"Are you insane, Kuiil?"

Kuiil turned his head upwards, his face optimistic. "This droid has been programmed to harm. With a proper reboot and software update, I can alter that path."

I once again looked at the droid. Kuill had somehow managed to maneuver the droid onto a low table situated near one of his workbenches. It was the machine I had initially seen with the Mandalorian. The one who had wanted to harm the child.

"You do realize this is the same droid that tried to kill the little one? The one the Mandalorian killed?"

Kuill nodded. "Yes."

"And you think you can erase that software?"

"Yes."

"What will you do if-"

"I have spoken."

I resisted an eyeroll. I had lost track of the days I spent with Kuiil. My original plan to leave after the Mandalorian's departure was quickly put on hold after realizing I really had no where else to go. The mercenaries had found me between lost and the middle of nowhere and going back to my home wasn't an option anymore.

I glanced at the hole left in the robot's head. "I'm going to go finish making your soup," I said, resigned.

Kuiil nodded but I could feel his eyes watching me as I trudged my way back to his hut.

Since the Mandalorian's departure, my daily routine would always begin the same. I would assist Kuiil in tending to his fish like creatures before going down Kuiil's long list of farm duties. I quickly proved to be a somewhat lousy gardener, but was able to make up for it with what I could cook using Kuiil's harvested vegetables.

Upon entering the house, I immediately found Kuiil's vegetable basket and began to peel a potato with a knife as my thoughts drifted.

There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of the Mandalorian and the child.

His blaster still hung limply at my side.

I wondered where he had taken the kid, if it was safe, and if the Mandalorian felt any regret. Were Mandalorian's capable of regret? He was just a man under there… wasn't he?

A frown formed on my face as my thoughts drifted further. What if he was out on another bounty already? What if I was just a part of an unwanted memory in the back of his mind? Would he forget about the child?

"Kala." I turned at Kuiil's voice, leaving my thoughts for a later time.

He had followed me into the kitchen and was staring at me knowingly. He was a creature of very few words, but he always seemed to say more with his expressions.

"The Mandalorian will come back."

Sighing, I turned back around and continued my peeling. "I don't expect him to," I said quietly. He had left things in quite a finite manner.

Kuiil was silent. I heard him shuffling a but before a chair was pulled back. I effortlessly sliced the potato into pieces before dumping them into my existing pot. With nothing else to do for the time being, I finally turned around to face him.

He was sitting at his table and motioned for me to sit as well.

Following his silent request, I sat.

"The Mandalorian," he began, "knows right from wrong. He will know what to do."

Frowning, I just looked down at the table. I had asked the Mandalorian to do the right thing before he left. It hadn't been enough.

"Where is your place?" he asked.

Confused, I answered. "What do you mean?"

He smiled a little smile at me and explained. "Where do you come from?"

Oh. "I come from Earth," I said with a smile. "It's a beautiful place."

Nodding, he replied. "I don't believe I know of it. Must be much different from here."

I grinned. "There are places there that look like here. It was very diverse."

Kuiil seemed to think for a moment. "And your family?"

Swallowing, I looked to the door. This hadn't been a question I was expecting, but it wasn't unwelcome. Just painful.

"My home was ambushed my storm troopers." I glanced back at Kuiil and saw his face grow grim. I continued. "It was just a few months ago. I wasn't home at the time; I had been sent to town to get some fine silk for a client… they were very specific in their orders." I smiled fondly. "But before I had even left the shop, the white army arrived and started taking control of the town. Raided homes and killed those who wouldn't cooperate."

I wiped a tear away. "From what I learned, my family tried to escape. They didn't make it."

"I am sorry."

I smiled a small smile at Kuiil. He was a kind soul. "Me too," I said softly. Sighing, I got up to stir the soup. "It's in the past now."

"How did those people find you? The ones with the child?"

