#feedback does the writer's soul good 💕

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 overview:

The morning after the engagement. There is nothing better than waking up together and having some more fun in bed!

Smut

Pairing: Din Djarin x OC Female!

ReaderRating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

The suns of Tatooine were just rising when Liara slowly awoke. Still half asleep, she sighed contentedly and turned onto her side, yawning. Streaks of golden sunlight fell through the blinds of the guest room of Peli's apartment. Liara felt the warmth of the sun and listened as Mos Eisley outside the tilted window also welcomed the day. The quiet steady rattling of the blinds as they were moved by the breeze and lightly bumped against the window frame almost seemed soporific again. Voices drifted in from the streets outside, residents of the city who were still on their feet or had just gotten up. Somewhere a ship was humming, taking off from one of the hangars nearby. As she placed her left hand on the pillow in front of her, her ring glistened in the light of the sun. Liara smiled happily as she thought of Din's marriage proposal yesterday. She had not expected that at all. After they had come back to the hangar, Peli had still been awake and her eyes had immediately wandered to her hand. Her aunt had been so happy for her and had apologized several times for lying to her. Din had already explained the situation to her and she was not angry with anyone.

Din, while lost in her thoughts, had also moved in the meantime, he was now lying in spoon position behind her. His broad, bare chest was nestled against her back, only the thin top she wore separating her from his skin. She felt every inhale and exhale, but couldn't tell from it whether he was already awake or still fast asleep. Liara searched for his arm and gently stroked up and down it. She felt his hairs stand up. His arm twitched slightly, then moved, resting on her waist and pulling her even closer. Din's firm thighs pressed against hers.

"Good morning!" she whispered, and Din's hand, which had been on her waist, brushed her hair aside, exposing her neck.

"I had a wonderful dream!" whispered Din as well, his voice still all raspy and sleepy, and kissed her on her earlobe.

"I proposed to you and you said yes!" he added, his lips trailing along her neck. He greedily sucked in her enchanting scent, enjoying being so close to her. Smiling, Liara lifted her hand and let Din see the ring.

"That was not a dream!" she replied and closed her eyes with pleasure, stretching her head back to offer him more surface to caress.

"Mesh'la (beautiful)!"

Din's lips touched her chin, his mustache tickling her lightly as he did so, and then traced upward, across her cheek to the corner of her mouth. Licking it gently with his tongue, Liara groaned and reached behind her, into his hair, pulling at it, which made him grin and poke her again with his tongue. She turned her head to him, both looking deep into each other's eyes as they kissed lovingly and slowly. His lips felt like velvet as they settled on her mouth with gentle pressure. Immediately after, she felt his tongue lightly run over her lower lip and then gently penetrate. Liara enjoyed the touch of Din's lips, it was so wonderful every time. They took all the time in the world. Only the soft breathing of both could be heard when they briefly interrupted their contact only to longingly crave each other's touch again a moment later.

"This is how I want to wake up every day. With you by my side!"

His forehead touched hers, then he kissed her tenderly on the tip of her nose. They remained nestled close to each other, enjoying the moment together. Liara felt so safe in his arms.

"I love you!" she whispered and Din smiled happily into her neck. He scratched her a little with his beard as he slid his lips down her neck. He found a spot above her collarbone and sucked on her skin.

His hands slipped under her top and closed around her breasts, kneading them gently. Liara moaned out and pressed hard against him. At her bottom she could feel his erection and she bit her lips excitedly. She began to slowly rub herself against him and Din closed his eyes, infatuated. His hand slid over her belly, stopping at a spot above her groin and stroking it with his fingernails. It was actually a feather-light touch, but Liara drew in a sharp breath and shuddered. She was particularly sensitive at that spot, she felt her skin react to it with twitches and she gasped. The tingling spread, she pressed her thighs together as she realized how much it excited her. Din teased her further and she arched her back as his hand now slowly slipped under her panties.

"Din!" she moaned as he finally touched her. Her wetness made him groan and his lips found hers to kiss her stormily now. Passionately, the two devoured each other, their tongues alternately invading each other's mouths.

"I desire you!" gasped Din as they caught their breath and he immediately pressed his lips to hers again. Liara moaned, opened her legs and Din stroked them with his thumb. Small, circular motions, at the same time he pressed his pelvis against her bottom, moaning, and rubbed against her before penetrating her with one finger.

"Oh Din!"

She sighed lustfully as he inserted another finger inside her and, with his hand gripping her breast tightly, rubbed the tip of her breast with his thumb and forefinger. Liara moaned into the kiss and bit his lip. He growled and she licked gently over the spot. When Din penetrated her with another finger, she began to tremble. Her whole body tingled. It was so exciting that Liara forgot everything around her and became louder and louder. She didn't care if strangers walking in the alleys outside Peli's hangar heard her. Or Peli himself...

His breathing was as intermittent as hers. Din felt her walls quiver around his fingers and understood that she was about to climax. He left her with his fingers and Liara slid her hand between their bodies. She needed to touch him. Eagerly, she stroked him through his shorts before pulling on them to encompass his pulsing hardness. With slow, steady movements, she began to rub and massage him.

Din closed his eyes, infatuated, and thrust into her hand a few times.

"Cyar'ika (lover) long this will not go well!"

His came breath bumping hot. Sweat stood on his forehead.

"Please, I want us to be together at last!" she whispered excitedly, hurrying to get rid of her panties. She spread her legs, Din slipped his hand under her thigh and pulled her leg back a little. She arched her back so he could penetrate her more easily, and in the next moment felt him deep inside her.

"So perfect!" he growled between his teeth and thrust again. She felt wonderfully tight and Din gritted his teeth to keep from roaring with pleasure. He lowered his head to her shoulder, biting her skin tenderly. "You are my wife!"

Liara shuddered, unable to get out of a moan. It was so wonderful and Din so close inside her, making her feel whole at last. As if they were two halves of a whole, finally united after being separated from each other for so long, first physically, then mentally.

Din's hand clung to her hip as he moved his pelvis in an exciting rhythm. Again and again he penetrated her. Liara slid a hand between her legs and began rubbing her most sensitive spot with her middle finger in unison with Din's movements until she felt the first ripples. Both of them moaned unrestrainedly, Din kept panting in her ear how beautiful she was and that they would stay together forever. Long and lustful they loved each other in this way, felt each other as intensely as two people could feel each other until they experienced an overwhelming climax together.

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 26

Chapter 26 overview:

A visit to the Mos Eisley market just before leaving for Bora-Borosa reveals some surprises and new clues.

Notes:

I was inspired for the market during my vacation on Djerba at that time. And the city they will visit on Bora-Borosa will be somewhat similar to Marrakech.

Pairing: Din Djarin x OC Female!

ReaderRating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

A red glow lay on the horizon, you could hear it crackling, cracking and rustling everywhere. The sky darkened with smoke and the air was hot and stuffy. Many screams came from the dense forest. Terrible, cruel, until they fell silent. The trees could not withstand the fire, bent over, buried everything under them. The wind passed through and fanned the flames further. It carried them from one treetop to the next and the flames ate their way through the branches with relish. They whispered and hissed, everyone knew they were coming. By now, the black billows of smoke were blowing not only more in the sky, but also through the trees, making breathing almost impossible. Along with the smoke, the scent of death was also in the air.

In a nearby clearing, a woman was tied to a tree trunk, struggling to get free and screaming. But no one was helping her, the one who was supposed to protect her was helpless himself. In the middle of the meadow was an elongated boulder, in front of it knelt a man, also bound by his hands, his head resting on it. His silver armor had been spread in the grass, the firelight already reflected in it. Around him walked a Mandalorian woman, holding a dark saber in her hands, its color matching the sky. Dead, burning birds that had not made it out of the treetops in time kept falling, missing them by a hair's breadth. His breathing was frantic, he was bleeding from several wounds. A nearby tree groaned, its face showing and wailing as sparks touched its bark and injured him. He asked the human woman to help his people the Neti, but the Mandalorian only laughed distortedly through her helmet. The tree creaked and gave up as the sparks ate deeper and deeper into the trunk. The Mandalorian stood beside her captive and raised her saber. He turned his head, kept his eyes open, and stared at her. Incomprehension, incredulity was in it, but she didn't seem to care. So did the woman's gasping and coughing as she struggled to get air, the acrid smoke having enveloped her. She dropped her arms and snuffed out his life. Rain of ash trickled into the clearing as the Mandalorian deactivated the dark saber, used her jetpack, and escaped the hell of fire.

Chenda gasped, her fingers clawing into the table in front of her as she returned to the present. Her horns ached and sweat stood on her forehead. She had not had such a violent vision since she had turned her back on her homeland. Her parents had always hoped that she would train as a seer, but for her it was not a gift, but a nuisance. When she was old enough, she boarded a shuttle and tried to get as far away from her home planet as possible. Now and then blurry images had appeared in her dreams, but they had hardly bothered her. Mos Eisley was supposed to be just a stopover, but when she saw the sign hanging in a window on a side street while exploring the town, she knew she would stay here. She had taken over the fabric store of an old woman who had put it up for sale. Since she was very good at sewing, a tailor shop was created to sell the fabrics, and it became very busy. After some time, she had been able to hire another seamstress.

Chenda's hand trembled as she filled her water glass and took a sip. She had just finished the last pair of pants with the magnet inserts for the Mandalorian's armor pieces when that vision had gripped her again. He had sought her out in her store two days ago and the vision had been repeating ever since. Chenda glanced at her watch and sighed. She needed to calm down; soon the Mandalorian would appear to take his order. He would surely notice her uneasiness and become suspicious, but she couldn't tell him. Chenda took a deep breath and noticed her pulse returning to normal. She retrieved a bag, put the three pairs of pants inside, and a cloak. A short time later, the bell on her door jingled and the Mandalorian stood waiting at the counter as she appeared with the order. She smiled at him and showed him the cloak. He had not requested it, but she had seen his old tattered one and she had found this weatherproof fabric still in storage. He thanked her, she could clearly hear his surprise through the modulator of his helmet. Although she didn't ask for anything in return, he put more credits on the table than they had actually agreed upon. As he was about to take the bag, she touched him on his wrist and his dark visor stared back at her.

"Take care of yourself!"

He stiffened at her words, but didn't inquire further, nodding and leaving her store. She sank onto the stool behind her counter, Chenda's fingers trembling again, the energy emanating from him rattling her body. She could see him standing outside for a moment before he disappeared from her sight, and she hoped that her gift had only deceived her.

Din could still hear the bell ringing despite the closed door, when he was already standing in front of the store again. He looked thoughtfully at the shop window and the colorful fabrics hanging inside. The goodbye had been strange, the Iktotchi had given him a worried look. He had heard about them being able to see into the future. Did she have any idea what might happen? But wouldn't she have told him? Din shrugged slightly, then took a deep breath and left the side street to come across the main street to the marketplace.

Today was market day and already before the big square, a few merchants had sporadically set up their stalls to intercept the first shoppers or because they needed more space for their goods.

He dodged a nuna that darted out of the shadow of a tent, in its mouth one of the dragon fruits that the owner was preparing for sale in boxes. A stone and several curses followed the green wingless bird, but it was already over the hills. Next to it, a blacksmith had begun his work, hammering the heated metal into the desired shape while the customer waited.

The closer Din got to the main square, the livelier and louder it became. The typical sounds of the water seller reached him before he could even see him. For before he appeared, the clatter of his tin cups could already be heard. And then a colorfully dressed older man appeared, with a canister on his back and on his arms the baskets of drinking vessels, which he kept shaking to get everyone's attention.

And then suddenly it was a stream of people and figures pulling him along, a tangle of different languages and other sensory impressions.

A carpet seller had his colorful wares spread out around him, touting them as the best in the whole city. A boy stood in front of it, discouraging people from simply walking across it and threatening with a stick anyone who dared to do so anyway.

Nearby, under a holey tarp, several women sat squatting on the ground among bundles of green leaves and stems, plucking herbs. Another tossed them into a pot that stood on a hot plate, into a curd-like mass, stirred it all together, and filled it into small jars for sale. A ventilator hung above them, trying to displace the accumulating heat. Their small children lay sleeping in the background, not bothered in the least by the hustle and bustle. In front of a booth with several clay jars, a few people craned their necks curiously and watched as a snake charmer used his flute to wind out his animals.

From somewhere, the scent of mint crept through his filter into his helmet and he passed a tea stall a moment later. Different tea leaves were presented in various bowls, and in the pots behind them the finished drink was already drawing in the warm water. In addition to the smell of mint, a fruity berry flavor and an earthy, spicy aroma mingled. He, like everyone else, had to wait a moment as eopies with luggage on their backs, were led through the crowd. Everyone made way voluntarily and no one got in the way or tried to scare them. The eopies tended to spit out their undigested stomach contents in large quantities and this was to be avoided at all costs.

While Din was standing to the side, he overheard a Togruta large family arguing with the jewelry seller and disagreeing over price. The woman held a green beaded necklace in her hands and looked at it longingly. She hinted to her husband that she wanted it badly, while the four small children around her, whined, defiantly stomped their feet and tugged at their clothes, while their father got an even redder skin tone on his face than she already was. When it was finally possible to move on, Din tore himself away from the scene, not wanting to stand by and watch all the children get howl attacks all at once, or their father throw a tantrum.

He hoped he could find Liara in the commotion, they had arranged a meeting point because she wanted to get some provisions for their trip and he was annoyed that he wasn't wearing his jetpack. That way he could just take off and escape all this. But the next moment his annoyance disappeared as he passed one of the many cookshops. The meat skewers looked delicious and he felt a slight pressure in his stomach. He thought about it for a moment, then ordered a couple of them, just the right thing for a long flight. The olive bread that the vendor sold at the side of the kitchen also looked delicious, and Din had several of those wrapped up as well. After paying, Din continued to fight his way through the crowds, searching the stalls for Liara.

