CHAPTER 24

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BACKSTABBER DAYS!

*:･ﾟ✧

"Uh-oh~" Fennec sings as they approach the one speeder bike that miraculously survived the fight, "looks like one of us has to walk."

Mando doesn't say anything, instead forcing Fennec to sit down. She grunts as her rear meets with the ground, somewhat scowling up at Mando who remains totally unfazed. "Or we could drag you," he remarks coldly.

"I like that idea," Gaia adds.

Mando, Gaia, and Toro depart from Fennec for a moment to gather around the last speeder bike at their disposal. It's obvious that there's an issue here, with the one transport and 4 people. One of them could take the speeder bike with Fennec and head for town, although that would leave the two others stranded until otherwise, and who's to say the one delivering Fennec won't run off with the bounty and claim it for themselves, or stumble into trouble. Subconsciously, the two bounty hunters and single rookie would all like to be present when the credits are exchanged, witnessing it with their own eyes.

"All right," Toro starts rather optimistically, glancing at the pair, "so what's the plan?"

"I need you to go find that dewback we saw," Mando asserts, to which Toro disagrees.

"And leave you here with my bounty and my ride?" Toro points at Fennec who's watching them tacitly, "yeah, I don't think so, Mando."

"I could do it?" Gaia proposes, shrugging lightly when Mando looks at her. He doesn't put an opinion to it immediately. Instead, he turns around and gazes toward the horizon, searching for something specific; most likely the dewback. He faces Gaia in particular after a moment or two and looks intently at her.

"I'll do it. You stay here and make sure that our bounty doesn't escape, or much worse."

"Come on," Gaia starts to coax with a serious look, "you don't think I can handle some cute little dewback? I'll prove you wrong. . . ?"

"No, not this time," Mando persists, gently. "Just stay put and take a break. You deserve it." He dips his head in acknowledgement, speaking from a rather genuine, fond place.

"So do you." Gaia picks up on it and she can't help but sigh, posture slumping in defeat as she indicates to the skyline of hills and banks of sand. "Go," she encourages, looking acutely at Mando before he may have a chance to withdraw completely, "and come back alive."

Mando nods once. "Watch her," he directs at Toro, hinting at Fennec, "and don't let her get near the bike. She's no good to us dead."

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Toro has claimed a seat on the speeder bike.

Gaia, on the other hand, is observing from the sidelines and glimpsing at Fennec every now and then as she keeps an eye out for Mando. None of them have spoken to each other the whole time. It doesn't appear to be bothering anybody though, and Gaia is enjoying the silence as it is so she won't complain at all. Apart from that, she has noticed for some time now how Fennec have had her eyes strangely trained on Toro for a few hours, formerly leaned back on the ground with a subtle smirk on her lips as if evaluating him in some way. Gaia is aware that she's plotting something pertaining to Toro, just not what.

The sky has turned considerably brighter on a different note — suns sweeping the land and dipping the sky in a very, very pale purple and healthy yellow. It's been hours since Mando left, and both Gaia and Fennec have long since picked a large rock each to sit on.

Suddenly, a deliberate sigh can be heard from the assassin. "Oh, it's been a while," she drawls steadily, gazing at the mighty skies above. "Oh, look, the suns are coming up."

"Quiet," Toro orders without sparing a look.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Gaia mutters, elbows propped up on her thighs.

A brief silence hangs above the three of them. Gaia closes her drooping eyes for a while, trying to rub the drowsiness from them although the only thing she achieves is a dull itch. A tenuous breath slips away from her. Unbeknownst to Gaia, a patient Fennec has taken a notice of it, leering at the bounty hunter from the corner of her eye. If anything is to be done at all in time, it has to be now.

"Look," Fennec begins after a short pause, quietly but strongly, "there's still time to make my rendezvous in Mos Espa." She's looking directly at Toro as she speaks up, her craving for a way out slipping through the cracks of her braced tone. "Take me to it, and I can pay you double the price on my head."

"Fennec, shut up." Gaia stares menacingly at the assassin yet she's paid no special mind to.

Toro, his attention to the suns, remains uninterested. "I don't care about the money."

"Oh. . .so the Mandalorian keeps all the money for himself." Fennec quirks a brow.

"Only because I let him," Toro counters, assertive, and Gaia squirms uncomfortably. He's getting reeled in way too much for her liking, and it's exactly what Fennec wants.

"Doesn't seem that way," the aforementioned woman says, a scorned laugh in her voice. "I mean, it seems like he's calling all the shots."

"If you don't—" Gaia starts out in agitation only to be thrown completely off by Toro.

"Shows what you know," he retorts sharply, sourly. "I hired Mando and this chick, this is my job! Bringin' you in will make me a full member of the Bounty Hunters' Guild. . ."

"Toro, stop!" Gaia calls firmly, glowering at the young man as if she had daggers for eyes. "Keep your mouth shut and stop giving her classified information. It's what she wants — alright — her time is running out. So sit back and enjoy the fact that we caught a renowned assassin because it's sure as hell not going to be an every-day occurrence. You got it?. . ."

