𝔅ombshell, nine—rescued.

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A displeased grunt escaped your lips as the rag gently grazed against your lacerated skin. Din had opted to tear a modest piece off his cape to clean the pestering wound, though it required plenty more than a simple brush of a cloth in order to ward off a dangerous infection. Luckily, the creature hadn't managed to cause excessive damage. They were scratch marks, deep but not exactly awful. There wasn't as much blood as you originally thought — at least, that's what Din told you. Whether he were being truthful or plainly trying to prevent you from overly worrying, you weren't sure. Though you were completely certain that this hurt like the seven Corellian hells.

Din was settled on the ground, propped up against a tree and you positioned between his legs. Your back faced him so he could obtain an advantageous view of the wound, and to better deal with it. Even subsequent to a moments of rest, the both of you were still struggling to catch your breaths after all that running around. Hopefully, the sudden necessity to escape from a dangerous situation wouldn't make its appearance again. It was becoming quite... tedious.

Another pained wince. You flinched away from the contact with the cloth, a grimace present on your expression.

"Keep still. It's almost clean."

You released a sigh, bracing yourself for some more grueling pain before the rag continued its rubbing along your injury. Whenever he cleansed it, he did so in a careful manner. Though that didn't impede it from being utterly unpleasant.

The sole thought that you would suffer a worse type of pain tormented you. The agony you were bound to endure soon enough was unimaginable. It plagued your mind, sending you into a spiral of absurdly pensive thinking, leaving you feeling hopeless, downhearted, powerless, and—

"Done."

His modulated voice snapped you out of your daze. You're instantly alleviated when the cloth was pulled away from your wound. Slowly, you stood from your spot on the ground — which was supposed to be an easy task, but with your belly it turned out to be quite difficult. You managed, though, and Din mimicked your action. His visor examined your face intently for a moment, and you're unsure why. Then, "What's the matter? Are you in pain?"

His voice tinged with absolute urgency. Only then did you realize the stray tears roaming down your cheeks. You wanted to convince yourself it was due to your injury, but not even Din would believe that, no matter how many times you repeated it. Your gaze averted itself from his visor, staring down at your toes, the fluffy snow, the countless trees, in an attempt to halt yourself from breaking into sobs again. "I just—" you paused, fresh, uncontrollable tears welling up in the rims of your eyes, puddling up before falling down onto your face. Your succeeding words were uttered in between ragged breaths as you attempted to contain yourself. "I haven't— I haven't felt it move, for... a while now."

He was silent, seemingly struggling to comprehend your statement. Maybe you shouldn't have told him that — at least, not in this moment. He would've benefited further if he didn't acquire that type of knowledge. It wasn't the correct timing. Now the hope and determination he held onto tightly would likely lessen, just as yours was completely yanked away from you upon realizing the inevitability of your newly-discovered affliction.

"But you're not hurting, right?" When he received a shake of your head in response, he pulled you into his solicitous embrace. "Maybe it's just... sleeping. Taking a nap."

A possibility. But you recognized when the baby was resting, and normally within a couple hours, it's awake and active once more. Sometimes it wouldn't even allow you to catch any sleep because of how it energetically shifted around within your womb. You thought it was a tad bit irritating at times, especially when you were particularly exhausted. Now? You would do absolutely anything to return that exciting sensation of feeling your unborn child stirring around. A puff of breath escaped your lips before melting into your Mandalorian's arms, seeking nothing other than consolation in his touch. "I don't know," you finally answered after being trapped in your pensive state for what seemed like an eternity. "I know when it's sleeping... this doesn't feel right."

Your eyes sealed shut, arms wrapping around Din's waist before you placed the side of your face onto the beskar plating his chest. Despite its extreme frigidness, it proved to be quite comforting. Reminded you of your simple past together. Before your terrible decision that reprehensible night, before those awfully heated arguments, before everything took a massive turn for the worst. When, each time your Mandalorian returned from a bounty hunt, you'd welcome him with open arms. Embrace each other, touch, caress, feel each other. During those times, you thought your situation was burdensome and complicated. Having to go such a prolonged amount of time without seeing your lover... You hadn't realized how painless things were in the past. You would do absolutely anything to return to that blissfulness, that simplicity of life, anything...

It's... unbearable. Everything is intolerable, your problems were far from fixable.

You can't... you can't do this anymore. 

