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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
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ARTEMIS' head snapped towards him.
"I mean, only if you want to," he quickly added.
"Of course, but don't I need to wear a dress or something?" Artemis said warily.
"Only if you want to," Din repeated, smiling. "It is as much your wedding as it is mine."
"I — er — don't think I officially own a dress."
Din laughed, his brown eyes sparkling.
"But I have a dress here somewhere that I borrowed from Leia once and never returned," Artemis added, glancing down into the boxes.
"They call that stealing," Din said playfully.
"Found it," Artemis said, snatching a forest green dress from a box together with a note that said it's yours. "Okay, I want to correct myself. I officially own a dress now."
Din rolled his eyes and Artemis quickly dashed towards the bathroom. She exchanged her clothes for the dress and tried to straighten it before walking back into the living room where Din was trying to flatten his hair.
"How do I look?" Artemis asked, trying to get the tangles out of her hair.
Din lowered his hand, his eyes wide. "Like an angel."
Artemis smiled and straightened his shirt. "Thanks. You look handsome yourself, too."
Din brushed a straw of red hair out of her eyes, before placing his hand on her cheek.
"So, what do we do now?" Artemis asked, taking his hands in hers.
"Just repeat after me," Din softly said, his brown eyes looking into her green ones with so much love that Artemis' heart would explode.
"Mhi solus tome," Din softly said.
"Mhi solus tome," Artemis repeated. The words sounded foreign in her ears.
"Mhi solus dar'tome."
"Mhi solus dar'tome," Artemis said.
"Mhi me'dinui an," Din said, gently squeezing her hands.
"Mhi me'dinui an."
"Mhi ba'juri verdes," Din finished.
"Mhi ba'juri verdes."
And then, he kissed her. His lips were soft against her and Artemis closed her eyes, kissing him back.
"What does it mean?" She asked him, once they had to pull back to catch a breath.
"We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."
He then took out a small box and opened it, revealing a small beskar ring. Artemis raised her eyebrows.
"I didn't know that was something Mandalorians do?"
"We don't," Din said. "But it might be something you do."
Artemis smiles as he took the ring and slipped it around her ring finger.
"I love you, Fury."
"I love you, too, Din."
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ARTEMIS woke up with a smile the next morning. Her head laid on Din's shoulder while her hand laid on his bare chest. She smiled even more when she noticed the small beskar ring around her finger.
"Good morning," Din's voice came, making Artemis look up and smile at him.
"Good morning."
"I believe you have a meeting with the Chancellor," Din said, taking a straw of red hair and curling it around his finger.
Artemis sighed, burying her head into his chest. "I don't want to go."
Din let out a chuckle. "I don't want you to go, either, but it's the Chancellor, you can't say no to the Chancellor."
"You can if you know her for almost your whole life," Artemis said, but she stood up nonetheless and got dressed into some Jedi robes. She hung the belt around her waist before hanging her now three lightsabers on. She then slipped into her boots and tied them up.
"I'll be back before you know it," Artemis said, leaning towards Din and kissing him softly before handing him a comlink. "Here, in case you need something."
Din took it before pulling her in for another kiss.
"I love you, Cyar'ika."
Artemis smiled. "I love you, too."
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SOMETHING was off.
Artemis and Chancellor Mothma were sitting in the latter's office and were catching up what had happened ever since the Battle of Endor, but Artemis couldn't quite hold her attention to it.
"What is wrong, Artemis?" Chancellor Mothma asked. It wasn't the first time she had worked with a Jedi — the two of them go way back to the Clone Wars — so she knew something was wrong by the look of the Jedi Master.
"I don't know," Artemis said, rising from her chair and walking around the office to try and see where the feeling was coming from. When she reached the door, she pushed the panel, trying to open it. It didn't work. "Is it supposed to be closed?"
"No," Chancellor Mothma said, making her way over to her and giving the code to open it. It didn't work.
"Try your comlink," Artemis said, nodding at the comlink that was build inside of her desk.
Chancellor Mothma nodded and hurried towards her while Artemis put her hands on the hilts of her lightsabers.
"Captain Verdi?" Mothma said. "Captain? It's not working," she added, looking up at Artemis.
Artemis pulled her own comlink out.
"Mando?" She asked. "You there?"
"Yes." His reply came fast.
"Something's wrong," Artemis told him. "The door won't open. I feel something's off."
"I'm coming," Din said, sounding tensed. "Hold on. I'll be there in a few minutes."
Artemis lowered her comlink and glanced at the window.
"Chancellor, please get away from the window," she said, her voice tense as she grabbed the Chancellor's arm and pulled her back.
And then the bomb went off.
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GLASS shattered and Artemis was thrown through the room, landing heavily on the ground. For a couple of moments, she couldn't move. The world was fuzzy around her and her ears were buzzing.
Artie.
Artemis opened her eyes as she heard Luke's voice.
Luke.
You need to stand up, Artie.
Artemis rolled on her side, placing her hand on the ground and groaned as her head was throbbing. Blood dripped off her face onto the ground. She looked around and saw Mothma laying a couple of feet away from her.
Artemis scrambled up, hissing as her side hurt, and limped towards the Chancellor.
"Chancellor?" Artemis asked, kneeling down beside the woman. "Can you hear me?"
Mothma's blue eyes fluttered open and a groan escaped her lips.
"I'm fine," she a manged to say as Artemis helped her up. She glanced at the Jedi. "You don't look okay."
"It's looks worse than it is," Artemis assured her, before looking around. "The bomb was set against the outside of your office, right under the window."
