CHAPTER 36

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BURNT REALITY!

*:･ﾟ✧

With nothing but time on her hands and tepid thoughts digging tunnels within her mind, Gaia came to realize just how much Mando's impact has meant for her life and the way she values everything he had done for her. It's become akin to something stronger than just family, something independently passionate and sacred. Gaia hadn't known what to do with it because she was afraid to somehow lose it, keeping it numbed and pushed aside, yet while experiencing what it's like to not be free — to be shackled, she's determined to let him know just how much he means to her. Even if it's to a final resting place, a pile of stones sharing her sentiments.

It wouldn't be good if she refused any of it, even Stagia's spirit would have surely agreed.

Although, it's hard to not run away when deciding oneself to be laid vulnerable, and that's where Gaia thrives the least of all.

Hesitance, it's always been with her in excruciating, vital blockages of her life:

Lavendea, and her inability to let go. The Client, and the cowardness of her not saving The Child, initially. Farren, and her stubbornness resisting following the desires of her heart. It's all there, again and again.

But not this time. Not anymore.

It was a mistake or bad choice on her part, and it's silently bothering Gaia even though she's never let it completely get to her until now. However, regrets as they may be, they each taught her one thing she now wishes to fully embrace: acceptance, self-confidence, and appreciation. Good, positive qualities she never would've considered had they not been born from failure and fault. Pain is woven into them no doubt, as delicate as porcelain and indescribable as the cosmos wandering the quiet universe, though that does not separate the fact that they're still worthwhile.

The floor of Gaia's cell feels the opposite. She is reduced to lesser; a weak thing, a slave. . .

Gaia's lips parts in sudden awe though, her worries leaving her as a frown creases her brow. "How did you—" Abrupt panic swells in her motions as she raises her head, hurrying to stand on trembling legs. The Child slopes his head up at her, from the other side of the laser beams marking her prison. "How did you get out?" she blurts, confused. One moment she was taking a nap, the next she woke up to The Child having freed himself.

This must be why he's so special.

The green youngling makes no attempt to explain himself, however. He merely giggles excitedly, like a mischievous child, installing concern with Gaia but also, eventually, hope.

"Alright—" She kneels down once affirming he's not hurt, looking directly at him as he waits for her to further speak. "I don't know how you did it, but you did, and you've done so well." Gaia cannot relinquish the smile plastered onto her face as The Child babbles happily in response, understanding the tone of her voice and comprehending her praise. "But," she continues patiently, "now it's time for me to join you, and in order for that to happen, I need you to climb those crates over there and press that button. Right there. . ."

Gaia orients a finger in the direction of the diagonal wall to her right. The Child begins to slowly follow her implication, and Gaia cheers him on as he waddles closer to the crates — her enthusiasm twisting to cold anxiety when he makes a fast u-turn without any warning.

"No, no, no—!"

Gaia nearly rams herself head-first into the laser beams to stop The Child as he's suddenly lured on by the gleaming shards of glass at the bottom of the parallel wall. Gaia feels trapped and she almost screams out in alarm. "Not that! No!" She gestures wildly, steadily capturing The Child's attention. "Wrong way — bad way! Bad, yes!" She gives a harsh sigh of relief once The Child turns away, seemingly appeasing her instructions. "Oh, thank you," she repeats several times, a hand over her heart as she watches the little daredevil make his way over to the crates.

The boxes are stacked neatly next to each other, just barely making a passable staircase up towards the tablet of buttons bolted to the wall. The Child has noticed them as well, rendering the task of disabling the cell's mechanism a great deal easier since he's incredibly intrigued by their glow, ascending the crates with a bit of effort. He visibly sighs once at the very top and inspects the buttons.

"That's it," Gaia encourages with a smile, "press the button to the left. No, the le—"

Beep!

The Child laughs innocently to himself as the neighboring cell is unexpectedly activated.

Gaia evokes a collected exhale, straightening her back. "Come on, I know you can do it," she resumes to lightly coax. "I know— Yes!"

Beep!

"Holy stars, you did it, kid! I knew you could do it!" Gaia squeals happily, scurrying entirely out of her prison once the laser beams has been vanquished. She engulfs The Child in a tender, lasting hug. "Oh, what would I do without you?" She brushes a thumb across the back of his head, watching him grin proudly as he reaches out to touch her face, and Gaia permits it, feeling him grab her jaw. "You did such a great job and when we get off this ship, I'm making you an extra large portion of vegetable soup just for you."

