𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 45: The Voyage

chapter 45: the voyage •••

Your family's walk to the starport on Gravis is spent in serene silence. Zora tries to stuff her hands in her mouth and requires your intervention from time-to-time, but at least it keeps her quiet. The only time your hand leaves Din's is to adjust the swaddle to keep Zora's arms at her sides to prevent a bad habit from forming. Otherwise, you continue to hold on to him. His grip is tight each time you reach for him.

Your mind, however, is anything but silent. The bitterness behind the Armorer's words to Din have etched a deep wound in your chest as painful and scarring as Xi'an's knife. Though Din's since proved that he's not taking her words to heart, you replay the moment over and over again in your head. She hadn't let you tell her why he did it. There's no way she could've turned him away when she realized he was saving his clan.

Guilt strikes you like the Armorer's tools upon beskar. You tighten your jaw so as to not give yourself away. Din's been through enough today. You don't need to place even more weight upon his shoulders.

You're about to board the commercial transport when the security alarms go off. You and Din stop and turn to the security droid with confusion.

"Excuse me," the droid says. "You're both going to have to remove your weapons."

You look at the blaster strapped to your thigh and chuckle with a shake of your head. "Oh my stars, we're so sorry," you apologize to the droid. "We—."

"—Are Mandalorians," Din finishes for you. You turn to look at him with a furrowed brow. That's not the apology you were about to utter. "Weapons are part of our religion."

"I'm sorry," the droid shrugs the best it can manage with its metallic arms, "you can't board a commercial flight with your weapons."

Din returns your look and sighs. "They're right," you murmur to him. "There'll be other families on this flight. I know I wouldn't want strangers to have weapons around Zora."

"If you wish to discuss this with my supervisor," the droid continues, "I will gladly book you on tomorrow's flight."

The droid offers Din your three tickets. He plucks them from its hand. "Fine."

You nudge Din's armored shoulder as he opens up a silver case, which earns you a tilt of his helmet. Din smacks his lips and releases another sigh before he tosses his blaster into the container. Your lips turn up into an amused smile. "So dramatic," you tease him. You add your blaster to the collection.

"It's a good thing they can't make me lock up my fists." Din steals another glance at you as he releases the whistling birds into the case. There's no doubt a grin of his own under that helmet.

"Oh, that's right." You snicker and reach for your blade. "You're a big and bad Mandalorian." You set the blade down. "You don't need weapons to be a threat."

"That is right." Din looks at you and keeps taking weapons from places you didn't even know he had any hidden in. "Does it make you feel safe, cyar'ika?" He pauses to flex his arm.

Fiery warmth blazes from head to toe as you set a hand on his arm and lower it. "Let's not talk about your muscles right now, riduur." Your voice is a low murmur.

"Ah, not so funny now, huh?" Din lets his fibercord whip roll into the case.

"Not in front of her." Your gaze remains on Din while you give Zora's head a few kisses. She giggles with delight from the swaddle.

"We just have to stay quiet." Din tilts his helmet at you. "Isn't that what you said at the Tusken camp the last time we went to Tatooine, when Grogu was sleeping?"