CHAPTER 19

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A MEETING OF CHANCE!

*:･ﾟ✧

Gaia and Mando have managed to haul themselves through the remaining trek and toward the Mos Eisley Cantina while looking for work, now entering through its peeling doors. The dimly-lit tavern casts a shadow over Mando whose pace is refined and slow unlike Gaia who storms through, glad to be rid of the glaring sun. It's patent that something is troubling her, and as she's making her way further inside — straight for the bar, Mando hurries to catch up to her.

A small abundance of patrons are scattered about: varying alien species and whatnot sitting around chatting, drinking, squirming.

Gaia is on high alert, although her mind seems a bit awry even as she grips the edge of the bar ring that separates her and the droid scrubbing it. She runs her fingers idly through her tangled, side-swept hair which curls around her digits. Her attention is fixed on nothing in particular and she therefore misses the curt side-look from a Devaronian sitting next to her, even going so far as to mutter something beneath his breath. She just barely catches it, turning to look at him while he takes a casual sip from his drink.

Bantha fodder.

"Excuse me?" Gaia leans against the bar ring, rage prodding at her skin from underneath.

The ebony horns of the Devaronian has a dull sheen to them, his purple eyes fixed on anything but her and lips pulled into a subtle snarl which displays a row of pointy teeth. His expression is somewhat laid-back despite having basically just called her 'worthless'; a person or thing deemed to have no value beyond something for a Bantha to graze on.

It's an insult she immediately takes to heart.

"Just wondering how a Crenata wound up here of all places and why. Hope you're not looking for any of your Stormtrooper pals, though — there are none left on Tatooine."

Mando has arrived by Gaia's side now, just overhearing that last statement from the Devaronian. Confusion surges through him like a wind current and vexation is not far behind. How did they get into this type of conversation in the first place? Did Gaia say something to annoy this patron, or was it the other way around? What's even going on?

Gaia shifts on her feet, hands clenched into fists as she struggles to maintain herself.

After reclaiming her freedom, after mustering enough courage to delve into society after so long, she still wore a shawl for an entire year because she was afraid some Galactic Empire stragglers might find her and that people would harass her if they knew what she were. She had good reason to hide. Even in the remaining absence of the Galactic Empire, three whole years, and long after she had dropped her disguise and eased into more crowded places, some people would always continue to look scornfully at her, call her names or treat her differently. Some still do, but thankfully it's not as often as it used to be.

Regardless. . .

Many don't forget, and they never forgive.

"I'm not with the Empire."

"Anymore," the Devaronian jabs.

"Listen, I was never in it to begin with."

"Really? Could've fooled me. I'm pretty sure I saw and heard plenty of your kind destroying Alliance hideouts and whatnot back then, slaughtering survivors left and right."

"Because we had no choice!" Gaia snaps, voice raised to match her anger — not caring if her outburst has attracted any attention from the other patrons. Never once, not even on her darkest days, did she enjoy the blood that stained her hands. She cannot speak for the others, but she certainly never took pleasure in wiping out anyone from the Alliance, — and he has no idea, no thought as to what went down in the Empire's fleet, what horrors she went through as she was beaten submissive. "I'm truly sorry, but my people were enslaved. Some of us plot to fight back but it never saw light because those who wanted freedom got executed. What else were we supposed to do? Just lay down and die?"

"Yes." The Devaronian never so much as blinks. "If you had, more people would've kept their loved ones, accomplice."

Gaia is fuming. "And you don't think I lost someone who I loved with my whole heart?"

Mando steps forward then and between the two. He shields Gaia from the Devaronian's sight as soon as he spots the tears gathering in her eyes. This is the first time he's ever seen her cry so much — three times in one day — but he guesses that with everything that's happend up till now, she has a right to be feeling this sad. "That's enough. Either keep to yourself or make friends with the sand outside this Cantina. Your choice."

For a moment, the Devaronian eyes Mando with a hard look before grunting dismissively. He then finishes his drink in one large gulp, slamming the cup onto the bar ring and wisely departing. He gazes toward Mando once more just before leaving, stalled on the steps, evidently trying to have one last glimpse of Gaia but failing when the bounty hunter persists in acting as a barrier for her.

A final scoff falls from the Devaronian's lips.

Glancing past his shoulder, Mando can hear Gaia breathe a perturbed sigh, fast and spent while she averts her gaze. Her head is swimming, drowning in the bleeding cuts of her past, tearing through her existence like a reaper. It's tough even upholding the demeanor she's carrying for the moment, and if it weren't for Mando she would've lost it already. Gaia slips from her stance, drawing closer. "It's like my head is about to explode," she whispers faintly. "What an asshole. . ."

"People like him should know better by now," he agrees quietly, nodding. "Are you alright?"

"I will be, just give me some time. I've dealt with people like him before in the past, but it still doesn't get any easier. . . Only harder."

Mando observes Gaia for a little while, deeming her calmed behaviour sound afterwards. "Stay behind me for now and focus on your breathing. If anything or anyone bothers you, let me know. Okay?"

