CHAPTER XX: SACRIFICE

IG-11 directed the trio whilst they were in the sewers. There were various twists and turns, and Zakia couldn't discern exactly which way she had come. However, the droid seemed sure it could track Karga and Cara based on their bio-signals, and led his humans through the tunnels.

Din was quiet, as expected, as he draped his weight over Zakia's shoulders. She wasn't of much help, as their height difference made him slouch, but the droid assisted. Escaping the tavern had been one thing, but the Imperials would be after them. Now Zakia had confirmation the Mandalorians had used the sewer to move about Nevarro, it was their only hope. Again, Din wasn't of much use on that front, as the bacta was still incubating in his wounds and the Mandalorian didn't do anything besides trudge on beside her. They had replaced his helmet upon entry into the tunnels, but it felt different. No longer was it concealing Din's face and eyes. It held his secret- their secret- and Zakia understood.

"Your vital signs are improving." The droid monotoned as they moved, still a distance behind Karga and Cara.

A sound that was suspiciously similar to a snort slipped beneath the modulator. "Marvelous."

Zakia smiled at the sound of his voice, tightening her hold on the Mandalorian. Din squeezed her hip where his arm rested, and she turned the grin onto him. "How you doin'?"

Din's helmet bobbed up and down, distinct from the jarring of IG-11's movements. "Better as we move."

Zakia tucked herself closer and nodded. "Good. Cara can't be much further ahead."

IG continued to direct them through the concrete maze, cylindrical head spinning to scan the ground. It was focused on the concrete floor, and apparently too much as its leg crashed into an abandoned toolbox at the closest corner.

"Oh. Proximity sensor failure." IG-11 reported aloud.

"Hunk of junk." Zakia muttered.

They rounded said corner, and all froze upon seeing a flashlight beam. Zakia had her pistols pulled in seconds, allowing the droid to take Din's weight. But as their light changed, Zakia dropped the guns and sighed.

Cara came jogging towards them, a smile breaking across her face. She clasped Zakia's shoulder and looked into Din's visor, handing off the Child to IG-11 with little hesitance. Greef was close behind her, also looking relieved at their appearance. She took Din's other side, slanting some of his weight off of Zakia's shoulders.

No time to waste, they continued to press on through the tunnels. As speech was forgone, their footsteps echoed around the walls and back into their own ears. Time stretched on in what seemed to be endless loops as they traversed the concrete maze.

"Do you know which way to go?" Greef asked as they entered another junction. This one had three options- the way they'd come, and two paths splitting off on either side of them.

"No." Din's voice had grown more steady since Zakia had heard it. "I don't know these tunnels, I've only entered from the bazaar."

Zakia tried to keep the concern from her expression as it weighed on her mind. If Din didn't know the way to the covert, they would doubtlessly end up right back in Imperial clutches. There was only so many turns they could keep track of, and Zakia would not be shocked to end up right back where they had started.

"Well, if we get the smell of sulfur and we follow it, it'll lead us up to the plains where the river flows." Karga suggested.

The beam of Din's helmet light wavered as he shook his head. "And the Imps will catch us before we make it to the ship. We need the Mandalorians to escort us to safety."

Zakia's only comfort was the lessening pressure of Din's arm around her shoulders. Every few meters he would ease up, putting more pressure back on his own feet and keeping his head more square on his shoulders. It was only a matter of time before he stopped her and Cara, weakly digging his heels into the ground.

"Ugh, this place is a maze." Cara growled when they slowed, pointing a handheld light down either of the available paths.

"Stop." Din held out his arms, and Zakia stepped back. "I can stand."

"The bacta infusion is working." IG-11 stated, and Zakia was sure she had never felt so grateful to be in the droid's presence. The Child hadn't made a single noise of discomfort in the bot's presence, reaffirming his stance as a proper caretaker.

"Can you check for tracks?" Zakia asked Din, motioning vaguely to her head in a poor imitation of his helmet. She followed by swinging the rifle from her shoulder, holding it loosely in a ready position.

"I'm about to." Din nodded, keying something into his bracer to activate the reconnaissance features.

Zakia watched his viewfinder sweep across the ground, and pause when he apparently spotted something of interest. Din pointed at whatever it was, taking a few steps forward. "We're close."

