CHAPTER EIGHT. 

THE UNCERTAIN

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The cheers could be heard from miles away.

The townsfolk and raiders all clustered together around the carcass of the dragon, holding their blasters and rifles in the air, celebrating alongside each other. They hugged and kissed each other on the cheek, the raiders making a guttural celebration sound from their mouths. The children came out hesitantly from their hiding spot, and when they saw their parents laughing together, beckoning them over, they ran towards them with delighted squeals.

Tess kept a hold of the Marshal as they limped closer to the Mandalorian. Her legs would give way under her every couple of seconds, exhaustion filling up within her like a glass of spotchka. She was so tired. Her body ached, as if a hammer had pounded in her skull and shattered her bones. Her palms, where that strange power had erupted from her body, were sore, as if a hundred little needles were digging their way into her flesh.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

The Marshal kept a firm hand on Tess as the Mandalorian walked hurriedly toward them. Tess frowned when she saw that he was covered in sticky green goo, the liquid dripping down his normally pristine helmet and ooze to the floor. She almost wanted to laugh at the sight of him, but found no energy to open her mouth. The Mandalorian ran quickly up towards and stopped right before he was about to take Tess into his arms. Under his helmet, a smile gleaned across his face, eyes alight at the sight of the young girl still alive and breathing after what she had done. Tess simply stared at him, a scowl growing on her face.

Then, finding enough energy to release one arm from the Marshal, Tess went up to the Mandalorian and smacked him hard against the chest.

The Mandalorian took a shocked step back as Tess tried to punch him again, but the Marshal wrapped his arms around her, holding her back from hitting the Mandalorian. Her eyes blazed and her fists ached from where she'd hit the impenetrable Beskar, but she forced herself to stay awake. To stay alert. To stay angry.

"Why did you do that?!" Tess practically screamed at the Mandalorian. Both Vanth and Mando looked at each other cautiously. "Why would you do something as stupid as that?!"

The Mandalorian cocked his head to the side. "Tess—"

"I told you to get the explosives on the inside of the Dragon!" Tess yelled. "Not put yourself there too!" the Mandalorian raised an eyebrow as she pushed up against the Marshal, her eyes staring into his own with a ferocity that would have once made him want to turn and walk the other way. He would have once winced at her stormy grey-blue irises meeting his (not that she knew) and wanted nothing to do with a girl as volatile as Tess Oprin. The Mandalorian would have once tried to stay away.

Not anymore.

Not after everything.

The Mandalorian smiled softly as the girl seethed in front of him. This girl of machines and wires and electricity, of cutting words and blunt remarks with no sense of small talk. The girl of grease stains on her calloused hands always covered in finger-less gloves. Of soft chestnut hair and high cheekbones and a storm under her skin. Once, the Mandalorian would have scoffed at the likes of Tess, but now all he did was smile. He had finally seen what the young girl was, after days of watching her, listening to her speak and work and live, the Mandalorian had finally figured out who Tess Oprin was.

So much more.

Tess Oprin was not the heartless girl the town named her. She was not a monster, not a demon from the depths of Tatooine, but nor was she an angel. Tess was something inexplicable, made of lightning and thunder, of something divine and crackling. When the Mandalorian looked at her now, all he saw was raw, untamed power, and it made him smile. It made him grin from ear to ear under his blasted helmet, and as he watched Tess try to hit him again, the thought made Mando's heart seize in his chest. Another thought entered his mind, and the smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

How was he supposed to say goodbye now?

After everything that had happened, after all he had witnessed? The Mandalorian now knew that Tess held the same power as the child, as these so-called Jedi he was supposed to bring him to. Whatever the child was, Tess was that being as well. How was he supposed to leave her and the Marshal behind with the knowledge weighing him down? How was he supposed to leave them when he had only just started to get to know them? The Mandalorian thought back to all the moments he'd spent with the two —especially Tess. When the Marshal had walked into the bar carrying the fuming girl in his arms, a frown on his face as he looked concernedly at the teary-eyed girl. When Tess had come over to him, kneeling beside the Mandalorian to try and pet the raider's beasts, and he had caught her before she fell to ground as her metal leg gave way under her. The moment he'd caught her again as the child healed her leg, pulling the grains of sand with his power. The Mandalorian could still see her bitten lips and painful winces as the child had placed his fingers on top of the steel and pulled.

