Archive of Our Own ^beta

The excitement amongst those in the lab had faded after hours of failed testing attempts; everyone was a bit on edge at this point. Jane’s newest portal was finally in the testing phase, and things were not going well. They thought maybe it was the type of portal she was trying to create. Her previously successful ones were connected to places in their current universe. But Jane had decided to try and expand the range and try to successfully portal into the multiverse.

The theories of multiple universes or multiple realities seemed to be accurate; the math had checked out, and Jane’s tests and calculations had been in the affirmative, it was just getting the machine to actually work.

Darcy had been fascinated by Jane’s studies. The proof that there were endless possibilities of different universes that could be traveled to. Darcy couldn’t help but wonder what the alternate versions of herself were like. There could be Darcy’s that got their degrees in political science or maybe even astrophysics, or went to work for SHIELD, Darcy’s with powers, and don’t get her started on the possibilities of people her others could have fallen in love with. She hoped in one of the alternate universes she found love, because her love life was definitely lacking here. She simply had no time with being Jane’s assistant and sometimes bodyguard. Sure, things were better now that they lived in Avengers Tower, but she just hadn’t met the right person, much to Natasha’s chagrin and many matchmaking attempts.

Darcy was fine with how her life was going. She worked with her best friend, she was being trained by the world’s best spysassin, she was friends with superheroes, aliens, and gods. She couldn’t really complain. There had always been this little piece of her that felt like she was missing something, but she tried not to dwell on it, and attempted to keep the doubts hidden away.

So, here they were, five years after moving into Avengers Tower at Tony Stark’s behest to build portals, and Jane was trying to make a way to travel to a different universe.

The thirty-eighth attempt had just failed, and Darcy knew that the only way to get their spirits back up was with some caffeine and snacks that she would procure from the downstairs coffee shop.

Jane was caught up in her Science! Trying to figure out what went wrong and probably wouldn’t even hear a word Darcy was about to say.

“Janey, I’m going to the coffee shop for much-needed sustenance. I will return in twenty minutes,” Darcy said as she grabbed her messenger bag from her desk, throwing it over her shoulder.

Jane mumbled a confirmation, her eyes not moving from the portal controls and her notepad, continuing to hit buttons.

Darcy just nodded and started heading for the door, her path taking her near the portal device.

She didn’t think much of it since the thing wasn’t active, and it hadn’t been working. It should be safe to simply walk past it.

Darcy couldn’t have been more wrong.

When she was right in front of it, the thing hummed to life, the lights igniting.

Darcy didn’t even have a chance to run. The machine pulled her through, Darcy screaming.

She was panicking, her heart thudding rapidly in her chest as she was sucked through. The last thing she saw was Jane’s face, her eyes wide, mouth open as she screamed Darcy’s name.

One minute Darcy was in the lab, and the next, she was rolling down a hill of sand.

The wind was knocked out of her lungs. She was still freaking out; sand was in her mouth and up her nose, not to mention other uncomfortable places. When she finally stopped rolling, she was hit with an intense wave of nausea, leaning over to dry heave.

It took her a few minutes to get her bearings and calm down enough to think.

She was thankful she no longer wore glasses after getting her eyes fixed a year prior, thanks to the excellent health insurance Tony offered. She just knew she would’ve lost them in the tumble.

Darcy slowly got up, doing an inventory of her body. She wasn’t hurt, and the nausea had dissipated, but she had a slight headache. Darcy took a moment to check her surroundings.

There was sand and more sand and twin suns.

Wait, two suns? That wasn’t good.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore,” Darcy mumbled to herself.

She was definitely no longer on Earth or anywhere in her galaxy. It was possible she was in a different realm? Or a different galaxy? She determined she wasn’t in any immediate danger, so she decided the best thing to do was wait in the spot and hope that Jane would reactivate the portal and bring her back. Darcy pulled her phone from her pocket, checking the time. In Earth time, it was noon and she had zero signal. She sighed, pocketing the device. Darcy was honestly glad she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. She couldn’t imagine how awful it would have been trying to deal with the heat in one of her sweaters or collection of knitwear.

She waited, and waited, and waited, checking the time to see that an hour had passed. She couldn’t continue standing in the blazing heat and needed to find civilization. There had to be a town or something. At least she hoped there was for her sake.

Her best bet was to climb to the top of the hill and check the surrounding area. Natasha’s training was flowing through her brain. She needed to get a vantage point, find people, figure out where she was, and from there find a way back to Earth.

As she walked up the sandy hill, she couldn’t help but be thankful for Nat’s insistence on seven am training sessions that always started with some stretching and cardio. Darcy had never been in better shape.

She made it to the top of the hill, her hand shielding her eyes from the suns as she looked out into the distance. She slowly turned, her heart dropping when immediately all she was even more sand until she turned completely around and spotted a city that was somewhat within walking distance.

Her hands went to the strap of her messenger bag, holding it tight, as she started walking.

As she walked, her thoughts kept returning to all that Natasha Romanoff had taught her.

She felt comfortable with her skills. She had a knife hidden in her boot if hand-to-hand didn’t work out. Nat had been training her since she’d moved into the tower. The thing about Jane and what she researched, was people were always wanting to get their hands on her stuff for nefarious purposes. This had led to many kidnapping attempts, and after the whole dark elves fiasco in London, they’d moved into the Tower. Jane still did research all around the world, and it was best if she had someone close to her with some skill just in case. So, Natasha trained Darcy. She was efficient in hand-to-hand and shooting, Clint and Bucky had even done some sharpshooting training with her, and she wasn’t too bad with knives and staffs either. Natasha had her practicing with many different types of weapons, always prepared to use what she had at her disposal. The first time she’d managed to take down Steve with Nat’s signature thigh move, she’d celebrated by making him a cake that said “Sorry for almost killing you with my thighs,” which he found delightful.

There were other things Nat had taught her, too, like spy techniques and strategy.

Was Darcy basically a spysassin in her own regard? She could kill or maim, and she did have the ability to do it quietly. She wasn’t by any means Black Widow good, but Nat was impressed by her, and that always made Darcy feel good about her skills.

She’d get to this town, figure out where she was, hopefully find people who knew where Earth was and get back to her own planet.

