ash'ad | the mandalorian

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CHAPTER SIX: THE PAST

Beth's leg bounced up and down nervously as the ship floated gently through space. She was alone in the cockpit for once, having forced Din to go get some sleep before they landed on Bar Neth. He had protested to leaving her by herself but she insisted. In truth, she knew she needed some alone time to think.

She closed her eyes and tried to breathe steadily. Feeling weak was never good when walking into a new situation, but Beth struggled to even think of her home planet without crying. She hadn't set foot on it since the day she left her mother, standing in the meeting room with all the rest of her covert. Her helmet dropped in defeat as she felt hot tears running down her cheeks. A ragged breath filled her lungs and she gripped her thighs tightly.

She had to get her head out of the past. In the end, she couldn't save her mother, but she had been given a chance to find her people again, and she wasn't going to mess it up. Her breathing slowly improved until she finally relaxed against the cushioned co-pilot's seat.

Just then, she heard heavy footsteps coming back to the cockpit. It was the same person it always was. The door slid open and his tall figure came to sit next to her with a small groan.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning his chair to face her.

She hesitated, still feeling a small bubble of anxiety deep within her chest.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, lowering her helmet. Din sat patiently, hands resting on his thighs. He could tell she was in pain, but he was scared to press on the matter.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's alright, I'm just not used to crying in front of other people,"

It was true, she had never cried in front of anyone but her parents when she was younger. She had grown accustomed to hiding her feelings around others as she matured, but she had never felt as much emotion as she did with Din. His presence was just comforting.

"What do you do when you miss your family?" She asked timidly, realizing she didn't know much about his past.

Din shifted in his seat, letting a large breath escape his lungs. Talking about his trauma was never something he made a habit of, but he wanted to help ease her pain.

"I think of the sacrifices they made for me, the way they saved me when they could have saved themselves," he replied, thinking of the way his mother had kissed him goodbye before putting him in the underground room. An explosion had gone off only seconds later, killing both her and his father instantly.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be, it was a long time ago. I've made my peace with it," he assured her. She pondered his reply, wishing she had the same power to forgive and forget. Maybe, this could the beginning of her healing.

"I'm ready to make my peace,"

He nodded silently, turning his chair to face the window once again. As he jumped to light speed, A sense of relief flooded her mind as she looked at his shiny helmet, reflecting every star as they sped by.

Her thoughts became flooded with warm feelings of home and safety the longer she looked at him. She had thought of him as attractive before, but now, she could only describe him as beautiful.

The planet soon came into view as the ship slowed to a crawl, approaching the warm-toned surface of Bar Neth. Beth fought to control her breathing as she thought of how many memories were sure to come back once they hit the ground. So, she focused on the Mandalorian's helmet once more, basking in that warm feeling for as long as possible