"Din," you managed to choke out, words rushing out of your mouth through sudden breaths. Anxiety overwhelmed you, dominating your every emotion entirely. "Din, I can't anymore— I can't, it's too much, there's no escaping, no hope, nothing."

"No, don't—Cyar'ika, don't give up on me, not now. There's still time—"

"No. No, no, there isn't anymore time, there isn't... it's over. F-face it, Din." Your tone comprised of a certain rage, knowing full well who was responsible for everything. For all you and your Mandalorian were forced to endure. "Face the cold reality. We can't hang onto false hope anymore. We have been for too long now. Just... let it go. I already have."

He was quiet. Pondering over your words. For a while, a long while. The sole sound audible is your sniffling, fighting back the tears the drip onto the frosty surface of Din's cuirass. As if he were contemplating on something, thoroughly and intensely.

Then, another noise filled your ears. And it's all too familiar to you. A brief hiss. Followed by an object colliding with the ground below. Your brows furrowed, eyes squeezing tighter than before. You couldn't open them. Did he... did he really remove his helmet, out here where's he's vulnerable to you seeing his face, out in the wide-open wilderness of Rainoh in plain daylight? He couldn't have... no, you're being delusional. You're going crazy, or something, because Din wouldn't ever do this. Break his Creed, throw away everything he's ever believed in. He wouldn't. Couldn't. It's not possible, he did not just—

"Cyare..."

You're caught off-guard by the bare sound of his raw voice, lacking the usual rasp accompanied by heavy distortion. "Din, put your helmet back on."

The arms enveloping you drew away, leather gloves gently pulling you to face him. But you couldn't. You couldn't open your eyes, head gradually dipping downwards. The impulse to move was absent, merely standing there in hopes that he would return the helm over his head. He never did. Alternatively, he cupped your face within his own two hands, carefully tilting your head upwards. Though your lids remained shut closed. "Look at me," Din whispered softly, his voice containing nothing other than pure desire and assurance. "It's alright."

He sounded so convinced, so sure of his decision, even with the slight nervousness tinging his tone. As if he had been considering this for who knows how long. To say you weren't curious was a lie. You wanted to open your eyes. Wanted to ultimately see the features of the man you held unconditional affection towards. Wanted to be capable of gazing into his eyes, without the dark visor preventing real eye contact. To kiss him and run your fingers through his hair lacking the blindfold restraining your vision. But it feels... wrong. Completely wrong. As if you're betraying him, despite the fact that his actions were entirely under his own consent.

"I can't." The phrase was low, barely audible. "I can't, it'll break your Creed, you won't be... Mandalorian."

"I don't need to conceal my face to be a Mandalorian, I hadn't realized it until recently." He paused, taking a moment to calculate his words before resuming. "I've been meaning to do this for a while, but the correct time never came. I'm starting to think the proper timing won't ever appear. I need you to open your eyes, Cyar'ika. I need to be able to see you with my own eyes, your entire face, not half-covered by a blindfold, not behind my helmet. I need you to be the first to see me. Please."

A silence followed, tense as you profoundly pondered over it. His thumb swiped across your cheek once, clearing the stray tear that managed to escape. This... this may be your only chance. He was right — the proper timing might not ever appear.

Slowly, hesitantly, inch by inch, you opened your eyes, flickered them repeatedly a few times to blink away the blurriness of squeezing them so tightly, before focusing on the man directly ahead of you.

Astonishment took control over your every feeling, lips slightly parting from pure amazement.

The very first feature you noticed were his eyes. Those chocolate hues comprised such emotion, such warmth, such love. For you, and you only. If you had known that this entire time, he gazed at you like this, holding all that affection, fondness, and endearment, you never would've doubted his love for you. It would've been completely evident and undeniable. There was a hint of anxiety in his expression, likely due to the fact that he wasn't certain whether you'd like him or not.

Those brown eyes were so damn captivating.

You intently examined the rest of his face. His nose — large, perfectly curved, the barely visible scar across the bridge, the mustache directly beneath it. Those puckered lips, plump and soft and so kissable. His square jaw, coated with light scruff the color of those tousles of dark, silky, curly hair. Helmet hair... Of course he has helmet hair, it's kriffing adorable.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, you smiled. An actual, genuine, wide smile from ear-to-ear. The entirety of your worries disappeared from your mind, the fact that you were out here in plain open freezing air, that you just escaped the Empire mere hours ago, everything completely faded away until it was just you and Din, your Mandalorian, your lover, your cyare. And when his own lips curled up in a grin as well, you completely melted at the sight. It was unbelievable. You couldn't fathom this, you never would've thought this would occur. For once, a feeling of contentment returned to you. A small amount of it, but enough to supply you with sufficient power to continue. To fight for your baby, no matter how dire your situation seemed. No matter the countless obstacles you would endure, you were going to put in your utmost effort to save this unborn child.

