opposite side of the ship, her hip pressed against the railing.

        "Child might take an interest. You might take a look, "The Captain offered. "Come on over here."

          Following after the Captain, the Mandalorian and child settled before the gap in the flooring of the ship used for fishing. From the corner of his eye, the Mandalorian saw Kera look in his direction, her eyes connecting with his visor and ever so slightly look horizontally to the right and then a tad to the left. "All right. Close enough."

         Kera could feel it. Something chewing at her insides. Something didn't feel right. Kera knew sketchy. She was supposed to be able to identify sketchy at ease. She was raised around in a haven for all sorts of individuals whether it be fugitives, smugglers, bounty hunters, explorers, runaways etc. But saying something would make it worse.

        With the Mandalorian's help, Kera could take these fishermen. In total it would roughly seem to have about twelve crew members give or take. She'd have to take into account the child, they'd use the kid as leverage to get whatever they wanted. Kera would have to think of a bargaining chip ── she'd be the bargaining chip. She'd be worth something as an ex-princess and force-sensitive. Now, Kera would have to wait for the perfect moment to strike.

       A lever was pressed forwards and netting above the gap and a selection of fish was released into the waters from a fishing net. "She must be hungry," The Captain confirmed when bubbles arose to the surface. "Oftentimes we'll feed her in the early morning, but we missed that 'cause we were goin' out of port!"

          Kera could feel her skip numerous beats when the Captain used the spear in his grasp to strike against the child's hovering pram giving it enough momentum to reach the surface of the waters.

         "No!" The Mandalorian exclaimed as the sea creature rose up clasping the child between its jaws and dragging it under the surface. It wasn't something that had been unpredictable, of course, the Mandalorian would dive after the child but what wasn't expected was that Kera would dive after the child and the Mandalorian too.

         Kera could feel the chill of the saltwater shock her body, the rush of adrenaline surfacing in her veins. It dawned on her horribly, possibly worse so than the need for air, for oxygen pressing against her chest was that she was afraid of water ── of falling and sinking to the deepest depths imaginable.

         An agonising sting throbbed at her shoulder blade when Kera tried to surface against the water, to relieve herself of the ache of oxygen only to be pushed below again in a gargle of water.

        Keep fighting, Kera roared to herself. Don't you dare give up like this.

        Again, Kera tried to reach the surface for air, for a quick breath but felt the sharp, stinging pain once again this time against her arm and she plummeted under, sinking. Her vision beneath the water was murky, blurred. She couldn't see the sea monster. But she could see the Mandalorian, the bleary gleam of his slivery Beskar armour in the blurry haze.

         Those monsterous fishermen kept persisting their spears, aiming for the Mandalorian and in the process Kera too. They wanted to kill him. Once again, Kera tried to surface with little success. She had managed to make it for a splinter of a second, to hear a fragment of those horrid voices and only to fall back beneath the surface, fighting for air.

          Kera could already feel her body tiring, her muscles beginning to ache. The burning pressure against her lungs worsening as she willed to keeping fighting, even when a part of her wanted to give up. For mama, Kera compensated when she felt her body start to slack. Keep fighting for mama and papa.

       She kicked towards the surface, feeling a release of pressure on her chest when Kera gasped for air, her fingers attempting grasps for the vertical metal bars overhead keeping her and the Mandalorian captive.

         Kera could feel her gaze drift sideways as the vertical bars slipped away, to reveal a figure dosed in blue armour and outstretched hand beckoned towards the Mandalorian, "Take my hand."

   The Mandalorian reached upwards, his gloved hand grasping the other Mandalorian and he was pulled upwards and back onto the surface of the boat out of the crate, "There's a creature. It has the child."

   "On it," An unfamiliar voice of another Mandalorian offers, elegantly diving forwards into the crate to the depths below where the monster resides.

   The Mandalorian turns, despite the coughs that heave their way through his chest and offers a hand to Kera which she latches onto instantly and soon other the Mandalorian with the blue armour and the strange owl-like creature etched upon her helm also helps Kera out of the crate.

  "Thank you," Kera croaks with an effort to the Mandalorian and to the other Mandalorian figure. Her lungs and her throat feel as if they are on fire as she coughs saltwater from her system.

   Kera observes as she heaves herself to a sitting position that there was three of the Mandalorians in total, despite that they all seemed to have the signature colour of deep sapphire blue decorated and etched upon their Beskar armour.

   "The child," The Mandalorian rasps as the Mandalorian that had helped him out of the crate lowers him to a mounted coil of rope to take a seat upon. "Help the child."

