"OW OW OW!" Mia woke with a shooting pain through her neck as she cracked it, sitting up straight.

"Told you not to fall asleep here." Mando said from beside her, his voice groggy and deeper than usual.

The once orange rays that streamed through the window in front of them were now a striking yellow. It was morning.

Her hand massaged the back of her neck as the Mandalorian stood. He'd been awake for an hour or so, but he didn't want to wake the sleeping Mia on his shoulder. Her injuries needed all the rest they could get.

"You're telling me you haven't slept all night?" She asked.

"I did." He quietly groaned as he outstretched his back, "And I'm regretting it."

Both seemed to tuck away the embarrassment of waking up in such close proximity with one another. Mia especially found it difficult to look over the fact that she'd let herself fall asleep on him like that. It was so out of character.

Mia was also regretting sleeping on his hard, Beskar shoulder in particular. The knot in her neck told her so.

The pair went down to their own quarters. Getting ready for the last step of their adventure together.

Mia slowly showered and changed her clothes, sighing as her aching body eased under the hot water. BB-7P provided her with her daily pills and changed the bandage wound around her middle.

Alrhough the pain was very much still present, it was getting a lot more bearable.

Sipping on a hot cup of herbal tea, Mia looked over their plans once more. Take out two guards at the back entrance, take the queen, get the hell out.

Her part was simple. A little too simple for her liking, but seeing as she couldn't stand straight without hissing in pain, it was enough.

Mando sat on the edge of his bed, helmet staring back at him in his hands. His gloved fingers trailed the sharp edges of its cheeks. He stared back at the face that people saw. He saw an emotionless, brutal warrior. That's how they saw him.

Yet, he was so much more. So much more human than he'd given himself credit for. Perhaps spending this extent of time with someone like Mia has brought out that human more than he'd ever seen.

He was beginning to feel like Din Djarin. But as he once more slipped the helmet onto his head, he realised that the only person he needed to please, the only one he had to prove himself to be human, was himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The pair set off in the direction of the small Imperial base nestled between mounds of scrap metal and parts of buildings.

This planet was a mess.

Luckily the inhabitants were just as odd with colourful clothing and mismatch equipment.

Mando with his armour, Amban rifle and blasters.

Mia with her knives, sword and blades at her hip.

Thankfully, that kind of thing made them blend in here.

Caught in her thoughts, Mia took a small trip over a piece of metal in the ground, clutching her middle with a groan as she continued to walk slowly.

She wasn't waking as seamlessly as she used to. The light step of her assassin-like nature was still there, but each minor movement shot a strike of pain through her broken rib.

He noticed.

The Mandalorian watched with concern from the corner of his eye as she walked beside him, her jaw clenched as she bared with the pain.

"Stop it." She said, feeling the heavy weight of his gaze on her.

"What?"

"You don't think I can pull this off." She grunted.

"You can barely walk." He noted.

She scoffed, "And yet, I know for a fact I could take down a couple of Imps in my sleep."

Mando carefully stepped around an abandoned speeder as they continued to walk through the rubble filled landscape.

"Then let's make this interesting." He said.

She raised a brow, glancing over at her metallic companion.

"First one to take down their opponents and get to the meeting point owes the other a foot rub when this is all over." He said.

Mia's eyes widened in his direction. "I want a foot rub."

She liked to think that she had some profound effect over him these past weeks. In the beginning he was barely able to say two words to her, and now he was willing add fun to their dire situation. She was proud.

"But wait," said Mia, "You've got four guys to take out, I only have two."

He held out his right hand, "Four Imps." Then his left hand, "Two Imps and a broken rib. I think the odds are pretty fair."

Mia dipped her head into a nod. "You're on Bucket-head."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Upon reaching the concealed Imperial base, the Mandalorian wrapped his fingers around the neck of his blaster, Mia furnishing both her hands with daggers.

She silently stepped to the rear entrance as Mando stood at the side waiting to approach the front.

They could make out two Imps already stationed at the entrance, just like they had anticipated. So far, their planning had been correct.