Darcy frowned. She hoped the people she encountered spoke English. She should have taken up Thor’s offer to gift her All-Speak.

Her mind started to race as she walked. What would she do if they didn’t know where Earth was?

Well, then she’d just have to adapt and survive until Jane found her. She had no doubt her friend would find her.

She checked her phone to see that she’d walked for an hour by the time she made it to the city gates, the suns beginning to lower on the horizon. Darcy was sweating profusely, her shirt sticking to her skin uncomfortably, and she was thirsty, insanely thirsty. She stopped in her tracks when she made it, finally getting a good look at the place.

Her eyes widened.

On pikes were stormtrooper helmets. Honest to god, white, Star Wars stormtrooper helmets just like from the movies.

Her heart sped up.

Two suns.

Desert planet.

All of the buildings were made of what looked like sandstone.

“Holy shit, am I in Star Wars?” She gasped.

Did Jane’s portal work?

That didn’t make any sense, though. Her portal would connect to alternate universes, and Star Wars wasn’t real. They were movies. Fake. Made up. There wasn’t any way she could be in the Star Wars universe. Unless there was an alternate universe where it was real. Maybe this was all just a coincidence, and on this alien planet, they had similar armor. Darcy had her doubts as she saw spaceships flying high above.

As she made her way into the city, the evidence began to pile itself up. She passed aliens that could definitely be from Star Wars, some she even recognized. She walked up to a human woman running a stall selling weird-looking fruits and vegetables, at least that’s what she thought they were.

“Excuse me,” Darcy said, getting the woman’s attention. “I’m a bit lost. Where am I?”

The woman gave her a funny look. “You’re in Mos Eisley, on Tatooine. The starport is that way,” she pointed in the direction. “Or the cantina is down there and to the left. You won’t miss it. Did you want to buy some pallies? They’re fresh.”

Darcy was stuck on the city name and planet, her eyes wide.

“I’m sorry, did you say Mos Eisley? On Tatooine?”

The woman looked confused for a second.

“Yes,” she answered with a nod. “Tatooine.”

“Okay, thank you for your help,” Darcy said as she scurried away, turning down an alley. She just needed a moment to gather her thoughts.

She was slightly freaking out. She was not in her universe, Jane’s portal worked, Star Wars was real, she had no money, and she was uncomfortably parched. If she was in Star Wars, what timeframe was she in? From the stormtrooper helmets, it was safe to assume after the prequels and originals if the Empire was no longer welcome here.

Her first stop would obviously be the cantina. She could get more information and hopefully a drink.

She followed the lady’s instructions, making her way to the cantina.

It caught her a bit off guard when she arrived and saw that the bartenders were droids since the old bartender had a strict no droid policy in A New Hope.

So, she was definitely in a time after the original movies, and the Empire had fallen. She could work with that.

Darcy approached the bar, a droid greeting her.

“May I please get a water?” She asked.

Wait, was water hard to get here? Would it cost money? She backtracked.

“Actually, is there anything that’s free? I don’t have any, uh, credits? But I just walked many miles through the desert and need something to hydrate with.”

“No credits, no drink,” the droid said before rolling away.

Darcy sighed, a frown on her face.

A man sidled up next to her. “I’ll get her water, and I’ll take a spotchka,” the man called to a droid bartender.

There was only one reason a dude would be ordering her a drink in a bar, and it probably had nothing to do with being nice. She didn’t necessarily want to lead the guy on, but she was in desperate need of something to quench her thirst.

WWND? What would Natasha do? Darcy thought.

The spy would play along, get what she wanted, and easily let the guy down. She’d also use the opportunity to gain as much information as possible.

Natasha always said that Darcy had a way with people, and she should use it to her advantage if necessary. People just trusted Darcy. It had always been that way. She could make friends with just about anyone.

Darcy smiled.

“Thank you so much,” she said, looking at the guy.

She talked to the man for a while as she drank her water, getting the information she needed. She learned it had been five years since the Empire fell. The New Republic was now in control of a majority of the galaxy. She managed to get him to buy her a couple more waters, the man delighted by her company. She’d let him down easily, and he left her alone.

Darcy found herself at a table alone as she figured out a game plan.

There was no way for her to get back to Earth without Jane’s tech and help. She’d have to believe that her friend would find her. She knew Jane would. She had zero doubt. So, it would be best if she stayed in this location to make it easier for her friend. Darcy could work with that. She’d try to find a job. She’d need to find a place to sleep and a source for food and drink.

The stuff in her bag wouldn’t do her any good. She also had her phone and a tracking bracelet on her wrist that did absolutely no good here.

A job.

She looked around the cantina. Maybe she could find work here? She’d worked in restaurants and bars to pay her way through college. Surely they’d need more help than just droids.

A backstory was necessary, too, something to explain her looks and displacement. She could reasonably say she was from Alderaan and had nowhere to go. She felt a tiny bit bad lying, but she didn’t have much choice.

Once she felt comfortable, she made her way back to the bar and asked to speak to the manager.

She’d met with the older man in a backroom, spinning a tale about how she was looking for work and had a lot of experience.

It was just her luck that they’d recently lost their busboy. The way he’d said it made it sound like they hadn’t quit but were possibly no longer alive. That didn’t scare Darcy away. She knew that the cantina could be a bit dangerous. Case in point, Han Solo absolutely murdering Greedo and Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsabering a dude's arm off. The manager seemed to like her and offered her the job and a cot in the backroom.

The pay wasn’t great, but she got to keep tips. The man figured since she was an off-worlder, she didn’t know about their local currency and explained it to her.

Luckily, Darcy didn’t need to know how to do much since her job was essentially cleaning tables and glasses, tidying things up, and grabbing stuff from the back for the bartender droids. On occasion, she’d have to clean up some spilled blood, and when Max Rebo came to play with his band, he was a very messy eater.

People in the cantina loved her.

She used the money she made to buy herself necessities she’d need, like clothes to blend in and toiletries, and she rented a room at an inn for an hour every few days to shower. The rest of her money was saved just in case.

She worked.

She survived.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited.

