chapter 55: the torment •••
Astra knows the scream she suppresses with her hand would be blood-curdling if she were to let it be revealed to the open air of the tunnel.
She remains pinned down in the dirt by the giant droid's leg that's lodged itself into her shoulder. Her hand is glued to her mouth to keep any sounds of pain tucked away. Their children need at least one of their parents to protect them, and with Din now motionless inside the droid's trap, Astra prepares herself to take on that role. Making sudden noises would only reveal her presence to the droid who's chosen to remain focused on Din.
The droid moves and Astra screws her eyes shut in her struggle not to scream again as the metal leg leaves her shoulder. Most of the pain of her wound is blinded by shock for now, though she's aware that it won't last long. Astra's devastated to watch her husband get carried away by one of his only fears in the galaxy, but before she can let herself worry even more about him, she has to focus on finding and protecting their children.
It's Grogu who finds her first. Astra's just managed to sit up using her good arm when the pram floats beside her. She's surprised to see Zora asleep beside Grogu, though his frantic babblings towards Astra and his tiny hand brushing over her forehead inform her that it must've been Grogu's doing to keep his sister quiet.
"Good job, ad'ika," Astra breathes, running her good hand over his ear. "It's very important that we all stay quiet."
Despite her words, Grogu releases a loud and horrified shriek at the sight of Astra's bleeding wound. She glances at it and curses at its severity. Astra works as quickly as she can to remove the medkit she'd packed on her belt and open it up. Grogu hops out of the pod and approaches the wound, closing his eyes and lifting a hand towards it. Astra shakes her head and covers his hand with her own.
"No, Grogu," Astra insists. "Not right now." She runs her hand over his head when he coos at her with confusion and desperation. "I know it's bad, but you need to save your energy. You already put your sister to sleep, and I'm gonna need your help to keep protecting her." Astra offers the most reassuring smile she can muster, despite their circumstances. "I'm okay. Don't worry."
Grogu's ears lower and then lift again. Astra picks up the small container of bacta spray and grits her teeth as she administers it. The groan that escapes her is tight, a result of her trying to keep the sound tucked away from her children. Once it's covered, she takes a wrap and ties it around her shoulder as best as she can with only one hand to help her. The end result is messier than she would've liked, but it'll at least serve its purpose.
"Okay," Astra sighs, reassembling her medkit and securing it on her belt once again. "Did you see where they took your father?"
Grogu hops back in the pram and points towards the passageway. Astra nods and stands to her feet, grunting at the effort it requires from her injured arm. She takes a hold of her blaster and lets Grogu lead the way in his pod, though she stays close to keep him safe. Each step she takes is calculated and cautious, her focus set on her children but her fears settled with her husband. The image of his helmet hanging from the droid is stuck in her mind and she can't bring herself to think about what was done to him to make that possible.
"Did you see what they did to him?" Astra asks Grogu, her voice remaining hushed.
Grogu's ears lower as he babbles and points to the side of his neck. Astra grits her teeth, recognizing the gesture. It's similar to what Mayfeld did to her on that prison ship so long ago, the day she got her scar. She gives her haphazardly-wrapped wound a quick glance. Another scar to join the others, she thinks, though she prays to the stars that for Din's sake it'll remain more hidden.
The walk isn't as long as Astra had been expecting. Grogu slows the pod and Astra matches his pace. She tiptoes into an open chamber, sticking to the shadows to keep herself and the kids concealed from view. The area glows an ominous orange, reminding Astra of flickering flames. They creep closer until they can see the droid setting a metal trap upon two supports like a spit. Din lies motionless inside it and Astra's chest constricts at the sight of him being so helpless.
Astra forces herself to keep her gaze on the droid as it walks away from Din and sets itself upon the ground. Before it powers down, she's horrified to notice a large human-like eye examining its surroundings. Astra ducks down behind a rock formation and makes sure she and the kids are hidden well enough, especially once the droid's hatch opens and a cyborg crawls its way out. Its singular glowing red eye brings a chill to Astra's very bones, with tubes and wires that connect around its metal skeleton. Long hair-like strands stick out from its back much like a large creature's would.
