The Quarry

The Quarry - Part 6

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Versa shifted, the muffled alarm bringing her out of her haze.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

She shifted the heavy arm that was draped across her shoulder, but the grip around her tightened as the snoring behind her intensified. She struggled again before finally gently shaking his arm.

"Din, wake up. There's something going off in the cockpit."

The snoring continued. Beep. Beep. Beep.

She sighed, finally digging her elbow into his ribs. He grunted, and the snoring stopped as he straightened up. "What was that for?" he grumbled.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"That's what that's for."

He shook his head to clear the fog in his mind, feeling in the dark. "It's an incoming communication. Hang on. I gotta find my helmet." She felt his hand slide past her as he patted around for the beskar. She reached out to where he'd put it, handing it to him. He mumbled his thanks before slipping it on and groping for the button to open the bunk door and stepping out. She crawled out after him.

The whole ship stunk. They'd been holed up in the bunk, which was now littered with ration bar wrappers and empty canteens. They hadn't been able to shower or activate the facilities in the refresher, and the stench when she walked to the ladder almost made her gag. They'd been fumbling around in darkness for the last few rotations, using Versa's flashlight when needed, but trying to conserve its charge as much as possible. Versa had always been careful to angle the beam away from Din's face when she was clambering around. He hadn't expressly given her permission to see his face yet, and even though he'd admitted to straying from his creed, she wasn't going to break it without him permitting it, even if she'd been given a preview in the dark.

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They had spent the last few rotations either sleeping or sitting in silence. Occasional conversations had seeped in, but despite their bodies being pressed against each other for warmth, it was clear they both weren't ready to let all of their walls down yet. Most of the conversation had been idle about what the other had been up to over the last few decades. Versa had steered clear of asking about the kid just as Din had made it obvious he didn't want to ask her about her search for Jon. Instead, they'd resorted to the most insignificant details that somehow seemed important after so much time apart.

"You still love meilooruns?" he had asked.

"Of course! Had someone I was with for a while that would bring me one every time she came back from a job."

"She?"

He couldn't see the smirk that had crept across her face in the dark. "That surprise you?"

"A little. I always thought I saw you making eyes at some of the boys we trained with."

"Who says I didn't?"

"I see."

She had elbowed him in the ribs a bit at the laughter that he was obviously biting back. "I like who I like, ok? Never really felt the need to limit my options."

"Fair enough. So how'd that wind up?"

"Oh, you know. Different people going different places in life. She was actually a lot like you. Kind but stoic."

"You broke her heart, didn't you?"

"A little, yeah. I felt shitty about it. Still kind of do actually. But it wasn't right for me." She took another swig of water before handing the canteen over her shoulder to him. She heard him gulp it down next to her ear before sitting it off to the side. She waited a bit, thinking of her next question for him.