By what she estimated was the third month, her hopes of being rescued had dwindled, and she had started thinking very hard about the implications of her being in this universe.

When she’d left Earth, it was January of 2018, and The Last Jedi had come out a couple of months before. Her time in the cantina had allowed her to get more details to make sure things she knew from the movies matched up with what actually happened here. She’d found out about the Emperor dying five years before when the Death Star was destroyed, that his second in command Darth Vader perished too. Princess Leia was a household name on this planet since she murdered Jabba the Hutt. She knew that Bib Fortuna was in control of Jabba’s palace in Mos Espa and was currently the crime lord. So, it was reasonable to assume that Darcy knew what the future held for the galaxy. The Empire was gone, but the First Order was building up somewhere out in the Unknown Reaches.

The question that haunted her was: Should she do something about it?

She honestly could never answer it because even though it had been months, she still had a tiny bit of hope that Jane would find her. Sure, Darcy had done her best to acclimate herself to this universe; she’d gotten clothes, was doing her best to learn Aurebesh, she understood the different kinds of credits, and there were regulars she was on a friendly basis with, but she missed her friends back on Earth, and who was she to change the outcome of a whole universe? What kind of consequences would that have? She didn’t plan on being here long enough to do anything like that. She wasn’t Leia Organa or Luke Skywalker, she was Darcy Lewis, a woman stuck in the wrong universe, cursed with knowledge of the future.

The best thing for her to do was lay low and not draw any attention to herself. Go day by day until Jane found her.

She had been saving up her credits to hopefully travel off-world and explore the galaxy a bit. She could probably get a job as a bodyguard since she had the skill set. Or maybe even a mercenary. Darcy had options, and if she was stuck in this universe until Jane found her, she might as well make the most of it. Go to planets she’d only seen in movies. Have some fun.

Darcy was cleaning a table, the place busy as usual with off-worlders and locals alike all having a drink and doing business that was usually a bit sketchy. There were games of sabacc going on, which always put Darcy on her guard because they sometimes had the tendency to end in blasterfire.

She heard the door open, and the entire cantina fell silent; conversations were paused, the band stopped playing. Darcy looked up to see what was happening and saw a man wearing full-body silver armor entering. She was intrigued by the cantina’s response to the newcomer, the place eerily quiet.

The noise began to pick back up after a moment as he came further inside. At the table next to her, a couple of aliens abruptly stood. “A Mandalorian bounty hunter, we better get out of here,” one of them said as they threw down some credits onto the table, both of them bolting out of the place.

The only Mandalorians Darcy was aware of were Boba Fett and Jango Fett. She chanced a glance at the man again, and she guessed his armor was similar. It was very shiny, and she knew from the look of him that he was definitely carrying more than the blaster on his hip. She couldn’t help admiring how he walked with purpose towards the bar. She wondered what he looked like under the helmet. With the way he walked, she thought he was probably very attractive. She didn’t thirst after patrons often, but this guy made her curious. Darcy sighed as she turned to the newly vacated table, pocketing the credits and cleaning it.

She saw the shiny man out of the corner of her eye as he made his way towards her before slipping into the table she’d cleaned earlier.

Was he here on a job? Those people were under the impression that he was a bounty hunter. Maybe he had business to do. Her thoughts kept going back to the man in the armor.

Minutes passed, she cleaned more tables, chatted it up with some regulars.

The sound of a baby cooing snapped Darcy’s attention towards the Mandalorian’s table.

She’d somehow failed to notice that he had a child with him. A very tiny child that looked strikingly familiar. Small, green, dressed in brown robes, big floppy ears, large eyes, like a young Yoda. A baby Yoda. Her eyes widened as she took in the child sitting in the man’s lap, and she watched the Mandalorian’s shoulders stiffen like he’d spotted her staring. The little one was looking at her in interest, continuing to coo.

Her heart warmed at seeing the tiny creature so familiar, reminding her of the movies and Earth. It was odd how she’d adapted to the place and how everything felt so familiar but foreign. But this child was beyond cute, and she needed to know more about them. Without a second thought, she beelined towards them.

Darcy couldn't help her excitement when she reached the table.

“You are the cutest baby Yoda I have ever seen! I don’t want to be rude, but may I please hold them?” She asked with a beaming smile. It was the first genuine smile she’d had in quite some time, and the kid perked up at her saying the name Yoda, beginning to babble up a storm. They put up their little arms towards her.

The Mandalorian looked down at the child and back at her, seeming to be taken aback by Darcy and the child’s reaction. It took him a second to reply, quickly sizing her up and assessing if she was a threat. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw.

“Uh, sure,” he said, his voice modulated by the helmet.

Darcy couldn’t help thinking his voice was very nice as he handed the kid to her.

She held the baby in her arms, it cooing and smiling at her, their teeth showing.

“God, you are the cutest little guy! So much cuter than adult Yoda!” Darcy said as she rubbed one of the child’s ears. He preened at the attention, making excited sounds at the mention of Yoda.

The Mandalorian was watching them curiously. Darcy could tell by the way his helmet was tilted. He leaned a bit closer on the table. “You know what species he is?” The man asked.

“Oh, um, I don’t know his species name, but I’ve seen another who looked like him. A couple of others actually,” Darcy said, looking at the Mandalorian. She wasn’t quite sure why she was telling him this. Something about him made her feel like she could trust him. Which was honestly wild since she couldn’t see his face.

“Do you know where they’re located?” He asked an excited lilt to his voice.

She felt like maybe she’d said too much, and she was trying to lay low.

“Why do you want to know?” She asked. Darcy wanted to make sure that her instincts were right and that she could trust this dude. The child in her arms was looking at her a bit in wonder.

“The child is my foundling, my adopted son, and I’ve been quested to reunite him with his own kind. I just haven’t had any leads to where they are. You are the first person who has recognized his species.” The man sighed. “I’d appreciate any help. I can pay you for the information? Is there someplace private we could talk?”

Darcy felt herself melt a tiny bit. This man just wanted to help his small green son. She knew at that moment that if her knowledge could help, she would. She could take them back to her room and give him all the information she knew. The man was smart. This was definitely not something they wanted people to overhear.

She nodded. “Yeah, follow me,” Darcy said.