Grogu's ears fall at the sight of it. Astra gives his head a gentle pat, keeping her hand there and gritting her teeth at the pain it brings her. She needs the comfort of her son's touch just as badly. The thought of Din having to wake up to that cyborg in full control of him threatens to ruin her completely. It's a dangerous path for her to go down, as Astra launching into action at this point would only result in more turmoil for their family.
The cyborg chitters as it crawls on all fours around the chamber. It makes its way over to Din and lifts a mechanical arm to secure his trap in place. It picks up an electrostaff on the way, a sight that makes Astra's eyes widen. That's a weapon she would have trouble facing even if she was in full health, yet she still has to tighten both her jaw and her fists to keep herself from charging forward when the cyborg reaches into the metal trap and tosses Din's blaster and the Darksaber onto the ground.
Stripping a Mandalorian of their weapons, Astra scoffs to herself. How noble.
The cyborg walks away and Astra releases a soft breath. Reality sets in and Astra forces herself to form a viable plan. The one that comes to mind isn't pleasing in the least, but it's her only good option. With no way for her to get back to the surface, there's only one person she can rely on for help. She holds Grogu's face between her hands, despite how much it pains her. "Grogu, ad'ika," Astra begins in a cautious whisper. "I need you to do something very, very brave for your father and I. Do you think you can do that?"
Grogu coos in the affirmative. Astra smiles and taps his cheek.
"Very good." Astra takes a deep breath. "I need you to get yourself back to the ship in your pod and have R5 take you to Bo-Katan on Kalevala. Your father showed you how to find it, right?" Grogu perks his ears up and Astra nods. "Good. Ask for her help. Zora and I are gonna stay here with your father."
Grogu starts to whine, his ears lowering as he looks between Astra and Zora. He even points towards Astra's wound.
"We'll be okay." Astra gives his head a kiss. "I promise."
Just like she'd said to Din before, she shouldn't be promising such a thing, but it's a burden she's willing to take to keep Grogu at ease on his journey. Grogu babbles and lifts his ears along with his chin. Astra smiles at him and presses his tiny forehead against her own.
"Like your father said to Zora before, you're a Djarin, Grogu. Cuy dral. Cuy verd'ika." Astra leans back and takes Zora into her arms. She hisses at the way her wound cries out in protest, but she ignores the sensation, instead securing Zora's sleeping head on her good shoulder and nodding at Grogu. "Stay safe, ad'ika." Astra runs a hand over his ear. "You're so loved."
Grogu coos and brushes his tiny hand over Astra's. He then presses the controls on his pod and turns it around, rushing as fast as he can back the way they came. Astra watches him until he disappears from sight. She then sighs and closes her eyes, darkness threatening to overtake her completely. Sending Grogu into unknown danger on his own is one of the most terrifying things she's ever done, but she has no other choice. Astra can't do this on her own with her injury.
For now, Astra makes herself stay put. She tries to limit her movements both to keep Zora asleep and to minimize her pain. Still, she makes sure she has a solid view of Din. He hasn't moved much, if at all, within the metal trap. Astra takes a deep breath to maintain her composure. Having to watch him like this from a distance is akin to suffering a long, drawn-out fate, but in the long run, it's the wisest thing for Astra to do. The cyborg's intentions are still unclear and Astra wants to learn more about their adversary.
Time goes on and on and Astra's unsure of how long it is before Zora starts to stir on her shoulder. Astra's chest flares with panic that she tries to keep down for everyone's sake. She kisses Zora's curly head and runs her hand over it.
"Go back to sleep, my angel," Astra whispers. "It's all right."
Zora starts to fuss and wiggle in Astra's grip. Astra shushes her and tries to muffle her sounds with her shoulder.
"We have to stay quiet, Zo," Astra pleads. "It's the only way to keep us and Papa safe."
