Masked Love

XXIV

When our lips parted he pressed his forehead onto mine, and I could tell he didn't want to part, but we needed to get back to reality.

"Are you good to move on your own?" He asked quietly.

"I'm okay." I reassured him.

There was a slight hesitation as Din pulled away. I could tell the two of us wanted to just pretend we were anywhere else but here. I watched as he placed his helmet back over his head. The sound of the air hissing from it filling the silence between us.

"Do you remember where they had Grogu?" Din asked.

I nodded my head, "His cell was next to mine."

"Take me."

Din and I moved quickly through the ship, and his hand held tightly to mine. Every turn we made into a hall a new group of stormtroopers would be just ahead. Din would quickly duck us behind a wall or a pillar, knowing I didn't have the energy to give a full fight. I led him to the last hallway and just ahead I could see a pair of stormtroopers guarding the door. Din and I said nothing, and instead pressed our backs against the wall.

I looked up at him and nodded, knowing he wanted to take them out on his own. I watched as he snuck towards them quietly, before grabbing his spear. The beskar gave a high pitched vibration as he lifted it into the air. It was then the stormtroopers finally noticed him, but it was too late.

Din took them out quickly, and their bodies scattered around the door. Din turned back towards me as I stepped out and followed him to the door. Something, however, sat heavy on my chest. I turned towards each end of the hallway, waiting to hear another round of footsteps approaching, but they never came.

This felt wrong. Grogu and I are all that Gideon wanted. Years spent hunting us down and capturing us. It wasn't like him to not put up a bigger fight. For us to break out so easily.

"Something isn't right." I said as Din inserted the code cylinder into the panel. Pressing the button without hesitation.

"What do you mean-" Din's words we're quickly cut short as the door raised open.

My heart fell to my stomach. Grogu sat on the dark bench. His hands cuffed together, and next to him stood Gideon. The darksaber ignited in his hand, right in front of Grogu. Grogu coo'd almost pleadingly. His shackled hands reaching out toward us.

I quickly reached for my holster. My hand just barely getting a grip onto my lightsaber. "I wouldn't do that." Gideon said calmly as he pushed the darksaber closer towards Grogu. My eyes shifted between Grogu and the Darksaber, trying my best to decide how quickly I could get to Grogu. But I knew better. My hand dropped back to my side and my back stiffened.

"Drop the blaster slowly." Gideon then said to Din. Next to me he moved just as Gideon asked. Placing his blaster onto the ground. "Now kick it over to me." he demanded again, and Din quickly obliged.

"Give us the kid." Din demanded.

"The kid is just fine where he is." Gideon responded. He began to wave the saber over Grogu's head, and a breath hitched in my throat. My hands clenched into a fist so tightly I could feel my nails creating indention into my palms. I wasn't sure what to do next. No level of training ever taught me how to diffuse a situation like this. Instead, my eyes just followed to darksaber closely.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it?" Gideon asked, catching my stare. My eyes shifted back up to him. My body was still tense as I tried to keep a calm demeanor. "Used to belong to Bo-Katan."

My eyes widened at her name.

"Yes. I know you've been traveling with Bo-Katan." Gideon continued, "A friendly piece of advice, assume I know everything. Like the fact that your wrist launcher has fired its one and only salvo." His eyes then shifted to me, "I even know everything about your past. Things even you have yet to discover."