She continued holding the child as she led the Mandalorian to the storage room she bunked in.

Darcy took a seat on the bed, the child in her arms beginning to doze off.

The Mandalorian was standing in front of her, his hands on his hips, weight to one side, his helmet tilted towards her as he waited for her to speak.

“Okay,” Darcy started. “So, the last known place of Yoda was Dagobah? But unfortunately, he passed away right before the fall of the Empire. I will be completely honest and say that I have no idea where the other is or even if they’re alive. I mean, with things that happened in the past, their kind were wiped out.”

The Mandalorian sighed. “I see. Do you have any more information that might be able to help me?”

Darcy thought about it for a second and had a dawning realization that the entire time she’d been on this planet, she hadn’t once heard any talks of Jedi. But she possibly did have information that could help this guy, and he seemed so earnest? He just wanted to help his son, and she got the feeling that anything she told him, he’d use for good.

“His species is pretty uncommon. So uncommon that we don’t even know what they’re called, and I’ve only seen two in the past. The common thing between them was that they were Jedi? You might want to search for a Jedi.”

“You know of the Jedi?” He asked, sounding a little surprised.

How was she going to explain how she knew about them? She couldn’t just tell this random man that she was from a different universe and knew all about what happened in the past and future. She realized how she could explain this.

“Yes. I’ve read old holos about them from before and during the Clone Wars. There’s also Luke Skywalker, the Jedi that helped take down the Empire?” It was plausible that she knew who Luke was since Rey had heard of him in Force Awakens, plus they were on Luke’s home planet. The baby was now completely asleep and slightly snoring, his mouth hanging open.

The man seemed to notice that his kid was sleeping. “Do you want me to take him?”

Darcy was honestly finding comfort in holding the small child. She felt more at ease in this moment, with these two, than she had the entire time she’d been in this universe. She smiled at the father. “It’s okay. I don’t mind holding him.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “I’d like to ask you more questions if that’s possible? As I said, I will pay for this information.” He sounded a bit unsure.

This was honestly the most excitement she’d experienced since arriving here, and she wanted to spend more time with them.

“I’ll answer your questions.”

The man perked up a bit.

“The kid must really trust you if he can fall asleep like that,” the Mandalorian said.

Darcy smiled. “I babysat a lot when I was younger. I’m good with kids.”

He nodded and jumped in to ask her questions about what she knew of the Jedi and Luke Skywalker. She wracked her brain and gave him a quick summary of the prequel and original movies, making it sound like something she’d read. She’d, of course, glossed over things and only told him what he needed to know without revealing too much. By the time she’d finished, the Mandalorian seemed impressed by all of her knowledge.

“Are you from here?” He asked her.

“Tatooine? Uh, no, I was from Alderaan and just kind of ended up here in the Outer Rim. Didn’t really have any place to go. But I’ve been saving up to maybe travel a bit.”

This guy had been so easy to talk to, she could tell their time was coming to an end, and she felt a bit sad. She hadn’t had this long of a conversation in so long, and it was lovely.

“You’re really good with the kid. He likes you. I could use a crew member and can pay you to watch over the child while I do jobs.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. He wanted her to join them?

“You’re a bounty hunter, right?”

He nodded. “I am. So, I can offer you protection and a job.”

Darcy grinned. She thought it was cute that he wanted to protect her, the guy obviously not aware that she could take care of herself.

She looked down at the child in her arms. After their whole discussion about Jedi, Darcy assumed this little guy was definitely force-sensitive. He was so tiny and could probably use someone to watch over him and protect him while his dad was away. She’d only known them for a couple of hours, and she was already contemplating leaving this planet to go with them. She could be useful. There wasn’t anything keeping her on Tatooine. She knew Jane would figure out a way to find her at some point, and it probably didn’t matter where she was in the galaxy. The child snored, and Darcy knew she was going with them.

She looked up at the man. “Counteroffer,” she said.

His head tilted in confusion. “Counteroffer?”

Darcy nodded. “Yes. I actually know how to fight and use weapons. I’ll be your crewmember and a bodyguard for this cute little jellybean while you’re on jobs.”

“I wondered about the blade in your boot.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

Darcy gave him a big toothy grin. “Haven’t had a chance to buy a blaster yet.”

“I’ve got plenty you can choose from. I accept your offer. Do you need to pack?”

“Oh, um, I really don’t have very many belongings. If you’ll just take the kid,” she said, handing over the sleeping child. The man accepted him, being careful not to wake him.

Darcy was quick, loading up her messenger bag with all of her stuff. It was a tiny bit sad that all of her belongings could fit in it. She spun around to face him. “All packed,” she said with a big smile and doing jazz hands.

The man nodded. “I’ll lead us to the ship.”

“Oh, um, a couple of very important questions before you whisk me away.”

“Yes?” He asked.

“What are your names?”

“You can call me Mando, and the kid doesn’t have a name.” He paused. “Yet,” he said with a nod of his helmet.

“You haven’t named your kid?”

“I think he has a name. I’ll learn it one day. He doesn’t speak yet.”

Darcy’s eyebrows furrowed. “What do you call him then?”

“Oh, uh, kid, child, buddy, womp rat….”

“You call your son womp rat?” Darcy had seen a womp rat, and they were not cute.

“Affectionately,” he replied with a shrug.

Darcy shook her head, smiling. “Okay, I’ll call you Mando and the kid, probably little guy or buddy.”

“That works. What can I call you?” He asked.

“My name is Darcy.”

“Darcy,” he said her name slowly like he was testing it on his tongue. “It’s nice to meet you, Darcy.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mando.”

“You had another question?” He asked, his head tilting slightly.

“Yes. I just wanted to make sure that you’re not secretly a murderer who finds women on dingy planets, and then,” she pulled her thumb over her throat pretending it was a knife, sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth like she was dead. “Unalives them, right?”

“What?” He sounded genuinely shocked by her question. “No, I’d never. If I kill, it’s because I didn’t have a choice. It was either them or me.”

She assumed as much. “I will accept that answer, and honestly, same. Please lead the way to your ship, Mando,” Darcy said.

Darcy had quickly let the manager know she was leaving, and he let her know she was always welcome to return.