Zora fights to lift her head and Astra watches her daughter's gaze fixate on Din. Her bottom lip wobbles as she looks up at Astra and points towards the metal trap. "Papa..."
Astra chokes on a gasp. Despite the situation at hand, she smiles wide enough to make her cheeks hurt. Their daughter's first official word... and then it hits her. Din's not experiencing this precious moment with them, and the word—her father's title—was spoken out of sadness and fear as opposed to the joy Astra and Din have long since been imagining. "Papa's okay," Astra insists, her voice strained with sudden emotion. "We're just keeping an eye on him."
Zora takes in more of their surroundings. Her lip continues to wobble. "Gogu?"
Astra's eyes start to fill with a confusing mixture of tears. "He's getting help." She kisses Zora's head again. "He'll be back soon."
Zora's brown eyes are just as tearful as Astra's own. She tugs on Astra's tunic and points at Din again. "Mama..." Astra barely bites the gasp back this time, "Papa." Zora whines. "Papa."
"Shhh, my angel," Astra breathes, lifting her hand to force Zora's head against her shoulder once again. She buries her daughter's face in her tunic to keep her muffled. "We must stay quiet. Papa's gonna be okay."
Zora quiets down some, but she still continues to whimper in distress. Astra holds her tight and glances around the rock structure to look at Din. She holds her breath when she sees his helmet move just the slightest amount, his visor looking in their direction. Astra keeps her tears held back to instead lift her chin and nod at Din, assuring him of their safety. She's unsure of whether or not he's in constant consciousness, though she doubts it. For now, she savors this moment and their distant connection, intent on revealing to him that they're all still okay.
It's only when his visor returns to the ground that Astra sets her back against the rock structure again. She closes her eyes and allows only a single tear to fall, which she buries in Zora's head along with a few more kisses. The action works to comfort both herself as well as Zora, and her daughter falls silent once again. Astra can feel Zora's hand tightened on her tunic still, but she prefers that to the risk of loud noises.
Enough time passes for Astra to worry about how long Grogu's been gone. Her body aches from remaining in one position for so long and the pain of her wound has fought to stay alive, even with the bacta spray. Astra knows she's due for another dose of it, but she refuses to move around that much. Zora's gone back to sleep and the next time she wakes, she's only going to be more upset than before.
The cyborg chitters for the first time in too long. Astra turns her head and watches it walk over to Din with its electrostaff. Her heart leaps into her throat when it turns on some kind of machinery that whirs to life. The cyborg takes something that's attached to it and holds it in their free hand as it approaches Din. Astra can see his helmet moving towards the cyborg in a subtle and exhausted motion. She bites her cheek and resists the urge to run to him.
That urge only becomes stronger when the cyborg lifts their arm and reveals what they're holding. It's a needle that they sink into the flesh of Din's arm, drawing a pained groan from Din. Astra tenses up enough to make her wound ignite with a fiery pang and wake up Zora again. Her daughter whines and Astra shushes her as best as she can through her tightened throat.
The cyborg's since hit the machine with their staff and Din gets turned over in the trap onto his side. Astra realizes there's two tubes connected to him and her chest inflames with anger so volatile she starts to tremble. The machine starts pumping and Astra doesn't have to see what flows through the tubes to understand what's going on. She's watching her husband get bled out.
But it's the agonized groaning from Din that makes Astra's resolve crumble with a quick reach of her blaster and a single decisive thought: Fuck this.
Astra keeps Zora against her shoulder and shoots the machine just as she hears Grogu coo with panic behind her. She turns her head and sees Grogu's pram fly in alongside none other than Bo-Katan, who blasts the cyborg with both her blasters raised. Astra smiles in relief and stands to set Zora beside Grogu in the pram. She's started crying from the chaos and Grogu babbles at Astra, assuring her that he can take care of it.
Now, at long last, all Astra has to worry about is saving her husband.