The Mandalorian's eyebrows scrunched as he realized something.

He always seemed to catch Tess right before she fell.

"Mando?" said girl's sharp words brought the warrior back to reality, and he turned to see both Tess and the Marshal watching him cautiously.

"Sorry." he said lightly. "I didn't mean to frighten you." Tess' head jerked back, slamming into the Marshal's chest so hard the man winced. She didn't pay him any mind. Again, the Mandalorian resisted the urge to chuckle.

"Frighten me?" Tess asked incredulously. "I wasn't scared."

"No?" The Marshal mocked. Tess jabbed him in the ribs, and he fell silent again, but did not let go of her, worrying that if she did, Tess would make good on her promise and launch herself at the Mandalorian. Regardless of whether or not the girl probably couldn't walk on her own without collapsing, the Marshal wasn't taking any chances. He knew Tess better than anyone, and understood that she was as unpredictable as the storms she was so often associated with.

"No." Tess replied. "I wasn't scared. It was just stupid."

"I apologize." the Mandalorian replied warmly. Tess merely raised an eyebrow and watched him coldly. The Marshal looked between the two and smirked. Then he pointed over to a cluster of rocks a little ways away from the cheering crowd, up near the crest where Tess had run down only minutes earlier. Her stomach twisted at the thought.

"Let's get you somewhere to rest." the Marshal said. Tess did not object. She felt herself teetering on the edge, like a knife dangling on a string. Tip one way too far, and she would fall. Her hands shook and her head ached, little keepsakes of the strange power she'd used to help defeat the dragon.

It hurt so much.

Tess nodded gravely and the Marshal tucked his arm under her shoulder as they walked towards the rocks. Every few seconds he would glance at her, questions in his eyes, but Tess did not have the energy to tell him that she had no idea where the magic had come from. While it was true that she had somehow known she had the same power as the Mandalorian's green child, she still didn't know what it was. When she'd felt that connection form the night he healed her leg, it frightened her, scared her to the bone that something inside her, something unknown and powerful, had felt familiar with the child and his magic. She had known exactly what it felt like to use that power, but she didn't know why.

She knew that energy, and yet she didn't think she'd ever used it before. Tess closed her eyes for a moment, trying to forget the strange sensation of pushing the dragon back with only her mind. The way her fingertips felt like they were splitting down the middle, letting the light seep through. Her skin had crackled and stripped down, revealing an effervescent core that emulated power. She shuddered. Despite having saved their lives, in those few seconds before they reached the rocks, Tess vowed never to use it again. She couldn't bear to feel that... thing radiate from her again. It was like every emotion she'd ever buried down had risen to the surface, a wave of memories and feeling and pain that came bubbling up, an army prepared to destroy her.

She would never use it again.

The Marshal slowly lowered Tess onto the rock, her metal leg falling against the sandstone with a light thunk. Tess could have fallen asleep right at that moment, but she forced herself to stay awake. There was still a lot to think about. A lot that was uncertain. The Mandalorian came up beside her, watching as she took a long deep breath. It shook when it reached the air, small staccato beats that left her lips. Her hands shook and every few seconds her head would jolt to the side.

He said nothing, but Tess knew he had a million questions swimming at the edge of his mind. She braced herself.

The Marshal looked between the two, hand resting on his belt, and nodded to himself. "I gotta go..." he started. "To do something." He grimaced slightly, took one last look at the girl and the warrior, then turned around to where Jo was now running towards them. The girl's face lit up when she saw that Tess was still alive, practically lying on a rock with the strange Mandalorian beside her.

Tess sat up straighter when she saw her friend, but before either could say anything the Marshal put a hand on Jo's shoulder and whispered something into her ear. Jo's features wavered slightly, but she followed him back towards the clustering raiders and villagers. Tess' face fell slack and she turned back to where the Mandalorian was still watching her.

"What?" She asked. The Mandalorian shrugged and she scoffed. "It's obviously something. Spill it before I pass out."

