CHAPTER 29

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THE ANGERED GUARDIAN!

*:･ﾟ✧

The Razor Crest is en route to the New Republic prison ship, floating across the unassuming stars and heavenly reaches, seeming light and graceful through its voyage despite the strained mood in the cockpit of the gunship. Zero is manning the system, controlling every little thing as Mando has both eyes plastered on to the back of the droid's head. His attention is direct and formal, although his thoughts might have something else to say. Turning to Gaia, who is right beside him in the doorway — arms crossed over her chest, he leans closer. "Your hostility towards Xi'an was quite surprising."

Gaia blinks in vague bewilderment, eyeing the Mandalorian with a divided look. "I guess. She's just getting on my nerves all the time."

Mando shifts. "I know Xi'an can be invasive and crude in an unconventional way, but it's nothing to get worked up about. She's more bark than bite at the end of the day. I worked and flew with her for a while, I would know."

"I figured," Gaia says in a bitter undertone, directing her attention forward once again.

Mando angles his head in wonder. Gaia's sudden downfall in mood is extremely puzzling to him, although he guesses that's just Xi'an's effect on her that's talking. The Twi'lek's introduction was rather unexpected after all. "If you're annoyed at her, I'm sure I can talk it over with Xi'an if you want m—"

"Mando, listen. If you're implying something then just come out and say it to me, because it kind of sounds like you are," Gaia blurts in an upfront manner. Her stance has become really defensive all of a sudden, as if trying to protect herself from something that was never even hinted at. "And for the record, if you think it's because I was jealous of Xi'an then that's just plain ridiculous, because I wasn't, and why would I even be if I were?"

"I never thought that about you."

"Good then," she concludes firmly, sighing.

Mando begins to frown somewhat beneath his helmet, allowing a brief pause in before genuinely asking, "Were you really jealous?"

"Absolutely not!"

"I was just curious," Mando defends.

"Calculations complete," Zero interrrupts. "Jumping to hyperspace, now. Feel free to join the others. I will handle it from here."

It takes a while for Mando to move. He glances toward Gaia, a dozen thoughts running through his head as he eventually departs from her and Zero. The latter remains grounded for some time before progressing further, observing Zero with squinted eyes: him manning the ship is not only different, but also nerve-wracking in the same aspect since it would take him literally nothing to backstab them and fly off somewhere remote. Regardless, both Gaia and Mando have complied and descended down into the lower chamber, and just in time to catch Burrg red-handed and attempting to appraise the cabinet of weapons. Mayfeld and Xi'an — who are balancing a sharp throwing knife on the tip of her finger — are simply watching him.

Mando imparts with a flat reply. Using his coded gauntlet to close the doors of the container, he stands in silence as Burg slams his hands against the metal. He turns angrily around and reaches for the buttons on the wall, to have the cabinet open once the code has been typed in. Mando, on the other hand, stops Burg and seizes his wrist. Burg snarls in displeasure. He begins to stare Mando down, pressuring him to take a cohesive step back.

Mayfeld speaks up, fast and forward. "Hey, hey, hey! Okay, I get it! I'm a little particular about my personal space, too. So, let's just do this job. We get in, we get out, and you don't have to see our faces anymore," he soothes.

"Someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian," Burg asks with a growl.

"Well, apparently they're the greatest warriors in the galaxy. So they say."

"Then why are they all dead?" Burg derides, which earns him laughter from his allies.

Burg parts from Mando, and Gaia joins her partner's side. "Ralldagh," she spits out, glaring at Burrg who smirks at her. *Asshole*

Mayfeld turns to Xi'an afterwards with raised eyebrows, earnestly asking, "Well, you flew with him, Xi'an. Is he as good as they say?"

Xi'an appears partially distracted with her throwing knife yet she manages to give him a reply. "Ask him about the job on Alzoc 3. . ."

Gaia frowns, facing Mando who has gone relatively quiet in the meantime. "I did what I had to," he discloses in the most faintest voice she has ever heard from him up to date. It's entailing too much for Gaia to immediately comprehend then and there: torment, guilt, shame. . .perhaps even regret, or anxiety?

"Oh, but you liked it," Xi'an jabs, grasping her honed knife. "See, I know who you really are."

Mayfeld gestures to Mando, eyes dashing up and down. "He never takes off the helmet?"

Xi'an shakes her head slowly, chuckling, before crossing an arm over her chest in a mimic of tradition. "This iS tHe Way!" she recites dramatically, grinning for herself.

Mayfeld hums, gazing thoughtfully back at Mando. "I wonder what you look like under there. Maybe he's a Gungan," Mayfeld quips with an amused smile. "Is that why yousa don't wanna show your face?" A round of laughter is evoked from all three of them, excluding Gaia who has begun to scowl in their direction and grinding her teeth in an act of brooding. Her blood is boiling like a crater of lava, simmering underneath her skin while she reminds herself to not erupt and wrap her fingers around Mayfeld's neck. "You ever seen his face?" the sharpshooter inquires, after their laughter has died down.

"A lady never tells~"

"Aww," Mayfeld exclaims brightly, "Come on, Mando. We all gotta trust each other here. You gotta show us somethin'. — Just lift the helmet up!" he pressures as if encouraging him. "Come on. . . Let's all see your eyes."

Burg has risen from his seat, and the tension within Gaia spikes all at once as Mayfeld nods approvingly toward the Devaronian when Mando refuses to abide. Burg steps closer to the trusted duo, but especially the latter in particular as he strongly affirms, "I'll do it!"

Mando grabs Burg's outstretched wrist with precision. The two of them grapple and are caught in a hurdle of disagreement, the tension sticking to a sweeping high until Mando strikes Burg across the face. Gaia can only watch in horror as he's shoved against the wall and his hand grazes the buttons next to him, a stifled silence overcoming the entire group when the door to the compartment reveals The Child behind it. Gaia breaks out in a cold sweat. He's seemingly oblivious with his big, round eyes and tilts his head up at them as Mayfeld says, "Woah! What is that?"