Astra ignores the pain of her wound as she joins Bo-Katan in her fight against the cyborg. It's since attempted to get the upper hand by zapping Bo with its electrostaff repetitively, but Astra distracts it with shots from her own blaster. That buys Bo time to recover and Astra glances her way when she sees the blade of the Darksaber ignite. Bo prepares herself with a shield on her vambrace while Astra keeps her blaster in one hand and draws her vibroblade with the other. They share a look and nod.
The cyborg lifts their staff and charges at Bo, and Astra uses the opportunity to run around towards its back. Bo blocks its swings while Astra takes her vibroblade and cuts whatever tubes she can reach on its sides. The distraction allows for Bo to get a good stab into its middle, the attack frying its system and causing it to fall in defeat.
Astra doesn't waste a moment more. She sheathes her weapons and runs to Din, kneeling to make herself level with his helmet as she sets her fingers on the edge of the metal bars. "Din?" Astra calls out for him, breathless from her worry. "It's me, Astra. Gar rid'ika." She can sense Bo hovering behind her. "Are you okay?"
Silence. Astra swallows hard and taps the metal with her fingers.
"Din, can you hear me?" Still, nothing. Astra gives Bo a worried glance and maintains her strength as best as she can. "Bo-Katan's here, too. The kids are safe. We're gonna get you out of here, all right?"
Din doesn't speak. It's hard to see any signs of life within him at all with his beskar and his environment limiting his movements. Astra grimaces and sneaks one of her fingers through the gaps in the trap to touch his gloved hand.
"Can you move at all?"
Din starts to make a sound, and though it relieves Astra more than anything else, she can't make out what he's saying. Astra furrows her brow and tries to decipher his mumbles.
"Din, my love, I can't hear you." Astra shakes her head and leans closer to him. "What're you trying to say?"
Din says nothing for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is weaker than Astra's ever heard it. "Behind you."
Both Astra and Bo turn to see the cyborg within the contraption it had used to trap Din before. It lunges at Bo first, but she's quick to retaliate with the Darksaber and her shield once again. Astra reaches for her own weapons and tries to blast the cyborg's large eye while Bo slices the arms and underbelly of the droid. When Bo gets knocked to the ground, the Darksaber tumbles from her grasp and lands near Astra. The cyborg closes in on Bo and Astra acts without wasting a single moment.
Astra becomes the second Djarin to wield the Darksaber, taking its hilt and igniting the blade. Her pure adrenaline and anger causes her to ignore the weight and the way it tears at her wound. She steps in front of Bo to run the blade through the droid's claw, even managing to slice its shoulder and knock its head down upon the ground. With an exclamation of both effort and fury, Astra lifts the blade and runs it through the droid's neck, decapitating the contraption and defeating it once and for all.
The hilt falls from Astra's hand as she swallows down a groan of pain. She holds her shoulder and looks at it, gritting her teeth when scarlet appears through the wrapping. She doesn't want Din to see her like this, not when he's clearly been through enough on his own. But Astra can't keep herself from him.
Astra runs to Din once again. "Din? Are you still with me?"
Silence. Astra shakes her head and rocks the metal trap the best she can.
"Riduur, wake up." Astra forces herself to take a deep breath, though her ability to remain calm is decreasing more and more. "Wake up." She takes the tubes and rips them away from him. When Din continues to remain motionless and silent, Astra closes her eyes and rests her forehead against the trap. "Please, Din."
A hand on Astra's shoulder causes her to reopen her eyes. She turns and looks up at Bo-Katan, who stands behind her with her helmet tucked underneath her arm. Bo's gaze reveals nothing but sympathy for Astra. "He'll be all right," Bo assures her. "He just needs rest."
Astra gives Din another worried look. She tightens her jaw. "I hate seeing him like this."
"I understand." Bo gives herself time to study their surroundings. She stares pointedly at the pile of Mandalorian helmets off to the side. "It's sickening to think of how many of our people suffered the same fate intended for him."
Astra nods, sighing before she turns back to Bo-Katan again. "I can't thank you enough for coming to help."
Bo offers a bittersweet smile. "I was the one who sent you here, after all." Her smile falters when her gaze fixates on Astra's wound. "Your shoulder."