They shared a brief glance from the opposing sides where they stood. Mia held up her leg, wriggling her foot in his direction with a cheeky smile.

He shook his head disapprovingly.

He found it amusing that she thought she'd win the bet, but was also glad that he'd managed to bring out such a goofy side of her in such a moment.

After a brief pause, Mia watched as the Imperial guards faced away from her view. Signalling a nod to the Mandalorian, they both split to their mark points.

Before registering his arrival, Mando had swiped the legs of one of the guards, blasting his shoulder to which he fell to the floor. His fist collided with the helmeted head of the second guard, knocking out both entrance guards within seconds.

Using one of their key cards, he'd gained access the interior of the base within seconds.

Mia on the other hand hated the fact that she was moving slower than usual. Kidding a dagger into the neck of one Storm Trooper, she hissed at the pain that struck through her.

Immediately striking her leg in a backward kick, she hit the remaining Trooper before lodging a stab to his thigh and upper arm. Mia stood over the two fallen bodies, unconscious or not they were down for now and that's all they needed.

Biting her lip so hard, she could have sworn she'd tasted her own blood. The pain was incredible yet bearable. The thought of a successful mission seemed to overpower the pain of her broken bones.

Hair hanging loose around her face as she caught her breath, Mia was done. So the last thing she had expected was to see Shock Trooper aiming a large blaster in her direction.

Not taking a single moment to hesitate, she raced towards the figure, kicking the pistol from his grasp before striking her knuckles into the side of his exposed neck. Her sharp knuckle brace wrapped around her fist caused the Troopers' neck to flood a stream a blood before he collapsed into it.

With one final glance around for any more unexpected opponents, Mia allowed herself to breath again, but held her dagger up sharply to the rear door which slid open.

She dropped her weapon at the sight of the Mandalorian on the other side.

"Can you believe these things open every door in the facility?" He held up the key card in his hand, "How stupid is that?"

"I was seconds away," Mia said between gasps as she clutched her abdomen, dagger still in hand. "from sticking this through your neck."

His gaze shifted to the two discarded bodies on the ground, no, three. No wonder she looked exhausted. He'd miscalculated and it could have cost her life.

"Yeah," she scoffed as she followed his gaze, "You forgot about this one." She motioned to the knocked out Shock Trooper.

He was impressed. Very impressed. She never ceased to amaze him with her abilities.

"Will you forgive me if I say that the queen is just behind this door?" He said, his motionless glance bouncing off hers.

This caught her attention. "No," she walked toward the door in which he motioned, "But a foot-rub will."

They stepped into the back entrance of the facility, a locked door to their right.

Sharing one brief glance of anticipation and excitement, the Mandalorian moved to unlock the door.

With a smooth swoosh, their eyes settled on a seated figure in the small room as the door opened.

"Holy shit." Mia breathed.

Her eyes met those of Queen Satine Soruna. Her skin was tight on her cheeks, eyes were dark - she'd certainly been suffering.

"Queen Soruna?" Said Mando, tentatively stepping forward as she flinched back slightly.

"Who's asking?" She looked weak, though her voice still radiated with the confidence of a monarch.

"We were hired by your husband," Mia reasoned, "We're here to take you home."

A deep sigh of happiness and dumbfounded relief escaped the queens' lips.

"Thank us later," Mando grunted as the queen rose to her feet. "We need to move before the others catch on."

Mia couldn't make out the queen's expression, it was as if she was feeling everything at once but words could not escape to describe them.

Weapons raised and eyes alrert, Mando and Mia led the queen to their ship. No one uttered a word. Perhaps the bounty pair were too afraid to celebrate knowing that absolutely everything could still go wrong. Itwas an odd feeling of sickening joy.

That moment of realisation had finally hit. As the two watched the planet become a distant star upon their ascent, the queen aboard and not a person harmed. Neither said a word nor displayed a smile, but Mia and Mando let the sense of pride and thankfulness fill them from the inside.

They did it.