It was then he took the lead, boots moving soundly across the ground. Zakia took long strides to keep pace with him. There was an unspoken sort of connection after their less-than-world-shattering reveal only minutes ago. Nothing had come raining down on them and nothing had threatened Din's creed. But the implications of their actions were apparent to both parties, and it seemed to hold them together like magnets. Zakia and the Mandalorian, since engaging in an intimate relationship, had always shared a connection in regards to movements and body language. It was necessary when one person's expressions were not visible to the other. Body language and movement cues had to be taken to work together. Though now it seemed to be purely sensory- Zakia could predict his every move and sense his emotion better than ever before. She had a face to go with a voice, lips to go with unseen kisses, and eyes to go with the empty stares from his helmet. Maybe it was just her emotions running on high and simply on fumes, put to the ultimate test in the past cycle. Or perhaps it was the start of something new.

"Turn here." Din's command was a bit broken still, but it returned Zakia to her present self, tightening the grip she had on her rifle.

The group took a hard left turn into a section of tunnels, and the floor began to change. It morphed from concrete into slatted metal grates, and the pats of their footsteps grew metallic. Din was still in the lead with Zakia and Cara flanking him, followed by Karga and IG-11. She could only assume they were drawing near, and Din's pace sped up as he grew more confident in his turns. His last led them to a long stretch of straight hallway, floor indented in the middle for drainage with raised edges.

Zakia shined the light on her scope around, soaking in the sight of overturned tables and discarded chairs. She furrowed her brow as an eerie feeling crept down her spine, and she let out a muffled yelp as her foot slipped on a large object in its path.

"Ouch, damn it- oh no." She swallowed as her rifle illuminated the ground, pushing down the bile which bit at her throat.

The object at her feet was a helmet. A Mandalorian helmet. And if her memory served her right, which she was sure it did, they were not fond of removing said helmets.

Timidly, Zakia lifted a hand to Din's arm, not able to tear her gaze away from the haunting sight on the floor. Her fingers were immediately brushed away, and it drew her attention from the helmet to her partner.

"No…" Zakia stepped to his side, purposefully avoiding contact.

Piled in front of them, was what remained of the Mandalorian Covert.

There was a waist-high pile of armor, with all pieces from shin guards to pauldrons and helmets in varying sizes. A particularly terrifying display sat on the front- a single helmet staring back at the group. Zakia turned back to Cara, trying not to engage Din as he switched the light on his helmet off.

Cara and Greef seemed as shocked as she was, and offered no help as to next moves. Zakia turned back to Din, reaching out a hand. "Din.."

He waved her off, stepping closer to the pile of beskar. Zakia's hand fell back to her side, and she kept distance between them to let him breathe. Though they had been through a lot in the recent hours, she knew he would rather have space than pity.

The Mandalorian lowered himself to a knee, lifting the single helmet Zakia had been watching out of the pile. He examined it closely, turning the metal over in his hands. It was in desperate need of a polish from an owner who was no longer.

Cara took the silent moment to tap Zakia's arm. "Let me."

Her voice was low, and Zakia hated what she was intoning, but nodded anyway. There was no need for Zakia to be the one to encourage his leave, but they had to keep moving if the covert was no longer.

"We should go." Cara had approached Din carefully, hovering over his right shoulder while staying apart from him.

"You two go. Take the ship. I can't leave it this way."

All of the sadness Zakia had felt when in the presence of the remains dulled at Din's words, and she stepped forward without thinking. "You're not starting this again."

"And you are not arguing the point this time! These are my people!"

Din's anger surprised Zakia, and she recoiled. Her jaw snapped shut, and she bit down on her tongue to rein in tears.

"Did you know about this?" Din was demanding, this time from Karga. "Is this the work of your bounty hunters?"

Zakia watched from her position, brain struggling to decide between anger and pity. Right then, it was leaning towards the former. She knew Din's irrational behavior was only from sorrow, but the aggressiveness of his words was unwarranted.

"No." Karga's response was instant, and Zakia had zero doubt in regards to the truthfulness of it.

She knew the types that hunted, and they could care less about internal and political conflict. They wanted credits, and they wanted out. That was it. Her and Din had been prime examples for years, and the Mandalorian knew it full well.

"When you two left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended. The hunters just melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries. They're not zealots!"