"How long have you known you had it?" The Mandalorian spoke up. Tess stiffened at his words, a part of her not wanting to answer. He might not understand. Then she cursed herself. If anyone would understand, it would be the man in front of her. He had a green child with the exact same power, a child with the ability to move things with its mind.

But there was something else that made Tess more trusting towards the Mandalorian. Something she couldn't quite understand.

"Forever, I think." Tess finally answered.

The Mandalorian was silent, his eyebrow raised under his helmet. Tess stared at him for a while, then understood the meaning of his silence.

She continued. "I don't know, I guess I've just always felt like it was there. I just... I didn't know what it was." The words were hoarse on her tongue, and she forced them out, but took no pleasure in it. Probably because she was telling the truth. Just the plain and honest truth. No underlying hint at something more, no stab at the person she was talking with. No lies, nothing withheld. For once, Tess Oprin was completely and utterly honest. She didn't like it.

The Mandalorian didn't know what to say. He could see the emotions warring on the girls face as she twiddled with her hands, sitting upon the rock with one leg pulled close and her metal one stretched down the hardened stone. Her hair whipped around her face in the slight breeze, at some points masking the intensity of her eyes. The Mandalorian swore she could burn a hole through his beskar if she stared at it long enough.

"The kid has the same power." she spoke up again. "Doesn't it?"

The Mandalorian sighed. "I think so."

Tess nodded to herself, looking down at her hands. Those rough, stained hands that had seemed to open up and release an energy she could barely control. Her fingers, which had once only been used to fix machines and tamper with technology. Now it held something more. Something that frightened Tess to no end. She couldn't look at her hands without remembering the strange sensation, so she turned back to the Mandalorian. He had watched her the entire time.

"What do I do?" she asked softly. The Mandalorian took a step forward, wanting, no needing, to comfort the girl that seemed to be crumbling in front of him. The Mandalorian was well aware of the effects that using such power could hold. He still recalled the baby in his small cradle falling asleep for hours on end after he had stopped the mudhorn from killing them. When the child had made the flames at the shootout with Moff Gideon recede, he had crumpled afterwards, exhausted. The Mandalorian couldn't imagine what Tess might be feeling now, having pushed back a monster as large as the krayt dragon.

"It's your choice." the Mandalorian finally replied.

Tess scrunched her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" she looked out across the sands.

"I mean..." the Mandalorian started. "That power, Tess, I've seen it before. In the child. I've been tasked with finding its own kind, which might be your kind, but... It's up to you."

Tess interjected. "Would they be able to get rid of it?" The Mandalorians brows shot up at her blunt question. Tess didn't look at him, only down at the grains of sand blowing in the faint breeze. She could still hear the celebrations in the background, and sneaked a glance behind the Mandalorian to see the raiders, with scythes and pitchforks, stabbing at the carcass of the dragon, hoping to get to its insides. She shuddered.

"What?" the Mandalorian finally asked.

"This power..." Tess explained. "Would the child's kin be able to get rid of it?"

"Why would you want—" the Mandalorian tried to ask.

"Would they, Mando?" Tess interrupted. And finally she did look at him. The Mandalorian wished she hadn't. Hidden deep in her eyes was a pain he knew all too well, a burden he'd carried around his whole life. The feeling that no choice you made would be the right one, that whatever step you took moving forward would take you on a path you didn't want to go down. Oh yes, he wore uncertainty like a second skin, and in that moment, it was all he could see on Tess' face.

"I don't know," he replied.

Uncertainty consumed the girl like it once did the warrior. He could see it in her quickening breaths and unsteady eyes, in the way she could not meet his gaze, in how she stared off into space, brows scrunched and nose crinkled, just like she always did when she was concentrating very hard on something. It was his undying need to comfort the girl, and his familiarity with her feelings that made the Mandalorian blurt out his next words.

"You could come with me." Tess' head snapped upright, her eyes boring into the Mandalorian's own as a mix of confusion and wonder passed across her face. It was there for a split second, then her signature frown came crawling back to her features. Tess slid off the rock carefully, hands buckling under the weight of her arms as she slowly came to a stand. A rush of dizziness passed through her senses, but Tess ignored it. The Mandalorian's next words had her full attention.

