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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓
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THE VIOLET-EYED GIRL was haunted at the sight of Din lying a few feet away on the ground, hurt.
Aeryn was, once again, scared. It was the same fear she felt back when Fennec Shand shot Din but this time, it was worse.
"Aeryn, let's get him." Cara told Aeryn, letting go of the rifle blaster.
Aeryn nodded and with that, they both rushed out of the common house.
Greef Karga and IG-11, along with the child, were both standing near the safe house's door. They gave Cara and Aeryn cover as the two headed for Din.
"Din..." Aeryn whispered, examining Din's state. "You take his other arm." she instructed Cara who stood beside her.
The two fighters let out grunts as they both carried Din, dragging him back into the common house. Greef and IG-11 provided them cover and followed right behind.
"Stay with me, buddy. We're gonna get you outta here." Cara breathed out as they dragged Din to a safe space.
Greef Karga, then, turned to face IG-11.
"This is our only way out. Can you clear it?" Greef asked the IG unit, pointing at the grate of the vent.
IG-11 nodded, heading for the vent's grate with the child in its arms.
An immense feeling of fear flooded Aeryn's chest as she knelt on Mando's side, her eyes fixated on his weak body. Cara knelt close to Aeryn.
"Stay with me." Aeryn whispered to Mando, placing her right hand over his arm.
"If you go near this Child, I will have no choice but to kill you." IG-11 warned Greef as it placed the child down.
"I understand. So, can you do anything to move the grate?!"
"Yes, of course." IG-11 answered and started working on the grate.
"Oh, I love IG units." Greef remarked, standing guard near the door. "Can someone else join me guard the door?"
"I'll do it." Cara answered. She turned her eyes to Aeryn who was also looking at her. "Take care of him."
Aeryn nodded and with that, Cara rushed to where Greef was.
The moment Aeryn's attention landed on Din, she saw that he was already looking at her. She slowly reached for Din's neck, supporting his head.
"I'm not gonna make it. Go." Din's voice was weak.
"No. We're gonna leave this place together. You'll be fine." Aeryn answered, giving Din a small, reassuting smile.
When she slowly let go of Din's neck, the fear she was feeling became worse. There was blood trickling down her fingers.
It wasn't her blood. It was Din's.
Aeryn's lips quivered at the sight. She felt weak and vulnerable to think that Din, who she had just found, might be leaving her soon. She refused for that to happen.
Aeryn turned to look back at Din, trying her best to hide the fear that was enveloping her.
"Leave me." Din struggled to mutter his words, his voice gradually losing its strength.
"I-I'm gonna have to take this—"
"No. You leave me." Din held Aeryn's hand tightly, stopping her from taking his helmet off. He was silently gasping for air. "You make sure the Child is safe.."
"No, I'll—"
"Here." Din cut Aeryn off, pulling out an unfamiliar necklace. "When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that. You tell them it's from Din Djarin."
Mando slowly placed the necklace over Aeryn's neck. Every now and then, he let out a small gasp for air. He was struggling.
"You tell them the foundling was in my protection, and they'll help you." Din continued and held onto Aeryn's hand tightly.
"I'm not leaving you." Aeryn's voice cracked as tears slowly streamed down her face. "I just found you, Din."
Din reached for Aeryn's face, cupping the side of it. He gently wiped her tears with his gloved hand and at the same time, cherished every moment of it.
"You never lost me." Din replied in his weak voice. "You have to go.
"We can make it. Together." Aeryn proceeded to take Din in her arms, pulling him off the metal.
"I'm not gonna make it, and you know it."
Right on that moment, a blast of fire bursted into the window. Aeryn immediately covered Din's body with hers. The scorching heat from the fire lasted for a few moments.
When the blast was finally over, Aeryn searched the place. Fire can be seen everywhere. Almost every object was in flames.
IG-11 continued working on the grate while Greef and Cara remained on their guarding post.
"You protect the Child. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's dea—"
"No, Din!" Aeryn cut Din off in a rather, aggressive way.
Din was slightly taken aback but he was able to see through Aeryn's toughness. He could see her eyes sparkle with tears as she looked straight into his eyes.
As he stared into her deep, violet eyes, he no longer felt the hole in his chest. This time, it was pure satisfaction. Pure gratitude that somehow, he was able to meet her.
Pure happiness with the knowledge that before he died, he was able to look at Aeryn's violet eyes.
"I can't lose you. Not again." Aeryn added as tears continued streaming down her face.
Din, once again, cupped the side of her face. With a final look, he cherished the face of the girl who was looking right at him.
"This is the Way."
Just then, another blast of fire bursted right from the entrance. Aeryn immediately covered Din's body, eager to keep him safe.
It lasted for a brief moment and then it was gone.
A small gap formed between Aeryn's lips at the sight of the Incinerator Stormtrooper's entering the common house. What haunted her the most was the fact that it was headed right for the child.
Cara, Aeryn, and Greef all glanced at each other's, aware of what was about to happen. They all braced themselves as the stormtrooper aimed the incinerator right at them.
They waited for the scorching heat to come at them but it never did.
Aeryn turned to look at the child and saw that it lifted both of its hands in the air, preventing the fire from reaching them.
They all watched the child in awe and the next thing they know, the trooper was thrown right out of the commone house.
A loud clanking of metal filled the air as IG-11 successfully opened the grate.
"Come on! It's open, let's go!" Greef announced, turning his attention to where Aeryn was.
Aeryn's eyes slowly fell on Mando's face who was already looking at her. She didn't want to leave him.
"Go. Go." Din gasped as he looked at Aeryn.
"Aeryn, we have to move." Cara told her bitterly as she made her way to where Aeryn was.
"Go."
Aeryn bitterly closed her eyes, holding tight onto Din's hand. She pursed her lips as tears continued streaming down her face.
In that very moment, every memory she had made with Mando flooded back at her.
When she first met him, the time when she had a nightmare back in Sorgan, their marriage couple facade in Tatooine—it all came back to her.
Aeryn opened her eyes and looked directly at where she knew Din's eyes were.
"Go, Aeryn." Mando told her one last time, cherishing her presence. "Our paths will cross again."
Aeryn bit her lower lip, reluctant of what she was about to do. No matter how bad she wanted to stay, she knew that it wasn't what Din wants.
Din wanted for her to stay safe.
"I trust you." Aeryn whispered to Din, a single tear streaming down her face.
"I know."
With one final look, Aeryn stood up from the ground and joined Cara who was headed for the vent.
"Escape and protect this child. I will stay with the Mandalorian." IG-11 told Aeryn as it handed her a bag where the child was.
"Promise me you'll bring him." Cara spoke to IG-11.
"You have my word."
The two fighters headed for the vent but before Aeryn went inside, she stopped. She turned to give Din one final look before she left.
Mando lied weak on the ground as IG-11 examined his body. He was looking right at Aeryn and gave her a reassuring nod.
Aeryn nodded back and with that, she reluctantly proceeded to enter the vent.
It was beyond her imagination that this time, she would be the one leaving Din.
Her Din.