Back on his feet now, Din spun to Greef. "Did you do this? Did you?"

Zakia pushed herself in front of Din, preventing him from getting close to Karga. As much as it burned her to be on the opposite side of her partner for once, she couldn't allow emotions to cloud his normally stellar judgement.

"Mando, stop. I know how you must feel right now, but you know that Karga is right about this!" Zakia imagined to deep chocolate eyes she had seen in the burning tavern, alight with rage and grief at seeing his people destroyed.

"You need to get out of my way." Din growled, hands balling into fists at his sides. "I know he-"

"It was not his fault."

Cara reached for her blaster, and Zakia tensed. The voice was unfamiliar, but familiar in its tone and sound. It was being projected through a modulator, and the thought made both women relax as they turned. Din had been at ease throughout the length of her appearance, and Zakia took it as a sign the woman was friendly.

Upon laying eyes on her, Zakia realized why. She was glad in a red-tone cuirass and heavy-duty tunic-type garment that reached just above her knees. A fur shawl was visible behind her shoulders, and her helmet was gleaming gold with small spikes at the crown of her head.

"We revealed ourselves. We knew what could happen if we left the covert. The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter." The female Mandalorian motioned to the pile their rag-tag group had been observing. "This is what resulted."

"Did any survive?" Din inquired, putting his back fully to Karga as the adrenaline from his one-sided confrontation wore thin.

"I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world." She answered.

Zakia was entranced at the sound of her smooth voice. It was firm yet delicate, never hesitant and yet never harsh. She sounded like a leader. Din had mentioned that the Mandalorians were a matriarchal people, and wondered if this woman had been in charge of his tribe.

"Come with us." Din proposed to her, helmet tipping down in what Zakia took as a sign of respect.

"No." The answer was short and curt, leaving no room for argument. "I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains."

After loading several pieces of armor onto a hovercart, the Matriarch began to push it down the hall she had appeared from. Din followed behind, and the remaining three humans swapped looks. As much as it probably should have been a private moment, they all followed. It was not worth splitting up this far in.

They followed the Mandalorian woman down a winding tunnel, eventually ending in a circular cavern. A massive forge took up most of the center, hot blue flame shooting up from several heating units around the circular melting pot. The temperature within the room had climbed significantly, increasing by a substantial amount as their newest friend began lowering additional pieces to the forge.

"Show me the one whose safety deemed such destruction."

Zakia's eyes flickered from the woman to Din and then to the bundle still carried by IG-11. The droid stepped up at her command, and Din moved forward to be near the Child. "This is the one."

"This is the one that you hunted, then saved?" The woman asked.

So Din had told her this story. Zakia imagined he spent time in this very room so the woman could craft his new armor after the Child's capture, so the story of how he wound up with so much beskar was bound to come up.

"Yes. The one that saved me as well." Din added.

"From the Mudhorn?"

"Yes." Din's answers to the woman were prompt.

"It looks helpless." She then tilted her helmet back to Din. "You had more help with the Mudhorn than simply this Child, is that correct?"

Zakia tensed. She had shot the Mudhorn after the Child had levitated it off the ground.

"Yes."

The Matriarch then turned towards Zakia, approaching her with purpose that the blonde found momentarily intimidating. She spoke something in Mando'a, to which Din replied quickly.

"You must be Zakia." The woman spoke in a lighter tone than normal, with something nearing fondness in her voice.

"Yes ma'am." She answered, dipping her head in respect. "It's an honor to meet you."

"As it is to meet you. Din Djarin tells me you are a great warrior."

Zakia smiled, if only a little. "I hope so. I do the best I can so we work well together."

"Good. I am always glad to make the acquaintance of a great warrior."

She returned to the furnace then, redirecting her attention to Din. "Tell me about this Child."

"It is injured but it is not helpless." Din's voice was growing more urgent as moments ticked by. "Its species can move objects with its mind."

Zakia took a step to the IG, reaching a hand up to brush across the Child's ear. It cooed happily at her as the Mandalorians continued to converse.

"I know of such things." The Matriarch explained to Din, busying herself at the forge. "The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers."

Rotating away from the kid, Zakia caught Cara's curious eyes. The woman's words were no comforting in the least.

"It is an enemy?" Din pressed, shoulders squaring. His helmet remained fixed on his leader, but Zakia imagined his eyes searching out the Child.

