Din shifted uncomfortably as he stared up at the man known as Kane the Small, who was a complete contrast of his name, he stood to about 6 foot 7 and he was large, much like a bear. The bearded man glared at The Mandalorian out of the corner of his eye as he melted the Beskar that he was to use to fix Signe's blade. Signe was sitting on a chair just outside the beefy man's workshop, her feet resting on the window sill, arms crossed behind her head. Sprout sat in her lap, peering over the window sill to watch the man work. The young woman heard the large man grunt in annoyance and immediately knew what was up.
"Din, stop staring at him, you're making him uncomfortable," The Mandalorian looked at her and sighed.
"How long is it going to take? It's been half an hour and the Beskar is nowhere near molten yet,"
"If you haven't noticed we are not as advanced as you Mandalorians so everything takes four times as long," Signe educated him and smiled when she heard him moan in frustration. Just as he was going to speak again, someone called Signe's name. The ash blonde turned to look at the caller and saw Runa waving at her.
"Mother wants you, she's in there," the youngest Bielke daughter pointed to a medium sized hut, not the longhouse. They still couldn't stay in their rightful home. The old irritation she held for Osbarn had definitely relit itself in the depths of her heart and she knew it was blossoming into a raging fury and she would have to do something about him, not to only help her village but the ones surrounding the Pillad Lowlands too.
"Alright, I've got to go for a bit, don't cause trouble you two," the young woman said as she stood up, placing Sprout on the chair who cooed as she left. She noticed the villagers had begun preparations for their celebrations for the night. She smiled at any she passed before making her way into her parents hut. Dacia heard her daughter come in, a smile on her face as she revealed her outfit for the banquet later. Signe stared at it, it had been a while since she'd worn anything other than her tunic, trousers and armour. She walked over to it and admired its colour and embroidery.
The dress was a dark grey colour, the rim of the neck had a thick beige lining. A brown leather belt embroidered with traditional Vicingian patterns and markings. With it, went a robe of sorts, with more earthy colours this time.
"It's beautiful,"
"It was mine once, and now, I give it to you,"
"Really?" Dacia nodded, pleased by her daughter's reaction.
"Let's get you ready then,"
4-LOM and Zuckuss found the village to be very welcoming, it seemed that anyone who was friends of Signe's was a friend of theirs too. They were heading back to the main market place when Zuckuss spotted a hooded figure duck behind one of the huts. He stopped before making a chirping noise to LOM, signalling to the droid that something wasn't quite right. The Gand motioned for his friend to follow loosely and remain quiet, which LOM did as he accompanied his friend down the dark alleyway, whilst Zuckuss readied his snare rifle . The two came to the corner of the hut and used the darkness as cover, hoping to get a better look. They noticed a cloaked figure acting suspiciously as it moved one of the wood planks of the village's wall out of the way. The suspicious being looked right and then left and the two bounty hunters managed to finally get a good look at the potential intruder before he disappeared out of sight.
4-LOM enhanced his audio receptors in an effort to gain more information. The droid could faintly make out the figure using a dialect that was not common in the Galaxy in general, let alone on a planet where its kind weren't from.
He turned to Zuckuss who stood ready to fire.
"An Anuran,"
It didn't take long for 4-LOM and Zuckuss to work out that this person was up to no good, he was very suspicious but not only that, they knew that the village folk wouldn't have allowed someone of his kind to enter the settlement. Zuckuss chirped quizzically to 4-LOM, who gently nodded in return.
"We must inform the Mandalorian and the woman, immediately," The Gand nodded with urgency, wanting to get back to The Child so he could keep him safe. He had a feeling that no good will be coming in the near future after seeing the Anuran skulking about the village. The two quickly made their way back, winding their way past people, hoping to find someone they knew would want to know about their findings. 4-LOM quickly spotted The Mandalorian looking at some handmade Vicingian jewellery with the Child tucked under his right arm, an odd thing for Din to be looking at but now wasn't the time to be wondering about trivial stuff. "It would appear we have some bad news, Mandalorian," Din immediately put down the jewellery he was holding and ushered the other two Bounty Hunters away from the stall, not wanting to alarm any of the villagers. When in a secluded area of the village, the three began to converse amongst each other freely.
"What's the problem?"
"Zuckuss and I noticed an Anuran lurking in the shadows of the huts. We tracked him, noticing that he exited by moving one of the wall panels rather than going to the gate to leave the village," hearing those words, Din didn't say a thing, simply heading over to Sigurd and Hagen who were talking outside Hagen and Dacia's hut. He strolled over to them, 4-LOM and Zuckuss in tow, the approaching trio gained their attention straight away.
"The droid here seems to think you have a spy problem. Are you aware of an Anuran being on your planet, let alone running around your village streets?" Din asked, he felt like he knew what the answer might be related to, and his concern worsened when the two men shared a panicked look. "What? Why are you looking at one another like that?"
"Chances are that was one of Osbarn's men and he's going back to tell him that Signe's here. Alive and well," Sigurd answered, not liking the idea that his sister was in grave danger again.
"Well we've got to tell her, she needs to kno-," Din was cut off when Hagen put an arm in his way so he couldn't enter the hut.
"You will tell her no such thing, not yet anyway. This is Signe's night. They won't be here until tomorrow night," Din stared into the older man's greying eyes, they told him to trust him. Din knew Hagen wouldn't allow anything to happen to his children and he knew this place better than any of the Bounty Hunters. Din nodded reluctantly and moved back to rest his cramping calves. Just as Hagen finished talking Dacia and Signe appeared from around the corner, the youngest woman looked at the men sheepishly, waiting to see their reaction but when she saw Din, her cheeks reddened ever so slightly but luckily it was too dark for any of them to notice.
"Your heartbeat has increased, warrior. May I be of some assistance?" 4-LOM spoke, making the young woman stare at him instead. She couldn't tell if he did that on purpose but composed herself.
"Nice to see you too, 4-LOM. What's going on here then?" All six of them just stared at her, not really knowing what to say. The Child looked at everyone, gurgling questioningly at the silence while Signe frowned in suspicion. Hagen suddenly spoke up when he realised what you were wearing and startled them all a bit.
"Look at you! You're just as radiant as your mother. The high crown braid suits you well, didn't I tell you Dacia?" The middle aged woman only rolled her eyes at her husband's antics before taking his arm when she heard music begin to play. The celebrations had begun. As they left, Sigurd grabbed Signe's hand and grinned mischievously.
