Din's thumb running across my knuckle served as a small amount of comfort as we walked deeper into the cave, heading towards the mines of Mandalore. Din and Bo-Katan both had their torches on which made it slightly easier to see. The tall ruined structures above us made me feel extremely small in comparison, the size of it all was weirdly daunting.
"It's hard to believe that this all was once filled with our kind." Din said to Bo-Katan. He was right, it is almost hard to believe that this place was once home to a thriving civilisation.
"It wasn't that long ago. You'd never know it looking at all this destruction." Bo-Katan replied. I could hear the melancholy In her voice when she spoke about the past.
"It looks like it's been centuries." Din responded as he looked around.
"The Empire Set out to punish us. To wipe away our memory." Bo-Katan said. That's one thing that the Jedi and the Mandalorians have in common, being destroyed by the empire.
"It must pain you to see it like this after witnessing its beauty." Din said sympathetically.
"What pains me is seeing our own kind fight one another time and time again. Killing each other for reasons too confusing to explain. It made us weak. We had no hope to resist being smashed by the fist of the Empire." Bo-Katan stated bitterly.
"There. The entrance to the mines of Mandalore." Bo-Katan stated.
Din squeezed my hand in anticipation and I looked up at him. His gaze was focused on the entrance up ahead, I could tell that he was eager to get to the living waters.
The four of us headed into the tall, narrow hallway that continued downwards slightly. Bo-Katan tossed up a ball that immediately lit up and floated alongside us, illuminating the dark hallway.
"This area looks much older." Din mused. I glanced around at the stone passageway and nodded.
"The mines have been here for thousands of years. The living waters are in the chambers below." Bo-Katan said
"Have you been there?" Din asked curiously.
"Yes, when I was a child." Bo-Katan replied
"Really?" Din asked
"I was part of the royal family. I took the Creed and was showered with gifts. But the rituals were all just theater for our subjects. They loved watching the princess recite the Mandalorian tenets as her father looked on proudly. Such a heartwarming spectacle." Bo-Katan said sarcastically
"Maybe he was proud." Din suggested
"I know he was. I didn't embarrass him in front of everyone." Bo-Katan said
"Your father sounds like an interesting man. I would've liked to have known him." Din mused.
"He was a great man. He died defending Mandalore." Bo-Katan admitted. Din suddenly stopped walking, causing me to pause alongside him.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I said softly to Bo-Katan. I know all too well what it's like to lose your father.
Din then bowed his head. "This is the way." He then started to walk forward again, though he didn't let go of my hand so I had to walk quickly beside him to keep up with his longer strides.
"Are you okay?" I asked him softly
"Yeah. I'm okay." Din replied in a similar tone. I nodded gently and squeezed his hand. I could hear Bo-Katan walking behind us as we descended down to the living waters.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The damp smell had increased tenfold as we approached the living waters. I could hear water sloshing softly as we walked to the end of the long dark corridor. A massive body of water was the first thing that my eyes fell upon. There was a large set of stairs that led down to the water and it was just as dark as the rest of the place.
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Across the Universe | D. Djarin
Fanfiction"I'll find you again. I Promise." Celeste always knew she was different, she just didn't know why. But when her parents where killed by the empire, she was sent on the run. Alone and in a large galaxy, Celeste turns to bounty hunting so she can sur...
