Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

FN-998 puts up a fight. Of course he does. FN-998 has never been someone who gives up without a fight. He fights, struggles, but there is a red flash of a blaster and then there is no more FN-998.

CT-113 swallows hard as he sees the body fall, the hole in the once white armor still smoking, blood trickling out along with the smell of death. He never liked FN-998, but he didn't want him dead.
The crowd which had gathered at the town center watches with sadistic glee as the shady mercenaries drags their captured Storm Troopers forward, one by one, and executes them.

When they had been ordered to this shitty town, CT-113 had not been happy about it. This was the very epitome of nowhere and he couldn't see why their employer was so keen on maintaining control of it. Still, orders were orders. And while they had heard rumors of mercenaries hunting down Troopers for rewards some groups offered for each killed soldier, CT-113 hadn't really believed they were true. Now he is the last one alive of the group he'd arrived with.

The mercenaries have taken his weapons, have a firm grip on his arms, and CT-113 has to conclude that he is out of good luck and that bad luck has won the entire game this time, not just a round.
He unknowingly digs his heels into the dirt at the very thought of being dragged over to where his fellow Troopers lies scattered on the ground. He might know he is going to die, but that doesn't mean he wants to. He really doesn't want to.

There is movement to his left and CT-113 automatically glances over while his executioners are checking their blasters for the final execution.
He is surprised to see a familiar silver armor and helmet. It's the Mandalorian! CT-113 is so surprised he forgets to feel afraid for a moment. Especially when there is something moving by the man's leg and he sees the little green child shuffle forward to look at the spectacle as well.
It's even smaller than he remembers it. Doesn't even reach the knee of the Mandalorian.

CT-113 finds himself giving a faint smile when the child looks at him, strangely relieved that they had not only escaped the ice planet a little over sixty days ago but appears to be doing quite well since their previous meeting. He knows they won't recognize him. He's in a Storm Trooper armor now, not his snow gear. His helmet was pulled off by the mercenaries when they caught CT-113 and his group, but that is meaningless as the father and son duo never saw his face back then.

CT-113's moment of serenity is shattered as one of the mercenaries grabs a hold of his upper arm and tries to drag him forward to his death. Like FN-998, CT-113 puts up a desperate fight.

In vain. They are too strong. There are six of them. One of him.

A hard grip on his hair and a kick to his knee forces CT-113 into a kneeling position. He's in the middle of trying to force the fingers to let go of his hair, breathing hard and panicky as death is coming for him, when something small suddenly is shuffling to a halt in front of him.
CT-113 freezes, so does the one restraining him, and the crowd murmurs, but the little child merely trills happily at the kneeling Storm Trooper.
Seconds later, a familiar gloved hand scoops down to swoop up the child.

“What do you think you're doing?” The Mandalorian mutters. “We talked about you wandering off.”

The child makes a complaining sound before turning its gaze back to CT-113 and reaches out a small hand towards him.
The Mandalorian slowly turns his masked face to look down at the stunned Storm Trooper.
CT-113 knows the child has recognized him. Somehow. Maybe due to the Force? But the Mandalorian has no idea who he is.

“Who are you?” The Mandalorian asks, completely ignoring the disbelieving looks of the mercenaries at the audacity of this guy just interfering with their public execution.

CT-113 winces as his captor tugs at his hair to keep him quiet but answers anyway. “We met.” He can feel a blaster being pressed against the side of his neck, yet he keeps talking. “The ice planet. We shot your ship down. Your kid saved me from falling into that crevice.” He has no idea what he's hoping to achieve by telling him this. Postpone his death by a few seconds more? CT-113 will take every second he can get.
The Mandalorian looks at the child he is currently holding, it chirps something at him, then looks back at CT-113 again. The helmet tips slightly as he tilts his head thoughtfully.

“Back off, Mandalorian.” One mercenary warns. “This is our bounty. And you... Wait, that kid...”

CT-113 shuts his eyes tight as there is a flash of red as the blaster is fired, but it is quickly followed by several more shots and him realizing that he's not dead yet. He opens his eyes again just as the fingers lets go of his hair and his executioner falls dead behind him. CT-113 hardly believes the sight that meets him; the Mandalorian cradling the child protectively while firing off round after round towards the mercenaries.
The crowd starts to scream and scatter.

“You. Up. Let's go.” The Mandalorian snaps.

CT-113 doesn't hesitate to scramble to his feet, merely grabbing his Storm Trooper helmet off the ground, and more or less hides behind the Mandalorian. He doesn't care why this is happening, CT-113 just wants to stay alive and he'll take any damn piece of luck, good or bad, to do exactly that.