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Farren did not kill the Mandalorian.

At first, she honestly meant to do it — to scare Gaia and make whatever point of her own come across. But, as she was starting to make her way through the forest, something halted her. But it wasn't a change of heart. A change of mind is the correct term, in Farren's case. She merely became exhausted, not wanting to play around with a Mandalorian after having dealt with the Crenata. So instead of having the blue alien question her, Farren made sure to at least look as though she had been what her target thought she was and found a small critter, killed it, and drenched her hands.

Lying was not only a dirty habit of hers, but also a pleasure. A pleasure she welcomed.

And she did lie to Gaia; about having killed her partner, about not possessing a fob which she used to track her location, and about being interested in the things she had to say.

Although when sensing something to be horribly wrong, Farren cannot deny the ignition of curiosity. The Mandalorian's question resonates within her but after acknowledging the vengeful presence standing in the doorway to the cockpit, she still shuts the communication systems off.

". . .How the hell did you get out?"

Gaia delves further inside, stepping past the threshold of the vast chamber. The automatic door shuts behind her like a lulled presage.

"You don't deserve an answer to that kind of question," she mumbles in response, quietly.

Farren's amber eyes grazes the rumbling depths of Gaia's soul the moment she turns around in her chair. She's now certain that Gaia didn't hear that last snippet of conversation between the Mandalorian and her, not a single sliver of exposure to the Crenata's stance while the asset remains safely out of sight. Although he's been whisked away by his caretaker, Gaia is ready for a fight and Farren would never say no for a chance to embarrass her target. That's not to say, however, how much she wants to scream out at the top of her lungs for this mishap of hers by underestimating Gaia.

"Aww, are you still mad at me~?" Farren sings quite softly, crossing her leg over the other. "If I apologize to you right now, would you be a good girl and return to your cell?"

"You mean my cage?" Gaia muses with a rugged frown, "No. I don't think I will."

Farren releases a breath to display her exaggerated irritation. "So that's how it's going to be," she concludes, raising herself from her seat. "I won't say no to a fight. I could use the practice, but I guess that's not how you see it. You want revenge, right?"

Gaia doesn't reply immediately, her eyes unblinking and fixation untamed. Her periphery may as well have gone visibly red. It's clear where her mind has taken her and it's to her partner — the thought of Farren standing over his body and smiling from ear to ear drilling into the arteries of her heart. She probably just left him there, to rot and be forgotten under the sun and picturesque leaves, to never be recovered or found in a very long time. She tore him away from her.

"I'm going," Gaia seethes, hands curling into fists, "to make you sorry for what you did."

"Pity," Farren hums, pacing around by the overlooking window. "You see, I love revenge as much as the next person, but only if it holds special meaning to it." She continues to tread back and forth, one step after another before she pivots around. "And for you, it wouldn't mean anything." Gaia's expresion shifts the tiniest bit and Farren glimpses it just barely. Stopping up, she faces her opponent again, smirking as she does so. "Here's a little secret," she announces. "When I ambushed your Mandalorian, he did what any seasoned bounty hunter would do and that was to fight back. But as he did and as he lost, you know what he imparted to me?"

Farren is thrilled to witness Gaia wait for an answer and she breaks out into a grin. "Not a damn thing." She shrugs arrogantly, cruelly adding, "I guess he just got tired of you. . ."

The next whole second is a blur.

Noise, color, reasoning — it all departs from Gaia as she lunges forward. Farren knew it was coming, she initiated it by herself, and so she's allowing Gaia to collide with her like opposing bullets and shove her against the control board without mercy or restraint. Farren's lower back stings with searing pain, accompanied by a grunt spilling from her lips although it only fuels her wicked adrenaline rush. There's hurt, anger, and lost love in her opponent's expression when she glares back at her, feeling Gaia's taut hands around the collar of her outfit, muscles primed and fit.

"Wild," Farren exclaims with delight.

Momentarily caught off-guard, Gaia recoils as Farren smashes her own forehead directly into Gaia's face. A throbbing burn latches onto the blue alien's nose. Farren uses the momentum to wedge her knee against Gaia's belly and drive her off with a kick lastly, already thinking her victory assured until Gaia does the unexpected: she catches Farren's leg. Gaia does not hesitate, and as a thin trail of blood — the color of lavender — drips down her nose, she yanks Farren's leg with all of her might. The agent is forced off of her balance and brought down to the floor.

