Across the Universe | D. Djarin

A visit from the past

The inside felt cozy, but it could use some more decorations and furniture. There were the basics, like a sofa and a fridge, but that just meant that we would get to decorate it ourselves.

Grogu rushed around the place as fast as his little legs could carry him. His excited cooed and squeals echoed around the house. My cheeks were starting to hurt from how much I had been smiling.

I flinched ever so slightly when a pair of arms wrapped gently around my waist from behind. But I relaxed into his hold almost immediately. A pair of warm lips pressed against my temple, causing me to glance over my shoulder. I hadn't even realised that he had taken his helmet off. My face lit up as I took in his handsome face. Every time he took off his helmet it felt like I was seeing him again for the first time, it never got old.

His hands lay flat across my abdomen as he pulled me closer into his chest. He gently buried his head into the crook of my neck and sighed happily. I lent back into his embrace as joy spread across my entire being, the love that I felt for my family was beyond anything else in the whole galaxy.

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The gentle hum of the market place in the town of Nevarro was welcome. There were several townspeople mulling about, buying from different shops and chatting with their friends and neighbors. I glanced around at the array of stalls, taking in all of the produce that they had to offer. I had decided to go out and buy some food and anything else that caught my eye for our new home.

I gently ran my fingers across a line of multi coloured materials, the fabric was soft to the touch. I was in a world of my own as I examined the different goods that the market place had to offer.

The familiar sound of IG-11 walking echoed throughout the town square. I looked up to see the droid walking past, keeping a close eye on the citizens of Nevarro to make sure that they were safe.

I went to walk over to a stall that held fresh fruits and vegetables, when I heard a startlingly familiar voice call out for me. My body froze and I stared straight ahead of me with wide eyes. After a moment, I slowly turned around to face the man behind the familiar voice.

I swallowed thickly as I finally lay eyes on him. He looked practically the same, though he was far older now. He also had some new scars that I didn't recognise, but he had the same twinkle in his eye, one of mischief and curiosity.

"Pierce." I breathed out in surprise. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that his eyes almost looked glossy.

"Hey, kid." He said gently. The two of us stood a few feet apart, unmoving and staring at each other.

I took in a deep breath and walked forwards, quickly approaching the man who was like a father to me. A smile broke out on both of our faces as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a tight, familiar embrace.

"You got old." He chuckled as he returned the hug tightly.

"So did you." I said with a laugh. The two of us pulled apart from each other after a moment.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him

"Running. How about you?" He asked me causally

"Living. I have a home here, with my...my Husband." I said. I came to the sudden realisation that he didn't even know Din, never mind that I was married to him.

"Husband, huh? A lots changed. Not to mention these." He tapped his index finger on the hilt of one of my blades. "Those don't look like normal weapons."

"No, they're not. I'm kind of a Jedi now, it's a long story." I said with a small laugh.

While I was expecting him to look surprised, the only expression that was on his face was one of pride. "Well, master Jedi. You might be the very person I need to help me."

"What exactly are you running from?" I asked with furrowed brows. Concern panged in my chest, what kind of trouble is he in this time.

"Oh, just a platoon of stormtroopers." He said in a nonchalant tone. My eyebrows raised at his words. Of course it was stormtroopers, it didn't seem like I could ever escape them.

"Why?" I asked him, trying to keep my composer. He gently grabbed my shoulder and led me over to a secluded alleyway, keeping us away from prying eyes. He glanced around nervously, and once he was satisfied that no one was watching us, he pulled something out of his pocket.

The intense power that radiated off of the object almost knocked me off of my feet. I could tell that it was connected to the force in a strong way, but it wasn't the light side at all. The anger that was radiating off of the object was more intense than anything I've ever felt.

"What is that?" I asked shakily, my fingers twitched by my side as I fought against myself. Part of me wanted to run, and part of me wanted to reach out and touch it. The object was triangular, the center was made of glass and the edges were covered in a golden metal. The design was intricate, and it could be described as beautiful, if it wasn't for the intense angry red colour that was glowing and swirling from within.

"According to my buyer, it's a Sith holocron." Pierce stated. My eyes widened as everything clicked into place, this just went from bad to worse.