  "Don't worry bother," She assures with a hand upon the sliver Beskar pauldron plate on the Mandalorian's shoulder. "We've got this."

   The distressed whines from the mamacore can be heard even from above the surface and after a series of moments, it finally stops and the Mandalorian shoots upwards with the aid of their jetpack, the child's crib in there grasp and lands upon the boat.

   Tugging hard the metal coverings of the crib give way, to reveal the child. And that heartwrenching worry she felt chew away at her moments before, ceases to exist and is replaced by a relief Kera has never felt.

  "Here you go, little one," The blue Mandalorian woman soothes, offering the child to the waiting arms of the Mandalorian.

   Deep breaths of oxygen are taken by the Mandalorian as he observes the child for a moment before muttering, "Thank you."

   Kera wrings her soaking onyx hair, droplets of water dripping onto the surface as she stands. Her simplistic wet clothes cling to her body and Kera shivers. The gentle breeze that wavers through the air is harsher than it was before.

    "I've been searching for more of our kind," The Mandalorian confirms.

    A part of her festers with anxiety. Her mother's amulet dangles around her neck, for all to see. Kera had never taken it off since the moment her uncle had gifted it to her, long long ago. It had become a part of her and it's a horrid feeling which gnaws at her mind. What if they'd seen it? Would they know who she was?

     "Lucky we found you first," The one in the middle of the three Mandalorian's speaks with relief and its true things could have gone a whole lot worse.

   The Mandalorian looks to the child as he speaks, "I've been quested to deliver this child──"

   All that can be heard is the hiss of the helmet as the three Mandalorians remove their helmets, tucking the Beskar helmets under their arms. The middle woman Kera notices with her red hair and emerald eyes startlingly familiar, dancing in the memories of Kera's childhood.

   The Mandalorian stands, looming closer to the other Mandalorians, his tone hardened with utter disgust, "Where did you get that armour?"
   Kera sighs at the newfound tension and the sudden recognition that filters through her bones and mumbles, "Oh no."

   The emerald-eyed woman in the middle looks to Kera for a splintering moment as if she truly notices Kera for the first time. It was exactly what Kera has feared ever since she was a girl when the woman's gaze burns at the amulet attached to the silver chain strung around Kera's neck.

   The woman shifts her green gaze to the Mandalorian as she defends, "This armour has been in my family three generations."

  "You do not cover your face," The Mandalorian grits. "You are not Mandalorian."

   A silence wavers through the air for a moment before the man on the right of the woman, speaks, "He's one of them."

  "Dank farrik," The woman to the right curses.

   Kera can feel her burrow frow together at the words.

  "One of what?" The Mandalorian asks menacingly but Kera knows deep down that he's confused and probably on the verge of an identity crisis.

  "I am Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze. I was born on Mandalore and fought during the purge. I am the last of my line." Bo-Katan steps forwards towards the Mandalorian and Kera sucks in a mangled breath as she continues, "And you are a child of the Watch."

  "The Watch?" Kera murmurs and Bo-Katan's attention suddenly turns to her.

  "Children of the Watch are a cult of religious zealots that broke away from Mandalorian society. Their goal was to re-establish the ancient way. I'm sure you would have heard from your mother about such filth, princess."

   Kera doesn't falter. "I'd be careful of what comes out of your mouth, Bo-Katan. It's embarrassing when you make false assumptions about someone's identity. My name is Kera Verr."

   Bo-Katan is frazzled with surprise, Kera knows that. Kera isn't her mother. She doesn't waver of politics and alliances and peace. Nor is she any resemblance of that girl from long ago. Nor is she a princess of Naboo. She is just a shell of lost possibilities and opportunities.

   Bo-Katan's lips curl into a smile. "That amulet on that chain around your neck says otherwise. Just as I suspected you're Keirah Dorwin, daughter of Feyn Aporilè. I'm surprised you're alive, princess. Many throughout the galaxy believe that you died a long time ago."

   Kera gaps like a fish, unable to will any words to her lips in retaliation. She's been revealed. She's never been so afraid. And there is absolutely nothing she can do about it. The Mandalorian looks to her and Kera can feel the burn of his gaze through the visor of his Beskar helmet. Just as she was just beginning to gain his trust and it has slipped away, corroded and rusted into nothing.

  "There is only one Way," The Mandalorian sneers as he turns on his heel. "The Way of the Mandalore."

   Kera watches as the Mandalorian's jetpack fires to life, sparks rising out of the thrusters, upward shoots into the air with the child in the crook in his arm. And all Kera is left with is the knowledge and sinking feeling that nothing will ever be the same.