"What?" she asked. It seemed to be becoming her new signature phrase.

The Mandalorian stiffened, eyes widening as he realized the words that had just come out of his mouth. He quickly stuttered, trying to find some way to backtrack. But it was too late. Tess had already heard them, and he knew she wasn't going to stop until she got an answer.

"You could come with me..." he said again. "And the child. We could find the Jedi, as they're called, and they could help you."

"You just said that you don't know if they can help me." Tess pointed out. The Mandalorian went to open his mouth, but found he didn't know what to say. Tess smirked, but on the inside, her mind was whirring.

Tess looked out to behind the Mandalorian, where the Marshal was patting a villager on the back, a large smile planted on his features. He turned slightly, and they locked eyes. Tess' face softened when he nodded his head towards her, a sad smile now on his face. Tess frowned. She nodded back and turned to the Mandalorian again. Only he wasn't there. Instead, she saw him walking quickly away, heading towards the speeder bike where the child still sat.

He could feel her staring after him, but the Mandalorian forced himself to stay walking ahead. He should never have said that, it had clearly been the wrong thing to say. Despite everything Tess had done to the town, however much she claimed to care nothing about it, Mando knew that deep down Tess loved Mos Pelgo, if only for the Marshal and that dark-skinned, curly-haired girl he'd seen Tess talking to earlier.

You could come with me. He grimaced and went to pick up the child, bringing him into the warrior's arms. It gurgled and wrapped a tiny finger around his thumb. The Mandalorian looked down at it, a small smile on his face. He then turned back around to see Tess still standing by the rock, looking out across the sand fields to something in the distance.

Come with me.

Those words meant everything to him. It was every unspoken comment he'd kept to himself while watching her work, every laugh he gave when she spoke sarcastically, every ache in his chest when she was close to danger. It was the same feelings he had towards the child in his arms. Those three words were what he wanted, and the Mandalorian paused to watch Tess as she stood motionless out in the dunes of Tatooine.

Mando wanted Tess to come with him. He wanted her to see his ship and help with repairs, he wanted to aid her in her quest to understand the strange magic. He just wanted to hear her story, hear her history, her past, and listen to her blunt words as sharp as daggers cut into his armor. When he had first met Tess Oprin, he'd instantly known exactly who she was. A girl who had been through too much too young, seen more danger than she should have, and hidden herself away to try and keep the rest of her safe. He'd known Tess only a few days, but already saw her for who she really was, and he was finding it very hard in thinking that this might be the last time he ever saw her.

Meanwhile, Tess Oprin was grappling with herself.

She stood by the rock the Marshal had placed her on, bracing herself against the rough stone, and looked out across the dune seas of Tatooine. A planet of raging heat and molten sun beams, Tatooine was a place Tess had never truly found solace in. Despite the balance she felt while living there, when she would climb up the mountain to sit atop and watch the suns set behind the clouds, Tess had never felt like it was her true home. She had come to realize that home wasn't a place. It wasn't the small flat she and her parents had stayed in when they lived in Mos Eisley, with her collection of mechanical dolls shaped like fighter pilots and stormtroopers. Home wasn't the cot she slept on in the back of her mechanics shop in Mos Pelgo, where the whirring of machines would help her drift off to sleep each night, only to have her fall into a nightmare she couldn't escape from. No, home was not some place where she could sleep, it was not a place where she spent her every waking hour.

Home was in herself. Home was in her mind; her broken, closed off, frozen mind. Home was in the way her nimble fingers moved across metal, repairing machines with ease and grace unmatched. Home was her dark curly hair and fierce gaze, in her finger-less gloves and plastic goggles. Tess Oprin was her own home, herself, and she found that herself was wanting to accept the Mandalorian's offer.

She didn't know why. All she knew was that he had offered to take her along with him, to leave Tatooine in search of the "Jedi" that could help with her powers. That could help in destroying it before it overtook her. All she knew was that his words had been sincere, that he had truly meant what he said when he told her to come with him. Tess watched the wind blow grains of sand this way and that, soft tendrils of cream rocks that swayed back and forth in the breeze. The sun crested the top of her head, a halo of light shining atop her crown of hair, lighting her eyes in a pale glow. She looked heavenly, like a divine being coming down from the stars, from the clouds above.