They’d made it to the hangar, which happened to be where one of her regulars, Peli, worked.

“Darcy! What are you doing with this guy?” The mechanic asked, pointing her thumb at Mando.

“He’s my new employer.”

“Employer? Doing what, shining his armor?”

Darcy laughed. “No, I’m watching his kid.”

“Isn’t he the cutest? The kid, I mean. Not sure about the man. He doesn’t remove his helmet. I wouldn’t have turned down a job offer like that either. The cantina won’t be the same without you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Peli.”

“No, you won’t.”

Mando handed Peli some credits. “This should be enough for the day of use and fuel.”

Peli counted what was in her hand. “This works! You three are welcome here anytime! My hangar is always available to you.”

“Thank you, Peli,” Darcy said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Mando added. It seemed to be the end of the conversation for him because he was moving up the ramp. Darcy followed, giving Peli a little wave.

She entered the back of the ship. Her eyes widened when she saw what looked to be people encased in carbonite hanging on a wall. She assumed the other side was the carbonite freezing unit, which surprised Darcy, that the technology was advanced enough to have them on ships since the events of Empire Strikes Back. She continued her way inside, seeing many crates of various sizes and nets, and there were parts of a bug-eyed droid hanging against a wall. Mando had opened a little bunk area with a hammock and a small cot. He gently placed the child in the hammock and turned to look at her.

“This is where you can sleep,” he said, pointing at the bed. “The kid is up here. My room is up top. There’s a vac tube here,” he pointed at it situated on the other side of the wall of the bunkroom. “Or there’s a ‘fresher attached to my quarters that also contains a shower.”

Darcy had quickly learned that bathrooms in this universe were called refreshers or ‘freshers.

“Sonic or water?” Darcy asked. She’d only been using sonic showers here on Tatooine, and the vibrations were weird. She hadn’t had a water shower in so long.

“Water.”

“Oh, thank Frigga. I hope you don’t mind me showering after we leave?”

“That’s fine. I’ll show you where everything is that you’ll need to use after we get into hyperspace.”

“That works for me. What’s our first stop?”

“Dagobah.”

“I’m going to warn you now. It’s a swamp planet.”

“Not an issue.”

“Like super swampy. Will probably smell.”

“Then it's a good thing you’ll be staying on the ship, looking after the kid,” he said, his voice tinged with amusement.

Darcy smiled. “I mean, I feel a bit bad you’ll have to walk around in it.”

“I promise I’ve been to worse places.”

“Okay, Mando. Let’s get off of this rock.”

He nodded. “Follow me. I’ll show you the cockpit.” He’d hit buttons on his vambrace, and the ramp had closed. Darcy stashed her bag under her bed.

She followed him up the ladder. He pointed to the door behind the cockpit. “That’s my room.”

“Sweet.”

He went into the cockpit, moving to sit in his pilot’s chair.

“You can have either seat.”

Darcy chose the one on the right.

“Should I buckle in?” She asked.

Mando turned his head to look at her. “You can, but I’ll have us in hyperspace pretty soon.”

Darcy nodded, choosing to forgo the restraints, which felt kind of weird. She’d never been on a spaceship before. Darcy was excited, her tummy flipping a little bit over her first time traveling in space. She had to pretend like she’d done this before, so she kept her features schooled as the Mandalorian expertly flew them off the planet. He got them into hyperspace, Darcy’s eyes transfixed on the passing stars flying past them through the viewport, her mouth slightly open. It was stunning, and she was glad Mando hadn’t turned to look at her because she was sure the awe was evident on her face and would definitely give away that she’d never experienced this before. It was almost mesmerizing, and she had no doubt she could watch for hours. She didn’t know what she expected from space travel, but it had been pretty smooth so far. She had to admit, this was definitely better than portal travel. More relaxing and maybe not as quick, but she liked it. It took her a little bit to snap out of her trance.

Mando finally looked back at her. “I can show you where everything is?”

“Is it safe to move about the cabin?”

His helmet tilted. “It’s safe to walk around, yes.”

Darcy got up from her seat. “Okay, lead the way.”

He’d taken her into his room, Darcy looking around the space in interest, noticing it was a bit bare. There was a bed against one wall, some dressers against the other, and another door at the end of the room. He showed her where everything she’d need was in the ‘fresher. Darcy was not picky at all with her choices for soap and hair products. She’d spotted what she thought was a razor and hair clippers on a shelf. He even offered her a place to put her toothbrush, situated next to his, and the child’s. Once he was satisfied, he led her down to the hull, showing her where he kept their food, mainly in crates, though he did have a small fridge in which he stored some perishable items. There was a laundry machine, a space microwave, and his small armory was situated into the wall near the bunk.

Darcy could easily live in this space.

It beat her cot in the storage room, and was definitely a step up from some of the places Jane and her stayed while doing research. The company wasn’t too bad either. Mando didn’t talk too much, but he’d answer her questions if she asked.

He’d let her know that Dagobah was a few days out, and Darcy nodded. It would give her a little time to learn the kid’s daily habits. She asked Mando what to expect with the child. He went over what he did for basic care; cleaning the kid, his eating habits, keeping him hydrated, and the child was potty trained. She was also warned that the kid would eat anything, so she’d need to watch him carefully.

“Do you play with him?” She asked. Darcy noticed he hadn’t mentioned anything about playing with the kid.

“He has a ball he likes to play around with,” Mando answered.

“Do you play with him and his ball?”

“Uh, no?” He paused. “We play hide and seek. Kid’s really good at it.”

“Hide and seek is good. Any other games? Do you read to him?”

Mando shook his head. “No other games. I tell him stories sometimes? I’ll also tell him about places we’re traveling to and tell him about the maintenance I’m doing to the ship, things like that. We sit in silence too.”

“Is it okay if I introduce him to some things to get him a bit more active? He’d probably enjoy playing a bit.”

“You have experience babysitting,” he said matter-of-factly.

Darcy smiled. “I do, but I don’t want to step on any toes.” She got the sense that he was a first-time father, so she’d help out as much as possible.

“Whatever you think is best,” he said with a shrug. “The kid already likes you. I’ve never seen him ask to be picked up by anyone other than me.”

