Fragments of the Dark

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Celene entered the forest, the vast trees above her blocking out the sky.

Din fell into step beside her. "What are you thinking?"

She hesitated. "I'm thinking you and Grogu stay here. He loves it here. He fits in well. And you staying means he'll be protected. The whole village will." She kept the emotion from her voice, shoving the pain she felt at the prospect of leaving him deep down.

"What about you?"

Celene swallowed. "I'll disappear. Draw their attention. Lead them away from Grogu. He'll be able to live the rest of his life without looking over his shoulder."

Din stopped to face her. "And you'll just sacrifice yourself? Just like that? You will die, Celene, either at their hands if they catch you or because you don't get that third dose."

She tilted her head back to look at the sky. "It's for the greater good."

"Cut the bullshit, Celene." He snapped. "You and I both know you could give a fuck about the greater good. Since when are you so keen on accepting defeat?"

She closed her eyes. "I'm not accepting defeat. This is just the way it is, there's no other option."

Din spread his hands. "That's bullshit! There are other options and you know it. Why the fuck are you so ready to die?"

"Because I'm fucking tired, Din." She snapped. "Okay? I'm tired of playing their games. My entire life has been controlled by them. They will never stop because of who I am. What I am."

She could feel the weight of his gaze on her from beneath his helmet. "So you just want to die? Let them win?"

She ground her jaw. "That's not letting them win. I'm what they want. And if they can never have me then they lose."

"What about the kid?"

"He has you." She started forward again but he didn't follow her. She sucked in a breath and spun around. "What?" She snapped. "What, Din?"

"Did last night mean nothing to you?"

"What-" she spit out a laugh. "Is that what this is about? For fuck's sake." She shook her head.

He didn't budge. "Do I mean nothing to you?"

There was a roaring in her head and she shut it out. "What does it matter?"

Din scoffed in disbelief. "What does it matter? What does it fucking matter? Celene, I-" He stopped.

Her chest was unbearably tight. "What?"

He shook his head slowly. "I broke my rules for you." His voice was empty.

Celene closed her eyes, letting his words wash over her and then settle in her mind. Fuck.

Din took a step closer. "I broke my rules for you," he repeated, the words jagged and sharp. "Don't tell me it meant nothing. That it means nothing."

She knew what she should say. She knew this was the final thing she could say before leaving and disappearing forever. The words were on the tip of her tongue. It meant nothing. You mean nothing. A hookup doesn't mean anything. Doesn't change anything.

But she couldn't get them out. Try as she might, all she could see, all she could feel was him- his hands on her skin, the warmth and heat between them.

He was still waiting, chest heaving, gaze heavy on her through his helmet. "If you can tell me right now that it meant nothing, that everything we've done together means nothing, I'll walk away. I'll let you go. And I'll stay with Grogu." He took a step closer to her. "But you have to tell me, right now, Celene."

Her thoughts were a mess, jumbled and tangled in her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest. The wind rustled the trees around her.

"Tell me, Celene." His voice was quiet. "Please." The last word was so soft, she barely heard it.

Fuck. The words she planned, the lies she had formed in her head all refused to come out.
"I-" she started and stopped. Took a breath. Finally, she said, "It meant something."

She could practically hear the breath he let out. "But, Din, I don't know what this means. I'm dying- I'm going to die. I'm already living on borrowed time."

He closed the gap between them in two long strides. "No. We'll get that third dose. I won't let you die, Celene."

"How?" She shook her head.

"We'll find a way." He gripped her wrist. "And then I'll kill everyone who has ever harmed you."

She stared at where their skin met. "You have no idea what will happen if they get me. What I'm capable of."

Gently, his gloved hand reached beneath her chin and tilted her head up to face him. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

"I'm not. You're not a monster, you're just the result of everything they made you into. They molded you into a weapon and then told you to find peace." He shook his head. "You're far from a monster."

She choked out a laugh and turned to fully face him, ready to tell him how much of a lie that was when the shot cracked between the two of them.

It slammed into the chest plate of Din's Beskar, sparking and sending him flying several meters back. Celene felt the heat of the blast across her face and she dropped, landing in a crouch. Her lightsaber flashed to light, the red glow casting the clearing in an eerie glow.

She paused, holding her breath, trying to pinpoint the location of the shooter.

She sensed the next shot a second before it split through the air. She batted away the blast with her lightsaber. It buried itself in the tree next to her, the bark seared black. Celene flung out her hand, yanking the shooter forward with the force. He screamed, flying through the air and impaling himself on her blade. The body dropped to the ground and she located the fob, smashing it beneath the heel of her boot.

Din groaned from behind her and she closed the gap. The branches cracked as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Are you hurt? Did it go through your armor?"

He groaned again but shook his head. "No. That's gonna leave a mark though." She helped him sit up. He jerked his head at the dead bounty hunter. "From the Guild?"

Celene looked at the fallen body. "Yeah. I smashed the fob but if they've already found us- we can't stay here."

Din painfully climbed to his feet. "Fuck," he muttered. "We need to go back, and get Grogu. And then leave as soon as possible."

Celene gazed to where the village was. "Where the hell are we going to go?"

Din shook his head. "We'll figure it out on the way. Let's go."