Vibrant Eyes | Din Djarin

10: movement

Din walked across the stretch of sand between the blurrg corral and the Ugnaught's home. The backdrop of the dessert behind him was a mixture of dusky blues, pale yellows, and light pinks. In the low light everything was cast in shadow and he approached the small, stooped figure feeding a blurrg.

He slowed to a halt just behind him. "I've run into some... problems."

"I figured as much. Why else would you return?"

The statement wasn't meant to be a jibe so Din didn't take it as one. "I wanna hire your services."

"I'm retired from service."

He needed his help. For the Child.

"I can pay you handsomely, Ugnaught," he lied, thinking of the embarrassingly low stack of credits back on the Razor Crest.

The Ugnaught turned to face him as the blurrg slurped loudly. "I have a name," he said. Maybe it'd been rude of Din to never inquire about it, especially since he returned to ask the creature for help. "It is Kuiil."

Din switched tactics. "I need someone to protect the little one, Kuiil."

"Do you not have that pale-eyed friend of yours for this?"

Din paused and shifted his weight. "Not so much."

Kuiil nodded to himself. "She is a strange one."

"She has her uses."

Why was he... defending her? If that was even what he was doing.

Then Kuiil shook his head, blinking yellow eyes. "Regardless, I'm not suited for such work." He turned back to the Blurrg. "I can reprogram IG-11 for nursing protocol."

His chest tightened at the thought of placing the Child in the care of the same droid that almost killed it. "No. I don't want that droid anywhere near him."

"Why're you so distrustful of droids?"

As Kuiil looked up at him, Din focused on him with incredulity. "It tried to kill him," he drawled.

"It was programmed to do so. Droids are not good or bad. They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them."

In an instant, he was remembering blaster fire. The burning of homes, the scent of burnt flesh, the screams all around. The dust that filled the air and the droids that filled their streets, killing them all off one by one.

The droids he saw just before his parents shoved him into hiding, and the knowledge that he'd gazed upon their death just before it occurred.

He spoke of none of this and would not tell even Kuiil why droids held such an impact on him. Why he didn't believe he would ever trust a single one. And certainly not this one.

"I've seen otherwise," he said instead.

Suddenly, the small creature stood taller and looked up at him. "Do you trust me?"

Din remained looking off into the setting skies, the pale tones and gentle beauty likely reflected in his visor. "From what I can tell," he said. Din looked down at Kuiil. "yes."

He certainly didn't trust easily but, even if he'd known his name for a matter of minutes, he felt he knew Kuiil more than he knew most. Even those of his younger days, like the Twi'lek siblings or any of the others he ran around with. And of the few he knew in his covert, he never felt he knew any of them as much.

So, maybe. Maybe he did trust him.

"Then you will trust my work." Kuiil seemed to square his shoulders when he looked up again. "IG-11 will join me."