Vibrant Eyes | Din Djarin

13: and

Greef Karga slowed to a halt just before a rocky outcrop overlooking the city in the distance. "I guess this is it," he sighed.

Then he whirled around and fired his twin blasters. Din and Cara had their own aimed at him in an instant, watching as he raised them in surrender before tucking them back into their holsters. As if he wasn't flanked by two highly trained individuals with their blasters focused on him (it, to his regret, reminded him of someone), he walked between them to the bodies of his bounty hunters.

After he kicked over a body to show the blaster in its hand, kicking that away too, he explained the original plan before the kid saved his life.

With their blasters aimed on him all the while, they allowed him to explain it all. Cara was more than willing to kill him and leave but, after urging from Kuiil to listen to the man, Din came up with a plan of his own. 

Safe to say, Cara wasn't as willing to lower her weapon and go along with this turn of events.

As Din handed over his blaster for Karga to slip him later after they brought him to the man they planned to kill, she said, "This is insane."

Okay, so maybe he and Karga were a little buddy-buddy after everything. But the man had suddenly gained the benefit of the doubt from him. And he seemed more than eager to go along with this new plan.

He turned to her. "It's the only way."

"Well, I'm coming with you," she declared, tucking away her blaster.

Karga raised his hand in protest. "No no no. That would make them suspicious."

Cara's smirk dropped and she leaned forward. "I don't care. I'm coming."

Din said, "Tell them she caught me."

"Fine. Then she can bring the child."

Din froze at the thought of endangering it like that. What he'd been planning originally had been bad enough but this was so much worse. He couldn't risk it like that. Certainly not after already walking into this dangerous situation as is.

"No," he shut down, tone unyielding. "The kid goes back in the ship."

"But without the child, none of this works!"

"I have a plan." He turned to Kuiil. "Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with the child and seal yourself in with Venus. When you're in, engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors and she can fight, if she needs to."

Or so she'd said, once. He hoped beyond hope that it was true.

Kuiil nodded and strode forward to hand him something. "Here's a comlink. We will keep the child safe."

The older creature stepped away, but not before telling Cara to cover her stripes. She nodded at him. Din watched the short exchange and reached to the back of his belt for the thick metal cuffs he kept on him for bounties.

"Let's go."

Karga secured them around his wrists with enough leeway to slip out when the time arose, Kuiil took the child from the pram, Cara wrapped a piece of black fabric around her tattoo, and they began the walk to Nevarro.

At first, the walk was silent. 

Din could only think about how long it would take Kuiil to reach the Razor Crest. And how uncomfortable he was in those cuffs. This aspect of his plan had to be his least favorite. Once he even tripped and Cara had to yank him up by the arm to help him catch his balance.

Then Karga hummed to himself. "There's another with you?"

"Yes."

"A woman?"

Din paused. "Yes."

Karga glanced around him to address Cara as well. "Is she his lady love or something?"

His—his what?

Din nearly screeched to a halt, turning to face the man head on. That now-familiar heat creeping up the back of his neck was joined by an unfamiliar kind on his ears. Like the accusation burned them to hear or something.

Cara laughed suddenly. "Maker, no. Ira?" 

She laughed again.

The heat under his skin only intensified.

Karga raised his eyebrows at him. "No?"

Din shook his head. "No," he said, much calmer than he felt.

What would Venus even be like as a lover?

Incredibly pervasive, certainly. Violating as hell, no doubt. Confusing, definitely. Infuriating and absent, maybe useless. Maybe warm and kind. Considerate, even, if one saw past the cloud that encroached her every action. And judging by that pain he knew he hadn't imagined, he would find understanding in her. She would certainly keep things fresh, every day its own adventure with riddles and rhymes.

As a lover, maybe she actually wouldn't be—

Wait. 

What. 

What?

Karga smiled idly, as if he was privy to the spiral of his thoughts. As if he could see the things Venus could. The way she seemed to see all of him within a moment of meeting. Maker, he really hoped she wouldn't ever see any of that. Ever.

They continued onward. "Then who is she?"

Cara scoffed. "Everything but helpful."

Din nodded absentmindedly. "She's..."

Gentle. Kind. Infuriating. Confusing. The cosmos in a person.

What?

"Not right in the head," Cara finished.

"In what way?"

"She's just not all there."

Din huffed. "I can't figure her out."

"She's also just really confusing."

Karga hummed. "I have to meet this woman, now."

They grew closer to the entrance into the city.

"Later," Din said.

He also wasn't sure if he'd actually allow that if he could help it. And he still didn't know why.