(2166 words) 

Your POV 

Feeling the cart we were on jerk to a stop, I sit up and glance around. Mando and Cara waking up and looking around as kids from the village come over to see us. They see The Child and start ogling over him. Smiling slightly as he wakes up, his big brown eyes looking at me before the kids. 

"You can go play." I say as I let him down from the cart, he follows the kids as they run off. 

Looking to Mando who was watching The Child I turn to start helping unload anything. The three of us have our own lodging. Cara chose to be alone and with Mando's religion no one can see him without his helmet. Following similar rules to my own mask, this works out just fine. Setting what little things I have been able to replace since my ship exploded, I sigh slightly. 

My electric whip, ion blaster, vibro axes, and a few spice bombs on my belt when my ship exploded. Losing the rest of my weapons from the armory as they were all destroyed. I don't have nearly enough Spice to be able to have as many spice bombs as I need so I've been needing to use them sparingly. 

There was a knock at the door as I turn around to see Mando. Walking out with him we went to find out what was going on. 

"We need to know what's been  going on." 

"They came from that way." 

One of the villagers pointed past the Krill ponds and into the forest. Nodding the three of us made our way towards the edge of the trees. Walking inside we follow the footsteps before Mando pushes a button on his helmet. 

"About 15 or 20 of them came through here on foot." He looks up as he continues to scan. "And something big sheared off those branches." 

He starts walking and we follow. Watching him as we both scan around a little. Mando kneels as he finds a large foot print in the dirt. Shaking my head I sigh gently. 

"AT-ST." 

"Imperial walker. What's it doing here?" 

"I don't know."  They stand as I watch them for a moment, listening. "But this is more than I signed up for." 

Looking at the steps of the walker as it went back into the forest we stand there for a second knowing this was worse than we thought it would be. Heading back to the village we gather everyone around before Mando starts to speak. 

"Bad news. You can't live here anymore." 

The village groans and asks questions. 

"Nice bedside manner." Cara Dune comments. 

"You think you can do better?" 

"Can't do much worse."  She steps closer to the edge of the small porch as she starts to speak. I lean against the wall as I listen, my arms crossed. Glancing at Mando for a second as he doesn't notice. "I know this is not the news you wanted to hear,  but there are no other options." 

"You took the job!" 

"yeah!" 

"That was before we know about the AT-ST." 

Caben furrows his brows. "What is that?" 

"The armored walker with two enormous guns that you know about and didn't tell us." 

The small crowd begs for us to stay and help as we stand there. Mando shifting slightly as he scans the crowd. 

"We have no where to go." 

"Sure you do, this is a big planet. I mean, I've seen a lot smaller." 

"My grandparents seeded these ponds." 

"It took generations." 

"I understand, I do. But there are only three of us." 

Caben speaks up again. "No there's not there are at least 20 here." 

"I mean fighters, be realistic." 

Nudging Mando he turns slightly to me.

"This isn't a bad idea. Let them fight for their home." 

He gives a slight nod before he motions for Cara to stop talking. She steps back for a moment, as he goes to speak. 

"Unless we show them how."

She looks at us for a moment before sighing, giving in and nodding. Standing up I watch the small crowd celebrate that we were staying. Moving everyone by the krill ponds to teach them we start figuring out a plan. 

"You got two problems here, you got the bandits, and you got the mech. We'll handle the AT-ST, but you gotta protect us when they come out of the woods. I don't have to tell you how dangerous they are. Cara Dune here was a veteran, she was a drop soldier for the rebellion, she's gonna lay out a plan for you, so listen carefully." 

"There's nothing on this planet that can damage the legs on this  thing, so we're going to build a trap. We're going to need to dig real deep, right here. So when it steps in, it drops." She points to me as I stand next to Mando. 

"She's going to go to their camp. Provoke them. That'll bring the fight out of the woods and down here to us." 

Mando takes over as he speaks. "I'm going to need you to cut down some trees and build barricades along these edges. I need it high enough that they can't get over, and strong enough so that it can't break through.  Okay. Who knows how to shoot?" 

Watching the small group for a moment. Omera raises her hand and I give a small nod. Mando goes to his armory cases and starts handing out blasters and rifles. Giving a rifle to Omera she gives a small nod. Cara starts to train some villagers in hand to hand with some hand made spears before I put my hand on Mando's arm to get his attention. 

He looks at me and I get him to talk to me a bit away from the group. "Are you sure about Cara?" 

He glances to look at her for a moment before turning back to me. "Do you not like her?" 

"It's not that I don't like her, I don't trust her." 

"Why not?" 

Shaking my head slightly. "I haven't known her long." 

"You haven't known me long either." 

"I know, but I know what kind of character you are. You were the one who decided to turn around and save The Child. I know nothing of her character besides she's in exile and an ex soldier." 

He puts his hand on my shoulder and I look at him. "I think she's trustworthy. She does put up a good fight." 

"She did kick your ass pretty good." 