I didn't stop my slow stirring. "I was looking for a place to go, a job maybe. I stumbled across them and they asked what I did. I told them I was a decent seamstress, that I had helped make clothes for royals before." I gave him a look. "That got their attention, the royals part. They thought that made me valuable, so they took me to their little lair and wouldn't let me leave. That's where I met the kid a few weeks later."

"You care for the green one very much," he noted.

"Yes, I very much do."

Once the soup was ready, we ate in near silence, only talking when Kuiil commented on his meal. I left shortly after to check on his fish like creatures.

"Hey guys," I murmured as I approached. They blinked at me from behind the gate, their bug like eyes reminding me of someone else. I picked up a nearby bucket filled with grain and poured their dinner out for them. They ate slowly, their eyes on me.

Tired, I sat down next to the gate, leaning my back against one of the posts. Closing my eyes for only a moment, I fell asleep.

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When I finally came to, I felt a difference in the air. Taking in my surroundings, I noticed I was still in the same spot against the gate as before. I could barely see the machine Kuiil had been tampering with earlier by his workbench, only now it was covered.

But something was off. Where was Kuiil?

The sun had begun to set and I quickly stood up and made my way back to Kuiil's home. Right before I was able to enter his home, I could faintly detect voices. Someone was here to see Kuiil?

"You must be the one to tell her," I heard Kuiil say.

Was he talking about me?

I approached the entrance and was stunned to find Kuiil with a Mandalorian. This Mandalorian, however, was different from the last one I'd seen. This one had bright, shiny metallic steel encasing his body, not the red, battered kind. I froze at the door, my hand clenching the handle of the blaster I was carrying.

Their voices had stopped to look at me.

"Kuiil?" I asked warily.

However, when the Mandalorian's head turned to me in that signature tilt, I found him familiar. I blinked twice, fast.

"Mando?" His nickname fell from my lips in a gust, relief filling my insides until they were warm. "You're back?"

His body turned around to look at me fully, hand resting on his blaster as well. He seemed tense. I let a small smile grace my face as I slowly entered the hut. Dropping my hand softly to my side, I hesitated awkwardly within the entrance. I had a sudden feeling I had interrupted something.

"Yes," he stated.

I stole a peek at Kuiil, who was looking at me with a knowing expression. Mirth danced in his eyes.

"Kala. The Mandalorian has returned and he has something to ask of you."

The Mandalorian's helmet whipped to stare at Kuiil who didn't even bother to look back. Sighing heavily, Mando turned back to me. His tense posture had not yet left his body.

"I'm sorry. I have come back to ask a… favor of you." His voice was low but it sounded loud in my ears. He was here… for me? I blinked my eyes a few times before pulling my hands together in front of my stomach. My fingers nervously grasped at each other.

He took a step further from Kuiil and I felt it was to look at me more properly. Only then did I notice the familiar green figure at his feet. A gasp left me and I felt the start of tears prick my eyes. It was my little star.

A wide smile broke out on my face, threatening to break the dam holding my tears back as I crouched to the ground, holding out one of my hands.

The child's big eyes glittered at me as he waddled over, grabbing onto my hand with his little one. Gently, I pulled him into a hug and looked up at the Mandalorian as I rested my chin on the child's fuzzy head.

Mando had his head tilted at me, almost as if he was pondering something interesting.

Upon seeing my gaze, his head straightened out to its proper position. "I have decided to help the child."

My mouth fell open, a soft cry escaping. My eyes turned to Kuiil who had a soft expression on his face. He knew how much I cared about the one in my arms, how worried I had been. But why had the Mandalorian brought the child back to this planet? Arvala-7 had to be one of the most dangerous places for the child to be, considering it had been its prisoner.

I snapped my head back to the armored bounty hunter. He wasn't seriously thinking of leaving him here with me, was he? I couldn't protect him. I stood slowly with the precious one still in my arms, all the while keeping my sight on Mando's visor.

"What favor do you have of me, Mandalorian?" I whispered.