“Oh,” Darcy said. She felt a bit honored. “I’ll think up activities we can do, and I have loads of stories I can tell him.”

“He’ll like that.”

“Are you okay if I take him off the ship on planets you approve of and we play outside for a little bit?”

“Let me see your skill with a blaster first.”

“I can agree to that,” she said with a nod. “I think this is the start to a beautiful partnership.”

“I just want to make sure my son is safe. There are some things I need to tell you about him.”

“He can move things with his mind? Is a tiny baby space wizard? A Jedi?”

“How did you….”

“The other two of his kind were super strong with the force, and you had a lot of questions about the Jedi. Simple deduction, my dear Watson,” she answered with a shrug.

“Yes, he’s a, uh, Jedi? Can do strange things that I don’t quite understand.”

“It won’t be a problem. I’m very familiar with the Jedi. I’ve never met one, but I know what they can do, so he won’t surprise me.”

“That’s good to hear. People might still be looking for him. We’ve had run-ins with Imps in the past.”

“I promise to protect him with my life. I was kind of a bodyguard for years? I protected my best friend, and I will do the same for your son.”

Mando let out a breath. “Thank you. That’s all I can ask.”

“Before I forget, what did Peli mean when she said you don’t remove your helmet?”

Jango had removed his helmet and was a Mandalorian, but Boba always kept his on. She was curious about Mando. She wanted to know what he looked like.

“Did you encounter very many Mandalorians on Alderaan?” He asked.

“No, I didn’t. You’re the first I’ve met.”

Mando nodded. “It’s a part of my creed. No living being can see my face.”

Darcy’s eyebrows raised. “Not even your son?”

He shook his head. “No.”

That shocked her a little bit. No one could look at his face?

“Is this how all Mandalorians are?”

“Yes. If I remove my helmet and show my face to another living being, I can not put it back on and will no longer be a Mandalorian.”

That was a bit intense. Things must have changed after the Clone Wars. She had to admit she was a tiny bit disappointed she wouldn’t get to see his face. He had such a lovely voice, and he looked really good in all of his armor. So big and imposing. Not to mention how much he seemed to really love his kid. She could tell he was one of those guys who were super tough but had a soft spot for the people he loved, and that honestly made her swoon a little bit.

Stop thirsting after your boss, Darcy chided herself.

She didn’t want to risk her place on this ship because she was a tiny bit horny. Darcy could take care of herself when she had alone time in the bunk, and she knew who she’d be thinking about while she did it, even though she shouldn’t. She wouldn’t make any advances unless he initiated. And god did Darcy hope he would. It was okay if she lusted from afar. Right?

Her brain focused back on their conversation. “So, you don’t remove your helmet in front of people? I can live with that,” she said with a nod. “I’m assuming you’ll need privacy to eat and sleep?”

“That would be appreciated.”

“Just let me know, and I’ll keep the kid busy. And if you need food, I’ve got you.”

“Thank you, and if you need some time to yourself, I can look after him. It’s not a problem.”

Her mind went back to thoughts of what she’d do while alone in her bunk, and she felt her cheeks heat a tiny bit.

“That would be great,” she said, trying to keep her voice even.

Mando nodded, and that was the end of the conversation. He awkwardly excused himself to the cockpit, and Darcy decided that since the child was sleeping, she might as well try and get some rest too. She crawled onto the cot, hearing the tiny snores of the child above her, and couldn’t help smiling.

Darcy definitely thought she’d made the right choice coming with them. She’d get to travel the galaxy a little bit and have some company. Maybe Darcy and Mando would become friends. She’d like to be friends with him. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who had too many close relationships. Darcy had no doubt that she could get the man to open up to her a bit, it would just take a little bit of time.

She fell asleep thinking about a faceless man in shiny armor.

They’d spent the three days traveling to Dagobah, getting used to each other and figuring out their routines.

She discovered Mando was very meticulous about ship maintenance and appreciated that Darcy was there to watch the child while he did it.

Mando took care of the ship, Darcy cleaned, and they took turns watching the child while he was awake.

They seemed to work well together, and she was just happy that the man didn’t seem to hate her. He was a bit quiet, and would listen to her talk, and answer questions if she asked. When he spoke to her, she could tell that he respected her as a person, and that was nice. She’d had to deal with rude men at the cantina, but Mando was very polite.

The kid was excited to have a new person to hang out with, and Darcy learned that he was very good at hide and seek, spending an uncomfortable amount of time trying to find the little guy. Mando let her do her own thing and bond with the child. On occasion, she’d find the man just standing nearby watching the child and her interacting, as she told the kid stories that she totally stole from the Star Wars movies. It didn’t weird her out. She assumed the guy just wanted to make sure his son was okay. And she figured while Mando was around, she’d keep her tales to Star Wars-related ones making them seem like things she’d read. The child seemed to enjoy them, listening to her talk for a while, cooing, and babbling. Mando would sit with them when they ate, which was kind of weird. She thought maybe he did it because he was used to watching the kid eat, and it was just a habit? This was his way of sharing a meal with his son. Okay, so maybe it was cute and not weird.

She introduced the kid to dance parties, which delighted him to no end. She’d dance with him in her arms or crouch down in front of him, holding his little hands and bounce with him. She had to improvise for music and just hummed random tunes.

Overall, their first few days seemed to go well.

They arrived at Dagobah, Mando left for a while, and Darcy and the child hung out, him watching her as she tidied up around the ship.

The sound of rain hitting the top of the ship was pleasant. She’d missed the rain. She honestly missed water while she’d been on Tatooine. She got to drink it, of course, but nothing beat a water shower, and they didn’t have those on the desert planet. The first shower she took on the Crest was heavenly. She hoped Mando hadn’t heard her moans as she’d washed her body.

When Mando returned from his trek, he was soaked, covered in mud, and reeked of swamp.

Darcy made a face as he tracked mud across the floor.

“My dude, you are in need of the ‘fresher.”

The man let out a deep sigh as his shoulders slumped. “I do.”

His usually shiny armor was caked in dirt, and if she had to guess, he was probably a bit miserable being all wet.