Gaia sustains a nod, encouraging herself to steady her rapid breaths while letting out a small 'thank you'. The tension within the Cantina has dispersed mostly by now, and the other patrons have gone back to discussing amongst themselves while Mando approaches the droid after securing Gaia to be relatively fine, noting her breathing heavily as he dreads the incoming exchange with the robot.

"Hey. . .droid, I'm a hunter." He leans closer, quite discretely. "I'm looking for some work."

"Unfortunately," the droid says, "the Bounty Guild no longer operates from Tatooine."

"I'm not looking for Guild work."

"I am afraid that does not improve your situation, at least by my calculation."

"Think again, tin can."

Both Gaia and Mando twist in the direction of the new voice. A young man with brown hair and a lazy, yet flimsy, expression greets them. A trimmed beard is decorating his jaw and chin, a single earring pierced through his left earlobe: he's sporting a rather neutral outfit, consisting of a blue vest over a black shirt, gloves, pants, and a pair of boots. His sudden interference has caught Mando's distilled attention, as well as Gaia's. Though, her eyes narrow like a spying hawk at the sight of him.

The stranger is sitting by a window, slightly behind an archway to their left. His feet are propped up on a table as he twirls a golden credit between his gloved fingers. He gestures to the opposite bench, smiling. "If you're looking for work, have a seat, my friends."

Gaia stands her ground alongside Mando, evaluating the intervening man with a keen eye. There's something off about him, in her opinion. He's imitating an attitude which clearly does not suit him, attempting to look cool and mysterious while being anything but that. His eyes especially — they appear slightly untrustworthy to her, seemingly hiding someone that has yet to show. Regardless of her scrutiny, his head is held high as if he was wearing a crown of gold. "Name's Toro, Toro Calican." He gestures, once more, to the bench. "Come on, relax."

Gaia looks to Mando for guidance. He's quiet, supposedly weighing his options out and debating on how to proceed. He spares a somewhat dirty look towards the attending droid then, before heading the stranger's way which brings Gaia to a flinching halt. Her hand flies cursorily out to trap Mando's wrist.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I have a bad feeling about this," Gaia reveals, eyeing Toro with an unsmiling face. "Something's definitely not right here."

"Is that what your instinct is telling you?"

"No, it's. . ." Gaia trails somewhat off, feeling rather embarrassed that she's unable to base her reasoning on solid fact or proof. "It's a gut feeling, but I'm sure, Mando. I really am. . ."

"Gaia, we have to go for it. We need the Credits, and you know just as well as me that we're short on options right now," Mando insists, his words broad and ringing true.

A hurt gleam flashes across the surface of Gaia's reflective eyes. "You don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Gaia," Mando assures, subtly indicating in Toro's direction. "But let's hear what he has to say first. It might be worth our time. . .and when it comes down to a decision, I want you there by my side." A crawling warmth springs madly up inside his belly when he looks back at Gaia, and even more so when the discreet sensation of something cautiously stroking his hand comes to linger after a prolonged moment. A twitch is roaming his gloved fingers, breath suppressed in his throat as he glances down just in time to see her pull her hand back.

Mando's heart bounces wildly against his ribcage as he rushes out to stop her, holding her hand with his and slowly caressing her fingers before he may change his mind.

A kindhearted smile rises upon Gaia's lips. Her expression is no longer sharp but soft, eyes watching him while she's recovering from the sudden act. It seizes her in one fell swoop, much like it did when they were aboard the Razor Crest and he had stood oh-so close to her, — or when he had comforted her earlier under the blue sky, wiping her tears away with such a caring, shy touch.

Gaia pulls the Mandalorian happily along.

They approach the stranger called Toro, each claiming a seat on the stone bench as their hands untangle from one another, their intermingled warmth lost. Toro removes his feet from the table. His mouth opens only to close, gazing thoughtfully at Gaia now that she's in full view. She knows that look — the curiosity shining in the depths of his eyes — and she's hoping he won't comment on it.

". . .Blue Rose."

Underneath his helmet, a frown clutches at Mando's raised brow. "They were here?. . ."

"She," Toro corrects while maintaining eye contact with Gaia, "and she hasn't left yet. In fact, she's sitting right next to you. I'm surprised you didn't know given how close you two seem, but I guess that's just how it is when you're involved in this shaky business."

Gaia rolls her eyes, already disapproving of Toro altogether and she can feel Mando's burning gaze on her. "Blue Rose. Is that. . ."

Gaia cuts in, "My alias. Yes."

"The many criminals out there gave it to her so they knew what to look for," Toro points out with a mischievous grin, as if hiding a secret, "because of how fast she tracks her targets down and collects the assigned bounties." Gaia supplements the unraveling with a stern, wavering look yet Toro merely ignores it. His attention lies upon Mando. "Every single bounty hunter knows that name even though they have no idea what she really looks like or who she is. She keeps her identity well-hidden and many wonder why, including myself, but that doesn't mean your cunning girlfriend here is any less famous."

Mando writhes in his seat, clearly bewildered. "How did you figure out it was actually her?"

