"The place should be cleared out," Din said as the Razor Crest approached Arvala-7. "So we should be able to land right where I found him," Imogen nodded in acknowledgement, arms tightening around Ruu'Eva, who had tangled his little claws in her hair and was snoozing against her chest, as they entered the atmosphere.
Ruu'Eva's ears perked up when he saw out the viewport, and Imogen's brows furrowed, not sure what would have caused him to be so excited. He usually enjoyed watching them land, but all she saw were rolling sand dunes and rock planes. Nothing that would cause Ruu'Eva to crawl up Imogen's chest to try to get a better look... unless...
"Do you think he knows where we are?" Imogen asked, and Din's head tilted as he looked back at Imogen and Ruu'Eva. He could only glance for a moment, however, since they were quickly approaching the complex where Din had first found their foundling.
"He might," Din shrugged. "Womprat probably knows a lot more than we give him credit for," Imogen nodded, smiling down at Ruu'Eva.
"He is older than us," she giggled, placing a quick kiss on top of her green charge's wrinkly head. Ruu'Eva cooed up at her.
The compound truly was abandoned. Bodies were still scattered around the courtyard from Din's first visit, though their corpses had been picked clean, likely by Jawas or other scavengers. Ruu'Eva was in his pram which floated at Din's side, and Imogen had closed the lid once she caught sight of the bodies. She could feel Din giving her a look, so she shrugged.
"I know he's already seen this stuff, but I want to avoid it where we can," she explained to him, and her companion nodded, continuing to walk towards the building in the center of the compound. An awkward hole had been burnt through the door, and Imogen almost tripped as she stepped over the metal left on the bottom.
"Easy," Din cautioned as his hands reached out to brace her on her upper arms. She gave him a small smile, and he nodded, squeezing her arms once before letting go. Once she had her footing, Imogen opened the lid of the pram once more, and they were met with Ruu'Eva's loud babbling. He was pointing around, and he stood, looking over the lip of his pram. Imogen giggled, lifting him to her chest. She schooled her face for a moment and brought him right up to her face.
"Be careful," she warned, and Ruu'Eva cooed back at her, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks, and Imogen smiled brightly at her charge. She gently placed him on the floor, and he immediately began to toddle in the direction of some crates. "Where you going?" she asked, but Ruu'Eva ignored her, hoisting himself up onto a crate and then tugging aside a sheet. Din was still right next to Imogen, but he was looking around and didn't see what was revealed. "Din," Imogen muttered, her hand coming up to tug at his arm, and he turned with a grunt, about to ask what was up when he saw the book and small cube resting next to Ruu'Eva.
They approached the objects, and Imogen's face twisted into a frown when she saw the book more clearly.
"Can you read that?" she asked, pointing at the scribbles on the cover, and Din shook his head. She grabbed it and flipped through the pages, seeing more of the strange writing, and groaned. "I hope the translator can get this," she muttered, and Din sighed heavily, placing a hand on her shoulder as his other reached down to pick up the cube.
"I wouldn't count on it," he sighed, and Imogen nodded in defeat. Ruu'Eva squealed when Din picked up the cube, and both of their eyes widened as they looked down at him. Ruu'Eva gestured for the cube, and Din gently placed it in his outstretched claws. Imogen let out a gasp when the letters etched into one side of the cube began glowing. She tilted her head, trying to read it, and she was able to when Ruu'Eva's claws shifted away from it.
"Food," she read, and Ruu'Eva cooed excitedly. "Are you doing that?" she asked him, and his head nodded as he began bouncing himself. "You want food?" he nodded again, and Imogen looked up to Din with wide eyes. "This makes things so much easier," she muttered, and he said nothing but nodded in agreement. Imogen gently picked Ruu'Eva up and propped him on her hip with a smile. "Can I see this?" she asked, and Ruu'Eva handed her the cube. On each face was a different word: Food, Safe, Comfort, Fun, Move, and Place. She didn't understand what Ruu'Eva would be asking for with some of the words, but she figured that she would come to understand.
After she fed Ruu'Eva, Din climbed back onto the Crest with a sigh, dropping the book on a crate in the hull with a soft thud.
"Find anything?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"The cube and the book were it," he sighed, and Imogen mirrored it. Din's shoulders slumped, and Imogen stood, circling around so she stood behind him. Gently Imogen began undoing his armor, starting with his pauldrons. They stood in silence as Imogen gently helped him out of his armor, and as soon as he had been reduced to his clothing and helmet Din spun around and pulled her into his chest.
"I love you," he murmured as he thunked his forehead against the top of her head, and Imogen smiled, wrapping her short arms around his torso and squeezing.
"I love you too," she replied. "We'll figure this out," she said to him, and Din hummed.