They make it back to the Mandalorian's ship. The Mandalorian gets into the pilot seat, the child has its very own contraption, a sort of mini-crib, on the seat to his right to keep it contained there, while CT-113 grabs on to the remaining left seat in the back as they head towards the safety of space.

With nobody pursuing them, for now, CT-113 feels a wave of intense relief and so when the Mandalorian puts on auto-pilot and gets up, he doesn't hesitate to say, with utmost honesty; “Thank you.”
The Mandalorian's fist connects with his face and everything goes black.

-

There are a couple of things CT-113 reacts to as he slowly regains consciousness. First, his cheekbone is hurting like hell. Secondly, he's somewhat cold and he's lying on something hard.
Groaning, CT-113 manages to open his eyes and has several more discoveries.
He's lying on the floor of the cargo area in the back of the Mandalorian's ship, his Storm Trooper armor is piled up nearby and he's only wearing his black bodysuit. His hands and feet are tied up.

The Mandalorian is crouching down next to him, watching him. “You awake?”

CT-113 groans again, hoping it will be answer enough. Why always the bad luck? Why?
The Mandalorian holds out something between two fingers for him to see. CT-113 recognizes it as his tracking chip. It's disconnected and dead.

“I was told you guys all have these on you. Your friends won't be able to find you without this.” The Mandalorian says.

CT-113 struggles up into a sitting position. The pain from the cheekbone is radiating and numbing half of his face. How hard did this guy punch? “I wasn't trying to lead them to you. It's just standard equipment.” He shakes his head a little, trying to shake off the dizziness, before focusing on the Mandalorian again. “I got demoted because I let you two escape.” He hopes reminding him of how he let them escape might persuade him not to shoot him after all. How about some good luck?

“And are you looking to correct that?”

CT-113 doesn't have to think about that answer. “No. I don't care about ranks.” Not for a long while. He leans his head back against the cold metal wall. “I just want to stay alive, man. That's all.”
There is a light chirp and the child comes tottering into view from behind the Mandalorian. Its ears perk up and it tilts its head. It's almost like it is smiling.
CT-113 manages a faint smile in return. It really is damn cute. He admits defeat.

The Mandalorian sighs. He sounds every bit as resigned as CT-113 feels. And suddenly there is a blade in the bounty hunter's hand. He moves too fast for CT-113 to react, but the bindings around his legs falls away and then he does the same for CT-113's hands.
CT-113 is free.

-

The Mandalorian returns to his seat, looking up which route to take. While CT-113 follows into the cockpit, he is reluctant to ask what he's planning to do with him. He's not entirely certain the man won't just throw him out of the airlock if he starts asking questions. Luck can change that quickly. Just to be safe, he even sits down on the floor behind the free chair, huddled in a corner instead of where he could be seen. His face hurts and he's too tired to do much else.

The child is placed back in the contraption on the side-seat, but it fusses and won't settle down.
Eventually the Mandalorian reaches for a box under the seat and opens it. “Here.” He hands the child some food from the container before closing it again and turning back to his screen and pushing at buttons.
CT-113 watches the child shove the food half-way into its mouth, gingerly climb out of the contraption and start making its way down to the floor. Its ears are lowered in concentration until its little feet touches the ground, then they perk back up and it eagerly patters towards CT-113.
Once there, it pulls the food out of its mouth and holds it out to him.

CT-113 blinks. He think he recognizes it as dried Gorg and despite it not being anywhere near his list of favorite food and coming directly from the child's mouth, his stomach growls. It has been almost two days since CT-113 ate last. Still, steal food from a child? He shakes his head.

The child makes a soft sound and leans closer with the dried meat.

“What are you doing?” The Mandalorian says. He turns and picks up the squeaking child. “Eat your food. Don't go near him. He's a Storm Trooper.” Placing the child back into the contraption, he points a finger at it. “Stay.”
The child stares back at him.
Sighing yet again, the Mandalorian pulls the box back out, opens it and fetches another piece of Gorg. “Fine.” And he tosses the dried meat over to CT-113. “Eat.”

CT-113 obeys. He's too hungry not to.
While he eats, he notices that the Mandalorian is watching him. He has his hand absently petting the child's head, but his sights is on CT-113. After a long while, the bounty hunter speaks; “Why fight for an Empire that is already gone?”

“I'm not fighting for the Empire.” CT-113 chews thoughtfully. “I'm just trying to earn some credits.”

Satisfied that the child is now eating, the Mandalorian pulls his hand away but keeps his focus on CT-113. “The war is over. You lost. Why don't you just go home?”

CT-113 pauses in his chewing before starting up again. He doesn't like to think about his bad luck. “My father and my uncle were on the Death Star. They were the only family I had. I don't have a home.”