After a few minutes he actually spotted her, a merchant just handed her a bag of fruit and she put it in her bag. Turning away from the stall, she noticed him as well and waved.

"I almost thought I wouldn't find you!" he greeted her, gently lowering his helmet to her forehead. Liara smiled and when he looked into her eyes, he got lost in them for a moment. She pointed to all the bags and Din shrugged his shoulders in amusement.

"The hunger got the better of me! Even I'm powerless over that!"

Liara chuckled and offered him to put the bread in her larger bag with her. As they strolled along the edge of the market, Din put an arm around Liara and they still looked around in silence. Liara was distracted by an older man who was moving a rusty hovering cart with huge pumpkins in front of him, the vehicle already slightly tilted by the load.

Meanwhile, Din overheard the commotion that had broken out not far from them. One of the Trandoshans was in the process of fighting with three male Tusken, who had stood protectively in front of their families. Din called Liara's attention to this, pressed all the bags into her arms and was about to leave when she grabbed him by the wrist. She had noticed a detail about the Tusken and she gulped.

"Din, they're sand people from Bora-Borosa!"

He nodded.

"I know. Please stay back and let me help them. Then we can still figure out why they're here!"

Liara sighed, clutching the groceries and watching as he approached the group. She was annoyed that she hadn't put on her blaster.

When Din turned to face the three Tusken, they nodded at him in relief, one of them holding a rifle, the others having only a vibroblade.

"Leave them alone!" said Din, his hand lingering near his blaster.

"Are you in cahoots with this scum, Mandalorian?" he was growled at. Wonder who the scum is here, Din thought, but said, "Mind your own business!"

His voice had a warning tone.

Liara noticed two half-bright boys sneaking up on the women and throwing sand at them.

"Eat your dirt!" they shouted hooting, while the women ducked and tried to protect their children. The little ones clung fearfully to their mothers and cried in fright. Din still had business with the Trandoshan, so she didn't hesitate and rushed to them.

"Get out of here!" she nagged at the boys, and they flinched in fright. The two dropped the sand to the ground and ran off laughing.

"Liara!"

One of the women addressed them and Liara recognized her.

"Basmah, you have to get out of here! I'll take you to our ship!"

By now the atmosphere was tense; the group had attracted the attention of the market-goers present, and a few of them were not afraid to drop vile words. But at least so far no one physically attacked the women. Still, there was no time for grand greetings; that would have to wait. Basmah nodded, fear evident in her eyes, and asked Liara to help her with Umm. The old blind woman scolded in broken Basic about those who wished them ill, but then hooked Liara's arm. Carefully but briskly, they hurried to leave the place.

Out of the corner of his eye, Din could see them disappear into a side alley.

"MURDERER PACK!"

A stone flew after them, luckily only hitting the wall of a house and bouncing back to the ground.

The Trandoshan now took a step toward Din and he drew his blaster.

"You want to start a gunfight here in the middle of everyone?" asked Din, his helmet tilted to the side. He tensed his body, appearing even wider with his armor. He had seen his opponent's blaster, but it was still in his belt. The Trandoshan snorted in anger, then spat in the direction of one of the Tusken.

"Get out of here with this rabble!"

Then he turned and ducked into the fray. He didn't want to mess with the Mandalorian after all. Din exhaled slowly and the tension eased a bit. But he didn't want to find out if another one had the idea to mob the Tusken and indicated to the men to follow him. They walked the same way as Liara a few minutes before.

Peli was astonished when Liara and Din appeared in the hangar with the Tusken. A little confused, she eyed the newcomers, who seemed a little rushed. Liara helped Umm sit down on the sofa, the old woman puffed with strain, and Liara dropped her purchases on the cushions beside her to give Basmah a hug.

"I thought you were dead!" groaned Liara, tears glistening in more than just her eyes. Basmah sighed and eyed Din curiously, who joined them, taking off his helmet.

"I think there's a lot to tell!" she said, and then Liara heard a soft mewling. Basmah pushed aside her brown robe to reveal a baby hidden in a sling, only a few weeks old. It was awake and blinking as it looked into the brightness. Liara smiled delightedly at Basmah and gently stroked the child's dark fine hair.

After Liara had reassured Peli that the Tusken were peaceful, who then offered everyone a place to sit, Liara stowed her purchases in the silver lining, and the droids had brought everyone something to drink, they now sat together and listened to Basmah's report.

"My sister got married here in the Tusken Tribe and since I was pretty far along in the pregnancy, we were going to spend some time here until after the birth. And then came the news from the new republic that everyone else had not survived this massacre at home. Actually we had decided to stay here now, but Umm wants to go home. When she dies she wants to be buried with her ancestors!"

Liara looked at the old woman next to her. She had become very slender since she had seen her last and was also walking a bit bent over. Gray hair sprouted from under her headscarf.

"Are you so bad?" she asked Umm, touching her gently on the hand, her skin wrinkled and covered with pigment spots.

"My child. I'm just old and the longing is there. When the time comes for you, you will understand!"

Her blind dull eyes wandered aimlessly around the hangar. Liara thought back to her visits when she had gone to the tribe with her father and then alone. Around the campfire, Umm had always told the stories of the past, of the time when she had not yet lost her sight. Everyone had listened to her intently, and except for the crackling of the flames, it had always been dead silent.

"We tried to find someone at the market to take us home!" explained Myrrh, one of the other women. Her boy had calmed down and was no longer crying. He sat on her lap and sucked his thumb. This was one of the differences between the Tusken of here and Bora-Borosa. On the latter, children could remove their masks, which protected them from sandstorms and sunlight, up to a certain age and walk around outside the camp without them. The women had masks, but their eyes they left free. And in old age, like Umm, they wore none at all. So that the Creator could recognize them when he came for them.

"We were going to leave for Bora-Borosa later today. We need to find a crystal that Nola took there and hid. A message from her said you knew where it was! Probably that's why everyone from your tribe was killed!"

Basmah listened to Din's explanations. Liara had taken her aside briefly earlier and told her all about their relationship, then congratulated her warmly on her engagement.

"No we can't help you there!"

Basmah looked at the others, but they all shook their heads.

"Dank Farrik!" cursed Din, and one of the children giggled. Liara sighed. Would have been too easy, too.

"Nhean knows!"

Everyone looked to Umm, who looked quite stiff. Basmah touched her lightly on her thigh, yet she flinched and her fingers clawed into the fabric of the sofa.

"But he had already left the tribe. I may have been a child, but I remember Nola's visit well! She told us about the different planets and all the different creatures that exist in the galaxy!"

Umm closed her eyes.

"I sent Nola to see him! I didn't want the tribe to get involved in anything. But they still weren't spared!"

Umm's voice grew quieter.

"Who is Nhean?"

Liara heard the name for the first time though she had been with them often enough.

"My son!" whispered Umm, slumping down again. Her hands trembled slightly and she fell silent.

"He chose to live a different life. He had been informed about the slaughter and he gave the New Republic the information that we were here. He lives in Amos. You can find him in the Tanners' Quarter!" explained Basmah.

Hyperspace passed the silver lining and threw the blue-white light through the windows. Din sat in the cockpit and checked all the data again before he sank back into his chair and reviewed the last hours. Who would have thought at the beginning of the day, which he had greeted so wonderfully together with Liara in bed, that his ship was now occupied by a group of Tusken and that they would now have to seek out someone new to find the crystal.

When they had said goodbye to Peli, she had shed a few tears and also hugged him tightly, asking him to come back safe and sound and to contact her in the meantime. She had been able to quickly find hammocks for her fellow travelers and Liara had gotten some toys for the children. Two days could be long if the little ones got bored. Din noticed the slight pulling in his lower leg, it was time for his shots again. Just before they had left, Umm had been sitting on the sofa and he had wanted to help her into the ship. There she had asked him what was wrong with his legs. Her laughter which followed had been slightly croaky but hearty, she must have sensed his puzzled look.

"I'm blind Mandalorian, but my hearing tells me you're dragging your leg and limping!"

He had told her everything as they climbed the ramp, and as if she had known Liara was standing not far away, called out to her.

"Child, I thought you paid better attention when I explained the medicinal herbs to you!"

Liara had looked uncomprehendingly at both of them before Umm tipped her off to get a certain root on Bora-Borosa. Liara promised her to do so, and the old woman had sat down contentedly on the bench. After they had also distributed food in the meantime, silence now reigned throughout the ship.

Din rose and climbed down the ladder, he had stowed the syringes in the bedroom. When he reached the bottom, his eyes wandered through the silver lining. Although they had set up a cot for Umm, she preferred to sit on the bench, next to the kitchen counter. She had fallen asleep, her head resting on her chest, and she was snoring. Din grinned. The others were in the hammocks, fast asleep. He turned around and stopped, frozen. The door to the sleeping area was open, with only the bedside lamp burning, and he saw Liara pacing in the warm light. In her arms she held Yamha, Basmah's daughter, humming a tune to her. The little one was awake and had her fingers clenched into a fist around Liara's hair. Liara spotted Din and smiled at him. Slowly he came in and watched as she released her little fingers from her hair and in the next moment they sought her finger and held onto it.

"I wanted to give Basmah some rest, the little one doesn't know how to fly yet and was a little restless earlier!"

Din nodded. He couldn't say anything, it was such a beautiful sight and Liara looked so happy with the child. He cleared his throat and the child's eyes slid to the source of the noise. Din smiled at the girl, he took off his glove and gently ran it over her cheek. Her skin was so soft. The baby yawned, Yamha opened her little mouth wide and her eyes grew smaller. Shortly after, she was asleep in Liara's arms, carefully tucking her into a nest of pillows. Din sat down on the bed and began to take off his armor. Then he took out the syringe from his thrust and sat it down. He frowned slightly as his leg began to burn again from the medicine. Liara touched him on the shoulder.

"Get some rest. I'll stay awake until then and wake you if there's an alarm!"

Din thanked her, leaned back into the pillows, and watched Liara sit down on the stool in front of the sleeping Yamha. It wasn't long before sleep had overtaken him as well.

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 overview: Old acquaintances, who should be in prison and dead, set a trap for Din.

Pairing: Din Djarin/Original Female Character

Summary: Grogu is gone, Din is back on Nevarro and has rejoined the guild.

There he meets Liara and falls in love with her.

The two embark on a journey full of adventures. In the process, Din must painfully learn that he is not invulnerable, despite his armor.

Add to that the burden of responsibility Din carries on his belt. Will he be ready for it?

Especially when he learns the truths about his past. How does one react when one has grown up with not just one lie?

Rating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

The next chapter will take a little while. I'm on vacation in beautiful Italy/South Tyrol starting tomorrow.

I'm sorry for the cliffhanger 😎

When Din woke up, he found that they had already landed. Ezer had let them sleep, and he was glad, because as he slowly got up, he found that every movement hurt. Carefully and quietly so as not to wake Liara, Din collected his armor, but his shin guards were ruined, so he had to look for new ones here. As he stood on the ramp, Peli's hangar was quiet. Even the droids were not to be seen. He sat down on a crate and began to clean his armor. Finally, it was his helmet's turn. When he looked at himself in the now clean visor, he had to realize how unkempt he looked. Din ran his hand through his sticking out hair and sighed. He set the helmet aside and began to put his armor back in place. When he had fastened his thigh plates, he unwrapped the bandage from his lower leg and screwed up his face. It didn't look very nice. He took the cauterizer out of his pocket and started working on his wounds with it. He gritted his teeth, it burned like hell. He heard excited chattering in the background.

"Mando!"

Din flinched in fright and was slapped on the back of the head. Peli stood next to him and looked at him like he was out of his mind.

"Ezer mentioned that you were hurt, but he didn't say that you got hit on the head like that to treat those wounds with the cauterizer!"

Din noticed Ezer stepping into the hangar, and he smirked as he noticed Peli rounding on the Mandalorian. Peli snatched the device from his hand and looked at him questioningly.

"Are you really serious Mando?"

"Um, Din!" he said meekly, and Peli raised his eyebrows. He felt like a little boy who had been caught doing something forbidden by his parents. Peli's gaze went past him, her hands flailing wildly.

"Liara! He can't be treating those wounds with that thing!"

Din turned to the silver lining, where Liara stood grinning at him pityingly. Whether it was because of his wounds or Peli's screaming, he suspected both. She still looked a little pale, but she seemed fitter than she had a few hours ago on Ryloth. Peli gave him another pat on the back of the head and he heard Liara giggle. Din rubbed the spot.

"Thought there was such a thick skull under that helmet! Ezer, you please grab him and escort him to the medical center!"

Ezer nodded and looked at Din, waiting. The latter sighed, tightened the bandage again, and stood up with a groan before following the young man. Before they left the hangar, he put on his helmet and heard Peli's rant through his audio sensor even as they were already on the street.

It was late afternoon, the Tatooine suns blazing down on Mos Eisley as they entered the medical center. As soon as the doors were closed behind them, they were greeted by chilled air, otherwise it was the typical smell of disinfectant. The nurse at the front desk looked at Din, puzzled. Mandalorians didn't come here for treatment that often. She sent him to the waiting area, where it was noisy. An Ithorian woman was trying to reprimand her two boys. The children ran up and down the aisle shrieking. Otherwise, the sounds they made were quite melodious, through the two mouths and the multiple throats they had. But this was just noisy, and a Jawa sitting in the corner held his hands over his hood where his ears were. When Din came into their field of vision, one of the boys stopped and his brother ran him in. Awestruck and with open but speechless mouths, they looked at the Mandalorian. He smirked as they dutifully sat down next to their mother and she scolded them in their language. The Jawa grumbled briefly, but stopped himself when he noticed Din's helmet looking in his direction.