But Tess did not feel like an angel.

She felt like she was being torn in two.

One part of her wanted desperately to accept the Mandalorian's offer. She wanted to go with him out into the galaxy, find the child's own kind, and help stop the pain that grew in her fingertips, the thrashing of her heart when she thought of that strange force. She wanted to leave Mos Pelgo, leave Tatooine. After all, what did she have left here? She had lost her parents in the firefight over Mos Eisley, lost her shop to the dragon in Mos Pelgo. Tess knew barely anyone she lived with, and cared for them very little. She had nothing left here.

Then there was the Mandalorian himself. Clad in armor from head to toe, with broad shoulders and voice like rough sandpaper, the Mandalorian seemed to know Tess, despite having only met her days before. He was a man that seemed to understand everything she spoke of, seemed to always catch her before she fell off the edge. He seemed not to care about her rough exterior, knowing full well that there was something light underneath. The Mandalorian confused Tess to no end, and yet she trusted him. She respected him. She might have even cared about him.

The only people that made her hesitate to leave were Jo and the Marshal.

The Marshal, Cobb Vanth, a man of dripping charm and a kind heart. He'd earned Tess' respect only a couple years in, and she had to admit that she had grown fond of him and his undying loyalty to the people of the town. The Marshal would do anything for the townsfolk, anything to keep them safe, and Tess had come to realize that that included her as well. He cared about her. The Marshal didn't care that she constantly talked down to him or never spoke to him at all. He didn't care that she was always angry, always wanting to be alone. He didn't care that every time she looked at him, he wanted to turn around and run the other direction. The Marshal had cared for Tess when no one else would go near her. He'd given her the space she needed, helped her set up shop. He had been the one to save her from the crumbling building in the wake of the dragon's destruction. Tess, despite all her misgivings, was reluctant to leave him.

And then there was Jo. Jo; the do-gooder, the kindest of them all, the ray of sunshine that always washed out the gloom which surrounded Tess. Where darkness had found a home in the mechanic, the light was always going to be inside Jo. She was a girl that didn't care who you were, she would love you all the same. Jo, a girl of sunshine smiles and bouncing steps. She'd brought food to Tess when she would have rather starved. Jo had stayed silent when Tess needed it, talked when she wanted a distraction, and left her alone when Tess grew volatile. Jo wanted everyone to know that she was always there for them, always there to lend a helping hand, to sit down and talk, or, in Tess' case, to watch and silently learn.

Tess didn't want to leave them, but she didn't want to stay.

She was being pulled apart from the inside out, her heart splitting, her lungs breaking, her head being torn in two. She didn't know what to do. She was standing on the edge, on a precipice with two options. Both called to her, pulling her to them, but Tess stayed firmly where she was.

She didn't know what to do.

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After what felt like hours of staring off into nothing, Tess finally decided to go back to the rest of the group. She forced her body around and staggered towards the camp. Her limbs threatened to give way beneath her, and she kept a hand over her nauseous stomach. She nearly keeled over when she reached the crowd of villagers and raiders near the carcass of the dragon, and almost did fall to her knees when the smell of the dragon's insides being picked apart reached her nose.

Tess grimaced and placed an arm over her mouth, hoping to get the rancid odor away from her nostrils. It didn't work. The Mandalorian and the Marshal stood a little ways to the side of the dragon, a large hunk of slightly burnt meat lugged onto the back of the Mandalorian's speeder bike. The child was gazing at it with a hungry look in its eyes, and the Mandalorian was kneeling down, fiddling with the white cloth underneath the meat. He immediately stood up when he saw Tess walking towards him. She almost wanted to turn back as she took in the eagerness of his step.

A hundred questions swam through the Mandalorian's mind, but he found he only needed one to be answered. Will you come with me?

