Once the room was cleared, Din turned back to his leader only to find her looking at him intently through her visor.
"You have a mate." She observed bluntly. The thought made Din burn on the inside, not the intense burn of anger that sometimes happened but rather the slow, simmering burn that happened whenever he thought about Aria in such intimate terms.
"I-" He didn't know what to say.
"You know the dangers of mating outside the covent." His leader continued, but her voice held only concern, not condemnation.
"Yes."
"And you trust her?"
"With my life."
The Armorer thought for a moment, looking out the doorway and Din knew he was observing the woman carefully. He wondered what his leader thought of Aria, wondered what her wise eyes saw that perhaps his could not.
"Tell me what you see." He heard himself asking.
The Armorer looked back at him, moving across the room to a chest in the corner.
"I see a woman of strength, of courage. She was born into hardships, yes?"
"A slave on Tatooine." Din affirmed. The Armorer opened the chest, her fingers searching for something as she went on.
"I see pain and suffering. Yet," She straightened, "I see joy in her as well."
So far, Din agreed whole-heartedly. The Armorer returned to him, a small brown sack in her gloved hand.
"I also see great danger. Love is a tricky business for us Mandalorians, even when two are from the same covent."
Din didn't like where this was going.
"To marry outside of the tribe is a risky and messy affair. I have only known a few bonds strong enough to last the stress that comes with being a Mandalorian." The Armorer tipped her head at him, "I am surprised that you find yourself in such a position. You were always guarded against the females in the covent."
"I know." Din recalled the many womens' advances he had turned coldly down. "It wasn't planned."
"It never is." The Armorer agreed.
He took the sack from her hand, something slightly heavy and shimmering falling into his leather-clad palm. Din looked up at her sharply.
"I have kept this for you since you were a foundling." The Armorer explained patiently, her tone level and calm as always. "As I do all the foundlings."
"You think I should make Aria my mate?" The question slipped out of his lips before he could stop them and the Armorer shifted away, beginning her work again.
"You have a choice to make, Din Djarin. I cannot influence it, I can only tell you what I see."
He held the piece in his hand, twisting it in the dim light with his fingers. The band was made of pure beskar steel, shining sweetly and surely in the forge light. In the center of the band was a glimmering stone, clearer and brighter than any star Din had ever seen in the skies. "I made it simple," The Armorer noted, watching as he turned the ring over and over in his hands. "Strong. Trustworthy. Rare." She nodded at him, "Just like the man who holds it now."
"Thank you." Din stood respectfully, "Your wisdom and guidance are held in my highest regards."
I glanced up as Din came into the tunnel, carrying what looked like a jetpack in his hands.
"Come on, this way."
IG-11 handed me the baby, taking the pack from Din as we wove our way down passages and through more tunnels.
"He seems to be recovering nicely." Cara mumbled as she jogged beside me. I looked at Din who was leading us, noticing his gait and body language improving immensely.
"Back to bossing us all around." I joked, giving her a light smile.
"This is the lava river." Greef said, peering down the canal at the slow-moving heat simmering and hissing.
"The ferry droid is fried." The Mandalorian jerked his thumb at the red unit in the back.
"Yeah, but if we push the boat out we can get it to float downstream. Come on!" Greef responded. Din surveyed the boat critically,
"Looks old. Will it take the heat?"
"You got a better idea?"
"Guess not." Din and Greef both push the boat but it doesn't budge.
"Push!" Greef grunts but still, nothing happens. Frustrated, Din kicks at the boat before spotting a pole resting in the corner.
"Let's try this." He puts it at in angle against the boat and the platform. When it doesn't work, Cara rolls her eyes at me and slips her rifle off of her shoulder,
"You guys mind getting out of the way?"
The two men leap back as Cara blasts the hardened lava surrounding the boat, loosening it
from the platform.
"Watch your feet." IG-11 cautions. "It's molten lava."
Kuiil helps me into the boat, his kind little eyes glittering as he squeezes my hand encouragingly. Suddenly everyone's blasters are in their hand as the ferry droid springs to life, whirring inquiringly.
"I don't suppose anybody here speaks droid?" Din asks dryly and IG replied quickly.
"I believe he is asking where we would like to go."
"Down river. To the lava flat." Greef answers.
The droid beeps and begins pushing the boat down the river slowly but surely. Greef spots the light near the end of the tunnel and exclaims with relief,
"That's it. We're free!"
There's silence over the group and I murmur to Din under my breath.
"Something's not right."
He adjusts his visor, no doubt switching controls before confirming my suspicion,
"No. No, we're not. Stormtroopers. They're flanking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon." Cara groans as Din continues, "They must know we're coming."
"Stop the boat." Cara commands but the red unit keeps plodding along. "Hey, droid, I said stop the boat. Hey, I'm talking to you. I said stop!"
She draws her gun and shoots its head off, making the child jerk in the bag slung around me and I put my hand over it reassuringly.
"We're still moving." Greef says lowly and Cara grits her teeth.
"Looks like we fight!"
"There are too many." Din interjects.
"Well, then what do you suggest? 'Cause I can't surrender."
"They will not be satisfied with anything less than the Child." Kuiil speaks up, looking at IG-11 as the droid continues his master's words.
"This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy, and you will escape."
Din brushes him off,
"You don't have that kind of firepower, pal. You wouldn't even get to daylight."
"That is not my objective."
"We're getting close!" Cara says urgently, adjusting her grip on her rifle.
"I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer. If my designs are compromised, I must self-destruct." IG-11 is insistent and finally Din listens.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed."
"Are we gonna keep talking or we gonna get outta here?" Greef sounds exasperated but I put a hand on his shoulder, making him quiet.
The droid hands Din the jet pack which The Mandalorian takes,
"I can no longer carry this for you."
"Wait," Din protests, "You can't self-destruct. Your base command is to watch the child. That supersedes your manufacturer's protocol, right? Right?"
Kuiil shakes his head but lets the droid continue.
"This is correct."
"Good." Din sounds relieved and I wonder what he's thinking about. "Now grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out!"
"Victory through combat is impossible. We will be captured. The child will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the child is saved, in which I survive."
"Listen, you're not going anywhere. We need you. Let's just come with a-"
"Please tell me the child will be safe in your care. If you do so, I can default to my secondary command." The droid persists and when Din responds, his voice is pained.
"But you'll be destroyed."
"And you will live, and I will have served my purpose." IG-11 points out.
"No. We need you." The rough tone of Din's voice gives away his emotion.
"There is nothing to be sad about." IG insists, "I have never been alive.
"I'm not sad." Din answers slowly but the droid catches him in his denial,
"Yes you are. I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice." With one final caress to the child, IG-11 steps off of the boat and into the lava.
"What're you doing?!" Greef shouts but Kuiil holds him back, a soft look in his wise eyes.
"Do not stop him." He says, "IG-11 has chosen his destiny to save ours." He raises a hand as Greef opens his mouth, "I have spoken."