"Maybe you can lend me your armor sometime!" laughed Ezer softly, who had also been watching the scene. "Maybe the flamethrower!" said Din, and the young man grinned.

"Have you sighted your bounty yet?", Din wanted to know from him after they had found a place to sit. Ezer shook his head.

"My contact says it's not coming until tomorrow. I just have to figure out where to deposit him in the meantime until I can get him to Nevarro!"

"You can put him in carbonite in the silver lining in the meantime!"

Ezer nodded at him gratefully.

"I could probably use two more eyes, too. In case his Twilight friends want to defend him. You never know with slavers!"

Din agreed with him. He heard footsteps coming toward him and the nurse asked him into a treatment room. No sooner had he sat down on the couch than the doctor entered and another nurse. She was already unwinding the bandages while the doctor shook Din's hand.

"I am doctor Anandi. In my long service, you are actually the first Mandalorian I have treated. And on Tatooine, I've seen quite a bit!"

Din laughed softly.

"My partner's aunt left me no choice to come here!"

"Women shouldn't be contradicted!"

His counterpart smirked, Anandi pulled on his gloves, then frowned when he saw the exposed wounds.

"I immediately gave him a Bacta shot each!", Ezer informed him. The doctor nodded.

"Yeah, I figured, but with injuries like that, it's a drop in the bucket. How did they do it?"

He turned to the nurse.

"Dara I need the sewing kit!"

The addressed opened a cabinet and took out the needed material.

Din sighed.

"Had contact with a doashim on Ryloth!"

"Almighty!"

Dara, who was a Twi'lek, dropped the tray in shock.

"Sorry!" she muttered, picking it all up and immediately straightening a new set. The doctor looked at Din in surprise.

"Then I'm glad I only have to stitch these wounds!"

After the doctor had applied Bacta plasters to the stitched areas and put a fresh bandage on Dara, Anandi asked him to refrain from messing with a Doashim again for at least one day. "Give your body some rest!" the doctor said with a wink and dismissed him.

On the way back to Peli's hangar, Din went to the gun store where he had bought a blaster several years ago. After looking at the billboard, he noticed that the owner must have changed. When they tried to enter the store, the door was blocked. A sign told them to ring the bell. Din pressed the button. A crack above them opened, a camera focused on them, then disappeared back into the ceiling. A buzz sounded, and the door opened. Inside the salesroom, they were greeted by dim light and stale, foul air, mixed with the smell of gun grease. Behind barred shelves hung blaster rifles and other handguns. From the back room stepped a balosar. His antennae palps protruded from his bald head, which was covered with warts. The antennae went in their direction and as he approached them they retracted into his head. What his head lacked in hair, his long unkempt beard made up for. The Balosar wasn't exactly tall, but he was wide and the thick beard made him look even thicker. In it, one could see some leftovers he had once eaten. Ezer wrinkled his nose.

"Welcome, I am Deepak!"

The high-pitched voice somehow didn't match the body that stood in front of them.

"So where is the previous owner?" asked Ezer curiously. He had liked the old man.

"Got mugged and shot! Was unarmed!" chuckled Deepak.

"In a gun store unarmed!"

He laughed, but realized that Ezer and Din, didn't find it funny. He cleared his throat.

"Can't happen to me. My palps sense bad feelings!" he grinned, then clapped his hands. Din saw the many rings he had squeezed onto one finger.

"What can I do to please you?"

"I need new shin guards!" now Din explained. The Balosar nodded, grabbed a tape measure and came forward behind the sales counter and took the measurements on his lower leg. Then he hurried into an adjoining room. "We'll have that in a minute!" he called out to them. Din, meanwhile, let his eyes wander and saw several spears stuck in a rack in the corner. He frowned and pulled one out. It was very light, too light actually for Beskar, but the distinctive color actually matched. He let the spear bounce against his bracers and a bright, clear sound rang out briefly before a darker tone mixed in. Ezer looked at him questioningly. At that moment, the Balosar returned with two dark brown schooners in his hand. When he saw Din with the spear, he turned pale.

"Where did you get that?" the Mandalorian hissed at him. Only one of the antennae palps extended and peered in Din's direction. He took a step toward Deepak. The latter almost dropped the schooners, put them on the counter and raised his hands defensively.

"That's just the paint. Pieces of beskar were mixed into the silver paint. Everything else is normal metal. It's not real!" he stuttered. His eyes darted excitedly from the spear in Din's hands, to Ezer, who had his arms crossed and was watching the show with interest. Then he looked back to Din, who shook his head and tossed the spear back into the box.

"Never offer these to a Mandalorian. You will feel his vengeance when he finds out you are cheating him!"

Deepak swallowed. Din now examined the schooners, which were covered in leather.

"There's an extra compartment built in, as a hiding place for stabbing weapons!", Deepak explained to him, his nervousness seeming to have subsided again. Din was convinced, and as he went to pay for them, the Balosar leaned against the counter. "But I can get you the real gloves!"

Din frowned under his helmet.

"My gloves are fine!" he said, hoping the Balosar would be finished soon. He noticed how the anesthesia the doctor had given him for stitching was wearing off, and despite the bactapatches, his legs were throbbing. "No, no. The Mandalorian gloves. The Crushgaunt!"

Deepak looked around briefly, as if there was someone else in the room.

"There are some deals on the black market. I can get you some!"

Ezer shook his head at so much stupidity from the Balosar.

Din's anger flared again, grabbing Deepak's collar and pulling him onto the counter. His legs hung in the air and the antennae palps popped out, wiggling up and down excitedly like his legs. Sweat formed on his forehead and let the smell linger in the room.

"I'm pissed, you don't have to try to recognize the feeling! Crushgaunts have been banned and even among Mandalorians the weapon is frowned upon!"

Deepak kicked his legs more frantically and Din let go of him again. He slammed the Balosar a few credits, not knowing the exact price, on the counter top and grabbed his new schooners. He pointed his finger at him.

"If I overhear you offering these gloves to anyone and actually sell them, I'll come with a real beskarspear and show you how it can hurt!"

As they left the store, they could hear Deepak whimpering softly.

The Balosar stroked his beard nervously as a person stepped out of the back room and placed a purple hand on his shoulder.

"Did I do everything right, Xi'an?"

The Twi'lek chuckled and leaned down to lick Deepak's ear lightly.

"That was perfect!"

The Balosar smiled, but then frowned as he felt something clamp around his palms. The silver glove squeezed and he cried out in pain. Xi'an didn't have to strain any further as she tightened, ripping off his scalp in the process.

"You didn't feel that, my dear!" grinned Xi'an. Deepak slumped, covered in blood, and the Twi'lek stepped over the dying one, pulling the door shut behind her as she left the store.

Once inside the hangar, the men stopped, Din pulled off his helmet, and they took in the delicious smell.

"What smells so good here?" asked Ezer. After visiting Deepak, a true respite for their noses. Peli came out of her office and noticed Din's new bandages. She smiled at him.

"That's eopie stew. Liara is cooking!"

She nodded in the direction of the kitchen. Din realized that his stomach was growling, he hadn't really been able to eat anything the last few days or had simply forgotten. But before he went to Liara, he decided to clean himself up first. He didn't feel comfortable in his own skin anymore.

Liara was about to mash the strawberries when someone snuggled up to her from behind.

"What are you doing?" asked Din as he watched her mix the mixture into the stew. Liara glanced over her shoulder.

"The eopi meat has a strong gamey flavor, the rice the neutralizes it slightly. Also, the spicy ahrisa fruit comes in. And the strawberries add a sweet note. Mom got the recipe from the Tusken. There are actually some oases on Tatooine in the middle of the Dune Sea where strawberries grow!"

"If it tastes like it smells, there won't be much left of it!" said Din, kissing her on the cheek. Liara laughed and turned to him. He had freshly shaved and changed his clothes. She ran her hand over his smooth cheek.

"That's what my mother used to cook. No matter how bad the mood was, we felt better afterwards! I felt like it today. It makes me feel close to her!"

Din kissed her on the forehead. When his stomach growled loudly again, Liara giggled. He tore off some of the white bread that was still warm from baking and dipped it briefly into the stew, tasting some. It was a pleasant, sweet taste, with a slight spicy touch. He stuck his thumb up.

"One time, Mom only used Ahrisa because there were no strawberries on all of Tatooine. She thought it would be all right. No, it was unbearable!" grinned Liara, reminiscing. Then she turned serious and pointed at his legs.

"What did the doctor say?"

"He recommends that I stop having contact with Doashims!"

"Idiot!"

Liara slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"It needed stitches, but he thinks it will heal fine. Then tomorrow I can help Ezer with his bounty too!"

Liara sighed. Din squeezed her arm.

"Totally safe!"

"Clearly!" she replied sarcastically and, looking out the window, could see Ezer dragging a table along with the help of the droids. Peli had already procured a couple of chairs from a chamber. This one joined them in the kitchen.

"Well?"

Liara nodded.

"Should be ready!"

After eating, the pot had actually been eaten empty, Ezer had retreated to Peli's guest room. Peli sat in the corner playing Sabacc with her droids. Liara sat on the old couch Peli had in the hangar and stared into the campfire Peli had lit. The suns had set and cold pressed in from the desert. Din sat down next to her and she leaned against his shoulder. For a while they said nothing, then Liara sought his hand. He had told her everything that had happened after her abduction and she was horrified that innocent people had to die because of her. She sighed. Then she remembered something, broke away from Din and ran to the silver lining's bunk. She found the book, still in the same place where she had last put it. As she walked back into the hangar, she flipped through it and found the page.

"Here, I was going to show you this, but you distracted me!" she smirked, and Din took the book from her. He skimmed the page and read the part about Clan Djarin. He had also shown her the picture he had found under the temple.

"I'd like to know if they're still alive!" muttered Din, closing the book.

"Maybe the neti can help us?"

In one of the audio recordings Swen was able to secure, his grandfather had spoken of the Neti giving them coordinates for a place where they could retreat. Din shrugged. First they had to find the crystal on Boro-Borosa in the first place before they flew on to the Neti with Ahsoka.

"I've heard the stories that there's supposed to be a treasure somewhere in the desert on Boro-Borosa. The Tusken usually had unpleasant encounters with treasure hunters who got lost. But the stories have been around longer than, say, the time Nola hid the crystal!"

Liara shrugged, playing nervously with her fingers.

"I had a strange dream!" she began. He looked to her as she took his hand again and stroked her fingers across his palm.

"You were reigning on Aq Vetina and I was waiting for you on the beach with our child!"

Din swallowed.

"There was an explosion?" he asked, and she nodded in surprise.

"I had that dream too. I was running to the beach and just before I got to you, someone destroyed our lives!"

"What does that mean?"

Din couldn't give her an answer.

"I don't know. But the thought of having a family with you felt good!"

Liara smiled, Din pulled her to him and kissed her lovingly.

"Do you think he's still coming?"

Ezer sounded nervous. Din was lying on a rooftop, watching the entrance to the cantina with his telescope. Ezer sat in it, waiting for the Trandoshan to finally appear.

"You say your contact has never lied to you before. Maybe something came up for him. Might be pushing a number with one of the girls he wants to sell!" commented Din, shifting his weight a bit as he noticed the slight tug. If Doctor Anandi saw him, he would shake his head. The hours of pressure on the stitches was certainly not for the best. The first sun had already disappeared and the second was now making its way down as well. The shadows of the visitors were getting longer on the streets and the colorful lights of the advertising signs were now taking over the illumination of the night. That's when Din noticed the one he was looking for.

"He's coming in. Alone!"

Ezer let it click once in the link as a sign he understood. As the Trandoshan disappeared into the cantina, a person caught Din's eye. From the stature, he had never seen her before, but still the way he moved, he had the feeling that he must know her. A slight commotion was heard from the cantina, and a moment later, the communicator clicked.

"Is everyone on drugs right now? This guy is so high!" grumbled Ezer as Din met him outside the cantina. The Trandoshan had shiny eyes and was slurring unintelligible stuff in his language.

"Has he changed markets?" smirked Din. Ezer rolled his eyes and started walking. The Trandoshan stumbled ahead of him. As Din was about to follow him, he again noticed the person from earlier.

"Ezer, I have to check on something. I'll catch up!"

The bounty hunter nodded. He had no problems with his prey.

Din turned away and followed the person. She was limping slightly, making a certain sequence of steps. Din wondered where he had seen this before. Under his helmet he frowned and slowly he had a guess. But it could not be. The person turned into an alley and disappeared into the darkness. Din didn't have to activate his heat sensor, he heard the shuffling sound of his foot dragging lightly in the sand. Then it fell silent.

"Well, your curiosity got the best of you, Mando!" he heard, before a small lamp was held in his hand, illuminating him from below.

"Ran?"

His counterpart could only hear the astonishment in his voice, his facial expressions under his helmet went from surprised to horrified as he eyed the man before him. Had his senses not deceived him after all, a certain movement had seemed familiar. Ran had always limped slightly. The stared at him from his left eye, the other, if still present hidden under a flap. Totally emaciated, he no longer looked like the Ran Din had once known. Burn scars ran down the right side of his neck, disappearing under the hem of his shirt. His right arm only went to his elbow, the rest was missing.

"Yes, just look at what you've done! I dragged myself in agony to an escape pod and got picked up by the X-Wing. Quin wasn't so lucky! But look at me. Is that luck?"

Din gulped, Ran walked up to him and he took a few steps back.

"Look what you've made of me. I'm a cripple. I've been waiting for this moment for so long. When I heard you were babysitting, I couldn't believe it. Yes, I know about the little green thing. Mayfeld told me a few things. We just happened to run into each other, the traitor. Well, he probably thought that if he told me some things that I would spare him..."

Ran shook his head and grinned. As he did so, Din noticed that he was missing a few teeth.

"He hadn't counted on the fact that I wasn't traveling alone. Someone who also wants revenge on you for killing his family member. And while we're at it. My wife and son were killed in our private quarters!"

