The Quarry

The Quarry - Part 12

The silence was deafening as they reached Corellia. Versa was still in her bunk and hadn't been able to look at Din since he'd shown her the Darksaber. Curled up on the cot, she twirled the ashsap tree pendant he'd made for her all those years ago in her fingers. He's not the boy you grew up with anymore. You should have known that. She was angry with him, but more than anything, she was angry at herself. This entire adventure with him had brought feelings to the forefront that she had long forgotten and hoped to never remember, yet here she was. Her fingers had ached to reach for his helmet when he'd had her pinned to the floor, to look into the eyes that she had found so much comfort in as a young woman, and now, he felt further than ever. Kriffing King of Mandalore. Of course he is.

Din was loyal to the end, a good solider and a better Mandalorian, and she knew it was childish to have hoped that maybe he'd come with her when this was done. She'd missed him the moment she'd walked away, only making it a few months before she'd tried to come back. The Children of the Watch had called her weak when she'd returned, but in reality, she knew her weakest moment and her greatest mistake was when she left without Din. She'd have braved a thousand dark, cold places if it meant being back with him, but they wouldn't even allow that. They had just turned her away, telling her he was better without her, and she had believed them.

Over the years, she'd occasionally seen him from a distance, chasing a quarry or restocking the Crest. She'd in no way sought him out, but as hunters, their paths would cross. He'd never seen her, at least not to her knowledge, but she'd seen him. It had been another lie when she'd told him his signet on his armor was what had given him away. She'd always known what he looked like. The helmet, the beaten and dented armor he wore before his beskar, the way he moved, all things she had committed to memory. When she'd see him, she'd think of approaching him, trying to come up with a way to casually bump into him and have some sort of conversation, something to reignite their relationship, but it would all fall apart in her mind when she'd remember what the Mandalorians had told her. He'll never forgive you for your betrayal. He's better off without you. He is a Mandalorian now, and nothing will change that. He has taken the Creed. This is the Way. Every time, her chest would tighten and she'd bite the inside of her cheek, slipping back into the shadows and away from him. Even when he'd finally caught up to her, despite the fact that she'd never seen him in full beskar, it was unmistakably Din.

I can't ask him to give this up, the Creed, the Darksaber, all of it. It's all he's known. I should have fought more. I should have fought all of them and killed them to get to him. She lightly chuckled at the thought through her tears. A child taking on a clan of fully trained Mandalorians. That would have gone well.

What a fool I've been. He's still Din, which is why he's helping you, but he's a Mandalorian first. That will always come first for him. Just get through this, find Jon, and let him go. That is what he needs.

"Vers?" his voice was barely above a whisper, but she nearly jumped out of her skin. She hurriedly wiped at her eyes, rolling over and sitting up to face him on her bunk. He was standing in the doorway to the hold, his armor back on, the Mandalorian once again. "We're here."

"Right." She pulled her boots back on and tucked her blaster back into its holster at her side. Pulling her cloak around her shoulders, she nodded at him wordlessly, and he punched open the hold door, extending the ramp.

"Where to first?" she asked, pulling her cloak a little tighter around her shoulders in the cool air. The single Corellian sun was hidden behind cloud cover with a light rain falling around them.

"The casino is closer. We'll hit the market after we meet with Trefna."

She nodded, falling into step next to him. They made their way through the industrial center. The New Republic was still very much in the process of repurposing the Imperial manufacturing facilities. Engineers and technicians strode past them, barely acknowledging their presence as they made their way towards the center of the city. After a few quick twists and turns, they found themselves outside of the Gilded Descent Casino in the entertainment plaza. Din led her inside, scanning the area as he made his way to the bar, Versa following quietly behind.