"Dance with me, sister," He said, trying to pull her into the dancing crowd of villagers but Signe dug her heels in the ground. A smile on her face.
"I'm a warrior Sigurd, not a dancer," she laughed, as she pulled back and a small tug of war fight began before Signe attempted to make a run for it. Sigurd managed to catch her and got her to sit on his shoulders and stood on a large rock so that they were above the crowd. He gained their attention quickly before shouting out into the cool summer night, "Signe! My sister! Has returned to us and she returns to us as a mighty Bounty Hunter! I couldn't be more proud! To Signe!"
"TO SIGNE!" The village repeated as they held their ale's and beverages toward her, the woman only smiled with embarrassment and gave them small waves.. She was not someone who liked lots of attention on her, much like Din. She slipped off her brother's shoulders, grabbing herself some food before making her way over to the Beskar warrior who sat silently watching from the side by himself. Sprout sat next to him on some barrels smiling to himself as he watched the strange people have fun. His smile widened when seeing Signe approach and with food! The young woman knelt down next to the barrels and gave the little creature bits of food, which he grabbed at gluttonously. While in her own little world with The Child, Din watched her absentmindedly, his mind clouded by his thoughts of the infamous Tyrant who was potentially going to be hearing the news of her arrival soon. The young woman sensed his gaze and looked at him out the corner of her eyes.
"Something on your mind, Din?" she said, her eyes moving back to The Child before picking him up and taking him to where she sat near Din. Hearing her use his real name got his attention instantly, his head whipped to face her.
"I've told you not to call me that," he said shortly, but he was only met with silence."It's nothing," he spoke again, but Signe didn't believe him.
"I know he's coming for me, you know," she said cautiously as she stared at the ground, blocking out the music and the noise of her people, it was just the three of them in each other's company now. She sensed his hard gaze on her and she knew he was looking at her confused.
"Wait, how do you-,"
"The three of you weren't exactly discreet about it, you know. Well not if someone was listening carefully anyway," Signe turned to look at him, taking note of how the fire's light reflected off his beautiful Beskar armour.
"But your mother-,"
"Was too busy talking to me to hear. I wasn't listening to her. I'm not afraid you know. There's a chance I may die and if I do, then I shall welcome it. He'll have more of a fight this time and even if I harm him enough before I die… that's good enough for me to go peacefully. You can handle looking after the kid on your own right?" she drew her attention back to the celebrations as she felt the Child play with her hair. She smiled down at him and it was returned, she took the opportunity to gently rub her nose against his and he giggled, adoring the love and affection he was receiving. Din stared at her, the sentence ran through his head multiple times.
If I die...
If I... die…
If… I… die...
He didn't like that. He didn't like that one bit!
"Signe-" before he could continue further, she interrupted him as she stood up with the Child.
"Come with me Din, I want to show you something," the Mandalorian sighed in frustration and watched the pair walk to the East gate. Signe motioned for him to follow and he did, reluctantly.
When Din realised that she was heading out the village and to the uphill path, he hesitated. What was she up to now? Din knew he could trust her, but the irrational thought would pop up every now and then, he shook his head and groaned in annoyance with himself for thinking lowly of her, she's been nothing but loyal to him. The only thing he didn't like was the fact that she brought a droid on his ship but that was the only thing that she caused for him to go off the rail slightly like he did earlier and that was something he regretted straight after, especially when he scared the Child. It was part of the man's nature of course, he couldn't really help it but deep down he knew she wasn't a threat to him. He slowly trailed behind watching as she walked to the top of the hill before the path was covered by a part of the mountain. When Din finally reached where she disappeared, he noticed she had begun climbing the rocks that lay at the base of the back of the mountains. He saw small parts of a pathway had been produced over time from animals and Vicingians that had walked over the grassy ledges. He sighed before following after the adventurous woman.
As she reached the peak, Signe let out a deep breath. She'd forgotten how steep the mountain was but it was no problem for her, only a small sweat breaking out on her forehead which was easily cooled down by the cool night air. She looked at the Child who just blinked at her before trying to look behind her seemingly worried for their companion. Signe turned to find him climbing the last rock and he did so rather sluggishly, rolling on the final ledge before just laying face up to catch his breath.
"Not much of a mountain climber, are you?" Signe laughed as she sat down and looked out to the view, settling the Child down on to her lap. Din rolled his eyes before getting up and taking the last few steps.
"So what is it that you wanted to show me that took all this time and effort," the older man grumbled before sitting down beside her, that was when he got a good look at what she wanted to show him. The silence, the cool air and scene before him. Of course, he saw Vicingi when they were in the Razor Crest but taking the time to really look at her and take her in, she was unbelievable. He'd never seen a planet that was so untouched and rich with treasures.
"Well… I thought you'd rather it up here, I know you're not much of a celebratory person and anyway, I'd like to spend a nice moment like this with my friends before I die," the girl sighed with a smile, she would happily welcome death if it meant keeping her village safe. To Din, she might seem crazy for being so calm about the idea of dying but inside… deep, deep down, the young woman was terrified. Din made a sound of anguish as he grabbed the woman by the biceps, shocking her as she stared at the Mandalorian's visor of his helmet.
"What is it with you and dying! You are NOT dying. Not if I can help it, the kid needs both of us, I-... you get my point. You're not on your own in this," he spoke in frustration before pulling away, his helmet still faced her as he frowned deeply at her. The woman looked at him anxiously, her eyes flickering from him to the rock beneath her, knowing full well she was getting a stern look from under that helmet. The Child cooed sadly up at her, his ears falling, showing that he didn't like what she was saying either. She just stared back into those dark brown eyes, she saw his fear. Her eyes hardened into a look of determination as she gently stroked the bridge of the little creature's nose who purred happily before looking up at her Mandalorian companion.
"Fine, I'll stop talking so morbidly then. I'm stronger this time anyway and I have you and the others to help me. Not only that, I'm not a reckless 12 year old anymore," Signe stated the last part with a sense of pride and to that Din only said.
