THE ARC OF SKYWALKER | a star wars story✔️

27 | don't let go of me

—DIN FELT HIS HEART DROP TO HIS FEET WHEN HE SAW ASA'S BODY LYING IN THE DUST.

He knelt down quickly and turned her onto her back, eyeing he dark bruise and bleeding cut on her jaw. Her face was paler than her usual complexion but the blaster wound on her stomach...

Anger coursed through his very being as he felt for her pulse. It was weak but he was relieved she was alive.

"Step away from her, Mando."

Din didn't look at Toro as he begrudgingly stood up. He hoped Asa wouldn't bleed out during the showdown between him and the backstabbing rookie. He looked up to see Toro walking out of the Crest while he pointed his blaster at Peli's head and holding the child in his other arm. Din pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Toro.

"Put the blaster down or these two get it and your girlfriend bleeds out." Toro threatened as he shoved the barrel of his blaster into Peli's head. The older woman closed her eyes but remained blank faded to not give Toro the satisfaction of being fearful of him. She gave Din a look which told him to not do as Toro said, but one glance at Asa's still body made him toss away his blaster and rifle. However, he pulled out a flash flare from his belt and held it in his gloved hands. Toro didn't seemed to notice.

"Put your hands above your head. You, cuff him." Toro ordered Peli as he handed her a pair of cuffs and shoved her forward. Peli sent him a glare before turning back to Din. She went behind him and began to slowly cuff him. The Mandalorian showed her the flash flare in his hand to say he had a plan.

"My name is going to be known across the galaxy." Toro said pridefully. "I'll be the one known in the Guild who brought down the Mandalorian and successfully killed Darth Axcia."

Din glared daggers under his helmet when he heard Toro call Asa that.

"Her name is Asa."

"Is it true that she's a Skywalker? Fennec said she was."

"She's not."

"You sure? It would really explain why her ring has the name of Padmé Amidala engraved on the inside of the band."

Din watched as the young man held up the ring Asa always wore on her left pinky and treasured above anything else she owned. The small crystal glittered in the dim light while the steel was covered in dust. He couldn't let Toro damage it. That ring meant so much to Asa that it would devastate her if it was broken or lost.

Toro smirked as he walked down the ramp, the ring in between his fingers as he studied it. The child whimpered in fear and looked to Din for help. Din glanced to Peli who clicked the hand cuffs on his one wrist.

"I wonder how much her sister, Leia,  would pay me for turning her in."

"Too bad you won't find out."

Toro frowned at Din's words but the Mandalorian didn't give him time to register what would happen. Din set off the flare and Toro dropped the kid, rubbing his eyes and shooting in Din's direction. When his vision cleared, Toro only saw the helmeted face of the Mandalorian before Din shot him, killing him in one hit.

~*~

Din slid on his knees to be beside Asa again, grabbing her face and feeling for a pulse. His heart skipped a beat when he didn't feel one in her wrist or neck.

"Asa!" He pulled her up and held onto her, her face still and deathly pale.

"Asa!"

"Bring her here!" Peli called from inside her workshop and there was a loud clang after.

Din picked up Asa, her head leaning against his chest and her blood smearing on his beskar. The child who sat to the right side of Peli cried for Asa and reached out to touch her as Din passed. He set the unconscious woman down on the work table and Peli grabbed a bottle of dark green liquid. When she uncapped it, the smell of it made the kid, Din, and Peli groaned lightly in disgust.

"What is that?" Din asked as he scrunched his nose up under his helmet,

"Locals call it Maker's Bite. It hurts like hell but it kills any infection, gets rid of dead skin and flesh, and it's good for healing wound quickly. Judging by the severity of the wound, she'll be able to walk unassisted in a few days after the application. Hold her down please. I got her legs."

"Why hold her down?"

"This stuff can bring anyone back from the brink of death and if not held down, she'll fall off this and hurt herself more. Oh, I need to put something in her mouth so she can bite down on it."

Peli grabbed a leather patch from her desk, cleaned it quickly, and slipped it between Asa's teeth. She grabbed the bottle of liquid, glanced to Din to tell him to be ready, then poured it onto Asa's stomach. Almost immediately, her eyes shot open and her body lurched forward, but Din and Peli held her down. The child cried and covered his eyes as Asa screamed and clenched her teeth against the leather, tears streaming down her face and breathing heavily.

"Keep her down. I need to pour more on." Peli ordered and gestured with the bottle. Din nodded and put his top half on top of Asa, his gloved hands caressing her face and wiping away her tears. She looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot as she cried in pain.

"You're okay, Ace. You're going to be okay. Peli just needs to pour a little more on and you can rest." Din whispered to her. She closed her eyes before pulling the leather out of her mouth.

"Don't let go of me. Please." She breathed weakly, eyes closed.

He nodded, his thumbs rubbing her face. He glanced to Peli, the woman nodding to him to tell him she was going to pour more of the dark green liquid on Asa. Din looked back to her and she inhaled deeply, her eyes glancing between two but she prepared herself for the pain. She gripped the straps where his beskar was held to him and Din pressed his helmet against their skin.

"On three, okay? One, two..." Peli poured before three and Asa screamed again, her hands gripping Din's arms as she cried and squirmed to get off the table.

Din squeezed his eyes shut, her screams bringing back the memory of her being electrocuted by the stormtroopers on Nevarro. But it also brought back the terrified cries and screams for help when his home was attacked by the Separatists during the Clone Wars.

His parents crying out in fear as they ran from the turmoil around them.

The terrified screams of women and children trying to get away from those droids...

He didn't realize he was shaking until Peli tapped his shoulder. He spun around, breathing deeply and rapidly as he looked down at the shorter woman. She held the child who was whimpering for Asa but he started to fall asleep.

"The great thing about Maker's Bite: it makes the person go back to a drowsy state." She said and handed him bandages. "I'll leave you two alone and put the kid to sleep."

"Thank you." Din replied and turned to away to tend to the sleeping woman on the table. Well, he thought she was sleeping until she opened her eyes.

~*~

*NOTE*
since i haven't really updated this story in a couple days, i figured i'd post two chapters 🙃

asa and din make me wanna cry they're just so soft around each other but there also a pinch of dumbass energy too lol!

anyway, i hope you enjoyed and i'll see y'all in the next chapter ;)