"No. Its kind were enemies, but this individual is not."

"What is it?" Din's voice was growing more rushed as the woman kept a steady pace in her work.

"It is a foundling." She emphasized the last word, hanging weight on custom that was dreadfully important to Mandalorian culture. "By Creed, it is in your care."

Air rushed from Zakia's lungs when the realization that the Child was actually theirs. That was, by the Mandalorian's decree, anyway.

"You wish me to train this thing?"

The female Mandalorian who was digging through a cabinet at that moment turned to him. "It is too weak. It would die."

Zakia's heart skipped a beat at the statement, reaching out once again to the kid.

"You have no choice. You must reunite it with its own kind."

As much as they hadn't acknowledged it, the Child's species had been a mystery. Zakia had seen quite a range of beings in her time, but nothing as small as this one, or that aged as slowly.

"Where?"

Din's question subverted Zakia's own, making another fair point. They had no idea what it was, let alone where to find its kind.

"This you must determine."

"You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of this creature and deliver it to a race of enemy sorcerers?"

The Matriarch answered him simply: "This is the Way."

Continuing with her smith's work, the woman turned back to her workbench. Cara finally stepped forward, gesturing urgently at the door. "Hey. These tunnels will be lousy with Imps in a matter of minutes. We should at least discuss an escape plan."

"If you follow the descending tunnel, it will lead you to the underground river. It flows downstream towards the lava flats."

Zakia was eternally thankful for the Matriarch's words, unable to vocalize her own concerns. Din's flippant behavior when they had arrived at the covert was not unwarranted, but it felt like an angry open wound on her mind.

"I think we should go." Karga agreed, checking the doorway for any signs of intruders.

"I'm staying. I need to help her, and I need to heal." Din was back to his previous ways, and Zakia shouldered her rifle.

"How hard did you hit your head?" She demanded. "Why are you so dead set on killing yourself today?"

"Enough, Zakia!" The same tone he had taken on in the tunnel returned, and Zakia approached him until they were inches apart. She poked a single finger into his cuirass.

"So much for partners."

Zakia stepped back, making her way to the other side of Greef and momentarily doting over the Child.

"She is right." The blacksmith didn't turn away from her work, but had obviously caught their exchange. "You must go. A foundling is in your care. By Creed, until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father."

If steam hadn't been rolling from Zakia's ears, the glances tossed between Cara and Greef would have been comical.

"This is the Way." She went about her business once again, calm as if the Imps weren't bearing down on them. "You have earned your signet."

Sparks flew from Din's pauldron when the woman approached and began etching into the metal. Zakia had to squint, unwilling to have welder's flash from watching. When the smoke cleared, a mudhorn skull was visible on his shoulders, marking his armor permanently.

"A clan of two. Maybe even three, as I see it." It sounded as if the Matriarch was smiling, but the steel betrayed nothing.

Din's head tilted towards her. "I've done something-"

"What you have done out of necessity is irrelevant in such perilous times." The woman looked at Zakia, and then back to Din. "It is the Way."

Zakia swallowed as Din thanked her. Though it was apparent she knew something had occurred, it seemed more important that they uphold the Creed's dedication to foundlings and protect the Child. Which was a promise that Zakia could stand behind.

They were gearing up to exit when the sound of muffled explosions reverberated through the tunnels. Zakia was closest to the door apart from the IG, and stuck her head outside. Dust was rolling down the outermost hallway, and the sound of footsteps was becoming more clear.

"IG, please guard the outer hallway." The Matriarch instructed. "A scouting party draws near."

The droid made a full circle turn to hand the baby to Zakia, promptly making his exit from the room. The Child smiled up at her, and the blonde tried her best to return the gesture. She kept an eye on the outer hall, only turning back when the Matriarch lifted a large device from one of the tables.

"Is that a jetpack?" Zakia muttered, only loud enough for Cara.

The shock-trooper leaned in. "I think that's an affirmative."

"When you have healed, you will begin your drills. Until you know it, it will not listen to your commands." The woman held the item confidently, though her tone implied she knew he wouldn't be waiting long.

"I understand."

It was then that blaster flashed became apparent, and Zakia moved away from the door with the child. They watched carefully as all the noise died down, and IG-11 reappeared in the hall.

"You are protected."