Din snorted in disbelief.

"You were married?"

Ran pulled out an old photograph from his pocket. On it he was seen with a wife and a small child.

"Just because I didn't tell you about it doesn't mean I wasn't!" raged Ran. Approaching a step again, Din backed away. He had caught the pit as he stepped into the alley, stopping just short of its edge.

"But I know you are not alone! Many stories are told. You found a woman. She was said to be very valuable. So valuable that Moff Gideon's son wants her!"

Din swallowed, but showed no emotion.

"What if something happened to you? Who would look after her then?"

Ran sounded like he was planning something and that made Din stiffen now. His hand wandered to his blaster.

"What are you planning?"

Ran laughed.

"Me, nothing. But ask Xi'an!"

Din was irritated, the next moment he felt a light touch on his lower legs. He turned slightly and was able to grasp a purple leku. Then a great wave of pain broke over him and he screamed. He had never felt such pain in his entire life, even when the mud horn had finished him off. He slumped to the ground because his legs could no longer support him. He didn't understand why at first, until in the glow of Ran's lamp he saw Xi'an grinning wickedly and she held up her hands. She had the crushgaunts on.

"Well, you didn't expect that, my dear!"

Din tried to get away from her, he had to get away. But his legs didn't obey, he didn't feel her anymore.

"What have you done?" he complained, realizing how nauseous he felt.

"Oh, I'm not done yet!"

She laughed and he saw the knife. As she stabbed it into his thigh, he activated his flamethrower with the last of his strength. The fire hit Xi'an directly in the face, she inhaled the heat and was instantly dead. Falling into the pit, she pulled the knife out of his body again and Din still noticed how his pants were soaked with his blood. Then he toppled to the side. His heart was racing and his breathing was frantic. He blinked hard, but the blackness would not give him up. Ran was speaking something, he didn't understand it. Everything sounded so far away. Somewhere something banged, screams could be heard, but whether it was all related to him, he could not grasp it. His last conscious thought was that he did not want to die alone in this dark alley.

@liadamerondjarin

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 27

Chapter 27 overview:

They have reached Bora-Borosa now. But unfortunately Umm's son is not in town. Until he comes back, Din and Liara have a few nice hours together and explore the city.

Smut

Songtext: LeAnn Rimes - I Need You

Notes:

Unfortunately, a few migraine attacks stopped me in my tracks. Now I finally finished the chapter and it became quite long... In a few days it goes on vacation to Lake Garda (Italy) and I think that it can be written there well relaxed.

Pairing: Din Djarin x OC Female!

ReaderRating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

Bora-Borosa.

The silver lining floated in space in front of the desert planet with its three suns. But since the celestial bodies were not very large, the three together had the power of only one sun. Thus it lived on the planet very well and the vegetation had used its chance. The first settlers of the planet had built their villages, which later became big cities, around the many fertile oases. The capital of the planet was Amos and richly populated. Then there was only desert far and wide around it, before it became slightly mountainous and then the city of Raija appeared. There and in Amos some Chalactans lived, had their temples, where one could meditate with them for hours. Many a newly arrived person had already gotten lost in Amos. Winding little streets, houses decorated with flowers and colorful bricks or walls, partly connected by stairs with the many stores, one stood sometimes suddenly in a cellar and had lost his sense of direction. But who had actually made it through the streets, stood at some point on a large marketplace which was populated by many more merchants who wanted to sell their delicacies and crafts. From there, one reached the old gardens in the courtyards of the houses, which had been laid out by those who had long since left the planet. In the park, besides the palm trees, there were many old olive and argan trees, under which visitors could rest in the shade and in the branches sometimes dozed a loth cat. Liara had already explored all this.

She stood in the cockpit next to Din, who was steering the silver lining intently, and remembered her first visit here, when her father had taken her to bring the Eopies to the Tusken tribe. She had been a child then, and yet it seemed like only yesterday as she looked at the planet. Din had never been here before and perhaps she could show him something of the city, her favorite places. But first they had to find Umm's son. She sat down and strapped herself in as the ship entered the atmosphere and began to jerk. But Din had everything under control, and after a few minutes he was assigned a spot in the spaceport and the silver lining landed on the platform without a hitch.

As Din lowered the ramp, there was a roar, a ship taking off loudly, almost drowning out the announcements of a shuttle's next flight times.

Bora-Borosa had a special charm than other desert planets like Tatooine, which did not have a good reputation simply because of its crime. That's why Bora-Borosa attracted more tourists. Some of them already left the planet and followed a droid that brought them to their shuttle. But when they discovered the group, they stopped with open mouths, Sand People in the company of a Mandalorian, was certainly the experience, which they could now tell at home.

Liara also liked the city so much, because despite the modern world, here was still a rather traditional way of life. After Din instructed an employee of the space port to refuel the silver lining, they left the port. Basmah turned to Liara and nodded at her. She gestured toward an enclosure where she saw several banthas standing.

"The owner is a friend. He will help us!"

The two women hugged and said their fond farewells. Meanwhile, Umm Din touched his arm and he eyed the old woman. She seemed more relaxed than she had two days ago on Tatooine.

"Take care of yourself Mandalorian. And no matter what others say, you will be a good ruler of Mandalore!" Surprised, Din looked at her from under his helmet. Umm smiled knowingly, then turned away and held onto Myrrh. Liara sighed as she looked after the group until they were only small dots in the distance. Din put his hand on her shoulder and she nodded.

"Let's go find the tanner's quarter, then!"

While in the area of the spaceport speeder whizzed along, droids took the work from the people, it was like another world when one left this. On the forecourt of the city, city guides were loudly trying to reach their future customers. The clatter of hooves on the cobblestones of orbaks pulling small carriages with tourists behind them or loaded with goods, were among all the sounds, among the most typical. They reached the large magnificent white entrance gate, which was decorated with shiny red and green mosaics.

"The red represents the sun and the green represents the oasis that gave life to the city!" explained Liara, and Din would later also note how colorful the locals kept their city. Beyond the gate was a plaza from which several paths forked. Liara took Din by the hand and led him into one of the alleys. There was a big crowd there and again and again they had to dodge people standing in front of the stores looking at the items. The various smells in the air penetrated even through the filter of Din's helmet. They passed lacy pyramids of spices that moved slightly with each breath of air, dispersing their aromas, and colorful displays of tailors, yarn merchants, and wool dyers. A speeder bike rattled along in front of them, and Din eyed the vehicle suspiciously. The owner had loaded it full with carpets and the bike groaned under the load. At the next turn, Din spotted a sign from the tannery that told them they were headed in the right direction. However, they had to wait as there was a traffic jam in the narrow road. One cart had a broken wheel and the owner was in the process of loading the last of the sacks onto another that had been procured in the meantime and hitched to the orbak.

Then they finally moved on and after a while they turned into a wider alley, drumming sounds could be heard.

"You can smell it already!" commented Liara, holding her hand in front of her nose. Din noticed it, too. And then they came to an open gate that led them into a large courtyard that was not covered, like part of the alleys. Countless pits with different liquids opened up in front of them, it almost seemed like a paint box. The harsh smell made Liara cough in disgust.

"There's definitely banthaurine in there!" she muttered as they watched a worker standing barefoot in the lye, kneading the large piece of leather in it. A few of these pieces were hanging to dry on the wall of a house, and a loth cat was clawing at one and stretching with relish. She didn't seem to mind the smell. In front of her, an old man sat on the ground, oblivious to it and making the drumming noises. He set the tone for the men, who danced around to the rhythm of the drum in the large pools of dye, softening the leather in them.

"Can I help you?"

A young man had discovered the two, he handed Liara a branch, which she gratefully accepted and held under her nose. It was mint, which softened the smell.

"We're looking for Nhean, Umm's son. He used to be ..."

"With the Sand People!" the boy added, smiling. At that, she could see the gap in his teeth, making him look mischievous.

"You just missed him. He's getting a supply of skins in Raija. Come tomorrow at the same time and he'll be back!"

Liara heard Din sigh beside her, and she shook her head with a grin. They thanked him for the information and left the place again. At the fork to one of the main paths, they stopped and Liara looked at Din. She could tell by his attitude that he was not happy with the situation.

"I'm afraid we're going to need a lot of patience on this one!"

Din agreed with her.

"I have no problem waiting and staying put for hours, but we are so close now and again an obstacle is somehow put in our way!"

He sighed again. Liara smiled at him encouragingly.

"I'll distract you. You'll see, time flies here. Take off your helmet, you'll miss so many little things and all the colors. Now I'll show you the marketplace and the park. And tonight we're going out to eat. There's a place, it's pretty hidden, we'll be spared from the tourists!"

Din felt her anticipation so he couldn't say no. He also took her suggestion to heart and pulled his helmet off his head. And indeed, it was already other impressions than just staring through a display.

Liara handed him her white shoulder bag, he took it from her, put his helmet into it and hung the bag around himself. A moment after that, he had a strange familiar feeling as the weight of his helmet pressed against his hip and he squinted his eyes in memory. Liara noticed his reaction.

"What's wrong?"

Din shook his head.

"Briefly, I thought of Grogu ..."

Liara took his hand and squeezed it.

"He will be in your memories forever, and each one is precious. You will surely see him again someday!"

Din returned her handshake, then they let a few more people pass before squeezing into a gap and drifting along.

Sometimes it went slightly uphill, then around a bend and again in zigzags. Din admired the finely decorated buildings, pictures with small colorful stones on the walls, which usually spread over several houses. Then there were whole streets of different colors, blue, green, orange. Above their heads were plants attached to ropes, spreading in all directions, blooming beautifully and providing shade. And then the alley spat them out and they stood in an equally busy square. Here, fruit and vegetable vendors had spread out, their wares protected from the sun under tarps. Another had chickens in cages, clucking and fluttering excitedly inside, for sale or even slaughtered on the spot.

Liara led Din past it, a temple standing directly in front of them. It was open on all sides and you could see the Chalactans sitting in it, immersed in their thoughts. And behind it was the park. The argan trees were overflowing with their yellow fruit and many a visitor would steal one. The white blossoms were everywhere on the olive trees. In the shade of the trees many had made themselves comfortable on blankets, ate and drank, or simply rested. A large fountain enticed children to run around in it and enjoy it when a jet of water came shooting out. There were several streams where children also threw leaves and branches in and followed them to fish them out again. Parrots sat on some palm trees preening their feathers. They stopped under a palm tree, Din took off his cloak and laid it on the grass. He sat down next to it, leaning against the trunk of the palm tree, leaving the cloth to Liara. She smiled lovingly at him and made herself comfortable on his cloak. She rested her head on his thigh, sunbeams shining through the palm leaves that moved in the light wind, tickling her nose.

Din stroked her shoulder, lost in thought, and felt really relaxed. He didn't know himself like this at all, always tense and alert to observe the area. But the peaceful mood gripped him, he closed his eyes for a moment and took in the surroundings even more intensely. He heard Liara's quiet breathing, the rustling of leaves, and the chatter and laughter of visitors. Music was playing somewhere and a smell of herbs wafted into his nose from the market. Hearing a hiss, he opened his eyes and discovered a loth cat sitting in one of the olive trees. Another was sitting below an argan tree and had invaded the others' territory, playing with a fallen fruit. The cat from the tree hissed again and set to pounce. The one on the ground grabbed the fruit and disappeared, leaving the hissing cat to calm down and relax back on its branch.

Liara reached for his hand, tugging at the leather of his glove, and he looked down at her.

"In a few hours you wouldn't recognize the marketplace. In the evening, this becomes a huge restaurant. There's cooking and sizzling, games and music. There are the delicious smells drifting over the square next to the smoke from the grills!"

Then she pointed to a covered platform that could be seen at the end of the park.

"Once a month for a few days there are concerts or theater performances. Then the park is so crowded you can hardly turn around. And then there's a chance you'll get lost and your father will be on the verge of a nervous breakdown!" she chortled. Din looked at her questioningly.

"I was maybe 12 years old, it was not my first visit here. Dad often took me with him, mother stayed behind on the farm and was always worried that something might happen. Yes, when we were here, it was busy and my father got nervous. He had simply forgotten and it would have been impossible to get through the crowd with the Eopies. So he left again, with the animals. I, however, had stood on one of the benches and listened to the lecture. At some point I noticed that there was no dad and no animal left. Alone through the alleys back I did not dare. But then I discovered Basmah. She had been with her mother and a few other sand people in the city on the way. The people of Amos have a very different relationship with the Tusken and it is not uncommon to find them here. The group took me into their care and brought me safely back to the spaceport where dad was standing with the Eopies. By the way, he didn't notice that I wasn't there until he got to the ship. He almost died a thousand deaths. We never told Mom that!"

Din giggled, but then noticed her facial expression change. A tear ran down her cheek and she put her hands over her face.

"I miss her so much. I never cared that they weren't my birth parents, I loved them and they taught me so much. And then I always think to myself, I can't complain, had so much time with them and you lost your parents even more sooner!"

Din shook his head, took her hands, leaned down to her and gently kissed her forehead.

"Please allow your grief. It is painful for everyone, whether they spent many moments or few with those. And you just told me earlier that every memory you have is precious. And I thought mine were lost. But ever since Corvus, when I heard my father's voice, they've actually been coming back in bits and pieces!"

He pointed to the red parrot that had landed in the meadow and was nibbling on an argan fruit.

"On Aq Vetina there had also been parrots and in our garden there had been a couple. One of them was so cheeky, he flew right into the house and stole food from the kitchen. I named them, unfortunately I can't remember!"

Liara ran her hands over her eyes, sat up and leaned her head against Din's shoulder.

"Do you think your home is still there? That someone lives there again now?"

Din sighed.

"I don't. But maybe the neti can help us with that question too!"