The Mandalorian watches him for a little while longer, in silence, then turns back to the computer screen.

When the child is done eating and starts fussing again, being a general nuisance, CT-113 pretends to sleep but watches with one eye as the Mandalorian leans over and picks it up.
“You're tired, little one. Go to sleep.” The Mandalorian scolds gently, easing the child into a comfortable position in the protective cradle of his left arm. Seconds later, he starts humming on some unfamiliar yet soothing song and the child finally settles with a look of sleepy contentment.
Watching the two, CT-113 feels something clench inside his chest and he turns his face away.

-

The Mandalorian informs him that their next stop is a little under two days away.
“We'll get you some other clothes, wearing that armor will only get you shot, and then you're on your own. Understood?” The bounty hunter declares.

CT-113 nods. He's grateful. Good luck is back on his side. It's more than he dared to hope for.

It's an interesting journey to their next, his last, stop. At one point, the Mandalorian orders him to keep an eye on the kid, not let him touch anything, while he does some repairs on the ship. CT-113 has no problem being the babysitter. He finds he quite enjoys playing some silly games and watching the child react with happiness. He only takes his eyes off it for a second, ONE second, and then the Mandalorian appears and asks where the child is.
It's gone.

CT-113 is verging on panic, looking everywhere, and his distress keeps increasing as the Mandalorian is dangerously quiet and still, merely watches him scramble around in the cargo area looking for the child. Is this really the worst case of bad luck ever?

Eventually the Mandalorian walks over to a small plate in the wall, removes it and reveals the clearly amused child. “What have I told you about crawling in here? It's for smuggling goods. Not kids.”

CT-113 feels incredibly relieved, the child hasn't vanished into space, and also annoyed, as there is no doubt in his mind that the Mandalorian instantly knew where the child was and just enjoyed watching him sweat. He can even swear he senses the bounty hunter is laughing at him.
“What is his name?” CT-113 asks.

“Womp Rat.” The Mandalorian replies.

CT-113 gawps but then he swears he's being laughed at again. He decides not to ask for the Mandalorian's name.

The child and CT-113 eats, but he never sees the Mandalorian touch any food. He barely sleeps, never removes his helmet and CT-113 finds himself wondering if the man is indeed a man after all. Who knows what is underneath that helmet? His entire body is covered up, so there is no way of confirming what kind of species he is. Does he look like the child, maybe? What is he?

This is why CT-113 is so mesmerized when the Mandalorian reaches for something and suddenly he sees, between the edge of the glove and the sleeve on his jacket; a line of human skin. He is so fascinated that he doesn't really think about his actions and just takes a hold of the Mandalorian's wrist.
He fails to notice how this stuns the bounty hunter into complete stillness and that is why there are no objections when CT-113 turns the Mandalorian's hand for his palm to point upwards and then CT-113 slides his thumb under the sleeve to actually touch the skin.
He gently brushes his thumb across the skin and, yes, it is definitely human. It is surprisingly soft and warm. He almost suspected the skin would be as cold and unyielding as his Beskar armor.

CT-113 is so caught up in this revelation that it comes as quite a shock when he realizes just what the hell he is doing, that he has no idea how long he has been doing it, and that he can feel the Mandalorian's pulse thrumming like crazy under his touch, despite how his body is entirely frozen. The bounty hunter doesn't even breathe.
CT-113 can feel his face is burning with embarrassment as he mumbles; “Sorry.” and darts over to the opposite side of the cargo room to pretend to do some work on a panel there.

The Mandalorian doesn't move at first, then he finally pulls his arm close to his own body and carefully rubs his wrist with his other hand, as if the touch is still haunting him.

-

When the ship lands outside of the settlement, the Mandalorian declares that he'll head into town and get some supplies while they wait by the ship. And when he comes back, they will split ways with CT-113 here.
“Watch him.” The Mandalorian warns CT-113, pointing at the child.

CT-113 gives him a firm salute as he would to any superior officer. “Affirmative.”

Clearly good luck is back on his side. While he wouldn't have minded hanging around with these two a lot longer, at least CT-113 will be alive and free and with new gear that might actually make it possible for him to, maybe, start a life outside of the army. It's not something he has ever considered before, but he does now. So there is that and he is grateful for it.
CT-113 had forgotten what it was like to have a family. The child has reminded him.

They stick near the ship, but that doesn't mean they don't find ways to entertain themselves. Sticks, stones, his old armor, the child is curious about everything and CT-113 is starting to understand why the Mandalorian constantly indulges him. It's hard to say no to that face.
When the child grabs his Storm Trooper helmet, puts it on and wobbles around in front of the ship with it, CT-113 realizes he had also forgotten what it felt like to laugh. It feels surprisingly good.

