Never Again: Din Djarin

Back Again

"Where are we going now?" I questioned, my hand resting on Din's shoulder.

"Back to Nevarro," he said. "It's time to get the next job. Unless, of course, you don't want money for food, fuel, or supplies."

I slapped him playfully. "You know what I meant, I was just curious about our next destination."

"I'm just teasing. Where we go afterwards, all depends on the bounty," he replied. I smiled, imagining the mischievous look in his eye. 

"Have you ever thought of settling down somewhere?" I asked, out of nowhere.

He paused. "Tired of the nomad life already, Viv?"

I fiddled with one of my tools and shook my head. "No, I was just thinking about how you've never really had a home before, nowhere to go back to."

"I guess I've never really considered it, setting up roots," he said, looking at me. "Why, are you volunteering?" 

"Maybe. Where would we go?"

He swooped me up off the chair I was sitting on, supporting my back and legs with his strong arms. I giggled, holding his shoulders to steady myself so he didn't drop me. "Anywhere we want," he said. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't care, as long as I'm with you."

Din put me down and took hold of the controls. "Probably shouldn't have done that, I almost crashed the ship. I just got excited. What about... a house in the country."  

"Can we have a porch? I've always wanted a porch. And, a little garden with stone fences. And, a special room for all our gear. And, a big kitchen so I can cook."

Din brought us through the atmosphere of Nevarro and scoured a place for us to land. "Whatever you want, mesh'la. Whatever you want."

I glanced at him, confused. "Mesh'la? What does that mean?"

"It's Mando'a. It means 'beautiful'."  

The ship set down with a thud, and I blushed as I followed Din after he walked past me. We went outside, the volcanic ash rising from the imprints made by our footsteps. I tried to continue going forward, but Din stopped me.

"Something's not right," he said, handing me his blaster while raising his rifle. "The air... it's too still."

A voice rung out from the distance. "How perceptive, Din Djarin. You've fallen right into my trap." It was her, the woman who had captured me. I felt nervous and sick to my stomach. My hands began to shake as flashbacks from being on her ship filled my mind. She stood under the archway into the city, her red cape billowing in the soft breeze. Her forces came out from behind, guns elevated, running to block our path. We were surrounded.