It took an unnecessary amount of urging on the Matriarch's part to get Din in a willing position to leave. He restocked his gunbelt and bandolier, wordlessly holding rifle cartridges to Zakia. He didn't look at her and didn't make a sound, but she took them regardless. Zakia made her exit with Cara and Greef, all jogging down in the direction they were told.

Climbing temperatures indicated they were moving in the right direction, and Zakia smelled the lava river before she spotted it. The molten sludge was moving at a sluggish pace, and the only option to traverse the deadly river was a boat that had been long adhered to the side of the wall. The ferry droid was inoperable as well.

After a brief spat about their best option, Karga and Din set to pushing the craft away from the wall to get it moving with the current. When it proved futile, Cara sighed. She pulled the repeating blaster off her shoulder and ordered the men out of her way.

"Smart." Zakia winked at Cara as she began blasting apart the solid rock formation holding their only means of escape.

Freed shortly thereafter, everyone loaded onto the boat. Zakia handed the Child to IG-11 and allowed it to cross safely in the droid's hold. Din and her only remained, and the Mandalorian hauled himself in. He held out a hand, but Zakia batted it away as he had to her earlied.

"I've got it." She crossed the small gap and settled herself near Greef at the front of the gondola.

Zakia had just readjusted her rifle when a whirring came from the back of the ship, and the R2 model ferry droid fired up. It beeped and screeched, breaking free from its rocky captivity to reveal man-made limbs for paddling about. It was by far the strangest R2 Zakia had ever encountered, eliciting nothing more than inquisitive stares from the group.

"I don't suppose anyone here speaks droid?"

"I believe he is asking where we would like to go." IG-11 informed simply.

"Down river. To the lava flats." Karga ordered.

The droid beeped happily and began paddling them towards their destination. The ride was unbearably hot, and only the bravest creatures came near the molten river banks. Everyone remained quiet, ears searching for hostile sounds and eyes peeled for enemies. Eventually, the light of day was visible a hundred meters down the tunnel. Karga stood, pointing towards the white glow.

"That's it! We're free!"

Zakia felt a smile tug at her lips, and she stood as well. Swinging her rifle down, she glanced through the scope. It appeared safe, and she turned on thermal to check for obstacles before declaring them free.

"No. We're not." She lowered the gun. "Stormtroopers are on either side of the tunnel. It looks like a whole platoon."

"They must know we're coming." Din supplied, tapping into his own bracer to survey the situation.

Zakia kept an eye on their enemies as Cara ordered the ferry droid to stop. It ignored the order, and kept on rowing towards the exit. Everyone grew tense, and their journey only slowed when Cara used her blaster to blow the head from the droid's body. However, the boat still moved with the current.

"We have to fight." Cara stepped closer to the boat's bow, and Zakia reached up to take the Child from IG-11.

"There are too many." Din proclaimed.

"Then what do you suggest? Because I can't surrender." Cara was speaking, but Zakia was more interested in IG-11 careful examination of the conversation.

Their robotic companion seemed to dart back and forth, and cut into the conversation. "They will not be satisfied with anything less than the Child. This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy, and you will escape."

"No. You don't have that kind of firepower, pal." Din looked at the droid, voice rising an octave as he spoke. "You wouldn't even get to daylight."

Zakia thought back to their initial capture of the Child as warning bells began ringing in her brain.

"He was trying to opt out when we got pinned." Din told her, striding towards the downed droid and helping pull to its feet. "You know, you're not so bad. For a droid."

"Agreed."

"What are you talking about?"

Shaking the memory from the forefront of her mind, Zakia watched the droid.

"I am not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed." IG said.

Not understanding the point, Greef interjected. "Are we gonna keep talking, or get out of here?"

"I can no longer carry this for you." IG-11 handed Din the jetpack he'd been gifted. "Zakia has taken possession of the Child, for I can no longer."

Din tried to delay the IG's decision in vain, and the robot sounded as exasperated as someone without a brain could.

"Sadly, there is no scenario in which the Child is saved that I survive."

Zakia forced her stomach to refrain from flopping, distracting herself by smoothing a hand over the Child's head. It only squeaked, and the emotions he picked up on were taking an effect. Zakia did her best to remain stoic in his presence, unwilling to shed her concerns into his innocent mind.