Tess bit her lip and looked at him, eyebrows constricting, conflict waging war upon her soul. I don't know. The Mandalorian's shoulders fell, and beneath his helmet, his eyes grew dark. Before he could say anything, the Marshal came up beside Tess, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw he was no longer wearing the Mandalorian armor. It was under his shoulder, and now he only wore a dark maroon shirt with that signature red scarf. Tess had never seen him without the armor on. It was strange.

It felt like the end. The end of... something. She shook her head and looked back to the Mandalorian's speeder bike, eyes trained on nothing. The Marshal slugged the armor onto the seat of the bike.

"Sorry," the Mandalorian told him. "I didn't have time to explain."

The Marshal smiled. "No need." he replied, placing the helmet into the Mandalorian's hands. "This was well earned."

The Mandalorian took out his other hand as Tess came up beside the Marshal. "It was my pleasure." Her eyes met his as the Mandalorian shook Vanth's hand. She curled her own into fists, nails digging into the leather of her gloves. Will you come with me? She sniffed softly, mouth puckering as her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

I don't know.

"I hope our paths cross again." the Marshal told the Mandalorian, and he glanced at Tess, who was as still as a statue, her eyes trained on something in the distance. The Marshal pulled his hand away.

"As do I." The Mandalorian replied. Tess let out a shaking breath. The Marshal went to stand next to her again, but at the last moment turned around.

"Oh," he stated, pointing towards the armor in the Mandalorian's hands. "And you tell your people I wasn't the one that broke that." He made a gesture towards the jet pack the Mandalorian had violently shoved with the butt of his rifle. Tess looked at the armor, at all of the patches and work she'd done on it. A smirk played on her lips.

Then she stepped forward. The Mandalorian watched her with keen eyes. He held out his hand to her. She shook it.

"I'm glad we met, Tess." he told her softly, so only she could hear. Tess looked up at him, frown melting off her face, replaced with a placid look he couldn't understand. The Mandalorian was beginning to think he would never be able to fully understand Tess Oprin. Not now, as he was leaving her.

Tess paused for a moment, then whispered. "Me too."

"Stay safe here." the Mandalorian continued. "The Marshal will protect you. That girl, Jo." Tess perked up at the mention of the girl's name. "She cares about you." Tess nodded. The Mandalorian smiled under his helmet and placed his hand on her shoulder. Tess didn't move.

"I hope I'll see you again." he said. Come with me. Tess closed her eyes and gulped. The Mandalorian did the same.

"As do I." Tess replied, her voice hoarse. The Mandalorian nodded, his sad smile returning, and let go of her. Her knees almost buckled beneath her as she staggered back, eyes never leaving the Mandalorian as he mounted his speeder bike, petting the child on the head, and revved the engine. The Marshal glanced at Tess, but she stared straight at the bounty hunter. Someone came up to Tess' other side. Tess watched Jo out of the corner of her eye as the girl gave her a bright smile. Tess did not return it, but looked at Jo sadly.

To her surprise, her friend did not frown, she simply returned a sorrowful, knowing smile. Jo carefully took Tess' hand in her own and gave it a squeeze. Tess closed her eyes for a split second, taking in the feeling of her fingers interlocked with Jo's. When she opened them, a tear slipped down her friend's cheek. Jo did not say anything, only reached over and pulled Tess into a light, almost feather-like hug. Her arms barely grazed Tess' shoulder, not holding onto her too tight so that Tess would pull away. Tess stiffened as Jo hugged her, the feeling of being wrapped in someone's arms was foreign, and it brought every alarm blaring in Tess' brain.

After a couple seconds, Jo pulled away. She gave Tess that cheerful smile and moved to where Tess now saw a small group of children laughing and talking together behind them. Tess' head swam as she turned to see the Mandalorian still on his bike. The Marshal was beside her.

"I don't know what to do." She whispered to him, voice like a winter's breeze. The Marshal inclined his head towards her, features softening when he saw her conflict. He knew what the Mandalorian had asked her, even if they hadn't told Vanth directly. Despite caring for the girl, the Marshal knew which decision was the right one.

The Marshal placed a comforting hand around her shoulders, and Tess took a deep breath. "Do what your heart tells you Tess." He softly murmured. Tess froze.

