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(jare)
kamikaze, someone who takes
foolish and reckless risks
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Blaster fire. It sears through his armor, bathing him in blistering heat like the forge made of a starship engine. It seems like a lost cause and he finds himself whispering a prayer, Mando'a feeling odd on his tongue. It was a prayer he remembered someone muttering through gritted teeth as they bled out, artillery firing in tune to their slowing heart. A death fit for a warrior. The bitter thought comforts him as he holds up his blaster, steadying his breathing. He aims and the enemy is dead before he pulls the trigger, runs through by a blade. His eyes widen under his helmet and blaster fire rains from above.

The world seems to be shaking, shattering, alight with the hellfire that rains down from Mandalorians that ride the wings of a phoenix.

The child cooes in delight as he runs, his boots thumping up the ramp. A voice halts him.

"That was an interesting trick you pulled out there, Mando." Din freezes, hearing the familiar sound of a blaster being drawn. He turns. "I can still help you, Mando." It almost sounds like a plea. "Put the bounty down."

The air sings and hums, trembling like a plucked thread. Din can see a glinting blade behind Greef, resting a hair away from his throat. Greef's face falls. He glances back towards Din's partner. "Now listen. I have an entire guild that will never let you get away with this. Put down the sword and you can walk away."

"The gun," she snarls. She thrusts out an open palm. Greef lowers his gun slowly, his grip loosening slowly. He yanks her hand and she stumbles, falling onto the ramp. He aims the blaster. The thrusters on her boots fire up with a sputter and she slides up the ramp with a metallic screech. His next shot ricochets and hits a pipe, the ship filling with smoke and steam. Greef coughs, covering his mouth and nose with the crook of his arm. His eyes teared and vision blurred as his aim sweeped the smoke. A blast came out of the steam, striking him. Greef slumps to the ground.

Din glances at the ground besides him as he holsters his blaster. His partner sits there, propped up against the wall. Her chestplate moves in time with her hastened breath. She turns her head to look at him, the tiny metal horns built into her helmet dragging small paths through the smoke. Everything about her seemed designed to intimidate.

He offered her a hand that she ignored, pushing herself to her feet.

"Let's go." He stares at her in silence. She curls a hand into the symbol that she taught him for "smile". "You wouldn't last a week without me watching you back." Her voice is almost strained. He nods, stepping around the tension with delicacy that one would have around a landmine.

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The Razor Crest was painfully silent. She had already repaired the pipe in the deck below, taking far longer than she would have needed. There was a time bomb on the ship and he needed to diffuse it.

Din flipped on the autopilot before spinning his chair around. The door slid open. He gave a stern warning to the kid, who only cooed and moved to grab Din's finger. He pulled away with a sigh. "Coming down!" He called down before sliding down the ladder. He turned to see her adjusting the helmet; she must've put it on when he called down. She crossed her arms, leaning against the door to the rack.

"A kid?" Her voice is so quiet he nearly misses it. He nods. "The Empire?" He hesitates before nodding. The kid cries out in the cockpit and a split second later she slams a fist into the wall, hissing a swear. "The Empire? The fucking Empire?" Her voice borders between fury and hysteria as it cracks. "Ti jare, you could have killed us all! Ti gal'jaro, ese ke bic?" You have a death wish, is that it?

The baby cried again, louder this time, and Din glanced up. He glanced back at her. "Go," she hisses. "You already save it, make it worth it."

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She stayed below decks until they landed. Mikata called out before sliding down the ladder. "Want to come with?" She inclined her head.

"I'll catch up." He nodded, scooping up the kid near his feet. The hatch opened, sunlight and the smell of green flooding the Razor Crest.

"I'll leave the hatch open. Don't forget to close it behind you." He stepped out, moving out of sight.

She sank to the floor with a heavy shuddering breath. Slamming the heel of her palm into her helmet, she scolded herself. Stupid, getting too close to fire. She drew her sword and inspected the edge, wiping every small scuff away. The slight tremor in her hands faded, her mind quieting. She sheathed her blade and stepped out into the sunlight, the hatch closing with a whir behind her.
Everything is far more vivid here than it was back in Nevarro. The smells, the sounds, the colors, weaving into an endless serene tapestry. She closed her eyes, the darkness illuminated partially in shades of brown and green and blue. The air was cool, sharp. The air was wet and fresh, fresher than air she'd ever had; Nevarro stank, the biosphere torn to shreds after the Empire had gutted it for resources.
She wandered towards the small wooden building, assuming this was where mikata went. Leaning against the side, she caught glimpse of a small tussle. A smile tugged at her lips beneath the helmet. The pair froze, blaster aimed at one another's head. The pair glanced toward the child.
They glanced the other way to spot her.
"Were you ever going to step in?"
She shrugged. "Still mad at you."
The woman on the floor lets out a laugh and mikata sighs.
Mikata glances at the woman. "Want some bakta? I'll pay."

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Cara Dune. She was charismatic. The red mandalorian didn't miss the way she froze when she caught glimpse of one of the symbols the mandalorian carried.
Cara seemed to sit straighter in her seat.
"I used to serve the Rebellion. After the Empire fell, us shock troopers were just there for cleanup and crowd control." Cara leaned back in her chair with an exhale. "Not what I signed up for. So I left." Cara glanced towards her. "You?"
She didn't lift her gaze from the table, where she traced the shape of the grain. "Was enough of a problem to have a bounty put out. Did things not so proud of. Then I disappear." She looks up, meeting Cara's eyes. "Most the Rebellion think I'm dead. Prefer it to stay that way."
The table was silent. Cara spoke again. "Well, this planet only has enough room for one person to lay low. And I was here first." Cara threw back the rest of the bakta and mikata nodded.
"Right, we'll be moving on then.
Mikata picks up the baby and heads to the door. Cara calls out. "Hey, little mando!" The red mandalorian stops, looking back with her head tilted. Mikata pauses and she only waves him on, as if to say go on, I'll catch up. Mikata leaves and Cara gives her a bare slip of a smile.
"May the Force be with you." A moment of hesitation.
"And with you."