"Don't listen to her. She's just scared because she knows what I know," Fennec insists with a pleased grin. "You already have something the Guild values far more than me. You just don't see it." Fennec shakes her head then.

"What?"

"The Mandalorian, and this one right here," she discloses smugly before nodding towards Gaia. "His armor alone is worth more than my bounty, and her life — more than that."

Gaia is stunned and she can barely contain herself. The truth and the persuasion crossing Fennec's tongue is astounding yet horrifying. She's digging way too deep into matters of personal importance, things that would surely sway Toro's opinion of her and Mando if he knew what they did on Nevarro, things he wouldn't understand and things that may threaten their very lives and the safety of The Child. Gaia can handle Toro if he turns against her, no problem, but Fennec? Fennec is another deal entirely, and if Toro were to set her free, who knows what they'd do.

However, there's a sound chance that Fennec would betray Toro if that were to happen. She doesn't seem one for partnership and especially not with Toro; not when she knows how easily he can fall. She's only doing this out of desperation, in order to gain back her freedom and continue with her work. Alone.

Toro shakes his head once more. "I already told you, I don't care about the money."

Fennec is far from deterred. "Then think about what it would do for your reputation."

Much to Gaia's horror, she witnesses Toro waver, and that's when she decides to intervene before it might escalate and do unimaginable damage. She approaches Fennec in a fuming stride, leaning slightly down. "I swear to Stagia if you don't keep your mouth shut, I'll do it for you, and then you won't be able to chat your lips off."

"Are you sure?" There's a hard look in Fennec's eyes as she rises to her feet.

Gaia staggers by the overt confidence of Fennec, completely overwhelmed by the sudden strain of her chest, eyes widening when Fennec attempts to punch her on the side of her head with the robust handcuffs, but Gaia's Spectre is one step ahead as it is on most days. She swiftly evades the blow to Fennec's surprise, using her forearm to repress the attack. A sharp but eased pain shoots through Gaia's arm and it would've certainly hurt more if it had struck her head as planned. The pain is quick to subside, yet it's clearly no match for the efficient spasm brought along with the heel of Toro's blaster.

Gaia drops to the ground with a yell. Her head barely avoids the rock floor, searing pain blinding her vision while a blooming headache pushes against all possible angles of her skull. Dizziness overcomes Gaia all at once like a bucket of needles, and the feeling of Toro unclasping her sniper rifle from her back flies past her. Her mind grows heavy.

"A Mandalorian and a Crenata shot up the Guild on Nevarro, took some high value target and went rogue together," Fennec resumes tentatively, exhaling in delight.

"That Mandalorian?" Toro asks as if on the cusp of disbelief, gesturing in the direction of where Mando went. He points to Gaia afterward, who has raised herself on all fours and is now clutching her head in pain. "Her?"

"Like I said, you don't see many. Same as with her; she was in on it too. Believe me," Fennec muses, using the tip of her boot to shove Gaia on to her back who tilts instantly, groaning in twinged pain. "You bring the Guild these two traitors and they'll welcome you with open arms. Your name. . .will be legendary."

"How can we be sure they're it?" Toro questions, heeding Fennec's words.

"Word is, they still have the target with them. Some say it's a child." Fennec shakes her head with a hint of doubt. Toro seems to debate it however, although he's reluctant to say anything. "Look," Fennec begins in order to convince him, "if you're afraid to take them on, fear not. I can help you with that." There's a fiery passion in her eyes, swelling tenfold as she foolishly recommends, "Take some advice, kid. You wanna be a bounty hunter? Make the best deal for yourself and survive."

"Toro. . .you. . . !"

Gaia tries her best to sort her thoughts out and form a coherent objection when she senses Toro's resolute thinking, although it merely comes out as jumbled and messy.

The beautiful morning sky is abundant on the other hand. The vibrant, lucid shades blankets Gaia's peripheral vision, all of it. The colors merging so effortlessly together blurs, and so does Gaia's sight. It shifts to a cloudy canvas, swimming in purple, yellow, white, and black as the transpiring events move past her with no distinct trail left behind. Gaia would be at a loss if one told her to describe that exact moment, the moment in which the distant sound of a blaster went off and the stuttering rasping of Fennec lingered in the tension between her and Toro; the moment when a raw soul unfit for bounty hunting decided to tread a dangerous path on its own, unblinking even in the cold eyes of death.

Toro bends down to Fennec's now-unmoving body, whispering a few last words to her.

Gaia is unable to hear what it is but she's gradually regaining her strength, and she slowly but surely gets to her feet in the same moment Toro does. "You stupid fuck—"

Gaia plummets to the ground with a gasp. She's abruptly knocked unconscious as the harrowing pain and agonizing sting near her abdomen never registers. The noise of vague sizzling and the smell of burnt flesh remains in the air, part of the charred elastic of her armor stretching from over her waist and a portion of her back being the only indication of the blaster bolt having hit its precise mark.

Toro steps forward, collecting Gaia's sniper rifle and tossing it far away before kneeling down by her side. A nasty grin is prominent on his expression. "I never liked you either."

— Author's Note —

Well. . .

(double update!!💗)