They remained sitting for a while, until Liara suggested slowly returning to the ship.

"I still have to get the maca root to help your legs. And then I'll show you the best ice cream they have here!"

Hand in hand, they strolled back through the marketplace. The merchants were already starting to clean up their wares so that the cookshops would have room here later. Liara led Din through an underpass and when they came back upstairs, the typical smell of blood greeted him. This he then saw. Half of an animal was lying on a cart, flies buzzing over it. It belonged to a butcher shop a few yards away. Goat feet hung in front of the open window. A man stood in front of it, in ragged clothes, begging the butcher to give him some food.

After passing this somewhat dingy corner, they came back onto one of the main paths. There they actually found a store for remedies. Din waited outside, because inside everything was so crowded from floor to ceiling that one could hardly turn around. The older woman behind her counter was almost out of sight.

"Oh you're lucky, I have it as a salve too. By the time you boil the roots, it takes way too much time and does all kinds of work!" the healer was pleased and pulled out a tube from one of the many drawers.

"You two are going to have a lot of fun!" she winked, and Liara frowned. The old woman put her wrinkled hand on Liara's.

"Well the maca root is stimulating too. Whereas I think your husband is still well in the juice!"

Liara bit her lips a little embarrassed, put the money on the healer's counter and hurriedly took her leave. Din wondered at Liara's red cheeks as she came back out with a small bag.

"Are you all right?" he asked, and Liara nodded.

"Yeah, it was just pretty stuffy in there. Come on I need a tasty cool down now!"

There was a rush outside the ice cream store and they had to wait a few minutes before it was their turn. Liara ordered two scoops of Amos ice cream for each of them and Din was curious to see what it consisted of. The vendor handed them the treat and they walked slowly while they lapped at the ice cream. Din thought it was delicious. The main part was vanilla. Mixed into it was the oil of the argan plant. So it had an intense special nutty flavor.

"Very good!" murmured Din as he licked the ice cream and Liara grinned mischievously at him.

"What's wrong?" he wanted to know.

"Oh you don't see an armed Mandalorian with ice cream marks on his nose every day!" she giggled and leaned over to wipe the spot with the napkin wrapped around the wafer. The next moment she felt something cold on her chin and Din laughed out. He had deliberately smeared his ice cream on her face. "Hey!" she indignantly chortled. Din gently grabbed her wrist, pulled her to him and kissed her on the spot and Liara gasped in surprise before he tenderly touched her on the lips. Liara snuggled up to him, the two of them so engrossed in their kiss, until Liara noticed something liquid running along her fingers. Her ice cream had melted.

Din stood at the kitchen counter and drank a sip of water. After they had returned, he had already given himself the injections and then contacted Cara. But instead of Cara, Karga greeted him and informed him that she had left for Morak with Ezer. If she knew anything new, she would contact him. Karga wished them good luck in their search for the crystal and said goodbye again. Din had decided to put on his new trousers for dinner and also the new cloak. The old one had also got grass stains after today's excursion. And he had also polished his armor a bit. Now he waited for Liara, who was still freshening up. He was looking forward to their dinner together, he had had to do without such a thing all these years. He heard the door to the refresher open and turned around. Din was about to say something, but it took his breath away. Liara was wearing one of the dresses he had noticed on the local women earlier today. It was dark green, covering her shoulders, but had a V-neck that emphasized her cleavage. On the torso it was tight fitting, from the waist it was flowing and went down to her ankles. White embroidery was at the hem of the neckline and along the side of the dress. The white strappy sandals completed her outfit perfectly. Her hair was braided a bit on the sides, otherwise it was loose and fell over her shoulders. Din cleared her throat.

"You're beautiful!"

Liara blushed slightly and complimented him as well. She had noticed that he had made an effort to clean his armor and it now shone like new.

The spaceport was a little quieter now than it had been in the morning, and the shouting of the city leaders had also stopped in the forecourt. The suns were already very low and illuminated the entrance gate. In front of it stood a carriage and Din asked Liara how far they had to go.

"Yes, already at least half an hour!" she said and Din smiled at her. He took them to the carriage and the driver was happy to see his new guests.

"Where may I take you?"

"We want to go to Aimi!" she informed him. The driver nodded and signaled his orbak to go.

"You're in luck, I know a shortcut, it goes through the artists' district!"

A few of the stores Din recognized, at first they drove through alleys they had already been in today. The coachman made his presence known with a bell as they drove, when people wouldn't move aside. Then he turned into a yard, another gate on the opposite side was open and they reached a new street. Din noticed the colorful paving stones, the paintings on the walls. From the open windows could be heard various instruments or just singing. The paintings on the houses became more and more creative. A sleeping loth cat, under it hung a flower box that seemed as if this was her bed. Then she was under a window, her paws hanging from the painted ledge. And the last motif was next to a door, a hand reached out and stroked the cat.

The sunlight gradually disappeared into the alley and the street lights came on. They drove under a carpet of lights that hung over them. Then the carriage slowed and its driver stopped in front of a house entrance whose wooden door was painted mint green. A sign was fastened over the frame, Aimi, they had arrived at the right place. Din gave the driver his money, he got out and helped Liara down from the carriage. Din was curious to see what was waiting for him behind the door and he was surprised. They were in a garden, actually a courtyard, but that was not so obvious at first. Surrounded by several orange trees, whose scent was very intense, seat cushions had been spread out underneath and a few visitors were sitting there relaxing. Another eye-catcher was the ornate wall fountain in which a small bird bathed, as well as the light green and white tiled marble floor with a central mosaic element, on which, a white marble fountain stood and whose water ran gently splashing into a narrow basin. In it Din could see a few goldfish swimming. Soft background music rounded out the area. He looked up and counted three floors. The railings were kept white, had the mint green theme in various places, as did all the doors. The courtyard was open to the top and dusk could be seen. Liara had already walked to the reception desk, which was next to the stairs. A young woman was standing there, smiling at the two of them.

"How can I help you?"

"Do you still have a table for two on the terrace?"

The young woman answered in the affirmative and Din followed Liara up the three flights of stairs. They were treated to a great view when they got to the rooftop terrace. In addition to the restaurant, there was also an area here equipped with hammocks and comfortable seating areas. Din stepped up to the wall with Liara, put an arm around her shoulder and they watched the suns set. The sky was bathed in beautiful pink hues. People had also gathered on the terraces of some outbuildings to enjoy this spectacle. When the last orange celestial body had disappeared and darkness claimed its place, they lit several fireplaces on the terrace. Small candlesticks were set up at the tables. Din skimmed the menu and couldn't decide, there were far too many choices and everything seemed delicious. Liara laughed, she felt the same way on her first visit here.

"Let's order something from the tajine. You won't regret it!"

Din leaned over the table and tenderly ran his hand over her cheek.

"You don't contradict a beautiful woman!"

Liara enjoyed his compliments and touches. While they were waiting for the food, a man and a woman came out onto the terrace. He had a guitar and started playing a pleasant tune. She joined in a few bars later and sang along.

The tajine was very flavorful and delicious. There was chicken meat with carrots, potatoes and peas. But what you could taste the most and made the dish even better was the sweet honey in it. Din hadn't eaten something this good in a long time and was worried that the new pants would be too tight.

After eating, Liara disappeared to go to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Din watched a couple dance who had joined the musicians. He wasn't sure if it was the wine, the romantic setting, or Liara who had somehow charmed him, probably all of the above, but when she returned to their table, he rose jerkily and took her hand in his. He was not one to dance, certainly not in armor. When he was young, he had gone clubbing with the other Mandolorians from time to time, but only to tap his foot at most. But now he wanted it badly, to hold her in his arms and give himself up to the music. Surprised, Liara followed him to the dance floor and he pulled her to him. The singer just started a new song and he listened to the lyrics.

“I don't need a lot of things I can get by with nothing With all the blessings life can bring I've always needed something But I've got all I want When it comes to loving you You're my only reason You're my only truth”

As if by magic, they floated across the dance floor, perfectly in time. Almost telepathically, they seemed to know what the other wanted. It was almost as if they were one being for that moment, one soul in two bodies, to which the music had given weightlessness. Liara leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying the slowness, and closed her eyes.

“You're the hope that moves me To courage again, oh yeah You're the love that rescues me When the cold winds, rage And it's so amazing 'Cause that's just how you are And I can't turn back now 'Cause you've brought me too far”

So she did not notice how the other guests looked at this couple and realized that the man in the armor, despite his Beskar, was the most vulnerable at this moment, because he openly showed his love for this woman and exposed his soul.

“I need you like water Like breath, like rain I need you like mercy From heaven's gate There's a freedom in your arms That carries me through I need you Oh yes I do”

"I never want to let you go and spend eternity here with you!", Din murmured in her ear and Liara sighed. She also pushed aside all thoughts that went in the direction of the crystal and what problems had arisen since then because of it. The only thing that mattered now was this moment with Din. He gently stroked her back and stayed with his hand on her bottom. She felt warm and licked her lips. Maybe the idea she had earlier hadn't been so wrong after all.

"Let's go!" she whispered, breathing a light kiss on his chin. His beard tickled her slightly, but wasn't bothersome. She broke away from him, pulling him behind her, past her table to grab her bag, and sped up the stairwell. Din let her pull him along until they came to one of the lower floors, to a door, and Liara pulled out a map from her bag.

"We'll be on the ship long enough during our travels. That's why I booked this room earlier!" she explained, opening the door. A pleasant fragrance welcomed her, the bouquet of lavender was in a vase standing on a wooden table. Behind it, in the middle of the room, a large couch took the place. On the wall shelves were several burning candles. On one side there was a bathroom, on the other there was a white curtain gathered on a pillar, which was supposed to delimit the sleeping area. Flower petals were scattered on the floor, leading up to the bed. Liara turned off the electric light, now only the candles illuminated the room.

She looked Din firmly in the eyes, opening her braided hair as she did so, and stepped toward the bed. With her finger she lured Din to her. The latter took notice of the invitation, stopped close to her and looked deeply into her eyes. With his fingertips he touched her neck, ran it down over her collarbone towards her shoulder, slipping under the hem of her dress. A pleasant shiver made her tremble slightly, his touch made her skin tingle, and her breath caught in his gaze. In his now dark brown eyes burned undisguised hunger, which also awakened a wild desire in her. The air between them seemed to crackle and she ran her tongue over her dry lips. Her heart beat up to her throat. She waited for him to continue, but he only stared at her.

"Din!" she whispered. A second later he locked her mouth with his, she opened her lips and let him in. It was a slow, gentle and incredibly sensual kiss that swept them both into a deep vortex of passion. With every fiber of her body, Liara ached for Din, tugging at his armor as they continued to kiss. She longed to be touched by him. Din's kisses grew more urgent, more greedy, and his tongue played a fascinating game with Liara's. His wild caress stole her senses and she was no longer capable of any clear thought. Din briefly detached himself from her, took off his armor, tore his shirt from his body in a frenzy. Instinctively, Liara nestled against his broad bare chest, breathed soft kisses on his skin, and sighed deeply as he ran one hand through her hair and stroked her still-covered back with the other. Liara could feel how aroused Din already was as he pressed her close and moaned in her ear. She desired Din with a desire so fierce that it made her tremble. Liara couldn't suppress a lustful sigh as he ran his lips over her cheeks to her earlobe and on down to her throat. She felt like she was made of nothing but erogenous zones, writhing rapturously in Din's arms. These moments they had together were like getting to know each other all over again every time.

"I want to see you!"

His voice sounded rough, throaty and full of hunger for sex. Gasping, Liara allowed his fingers to slide over her shoulders, slowly pulling the fabric down. Exposing her breasts, Din swallowed and slipped the rest down to her waist. He let out a moan that seemed to come from deep in his throat as he revealed her breasts, the tips of which stretched out towards him and seemed to beg for him to touch them.

"You are simply adorable, Cyar'ika (darling)!"

Din put his hands around her breasts and bent his head, sliding the tip of his tongue over one of the buds, again and again, until Liara moaned with lust and her knees went weak. He caught her, lifted her up and Liara thought for a moment she was lying under an infinite starry sky.

A canopy was fastened over the bed, from the fabric hung countless small silver beads that sparkled in the candlelight. Din he bent over her, kissed her again full of passion and sensuality. Her lips felt swollen from his demanding kisses, so he let go of her and slid down her a bit, only to take one of her nipples in his mouth. Liara cried out lustfully as he began to caress her again with his tongue. Waves of desire flooded her body and she wished that this pleasure would never end.

Din knelt over her, she caressed his chest and wanted more, wanted to feel his bare skin all over. His skin shimmered in the candlelight and she eagerly explored the looming muscles with her fingers. They traveled further down, she stroked the distinct mound under his zipper of his pants and heard Din groan harshly.

"Liara!"

He sucked in the air sharply and it took all his control not to tear the dress off her body immediately. Breathing heavily, he looked down at her, her long hair sprawled across the pillows, the red petals lying around her, and the way her naked breasts rose and fell excitedly.

"You look like a goddess!"

Din was enchanted, Liara had to be a magician, he couldn't explain all the feelings for her. Where had they been all these past years? Had they been dormant inside him, just waiting to be kissed awake by someone? He wanted all of her and pushed her dress over her hips, taking off her panties as well, he could feel the wetness on them and gasped at her arousal.

Her clothes landed on the floor without further attention. He slid his hand between her thighs and gently spread them. Delicately he stroked her most sensitive spot with his thumb and Liara moaned out. She bent towards him lustfully and when his caresses became more and more intense, he guided two fingers into her, she had the feeling of being on fire. Instinctively she pushed herself towards him, already small waves of pleasure ran over her. But she wanted more, wanted him inside her. Driven by a desire she had only since she was with Din, she clung to his shoulders and tried to pull him down to her.