Astra shrugs, whimpering at the way it tugs upon her wound. "I'll fix it up once we get him somewhere safer."
Bo nods. "I can take him." She gestures to Din. "You should try not to put more stress on that wound."
"That would be wise," Astra agrees with a laugh. She forces herself to leave Din's side as she instead lets Bo-Katan take care of getting him out. Astra finds Din's blaster and the hilt of the Darksaber and she holds them for him. She then makes her way over to Grogu and Zora, who have since come closer in the pram. Zora's eyes are red and teary, and her lip wobbles just as it had before. "Oh, Zo, I'm so sorry." Astra kneels down and kisses Zora's forehead. She does the same to Grogu. "And you too, ad'ika." She smiles at him and brushes his ear. "But I'm so, so proud of you."
Grogu coos and his ears lift high on his head. Zora whines and reaches her arms out towards Astra. "Mama!"
Astra frowns with her own sadness at Zora. "I can't hold you right now, my angel." She gestures to her bleeding wound. "You have to stay here with Grogu."
Grogu babbles with worry and points at Astra's wound while Zora starts to cry harder. Zora points a tiny finger past Astra's shoulder and she looks to see Bo maneuvering Din out of the trap. "Wan' Papa!" Zora cries. "My Papa..."
Astra cups the side of her daughter's face. "I know, Zo. I know." She wipes away the tears with her thumb. "Papa will be okay. He just needs some rest."
Grogu coos loudly and points more aggressively to Astra's shoulder. She smiles at him.
"Once we're settled somewhere else, Grogu, I'll let you take a look at it. Okay?" Grogu sets his hand back down and tilts his head, satisfied with Astra's proposal. She nods and pats his head before she stands. "We're about to get going. Bo-Katan is going to help your father get there." Astra lowers her voice for only the two children to hear. "We need to thank her."
Zora sniffles, her gaze never once leaving her father. Grogu nods at Astra in understanding, though she doesn't miss the snort he sneaks underneath his breath. Astra raises her brow at him, but before she can question her son, Bo-Katan's made her way over to them with Din in tow.
"Ready to go?" Bo asks, her helmet shielding her face once again.
Astra looks at her children and nods. "More than ready."
Bo-Katan then leads the way out of the cyborg's lair. Astra's more than happy to leave it behind, though she wishes the dark memories could go with it. There'll be a lot for her to fill in for Din but the simple thought of it makes her ache. He'll blame himself for all of it, and the last thing Astra would ever want to do is give him more unnecessary guilt. For now, though, her main concern is getting to make sure Din's okay. This is the longest he's ever been unresponsive since she's known him and that thought scares her more than anything else.
The trek to safety isn't too long and Astra's grateful for that. Bo-Katan gets Astra's help to start a fire to keep them warm in the cold depths of the buried city. Once it's safe and settled, Astra lets Grogu and Zora sit outside of the pram and closer to the warmth. Din's still unconscious, his body resting upon a rock for support. Astra resists the urge to remain by his side as she instead helps Bo prepare a meal for all of them.
Astra breaks their silence with a sincere tone. "I'm sorry about what I said on Kalevala."
Bo looks up from her work to meet Astra's gaze. "Don't be." She releases a soft breath. "You were right." Bo grins and gestures with her head to Din. "And you were standing up for someone you love. Us Mandalorians tend to be protective."
Astra furrows her brow at that. "I'm not a Mandalorian."
Bo tilts her head. "You sure have the heart of one."
Astra ponders her words and looks down at the soup she's mixing together. It's a thought she's had before. If she were offered with the opportunity to have a helmet of her own and swear Din's same Creed, would she? Supporting Din in his dedication to the Creed has been one thing, but to live the rest of her life with her face concealed, after living so long the way she already has...
"Plus, you're already a part of a Mandalorian clan." Bo doesn't look up from her work, even when Astra gives her a curious glance. "Clan Djarin, or Mudhorn." Bo's gaze finds Zora and Grogu and she smiles. "It seems like the two of you will be the first in what could be a very powerful Mandalorian House."