"You got only half of that last sentence right, kid," Signe's smile dropped immediately at those words. She didn't argue, she knew he was right. "So tell me what I'm looking at," The Mandalorian changed the subject seeing she wasn't going to say anything else anytime soon. The young woman looked up before spending the next hour pointing out areas in Vicingi to the Mandalorian. He sat and listened however Signe wasn't entirely sure if he was at all interested, she carried on though, excited to tell him about her world. When she had done, she looked down at Sprout who yawned tiredly before yawning herself, realising the tiredness was starting to set in. She slowly moved to lay down against the cool rock. It had been a while since had a good rest and her body was begging for it. Din watched his companion quickly drift off to sleep with the Child snuggled into her side, he was about to question her, tell her they should go back down to the village to rest but he too found himself feeling drowsy. The Mandalorian moved to lay down, facing Signe and he simply stared at her sleeping face before closing his weary eyes and let his mind drift off to a light sleep.
The birds of Vicingi twittered as Malitily Prime rose into the sky and bathed the planet in sunlight to signal the birth of a new day. 4-LOM turned to his Gand friend when he heard him stir from his sleep and stood up, waddling over to greet him. Zuckuss sat up sleepily, watching his friend before chirping to him in a friendly tone.
"Good morning, Zuckuss. Are you well rested?" the Gand nodded before looking around and chirping again in a more questioning resonance.
"I am unsure of their whereabouts. They didn't return from the celebrations last night. Not to worry, I'm sure they are fine," LOM assured his friend, knowing he was only really worried for the Child. The Gand chirped in a perturbed fashion as he shook his head in discontent. "If what the village folk fear is to be true; it would be wise to return to the ship to arm ourselves accordingly. The firepower may shift the odds, favourably," the bounty hunter spoke as he shuffled his way to the door. The two quietly made their way through the streets of the early morning, taking care not to disturb any of the Vicingian people who had not yet woken up and made their way to the west gate.
Signe was the first to stir, her eyes finding the small green child nuzzled into her stomach and she smiled at his restful form. Her eyes then moved to find the Mandalorian, which didn't take long because she found him right in front of her, less than a metre away and facing her. She froze briefly, surprised that he stayed up there with them before stiffly sitting up. 'Maybe we shouldn't sleep on a rock next time,' the young woman thought before looking at the grassy area not too far away before rolling her eyes. She carefully picked up the sleeping Child, making sure not to wake him and placed him in a soft bed of grass. She cracked her back, Malitily Prime had just started to peak over the horizon line when Signe realised the dryness of her throat and moved to the small pool of crystal clear water, she cupped her hands and dipped them in, watching the water fill into the makeshift bowl before bringing it to her lips and savouring the sensation of its rejuvenation. She scooped up another cupful before looking at the sunrise, this was a sight to see, one she had missed and one that she didn't want Din to miss. She moved to him, not entirely sure what was the best way to wake him, she didn't want to scare him and not really wanting to get a potential bolt in the face.
"What are you doing?" The Beskar warrior suddenly spoke, making the young woman stiffen when she heard his sleepy voice through the modulator.
"I was going to wake you up… so you could watch this," she pointed behind him and it was then that he noticed the glow around her. He sat up and turned to see a wondrous sight, the sky was a mixture of pink, yellow, orange and blue. He covered his face slightly as the burning star shone in his eyes. He wouldn't admit it but he was grateful to see something like this.
"Your planet is stunning, I've never seen one like it,"
"That might be because most of the naturally beautiful ones were destroyed or polluted by the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War," the woman pointed out, making Din nod in agreement. His head turned to look around, slight panic setting in when he couldn't find what he was looking for but when his eyes landed to the grassy area where he found what he was looking for and he sighed in relief. "He's fine, don't worry. He's still asleep. If you need a drink, there's a pool there if you want a drink. I won't look," he slowly got up and made his way over to it as Signe laid down and slowly shuffled herself to the cliff's edge and peeked over it to the village below, watching some of the village people move around to open their stalls. They were like ants all the way down there, scurrying about their business.
"Is there anything we can eat?" Din asked and the woman pushed herself away from the edge and turned to look at him. She thought for a moment before standing up and looking around at the back of the mountains in hopes of finding some Gallberries. She smiled before hopping her way down to them and collecting a handful of them before bringing them back up to the pool to wash. She then sat down, cross legged with Din sitting in front of her. She handed two of the large pink berries to him and he looked at them, almost like he didn't know what to do with them.
"They're Gallberries, Din. They won't harm you. Ripe and juicy too, ready to be picked," Signe chuckled before sinking her teeth into the flesh of one of them. She slurped slightly, not wanting to make a mess before swallowing the chunk and sighing at its sweet taste. She watched him look at the berries before she noticed him lift a hand to his helmet, he only lifted it up slightly so he could take a bite of the fruit but out of pure instinct, the woman's panicked eyes flickered to the side as she took another bite. She didn't dare look back, he didn't want her to know what he looked like and so she wouldn't disrespect that, whether it was his lower face or not. Din noticed her sudden quiet demeanour and knew why, he had taken a daring step to lift his helmet slightly in front of her and even then she wouldn't look. He found it interesting how she persisted to ensure she wouldn't see his face. She seemed to take his trust with ultimate care. Vicingi's sun was fully in the sky, however still low when the pair had finished their first Gallberry and the Child had awoken from his long sleep. He blinked, looking around, seeing his protectors eating food without him. He cried out before standing up and waddling up to them, he cooed at the large extra berry that sat in the Viking woman's lap. His eyes lit up and the woman watched with a smile on her face as he got comfortable before munching away at the fruit. "It's good isn't it, little one. It will make you strong," she said as she caressed his little green head. "So what's the plan for today?"
"Take out this Tyrant of yours, I think, then we carry on our search," Signe nodded, still keeping her eyes anywhere but him. When she finished, she licked her fingers before washing her hands in the pool and drying them on the robe.
"Right, now that we're both done, let's head down and get ready for whatever is to happen next," Din picked the Child up this time and the three began the steep descent down the mountain. The trek down was dangerous, in Din's eyes it was anyway, the two had to take it in turns taking the Child to ensure his safety and their own. As they jumped the final rock to ground level and were about to head back on to the path back to the village, a deep but hauntingly familiar voice bellowed throughout the valley.
"Signe! I know you're here!"
