CHAPTER 32

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THE UNINVITED GUEST!

*:･ﾟ✧

Gaia urges Mando slightly forward yet the man barely makes the effort to budge. "They're not hostile, I promise. They've looked after me when I've been out hunting."

"And how do you know they weren't merely observing you because you'd make a fine meal?" Mando shoots back at her, feeling the inconvenient stiffness of his hunched legs.

Gaia chuckles and scoffs somewhat. An intrigued gleam jumps forth in her eyes, bowed posture becoming more and more refined as she splays her hand upon the tree. "When it comes to wildlife, most animal species don't have the luxury of being intellectuals," she informs in a practical voice. "They depend solely on their instincts and survival skills. Self-taught methods about the cycle of their life, which is passed down from their parents. If these creatures happened to be carnivores, as you said, they would've already made a pretty good meal out of me."

Gaia, Mando, and The Child aims their apt attention forward. The hoove-legged alien animals have taken refuge in a clearing ahead, frolicking about and tending to their eating habits as their coats of silver fur and intertwined harlequin feathers dwell underneath the sunlight. Their four eyes settle here and there, observing the light and any movement while soaking in calm respite.

This is what she wanted to show him.

"See," Gaia motions towards one of them, its muzzle coasting a tree, "they're chewing the roots around here. If I had to guess then I'd say they most likely bear more than "one" stomach as a result, meaning they grind on their food before swallowing it for good, to moisture the fibre and draw the nutritions out. It requires time yet that's all they have."

Gaia turns to face Mando, and she stops up. He's looking directly at her, too much in fact, as he carefully assesses her while she's been previously geeked out about the creatures native to this particular planet. He's never seen her act like this before. She's been totally absorbed with her explanation for a good while now, adopting a tempered expression as she had gazed delicately towards the herd and talked, but even so he couldn't tear his eyes away from her; mesmerised by the passion in her wide, spontaneous gestures. ". . .What?"

Mando falters, nearly forgetting to answer. "You just seem to know a lot about. . .fauna."

A shy yet proud smile forms on her lips. "My mother taught me how to evaluate wild animals from a young age," she reveals, flexing her fingers in a distant memory. "Crenatas living anywhere else than in a town made home in a village, and in a village each family would provide for themselves. They would hunt for food out in the woods or caverns, gather water from the streams, and learn how to treat the wild as a resourceful ally. If not, maybe the neighbours would be kind enough to lend some provisions. We never cared for luxury, but comfortability."

"You lived by Code."

Gaia supplements with a nod. The Child babbles then, as if uttering the same exact statement. "That's why we wouldn't take more than what was nessecary. Even the Creed of Stagia taught us that we shouldn't bite off more than we could chew, as the expression goes." A pensive look overtakes her face then, hooded eyes slung to the side in momentary thought. "That's also why I never attempted to take the kid away from you," she mumbles.

Mando tilts his head, which prompts her to finish by saying, "back on Nevarro, after we returned, I could've easily tried to pick a fight with you for the bounty or even persuaded you. I never did, because I knew I couldn't handle it while I also wanted to honor your stand with the Guild. And yet, I should've fought harder. A lot of the mess on Nevarro might've been avoided entirely if I had. . ."

"That's not true," Mando claims in earnest, mindlessly moving closer to her, "what happened wasn't your fault, Gaia. It was inevitable, right from the very beginning."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better, Djarin. . ." She shakes her head.

"That might be true," he confesses rather bluntly, "but I would never lie to you. Never."

Gaia clears her throat, heart fluttering and clambering against her ribcage, rattling the bones to deliver pockets of tenderness crawling alongside her blood. Being this close to Mando is overwhelming, a strong desire to look him in the eyes and hold him steering her thoughts all over the place, as a sidling leaden fear takes an equal crown within her.

Gaia stills in gentle acknowledgment.

This is nothing new to her — with Mando, absolutely — but not the situation nor her feelings, and blessed stars do they ache all the same. She's aware of their intricate nature woven unto them and who they belong with, because they just so happens to have lied with Lavendea once, too. It's no secret that Gaia has been growing ever so fond of the Mandalorian these last few months, but never did she think they would overthrow her heart wholly. Surely nothing good could come of it: Mando would certainly never reciprocate whatever foolish wants she may retain, and if he did, it might do more harm than good. . .

A Crenata and a Mandalorian, what odd sort of pair that would be; the clash of species and race, history and culture, creed and code. . .

Not to mention, would she lose him if love ever truly did wedge itself between them?

Gaia held love for her people after all, as they did to her, and those she lost. She held love for her family, too, and now they're gone. She held love for Lavendea, especially, and now she's long dead, buried on a foreign planet which is so far away from her birthplace.

Nothing good could come of it.

▲▽▲

"Djarin, sit still!"

"It hurts. You try and fall into that lake and have leeches suddenly stuck to- son of a b—!"

"Iqaa fralh yaghralc!"
*Not in front of the kid!*

Mando squirms angrily upon the tree stub, turning to watch Gaia who's been given reluctant permission to mend the bite marks torn through the fabrics of his clothes. The fire in front of them crackles lively, and The Child watches in curiosity as his caretakers have bantered back and forth for a while.