"Cyare." Beloved. Din had taught you the significance of it years ago.

It means beloved... you're my beloved.

You brought your own hands up, cupping his face just as he still was, and bringing him closer, your expressions still brightened up by smiles. "You're gorgeous."

Soft laughter escaped his mouth, quiet and missing the typical modulated aspect. He wasn't quite sure how to respond, instead his eyes averting from yours when a gentle shade of pink appeared on his cheeks. Your gaze trailed down towards his lips, before you connected your own with his, no tentativeness whatsoever. His lips were bitterly cold, as were yours, but that didn't impede you both from pulling each other in impossibly closer. Releasing a pleased sigh, he immediately melted into the kiss — gentle and even rather desperate. After all, the previous time you were able to share a moment like this was the night before you were abruptly ripped away from each other's grasps. You hadn't managed a break to wind down and relax since then.

When you drew back to catch your breaths, you absolutely softened upon liberally being allowed to gaze straight into his eyes, instead of a cloth obstructing your view. "Don't give up yet," he pleaded, the grin still lingering around on his expression. "Please. There's still a chance."

Your response was a nod, a silent agreement that you weren't willing to surrender now. While everything was seeming extremely atrocious, there was a chance nevertheless. And you needed to fight to obtain that chance, even if it seemed far-fetched and out of reach. There was still the slightest of possibility that you could escape this planet on time, and perhaps even locate a cure that'll save your baby.

And so afterwards, you reluctantly pulled away from each other, Din placing the beskar over his head again before the both of you ventured off into the dense forests, fingers intertwined together the whole journey. Only stopping to rest for a moment, double-check your wound wasn't getting ugly, before continuing again. It took a plethora of effort and tenacity to proceed with trekking through the endless stretches of land and foliage. Whenever you felt yourself becoming gradually discouraged, you remembered those brown eyes staring back at you with immense love. That was all you needed to carry on, and hopefully that uplifting moment would remain glued to your mind in hopes of keeping you going forward. Don't give up yet. Please. There's still a chance...

Nightfall swiftly revealed itself, dominating the sky and ridding of the brightness of day. The familiar twin moons emerged from the horizon, stars above sparkling in the darkness. Rainoh's frigid temperature worsened drastically — no sun meant no heat, and no heat meant hypothermia. Din's suggestion was to rest and camp, start a fire to keep the both of you from freezing to your deaths. While you recognized you couldn't afford to lose anymore time, it was undoubtedly the best option. 

It definitely took a while to locate wood that wasn't soaked by melted snow, but eventually the both of you managed to discover some. A small amount of dry wood, but it would provide you with at least a few hours of warmth. Within a brief moment, Din set everything necessary together, and soon enough the pleasant heat enveloped you and halted your persistent shivering. Flames of orange and yellow flickered wildly, smoke billowing upwards into the black sky as miniature sparks of ashes ascended into the air. You immediately took advantage of the warmness, settling yourself down in front of the fire, holding your hands out to clear the bitterly cold feeling away.

It wasn't long before Din positioned himself besides you, instantly wrapping his arms around your figure. You scooted a couple inches closer, immersing yourself in his comfort. A sigh escaped your lips, satisfied and exhausted altogether. With how worn-out you were, you could effortlessly fall asleep right here in your Mandalorian's arms. But, there was something holding you back and preventing you from doing so. Nightmares. You were extremely stressed, and that would be plenty enough reason for your brain to create appalling nightmares.

A tranquil silence enveloped the ambience for a while, merely the sound of the fire crackling audible to your ears. Though your head was resting upon Din's chest, he seemed to notice you weren't falling into slumber when he whispered, "Go to sleep."

Your mouth opened to utter a simple response — I'm not sleepy.But then a rumbling caught your attention, the noise reverberating through the soundless midnight air. It came from above, you noted, sounded exactly like a ship. A really, really, really familiar ship. The—

"The Razor Crest."