Before Din could walk out and expose himself and the Child, Signe grabbed a load of his cloak behind his neck and yanked him behind her. She peered around the rock to see a scene she was not pleased to see. The bastard had got here earlier than expected and now she saw that he and his men had held everyone hostage. Her father was on his knees in front of him at sword point while Sigurd, Runa, Garth and her mother were each held at axe point by four of the brutes' men. The young woman scowled before turning back to face Din.
"He's here early… we need a plan," before the Mandalorian could suggest anything, Osbarn's voice cut in again.
"If you don't show yourself now, I'll kill your father, your family and the entire village," this definitely got Signe's attention and she looked again to see that Osbarn had brought the sword to her father's throat. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to her Beskar clad companion.
"He thinks it's just you, we need to take advantage of that. Did you see the droid and the Gand, at all?" The Viking bounty hunter shook her head. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," with that Din gave her the plan and she agreed to it. She psyched herself up a bit, not liking going out there with no weapons but it had to be done. She turned to the kid, telling him to do whatever Din told him to. He simply just stared at her, not really understanding the sudden change in atmosphere. With that, Signe came out of hiding, a blank expression plastered her features. She held her hands up in surrender before addressing her foe. She noticed the saddened look her father gave her, she knew he didn't want her to show herself. "I'm here, Osbarn," she sighed as she got closer to them. The evil man grinned before motioning for two of his men to apprehend her. They roughly put her arms behind her back and made her kneel down.
"Where have you been hiding all these years then? We searched everywhere for you, but it's like you… completely disappeared," The woman said nothing except glare at the large man who sneered at her silence, however carried on. "Are you still as reckless as how you were when you were younger? I'm surprised to see you still have your arm in tact," Again, he received silence which itched his irritation further, he nodded to his men who shoved the woman completely onto the floor and immobilised her completely."Well if you're not going to speak then maybe this will encourage you to," with that he thrust his sword into the back of Hagen's neck. Signe's eyes widened and her face paled, this plan had gone very wrong. She watched as Osbarn yanked his sword to the side, half decapitating her father and killing him instantly. Everything seemed to slow down from the point the blade left his neck, Signe couldn't move, numb by what she had witnessed. A shrill noise echoed throughout the valley, it didn't take her long to figure out that it was her mother and younger sister, the despair and anger began to set upon the realisation of what Osbarn had done. The people of the village yelled and began to fight against their restraints, angered by what they had just witnessed, however it only caused them to suffer a brutal punishment. Death. She should've known he would've done this but she had hoped so badly that he wouldn't that she did what he said. She grunted trying to get up, agitation firing inside her. Seeing more people fall to their death only made her writhe more violently.
"Let me go," she hissed viciously to the men. That was when a blaster shot rang through the air and the man that held Sigurd hostage disintegrated into ash, the young man didn't waste a single moment to turn and grab the loose axe that lay on the floor. He didn't hesitate to send the blade into his younger sister's captor, a dull thwack was heard when metal met flesh, before moving on to the next henchman who was still stunned by what happened to his friends, didn't even realise the blade was in his throat until Sigurd was in front of him and pulling it out. Osbarn snarled, seeing how they were gaining the upper hand. He searched for where the bolt had come from but he knew that their hidden ally was bound to take out a good few of his men. His dark eyes moved back to Signe who was now screaming in frustration from underneath the two henchmen. She hated the position she was in, she felt claustrophobic and she was nearly at her boiling point. She growled quietly, her eyes filled with fury, her heart hot with rage. "Get. your hands. OFF OF ME!" she roared, and almost in a second she felt the weight off of her. Confused, she stood up and saw the two men sprawled some feet away from her. She dismissed her confusion and her eyes locked onto their target and her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth in a nasty sneer, she was met with the same look and her legs began to move into large strides before breaking out in a sprint toward Osbarn. She was only a few feet away from him when she was thrown to the side by a force she never saw coming, she didn't even have a chance to get up properly to defend herself before being grabbed by the throat and slammed against a wooden beam that held up a hut. She clenched her eyes shut, letting the pain subside before opening them to meet large pitch black ones. She stared at the being in front of her, a gaunt, evil looking creature with sickly pale grey skin, a head that looked more like a skull, its mouth jutted out from its face and large fangs protruded from its lipless jaws. She could make out it's skeletal like body with long lanky arms, but what was even more disturbing about it was its abnormally large sharp claws and strong and odd shaped hind legs. "You look like you just crawled out the pits of Momus," she glared at the Ghil, who hissed in annoyance before lifting his left hand and stabbing his claws into her right shoulder, she screamed in pain, the burning pain worsened when he took his taloned hand away from her throat so she was only held up by his claws on one side. She quickly put her hand on the hut's porches banister so that her weight wouldn't cause any more damage since she couldn't reach the floor. She whined at the pain.
"So you're the bitch that Osbarn wouldn't shut up about… I am Ser Jeraela, his right hand man," the Ghil hissed out, his eyes narrowing.
"How sad," Signe breathed through the pain. "The old bastard has a bodyguard, pathetic. Still a coward then," Jeraela snarled, pressing his claws in deeper.
"Do you intend to keep insulting my master, because if you do, I may have to be the one to kill you," he slowly moved his head to her left ear, "He wants to be the one to kill you, but I smell your blood, and it's giving off such a pleasant aroma, you'll be a very delectable meal," Signe's eyes narrowed, about to respond to his threat, only for her to be interrupted by his screams of pain. She looked down to see that Jeraela's forearm was no longer attached to his upper arm and now it was only a bleeding stump. She looked up to see Din, a hatchet in hand and blood lined the blade. He went to swing for the Ghil again but the creature had vanished. Most likely to find somewhere to recuperate and nurse his stump. Din didn't hesitate to quickly move to Signe's aid, carefully pulling the dismembered limb from her shoulder, making her cry out at the burning pain as she fell to the ground. She was also beginning to feel an awful headache brewing and she hung her head as she sat on her knees. The young woman heard Din kneel beside her, taking off her robe so he could look at her wounds. Her mind blurred, either from the headache or the loss of blood, she couldn't tell, she could make out the muffled clanging of sword against sword, splintering wood and the harsh thwack of flesh. She groaned slightly before falling to the right but Din caught her before picking her up bridal style.
"Din… wait,"
"We need to get your wounds sorted and have you regain your energy a bit. Whatever you did back there really took a toll on you," Signe only whined in response as she noticed he was heading for their hut. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as the tiredness took over.
Din quickly made his way to the hut, avoiding flying bodies and hatchets or arrows. It took longer than he would've liked to have gotten there but when he was there, he wasted no time in laying her down on a bed and began working quickly. He ran to her back pack frame, taking note of her armour that sat on the table. Thank you Dacia. He praised before opening the white sack and removing all the bottles in there, he looked at them all frantically, trying to remember which was which and which ones had the properties he needed to help her. He found the White Ragweed ointment with ease, but the Hoil, he struggled. Going with his gut feeling he took the bottle with the light blue liquid and made sure to bring the tied up cloth. He moved back to Signe, tearing the arm of the dress off, he inspected the four large gaping holes that still oozed crimson liquid, he sat her limp body up to avoid the blood flow getting to the wound as easily. He needed to clean it, disinfect it then cauterise it enough so she could still fight. Din grabbed a cloth and pressed it against all 8 of the holes, clearing away the blood before getting the hoil, carefully rubbing it around the raw flesh of each wound, and enough to numb them properly. It was then that Din began to worry slightly, he needed to get inside the wounds now. It was only then the droid appeared in the doorway, the Gand behind him, however keeping an eye out for any unwanted guests.
"I detected distress from within the vicinity, Mandalorian. May I be of assistance?," Din's head snapped up to him instantly.
"She's injured and some of her wounds are unreachable to disinfect. I can't have her going out there when her chances of getting an infection is too high," 4-LOM approached closer, finding the limp body of Signe.
"Sit her on a stool, I won't be able to reach her otherwise," Surprisingly, Din did as he was told, and carefully lifted her body to a stool, the table behind her so she could lean against it.
The droid approached Signe and began to inspect her wounds. The tense, silent room filled with the faint whirring noises from within his head, as his visual receptors zoomed in and out of the wounds she had sustained, simultaneously producing a diagnosis of the problem. LOM turned to Din, who stood in nervous anticipation.
"She has sustained internal damage to her muscles. Fortunately, her wounds are not overly exposed and are narrow. A simple Bacta-induced disinfection followed by cauterisation will reduce the risk of infection by 86%. I can apply a dose of Bacta here. It will reduce internal bleeding, swelling and will work somewhat towards masking the pain. I will need to assess her further once we reboard the RazorCrest"
4-LOM turned his attention back to the injured woman, as he reached towards her with his right arm. Two panels which made up his forearm opened, revealing a small, translucent tube with a nozzle at the end, filled with a pale blue substance. The tube rose slightly from within the droid's arm, before aiming towards the damaged skin and wounds. Several, precise sprays of Bacta spray were applied to the wounds, as Din prepared for the next stage.
"I have assisted multiple organic companions on Guild work before, so I am no stranger to this. However, I am not a nurse droid, Mandalorian. She will require regular surveillance for a short while after this."
After a couple of minutes, LOM moved away from the young Viking, satisfied with the amount of time that the Bacta had been working for. He simply turned to Din and nodded gently, signalling that it was now his turn to aid his injured friend. He walked towards the door to join Zuckuss in keeping guard, chirping to the Gand as he approached him. The Mandalorian then began the procedure of cauterising each of the bleeding holes, the scent of burning flesh began to fill the air and Din heard her soft whimpers as she slept. Once that had done, he got the ointment and yet again applied it to the wounds.
"Droid, do you have bandages?"
LOM tilted his head in a suggestive manner, before looking down at his DLT-19.
"Do I look like I carry bandages? May I suggest finding some form of material to replicate that of a bandage? Linen or basic cloth will suffice. Her treatment is effective enough at present," The droid turned back to the door, DLT-19 primed, before firing a few shots towards a small group of aggressors who attempted to storm the building. Zuckuss chirped with evident satisfaction, as the pair continued to mow down those who were foolish enough to try and enter the building.
Din sighed in annoyance, looking around the hut, his eyes landed on a white linen cloth in the corner. Wasting no time he grabbed it and tore a chunk off before tightly wrapping it around her shoulder and armpit. Now it was time to wake her, and he hoped it would be quick and easy.
"Signe… wake up, you have to wake up," he began patting her cheek gently, getting an immediate reaction. She stirred, moving her head away from his hand. "Come on, we haven't got time for you to sleep, your people need you," He said, Signe's eyes opened this time, her vision blurred but the Mandalorian's helmet soon came into focus.
"Din..?"
"That's it, up you get!" he helped her stand and she was now fully awake, staring at her shoulder.
"What happened?"
"No time to explain, your people need you Signe," then she heard the screams and the fighting and her weary body was fired up again.
"Out, I need to change," Din did as he was told and left the hut, firing his blaster at some of the henchmen, he went on the hunt for that Ghil. Signe quickly undressed, grabbing a tunic and some trousers, mumbling curses every time her shoulder hurt. She strapped her armour on, putting her hatchets in their holsters. A determined glint shone in her green eyes. That axe should be done right about now, if Kane managed to get it done in time. Taking a deep breath she exited the hut, an attack already getting thrown at her but she easily blocked it, the henchman's abdomen now vulnerable for a good few punches before throwing him to the side. Signe could see Osbarn in the distance, in battle with Sigurd who was definitely putting up a fight, making her smile before heading to the Blacksmith's hut, dismembering anyone who got in her way.
When she got there she found Kane finishing her axe up, he gave her a small smile as he ran the Whetstone across the blade. It was almost as if it was brand new, she could see where the Beskar blended with the Vicingian silver but Kane had made it look decent. The Kyber Crystal had been replaced with a brand new one too, she smiled at the sight of it as he gave it to her. She tested the balance and swung it around a bit before pressing the button, the blue laser appeared along the blade and Signe's smile turned into a grin and she looked up at the large man.
"You ready?" she asked, and it was responded with a firm nod as Kane grabbed an axe of his own, before charging through his own door. Signe watched as Osbarn's men flew through the air, definitely a satisfying sight to see. Her attention went back to the trespasser, her eyes zoning in on him, she sprinted toward him before leaping into the air, bringing the axe back and swinging it down on to him.