"Jah re mik uevbal." *I'm very dissatisfied.*

"I know." Gaia expels a hearty sigh, faintly smiling by Mando's correct yet simple response. "You're going to be fine, though."

"Says the woman whose ass wasn't bitten."

Gaia can't help but snort. She quickly rearranges her attitude and bites down a rising smile, hoping Mando won't see it. Unbeknownst to her, he's subtly canted his visor up at her in the meantime. She's too focused on easing his reddened patches of visible skin with a disinfect cream to notice him gazing, although he himself is grateful for the opportunity. Who knows what she would be thinking if she could interpret the look on his face right now. Strange things, surely. . .

"There!" Gaia announces, "I'm all done."

"Thank you."

Gaia hums happily in reply, briefly admiring her thorough work. Mando is remaining seated and still looking up at her. A toothy grin overtakes her mouth, slowly but surely spurring the beat of her heart to greater heights, heights many would call ridiculous. The ambiance around them is utmost luring, and the subdued call of her hand desperately wishing to touch Mando's helmet arises, narrowly starting to reach at what would have been his cheek if it weren't for the steel. She never gets that far, however. She thinks better of it in the end, dropping her hand before Mando may notice and turning on her heel.

That's wrong, Gaia. Wrong.

"Hey, I've got you." Instead of lingering on what might've been, she decides to place her attention elsewhere as she lifts The Child into her arms. His eyes have been drooping and his posture slacked. "Time for bed, huh?. . ."

The Child leans into Gaia's warm embrace. His head is sloped against her jumpsuit, eyes closing while he completely drifts off to sleep, and as she wanders silently past Mando with a finger pointed at the Razor Crest, she can feel his small hand tangle in her side-swept curls. His grip is loose yet firm, a reminder that he doesn't wish to hurt her but is feeling safe and comforted with her presence, basking in the compassion. A bright smile is apparent on Gaia's part as she ventures steadily inside the ship and strides closer to the compartment straight ahead. Tentatively, she places the kid in the makeshift hammock above where Mando sleeps, overall content.

The Child writhes a bit, cooing.

"Sweet dreams, little one."

▲▽▲

Mando is lost.

Looking around in all kinds of different directions, he's more sure than ever that he definitely doesn't recognize the altered terrain he's standing alone in. He's no longer surrounded by a lush forest brimming with plants, rivers, and fauna — furry, skittish animals or flocks of alien creatures with both fur and feather, but more so a foliage wasteland dusted in clean white snow. The tiny patterns dance down upon him, shaped in various snowflakes and steady hail as he swivels this way and that. He's no doubt confused, but also fairly collected despite the weird circumstances entailing him as of now.

Mando inhales with a waver, fingers groping uselessly by his side. His blaster is gone. . .

"Gaia?" he shouts, hoping for a reply.

Yet the naked trees have nothing to say.

"Gaia!" Mando tries again, louder, "kid!?"

"Stop yelling! You're dreaming."

Mando whirls around, hand outstretched for a weapon he knew wasn't by his side. "Gaia?"

The aforementioned woman is staring serenely up at the clouded grey sky as if lost in thought, snowflakes plaited in her thick eyelashes and her dark tresses. She's dressed the same as when he last saw her, although her skin seems significantly darker than before, more alive — if possible. Mando treads hesitantly closer, observing her in the same moment that she closes her eyes and inhales deeply, as if smelling the scent of a faded perfume. She breathes out after that, and the tension weighing her shoulders down vanish, making her appear light and mellow.

"What's happening?" Mando inquires hastily, stricken with feinted panic. "Where is this?"

Gaia averts her eyes from the sky. "Home."

"W. . .What?" He stumbles around. "Home? What does that mean? What's happening?"

"I told you," Gaia asserts, "you're dreaming."

"How do you know that?"

She shrugs harmlessly, glancing about. "I'm not sure. It's like a feeling; I just know it. . ."

Mando has gone quiet. His glare is directed from his companion and to the murky sky above which seems to rumble endlessly. "It doesn't feel like a dream. If so, it's a dream I've never dreamt before. . ." He mumbles, mostly to himself. Riddled with accusation, he turns sternly to Gaia. "What did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything," she says in an equally lost voice before her frown is washed away for good. She gazes around herself afterwards, and then up at the sky as if seeing something. "Maybe I'm. . . Then this is. . . . ."

"What?"

Gaia shakes her head, thoughts muffled. "Like I said: I'm not entirely sure. But, I think. . ."

". . .You think, what. . . ?"

Gaia has gone still all of a sudden beneath the pouring snow. Mando would describe it as her sensing peril or wrongdoings — perhaps from her Spectre or anything alike it. "Gaia?"

"Someone's coming," she whispers, eyes wide in cold alarm and trepidation. "They're here."

— Author's Note —

Me: I know what happens; I'm the writer!

The storyline: 🥰 🔪 🥰

Me: