I'll Do The Same { Din Djarin x OC}

Chapter Twenty Five: Snowfall

Her mother's smile flashed in her mind, and something inside Thell snapped. She leapt forward, throwing herself into Theldar and digging her nails into his shoulders. She bowled him over, kicking out with her back legs to try and disarm him. But he was quick, knowing every move she would make because he had trained her himself. He reached up and twisted her arm behind her back, making Thell scream in pain as he tossed her to the side. Her back slammed against the dirt, rocks digging into her spine and crushing her hand behind her back as snow fell in her face. She clawed blindly, Theldar's movements too quick for her as suddenly his hand enclosed around her throat. He didn't squeeze immediately, instead holding her there with that same crazed look in his eyes as she struggled and squirmed beneath him. When their eyes locked, that's when he squeezed, applying more and more pressure until Thell felt herself getting light headed.

She could hear Theldar's voice, just faintly. "You're going to kill him, now, or I'll put this blaster straight through your head, and you'll never find your precious kid."

Releasing the grip on her throat, he shoved her to sit up, whirling her around and keeping a tight grip on her wrists as Thell coughed, trying to breathe normally again. She could see spots as she kneeled in the same spot from earlier, the rifle being shoved into her hands. In the process, she clicked the commlink on her wrist, making her location and voice known to Din. He could listen in, but it wouldn't let him speak through, and that's all Thell needed. She just hoped the man hadn't seen.

"Why not just kill him with the rifle yourself?" She croaked.

"I could... But where's the fun in that?" He said, laughing deep in his chest. "I want to make Theldar suffer one last time before his daughter goes to see him, and what better way than shooting the man she loves with all her heart, herself. Now, position the blaster again," Theldar growled from behind her. "Or you'll wish I'd have killed you already."

Shaking with every fiber of her being, Thell carefully reset the rifle, lining it up with her shoulder just like Din had taught her with that blaster all those months ago.

"I don't know why you care about him so much anyway... He's just going to leave you once he gets the kid back." Theldar laughed, something deep and evil. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he formed some sort of trade with you and the child."

Tears streamed down her face, her neck. "He would never do that."

Theldar laughed again, his deep voice rumbling in her chest. "I wouldn't be so sure... I've seen the way he treats you, the way he looks at you even with that mask on. If Mandalorians care about anything, it's themselves. The quarries, the bounties... It's all for their own success. They're just power hungry, Thell, every single one of them. I'm surprised with how intimate the two of you already are that he hasn't forced himself onto you yet."

Memories pulsed through her: Din's lips on her's, feeling the curve of his smile under her fingers, their soft conversations during the day and late into the night. Those days on Naboo when he had been so gentle with her, taking every step at tiptoe at a time, even the day she had nearly died. The headpiece as a symbol of their union, the one she still had yet to accept. Din, as kind and as awkward as her, learning every step along the way. He had never been like what this man was implying, not like the slave owners and older boys running around on the streets of Bespin that had terrified her growing up.

Thell gritted her teeth, feeling anger pulse through her. "He isn't like that."

Theldar sighed behind her. "You've been blind, Thell, to every bit of it. I almost pity you... Almost." She felt the cold muzzle of his blaster against the back of her head, pushing her forward. "Now, kill him. You've been wasting my time."