Fragments of the Dark

Chapter Nine

They made camp that night at the foot of a sandy dune.

Not wanting to risk a fire, Celene tugged her jacket tighter around her for warmth. She supposed the Mandalorian would be fine in his armor but she on the other hand was nearly shivering.

Her partner sat across from her, small lantern glowing softly beside him as he prodded the deep gash in his arm. Celene looked away at the exposed skin she saw, knowing he'd likely snap at her. He let out a hiss of pain and swore quietly. "Fuck."

Celene sighed and found the child staring at her. It's large dark eyes blinked and then moved to the Mandalorian and then back to her almost expectantly.

Celene frowned. The child blinked and then looked at her partner again and then back to her. Celene shook her head. The child repeated the movement.

She rolled her eyes and glanced to the Mandalorian. In the dim light, it was hard to see but not for her. Her perfectly adjusted vision allowed her to see all the details, including the deep and hard to reach split in his skin.

"Do you need help?"

He paused at her question and silence stretched between them for so long, Celene thought he wasn't going to answer her.

"I can't reach all the way around," he said finally.

Celene stood and walked over to him, dusting off her hands. She took the cauterizer from him, seeing the wound in perfect detail without the light. It was deep and cut unevenly. She didn't warn him before starting on the edge of the wound where he couldn't reach.

The Mandalorian let out a groan, tipping his head back. Celene didn't touch his exposed skin, keeping her steadying grip on the edge of his Beskar as she slowly sealed the wound. She sat back on her heels. "There. Done."

Her partner was breathing heavily. "Thanks."

She dipped her head, moving back to her spot beside the child's pod. It blinked it's large eyes at her. She pressed her back into the sand , not caring if it seeped into her jacket. Anything to stay warm.

"I'll take first watch," he said, dimming the lantern beside him. "Get some sleep."

She wanted to argue with him that it was null point by now but didn't bother. She closed her eyes, intent on fooling him into thinking she was asleep so he'd stop nagging her about it.

The desert was silent around them, the only sound was the wind whistling through the dunes and the scratchy noise of sand. The Mandalorian shifted across from her, she heard the Beskar clank together faintly. She shivered slightly but despite the cold and the hunger gnawing at her stomach, she felt sleeping pressing at the edge of her conciseness. She felt strongly at ease... and peaceful.

Something small and warm pressed itself against her side and she resisted the urge to jerk away.

"She's asleep- don't wake her." The Mandalorian's voice was quiet.

There was a slight shuffling.

"Come on- don't ruin it. She never sleeps. Let her rest."

Celene realized it was the child then, pressing itself against her side as another shiver racked through her. It was warm, it's body heat spreading into her bones. The Mandalorian sighed from across the clearing followed by soft footsteps. A light weight settled over her and she realized it was the blanket from the child's pod.

Gently, more than she'd ever realized he was capable of, the Mandalorian tucked the blanket around the two of them, trapping their warmth against them. His footsteps retreated as he sat down again.

The child cooed from Celene's side.

"Don't look at me like that. It's cold out here." His voice was low through his helmet.

The child cooed again.

"I would have done it sooner if I had realized she was cold. It's not like she tells me these things."

Celene stifled a quiet gasp as the child placed a gentle hand on her cheek, softly making noises.

"I know," the Mandalorian said. "Believe me, I know."

Celene drifted off, listening to the wind and letting the warmth of the child seep through her.

When she opened her eyes again, the sky was an ashy grey. She realized she'd slept all night and started to sit up, but the weight of the child on her chest stopped her.

"It likes you," the Mandalorian observed from across the clearing.

"You were supposed to wake me. So I could take a shift watching."

"You were sleeping. For once."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and slowly sat up, moving the child from her chest to her lap. She was thoroughly covered in sand, enough so that she knew it would require more than one shower to get rid of it. She shook her hair out, sand flying in different directions.

"How far away do you think we are?"

Celene looked out at the expanse of desert. "We can make it by midday."

He nodded and offered her the canister of water. She shook her head and the child in her lap shifted, slowly blinking it's enormous eyes open. It saw Celene and let out a happy coo.

Her partner climbed to his feet. "Well you're definitely the favorite."

Celene gently placed the child back in the pod, shaking out the blanket and setting it behind him. "What do you think it eats?"

"I have no idea. We can ask Kuiil when we get back."

Celene tugged at her jacket. "Let's hope he knows more than we do. Or else it's going to be a long flight back to Nevarro."