"I'm not sad."

"Yes you are. I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice." IG-11 looked to Zakia, almostly at the Child, and then proceeded to do what Din had been putting off.

He stepped into the lava, disembarking from their boat and striding confidently down the river. Zakia watched, making sure the baby was turned away. She kept her head snuggled close to him though, fighting back the sadness that wriggled into her gut. IG-11 had saved them from the Imps, and the impression was not a small one.

At the mouth of the tunnel, IG was sparking and twitching. They were too far in to hear his words, but close enough that the force of his self-destruct explosion sent Zakia's hair blowing in a warm gush of wind. She ducked her face into her elbow to avoid any debris, and made sure the Child was covered.

When she looked up, IG was gone. No one spoke, only began readying their weapons in case of stragglers. Zakia imagined there may be a few, but IG's explosion had been impressive enough that she would be far from surprised if there weren't any.

The gondola crept out of the tunnel, and everyone aboard was ready for an attack. Zakia swept her scope around the small peaks, seeing nothing but singed armor and white uniforms. The Child chirped, but the sound was drowned out as a louder and familiar sound approached.

Engines whirred, and Zakia had to squint against the bright sun to fully make out the TIE-fighter rushing them.

"Moff Gideon!" Cara exclaimed, raising her repeating blaster.

Zakia aimed her pistols as well, opting to sling the rifle. She set the Child at her feet, and the group exchanged fire with Gideon as he swept by. None of the TIE's blasts made contact with them, but the group took it as it was- a warning. Karga encouraged the baby to use his abilities, but the order was lost on its tiny mind.

"I'm out of ideas."

"I'm not." Din grabbed the jetpack from the boat's floor, hauling it over his shoulder and attaching it to the rear of his cuirass.

"Here he comes!" Cara called, prepping everyone for the second round of fire.

Din pressed various buttons on his vambrace, and Zakia watched. Anger still simmering, she didn't move to do anything but speak.

"Don't get yourself killed."

A curt nod returned her, and the Mandalorian's newest accessory began to fire up. The lift off sequence was similar to that of Paz, who had picked Zakia up during their initial raid on the Imperial hideout. Din stood still on the boat as Gideon approached, but launched into the air as soon as he passed again.

He shot straight up, overtop of the TIE-fighter. A grapple shot from his gauntlets, and Zakia winced as they disappeared behind the peaks surrounding the tunnel.

""Damn." She muttered.

Everyone on the ground did their best to follow the skyward action, but it was impossible to know exactly what was happening. Moff Gideon soared above the clouds and then dove, and swerved in between mountain peaks. Din was only visible in short stretches, obviously fighting to damage the craft.

"Come on…" She muttered, scrambling out of the boat and onto solid ground. Zakia tried to watch as the TIE-fight swept into her view, this time with a smoking wing and fiery engine. It was hurtling towards the ground, and Zakia's breath hitched as it made impact moments later. She scoured the sky, and eventually caught sight of a black dot, growing larger as it neared the ground.

"Din, I swear…" Zakia trailed off as his descent slowed abruptly, courtesy of the jetpack. He flailed as he neared the ground, making a relatively stable landing a few meters away.

About to move forward, Cara tapped her on the shoulder. "Let me." She motioned towards the Child, and Zakia thanked her quietly as she passed him off.

Their reunion was slow-going, with Zakia stepping forward slyly, hands on her hips. "You're still alive."

"I'm sorry." Din sighed, holding an arm out. His posture was exhausted, and his helmet hung on his shoulders.

Zakia smiled, stepping forward to allow his arm to fall around her. He smelled of fire and smoke, but as long as he was alive, she could live with it. "Don't ever talk like that again. I know it was hard, and I'm sorry."

Din only nodded, retreating a step when Karga and Cara made a strategically late entrance to the gathering.

"That was impressive, Mando. Very impressive." Greef said with a smile. "It looks like your Guild rates have just gone up."

All business, the Mandalorian spoke. "Anymore Stormtroopers?"

Cara assured him they were gone, as well as revealing her plan to stay in town a while. Zakia smiled at her, grinning when the Child squeaked up at the Mandalorian. Cara lowered the baby to the ground, allowing him freedom while Din questioned her on her choice.

"Well why not? Nevarro is a very fine planet, and now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it's very respectable again." Karga intervened on Din's apparent opposition.

