10 | THE NEGOTIATION

In a cantina in another planet, Mando sat directly across from Celeste. Beside Celeste was a basket covered in a blanket, which held the child within. Although the basket was conspicuous enough to tell people there was a baby in there, it was so plainly hidden that no one bothered to take a peek inside. "I know you don't like it, but, until we can find a safe place to stay—I have to find another job." Mando told Celeste.

"Clearly finding bounty jobs without the Guild isn't working. We need to find something else... what about Vikkal?" Celeste brought up the man that they supposed was sending all these bounty hunters after her.

"What about him?" Mando growled, the sound of his name revolted him.

"Look, I know you won't like it, but it's the only way you can shake half of the bounty hunters coming after you. Turn me in to Vikkal. That way, all you have to worry about is protecting the kid, and I can send money to you from Vikkal's account. He'd never find out." Celeste proposed, her voice low as she feared someone was listening into their conversation around them.

"No." Mando curtly replied.

"You haven't—"
"No."
"But—"
"No."

Mando dropped his fist of the table, asserting that he was not changing his answer. "I've got an old friend I can call. But, there's no way I'll be able to hide you from him. So, you're going to have to play along like you're a bounty hunter." Mando informed her.

"What's this old friend's name?" Celeste inquired.

"Ran. He's a little rough around the edges but I know he holds true to his policy: no questions asked. Look, if we do this, you can't use your power." Mando warned her.

"You mean the force." She corrected him.

"Yeah, whatever." Mando brushed her correction off. It was almost as if he didn't want to admit out loud that she was force sensitive. Celeste didn't know anything about his history with those that were force sensitive or if he knew anything at all about the force. All she knew was that he was uncomfortable in saying that she was force sensitive.

"Celeste?" A faintly recognizable voice called out from afar. Mando snapped his head in the direction of the source. Celeste looked over and smiled brightly upon recognizing the face of the man that called her. "Speaking of old friends." Celeste quickly commented to Mando before she stood up to greet her old friend.

"Jair?" Celeste took a second look at the man to make sure it was the same boy that grew up with her on Tatooine as they were both orphans trying to avoid being enslaved.

"It's been so long!" He instantly embraced the woman. They hadn't seen each other since they were children and so many things had changed.

"Where have you been?" Jair looked over to the basket and his eyes widened. "You have a kid now?!" He exclaimed.

Celeste smiled so widely, it looked like her cheeks were about to burst. Mando had never seen her so happy. "Yeah, he's sleeping right now." Celeste told so that Jair wouldn't ask to see the child.

Mando suddenly stoop up and took a step toward Jair. "Nice to meet you, too." Mando, annoyedly, greeted the man who hadn't even acknowledged Mando's presence. Mando suddenly felt like he needed to protect Celeste and a strange anger bubbled in his veins along with it.

"Jair, this is Mando, Mando, this is Jair." Celeste introduced the two to one another.

"You and Celeste know each other how?" Mando questioned him.

"He's an old friend."
"I'm her ex-boyfriend."

Both Celeste and Jair spoke at the same time. Celeste's heart dropped to her stomach and she playfully punched Jair's shoulder. "Shut up!" She laughed.

Mando clenched his jaw. "He's lying." Celeste tried to calm Mando's suspicions.

"That's not true." Jair clicked his tongue is disproval of her fib.

"We were 10. That doesn't count." Celeste hushed him.

"I think we should get going. The baby is going to get hungry soon." Mando lied straight through his teeth.

Celeste wanted to argue but she knew it'd be best if she didn't. So, she simply turned to Jair with a shy smile. "Until our paths cross again." She hugged him.

"Until our paths cross again." He replied. Then she, Mando and the child left the cantina. "I sure hope they don't." Mando mumbled to himself.

"What?" Celeste didn't hear him, which was his intention.

"Nothing, nothing." Mando assured her, then continued walking back to his ship.

* * *

After they took off in the ship, Celeste finally let go what was on her mind since the cantina. "I can't believe you didn't let me catch up with Jair. I'll probably never see him again."

"He could've been a threat." Mando's usual stoic voice replied.

"Please. If anyone's a threat here, it's you. With all these damn weapons you've got. Like, seriously, how many weapons does one person need?" Celeste rolled her eyes.

"If anyone's a threat here, it's you. Have you already forgotten about how you killed Toro Calican?" Mando reminded her as he pressed various buttons on the dash. The child climbed up in Mando's lap and pressed a button, following Mando's lead. Mando turned off the button that the child clicked and pushed him away from the controls.

"If I hadn't done it, you would've." Celeste folded her arms across her chest.