"Easy. Blue Rose — she's blue," Toro points out, emphasising, "and she's a bounty hunter. It also helped that she was glaring at me the way that she did;it got the whole 'independent, deadly' look to her going which matches with the reputation of Blue Rose."

Gaia tilts forward. "So, what you're telling me is that you based all of your reasoning on mere probability and not actual fact?" she surmises, a twitch caught in the corner of her mouth. She cannot explain her frustration with this one, all the while sensing Mando's blatant perplexity, and her having a hard time accepting that some person saw her and just knew right then and there. Is it that obvious?

"More or less. But it doesn't matter how, just that it counts." Toro leans a bit backward.

"Right," Gaia drawls with a sour expression, "just like it doesn't matter who I am but what I'm going to do. Cut to the chase, will you?"

Toro shrugs compliantly and places a bounty puck directly onto the table which immediately reminds Gaia of the bounty on her very own name. She wonders how widespread the distribution of the fobs are, if Toro is aware, and how much information of her that went along with it. The bounty puck flickers to life, displaying a holographic image of a human woman of Chinese descent. She looks fierce. "Picked up this Bounty Puck before I left the Mid Rim," he informs, arrogantly. "Fennec Shand, an assassin. Heard she's been on the run ever since the Republic put her employers in lockdown."

"I know the name," Mando states without a single hint of surprise, as was to be expected.

Fennec Shand.

Gaia has heard of her, too, but only here and there. She's never paid too much attention to the name, sensibly deciding not to chase Fennec because of the many risks it would bring, because of the threat she would pose while under pursuit. Fennec has decades of experience and training strapped under her belt, and even those with nothing left to lose would do no good against her. Skill, strategy, and luck are three absolute factors when it comes down to overthrowing the assassin.

"Now well I followed this tracking fob here—" Toro fishes the aforementioned fob out from beneath his vest, waving it. "Now the positional data suggests she's headed out beyond the Dune Sea. Should be an easy job."

"Well—" Mando starts to rise from his seat and so does Gaia, "good luck with that."

Barefaced confusion strikes Toro. "Wait, wait, wait, hey! I thought you needed work?. . ."

Mando whirls around, keenly observing in the process, "How long you been with the Guild?"

"He hasn't," Gaia asserts with a smarting scowl, sighing. "He's not even a rookie."

"I've been with the Guild long enough!"

"Clearly not," Mando retaliates sharply. "Fennec Shand is an elite mercenary. She made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates, including the Hutts. If you go after her, you won't make it past sunrise."

Mando departs with Gaia by his side and it forces Toro to bolt out of his own seat. "This is my first job!" he grumbles, hastily. The sheepish undertone is what hits Gaia and Mando in the right place, spurring them to reserve some additional time for him. "You can keep the money, all of it. I just need this job to get into the Guild." Scoffing, he faces both with a humble look. "I can't do it alone."

Gaia adjusts herself, a steel edge smothered across her refined posture. "Then maybe you shouldn't do it at all. Pick an easier mark, kid," she replies coldly. "Let's go, Mando."

Gaia resumes her walk only to falter when realizing Mando is not following her. Gaia shoots him a confused glare then, wondering why he's being so quiet and not walking away.

If he's even so much as thinking about—

"Meet us at Hangar three-five in half an hour."

"Wha. . . !"

"—Bring two speeder bikes, and give me the tracking fob." Mando is holding his hand out, waiting for the deliverance of the tracker.

Toro considers it heavily, prior to smashing the fob into the nearest wall and destroying it much to Mando's astonishment and Gaia's bafflement. He points to his head afterward. "Don't worry, got it memorized," he assures.

". . .Half an hour."

Mando takes his leave this time, urging a shocked Gaia to trail after him. As they're headed for the bright exit, she can hear Toro's strident and obnoxious voice call out, "Looks like you're stuck with me now, huh, partner!"

"I'll be right back," Gaia says, flatly. She swiftly backtracks and separates from Mando, advancing on Toro and preventing him from leaving the Cantina by placing her hand on a nearby wall. Her expression is severely grim, and her anger of Mando deciding this all on his own is sticking to her head like a ticking bomb. "Listen, kid. You may act all high and mighty, but I know when I see someone not suited for this kind of job. I advise you to reconsider before you get yourself killed."

"Is that, like, supposed to scare me or what, Blue Rose?" Toro is relaxed, not taking her seriously despite her intimidating methods.

Gaia grits her teeth, trying her best to not focus on his quipping. "Yes, because I've seen what it can do to people who will never be ready for bounty hunting," she warns. "They act like you do, all confident and so sure of themselves, thinking they can take it and it being a fast way to make some money — but they're wrong. A week goes by and they're already lying in a pool of their own blood."

Toro has gone silent. He's finally taking heed to her words, now realizing how powerful her statement is. He's adamant still, refusing to renounce the venture. "Well, I'm different."

"That's what they all say."

— Author's Note —

I swear when it comes to someone other than Mando, Gaia is not 👏playing👏 around!

And Toro is here. . .yay. . .

Let's forget about Toro though, because the next few chapters are going to be wild. We're getting a bit personal👀