Farren has tricks up her sleeves too, making Gaia croak for air after she's hauled both feet instantly up and bursted her swiftly away.

Gaia is barely able to groan. It feels as though the oxygen has vanished entirely from her lungs, her back clashing with the floor as blood leaks into her mouth and between her teeth. She heaves and coughs, narrowly avoiding Farren's trusted dagger that she retrieved from the control board. The blade strikes the ground a second after Gaia has rolled away, feeling overly dizzy as Farren slashes towards her face, coordinated and lethal. It's astounding how well she's retaining her posture, and no doubt she's been mentored in strategy and endurance.

The precise advances from Farren has Gaia breathless, sweat layered upon her skin. She trips to her feet yet the agent never relents.

Offering herself a quick breath, Gaia is prepared for her opponent's next attack. Farren dives forward — attempting to stab Gaia in the chest but failing when she evades and grabs Farren by the wrist, the one holding the weapon. Gaia utilises the paced motion to carry them and impels Farren against the wall, one hand around her wrist and the other against her throat. She wastes no time in slamming Farren's knuckles against the steel. It briefly immobilizes her fingers after several tries, the dagger slipping from her jittery grasp. Gaia propels it away then, safely out of reach from either of them.

"Yield," she urges, voice lowered.

"I thought you were going to make me sorry," Farren reminds, faintly stuttering for breath. "You're more bark than bite, huh? Or is it because you're afraid. . .n-not wanting to. . ."

Gaia tightens her grip around Farren. The Kessurian is struggling for breath at this point, her ridiculing coming to an end as her words are being crushed in the face of death, free hand clawing at her opponent's skin and legs thrashing about — denied leverage whenever her limbs are nudged away. Gaia has lost all sense of control and if she weren't in such a quarrel with Farren, she'd realize just how much Mando's presence had meant for her impulse control in their earlier days.

It's no good now. The only thing which she has the privilege of laying her eyes on are Farren: an unlucky soul, an orphaned woman, a groomed assassin, and an agent.

Much of what is unfortunate and wrong.

Much of what Gaia herself could resemble.

He's not worth it, Mando had chastised once.

They deserved better, she had stated earlier.

Even Farren had unknowingly prompted a reminder which was to cast light onto the blood Gaia was drowning in, the lives she had unwillingly taken and the regrets branded onto her existence. Everything of what she never wanted, what she has fought so hard to redeem through bounty hunting. In truth, it never can — not with anything, and it delivers Gaia to clarity, to the surface. Her eyes have watered in defeat, tears threatening to fall, and her affect over Farren is dispersed.

She may deserve punishment, but not from Gaia. It's not her place and that's the truth.

Mando wouldn't have wanted any of this either. To have Gaia stand in the shadow of a killer whose heart was ruled by corruption.

So, swallowing her pain, Gaia has released Farren from her hold only to knock her out. The agent's face is smacked hard and she quickly slumps into the steady arms of her opponent, eventually limited to a pair of handcuffs that Gaia had stolen from the basement to use on her. Gaia has slid down to the floor beside the Kessurian by that time, not bothering to wipe the blood off her face as she brings her knees closer to herself, relishing in the peaceful quiet and tangling a careless hand in her ruffled side-swept hair.

Gaia is lost in a chasm of turmoil. . .and then it happens. The ship trembles, a typical sign of another starship latching onto the roof and someone preparing to board. Gaia springs to her feet. She inevitably panics, not so much wondering about who it could be as she is getting ready for another fight and as she does — collecting Farren's dagger and ensuring The Child to be safe, she stops up.

Right there around the corner and just being finished climbing down the ladder, is Mando.

— Author's Note —

I made a 'Bad Blood' trailer-ish video so if you're interested please check it out — it's in the introduction chapter of this book 🥰

Also, yes, the whole conflict of Gaia being kidnapped is coming to an end. I didn't want it to drag on for too long since I really want to get back to the storyline of the show, although we'll definitely be seeing more of Farren. As you might have noticed, we're going to be getting a little more insight into her character, though I can't say what her ending will be like — it could go either way!