Astra looks at her with awe. "That's really kind of you to say, Bo." She returns her smile. "Thank you."
Bo nods her head. "We may not see eye-to-eye, but..." she pauses and her gaze falls to Astra's wounded shoulder, "I know strength when I see it."
Astra's about to say more when she suddenly hears a familiar groaning from behind them. Her head whips around and as soon as she sees Din move, she's by his side. Astra reaches for his helmet while he gathers his bearings, his gloved hands latching onto her wrists. "Din," she breathes his name in pure relief. "Thank the stars."
Din's visor meets her gaze. "What happened?" he croaks.
Astra tightens her jaw, reluctant to give him all the grim details so soon. Thankfully, Bo-Katan answers his question for her. "We saved your life."
"No." Din shakes his helmet and releases one of Astra's wrists to point at her shoulder. "What happened?"
Astra curses to herself. In the midst of helping Bo and getting the kids settled, she'd neglected to have Grogu look at the wound and get a clean wrapping on it. "It's all right, riduur. I'm okay." She lowers one of her hands to press upon his cuirass. "Let's just focus on you for right now."
Din's chest rises and falls underneath her hand in a deep breath for composure. Astra offers an encouraging smile while Din's visor looks towards Bo-Katan. "How'd you find us?" He addresses the Nite Owl.
Astra smiles with pride as she nods at their son. "Grogu."
Even Bo reveals a small smile of her own. "He's tougher than he looks, and he's quite the navigator."
Zora, who'd been distracted by the fire and the soup, finally releases a loud squeal when she turns and sees that Din's awake. "Papa!" Zora calls for him, using Grogu's help to stand on her feet. "My Papa!"
Din's helmet snaps over at Astra in disbelief. All she can do is grin at him, her eyes threatening to fill with tears just like before—though this time, they're solely joyful. He fights to sit up taller and reaches out to his daughter. "Zozo," he struggles to say through a tightened throat. "Ner verd'ika."
Zora wobbles her way over to them and Astra's eyes double in size at the action. It's the first time she's taken steps without any help. Her emotions bubble over into a laugh of disbelief while Din leans forward to catch Zora and pull her into his cuirass and cowl. His helmet buries itself into her curls as he holds her tight.
"I know I scared you," Din mumbles to his daughter. "I'm so sorry." He pulls her even closer. "I'm so sorry."
Zora's little hands clutch his cape and cowl. "Mama," she tells him.
"I know." Din lifts his head to look at Astra. "Mama's very brave and strong." Astra beams and looks down at her hands. "I knew she'd keep you and Grogu safe."
Grogu coos at the sound of his name, and just moments later, he's also waddling his way towards his father. Din shifts Zora and opens his free arm to his son, who latches himself onto Din's cowl just as Zora had. Astra's chest constricts at the sight of the three of them holding on to each other. The memories of their children's fearful faces when they looked upon Din in the cyborg's cave have stained Astra's mind, but this image alone has already started to cleanse it. This is her whole galaxy sitting right in front of her, and despite the hardships, they'll always have each other to come back to.
Grogu doesn't stay in place long, as he's quick to free himself from Din's grasp and make his way over to Astra. He furrows his brow and snorts, pointing at Astra's shoulder. She nods at him and hardens her jaw as she works to remove the bloody wrap from the wound. As soon as it hits open air, she tries her best to bite back a pained whimper, but the immediate tightening of a hand on her thigh informs her that it'd slipped out anyway. Astra looks from Din's gloved hand to his visor.
Din's voice is agonized. "Astra..."
"It's all right." Astra sets a hand over his and gives it a squeeze. "It looks worse than it feels."
Din pauses, his words hushed and tense when he speaks. "I need to know what happened."
Astra sighs, looking down at Grogu to realize he's already taken her healing into his own hands. The wound's closed up just as it had been so long ago when Grogu healed her for the first time. Their son wobbles a bit, but for the most part, he stays more awake than he has in the past. Astra holds him in her lap and runs her hand along his ear. "You were supposed to wait for my permission," she scolds him softly.
