Fragments of the Dark

Chapter Twenty

He couldn't fathom it.

Couldn't understand it.  She had been with the Empire- a Sith lord at that.  She had slaughtered hundreds of innocent people.  Led the assault on the Alliance.

The same people that had orphaned him were the ones she killed for.  The ones she obeyed.  Even if she had left... it was obvious they wanted her back, that much had been clear when they'd taken both her and Grogu.  Even if she had been unwilling to go it didn't erase that fact that once she had killed for them.  Had destroyed planets for them. 

She said she'd let that assault willingly. 

And yet.

And yet, he was still inexplicably drawn to her.  He couldn't sleep.  She wasn't in her quarters- no surprise there.  But both the cockpit and hanger were both empty.  The ramp leading off the ship was extended, the door open.  A cool night breeze drifted in, edged with evergreen and pine.  Din spotted her still figure seated at the bottom, her raven hair so long the ends brushed the ramp.  He paused at the top.

"I know you're there."

"I wasn't trying to hide it."  He descended to where she was.  "What are you doing?"

"Standing watch." 

"Why?"  He gazed at the dark forest.  "There's no one on this planet who wants the child."

"She's out there.  Cara.  Watching.  If she comes for me I don't want her near Grogu."

How do you know?"

"I can sense her." 

Din fell silent after that and Celene spoke again.  "Once we find this village tomorrow, I'll leave.  You can keep the Falcon if you ever need it to escape.  I'll barter for passage off-world." 

The words rose in his throat.  No.  You don't have to leave.  Stay.  But they were drowned out by the images of wrecked buildings, burning homes.  The screams of terror and pain filled his head.  The drone of droids and the sound of blaster fire.  Laser flashes seared into his brain. 

So Din didn't say anything at all and went back up into the ship, closing the door of his quarters behind him.

That next day it turned out they didn't need to find the village at all.  The village found them.

The morning sun peeked through the heavy foliage of the forest, spreading ripples of light across the mossy ground.  Grogu concerned himself with chasing a butterfly while Din managed to fit most of their supplies in two packs.  Celene was under the belly of the ship, wires sparking at her finger tips, the occasional curses filling the clearing. 

From the woods, the two villagers came aboard some sort of floating raft.  They approached cautiously spotting Din first. 

"Excuse me?  Excuse me, sir?"

Din hardly registered their presence, not glancing up from the pack.  "Is there something I can help you with?"

The villagers exchanged nervous glances with each other.  The first said, "Raiders."

"We have money," said the second.

Celene slid out from under the belly of the Falcon, wiping her hands on her leather pants and stood.  "So you think we're some kind of mercenaries?"

The first villager yelped at her sudden appearance falling back.  Celene's face was cold, the scar across it brutal in the clear morning light. 

"He-he is a Mandalorian right?"  The second said.  "Or at least wearing Mandalorian armor, that is Mandalorian armor right?"

Din secured the pack with a final tug.  "It is."

"See!"  The first villager crowed to the second.  "I told him," he turned back to Din.  "Sir, I've read a lot about your people- your tribe.  If half of what I've read is true-"

"We have money," the second villager cut him off.

"How much?"  Celene cocked her head, the movement oddly feline.

"Everything we have, miss...ma'm- and sir."  He clutched a small pouch.  "Our whole harvest was stolen."

"Krill.  We're krill farmers.  We brew spotchka, our whole village chipped in."

Celene leaned back against the ship and folded her arms.  Waiting, Din realized for his answer.

Because she wasn't staying.

Din eyed the pouch.  "It's not enough."

The villagers shifted on their feet.  "Are you sure?  You don't even know what the job is!"

"I know it's not enough," Din said.  "Good luck."

"Are you sure-" The first villager started but the second tugged his arm.  "Come on, let's go.  They won't help us."

"Took us the whole day to get here," the first grumbled angrily.  "Now we have to go back to the middle of nowhere-no protection."

Din turned at that.  "The middle of nowhere?  Where do you live?"

The villagers stopped.  "On a farm, weren't you listening?"

"In the middle of nowhere?"  Din said.

"Y-yes."  The second answered warily. 

"And you have lodging?"

"Of course," he answered more confidently.  Din glanced at Celene.  She gave a half shrug as if to say, doesn't matter to me.  Din looked at the villagers.  "Lead the way."

They stacked their packs on the back of the raft, the villagers climbing to the front and leaving them space to sit behind.  Celene settled Grogu between the two bags and he stared back at her with enormous eyes.  For a second neither of them moved.  Then her face dropped and she blinked looking away. 

Din climbed onto the back as Celene sat on the edge her legs dangling over the side.  "Did he... say something to you?"

Celene looked at Grogu again.  "He's young... but there are a few pieces he's starting to figure out.  About me.  That he understands."  She shook her head.  "Now's not the place."

The silence of the forest spread around them, interrupted only by the chirp of crickets and rustle of leaves.  Celene stayed tense, scanning the trees.  At Din's side, Grogu was wiggling around slowly inching his way over Din's legs until he reached Celene.  He placed a tiny hand on her thigh, causing her to look down.  A few moments of silence passed between them.

Then Celene shook her head.  "No, I'm sorry."

Grogu gave a small whine and Celene held out her hand.  He gripped a finger tightly.

"What's he saying?"  Din asked.

"He doesn't want me to leave."  She wouldn't look at him. 

He opened his mouth to say the words that had been filling his head since last night but was interrupted by the sharp jolting stop of the raft. 

Joyous shouts and cries filled the air as children of all ages came bursting around the corner, cheering.  They spotted Grogu at once, ooohing and ahhhing over him. 

Celene peered into the village.  "Looks like they're happy to see us."

Din twisted around to get a better look.  "Looks like."

Celene rose and swung her rifle across her back, stepping lightly off of the raft, Din following behind.  In front of them stretched a network of water ways separated by thin strips of land.  Over the water hung baskets and nets and poles for farming.  Beyond that stood a cluster of small tree-bark huts.  As far around them as Din could see was empty forest and field. 

"Is this secluded enough for you?"  Celene asked, lifting Grogu away from the admiring children.

"Just about."  Din answered, as they were led into the village.