But Din only laughed, rose and took off his pants along with his underwear. A joyful shiver ran over Liara when she saw him in his full glory. Din knelt between her legs, slid his hand under her buttocks and lifted them a little. Then, with a swift movement, he penetrated her and stifled her pleasurable moans with a kiss.

The pleasure Din felt was simply overwhelming, he moved slowly at first, but Liara asked him several times to thrust harder into her. She did not make it easy for him to try to hold out for long. With her eyes half closed, her head pressed into the pillows, she lifted her hips towards him and gave herself completely. He filled her, their bodies merging together, moving in perfect unison toward the magical moment Liara felt approaching. Din sensed it, reached between them and stroked her clit. She clawed into his skin at his shoulders, the waves of pleasure piled up inside her and she let out a piercing cry. An incredible intense climax made her body tremble again and again, and Din could stand it no longer. He thrust into her faster and harder, her walls enclosing him tighter, then he realized the time had come for him. Din grabbed her hips, with a loud moan and face contorted with pleasure he pulled her even tighter.

Exhausted, sweaty, and gasping for breath, the two lay side by side, touching only at the tips of their fingers, trying to calm their wildly beating hearts again. Liara turned to him, kissed him tenderly on the cheek, and rested her head against his shoulder. They watched the flickering on the walls of the candles, the shadows swaying back and forth. When the flames went out, they heard the deep and firm breathing of the two sleeping.

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 20

Pairing: Din Djarin/Original Female Character

Summary: Grogu is gone, Din is back on Nevarro and has rejoined the guild. There he meets Liara and falls in love with her. The two embark on a journey full of adventures. In the process, Din must painfully learn that he is not invulnerable, despite his armor.

Add to that the burden of responsibility Din carries on his belt. Will he be ready for it? Especially when he learns the truths about his past. How does one react when one has grown up with not just one lie?

Rating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

Chapter overview: Din and Liara have a moment to themselves on the way to Tatooine and enjoy their time together.

A quiet chapter before Din meets someone he thought was dead in the next chapter. He gets caught in a trap and fights for his survival.

Songtext: Dido - Take my Hand

Din opened his eyes and immediately felt the pain in his back where he had fallen on the jetpack. Probably his whole body consisted only of bruises. When he moved, he realized that he was lying in his bed. Likewise, he now noticed that his vision was not going through any display, so someone had removed his helmet. Groaning carefully, he sat up and his gaze went next to the bed where his boots and shin guards lay.

"Dank Farrik!" he cursed when he saw the holes in his armor. The doashim had done a great job. Sitting up, he now saw how someone, he suspected Ezer, had cut off his pants to his knees and bandaged his legs. He still seemed to be bleeding slightly, as stains had formed on them again. A low murmur made him look to the side. Liara was sleeping next to him. She was wearing one of his shirts, it was way too big and long for her.

"Good you're awake!"

Din turned his head to the door where Ezer stood.

"Your helmet was taken from you by Liara. She didn't believe me that you were still alive!"

"It's okay!"

"I gave her something to calm her down. The ryll must have caused her to hallucinate, so I thought I'd do her a favor and let her sleep!"

Din smiled gratefully at the young man. Ezer nodded in Liara's direction.

"I hope she'll be all right. My little one would be horribly sad to learn that her favorite teacher is not well!"

Din looked at him in surprise.

"You have a child?"

Ezer smiled.

"Yes, my Yara! She had been all excited when you were with her in the lava fields. She was taken with the flamethrower, and I was supposed to give her one!"

Din laughed, atoning for the pain reminding him again that he was stricken.

Ezer pushed himself off the doorframe and pointed to his wrapped legs.

"I gave you a Bacta shot in each leg. Those were the last ones. You should have that looked at Tatooine. I don't think the shots will fix everything!"

"Thanks. I'm sorry you had to leave your ship behind!"

Ezer shrugged with a grin.

"That's when I'll ask for hazard pay from Karga! That's not the way it was all arranged, with Doashims and all!"

Din just chuckled, but even that hurt and he held his side.

"Your beskar saved your life. His horn would have impaled you!"

Ezer patted him on the breastplate, where light scratches were visible.

"How much longer do we need?"

"An hour. Luckily, Tatoinne is only a loth cat's jump away!"

"See if you can land in Hangar 35. Peli Motto is Liara's aunt!"

"Oh Peli I know. Maybe she can help me find a ship!" smiled Ezer, leaving Din's bunk and climbing back into the cockpit.

Din decided to get rid of his remaining armor. It took longer than usual, but every movement was exhausting, and when he had removed everything, he sank back onto the bed, exhausted. Carefully, he rolled onto his side, facing Liara, and placed his hand on her cheek. Tenderly, he stroked his thumbs over her skin. He just wanted to feel her, to be reassured that she was with him again. She blinked and opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to catch him. Her gray eyes widened and he stared back with his dark brown ones.

…

Touch my skin, and tell me what you're thinking

Take my hand, and show me where we're going

Lie down next to me

Look into my eyes, and tell me

Oh tell me what you're seeing

…

They could not take their eyes off each other, lingered for some time just like that. Facing each other, staring. Liara put her hand on Din's and smiled slightly.

"I..."

She broke off and a tear ran down her cheek. He caught it with his thumbs and moved a little closer to her, decreasing the distance between them. He ignored the stinging in his legs at that moment.

"I needed you so much Din!" whispered Liara.

"Every time I thought you were going to come and save me, it was just imagination, mirages from Duncan's mind flayers and the drugs they gave me. I'm not even sure now if this is Real. Please don't leave me alone anymore!"

Din swallowed, took her hand in his. He sensed her fear and squeezed it. Firmly, tenderly...

Showing her that he was here, he would not let her go and go away. She looked at his strong hand, which held and warmed hers protectively.

…

So sit on top of the world, and tell me how you're feeling

What you feel now is what I feel for you

Take my hand, and if I'm lying to you

I'll always be alone, if I'm lying to you

…

"I will not leave you again. When you were gone, I almost went mad. I didn't know where you were, what they might do to you..."

Din's voice faltered. He pulled her by her hand to his upper body. Liara leaned her head against his chest, closing her eyes. She could hear his heart beating strongly. Now she was sure that this was real and safe.

…

See my eyes, they carry your reflection

Watch my lips, and hear the words I'm telling you

Give your trust to me

And look into my heart, and show me

Show me what you're doing

…

Din thought she had fallen asleep, her breathing was steady and whenever she exhaled, the breeze brushed his neck. But then she stirred and then he felt her lips on his unshaven cheek. He hadn't paid it any mind since she disappeared. Her nose nudged him and he disengaged from her a little to look at her.

"You know what the worst part was when I thought I was going to die?"

Din shook her head slightly. Her fingers slid slowly through his beard, stopping at his chin. She looked him firmly in the eyes.

"That I didn't tell you I loved you!"

He blinked, and his fingers went wandering, too. Stroked her hair to the side, behind her ear.

"Those thoughts were going through my head as well. After Wing and the kids didn't make it, and later Brix died, I was even more scared. I thought that if I didn't find you alive, I would never forgive myself for saying ni kar'taylir darasuum gar (I love you) to you at least once!"

Liara, despite his declaration of love, looked at him startled when she realized his words at the beginning.

"The children?"

Din shook his head.

"I'll explain later!"

She stretched a little and kissed him. Din enjoyed that touch on his lips, it was gentle, loving. That was all it took at that moment. He closed his eyes and it wasn't long before they were both asleep.

A little later, when Ezer had landed on Tatooine in Hangar 35 and left the cockpit, he found her sleeping arm in arm. He left them alone and opened the ramp.

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 18

Pairing: Din Djarin/Original Female Character

Summary: Din is back on Nevarro and has rejoined the guild to do his work. When he meets Liara there, the two slowly develop feelings for each other. But before they can really get to know each other, their adventure begins, leading them to old friends and letting them explore new worlds. In the process, they always have to be one step faster than their pursuers. Add to that the burden of responsibility Din carries on his belt. Will he be ready for it? Especially when he learns the truth about his past. How does one react when one has grown up with a lie?

Rating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

Warning against violence/torture and blood

More puzzle pieces for Din and information on how to proceed.

As Din left the palace and walked through the landscaped park, he was happy to finally see his two favorite people again. There had been much to do since the Mandalorian seat on Aq Vetina had been built. His heavy cloak was puffed out a bit by the light breeze. Birds bathed in the fountains and were not bothered, a few children from the village sat by the pond and threw bread crumbs in to feed the fish. A few peacocks had settled here and strutted around the green areas. The palm leaves gently swayed up and down when the wind touched them. The two soldiers accompanying him stayed inconspicuously in the background. He could already hear the sea rushing, they had a section of beach just for themselves.

A pavilion stood there and that was Liara's favorite place. She had prepared it beautifully, especially with the hanging cradle for her child. The little one enjoyed lying in it while the world swayed gently around him and the clouds passed by in the sky. And Din couldn't get enough of watching him, his little eyes looking curiously at the surroundings and his smile when his parents held him in their arms. Din had just set foot off the paved path, onto the sand, when he noticed something reddish on the horizon. In the next instant, he was thrown backwards into the bushes by the shock wave of a huge explosion and lost consciousness for a moment.

When he opened his eyes, there was a roaring and ringing in his ears and he shook his head as if this would help him see or hear more clearly. He blinked several times and pulled his helmet off his head, hoping to see something other than what his display had shown him. The smell of burning invaded his nose, the palm trees nearby were ablaze. Besides the smoke, the sand-dust mixture still hovered in the air and he could barely make anything out. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and Din flinched, startled. One of the soldiers said something to him, but it took forever for his voice to get through to him. His ears were still ringing. The young man helped him up and Din tore away from him as he realized he didn't see Liara anywhere.

"Is she still in the room?" he called out to another soldier who stepped out of the smoke. He shook his head and Din ran off to where the pavilion had once stood. He stumbled over the sand. His heart was beating like crazy and his stomach was rebelling. Each step that brought him closer made him understand that no one could have survived this. Burning debris crackled as he approached the remains of the pavilion.

"LIARA?"

He wondered who sounded so desperate until he understood, this was his own voice. When the sea sent the wind on the land and it dispersed the smoke, he saw her. Din faltered, slowed down, and slumped in front of her. She was still holding the little one in her arms and it looked as if they were asleep, but the fire red that had formed on the clothes of the two bodies was clear. A noise made him turn around, it sounded like a jetpack. At that moment, something flashed and hit him in the head. His body fell lifelessly to the side...

Din jerked his eyes open with a gasp and had to orient himself for a moment before he understood that he was sitting in the silver lining in the cockpit and had fallen asleep. What a strange dream, he thought, running an exhausted hand over his unshaven face. His helmet rested on the dashboard, reflecting the light of hyperspace. The autopilot showed him a few more hours of flight time before he would reach Ryloth. Soon he could be back with Liara. He hoped so much that she was well. This strange dream. Was it a premonition that something had happened to her or just confused thoughts, peppered with hidden desires? The desire to start a family....

Din circled his head, his neck ached, the sleeping position in the chair was not the best, but he did not manage to lie down in bed. It just wasn't the same without her.

He sighed, thinking about the last few days, just before Brix died:

The Kiffar, after his first collapse in the forest, had actually regained his strength quite quickly and had been able to tell him what had been hidden in the Fire Heart. Nola would have hidden the crystal on Bora-Borossa, the Tusken would not know where. Above all, he had explained to him that the crystal was important for the balance of the galaxy. The empire had already longed for it, but fortunately had never been able to track it down. If it fell into the wrong hands now, it would be a disaster. Liara was the daughter of a Guardian who harbored the crystal and had also been able to use it. He had warned Nola at the time to take the crystal somewhere else. In the last few years, disasters had happened again and again that would not have happened that way. Liara had these powers, but she didn't know about them because Nola had made sure of it. However, should she hold the crystal in her hands, these memories would return. Nola had also left a message on the fire heart that they would have to go to the Neti with the crystal. Unfortunately, Brix had passed out after telling him, so Din had turned to Ahsoka.

"Neti?"

Din looked questioningly at Ahsoka, and the Jedi smiled knowingly.

"They had once taken shelter here after their planet had fallen ill and then slowly destroyed itself. But Morgan Elsbeth drove them from here as well. Those who were not fast enough were killed by the monsters you still saw on your last visit. I know where they live now, so if you have the crystal, I will accompany you. The Neti have become very shy of strangers!"

Din snorted.

"The Yuzzang Vong wiped out the Tusk tribe on Bora-Borossa! It will be more than difficult to find any hiding place on a desert planet. Besides, the crystal is the very last thing on my mind right now. I just want to find Liara and hope she's okay!"

Angrily, he had jumped up and paced the hallway outside the infirmary. Ahsoka had eventually pulled him back onto the chair.

"You can't lose hope. Liara was on Bora-Borossa for a while. Maybe she knows something!"

Din sighed and looked at the healer coming out of Brix's room. Her look did not bode well. Ahsoka and Din went in to see the kiffar. He looked very bad. His face was now pale and sunken, but his tattoos stood out even more. Sweat stood on his forehead and his breathing was sluggish and with every puff, he gasped. Ahsoka took Brix's hand and the warrior opened his eyes a crack, looking for someone in the room. They found Din.

"Your parents would be proud of you. If they saw what a good person you are inside that armor..."

"You knew my parents?"

Brix nodded, and despite his pain, he smiled slightly as he remembered them.

"Rina, your mother. She was one of us, had the gift of healing. She was popular on Mandalor, but one person hated her. Bo-Katan. Her twin sister, Arika, was heavily pregnant, yet she didn't let that stop her from continuing to be in the stables with her beloved horses, riding out. When she was found in the stables, she had already lost a lot of blood. Something must have disturbed the animal so much, she had such severe injuries all over her body. Not far from the stables lived your parents and they went to get Rina. But without the proper medical equipment, despite her gift and good training, there was nothing she could do. Even if a medical droid had been brought in, it would not have been able to do anything. Arika and her baby died..."