The smile on his face vanishes when he suddenly sees movement half-hidden by the ship, light glinting off the barrel of a weapon, and CT-113 just acts. He runs forward, uses both his weight and his momentum to slam into the shape and a Nikto grunts as they both tumble to the ground.

After that, it's a mad scramble to gain the upper hand. Fists fly and pain flares. The Nikto is strong, much stronger than CT-113, and there is no armor to absorb the punches. For a moment, he fears he might lose the fight, but then he hears the child's frightened wail and he regains his determination.
CT-113 manages to get a hold of a knife from the Nikto's belt, almost at the same time as it manages to unsheathe a blaster from its shoulder-holster, and they roll around on the ground trying to prevent the other from killing them while landing a killing blow themselves.
The Nikto manages to fire its blaster twice. The first shot goes up into the air, the second is fired just as CT-113 manages to ram the knife into its body and killing it with deadly accuracy.

For a moment, CT-113 is busy just breathing, but then he hears the child make another distressed cry and he forces himself up on his feet. “It's okay, kid.”

And it seems that bad luck has decided to move on because good luck appears in the shape of the Mandalorian running towards them. His blaster is drawn, but he's also carrying a bag of supplies. “There is an entire group of them in town. They are tracking the kid. We gotta go.”

CT-113 opens his mouth to agree, but closes it and frowns as he feels funny. He has to take a step backwards to keep his balance, hears the child make the distressed sound again, then his legs just gives in and he falls.

The Mandalorian is by his side within seconds. “What's wrong?”

CT-113 shakes his head. He doesn't know. He doesn't understand.
That's when the pain hits.
Grunting, biting down on the urge to scream, CT-113 reaches a trembling hand towards his stomach. He's bleeding. The Nikto's second shot hadn't missed. It was just hard to see the wound against the black suit. Talk about bad luck!

The Mandalorian curses and gingerly examines the wound. Whatever he finds makes him curse again. CT-113 concludes that probably means it is bad. The child appearing by his side, looking worried and on the verge of crying, more or less confirms this.
The Mandalorian glances back at the town, knowing the other Niktos are probably already on their way, and CT-113 makes his choice.

“Hey, kid. It's fine.” CT-113 reaches out and carefully folds the child into a one-armed hug. He closes his eyes at the feeling of those tiny arms trying to embrace him. “It's nothing to worry about.” He leans back and forces himself to give him an encouraging smile. “Listen... You take care of your dad, okay? You gotta look after him.”
The child gives him a mournful coo. Reaches for the wound. Seems distressed.
CT-113 turns to the Mandalorian. “Help me get up.”

“You're going to need a medic.” The Mandalorian states.

“I know.” CT-113 sits up with a strangled groan. This hurts so much. “Help me up.” And the Mandalorian helps him. His legs are unsteady, he feels nauseous, but CT-113 is standing. He gulps down air and focuses on the bounty hunter again. “Go.”

“What?”

“We both know I'm not getting off this planet without a medic. And those Niktos are coming. You don't need any more attention. So you gotta go. For the kid.” CT-113 presses a hand against his stomach, trying to stem the bleeding a little. “I'll head into town. I'll be fine.”

The child is by his leg, reaching one hand up towards him, so the Mandalorian leans down to pick it up and holds it securely in his arms. “You can make it?”
CT-113 nods.
The Mandalorian hesitates, but then he hears shouting and there is clearly a whole bunch of Niktos heading their way. He takes a step towards the ship. “I'm sorry.”

“Corin.” CT-113 says. “My name is Corin.” He hasn't used his name for so long it almost feels like it belongs to another person. Had he forgotten that too? How lucky that he remembered now.

“May you find the way. Corin.” The Mandalorian says. He hesitates for two more seconds, the child is squirming and whining, but then he turns and walks inside the ship. The child gazes back at CT-113 over the Mandalorian's shoulder, reaching back towards him in a futile gesture.

CT-113 lifts his hand and waves goodbye.

By the time the Niktos arrive, the ship has already left. There is nothing but dust, a fallen Nikto and some blood to be found.

At the outskirts of the town, he can't walk any longer, doesn't have any strength left, CT-113 leans back against the wall of a building and looks up at the ship heading towards the safety of space. He tastes blood in his mouth, his legs slowly gives in and he sinks down, leaving a wide trail of blood on the wall. He hears someone cry out in alarm.

But Corin doesn't care. He merely smiles as he sees the ship break out of the atmosphere. He feels very lucky that he got to meet them. So very lucky.

Then everything goes black.