found. | Din Djarin

Eight

By the time we climb out of the ship and onto the dock, Din can hardly bring himself to look at it.

"How can I help you?" a dock worker asks and I look around unimpressed. It's just as grimy as I'd heard.

"Can you fix it?" Din asks as my eyes find the ship and know if that was mine I'd give up and sell it to junk traders or let Han take whatever parts from it he could.

"Fix it? Nah. But I can make it fly."

"Do what you can," Din says pressing credits into his hand while the kid follows us in his little pod.

We're walking aimlessly around the dock, just following the frog lady until she cries out and we see the husband.

She runs to him squealing with joy and they embrace. Din stands beside me as we watch them.

"Well at least it was worth it."

"At least she doesn't know about the eggs," he adds and looks at the kid. "We owe her this much."

And I watch them with a sharp pain in my chest as it brings back a different memory. One with a far less happy ending.

He stood at the gates of Cloud City when I arrived, waiting for me.

"Boba?" I cried out in shock and I ran to him without a second thought. Never slowing until my face was pressed into the crook of his shoulder and his arms were tight around me. "Boba."

"It's alright princess," he said as I allowed myself a moment of respite in his arms after all that had happened. 

After learning how Han and Leia had so narrowly escaped Vader, after leaving Dagobah after the fight with Luke and Yoda. After he told me my attachments would doom me. And he was right. But I was too stubborn to know it.

"What the hell is the Empire doing here?" I asked as I started to come to my senses but not enough. Not even with Imperial ships nearby. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were alright after your base was attacked, heard you might be coming here." He put a knuckle under my chin and brought my face up to look at him. "Chin up little one, it will be alright. I promise."

Now I stand with Din, remembering the such blinding joy of reuniting with the one that you love.

But it wasn't love, not like the kind right in front of me. Enough years have gone by for me to know that now. Even if it doesn't lessen the sting of it.

We watch as they fawn over their eggs and so does the kid.

"I know you're hungry," Din says and I only just realise how long it's been since any of us have eaten, well except for the kid. "We'll get you something to eat."

The husband stands and grasps Din and I's arms, shaking them in thanks.

"You're welcome," he says then asks. "I was told you could lead me to others of my kind."

He nods and points to what looks like a Cantina. "The Inn? Over there?" Din asks sounding skeptical and I don't blame him.

They return to their eggs and there's something in the breeze that doesn't feel right, a presence.

"We're being watched," I say quietly to Din and he looks around too obviously. "No, just don't draw more attention to yourself. Keep going to the inn. I'll keep an eye out."

He nods silently and we walk to the inn with no trouble but I still feel uneasy. A Mandalorian is bound to draw attention, especially one that is a big hunk of walking silver, but this feels different.