What your heart tells you. Tess Oprin had never been one to listen to her heart. Her heart was a gaping pit ready to swallow her whole, an empty void of pain she'd spent years pushing down. Tess never thought about her heart, it was something she sent to the darkness of her mind, where it would fester and die.

Would her heart even speak to her now, after so many years of neglect?

Would it flutter in her chest, pump ruby tinted blood through her veins that were filled with emotion? Would it whisper to her, a soft breath against her body. Would her heart tell her what was right, or would it betray like everything else? As if in answer, her chest seized. Tess gasped, taking her hand to place it on her chest. She gripped the fabric of her jacket where her heart lay beneath. It beat rapidly, aching against her ribs, glowing bright and burning in her chest. Tess' eyes widened, and her mouth opened in a silent gasp.

And in that moment she knew. She knew what she had to do.

Tess stepped away from the Marshal, watching where the Mandalorian was about to rev the engine one final time.

And then she yelled. "WAIT!"

The Mandalorian stiffened in his seat, turning slightly to the side. Tess stepped forward, leaping off the precipice. The knife lost balance. Her decision was made. But before Tess went to the Mandalorian, she turned to the Marshal, who gave her a knowing look. He smiled delicately. Tess pursed her lips.

"Goodbye, Tess." The Marshal said before she could speak. "And thank you."

Tess frowned. "For what?"

"For everything." The Marshal replied. Tess raised an eyebrow and looked at the man that had cared for her ever since she arrived in Mos Pelgo. When she saw his knowing eyes and downcast grin, Tess knew why Jo had hugged, and what the Marshal's nod earlier had meant.

They were saying goodbye.

Tess' heartbeats grew more rapid. She gulped and spoke the words she had vowed never to say. "Thank you, Marshal." Vanth's eyebrows shot up at the sentence. If there was one thing he knew about Tess Oprin, it was that she never said thank you. Yet here she was, a girl that had seemed to have changed so much in the days following the dragon's attack.

The Marshal loved that girl. He held out his hand to her, a bright smile making its way onto his face. Tess took his hand in her own and they shook. "Take care, Tess." He told her. She nodded and turned back around, clenched her fists, and walked towards the Mandalorian.

When she reached him, the child in the little bag reached its arms out to her, and Tess pet it. The Mandalorian inclined his head. Tess smirked.

"You'll help me?" Tess asked.

The Mandalorian nodded. "I will."I promise. Tess didn't need anything else. She moved her leg over the speeder bike behind the Mandalorian and wrapped her small arms around his waist.

"Then let's go." She said. The Mandalorian grinned and revved the engine. He swerved the speeder bike once around and pushed off.

Tess took a final look back, and she saw the Marshal beside Jo, who was smiling, bouncing on the balls of her feet. They both waved to her. Tess inclined her head in farewell, then turned back to face the dunes ahead of them. As they sped down, Tess had never felt more alive.

And so the Mandalorian and the Mechanic rode off into the distance. 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE. 

YA'LL WE DID IT! We made it to the end of episode one! ahhhh I seriously can't describe how happy I am. TESS IS GOING WITH MANDO. After literally an entire chapter of internal conflict she finally listened to her heart and realized that she's better off going with the Mandalorian, which means a lot more danger, a lot more fluff, and we still have a story so... I'm taking it as a win. While this definitely isn't my favorite chapter I've written for this book (I literally rushed the end so much aaaa) I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out. 

ANYWAYS, I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter! Were you happy that Tess decided to go with the Mandalorian? What did you think of her goodbyes to Jo and The Marshal? They were literally so heartbreaking to write I almost cried. AND FINALLY, what did you think of Tess wanting to get rid of the force? That's right folks, she does not want to use it because it's different and goes against everything she's decided for herself (and you know Tess, she will literally not change her mind on any decisions). Tess not wanting to have the force is probably the biggest reason for her going with the Mandalorian (as of right now) and is incredibly important for the story so GET READY. 

As always, feel free to vote and comment your thoughts on this chapter, I always love reading them, and until next time (where tess and mando have major fluff it's literally so soft aaaaa)

Love, Mal