Navarro.....

......

Din slowly guides the Razor Crest down out of the atmosphere, preparing to land.

Cressida leans forward, looking eagerly out the window, craning her neck to see better.

"You ever been here before?" Din asks, as the Crest gently bumps on to the landing pad.

"No. I never left..." Cressida stops, not bothering to continue the sentence.

Din doesn't press. He knows that some things are too personal to discuss. Especially with a stranger.

He locks the ship into place, switching it off and unbuckling himself before standing.

Cressida is still rooted to her seat, making no attempt to move. Din can almost feel her discomfort and it makes him feel edgy, too.

"You don't have to come with me," he says, his deep voice low. Cressida looks up at the beskar clad figure standing there.

For one split second, she aches to gaze upon the man's face. If only momentarily.

But she knows his creed. Knows that he won't remove the helmet in her presence and she respects his creed.

"I'll come. It'll be good to stretch my legs." Din nods before passing on by, his metal armor clanking as he heads for the back hatch.

Cressida sits there, gathering her courage and praying (to whom, she doesn't know), that no one on Navarro will recognize her face.

.....

Din notices how Cressida quietly looks around at the different species and creatures that are all milling about, each focused on their separate tasks.

"It can be a lot to take in," Din says. "If one isn't used to all the bustle."

Much to Din's surprise, Cressida chuckles softly. He finds himself taken by her.

She's pretty. With her chestnut brown hair, that's curled slightly and her bright, blue eyes.

Din realizes that this is the first time he's really studied Cressida. He notices the way she walks, straight, yet slightly rigid, almost as though she were taught to walk a specific way.

Din wants to know her backstory, although he's not eager to share his. It's better if they don't share too much.

He already let his guard down with the kid and look where that got him.

Nowhere. He opened up and yet, he's still alone. He still has no one to care for. And no one to care for...him.

Din swears softly under his breath. He needs to knock his shit off. Feeling sorry for himself wasn't going to get him anywhere.

They reach Greef Karga's place and Din raps sharply on the closed door. A moment later, a droid opens the door, ushering Din and Cressida inside.

Greef stands, grinning widely as he rises from his seat, coming forward to greet Din.

"Hello, old friend! It's been a while!"

"Yes," Din says. "I apologize. I've been..busy." Greef raises his eyebrows and his gaze slides over to Cressida, who immediately lowers her gaze.

"Have you taken a wife?" Din knows Greef is teasing, although he probably wishes that Din would find someone.

"No. We met under strange circumstances. She was looking to escape from some damn droids and I rescued her."

"A real knight in shining beskar?" Greef laughs and Cressida wishes she could make herself invisible.

"Enough, Karga," Din says sharply and surprising Cressida. She dares to lift her head slightly, gazing at Din's chest plate.

"I didn't come here so you could insult my friend. I came to see if possibly you had any more jobs for me?"

Greef sneers slightly, although he he keeps his mouth shut. He walks back over to his desk, rummaging around, looking for a puck to give Din.

He locates the puck and walks over, practically thrusting it into Din's outstretched hand.

"This might be a tricky one, Mando."

"You know I've dealt with all kinds, Karga. I appreciate the tip." Din turns to leave, Cressida following his example.

"If you track down this one, Mando, I'd like to make a strong suggestion that your new 'friend' not accompany you."

"She's tougher than she looks, Greef." With that being said, Din and Cressida exit Greef's place and head over to find something to eat.

......

Once Din has picked up some supplies, he heads back in the direction of his ship, knowing that Cressida will be watching for him.

She still doesn't speak of what or whom she's running from.

Din thinks perhaps she'd been put in a situation where she was expected to wed someone against her will.

Din's temper burns at the thought. Is that what is expected of young women these days? To be sold at a price, only to keep the peace between two separate parties?

Of course, Din is only speculating. He could be wrong. Maybe she's an experiment and her makers are fearful that she'll go haywire and end up hurting innocent people.

Or maybe she's like Grogu and can use that force crap. Moving objects with her mind and such.

Din honestly doesn't care. As long as she doesn't do anything to him or causes anyone from the imperial to take notice of her, he's perfectly fine with her sticking around.

.....

After Din and Cressida had eaten, he'd walked her back to his ship, telling her to wait for him until he returned from gathering more supplies.

Cressida is secretly relieved, although she worries about Din, out there on his own.

She chides herself for thinking such thoughtful. Din is not only a grown man, but also a bounty hunter, who's dealt with dangerous characters for several years.

Still...Cressida feels uneasy. She isn't sure where this strange feeling is coming from.

She supposes it's because she ran and knows that those who kept her locked away will continue to search for her.

She tells herself that it's too vast of a galaxy. That there's no way they can find her.

Yet, that doesn't ease her worries. Cressida paces back and forth in the small holding area, in the back of the ship.

She wishes Din would come back so they can leave this place. She wonders if she can possibly talk him into going somewhere off the grid for a few days.

Cressida stops pacing, leaning against the wall and wrapping her arms around herself.

A chill comes in from somewhere and causes her skin to break out in goosebumps.

She quickly runs her bare arms with her hands, trying to warm herself up. Her ears prick up at a peculiar noise.

She doesn't think it's Din. Not this soon. He said it would take him at least half an hour to collect the supplies they'd be needing.

There's a sharp rap on the back ramp, causing Cressida to jump. She starts frantically looking around for any sort of weapon that could be useful, if she has to defend herself.

Cressida spots a small blaster, hanging on the wall and she quickly hurries over to grab it.

The rapping sounds are getting louder and suddenly a modulated voice is calling out her name.

Shit! They found me! But how? Cressida starts searching for it. She knows what happened.

One of those nasty droids must have planted a damn tracking device on Din's ship!

Cressida suddenly spots the small, beeping disc, stuck to the floor close to where the back hatch opens up.

She grabs it, tearing off the floor and stomping on it, crushing it to bits. That takes care of that!

Unfortunately, they've already discovered her location. Well. She's not going anywhere with whoever has come for her!

A loud blast hits the ship, causing it to rock and sway, throwing Cressida against the wall.

"Cressida Orion, you're coming with us!" Another loud crack. They're inside now, grabbing Cressida and gripping her arm tightly.

Cressida thrashes around, trying to free herself. The droid clamps on more tightly and flies out of the ship.

Cressida spots Din rushing towards them, firing his blaster and trying to get the droid to release Cressida.

His attempts are futile. The droids grip Cressida tigher, flying away, leaving Din standing there, more angry than he was before.