chapter twenty seven - act one A NEW LIFE'S FIRST BLOOM
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The calloused tip of Eden's thumb brushes gently against the goggle cap, her every movement gentle with fear it may turn to dust beneath her touch. The cap is hung from the top of a make-shift headstone, signifying the final resting place of Kuiil. Upon their return to the Razor Crest, they'd found the Ugnaught limp upon the ground, stripped of life just metres away from the safety of the ship. Their hearts heavy within their chests, Eden and Din had buried their friend; holding a short, yet unfathomably meaningful ceremony to honour the life of the being who had given his life for the child.
A tender hand befalls her shoulder, comfort radiating from the small gesture. Her gaze shifting ever-so-slight to face the nearby person, it comes as no surprise to her when the glimmering of precious metal catches within her eyes. Din's touch lingering just a moment longer, he retracts his hand, arising from his crouched position. He reaches out with a lonesome hand, offering it to her. She spares a parting glance at the gravesite, silently uttering her goodbyes before she accepts Din's help. Their fingers intertwining, he pulls her to her feet, and the pair set out on the short walk back to the Razor Crest; the child wandering gleefully behind them.
Once they have entered the familiar confines of the space-craft, the trio meanders into the cockpit. Retaking her spot within the passenger seat, Eden takes the child within her arms, sitting him comfortably upon her lap. A smile dances upon her lips as the child coos at her, his doe-like eyes shimmering with an innocence that so easily makes content blossom within her aching heart. His tiny hand reaches toward her neck, its fingers clasping around the pendant of the necklace hung around her neck.
Din begins fiddling with the controls to start up the ship, however, his pauses within the midst of his movements as his eyes fall upon the necklace hung upon Eden's neck; his necklace. For a moment, he is still, an unseen emotion brewing within the depths of his being as memories flash through his mind, the instance in which he gifted it to her being its main focus. "I didn't think I'd see that again."
Tearing her eyes away from the blissful child, her gaze befalls the Mandalorian's visor, hesitating for a moment as she processes the meaning of his words. As the pieces begin to click together, her hands start to rise toward the necklace, intending to take it off and return it to its rightful owner. But before her fingers can touch the fabric chain, a gentle hold upon her wrists stops her movements. And, as Din speaks softly to her, every sound within his voice echoes with genuinity. "I want you to have it."
As he lowers his gloved hands from her wrists, the comfortable warmth they had brought fades from Eden. Swallowing back the lump of unspoken words catching within her throat, she offers him an earnest nod, the gesture possessing a thankfulness she could not speak. Her eyes never once leaving the man, a foreign sense of awe shimmers within them as he unscrews the small ball on top of a lever, placing it within the child's eager hands with agonising softness.
