Fragments of the Dark

Chapter Twelve

You are nothing to me

A stupid, foolish, idiot he had been.

To think that he could find someplace he would belong. To think he might have found someone else that was like him... lost. Without a home.

To think that they could have formed a home together.

"You have the code."

Din snapped out of his thoughts at Celene's cool voice. They stood in front of the nondescript building on Navarro. As if on cue, the eyeball droid burst from the wall, first eyeing Celene and the child and then Din. He held out the small card which the droid scanned. It disappeared back into the slot in the wall. A few seconds later the door opened with a rumble.

Two stormtroopers emerged from the depths. Celene stiffened beside him but they paid her no attention, their focus going to the child in his small pod. He whined softly as the troopers led them into the shadowy hall. The door slammed behind them.

The storm trooper in the front yanked on the lip of the pod, pushing it downwards.

"Easy with that," Celene hissed.

The trooper looked back at her. "You take it easy."

They were led through a second door and into the big room where they had met with their employer before. He was seated at the desk with the young doctor by his side. On their entrance he rose from his seat, holding a beeping tracking fob in his hand. "Yes," he breathed, drawing closer to them. "Yes, yes, yes!"

Both he and the doctor crouched over the child, who whimpered as the doctor scanned him with a device. He smiled broadly, "Very healthy, yes."

The older man slowly straightened, his gaze settling first on Din and then Celene. "Your reputation was not unwarranted."

Din shifted. "How many fobs did you give out?"

The man frowned. "This asset was of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure it's delivery."

"It's a fucking child," Celene growled. "It's not an asset- it's a living being."

The man's gaze snapped to her, holding for a few seconds. He then continued. "But to the winners, go the spoils." He retreated behind the desk and with drew a heavy container. He set it on the desk with a thud. It hissed as it opened revealing the stacks of beskar within. Din's breath caught in his throat.

So much...

He took a slow step forward. The man place a small fabric pouch on the table, the contents gently clinking. "The final two doses." He looked between the two of them. "Such large bounties for such a small package." Behind him the doctor was leaving the room, the small pod containing the child behind him. The child's hands waved in futile, as he whined, peering around at them as he slowly traveled out of their sight.

Din risked a glance at Celene but her attention was fixed on the small pouch on the table. What could save her life. The door closed with a hiss and the child was gone. Din ran a finger over a slab of the beskar and then looked at the doctor. "What are your plans for it?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission and payment." To their right, a door opened and two more stormtroopers walked through. "Is it not the code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten?" The man's voice was cruel and cold, like a viper's tongue. "That Beskar is enough to make a handsome replacement for your armor. Unfortunately finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel."

Din swallowed, replacing the slab he had been holding. The man's gaze never left him and he resisted the urge to shudder. He twisted the cap on the container and it sealed with a hiss. The man's gaze shifted to Celene who stood still as a stone beside him, the pouch clutched in one hand.

"Don't be shy, dear. Drink it now. I know your time is short." His mouth twisted.

Celene seemed to pale under the bright lights but she slowly withdrew the first vial. The blue liquid inside glimmered faintly. She twisted off the cap and drank it in one sip. Her hand reached back into the pouch and with drew the second vial.

Empty.

She jerked her head up- "What the hell?"

Behind the man, the stormtroopers drew their blasters. Din immediately reached for his weapons but found the stormtroopers had theirs's aimed only at Celene. He faced the man, "What the hell is this- we had a deal. We delivered."

"The deal has changed." The man never looked away from Celene's face. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

He heard her sharp exhale, saw her hands shake. "What do you want?"

The man chuckled coldly. "You know what I want."

Celene stared at him, the scar on her face seeming to glow. Then she jerked her head to Din. "He goes free unharmed."

Din blinked. "What-"

"Deal." The man said and turned to the stormtroopers. "Escort him out."

Din pointed his blasters at them. "Celene, what the fuck is going on?"

The man gave a wry glance between the two of them, amusement dancing in his eyes. "He has no idea, does he? No idea what you are, who you are." A twisted chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll keep your secret."

Celene's jaw was set. "Go. Get out of here." She wouldn't look at him. "Take the Falcon and don't come back."

Something in her voice made him pause. His stomach clenched at the defeat... the utter defeat. Her head was bowed, dark hair shining in the light. The portrait of surrender.

You are nothing to me

The storm troopers advanced, herding him toward the door. The last glimpse he got was Celene holding her hands out, restraints clicking over them.

Then the doors slammed shut and Din stood alone in the dusty street.