Grogu huffs and Astra has to hold back a chuckle at his stubbornness, something no doubt learned from both her and his father. Din squeezes Astra's thigh to catch her attention, but before he can speak, Bo-Katan does. "The soup's ready," she calls to Astra, lifting a cup that's already in her hand.
"Thank you," Astra responds with a smile. She takes a deep breath and looks at Grogu. "Are you feeling well enough to help your sister get some soup?" Astra glances at Din. "I need to speak with your father."
Grogu coos and nods, pushing himself up and off Astra's lap. He reaches Zora and taps her shoulder to make her lift her head from Din's cowl. Grogu babbles and points at Bo-Katan and the soup in her hand. Zora wrinkles her brow and looks at Din, who tilts his helmet at her. "I'll be right here, baby girl," Din assures her. "I promise." He lifts her from himself and sets her beside Grogu. "Go eat."
Zora's about to pout, but Grogu distracts her. She smiles at her brother and they make their way back over to Bo together. Astra smiles at them, forcing herself to take a deep breath as she brings herself even closer to Din. He accepts her there, though he also lifts his hand to her freshly healed wound. Astra's tunic is still torn and stained with crimson.
There's only one word Din can get through his tightened throat. "How?"
Astra takes his gloved hand and holds it between both of hers. "The droid." She's pained to see the way Din's body tenses at those simple words. "I wasn't quick enough when it first emerged and its leg got me."
Din goes rigid enough for his limbs to tremble with tension. "You were... impaled?" He just about gasps the last word, going breathless in a panic he can't fight.
"Not quite." Astra takes one of his hands and sets it over the healed wound. "But it's gone now, and I'm okay."
"That doesn't matter." Din's voice wavers. "It still happened. And I..." he pauses to compose himself with a breath, "I was the one who pushed you there."
"If you hadn't, then something much worse would've happened." Astra takes his helmet between her hands and presses his helmet against her forehead. She doesn't mind their audience nor the dirt that will no doubt smudge from his beskar onto her skin. Din's about to give himself a wound that's much worse than Astra's ever was and she'll be damned if she doesn't heal it. "I would've been caught by that trap, and not in a way where I would've survived."
Din shakes his helmet and speaks, each word broken into fragile pieces. "Don't say that." He holds her wrists tight to keep her hands in place. "Don't make me imagine a galaxy where you..."
Astra grimaces and runs her thumbs over his beskar cheeks. "You're right. I'm sorry." Her gaze never strays from his visor as she continues. "I'm only reminding you that you saved me." She glances over at Grogu and Zora. "And them." Astra's shoulders rise and fall in a steady breath. "Plus, I'm the one who made this wound worse by using the Darksaber."
Din's grasp around her wrists tightens. "The what?"
"I know, I know. I just... it was in the right place at the right time when I needed to finish that thing off."
Din's thumbs run over Astra's skin. "And I missed it?"
A smile emerges on Astra's face as she chuckles. "You're not mad?"
"Mad?" Din scoffs, and Astra's pleased to hear him returning back to normal with each word he speaks. "You were protecting us." He gestures with his helmet to the kids. "The only thing I'm mad about is not getting to see it happen myself." Astra laughs again. "I'm sure you wield it better than I do."
"Now, I wouldn't say that." Astra gives Bo a grateful glance. "But Bo-Katan? We could learn a thing or two from her."
Din gives her a look of disbelief. "She used it, too?"
Astra exhales a soft sigh. "I promise I'll tell you everything. But for right now..." Astra pauses and forces herself to separate from Din, "I'd really like you to have a meal."
Din nods. "All right." He takes one of Astra's hands and gives it a squeeze before she stands and receives a cup of soup from Bo-Katan. Din speaks to their ally while she does so. "Thank you for helping to rescue me." The Nite Owl simply nods in acknowledgement, continuing to help Astra with the soup while Din starts to stretch out more. "You were right. Mandalore is not cursed."