Mayfeld vacates his spot by the opposite wall to approach The Child, glancing towards Mando in the process. "What, your lady here isn't enough company for ya? You get lonely up here, buddy?" Gaia spares a glimpse at Mando, who locks eyes promptly with her in return. "Wait a minute," Mayfeld continues, "did you two make that? Huh?" He indicates to both Gaia and Mando in one fell swoop, who have gone completely silent. "Gotta be! I mean, it kinda looks similar to you." Mayfeld turns to Gaia, and she glowers sternly back at him. "What is it, like a pet or something?. . ."

"Yeah," Mando agrees in a clogged voice, trying to force out, "something like that."

Xi'an stirs. "Didn't take you for the type—"

Gaia intervenes without hesitation, standing almost protectively in front of Mando this time with a pair of dark eyes. Xi'an is caught off-guard and is somewhat intimidated when neither Mando nor Gaia says anything, but merely stares at Xi'an and the rest of her crew. "Maybe that code of yours has made you soft," she hums mischievously, leering.

"Me, I was never really into pets." Mayfeld's focus switches between Mando, Gaia, and The Child. "I didn't have the temperament. Patience, you know? I mean, I tried, but never worked out. But I'm thinkin'. . .maybe I'll try again with this little fella," he taunts.

Gaia flinches. A cold shiver is ambling across her whole body as Mayfeld picks The Child up into his arms. Gently cradling him, the sharpshooter scrutinizes Gaia and Mando at the same time. They're both stiff in their postures as he has long since noticed, and provocatively, he quickly bends down as if he's about to drop The Child onto the floor. Both Gaia and Mando stumble forward slightly, their poise teetering on a breaking point to which a smile of acknowledgement has climbed atop Mayfeld's face. A foul yet triumphant laughter slithers off his thin lips.

"Dropping out of hyperspace, now."

Gaia, nor the rest of the group, has time to fully register Zero's monotone voice over the intercoms as a loud rumble traverses the Razor Crest. The rusted metal creaks like a roaring giant, and the rebound of fast travel cancellation rocks the entire starship. The passengers all slip as the gravity shifts and falls, clinging to the chipped walls as Zero resumes, "Commencing final approach now."

"Motherfu—"

"Cloaking signal, now."

Gaia yelps, tumbling to the floor as the very first while the others wrestle with their balance and attempt to grab at the walls and whatever else they can hold onto. The ship is turned upside down for a brief moment and every single one of them skitter across the chamber, nearly banging their heads against steel and surely receiving bruises upon their limbs. "Engaging coupling," Zero reports, taking no heed whatsoever to those below.

Gaia's attention leaps around like a frog, noting The Child crying sharply out not too far from her. She crawls instantly across the floor toward him with determination and concern in her eyes as she reaches him at the same time Mando does. They're both focusing down on him, and shielding the much smaller creature with care and effort. "Hey, hey — it's okay. Shh~" Gaia embraces The Child as the Razor Crest begins to finally settle. His reflective eyes are watered in dismay, pressing his forehead to the base of her throat. He looks up at her with wilted ears, still crying and whining as she brushes a thumb over his cheeks. Frustrated, Gaia passes The Child over to Mando who happily accepts the transfer — mindfully placing him down in the narrow compartment like earlier.

"Coupling confirmed," Zero notifies. "We are down, and relax. Commence extraction now."

"That useless droid didn't even give us a proper countdown!" Xi'an hisses, angrily.

Burg is already up and walking again with his fellow accomplices, nonetheless. He's mindlessly hauling boxes of equipment as Gaia straightens her wounded posture, and Mayfeld wanders around, speaking into a device. "Z, are you sure they can't see us?"

Gaia's vision has gone completely and utterly red. Mayfeld's broad shape is the only thing in her sights, and a baleful frown has taken to her pinched brow. She draws a canted breath in yet it does nothing to steady her rising temperament, a sizzling black cloud in her wake as she stomps up to the sharpshooter with a thin line for a mouth. Mayfeld is almost instantly aware of the consuming storm above her head, crackling with rage, as he fully turns to her. "What's that look for—"

Mayfeld shrieks out in alarm and pain. The sound of skin colliding with skin resonates throughout the cramped space, and Gaia's palm stings as Mayfeld trips backwards, holding his reddened cheek. He stares at her, wide-eyed, until a furious grimace takes a hold of his bland features. "What the fuck!?"

"If you ever," Gaia yells out in pure outrage, "touch him again without my permission, I'm going to kill you exactly where you stand!"

Mayfeld nods, a sudden calm washing over him. Removing his hand from his cheek, he adjusts himself against the wall, heaving a sigh. ". . .Empire must've treated you real nice, huh," he states in a fomenting fashion. "That what it taught you while you took orders? —Slap your opponent to death?"

Gaia's hands are tightly clenched, teeth clamped down while her fist is already sailing through the air. Her knuckles never get to plow Mayfeld's nose as a firm yet warm touch has caught her wrist in action. "He's not worth it." Mando looks softly back at Gaia, and she can practically feel his pleading gaze through the chilled steel of his helmet. His voice carries a certain peace with it, and although she would absolutely love to watch the smile of victory on Mayfeld's face vanish with her brewing pettiness, Mando is right and she won't disappoint him. Releasing the wrath stored within her bones, Gaia exhales and forces herself to stand down, grumbling.

— Author's Note —

Gaia: *slaps Mayfeld hard across the face for talking shit to Mando, dropping the kid — never once apologising, and being a bitch*

Mando, pointing directly at Gaia: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!