xix. victim of circumstance

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chapter nineteen - act one
VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE

chapter nineteen - act oneVICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE

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As the Razor Crest touches down upon the prison ship, the mismatched group of outlaws, minus zero, come together within the ship's hull once more. Eden drops down from the ladder leading out of the ship's cockpit, her muscles tensing as an onslaught of stares falls upon her. Ignoring the apprehension blossoming within her chest, she steps closer to Din, who is crouched down before an open hatch. She lingers just behind him, watching his back as he works at opening their pathway into the New Republic prison, a task which he quickly succeeds in.

All is silent as they stare upon the opening, the question of who is to enter first dwelling within their minds. Xi'an and Burg shift their gazes toward Mayfeld, expectantly awaiting him to make a move. Eden, picking up on their stares, turns to him, raising a single brow in his direction. Noticing the eyes that burn into him, an exasperated sigh escapes Mayfeld, a question rolling off his tongue, though he already knows the answer. "It's me?"

"Always you," Burg quips.

His eyes flickering over each of his temporary companions, Mayfeld begrudgingly crouches down before the hatch. Carefully manoeuvring himself over the opening, he lowers his upper body through it, his blaster pistol raised as he searches for any enemies. Seeing the coast is clear, he drops down entirely. With an airy giggle, Xi'an excitedly drops down next, hastily followed by Burg, leaving only Eden and Din within the Razor Crest.

Eden's foot moves a meagre centimetre before her action draws to a halt. Feeling her heart drawn away from the mission at hand, she turns her gaze longingly back at a small, closed compartment of the ship that she knew hid the child. Her hands' clench and her body falls stiff. The incident on Tatooine was a wound still fresh on her mind, and the notion of putting him within that same position haunted her every waking moment. Yet, she forced her eyes away from where the innocent creature remained, the only thought guiding her actions being that she was doing this job for the child.

Next, her eyes befall the visor upon Din's helmet; hoping to catch his eye. For a fleeting, yet blissful, moment, their stares intertwine, and for that short amount of time, the danger they are willfully skipping toward is lost within her mind. But, as all things do, it soon ends. Eden tears herself away, lowering herself to the hatch within the floor, preparing to enter the prison ship. She pauses before dropping down, turning her head vaguely back toward Din, a tiny, teasing smile hanging from her lips. "Stay safe."

"You too." Eden hears him mutter the two familiar words as she drops down into the unfamiliar prison ship. Stepping cautiously away from the opening, she raises her blaster, opting for long-ranged weapons in the fight that would inevitably come. Her focused eyes set solely upon what lies in front of her, she needn't turn back to know Din had dropped down also, the clanking of his metal armour telling her all she needed to know.

ÂME MORTELLE, din djarin Where stories live. Discover now