Once again, his head tilted slightly to the side, but only by a fraction. "He likes you," he observed. I nodded. I liked to think I had gained his trust a while back when we were both trapped.

He looked down at the hand still resting calmly on his blaster. He pulled his hand away from it to fall at his side, his hand slightly fisting. He appeared accepting when he looked back to me.

"I don't know how to care for it. The child. I can't leave him anywhere until the heat we left behind cools off." My brows pulled together, failing to understand what he was trying to tell me. He continued. "I once offered Kuiil a chance to join me, but I realize now I made the mistake of not asking you."

My eyes widened, shock coursing through my veins at an alarming rate. The little one cooed in my arms and once again, I was looking into the most reflective eyes I had ever seen. Its little clawed hand was grasping my forearm as if encouraging me to say yes. I felt hope bloom within my chest.

Mando was still tense as I tried to see into his soul through his visor. What was this man thinking behind all that thick armor? I was suddenly envious that I didn't have the same protection.

"Mando, are you asking me to join you?" A small smile spread across my lips at the thought of being with the little creature I had grown so fond of.

"Yes."

Now it was my turn tilt my head. I was going to have to get used to the Mandalorian's bluntness and lack of words. It was also going to be dangerous, no doubt. But I also knew I would be in great company and an idiot to turn such an adventure.

I nodded before I spoke. "Yes. Yes, okay! I will go with you, Mando." His posture relaxed and I smiled a little more after realizing he had been worried about the possibility of me rejecting him. "But under one condition, and one condition alone."

When he didn't say a word, I continued. "I want to sit in the co-pilot seat."

Kuiil's laughter filled the small house and couldn't help but think Mando was smiling too under that helmet of his.

"I'll see what I can do," the Mandalorian said, sounding amused.

I nodded, tucking the child closer to my chest. I felt like I was going to burst from the intense feeling surrounding my heart. "Then you have yourself a new babysitter."

Mando nodded, turning to Kuiil. "The offer still stands, you know," he murmured.

Kuill shook his head, holding his chin up high. "I cannot. I will miss Kala as my new companion, but you both will always be welcome here."

Mando nodded. "I had a feeling you would say something like that. Thank you."

Kuiil gave a single nod before reciting the line I had grown to associate with Kuiil. "I have spoken."

Mando walked towards me, stopping once we were side to side, his head turned my way. "We should go. We aren't safe here."

"I… um, yes, I just… I just need a quick moment." The Mandalorian held his hands out for the child. After carefully handing him the little one, I rushed to the small room I had been occupying, grabbing a few knives Kuiil had given me and paused to investigate myself in a small mirror. I wasn't surprised to see my cheeks flushed a light pink and eyes glassy from my unshed tears.

I made my way out the door of Kuiil's house after seeing they had already made their exit. The cool night air felt nice on my flushed skin, the stars as bright as ever. The Mandalorian was standing with Kuiil, the child still in his arms as I approached them.

"Kuiil," I said softly. He turned to me and I placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. I will never be able to repay you for looking out for me."

His hands clenched around my forearms; his expression serious as he gazed up at me. "You are most welcome, Kala." He looked to the Mandalorian. "Take care of this one. She is worth it."

Mando gave him a nod before turning to me. "Shall we?"

"Where is your ship?" I asked.

"It's parked a little way," he said sheepishly. "But since you were sleeping when I arrived, you shouldn't be too tired to make it."

I scrunched my face. "Ha, ha."

Kuiil waved us off and I wished he was coming along. The thought of being alone with the Mandalorian in space was nerve wrecking. I guess in a way, we wouldn't truly be alone. Not while the child was with us.

Somehow, that made me feel better.

"What changed your mind, Mandalorian?" I couldn't hold my curiosity back any longer.

I noticed his head turn towards me as we walked. "A friend."

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thank you to everyone for your interest in this story! My classes will be ending for the holidays soon, so expect a lot more!