"Osbarn!" she roared, as she hurled herself towards the tyrant, who to her surprise, counteracted her attack by moving swiftly to the side and grabbing her tunic, throwing her out of the way.. Signe twisted in the air so she could land on her feet and skidded in the dry dirt, it dusted up into the air around her. The young woman stared up at him, as his towering frame approached her. She was ready for what was to come, but had no idea how it would pan out. She still felt a dull ache from her wounds, and knew that even with her improved weapon, he would still be a powerful adversary. A grin grew on Osbarn's face, as two men charged at Signe from the back, weapons drawn. She had no idea what was going on, but didn't need to worry, as the rusty blade of Kane sliced diagonally through one of the men, from his left shoulder down to his right hip. The force of the strike wedged the axe into the ground, but it was quickly retrieved when the giant man kicked the handle of the axe, swinging it out of the ground and firmly into the face of the other aggressor.
Signe turned to see Kane stood there, ready for battle. The odds had turned in her favour… or so she thought. Without hesitation, Kane charged at Osbarn, swinging his axe. Osbarn predicted his movements, dropping to duck from the attack, before quickly drawing a dagger and slicing Kane on the knee. The man fell in agony with a yell. Osbarn pushed him down to the ground as he rose, kicking the man in the face and knocking him unconscious. A fire burned inside of the young woman, who charged at the tyrant, swiping her axe at him. He did the same, and the two weapons clashed with great force in the air, as the pair stood looking into each other's eyes, weapons locked. Osbarn used all of his braun and brute strength to weigh down on Signe, who had been weakened by her injuries. She could feel her back starting to arch form the weight he was putting down on her. In a cunning move, she dropped her left shoulder and withdrew her axe, causing Osbarn to stumble. Signe then swiped at him in an uppercut fashion, slicing a large gash in his left arm.
She stepped back, grinning to herself. The hum of her axe spurring her on, reminding her that she was worthy of the weapon… and of the victory. After recuperating, Osbarn patted his wound with vigour, demonstrating how he was keen to carry on. Signe assumed a low stance and stampeded towards him, sliding onto her backside, once again slicing at him, this time cutting across his armoured shin. The Kyber blade sliced through his plating easily and managed to cause a surface wound, too. However, her small victory was short-lived, when the tyrant grabbed onto her hair as she passed him, pulling her back from the way she came, before slamming her on the ground.
The Vicingian hit her head on the ground, hard - which dazed her somewhat. Osbarn kneeled over her, moving his hand from her hair to her neck, strangling her. She kicked and struggled, occasionally hurting the man. However, his rage and bitterness fuelled him on. She slowly raised his axe to her face, and laughed to himself.
"So, so bold. It's a shame your father didn't have the same vigour as you… Perhaps he would've survived", he grinned, as Signe began to feel faint from the lack of oxygen to her compressed airways.
Osbarn ran the blade across her left cheek, slicing it delicately, producing a fine cut, a few inches long. She could feel herself blacking out slowly… She knew that the moment her vision faded, he would kill her. Signe cast her mind back to what had happened earlier. She remembered the pain and fear in her father's eyes before Osbarn killed him. The shame that he felt, having seemingly let his daughter and his family down by letting the tyrant win. Her heart pounded with agony, as Osbarn's grin grew wider with every second. As she was about to cross the threshold between consciousness and unconsciousness, her eyes widened as a wave of energy surged through her.
"ARGHHHHHHH!" she yelled, before tightening her loose grip on her axe hilt and swiping it at his face. She was still somewhat dazed and didn't manage to land a clean hit with the front of the blade, but still managed to deal a significant blow to her enemy, who fell backwards and stumbled to his feet.
Signe momentarily cast her eyes over to Din, who was busy battling with the Ghil that had injured her a little while ago. The Beskar warrior easily dominated the battle against the one-armed monster, who was unable to land any sort of hit on him. Din toyed with him somewhat, firing blaster bolts at both of his knees, dropping him to the floor, before firing whistling birds towards several men that charged towards him in an attempt to save Ser Jeraela. The Ghil puffed and panted, barely able to keep himself up with the one, arm that he had left. Din stood in front of him and kneed him under the chin to make him look up. Unbeknown to him, the Ghil narrowed his talon-ended fingers and made one last attempt to injure The Mandalorian, by stabbing up at him. The claws scratched up along Din's left thigh, grazing the Beskar armour. Din moved back swiftly, avoiding any further damage, before firing both his flamethrower and blaster.
The Ghil dropped in an instant, as the flames slowly engulfed his body. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, as Din looked over to Signe and nodded gently, before running off to assist some of the villagers. She grinned, looking over to Osbarn who stood looking defeated, as his right hand man had just been slaughtered before his own eyes. Acting on his lack of focus, Signe commenced one last vicious attack at him, swiping ferociously at the man, who couldn't react at all. Slash after slash impacted on his armoured body, making short work of the Vicingian silver he donned. It only took a few moments before the blade was now slicing against his skin, drawing blood and burning at the same time. With every hit, Osbarn stumbled backwards, yelping in agony as Signe harnessed her anger. The Tyrant continued to move backwards before he stumbled over the body of a dead female villager. He fell flat on his back, with Signe standing above him.
"So… This is where it ends…", sighed Osbarn, he slowly looked around him. He cast his eyes over to the skirmishes that continued around them, witnessing his followers getting slaughtered.
4-LOM and Zuckuss enjoyed themselves as they mowed down incoming tyrants with ease. LOM's back compartment was open, with all four of his weapons firing, as well as his DLT-19. Meanwhile, Zuckuss was picking off attackers from range with his rifle, as the pair stood pretty much back to back in combat. A group of heavily armed warriors approached the pair, to which Zuckuss grabbed a small canister from his belt and threw it at the crowd. A green liquid exploded from within the object, burning the flesh of the aggressors instantly, resulting in a slow and painful death.
Osbarn looked up at her once again.
"Are you going to kill me, young Bielke? Or are you going to let me get away again, like you did all those years ago?" he snarled.
Signe frowned at him, raising her axe, ready to finish him for good. As she lifted her weapon above her head, Osbarn reached into his pocket, grabbed a dagger and launched at the woman, hitting her in the midriff. She screamed in a sudden moment of pain, dropping to her knees as Osbarn stood up and attempted to reach for his axe, which was snatched away by the grappling hook of Din. Osbarn looked up in shock as The Mandalorian was then joined by 4-LOM and The Gand. He cast his eyes towards his allies, who were slowly being overrun and beaten by the village folk that were so desperate to defend their home.