Din voiced your precise theory. The both of you rapidly lifted yourselves, heads raising just when the ship made its appearance. It soared directly above you, in close proximity to the trees covered in thick, snow-topped leaves, seemingly decreasing its speed and attempting to land someplace near. Whoever was in there had spotted you, and you felt a pit in your stomach develop — you had no clue who was inside, other than the Child.

"Please tell me you taught the Child how to fly the ship."

"I wish," Din replied, his voice containing about as much puzzlement and uncertainty as you.

The unknown person flying settled the ship a few yards away, in an expanse of clear land without any plants blocking the way. Din uneasily initiated a couple hesitant steps forward, his hand hovering over the holster strapped to his hip and threatening to slip it out in case it were necessary. He held out a hand behind him, gesturing you to stay put. You, somewhat terrified, follow his orders without objection. Nobody knows who's in there, whether it be someone friendly or hostile. It could be the queen, after all. In that case, you'd have no clue what your actions would be — attempt to rescue the Child, if he were still in there, or run away. Again. For the third time.

The gunship's ramp whirred and hissed as it gradually lowered itself over the white snow beneath it. Din paused in his spot. You waited with intense anticipation. Please don't be the queen, please don't be the queen, please don't be the queen...

A pair of long, green ears emerged. The rest of its body wasn't required for you to recognize precisely who it was. Large, dark eyes made their appearance, and it wasn't long before the ramp positioned itself onto the ground with a light thud. The Child tilted his head upon catching sight of you and the Mandalorian, expression brightening up in an instant. He flashed those little teeth as he rushed off, exiting the Crest and leaving his tiny tracks in the snow.

"Kid?" Din approached him slowly, steadily, before bringing the infant into his arms once he was in near proximity. He cradled him closely, the tension in his shoulders fading away now that the kid was safe with him. You sighed a breath filled with relief as you stepped towards them, though the crippling thought of who could be inside the Razor Crest overwhelmed you up to this moment.

A voice emanated from the ship, calling out for you and the Mandalorian from within. All too familiar, just like the persistent rumbling of the Razor Crest. "Hop in, we don't have all day! Won't be long before they catch up with us!"

Another wave of alleviation washed over you. Din undoubtedly recognized the elderly voice as well. Ninkri.

Shrieking abruptly snatched your attentions from up above — TIE-fighters. They advanced menacingly rapid, causing you and Din to suddenly hasten into the ship, shutting the ramp closed, and clambering up the ladder leading to the cockpit. The Crest was felt decoupling from the ground and rising upwards, all the while it vibrated with each hit earned from the Imps gaining up on you. Once you entered the cockpit, Din trailing behind with the Child secure in one hand, you both perceived the figure of Ninkri, who was... taking care of the situation surprisingly well.

"Ninkri, what—" you're unexpectedly interrupted mid-sentence when the ship performed a sharp turn, Din placing a hand around your waist to steady you. "What are you doing— how did you find us?"

"Questions later," she swiftly responded, her focus solely remaining ahead as the ship continued to ascend higher with each passing second. "I suggest you buckle up in case these TIE-fighters don't wanna give up."

Another quake pulsated through the Razor Crest, which led you to reason with Ninkri's suggestion. "Are you sure you don't want Din to take over?" you asked, but realized that she could handle this completely fine. Instead, you followed her orders and took a seat in the passenger seat left to her, while Din imitated your actions and situated himself on the right one with the Child placed on his lap.

"No need!"

She was correct — there was no necessity to switch pilots. With how you were in utter shock, you weren't aware of the fact that the ship had already escaped Rainoh's atmosphere. The sound of TIE-fighters pursuing was still perfectly audible, but then the noise vanished in a split second. Ninkri had pulled the Razor Crest into the safety and serenity of hyperspace, and you watched in awe as the stars blurred by in blue flashes of light.

This was... unbelievable.

Your mind couldn't quite comprehend that you just departed from Rainoh. That you weren't compelled to hang onto your responsibilities any longer.

You're... free.

Free to live the rest of your life with Din.

Ninkri whirled around in her seat, facing the Mandalorian. "So, where shall we head to?"

"Sorgan."

"Alright, tell me the coordinates, then." She directed her attention towards the datapad on the control panel, punching in each number Din voiced. The name of the planet was completely unknown to you, but if it was the secure backwater planet Din promised, it should be absolutely perfect. And perhaps the medics there could provide a solution to the problem you attempted to forget about, but, oh... damn, you were hungry.

Correction — you were absolutely starving. You couldn't impede yourself from asking, "Is there anything to eat?"