Brix was interrupted by a coughing fit and lay back in the pillows, exhausted.

"Bo-Katan had her suspicions about the Djarin clan even before that event. And after that day, she hated anyone who had anything to do with the clan. When your mother got pregnant with you, she couldn't stand your parents' happiness. At some point, Rina was attacked from behind and seriously injured. She was saved, but was not conscious for several days. Only after her awakening, she reported her attacker. Your father took off his armor and disappeared with her to Aq Vetina. On Mandalor it was said that she lost the child to prevent further attacks. The fighting among the clans increased and your grandfather also decided to leave the planet with some of his followers..."

A heavy coughing fit interrupted Brix and his pale face got red spots, due to the shortness of breath. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Din went outside after a while and sat down on one of the benches in the front yard. It was already late in the evening and the waning moon was shining down on him. He took off his helmet and took a deep breath. After all these years, this flood of information was coming at him. When he looked at the drawing or the video, he had little snatches of memory, but that was all he could think of. Instead, the day of the attack on Aq Vetina kept replaying in his mind. He remembered how they had run out of their house, the light blue door, his father had pulled closed in spite of everything. Thought of the many dead he had to see on the way of escape. Din felt his forehead, he even had the feeling that he still felt his mother's kiss on it.

Wailing and crying pulled him out of his thoughts. Several residents had gathered in the alley, the street lights also caught Ahsoka. Several lights flickered on, rising one by one into the sky. Din rose to his feet and stared after the flying lights as they took over the sky, getting smaller and smaller the farther up they went.

"Let them light the way for their souls!" whispered Ahsoka, who had stepped up beside him. Din couldn't take his eyes off them, though he couldn't make sense of the lights. They might as well have been stars he was looking at. He felt this heaviness in his chest, thinking of Hao, how the boy had died in his arms. And all because of someone else who craved power.

From the sick room they heard a groan and they went back to Brix.

The sun was just rising, Ahsoka asleep on one of the chairs, Din rubbing his face tiredly. Brix muttered softly to himself and groaned in pain. His hands seemed to be searching for something, but reached into nothing. Din tried to calm him down and took one of his hands in his. Then he noticed how he became slightly dizzy and all kinds of color dots danced before his eyes. He could hardly grasp all the impressions Brix was transmitting to him, but he had the feeling that some blockage in him had been released. He heard Brix pant heavily and the connection ended.

Ahsoka awoke to the sounds, the two of them listening to his rasping breathing as the distances grew. Din had seen many die before, was usually involved in them as well, but to watch this warrior now slip away from the world, still struggling on his final journey, it bothered him. He hoped, if it would be with him once so far, quickly went.

A little later, Din left the room and propped his arms on his legs. He felt the wet running down his cheeks and his lip trembling. As fast as he could, he ran out of the city, through the forest, and reached the silver lining. He yanked down his helmet and roared in despair. But that oppressive feeling didn't go away. His chest heaved and heaved, his breathing frantic. His fingers tingled; he felt more helpless than ever. Din pulled the dark saber from his belt, activated it, and struck the surrounding bushes and trees, screaming. After a while, he had devastated the clearing in his rage. Suddenly, the saber was snatched from his hand, and startled, he looked to Ahsoka, who now held the weapon in her hands. Her blue eyes stared intently at him as she walked toward him.

"You need to calm down. You're not paying attention to your safety. The dark saber would be lost and so would you!"

Din was still panting with exertion and ruffling his hair.

"My world is upside down and I can't find my balance right now. So much has happened in the last year and I..."

Din looked down at his empty hands and clenched them into fists.

"I can't grasp all of this. First my parents lied to me, hid my origins, then the clan that saved me. Didn't they know who I was? They knew my name, didn't they? Why didn't they look for my grandfather? Ahsoka, I don't know what's right or wrong right now. Only that the feelings I have for Liara are so clear and have never felt for a woman before. But I have the fear, so it was also with Grogu, hardly I let someone at my side, in my heart, then this person is taken from me. So, please don't tell me to calm down! I don't know myself anymore right now..."

His voice broke and he cleared his throat. He looked at the Jedi, waiting for a reaction from her. Ahsoka handed his saber back to him and pulled his head down to her slightly so she could touch her forehead with his. He closed his eyes and just like Brix, all the colors swirled before his eyes until a clear picture formed from them. He saw himself fighting Moff Gideon, it was from Grogu's point of view. He somehow felt the boy's fear for him as well. After he defeated the Moff, everything blurred and Ahsoka detached herself from him.

"Save your anger and power, use it when you need it. You've done right before, you'll succeed again! And you will surely get answers to your questions soon! Grogu trusted you!"

Din rubbed his eyes and Ahsoka smiled at him comfortingly.

"Rest for a few hours!"

Din shook his head, wanting to contradict her, but realized how fatigue sat in his limbs. He turned away from her, walked up the ramp and sat down on the bench. It wasn't long before his head had sunk onto his chest and he was fast asleep.

A beep pierced his dreamless sleep and Din rubbed his eyes until he understood that he was sitting in the silver lining and it was pitch black. He had slept the whole day away. One moment he was angry at himself and Ahsoka, but the next moment, he realized how his body thanked him for this break. Again it beeped and he climbed up the ladder into the cockpit. He noticed that the communication was blinking and someone had been trying to reach him for several hours. When he went to see who it was, it beeped again and he activated the holovideo call. Cara appeared and looked at him sullenly.

"Mando! Finally we reach you!"

Din wondered why she didn't address him by his name until she pulled a Twi'lek into the camera's field of view and he understood her caution. He recognized him; it had been his last bounty. He looked better than when he had caught him. Apparently he had gone through withdrawal.

"You know Baris. He was able to give us some information that should interest you. He's smuggling Ryll on behalf of Duncan. And when he last spoke to his wife, she mentioned that Liara is with them on Ryloth. Please tell me this can't be true!"

Her eyes scrutinized him and Din shook his head. If that were true, finally there was a lead.

"Are you going to say something Mal?"

Din cleared his throat and reported what had happened so far.

"When was the last time you had contact?" he wanted to know from Baris.

"A few days ago. That's when she was well as far as someone in captivity can go. But Tita is taking care of her. We're captives, too. The ryll makes us dependent on him!"

Din took a deep breath. Karga pushed Baris aside to be caught on camera.

"Ezer has a bounty on Tatooine and offered that he would take Baris to Ryloth and assist you should you need help!"

Din nodded. He knew Ezer, the bounty hunter had also been with the guild for some time and he trusted the man.

"We'll send you the coordinates!"

That had been 2 days ago, now he was waiting for the last few hours to reach Ryloth.

When Bo-Katan entered the corridor of the stable, she heard her sister talking to her favorite horse in the stall. She couldn't ride the wild horse, though. She had tried before she was pregnant, but the animal would not allow that closeness. The Mandalorian didn't understand this love of horses anyway like so much of what her sister did. That they were twins could only be recognized by their red hair and the same facial features, otherwise their beings were fundamentally different. She opened the roll-up door and Arika smiled at her sister before turning back to the animal. Her fiery red long hair, she had braided and swung back and forth slightly with her movements.

"Bo, what is it?"

"Can't I visit my sister without a reason?"

Arika frowned, the sharp tone had not escaped her.

"I'm just puzzled because you've been ignoring me for the past few weeks!"

Bo-Katan approached her sister and she looked at her in surprise as she was cornered by her.

"And even that wasn't enough. This shame that you got involved with an aruetii (outsider). Is our clan worth nothing to you at all?"

Arika cringed when she saw this anger in her sister's eyes.

"Bo, please I will leave Mandalor if that is your wish. But please stop, you are scaring me!"

The addressed grinned and Arika heard the buzzing of the vibroblade. The next moment she emitted a horrified sound, which was swallowed by the noises in the stable.

"Vod (sister)!" she whispered in shock.

She looked sadly at Bo-Katan as her body slid down the wall. Blood formed on her clothes and she gasped in pain and shortness of breath.

"Do you still think he was killed by space pirates. That's what I was taking care of. Just like I'm taking care of it now, that no disgrace is born into our clan!"

Arika shook her head. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Bo!"

She saw blurrily as her sister turned away, thrusting the blade into the horse's hindquarters, which had been watching the quarrel curiously, and it lashed out in panic. Bo-Katan left the stall, hearing the kicks that hit Arika's body and the horse's excited whinny.

"Would you like another drink?"

Bo-Katan blinked at the droid and shook her head. She had been totally oblivious to her surroundings as she remembered this day as if it had been yesterday. She glanced at the door; Duncan should be arriving soon.

@pedropastelpascal

@acrossthesestars

[june-girl-86]

Chapter 19

Pairing: Din Djarin/Original Female Character

Summary: Din is back on Nevarro and has rejoined the guild to do his work. When he meets Liara there, the two slowly develop feelings for each other. But before they can really get to know each other, their adventure begins, leading them to old friends and letting them explore new worlds. In the process, they always have to be one step faster than their pursuers. Add to that the burden of responsibility Din carries on his belt. Will he be ready for it? Especially when he learns the truth about his past. How does one react when one has grown up with a lie?

Rating: Mature/Explicit (+18)

Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence / Love / Action&Adventure / Blood&Violence / Drama & Romance / Slow Burn / Fluff&Smut

Warning against violence/torture and blood/death

Chapter overview: On Ryloth, they want to save Liara. But a monster lurks in the darkness. And what happens when Din confronts them?

With a jerk, the silver lining was thrown out of hyperspace and Ryloth appeared in front of him. The part of the planet illuminated by the sun returned its desert colors to the vastness of space. The communication beeped and the recording of the message from Ezer was played.

"Hello Mando, we have already found a parking place. I'm sending you the data!"

Din entered the coordinates and entered the planet's atmosphere with the silver lining. The rendezvous point was on the Night Lands, the side where natural light never fell and the freezing cold and ever-strong storms made the surface uninhabitable. He dove through the dense wall of clouds and the ship's spotlight showed him the massive mountains and canyons. He had to fly with concentration and keep counter-steering the silver lining as a strong wind blew and it tried to push him against the rock walls. Finally he reached the rendezvous point and when he landed he could see the smaller ship of Ezer. It had already opened its ramp and the little light that fell out was almost swallowed by the darkness. Din left the cockpit, meanwhile lowering the ramp and attaching the Beskarspear next to his jetpack. He activated his helmet light as he exited the silver lining. The glow of the light caught two people approaching him armed with blaster rifles. Ezer shook his hand.

"Thank you for helping me!" said Din, and the young man nodded.

"Honorable thing, Mando!"

The Twi'lek nodded to Din.

"And I have to thank you, so hopefully I can finally get my wife out of this hole!"

Din eyed his counterpart. He looked considerably better than he had on Tatooine. The rehab had done him good. The men started moving, the Twi'lek leading them. The wind tugged at the men, Din's cloak flapped against his legs. Ezer pulled his scarf up over his nose, the cold stinging his skin. With each step they took, it crunched loudly under their feet. When one movement caused a particularly loud crash, Din stopped and looked down at the ground. The beam of his lamp slid across the red sand, which was stirred up slightly. He wiped it aside with his boots, pressing deeper into the earth and revealing what lay beneath. Not only two empty eye sockets stared back.

"What the hell is this?" he hissed. Baris stopped and reached out with his hand.

"This here is the valley of death! Some clans can't afford the expensive burial grounds underground, leave their dead here..."

Ezer grabbed him by the collar of his shirt before he could speak further.

"Why are you bringing us here? Everyone can hear us?"

The Twi'lek shook his head.

"Keep quiet!"

Ezer hesitated, but let go of Baris again and listened. Sure enough, the cracking and crunching continued. Plus the steady howl of the wind.

"The bone eater lives in the skeletons and makes this noise. Should it be silent, we would have to worry! He senses danger!"

Baris looked up into the darkness, his lamp revealing only the outline of rocks, some rubble crumbling away.

"A storm is coming. We'd better hurry before it gets so bad we have to stay in the bunker. Who knows who or what is waiting for us!"

They continued walking and after a few minutes reached a heavy gate, embedded in the rock. Baris pressed the control and the entrance opened. Sparse lighting showed them the way. They had to walk down a long flight of stairs before a wide corridor appeared.

"Watch out for the Yuuzhan Vong amphibians! They squirt poison, even the strongest warrior won't survive!", Din informed them as they walked down the hallway, and he thought of Brix.

"I imagine Gideon knew where to find them and tipped Duncan off. The Empire spent some time on Ryloth experimenting with them! He told Tita that once when he was drunk. He always acted like his wife's death didn't bother him at all, but he was lying to himself about that. She worked for them when Duncan's mother was still alive but ailing. She took loving care of her and the boy. Gideon, after all, was hardly ever around. When his wife died, he left home and came here. Was also the perfect hiding place after spending constant atrocities and his enemies would certainly never have looked for him here! Tita took me to live with her, we had our own chambers. At some point Gideon had the crazy idea to clone his son and was keen on making him more powerful than Darth Vader was. For this he needed a certain blood. The clone got it. However, he had his own will and did not always agree with Gideon. After Gideon went to prison, Duncan teamed up with the local drug dealers. He threatened me that he would kill Tita if I didn't distribute the ryll for him. While I was out distributing the ryll, he got Tita hooked on it. You were able to catch me so easily on Tatooine because I was down. I had wanted to take her, but she explained that she loved Duncan and would never leave her master. I was so glad when she came forward. Something must have shaken her so in her bubble of love for Duncan that her mind overcame the drug fog."

"Yuuzhan Vong? I always thought these were some kind of horror stories!" muttered Ezer. Din shook his head.

