We Belong to the Stars (Cara x Din)

Part 2

When Cara heard Mando say he would be staying on Nevarro for a bit longer, she was overjoyed. They'd just been reunited, and hadn't had much time to talk about normal things. Plus, she wanted to arm wrestle with him again, without being interrupted by the Child.

She wanted to know about his life, his likes and dislikes, his culture. She felt it was a good thing to know all that, because the truth was she liked him. A lot.

When she first realized it, she was surprised at herself. She didn't even know his name or what he looked like, but by and by, she saw more of the man beneath the armor. The man who cared about his kid, would do anything to protect him. The Child was probably the only thing that brought out the true Mando, but it was enough for Cara.

At least now I know his name, she thinks. Din Djarin. She could never say that name, since Mando himself hadn't heard it in years and probably wanted to keep it that way. But she could think about it, maybe even use it to figure out more about his past.

When Greef left them together in the diner, she wanted to throw a bottle of spotchka at the back of his head. What if she said something stupid to Mando? What if she accidentally confessed something?

Cara had had her fair share of crushes in her earlier years, during her Shock Trooper training. Her boyfriend had died in Alderaan's destruction, leaving a wound in her heart which slowly healed over time. Naturally, she'd felt "as though she could never love again", which she now thought was stupid. She was still capable of loving, but she needed the right person.

In the diner, she miserably asked Mando what he'd been doing lately, trying to make some conversation. She didn't talk much, spending most of the time wondering what he looked like under that helmet.

He suddenly thanked her for pulling him out of the battle after the explosion. Cara panicked inwardly, and, scared that she would say something sweet or flirty and give herself away, she blurted out, "Oh, skip the formalities. It's what friends are for." She hated the words as they escaped her mouth. "We should probably go give Greef a hand," she suggested, eager to escape. That sounded so blunt. Now he probably thinks I hate him or something.

They walked out of the diner, and Cara used the pretty sunset as a chance to make up. "Hey," she said, slipping her arm into his. "I've never seen one as pretty as that."

"Me neither," he replied.

Now, as they keep looking at the setting sun, they begin walking to the pile of rubble where Greef stands shouting orders to some local workers.

"Guys," Greef exclaims, walking over to them. He glances at their linked arms and Cara could swear she sees him smile. The thought makes her uncomfortable so she lets go of Mando and steps away.

"Do you need help?" she asks.

"I think these guys have it under control," replies Greef. "You and Mando can go find yourselves a place to stay while you're here."

Cara glances sideways at Mando, who gives her a shrug. "Fine. See you later."

They stroll through the streets for a while, looking for any place that seems like lodging. After long hours with no result, Cara stops and sighs in frustration. "Is there somewhere in the Mandalorian covert that would work?" she asks.

Mando hesitates before shaking his head. "I don't know. I was never around that much."

"Well, wanna go check it out?"

"Why not?"

He leads her to the main entrance. Cara stares at him while he explains why the Mandalorians went into hiding in the first place. They make their way down the stairs into the tunnels.

Mando switches on a light on the side of his helmet, looking around the dark room. Only a few crates and a vent are in sight. Cara shivers as the door behind them slams shut, and though she knows they can get out easily, she feels trapped.

"Cold?" asks Mando.

"Just goosebumps," she answers.

"Let's go."

They walk through the low-ceilinged tunnel, Cara keeping her blaster ready in case any scavengers want trouble. They walk past the armory, where the pile of Beskar armor is still standing. Cara swallows as she thinks about how hard this must be for her friend. Finally, after a few more tunnels, he stops.

"This is as far as I've ever been."

There are two passages leading from where they are. Mando shines the flashlight down the one on the left, revealing a blank tunnel with rats scurrying around on the floor. The passage on the right is the same.

"I don't think I wanna stay here..." remarks Cara.

"Could be worse, but I agree," he says.

"Hey, what about the Razor Crest? We could stay there. I mean, you could stay there, but if it's okay with you, I also need someplace-"

"Sounds good."

"Great," says Cara. She curses under her breath, angry about making such a fool of herself. "We should g-"

As they turn around, the beam of light hits a dark shadow which moves quickly, making a hissing sound. Cara jumps back, stumbling, and almost falls, Mando catches her, however, and she brushes any unnecessary thoughts out of her head as she regains balance.

"Thanks," she murmurs casually. "Did you see what that was?"

"No, but we should get going," says Mando. He leads her back through the maze of dark tunnels until they reach the staircase. He presses a button on the wall and the creaky door slides open. Cara shields her eyes from the bright street lights.

"Well, that was a very successful trip," she says, laughing.

"Yeah, it was," says Mando, looking sideways at her.

Cara can feel herself blushing under his gaze, so she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and clears her throat. "We should probably get back to Greef," she says hesitantly, though she would give anything to see his eyes as he looked at her. "Wait... actually, you go ahead, I'll catch up later."

Mando follows her gaze to a sign above a small building; Library. He shrugs. "See you."

Cara waits until he's out of sight before rushing to the library. Inside is a dark, rather musty room with books lining every bit of every wall. "Hello?" she calls? No answer. Cara inspects the titles of the books closest to her, discovering that they're arranged in alphabetical order. M, she says to herself. Where's M?

The sound of the door opening and closing makes her jump. She turns to see a droid who instantly asks, "May I help you?"

"Uh, no thanks," Cara replies. She goes back to looking through the books, then discovers that they're arranged by the first letter of the author's name. She sighs in frustration, glancing back at the droid who sits down at a desk. It probably works here, she says to herself. Dank farrik, I hate asking for help. "But it's for Mando."

"I'm sorry?" the droid looks up at her.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I was just wondering, do you have any books on Mandalorian culture?"

(I just realized that I never mentioned that Grogu was staying with Greef)