“If you’re comfortable with it, I could clean your armor, except your helmet, and wash the stuff you wear underneath it?”

“You want to clean my armor?” He asked, sounding a little surprised.

Darcy nodded. “And your clothes. I haven’t seen you in anything but your armor, so I don’t know if I’m overstepping or if you trust me enough to go a little while without it.” She put up her hands in a placating gesture. “I promise that I mean you absolutely no harm, I don’t even have any weapons on me.”

“I… trust you,” he said slowly. “The kid trusts you, too.” The child cooed in answer like he agreed. “But, you don’t need to clean my armor or wash my flight suit.”

“I want to,” Darcy said quickly. She did, she wanted to help this guy out, and he’d just trudged around in gross mud and rain for literal hours all because she mentioned this place. It was the least she could do. “I’m the reason you went out there, and honestly I just want to help you out. It’s no big deal.”

He thought about it for a moment.

“Okay… I’ll show you the supplies I use to clean the beskar, and you know how to do the laundry.”

It was something he’d taught her on their second day traveling together.

“Is that what your armor is made out of? Beskar? I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s Mandalorian iron. Incredibly durable.”

“It’s gorgeous… when it’s not dirty.”

Mando chuckled, and the sound had butterflies skittering around in her insides. She gulped. She liked the sound, she liked it a lot.

There was the slight possibility that she was developing a crush, and no matter how hard she tried to stamp the feeling down and remind herself that he was her employer–He was her boss and off-limits–He’d do something like chuckle, or she’d overhear him talking softly to his son, and suddenly she was doing her best not to combust on the spot.

“Let me get the armor off,” he said, taking Darcy out of her thoughts.

She nodded and watched in interest as he carefully removed his cape, letting it fall to the ground, followed by each piece of armor with practiced ease, setting the pieces on a large crate.

“How does the armor stay on your body?” Darcy asked. She was curious.

“Magnetic clasps.”

“Interesting,” she said and watched as he removed the last vambrace. Her gaze traveled to his chest and her eyes slightly widened. He was very broad in the armor, and now seeing him out of it, he wasn’t any smaller. Sure, he was a little less bulky, but he had a bit of a Dorito situation going on. Broad shoulders going down to a smaller waist. He was a big dude with or without the armor. And he looked good in what he wore under it all, even if he was a little soggy. She wondered how good of a fighter he was. He looked strong. Maybe one day, he’d spar with her.

Why did that excite her?

She watched as he moved to a crate, pulling out some things and returning a moment later.

“This is what I use to clean it. Just be careful with the vambraces. Try not to hit any buttons. That one has a flamethrower, and that one has my whistling birds,” he said, pointing to each of them.

Darcy nodded, she didn’t know what a whistling bird was, but if he was mentioning it alongside his flamethrower, she assumed it was some kind of weapon. She’d have to ask him to show her his weapons sometime. She was very interested.

“Thank you for letting me help,” Darcy said.

His helmet tilted as he looked at her, and Darcy knew he was looking her in the eye. “No, thank you. I’ll leave my flight suit outside my quarters while I head to the shower.”

“Sounds good.”

The child was just hanging out on the ground playing with his little metal ball, not interested in what the adults were talking about.

Mando nodded. He toed off his boots, then made his way to the ladder.

If Darcy checked out his ass as he climbed, that was for her to know, and nobody else.

He had a nice butt, and she sighed.

The child giggling made her look down at the kid. He was looking at her with a big toothy smile.

“Okay, you caught me. This isn’t the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me. You won’t tell on me, right? My secret is safe with you?”

The child babbled at her happily, and Darcy smiled.

“I’m glad we could come to this agreement. You wanna watch me clean some more, or do you want to take a nap?”

The kid did uppy arms, and Darcy took that as his request for a nap, so she obliged, picking him up and taking him to his hammock, where she took his ball and tucked it safely away before giving him some ear rubs and wishing him sweet dreams.

She figured enough time had passed that she went up the ladder, and sure enough, the dirty flight suit was waiting outside the door. She couldn’t help looking at the door wistfully. He was probably naked in there. She shook her head like she was trying to shake the thoughts away to make them disappear.

It hadn’t occurred to her just how lonely she’d felt being stuck in this universe until she’d joined Mando and the kid. They managed to fill the tiny void. And yes, Mando was attractive. She didn’t need to see his face to find him hot, there was more to him than his body that she liked.

For starters, the guy loved his kid a lot. She could tell by how he talked to his son; softly, and calmly, love always radiating from his words. She’d found them after she’d woken up one day sitting in the cockpit, the kid on the panel next to Mando as he was looking over star charts, the father explaining what he was doing and telling the child little facts. From the coos the kid made, he liked hearing his dad talk to him. She got the sense that they had a strong bond and though she was a little taken aback that they didn’t play games much, they had their own little routine that worked for the both of them and it made her so soft seeing them together.

Then there was the fact that Darcy knew Mando would do whatever was necessary to protect his son. She had zero doubts he’d kill. He was a bounty hunter, and from the reaction of the cantina, a pretty well-known one. He had no qualms in murdering if there was a purpose and he’d said it himself, it was either them or him.

He was this strong, fearsome, warrior with a reputation, but he was gentle and soft with those he loved and that just really did it for Darcy.

She was lonely and horny and now had a lovely man to think about when she was alone.

She grabbed the clothes and went back down to the hull, doing a load of laundry with it and Mando’s cape.

Once that was started, she got to work on cleaning the armor.

It was a bit relaxing, going through the motions of wiping away the dirt, then polishing the metal. It was still raining outside, the sound of water hitting the ship nice. The kid had started snoring, and she could hear the water in the shower going. There was a sound she couldn’t identify coming from upstairs, that only lasted a moment. It took her a second, but it came to her what it sounded like. A groan, maybe? She shook her head, she had to be hearing things, and let her thoughts drift as she continued to work.

She’d been with these two for only a few days, and she already felt a connection to both of them. She would put her life on the line to protect the kid… and Mando. She knew she didn’t have to worry about the shiny man too much. The armor in her hands was so sturdy, she bet it easily kept him safe from blasterfire. There was a weird symbol on the right pauldron that looked like a rhino skull. She wondered if Mando would tell her what it meant.

