A Life Without Meaning

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕦𝕖 (𝕀𝕍)

It was a concerning amount of time later when the blast doors finally slid open. Everyone inside turned their heads in sync, finding none other than Din, the child in one hand, and a glowing weapon in the other, ushering forward a cuffed and miserable looking Moff Gideon.

Ellia let out a breath of relief as the group of them rushed forward to meet them at the center of the bridge. As they walked around the holo-table, Bo-Katan tilted her head to the side.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"He brought him in alive, that's what happened." Cara responded with a smirk. "And now the New Republic's gonna have to double the payment." she said, affectionately stroking one of the child's long, green ears.

Ellia quickly appeared at her side.

Grogu saw her, and gave off a small and tired cry in greeting. Ellia smiled back down at him, eyes already a bit glossy at seeing him alive.

She then glanced up at the Mandalorian, her lips parting to speak.

"That's not what she's talking about." Moff Gideon suddenly interjected.

Ellia spun around, finding the Imperial officer staring straight up at a frozen Bo-Katan.

"Why don't you kill him now and take it?" he asked the woman mockingly.

Something inside of Ellia's stomach flipped, her eyes flickering in between the man, and where Bo-Katan was stood a step above him, her jaw clenched dangerously.

Cara roughly shoved Gideon to the floor, but he just let out a laugh. He looked up at where Din was looming above him, and his smile revealed blood-splattered teeth.

"It's yours now" he said darkly.

"What is?" Din asked.

"The Darksaber."

For the first time since they arrived, Ellia actually looked down more pointedly at the weapon Din was wielding. It was a sword of some kind, looking very similar to the ones they had seen Ahsoka use. Except this one, was dark black. As if it was made out of a concentrated portion of space itself, outlined with a strip of blinding white energy.

"It belongs to you" Gideon repeated.

Din pressed a button on the side of the hilt, causing the energy blade to retract. He then looked up, crossing the floor in a couple strides to outstretch his hand towards Bo-Katan.

"Now, it belongs to her." he said matter-of-factly.

"She can't take it." Gideon added from the floor, an amused smile still on his face. "It must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again, she would have to defeat you in combat."

Din was still looking up at Bo.

"I yield." he said quickly, "It's yours."

"Oh, no." Gideon said with a sinister laugh, slowly climbing to his feet. "It doesn't work that way. The Darksaber doesn't have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne."

There was a tense pause, but Din hadn't moved. His palm still outstretched towards Bo. The woman looked from the weapon, to where Gideon was standing, until finally setting her jaw once more.

"He's right." she finally muttered.

All the color drained from Ellia's face.

"Come on. Just take it." Din urged.

Suddenly, a shrill alarm began blaring from one of the main bridge consoles, rerouting everyone's attention towards the station just to the right of the holotable.