Mothma shuddered. "I owe you my life, Artemis."
"Whoever planted the bomb was also the one who disabled the door and comlink," Artemis said, still tensed.
"Fury!" Din's voice exclaimed from over the comlink. "Are you all right? I heard the bomb. We're trying to get the door open but it isn't budging."
"We're fine," Artemis told him, as she took a couple of steps closer to the edge. "Has anything like this happen before, Chancellor?"
"Nothing as big as this," Mothma said, still looking pretty shaken.
Artie.
Artemis' head snapped up at Luke's voice.
Luke?
I'm coming, Artie.
Almost immediately after that, she felt his presences entering the atmosphere and she relaxed slightly.
Banging was heard on the door, making the two women turn around.
"Chancellor!"
"Captain Verdi?" Mothma said.
"Are you all right?" The voice asked and Artemis could detect the worry in it.
"I'm fine, it's Artemis I'm worried about," Mothma called back.
"Artemis?" Din's voice said. "Is she okay? Fury?"
"I'm fine!" Artemis said. "Don't worry."
Another feeling nagged her, making her come eye to eye with a starfighter that was now floating in front of the window.
"Get down!" Artemis yelled, pulling Mothma with her to the ground just as it opened fire. Shots were send their way and the two women hid behind the fallen couch.
Luke, she tried, sending him an image of their position.
I'm on it.
And then the starfighter exploded and an X-Wing flew by.
Artemis gazed down and saw that Mothma was hit in the side. She quickly tore a piece off the Chancellor'a robes and pressed it on the wound.
Mothma gritted her teeth, not wanting to scream out in pain.
"I know," Artemis said. "It hurt like hell."
Both of them were now covered in blood and dust.
Artemis eyed the wound. She didn't want to heal it unless it was absolutely necessary. Only the Force knew what could be laying around the corner.
"I definitely didn't see that one coming," Mothma admitted, as they waited for the door to open. "I am lucky that you were here."
"Try not to talk," Artemis ordered her. "Spare your energy."
Artemis fumbled with the now already soaked cloth, but did not remove it from the wound. She then grabbed her comlink while still holding onto the cloth.
"Mando, how far are you with the door?"
"A blue R2-unit has arrived together with your friend Luke," Din said. "He says the droid will get the door open in no time."
Artemis relaxed once more, knowing Artoo could open any door.
The door slid open and Din dashed in with a man who'd probably was Captain Verdi.
"Fury!" Din said, dashing towards her and kneeling beside her. "Are you all right?" His voice was filled with worry.
"I'm fine," Artemis assured him, "but the Chancellor got hit."
Din scooped her up, one arm under her legs and one under her back. He acted as if she didn't weight a thing.
"Let's bring you to the hospital wing."
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"YOU know, Commander, when you told me you'd visit soon, I didn't expect you to be a patient," Cody said from where he was laying.
Artemis rolled her eyes as the meddroid was stitching her forehead. She was holding onto Din's hand, squeezing it once in a while.
Luke and Leia dashed into the hospital, closely followed by Artoo.
"Artie!" Leia exclaimed, hurrying over to her. "Are you all right? What happened?"
"I'm fine," Artemis assured her. "And someone placed a bomb under the window of Mothma's office and disabled the comlink and door. Tell me, Leia, has this happened to the Chancellor before?"
Leia shook her head. "Nothing as big like this."
Artemis' eyes then darted to Luke and she smiled. "Seems like you save my life once again, Skyguy."
Luke grinned. "Well, since I hadn't anything planned I thought you might appreciate it."
Artemis' expression became serious once more. "I need to talk to the two of you."
Luke and Leia exchanged a worried glance before looking back at her. "Sure, what's wrong?"
"Not here," Artemis said, about to shake her head but then she reminded herself that the droid was still working on her forehead.
Leia sat down next to her and her eyes caught the beskar ring around her finger. She smiled.
"Congratulations."
Artemis smiled back. "Thanks, I hadn't had the time to tell you."
Luke eyed them warily and Artemis realised she had yet to tell him.
"Luke, this is Din, my husband," Artemis said, placing her other hand on Din's hand. "Din, this is Luke Skywalker, one of my best friends."
They shook hands and Artemis could feel Luke's curiosity.
"We have a lot to talk about," was all she said.
"Hey! Don't forget me!" Cody exclaimed, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed and sitting up. "The name's Cody. I'm Commander Bryce's captain."
Luke shook his hand, too. "Luke Skywalker."
Cody looked at Artemis, tilting his head. "This is Skywalker's son?"
"Son and daughter," Artemis said, nodding at both Luke and Leia. "He left quite a legacy."
"You knew our father?" Luke asked, while Leia shuffled nervously next to Artemis. Artemis was well aware that Leia had more trouble than Luke to accept that her father was Anakin.
"Of course I knew him," Cody said. "I was General Kenobi's captain in the Clone Wars, kid. We practically lived with the 501th."
"The 501th?" Luke questioned Artemis.
"The Clone legion Anakin was in charge of," Artemis told him.
"You are ready," the meddroid said, taking a step back. "I do suggest, however, that you take things easy."
Artemis nodded in thanks before turning to Leia and Luke.
"We have a lot to talk about."
Word count: 2034
And here is another chapter!!
THEY'RE MARRIED!!
AND LUKE'S BACK!! (And Artoo of course). I know this will change a lot of the plot in season two but I've got it all figured out (I hope).
Anyway, I expect one or two (maybe three more chapters) before we get on to season two and we'll get more reunions!!
Thanks for reading, voting and commenting! :)
Published: 15.03.2021