"But the way you did it, I could have never done." Mando retorted.

"Oooo, does that mean you're scared of me? Because I've done something you can't do, Mando?" Celeste stood up, tauntingly over him. All the while, the child pressed the button that Mando didn't want him to touch, again. The ship shook a little bit due to the press of the button, causing Celeste to stumble a bit. But Mando caught her arm to keep her from falling. Mando looked at her dead in the eye, then said: "I'm not scared of you."

"Then why won't you admit what you feel for me?" She blurted out. She instantly regretted it, but it needed to be said.

Mando let go of her arm and looked away from her, turning off the button the child clicked. Mando remained silent. "Because you're scared." Celeste told him before taking a seat in her designated chair.

* * *

Later on that night, Celeste and the child were fast asleep as Mando continued to man the ship to make it to Ran's space station. He put the ship on autopilot to rest for a bit himself, but, when he turned around and saw the child and Celeste all cuddled up, sleeping peacefully. He decided that was his chance to speak to Celeste without feeling strange that the child was listening in. He watched the two's chest rise and fall slowly for a little bit before he grabbed Celeste's hand to wake her.

She slowly woke up, then sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Are we there yet?" She asked, groggily.

Mando shook his head at her, then mustered the courage to tell her what he needed to say. "I'm not scared." He told her.

"Can we talk about this later?" Celeste laid her head back down on the bed.

"I love you, Celeste." Mando admitted to her.

Celeste froze in her place. She sat up again to look at him. Mando felt like her eyes were penetrating his helmet and it made him feel uncomfortable. "You what?" She raised a brow.

Mando cleared his throat as it was going dry. "I love you. I love that little womp rat, too."

Celeste's heart began to race and her body went cold. She had never heard anyone say that to her before and she didn't even know what love truly felt like. She assumed it was what she felt for Mando—this frustrating feeling that made her care for him and want to be by his side all the time. Though she didn't want to admit it herself, she wasn't ready to. They had known each other for a few months now, and they weren't the traditional couple. "Your bounty turned out to be something you weren't expecting... huh? Love." Celeste told him, getting a chuckle out of Mando.

* * *

Soon after, they landed on Ran's space station in nearly the middle of nowhere. The child was kept hidden inside the ship while Mando and Celeste walked out to go meet with Ran. "Mando. Is that you under that bucket?" Ran smiled slyly at the Mandalorian.

"Ran." Mando shook his hand.

"I didn't know if I'd ever see you in these parts ever again. Good to see you. I see you've brought a friend, too." Ran looked over at Celeste who shot him a curt nod. "You know, to be honest, I was a little surprised when you reached out to me. You now, 'cause I hear things. Like, maybe things between you and the Guild aren't workin' out."

"I'll be fine." Mando told Ran.

"Okay. Well, you know the policy. No questions. And you, you're welcome back her anytime." Ran seemed grateful that Mando was there. Ran must've known had good of a bounty hunter Mando was from his younger days with him and knew he'd get the job done.

"So, what's the job?" Mando cut straight to the point.

"Yeah, one of our associates ran afoul of some competitors and got himself caught. So, I'm putting together a crew to spring him. It's a five person job. I got four." Ran looked at Celeste with a curious look, as if he were telling her she was out of a job.

"If you want me, she comes, too." Mando informed Ran, calmly as he knew Ran wouldn't give up the chance to have Mando on his side.

"Is she any good?" Ran spoke about her, right in front of her, like she was an object. But, Celeste didn't speak up to not draw too much attention to herself.

"One of the best." Mando disinformed the man.

"I'll let her on the team, but I get the ride." Ran nodded over at Mando's ship.

"The ship wasn't part of the deal." Mando snapped at him.

"Neither was she. And the Crest is the only reason I let you back in here." Ran admitted to Mando, who then shot Ran an annoyed look.

"You're team gets to use the ship, but his profits double for completing the job." Celeste negotiated.

"You're good." Ran laughed at her. "But not good enough. I'm already letting you on the team."

"Having an extra set of hands is a benefit to you, if anything, you should be offering us something in return for adding an extra mercenary to the operation. You double his profit, and pay me the same cut as the rest of the team." Celeste patronized Ran. Ran felt undermined by the girl. "What? You can't cough up enough cash?" Celeste asked after he had paused for a moment to process what she said.

Ran stepped up close to her face and cocked his head. He narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed. "Is that gratitude?" Celeste asked, seemingly taking the words right of his mouth.

"I like her." Ran spoke to Mando without breaking eye contact with Celeste. "We seem to have a deal."