But the kid, there was something about him. She could tell he was special. She’d assumed he was maybe a few years old, but Mando had casually told her the child was actually over fifty. That had Darcy wondering about the little one. He was old enough to have been around when the Jedi were still around. Had he trained with them? Who had raised him? Every time she brought up Yoda, he’d make excited noises like he recognized the name. Darcy had a feeling there was more to this tiny Jedi than they knew, and she hoped one day his dad could learn more. She doubted she’d be with them too long, which kind of made her sad. But she wanted to return to Earth and her friends.

She didn’t belong here.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear Mando coming down the ladder and jumped a bit when he came into view in front of her, standing across the crate from her.

“Mando!” Darcy whisper-yelled, her hand going to her chest. “You scared me. You’re very quiet.”

She got a look at him, and her eyes practically bugged out of her head. He was wearing a black long-sleeved henley-like shirt with some black cloth pants that would definitely be in the sweatpant category and his helmet. But she saw a little bit of his chest and neck peeking out and his hands. Her eyes were moving to each piece of revealed skin, drinking it in like it would give her a better idea of who he was.

“I’m sorry for scaring you. I’m here to help,” Mando said, picking up a vambrace.

Her eyes went to the t-visor of his helmet.

“You’re human,” she said, almost accusatory.

She had figured he was human, but she’d never had actual proof and there were so many different kinds of aliens here.

He nodded. “I am,” there was amusement in his tone.

“I can see some of your skin.”

“Yes…? It’s just my face you can’t look at.”

“You should really warn a girl before you walk around naked.”

He looked down at himself like he was double-checking that he was, in fact, wearing clothes.

“I’m not naked?” He said slowly.

“That skin on display and lack of armor makes you look pretty naked to me,” she quipped.

He just stared at her for a moment, and then he laughed. Actually laughed, and Darcy was delighted she’d finally delighted him enough to get that reaction. It was a lovely sound coming from his modulator. It only lasted seconds.

“Let me help you clean the armor,” he said, grabbing a cloth. He looked at what she’d already done. “You’ve done a good job. Looks like I cleaned it myself.”

Darcy grinned. “I cleaned a lot of metal at my old job. We’d use devices outside, and they’d get dirty. We would have to detail clean them to ensure they didn’t break.”

“At the cantina?” He asked, sounding a little confused.

“Oh, no. This was my job before the cantina. My former boss slash best friend was a scientist, so she had a lot of homemade devices for her work and was very particular about how they were cleaned.”

“I see. And then you ended up on Tatooine?”

They were both just cleaning and talking. It was nice, and Darcy wasn’t bothered by his question. She’d answer it as best she could.

“I was off-world when Alderaan was destroyed, and I got separated from my friend, ended up in Mos Eisley.”

It was kind of true.

“I could help find her? I do that for a living.”

Darcy smiled at him, touched that he would offer. There seemed to be more to this guy than he liked to show.

“That’s nice of you to offer, but I promise even you wouldn’t be able to find her.”

“I’m the best bounty hunter in the Outer Rim.”

“She’s definitely not in the Outer Rim, or any of the Rims. I don’t think she’s in the galaxy at all.”

More kind of truths.

“Wild Space,” he said with a nod. That was the area of space outside of the galaxy. “I’m uh, sorry you were separated.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure I’ll see her again one day.”

Mando nodded.

They cleaned in silence, scrubbing at the beskar and shining it. She was a little surprised he hadn’t immediately flown them off of this planet.

Darcy snorted, something coming to her mind. “Peli was right,” she mused out loud.

Mando looked at her. “About what?” He asked.

“I’m shining your armor.”

“I would never ask, you insisted,” he said, sounding almost pained.

“I know, dude. And I’m happy to do it, I promise. Oh, did you find anything while you were out there?” Darcy asked suddenly.

“I found an old hut, but it had been abandoned for quite some time. I’ve been trying to get a lead on Luke Skywalker?”

“Oh,” Darcy said. “He is a Jedi.”

“You told me that, but I can’t find any information on him. All of my contacts are coming up empty, almost like he doesn’t exist.”

Darcy frowned. “Or he just doesn’t want to be found. He did help destroy the Empire. People will be hunting him.”

Mando nodded.

“This planet was a bust,” Darcy said. “What’s your plan? If you don’t mind me asking.”

The man let out a deep sigh. “I continue trying to find other Mandalorians. I’ll keep taking jobs and hope I get a lead.”

Darcy nodded. “I hope you’ve been happy with my work. I’d be happy to stick around for however long you’ll have me.” Darcy bit her lip, feeling a bit nervous.

All of the armor was cleaned, and now they were standing across from each other. She could tell his eyes were on her.

“You’ve done good work,” he said with a nod. “The kid likes you, and you’ve been helping. I didn’t realize how much I needed an extra set of hands.”

Darcy smiled. “I’m happy to help.”

“I’m sorry I can’t pay you more.”

He paid her a little more than what she was making at the cantina. To tell the truth, she’d spent so many years as an intern, she honestly would do this job for the free travel and board. Mando paying her was just a perk. The kid was a delightful companion, and then there was Mando, who was easy on the eyes and nice to talk to.

“The pay is no big deal, my dude. Don’t stress. I mean, you’re taking me around the galaxy. Consider that like a small bonus.”

Mando huffed. “If you say so. You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you’d like. If you wish to return to Tatooine at any moment, say the word, and I’ll take you back.”

“Thanks, Mando. I’ve honestly had a great last few days. I think I’ll enjoy my time with you both.”

He nodded. “Good. I’m, uh, going to get the ship ready for take-off. We’ve been on this backwater planet long enough.”

Darcy laughed. “I told you it was super swampy and smelly.”

“You did.”

“I’m going to clean your boots and then wipe down the floors.”

“I can take care of it once we get into hyperspace.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. You pay me to help. Let me help you.”

He sighed. “Okay.”

“Sweet.”

Mando nodded at her and headed towards the ladder.

This time when she checked him out as he climbed up the ladder, she knew no one would catch her, and Darcy couldn’t help the dreamy sigh she let out as he disappeared from view.

She was absolutely and truly fucked.