The tyrant slowly looked back up at the three bounty hunters, before yelling at what little men were left.
"Retreat!" he yelled, gathering what little strength he had left. The man stood up, hobbled and then began to run lightly away from the group, who turned their attention to Signe. Zuckuss bent down, placing a three-fingered hand on her shoulder, inspecting her. Fortunately, the dagger had only briefly pierced her skin. The woman stood up slowly with the aid of Zuckuss, before nodding at 4-LOM, who set his rifle to stun, firing at the cowering tyrant. A single blue bolt fired from the DLT-19, impacting on his lower back. Osbarn yelped and collapsed to the ground, with the lower half of his body now practically immobile. He dragged himself along the muddy ground through the middle of the village.
Signe approached the man slowly, grabbing him by the hair and hoisting him into a sitting position, laying back slightly with weight on his left arm. She looked at him, without saying a word. Osbarn cast one last look up at his aggressor, that he knew had defeated him. His reign of terror and purging was over, and not a moment too soon. He knew that this was his time. The woman smiled softly, knowing that she was about to end a plight that had tormented her people for years since she had been gone. Signe raised her axe, but did not ignite it. She wanted this to be a brutal and painful death. Activating the Kyber within the axe would allow the blade to slice through him effortlessly. With one swoop, she sliced diagonally down, cutting into Osbarn's face, stopping as soon as it hit him. She looked down to see the bloody sight of the man's mangled face, deformed from the impact of the axe which was still wedged in. His hands twitched involuntarily, as she pulled the axe out and took a step back. His body slumped to the ground.
The commotion surrounding them came to an end, as whatever remaining forces that Osbarn had brought with him quickly dispersed at the sight of his death. A few of them were picked off by some archers who sat on the rooftops as they scrammed out of the gate, but the majority got away. Silence fell.
Signe dropped her axe and approached her father's corpse, which was surrounded by her Mother and siblings, all of which kneeled next to him, crying. Signe dropped to her knees and gently closed her eyes. She did not cry. Instead, she simply sat in silence, trying hard to take in what happened. Din approached Kane, who had now come to, helping him to his feet, whilst LOM and Zuckuss checked the bodies of the village folk who had fallen, in case any had survived. A small gurgling sound emitted from behind the rocks near the base of the hill, as The Child emerged, clearly frightened. He cried and ran with open arms, towards Din… But passed him. He instead ran over to Zuckuss, who turned and affectionately picked him up, much to the dismay of The Mandalorian.
With that, Din signalled to the droid and the Gand, who made their way out of the village and towards the ship, leaving the village to mourn the loss of the great man that once led them through such a torrid time. It was understood, without verbal confirmation, that Signe would spend the rest of the day and night in the village with her people, whilst the three bounty hunters respectfully left the settlement.
The Razorcrest chugged slightly as it landed in the large space where the battle had taken place yesterday. Shallow graves had been dug for those who lost their lives defending the village, whilst the weapons of the fallen were smelted in Kane's forgery, for them to be recycled into Vicingian Silver for clansmen to use again in the future. The ramp lowered, as Din emerged on his own, with The Child and the two bounty hunters waiting onboard. He walked towards the huts, where Signe emerged, evidently refreshed from the bloodshed she had faced yesterday. She was accompanied by her siblings and mother, who stood behind her in a line as she approached the Mandalorian.
They stared at each other.
"You look better…" muttered Din, as a faint smile grew on Signe's face.
"I feel it… So, are we ready to go?"
Din was shocked at the question she had just asked. He couldn't understand why she was so keen to leave after what had happened yesterday. He looked beyond her, at her family.
"But… Signe. What about your people? They need you. You should stay with them and help rebuild what you had before…"
The woman shook her head softly and sighed.
"There is nothing left for me to do now. We buried my father in the location he had requested to be laid to rest in when the day finally came. I've been away for so long now, that I no longer have the right to lead these people. I want to help you look after the kid."
He looked at her, still uncertain of what he had just heard. The young woman turned her back to Din and approached her Mother, embracing her in a hug which lasted several moments, before she stepped back and rubbed the heads of her younger siblings who had wrapped themselves around her, crying softly at the thought of her leaving again. Tears filled her eyes as the two children let go of her. Sigurd stepped forward from the line.
"Sister, are you sure about this? You are the rightful leader of us now. I don't think w-" Signe placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, causing him to stop mid-sentence.
"I am sure. The Mandalorian made me a promise, and now I need to repay him. I have been able to return home and see our family blossom into what it is now. You have become a brave and cunning warrior, of which Father would be extremely proud of. If there is one person that is to lead the clan now, then it is you, Brother."
Sigurd's eyes brimmed with tears as he lowered his head to his twin sister, closing his eyes. His lips quivered as a tear fell from his cheek and onto the ground below him. The woman used a hand gently to prize his chin up, so that he faced her once again. A soft smile formed on her face, as she pulled him in and whispered.
"Dette er veien."
The woman then planted a soft kiss on his cheek, before stepping backwards towards Din, without turning away from her family. The soft smiles from their faces filled her with a warmth that she hadn't felt for such a long time. She turned to Din once she had moved in line with him, looking at the man as he stood looking back at her family.
"Thank you," he said, to which Sigurd nodded. The pair bowed to their opposite numbers, before turning and walking up the ramp and into the ship. Din made his way up into the cockpit, as Signe stood at the top of the ramp, casting her eyes one last time on her family before the walkway rose and sealed her away from her family once again. She gulped and began to sob softly as she felt the ship move away from the muddy floor below. She turned to 4-LOM who once again sat plugged into the mainframe of the ship. Zuckuss sat chirping to himself whilst reassembling his weapon. Signe sighed and climbed the ladder into the cockpit, sitting down in silence.
The Child jumped from Din's lap and looked up at her expectantly. She leaned down to pick him up and simply looked out of the window, as the Razorcrest left the atmosphere. Her heart pounded as she left her world behind. Signe looked to her right one last time as the ship escaped the planet's pull. The Mandalorian looked back at her before powering the hyperdrive. Vicingi slowly disappeared as the matter around them stretched, before the ship blasted and vanished into hyperspace.