Shaking his head he sighs as I smile behind the mask. "I'm going to set up some traps in the woods, hopefully they'll catch some bandits and thin them out a bit." 

He nods and I head off into the woods to get started. Deciding that traps that string them up in the trees and have them hang out would be the best option. We didn't have time for any pit traps. A trip wire here and there with some swinging logs would be fine. 

It was about dusk by time I headed back to the village. Almost time for me to stir them up and get it started. Getting ready with everything, making sure my ion blaster is ready to go. Mando puts The Child into the barn he was staying in, keeping him safe. 

Pulling my cloak over my head I get ready to head out into the woods. Mando gives me the clear and I click on my night vision as the sun is setting. Him and Cara get into position and I make my way silently into the woods. Following the foot steps and the noise of the camp I find the small camp. One goes to take a sip of the bottle of spotchka they stole and I shoot it with my blaster. Making it explode all over them. They turn to see me and I shoot a couple other bottles as they stand. Waiting as I watch them get up and start gathering more I take off for the village. 

Hearing some bandits set of my traps I smile to myself, scaling the wall that was built and finding Mando and Cara. Mando looks at me before giving me a small nod. 

"This is it, once that thing steps in the pond it's going down." 

Listening to the thudding of the AT-ST walking towards us, I put peek out a bit to see if I can see it with the night vision. Seeing it walk towards us slowly, it stops. Before turning on the spot light on the top of it. Covering the eyes on the mask I turn the night vision off as my vision is spotty. Putting my hand on Mando's shoulder for a second he puts an arm around me. 

"Damn that hurts." 

"I bet." 

Shaking it off I grab my blaster and get ready to shoot. The Lkatoonians start running under the walker at us. With us shooting it the spot light scans back and forth, shooting us a few times. 

"We gotta get that thing to step forward." 

"I'm thinking." 

Glancing at the two, I shake my head and get up, running towards the walker as the villagers follow. Mando yelling at me. Pulling my electric whip from my side, I start using it on bandits, and at the walker. Catching it's attention before turning the whip off and diving into the water, staying under with the respirator on the mask. Staying as close as I could to the side away from where the pond was deepened, the light of the walker coming over the pond as it looks for me. It didn't take long  for it to step a bit closer. The foot comes into the water, and I have to fight the current. Getting away from it as it stumbles, I come out of the water and watched as the lights  went out. 

Feeling someone grab me from the water, I yell as I try and get loose. Grabbing a rock from the side of the pond I turn and hit them with it. Hearing the clang of it against metal. Falling on the ground I look to see Mando with a hand on his helmet. 

"Dank Farrik! Mando!" 

Getting over to him, I try and look at his helmet, there not being any damage to it as I sigh gently. "Are you okay? I didn't know it was you." 

He looks up at me for a moment and sighs gently. Getting up slowly I get up with him. The bandits starting to retreat. "You can't run out and do things without telling me what you're doing." 

"Were... Were you worried?" 

He looks at me for a moment before shaking his head. "Don't do it again." He walks off as i follow him after a second. "Talk to me. What is going on?" He shakes his head as he keeps walking. Cara catching up and grabbing my arm for a moment. 

Looking at her for a second and trying to get out of her grip she looks at me. "Don't. Give him a minute." 

Sighing I nod slightly. "Did you hit him with a rock?" 

I nod slightly. "I didn't know it was him when he pulled me out of the water. I thought he was one of the Klatoonians. I don't see why he was so worried." 

She shakes her head as she looks at me. 

"What?" 

"It's not my place to tell. But i do have questions for you." 

Nodding slightly I walk with her for a moment as the village celebrates the win. Omera is talking to Mando and they look at The Child a few times. Watching for a second there was a red dot that popped up on Mando's helmet. Following the light into the woods there was a bounty hunter in the woods. Taking off towards the bounty hunter, I kick the gun out of his hand and grab him. 

Throwing him at the ground I step on the tracker. Grabbing my ion blaster I pull it up and it makes a wining sound as it gets ready to fire. Hearing foot steps I shoot the hunter. Putting the gun away and  turning to see Mando. He looks at the guy I shot and  back to me. 

"What? He was going to kill you." 

"Did he have a fob?"

I nod. "He's after you and the child. This planet isn't safe." 

"that means we're leaving." 

I nod as he looks at The Child who was still playing. We start packing things up, saying goodbye to Cara as I pick up The Child. 

"Until our paths cross." 

I give a small nod before following Mando into the ship, and into the cockpit. Sitting down I put my hand on Mando's as he stops geting everything ready for take off. Humming gently to myself for a second before glancing at him. 

"I think we should talk." 

~

It's been a while and I should tell you that there's been a couple changes to the book. this book isn't technically a reader insert, which I've noticed. The Shadow does have an actual name, but the story is told like it's in your POV. I haven't revealed her name yet so for now you can use your own, or I can change it to 'The Shadow, or Shadow when Mando talks to you or something. I'll try and update as much as I can but with my shit memory and possible ADHD it's a pain to remember my books.