May The Way Be With You

"We All Gotta Sleep At Night."

We pull into the refinery, parking where we're told to. As we do, storm troopers are cheering that we made it. We then exit the truck, troopers clapping our backs. I'm so thankful I have the helmet on, so no one can see my expression of disgust as some cheer for the "Glory of the Empire". Mayfeld gathers us together, and tells us we need to find a terminal.

People are still cheering us, so Mayfeld nods and salutes everyone. I occasionally do the same, hoping to blend in. I don't like all this attention on us. Thankfully, it peeters off as we get to what Mayfeld calls the Officer's Mess Hall. He looks in, and I can see two officers at a table. There's a terminal right behind them. Din wishes him good luck and Mayfeld starts to enter the hall.

He stops right inside the door, and I feel fear and hatred wash over him. He backs out and comes back to us. He can't go in because of a Valin Hess. Mayfeld apparently served under him, and he's not taking any chances of being recognized. He tries to abort the mission, but Din tells him if we do, we lose Grogu forever.

"Tell me what to do, I'll go in." I tell him.

"You can't. Even if you don't have a bounty anymore, they know your face. For the terminal to work, it has to scan your face." He tells us. Dank ferrik! Din takes the data stick from Mayfeld, and walks into the mess hall. "The hell is he doing? It won't work with a helmet on!" Mayfeld whispers to me.

Din walks in, and when the Hess guy looks at him, Din gives him a salute. I hold on to Mayfeld's arm, watching Din. "Have you seen his face?" Mayfeld asks.

"Yes. Because I'm his wife. Immediate family are allowed to see faces." I whisper. Din walks up to the terminal, and starts using it. Super loudly, we hear the error in the facial scan since he's still wearing the helmet. Mayfeld groans he wasn't lying, and I debate what to do. I feel his conflict, then his resolve.

Suddenly, Din takes the helmet off. He uses the terminal before it can shut down. "Holy shit, he did it." Mayfeld whispers.

"He's conflicted. This goes against everything he's ever known, but it's for our son." I sigh. I can feel Hess is watching Din, and warn Mayfeld. He tells me to follow his lead if Hess gets up. A few moments later, he does, calling out to Din as "trooper." Din gets the data stick out, and I follow behind Mayfeld as we walk in.

Hess tells Din to pay attention when a superior addresses him, and asks for his destination. Din answers he's transport crew, and even I'm cringing. Hess asks for Din's TK number, and Din just blanks.

Thankfully, we get close enough for Mayfeld to use his fast talking skills. I don't know if he made up a number, or it was an old squadron member's number, but he gives a number and says Din is his commanding officer. He introduces himself with another number, then says I'm training under them, stating another number.

He then says Hess has to speak up to Din, after his vessel lost pressure someplace I don't care to listen to. Hess speaks up, asking Din's name, and I'm once again glad the helmet blocks my expressions. Might ask if I can make my own helmet to wear all the time, even if it isn't beskar.

"We just call him Brown Eyes, isn't that right officer?" Mayfeld states loudly, playing into the lie. Din nods, and I can feel how terrified he is right now. Mayfeld tries to get us away, but Hess says we weren't dismissed. We face him again, and Hess asks if we're the ones who delivered the rhydonium.

All three of us say "Yes, sir.", and I don't like how much this old ass bastard is staring at us. He tells us we're the only ones to deliver rhydonium today, and offers us a drink. None of us like it, but we sit at the table with Hess.

"Why are you still wearing your helmet, Trooper?" Hess asks me.

"Horrible disfigurement, sir. Trust me, you don't want to see it. I've made people lose their lunch." I tell him. I see Mayfeld's eye twitch, and hope I didn't just fuck up. However, Hess looks at me for a little longer, then shrugs as he grabs a bottle.