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"Vay." Din begins, only half paying attention to piloting the Razor Crest.
"Vay." Shivani repeats with more uncertainty.
"Voot." Din continues, glancing over his shoulder to the woman behind him.
"Voot." She echoes, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she tries to put the two foreign sounds together.
Din smiles to himself at her intense concentration face. "Ve'vut."
"Ve'vut?" She attempts uneasily, smiling when Din nods his head in approval. "Ve'vut... What does it mean?"
"It means 'Gold' in Mando'a." He explains, watching as her smile grew even brighter. "I thought it was appropriate for the warrior from a planet of gold." Shivani is touched by the sentiment, feeling as though the walls around her heart are slowly being dismantled so that the metal man can waltz right in.
"Ve'vut. It's beautiful." She grins to herself, unaware of Din's adoring gaze. Shivani looks down at the child in her lap who is snoring quietly while snuggled up in the fabric of her cloak. Din manages to tear his eyes off the pair to receive a hologram message.
"My friend," The voice of Greef Karga catches Shivani and Din by surprise. The two listen intently to what the man has to say next. "If you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive. You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prizes." Din's fists unknowingly clench at the thought of Shivani and the child falling back into the hands of the Imperials. "So, here is my proposition. Return to Nevarro. Bring the woman and the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange, and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep them both and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honour should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."
The transmission fizzles out, leaving Din and Shivani in silence. Their eyes trailed down to the blissfully oblivious child in Shivani's lap. Is it worth gambling his life for a chance to be free?