"For bounty hunters?" Zakia inquired, smoothing her wild hair away from her face.

"Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters." Greef protested. "And perhaps this specimen of soldier would consider joining our ranks."

Cara snorted at that, reaffirming her concerns regarding her chain code. They continued bantering for a moment, and Zakia actually felt content for the first time in a long while. Adrenaline still raced through her veins, but it was wearing thin.

Din's helmet tilted down abruptly, and Zakia followed it to the Child. The creature was pawing at Din's leg, holding tiny hands up in a universal gesture. Din knelt and acquiesced the kid, and Zakia leaned into his shoulder.

"Of course, you two will be welcome back into the Guild with open arms. So go off, enjoy yourselves. When you're ready to return, I will give you both the pick of all quarries."

As long as the Child squirmed happily in his arms and Zakia was pressed against his side, Din was unconcerned with the Guild. They needed to recover. To rebuild connections that had been broken, and explore new ones.

"I'm afraid I have more pressing matters at hand."

Burying Kuiil before embarking on their adventure had Zakia in tears.

Adrenaline wore off, she was raw from running and her body was tired. She sat limply in the pilot's seat, waiting for Din to return from laying the Child down. Zakia thought about the Ugnaught's contributions to their lives, and how they would be somewhere completely different with out his help. Comfort engulfed her at the thought that he died with honor, defending something precious from the system that had wronged him earlier.

"How are you?"

Zakia snapped to attention, peeling her eyes from the windscreen as they exited Nevarro's atmosphere. Din stood in the rear of the cockpit, hands hung limply at his sides. The jetpack was still fastened onto his back, and his cloak hung at an odd angle.

"I'm okay. Just thinking about Kuiil."

"He died with honor." Din took a few steps towards the pilot's chair, kneeling down so he was even with his partner.

"I know." Zakia let out a long exhale. "But it's over."

"That it is." The Mandalorian dipped his head, and Zakia swore she could hear the debate raging in his head. "Zakia, the reason I wanted to stay-"

She reached a hand out to his cuirass, fingers wrapping around the top of the metal and squeezing.

"Stop. I don't want to do this right now." Zakia spun the chair until she faced him fully.

Din placed his hands on her knees, leaning his helmet against her abdomen as she perched on the end of the chair. Zakia's hands slid over his shoulders and held tight, fingers worming their way through his cowl. The tips of her digits traced the sharp line of his helmet, and Din lifted his head.

"Go ahead."

Zakia swallowed, removing the beskar as she had in the burning building. The golden brown skin of his neck was visible first, followed by the dark swath of hair on his head. Her eyes found his after a few moments, both sets wet and wide in the dim cabin. It was lit only by starlight as they floated through space.

"I love you." Zakia murmurmed, ducking her head to place a kiss in his hair.

Din didn't answer her verbally, but the response would have been unnecessary. He tucked his head back against her abdomen, arms lifting to encircle her waist. Zakia didn't mention the way his shoulders shook once his eyes were concealed, and she didn't hesitant to stroke her fingers through his dirty hair.

"You are the most amazing person I've ever met." Zakia whispered, "And I wouldn't trade all of this for anything in the galaxy."

Din huffed against her stomach, and Zakia kissed his head once again. "Nothing in the galaxy?" His voice was muffled in her clothes.

"Nothing. Unless you find something more amazing than yourself." Zakia chuckled. "But a warm beach and a strong drink sounds great right about now."

"You can have anything you want."

Din lifted his head to smile at her, and Zakia's heart raced. A smile pushed the tissue of her scar aside, and she was elated at the thought of relaxation. The Mandalorian- now so vulnerable and quiet without armor- tapped the Navicomputer until it beeped.

And when they entered hyperspace, their fear stayed behind.

Thank you all SO MUCH for reading and keeping up throughout the canon part of this story! I might continue with some one-shots and short pieces in a second part/continuation of this when I have time, but I have some projects coming up that take priority :) Writing this for all of you has been an absolute treat, and if you have any ideas for one-shots or any adventures you would like to see our couple embark on, leave them in the comments and I'll try and get around to it. I read each and every one of them, and they continue to make my day. Thank you all, and keep an eye out for a second piece to this collection.

Hugs and love 3

-MoonlitDesertDreams