Vibrant Eyes | Din Djarin

14: loss.

One minute their target stepped to the side to answer a hologram.

The next, he was dead, and so were the stormtroopers in the room. Din ducked behind the wall on the right side of the window, Karga behind a pillar on the right as well, and Cara on the left side. When he peeked around the side of the wall and through the crumbled remains of the window, his breath hitched at the sight of a line of death troopers, guns still aimed inside.

They waited with bated breath to see what was happening. 

In moments, the death troopers were surrounded by legions of stormtroopers in clean, blinding armor. While the ones they'd seen so far wore armor that was stained, damaged, and worn, theirs was in pristine condition. The implications of it made his grip tighten on his blaster.

"Four stormtroopers?" asked Cara, leaning back behind the wall.

Soon enough the small square was filled with troopers with their rifles aimed at where they hid.

Cara glanced at him with a nervous smile. "This is bad."

Din silently agreed wholeheartedly and pulled the comlink from a pouch in his belt. "Kuiil? Are you back to the ship yet?" He paused, hoping to hear a sign of life. Any at all, and confirmation of their safety. "Are you there? Do you copy?"

"Yes!" Kuiil's voice crackled through.

Thank Maker.

"Are you back to the ship yet?"

"Not yet."

"Get back to the ship and bail. Get the kid out of here. We're pinned down!"

Though he didn't respond, Din trusted that he was doing his best to ensure its safety. And he just hoped that Kuiil knew how to fly. Or was competent enough to let autopilot take over.

Din kept the comlink in his hand hanging by his side, his blaster in the other, and the others squinted in the sun pouring through the open window. It was still and eerily silent for long, drawn-out moments as the wind blew through. Then there came the thrum of an approaching ship and they all peeked out to watch a TIE fighter land behind the ranks of troopers. 

In minutes a man was striding through the ranks, the dark black of his uniform stark against all the others' with a dark gray cape swaying around his ankles. He was the most imperial man Din had ever seen.

Then the man stopped at the front, face expressionless and posture unassuming. But there was something in the way he commanded those around him without a word and with such ease that made Din think he should fear him. That it was a wise thing to do. But, beside himself, although he did fear for the Child's life, as well as any of those that he brought into this, he could not bring himself to be afraid.

Wary, yes, but not afraid.

"You have something I want," the man said.

Cara darted back. "Who's this guy?"

Din didn't answer.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of," he continued. "But you do not."

Cara shot him another look.

Din brought the comlink back up to his helmet. "Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet? They're onto us. Kuiil, come in!"

The imperial's voice broke through. "In a few moments... it will be mine."

Din may not have feared the imperial, but he did fear for the safety of those he'd enlisted the help of. The Child most of all. Even Venus, as... helpless as she seemed. It was hard to at first, but he thought he was beginning to understand her to an extent.

Care for her enough to fear her getting killed.

"Kuiil! Do you copy? Kuiil!"

"It means more to me" The man's voice dropped into something that made his panic grow into a thriving thing under his skin. "than you will ever know."

"Kuiil? Are you there!? Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil, come in!" As his voice rose and his panic grew, the frantic looks from Cara and Karga grew more frequent. "Kuiil. Are you there!? Do you copy!? Kuiil! Kuiil!"

Din stopped trying and could only assume the worst, looking down at the comlink in his hand. If he was... then that probably meant that Venus was too. And what of the Child? Captured? Injured? But he forced it from his mind.

The best thing he could do then was focus on getting out of there intact and alive. It was all they could do.

"Is there another way out?" Cara asked.

"No, that's it," Karga replied, gesturing to the window.

Din looked around, thinking on it for a moment. Then an idea struck him. "What about the sewers?" he asked.

"Sewers?"

He didn't have time to hesitate, to question if he could trust these two. So, he said, "The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers. If we can get down there, they can help us escape."

Maybe he wouldn't have thought they'd be willing before. But after the last time they were on this planet and the support they offered; he was rethinking it. And could only hope that the rest of his covert would come to their aid.

"Yeah, sewers are good," Cara agreed. Her eyes widened with hope.

He turned on a scanner in the visor of his helmet. "Checking for access points."

As he dragged his gaze over the entirety of the room, Cara leaned forward and then back, watching the gathered troopers outside. But all remained still and silent. Din tried not to think about it, instead focusing on checking for that sewer entrance.

"What the hell are they waiting for?"

Something shifted in the crowd. Then there came the clattering of armor as more arrived.

"Hold up." Cara's voice held trepidation and... fear.

The sound of commotion, of metal and machinery, continued outside.

Cara sighed heavily. Panic quickened her words when she breathed, "They're setting up an E-Web."

Panic tried to shorten his breaths, but he wouldn't let it. Wouldn't allow it. Not when they had a chance to get out of here, to try and find the kid, to persevere beyond the odds as best they could. 

The others, however, felt differently.

Karga's tone was grave with finality. "It's over," he sighed hopelessly.

Was it really? Was this where it all ended?

Among the expanse of gray, the scanner began to pick up flickers of red beneath a bench by the wall. Hope flared up in his chest, beating back the panic.

"I found the sewer vent."

"Let's get the hell out of here."

He agreed wholeheartedly.