Din was up and fetching you something to ear in the blink of an eye, along with his medkit which meant he was going to tend to your wound. Unfortunately, the only food available were a couple ration bars, due to the fact that the Child had snatched most of it when he was left alone. The ship definitely didn't come well-equipped for a pregnant woman, but you enjoyed it nevertheless. Anything tasted delicious when you were utterly famished.

While Din dealt with the injury, you ate. Well, you devoured it. It definitely provided a distraction from the stinging of Din applying a cold gel all over the marks on your shoulder blade. A couple winces here and there, but in a matter of minutes, a bacta patch was placed in its designated spot and the wound was properly cared for. Only then did you slump back in your chair, relieved that was all over with, before your eyes flickered to Ninkri, who had made her utmost effort to keep the Child entertained the entire time.

"How did you get the ship, Ninkri?" you questioned, the inquiry having been swirling around your mind for what seemed like an eternity. You still hadn't recovered from the shock of seeing her effortlessly fly the ship out of Rainoh and far from trouble... for now, at least.

"Oh, the struggled I went through to obtain access to this ship," she chuckled, her seemingly wandering off to those memories for a split second before her gaze focused on you and Din, who had returned to the unoccupied seat. "As soon as I found out the both of you were stuck out there in the wilderness, I couldn't sit around and watch. The entire city was under the careful watch of the Empire and the queen, those pestering troopers guarding the rims of the city in case you were to appear. I decided the best option was to search for you guys in your suip, Mandalorian. Luckily, they weren't guarding the hangar. And even luckier — the ship was completely unlocked."

"I left it unlocked?" Din's voice comprised a certain disbelief. You couldn't believe that either. He was perpetually cautious when it came to his ship which contained the entirety of his personal belongings. Especially now with the kid, you never expected him to forget such an important feature. It dawned on you that he may have been so troubled and distraught about your capture that the act had failed to even crossed his mind.

"Yep. I was confused when I saw this little one wandering around the ship, but didn't have the time to ponder over that. As soon as I brought the ship out of the hangar, the Imps were trailing right behind me. By the time I managed to lose them, I spotted your little camp from the distance... I'm afraid if it weren't for that, I never would've found you. Mainly since it was night, and also because I have no clue how long I would've managed to go undetected by the Empire again."

 Ninkri paused, seemingly allowing you and Din comprehend the whole thing, before making a wonderful suggestion. "You should get some rest. Both of you."

"You can have the cot for yourself," Din proposed. "I can catch some sleep later."

Truthfully, the bunk was pretty compact and tight, though you never minded. Better to be cramped up in there with Din than alone. Besides, Din was equally as worn-out as you. The way he held his shoulders in a slightly slumped manner only indicated his exhaustion, and despite his objections, he needed some sleep. You crossed your arms tightly over your chest, eyes narrowing towards his direction, demonstrating that you weren't going to budge unless he gave in. What you received in response was a long, hesitant sigh. Then, "Fine. I'll be down in a second."

Ninkri released a chuckle, her gaze lifting from the Child playing with her fingers on her lap. "Oh, I missed seeing you two together like this."

You managed a small, stiff smile, before raising from your seat and heading down towards the hull of the Crest. Climbing into the compartment, your drowsiness hadn't even allowed you to search around for a blanket or anything to cover yourself with. Your immediate necessity was nothing other than sleep. And as soon as your head hit the mattress of the bunk, you were already drifting off into a blank, dreamless slumber. It was... peaceful. Lacking worrisome thoughts. Tranquil and serene. You barely took notice of Din crawling in behind you, draping something soft and comfortable over your figure. The feeling of his warm lips placing a gentle kiss on your forehead indicated he removed his helmet again. You wanted to open your eyes, lose yourself in those gentle hues before falling asleep, though your eyelids were extremely heavy with tiredness. Instead, you allowed him to pull you closer to him, dozing off in a matter of seconds and immersing yourself in hours of reposeful sleep.

But nothing prepared you for the agonizing pain pounding and echoing through your entire body.

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note:
okay, let's pretend you never read that last sentence.

anyway, if you're following me, you likely already know that i've decided how many chapters are left now. but, if you haven't, it's going to be eleven chapters (not including the prologue and epilogue). so, ten and eleven are left, then we conclude with an epilogue!

again, sorry for the delay with this chapter. it's been a rather hectic few months but everything should return to normal soon enough! thanks for reading, love you guys. ♥