Bo tries and fails to hold back a scoff. "Was I?" Astra twists her lips while she watches Bo distribute the soup. "Look around. There's nothing left. A great society is now a memory."
Astra gives the area a quick glance and her chest starts to weigh heavy. It's too similar to her feelings for the fallen Arilia, the place she called home for so long. But then she catches Din's visor and earns comfort from the home that follows her throughout the galaxy.
"I once ruled here for a brief time," Bo continues. She hands the soup off to Astra. "Now, it's destroyed. Nothing to cling to but ashes."
Astra brings the soup over to Din and he looks inside the cup. "What is this?"
Bo gives Din an incredulous look while Astra shrugs. "You've never eaten pog soup?"
Din shakes his helmet. "No."
Bo chuckles and raises her brow. "Can you appreciate the irony?" Astra starts to frown at her tone while Din lifts his helmet just enough to take a hearty sip of the soup. He then passes his cup off to Astra for her to have some. She knows better than to say no. "Any Mandalorian worth their armor was raised on this since they were their size." Bo gestures to Grogu and Zora, who still work together to finish their share.
Din exhales and starts to stand from the ground. Astra sets the soup aside in a panic and grabs his arm. "Din..." she begins in a worried breath.
"You should rest," Bo affirms Astra's same thought as she gives Din a bewildered look. "We can go back to my ship soon enough."
Din's visor can't meet Astra's gaze as he speaks. "I'm not going with you."
Astra tightens her grasp on his arm. "What are you talking about?"
Din continues to address Bo-Katan. "You can take Astra and the kids with you, but I must continue to the Mines of Mandalore so that I may be redeemed."
Astra's voice is a warning. "Din Djarin, you know we're not separating."
Meanwhile, Bo's stuck with a single thought that she shares through an amused laugh. "I honestly think that it's adorable that you actually believe these children's stories." She stands and makes her way closer to Din and Astra. "But there is nothing magic about the waters."
Din stands, encouraging Astra to do the same beside him. She drops his arm and takes a step away, but he reaches for her hand and urges him back to her side. Understanding floods her being; He'd assumed that Astra would've wanted to stay behind after everything that happened. "Without the Creed," he asks Bo, "what are we? What do we stand for?" He gives his helmet an aimless shake. "Our people are scattered like stars in the galaxy. The Creed is how we survived."
Din squeezes Astra's hand and starts to collect his weapons. She helps him, retrieving his jetpack while he sheathes his blaster, vibroblade, and more.
"You rescued me and helped my family, and I'll always be in your debt," Din goes on. "But I can't go with you until I fulfill my obligation." He thanks Astra as he takes the jetpack and puts it on. "What I put my family through..." Din's voice starts to waver again, "it can't be for nothing." Astra sets her hand on his armored shoulder for comfort. "I have to finish what I started."
Bo-Katan provides an answer more quickly than Astra expected. "I will take you."
Din looks between Bo and Astra with a confused tilt of his helmet. "To the Living Waters?"
"Yes." Bo gives Din an unimpressed glance. "You'd never find them on your own. Not in all this wreckage."
Din's gloved hands fidget at his sides as he nods. "Thank you."
Bo grabs her helmet. "Don't thank me until you see them."
Bo-Katan starts to lead the way, leaving Din and Astra behind. Astra takes a deep breath and helps Grogu and Zora get back inside the pod. Their daughter knows better now than to ask to be in her father's arms, though Astra can tell by the focus of her brown gaze that it's what she desires. Astra kisses her head and stands at Din's side again. He takes her hand and nods at her. "Are you ready to finish this?"
"Absolutely." With Bo plenty of steps ahead and her back turned to them, Astra takes a moment to lift Din's helmet high enough for a quick kiss. "Every step of the way."
Din nods once more, giving her hand a tight squeeze before they start to catch up to Bo-Katan. Astra's too overjoyed by the idea of finishing their journey to think of any potential dangers. The worst has already happened, and so with each step they take after Bo-Katan, Astra prays to the stars they're another step closer to their forever. •••