When Baris finished his report, he raised his hand and the group stopped. He pointed to a spot on the ceiling. There, a red light flashed steadily. The Twi'lek shone his lamp on it, turning it on and off several times. Then the red light went out and the next moment a crack opened in the wall.

"If you walk straight on and the sensor picks you up, there's a trapdoor that will take you into the caves. Without knowing the way, you'll be lost there!" explained Baris as they walked into the right hallway. This was also only poorly lit, it was silent except for a hum and gurgle. A shot barely grazed the three men and they pressed themselves against the wall.

"Get out of here!" a female voice yelled, and a new volley of gunfire passed them by.

"Tita!" shouted Baris after his wife, adding in Twi'leki. Din understood only a few words that Xian had once taught him. But none of them Baris used. His wife looked cautiously out the door and you could see the relief in her posture.

"I thought the Yuuzhan were back. He kicked them out!" she said, disappearing back into the room. Ezer pulled his scarf off his face and sniffed.

"What smells so strange?"

After his attention was drawn to it, Din also noticed the faint stench of decay, mixed with the pungent smell of bacta.

"Thanks Farrik!" groaned Ezer as they followed Baris into the room. Now at least they knew where the stench was coming from when they saw the object floating in the tank. From the shape, it looked like a child, but no amount of Bacta of the Galaxy helped. Din tore himself away from the sight and continued to look around. He drew in a sharp breath when he spotted Liara. A chain attached to the ceiling led into another tank and was tied around her hands. A mask covered her face, her eyes were closed, her hair floating up and down in the water next to it as the bubbles released when she exhaled. She was naked, so he could see the fresh but already slightly fading scratches. On her belly she had a jagged scar and on both her legs they ran from her feet up to her thighs. Her feet were also chained. Stunned, Din grabbed his spear and struck the tank. Tita tried to stop him, but by the time she reached him, the glass shattered and the liquid spread around the room. Din dropped his spear and yanked on the tank's frame to climb inside. Carefully he removed her mask and she gasped for the fresh air, but otherwise she did not react. Din pulled his cloak from his shoulders and wrapped Liara with it. He jumped to Tita and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What did he do to her and where is he?"

Tita backed away in fright, breathing frantically and pointing at herself.

"I saved her from the Yuuzhan Vong. They were going to have their way with her. I protected her and in return I got beaten up. And if your girl was better with her powers, she wouldn't be here. I saved her again, otherwise you would have found her bleeding to death here on the ground and not in the tank!" she shouted angrily at Din, who just shook his head. He could tell by the Twi'lek's widened eyes that she was high. "And he's not here. After all, she's no use to him! He was going to meet with a new ally!"

Baris rummaged through a drawer before finding the key to the locks. He gave it to Din, who freed Liara from her bonds. She hung limp in his arms. He remembered the bruises in the crook of her arm that he had also seen and asked Tita again what they had done. Tita was silent and Baris sighed.

"You gave her Ryll?"

Tita nodded, and Din sprang up angrily. She raised her hands defensively.

"The Yuuzhan already gave it to her when they flew here with her. Duncan was pissed, but when she couldn't help him over a crystal, kept giving her the drugs. I guess he had another plan for her. And it didn't hurt her!"

Baris touched his wife on the shoulder.

"Tita, the ryll is not good. You're coming with me now and you'll finally be free of it too!"

She shook her head and watched as Din lifted Liara and carried her in his arms.

"I can't leave here. I have to take care of him. I promised his then mother!"

Now Baris grabbed his wife tighter by the shoulders and shook her gently.

"Dank Farrik! He's dead! Can't you see that his body is already gone! He's with his mother now!"

Baris pointed at the dead man and Tita began to cry. Ezer shook his head and joined Din.

"Mando, I don't trust this peace!"

Din agreed with him, it had been far too easy to get in here.

"Come on now, we have to go. And if she doesn't want to come with us, let her!" shouted Din to Baris, he just wanted to get Liara to safety. The latter groaned slightly, but nothing more came from her. Baris nodded and grabbed Tita by the arm and dragged her behind him. The latter whined until they reached the exit, clinging to the gate because she didn't want to leave.

"The boy, I can't leave him!"

Ezer had enough, he set his blaster to stun and shot Tita once. Baris caught her before she crashed to the ground. Furious, he glared at the bounty hunter.

"That's what Ryll do. She's a loving woman!" he defended her.

"That may be, but we don't have time for all this!" grumbled Ezer, and with their lamps activated, they walked through the darkness back to their ships. Every now and then, lightning lit up the night, allowing them to see the masses of clouds and the rain that was coming off them, but the storm had not yet reached them. So far, only the wind howled through the canyon, otherwise it was silent. Silence. Din stopped and looked around. The others noticed his hesitation. Tita slowly recovered from her stupor and blinked irritably in her husband's arms.

"Why is it so quiet?" she murmured, and Baris swallowed.

"Oh no, it's his mating season. It's driving him to the surface!"

"Whose time?"

Ezer looked at the Twi'leks suspiciously and tensed.

"The doashim!" whispered Baris.

"Those are just legends!" now Din interfered.

"No, surely they aren't. Just like the Yuuzhan Vong weren't fairy tales. You don't want to face a Doashim!"

Baris looked around cautiously, while Din noticed Liara slowly becoming more awake. She stirred a bit and when she opened her eyes, he could see the panic in them. Under his cloak, she started pulling at the fabric with her hands and she was breathing hard.

"Get away from me!" she wailed loudly. She couldn't recognize him, she saw instead a silver bat with black dark eyes.

"Tell her to be quiet, it's not for nothing that the bone-eater disappeared into the depths!" hissed Baris.

Din boiled with rage and had trouble holding Liara in his arms. She began to shiver, the wind driving the cold down to them from the mountains.

"We'll be in the ship soon. You're safe!" whispered Din, and Liara looked at him again. He ran his hand tenderly over her hair and his hand, gently rested on her cheek. She managed to pull a hand out of the cloak and ran her fingers over his helmet. Slowly, she seemed to realize.

"Din!" she whispered softly, nestling her head against his shoulder. He exhaled deeply as a dark rumble rang out, sounding ominous.

"We have to go!" shouted Baris, and the rumbling repeated itself.

"The doashim! He can smell our kind from a long way off!" whined Tita, stumbling after her husband who was lighting the way with his lamp. Liara, who could see over Din's shoulder, saw two fiery red eyes flashing in the distance and shrieked. She still wasn't sure if this was all real. The group ran as fast as they could. The silver lining and Ezer's ship were already in range when they felt the vibrations in the ground. Along with the one rumble, another occurred and they all realized that it wasn't just a doashim that had scented their trail. No sooner had everyone finished their thoughts than something hissed not far behind them, and as Din shined his light into the darkness, he saw the behemoth approaching them.

"We'll split up!" yelled Baris, grabbing his wife and running toward Ezer's ship. He hesitated for a moment, but then followed the Mandalorian, who activated the ramp via the bracer so that it was open and they could immediately escape into the ship. A bloodcurdling scream made Din stop and he saw Tita lying on the ground and the Doashim bending over her. In the next moment his mouth snapped at her, bit into Tita's body and shook her around brutally. Her life he had already ended by this. With his long claws he pulled at her legs and head and in the next moment her body was torn apart. Baris screamed desperately for his wife, but then ran out of the light and disappeared into the darkness. Din pressed Liara into Ezer's arms.

"Start the silver lining. I'll try to stop them and get Baris to safety!"

The young man nodded and ran as fast as he could with Liara, toward the ship.

Din heard the other Doashim roar, but couldn't see him. He activated his jetpack and flew toward the beast at a safe altitude. He shot his blaster at it several times, but that tickled it at most. Its skin was too thick to be injured with it. In his right hand he held his spear, which would help more, but for that he would have to engage in close combat and whether that was such a good idea, Din doubted. Currently the Doashim was busy eating and distracted. He tried to find Baris and actually found his heat source. He was only a few steps away from Ezer's ship and thus soon safe. But before he could reach him, the other Doashim spotted him. Din took one of his explosive charges, activated it, and threw it at the demon. The explosion threw him aside, but that seemed to make him even wilder. Baris had reached the ramp and was about to close it when the Doashim jumped on it, made a turn and brought Baris to the ground with his long tail. In the next moment it bit into his body. The Twi'lek had lost. Din cursed and heard the silver lining in the air approaching him. He was about to retreat when he heard a low rumble above him. When he looked to the side, two red eyes were staring at him. Din backed away, the Doashim jumped off the ledge, caught him by Din's shoulder and pulled him down with him. The Doashim had gotten caught between his jetpack and was thus attached to him. The jetpack sputtered, he couldn't carry that much weight. Din kept shooting his blaster at the belly of the beast and it actually yelped in pain. Then they crashed to the ground and Din had the air forced from his lungs by the impact. For a moment his vision flickered and he shook his head. The Doashim had taken the impact better and was already standing in front of him ready to attack again. Groaning, Din struggled to his feet and searched for his spear. Something silver glittered in the light of his lamp. He tried to reach the weapon, but the Doashim clawed at his jetpack again and yanked him back. The monster's mouth opened and Din could smell its foul breath through its filter. The horns kept bumping against his chest plate and Din was glad the beskar held. The Doashim growled angrily because he was getting nowhere and his victim was still alive. He grabbed Din's legs with his long claws and they dug deep into his skin. Din bit his lips to hide his moans, but he didn't quite succeed. Din could feel the fluid on his legs and his tattered pants filling up with blood.

He fired his blaster at the behemoth again and it actually let go of him.

"Roll away!" he heard Ezer's voice over the communication in his helmet and he pushed himself to the side despite the pain. In the next moment, the beast was hit by the volleys. The Doashim could not withstand this weapon and its remains scattered. Din grabbed his spear, ran limping, ignoring his injuries, gritted his teeth and jumped onto the ramp. Ezer pulled up the silver lining and they disappeared through the wall of clouds streaked with lightning.

Din settled to the bottom of his ship, panting with exertion. He noticed how the adrenaline slowly wore off and his whole body was nothing but pain. The rushing in his ears became less and Liara's screams filtered through to him.

"I'm here, Liara!" he shouted. He rolled onto his stomach to get to his knees. Shakily, he stood up and pulled himself up the ladder into the cockpit. With each step, as he put weight on his feet, a sharp pain drove through his limbs. At last he was up and saw Ezer straining to steer the silver lining out of the planet's atmosphere. Din scrambled to the seat where Liara sat. Her screams had quieted, but as he knelt in front of her, she pressed against the seat in panic, holding her hands to her face.

"She saw you fall, she hasn't let me calm her down since! I'm inputting the coordinates of Tatooine!", Ezer informed him, and in the next instant the ship was pulled into hyperspace.

"It's me. No one is going to hurt you!", calmly Din spoke to her. His voice seemed to help her and she actually stopped whining.

"Don't go away anymore!" she cried, leaning against him. She hadn't noticed all the blood and other remnants of the doashim clinging to him.

"No, I won't leave you anymore!"

Din noticed how he was getting tired. The throbbing in his legs intensified.

"I think I need to lie down!" he said softly as his legs began to twitch and he slumped to the side. Ezer cursed and spoke at him, but Din couldn't really hear him anymore. Liara called his name, but his consciousness slipped away and everything went black.

@pedropastelpascal

[june-girl-86]

Night Air

Din uses the night to take off his helmet

Songtext Jamie Woon - Night Air

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The Razor Crest landed on the small planet whose name he had already forgotten. He made sure that Grogu was fast asleep in his hammock, closed the room and went down the ramp. He lingered a moment before walking slowly down. Before he stepped onto the floor of the planet, he stopped and his hands wrapped around the edge of his helmet, pulling it off his head. The first thing that greeted him was the fresh night air, which he sucked deep into his lungs. He stretched his head upwards and saw the narrow crescent moon, which barely gave any light. A cloud pushed in front of it and the crescent was gone. A few stars twinkled in the firmament, but he was a shadow among them. Slowly he unfastened his armor and carefully laid it on the ramp. His boots and clothes followed, and as he set his bare foot on the grass, the stalks tickled the sole of his foot. The leaves of the trees rustled as a breeze moved them and the breeze passed over his body, tenderly, like a gentle touch of a foreign hand.

...

I've acquired a taste for silence

Darkness fills my heart with calmness

And each thought like a thief is driven

To steal the night air from the heavens

…

He heard the rush of the water, a small waterfall, not big enough for a human to fit under, fell into the small bay before flowing into a stream and continuing on its journey. He held his hand under the stream, feeling the power and the freshness. He emitted a sound as he placed his whole body under it and the water ran over his head, through his hair, down his back. The heavy drops pelted his skin, his muscles and he felt something loosen. He turned around and jumped headfirst into the water. He felt so light, different when he wore the armor all the time. When he resurfaced, the pleasant night air welcomed him and he breathed it deeply again.

…

I've acquired a kind of madness

The daylight fills my heart with sadness

And only the silence of the sky can soothe me

Feel the night air flowing through me

…

A drop came off his wet hair and beaded down his neck. A slight gust of wind caught him and he got goose bumps. He lay down for a moment in the grass in front of his ship and closed his eyes. Enjoyed the freedom and being naked. No protective wall Beskar around him. Only until dawn broke again, then everything started all over again. The night air enveloped him in its stillness and he wondered if he would eventually take off his helmet during the day. How the sun would feel on his skin. But now the night was his world and he could breathe freely.

…

Close my eyes to make the night fall

The comfort of the world revolving

I can hear the earth in orbit

…

He stood on the ramp and held his helmet in his hands. He breathed in the fresh night air one last time, wanting to conserve it forever, before the hissing sound followed and his helmet was back in its old place.

…

Night air has the strangest flavor

Space to breathe it, time to savor

All that night air has to lend me

Till the morning makes me angry

…

As the Razor Crest lifted off, an orange fireball peaked over the edge and the soft colors of morning spread out, chasing away the darkness and the night air.