Walking through the desert back to the Razor Crest felt different than before. A new understanding had embedded itself in their relationship, Maleena knew more about how deep their clan status affected Din. She knew he was a loyal person, but to willingly risk his life like that?
He had to be crazy.
Maleena wished she could see his face, to see how the revelation of Gideon's survival affected him. After all he did to put him down the first time...
Maleena watched Din swerving through the air, hot on Gideon's tail. His new jetpack made him look as if he was a hunting bird, stalking his prey before swooping in for the kill. Time seemed to slow as he damaged Gideon's ship, Din flying away from the smoking wreckage crashing into the ground beneath them. Maleena had the Child tucked securely to her chest as he blearily watched the Mandalorian land next to them. She had never felt such admiration for another person, knowing he was truly capable of anything. She knew it had taken a lot out of him to attack Gideon in a way only he could, and yet he was still insistent that he should be the one to fly both her and the Child back to the Razor Crest and away from the conflict they barely escaped from. Maleena had spent weeks after their difficult escape helping Din return to his normal self, his strength faded.
Maleena dreaded to think about what another confrontation with Gideon would do to Din.
Maleena felt a nudge on her left side, Din had pressed the side of his blaster into her ribs as they walked side by side, and let her hooded face watch the side of his helmet intently.
"Back there you spoke... Vlaxxonese?" His voice seemed uncertain, a weight lifting from her shoulders at his attempt for a lighter conversation.
She nods. "It felt natural."
"I haven't heard you speak it in a while."
Maleena seemed to think. "I am not as fluent as I once was..."
"What did you say at first?"
She laughed. "What, Gharla La'Cheqsa?"
"Yeah. That."
"It means not again... It might seem quite a timid phrase but it was often heard before fighting... If you were to say it normally it would simply be Arlla Cheq."
His helmet turned to her. "Gharla... La'Cheqsa..." The unfamiliarity of the words could be heard in his tone, but she encouraged him never the less.
"Exactly."
They were quite close to the Razor Crest now, so much so that the Mandalorian pressed a button on his Vambrace that enabled the ship to slowly lower the boarding ramp.
"You said something else... Something after your Mando'a."
She tutted. "Trallwa sdua frete lon." The began making their way up the ramp.
"What does that mean?" His question made Maleena laugh. They were near the top of the ramp now, they could see inside the ship and the small piles of sand that had swept their way into the ship.
"It means," She hesitated. "You are not safe anymore."