The cockpit was filled with a tense silence. Din could sense the anguish and pain she was feeling… It was almost tangible. The Mandalorian knew that his words couldn't help soften the loss of her father or the near destruction of her village, but he felt obliged to try and comfort her. He had seen how strong of an individual she was, as well as how capable she was in combat. He sighed and looked down at his lap, before turning his head slightly to the right.
"You know… What you did back there was really incredible, Signe. You gave those people freedom,"
Signe continued to stare out of the window at the well of hyperspace that surrounded them. His words entered one ear and left the other, even though she felt some gratitude towards him. Din knew that she wasn't in a talking mood and opted not to take offence to her lack of words. He instead furthered in his venture to make her feel somewhat better.
"And… Thanks… For coming back and helping, with the kid. I dunno what to do with him, but he's a lot safer with you around,"
The woman broke a soft smile as she placed The Child in the second passenger seat and stood up to leave the cockpit. She placed a hand on Din's right shoulder.
"Thank you, Din. I oughta see the droid… I think I need more Bacta… Get some rest up here… you and the little one," she instructed, as she turned to her side to leave the cockpit, her blonde hair swooshing as her body turned.
Din nodded his head softly without turning to look at her, and slouched back into his seat to assume a comfortable position… They had a long journey ahead of them.
The Mandalorian's restful sleep was harshly interrupted by the high-pitched beeping of the Razorcrest's communication relay, as a transmission reached the ship. Din sat up slowly and glanced to The Child, who sat upright, fast asleep in his chair. The small, desert world monopolised most of the space in the cockpit window, as the ship floated slowly towards the sandy planet below. He groaned and accepted the transmission.
"Good evening from Tatooine, Din Djarin! I look forward to seeing you, old friend! LOM has entered some coordinates into your navicomputer. Follow them down here and meet me… and hurry! I think you have something that belongs to me!" shouted an excited voice from the monitor. It was Eelbus.
Din huffed and ignored the transmission. He had no desire to speak with the Rodian any more than he needed to, and decided to class this particular conversation as one of the one-sided variety. The Child groaned and gurgled as he awoke from his deep sleep, looking longingly at The Mandalorian, who began to bank the ship towards Tatooine's atmosphere.
"Hold tight, kid," he joked, as the gunship was met with the usual rough and tumble that came with any planetary reentry. The ship tossed from side to side, dropping several hundred metres per second, before flattening out again as the crew made their way towards the rocky surface, through the cool air of the Tatooine evening sky.
A degree of confusion came over Din, as the coordinates took them past Mos Eisely completely. They were instead headed for a small complex around ten kilometres away from the spaceport, which came into view a few minutes later. As the Razorcrest came into land, the location became clearer. Two sandstone buildings, typical of Tatooine, stood next to a small, circular landing pad. One of the buildings was flat-roofed and built immediately next to the landing bay, whilst the other was flat roofed, but with a small dome in the middle and stood twenty-or-so feet away. Moisture vaporators were dotted around the vicinity, with some stretching out into the vast desert beyond.
Wamprats scurried across the desert floor and into hiding as the ship landed softly on the landing pad. Sand kicked up and flustered gently around the hull, before settling down on the ground once again when the engine stopped. Eelbus emerged from the dome-topped building, accompanied by a blue and yellow R2 unit which began to scan the gunship for any damage. He was wearing brown trousers and boots, with a thin, beige hooded gown. The Rodian pulled the hood down slowly as the ramp lowered, revealing the inside of the ship.
4-LOM and Zuckuss made their way down the ramp, carrying their weapons with them. Their Rodian counterpart greeted them with evident enthusiasm.
"Gentlemen! You made it home! I was starting to get a bit worried!," joked Eelbus, tapping both bounty hunters on the shoulder as they walked towards the flat-roofed building. He then cast his attention up at Signe, who appeared a few moments later, hobbling slightly with pain she still felt.
"I see you brought my droid back in one piece, warrior!" he quipped, as the young blonde reached him.
"Well if it wasn't for him and The Gand over there, we likely wouldn't have made it there in the first place," thanked Signe, with evident sadness in her eyes.
"And where is your Mandalorian friend? I believe he has something I nee-"
With that, Din appeared from the foot of the ladder and made his way down the ramp towards the Rodian. He reached into his satchel and removed a data stick, before holding it out in front of Eelbus, waiting for him to take it. He extended his long-fingered hand and slowly took it from Din's palm.
"You have no idea how important this data is to me, Mando. I was wrong about you… You can keep your word every so often. I hope you didn't run into too much trouble,"
Din huffed, suggesting that Eelbus couldn't even begin to imagine what they had been through and seen on Vicingi.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," affirmed Din, before turning back towards the hull of the ship. He looked back at Signe.
"I'm going to rest up before we take off, we leave first thing in the morning. Are you coming in?"
Signe kicked the ground gently with her left foot, brushing the sand around.
"I think I need some air… I'll be in shortly. Just leave the hull open for me,"
He nodded at her, looking over at Eelbus, before continuing his journey into the hull and up the ladder. Eelbus turned to Signe and smiled softly, making his way towards the dome-topped building, entering without looking back. Signe stood alone on the sand, as the air grew slightly chilly. Moments later, 4-LOM and Zuckuss approached her. The Gand stood with his hands behind his back, whilst the protocol droid stepped a few feet closer to her, both unarmed.
"It was a pleasure to share such an eventful endeavour with you, Vicingian. May your onward journey with the Mandalorian bring you safe passage and success," said 4-LOM, as the young woman smiled back at him.
"And thank you… Both of you. Without your help I would never have been able to see my family again… and likely wouldn't have lived to remember it. I owe you both," she replied.
LOM nodded. Although he couldn't show it physically, he would miss Signe. From when they first met in Mos Eisely in albeit strange circumstances, he appreciated her cunning nature and kind heart. It was not something that he used to being exposed to, as a droid.
"Until we meet again, Signe, Toil muy Altah," Signe's heart thumped with pride, as the droid spoke to her in traditional Vicingian tongue. She smiled and curtsied to both bounty hunters. Zuckuss bowed with both hands behind his back, whilst LOM bent his torso forward, replicating a bow. The pair then nodded simultaneously and left, heading towards the dome-topped building.
Signe smiled, as she slowly turned her back and made her way towards a rock mound that stood a few hundred metres away to the south.
A short walk took her to the base of the mound, which looked easy enough to climb. The young Vicingian began to scale the mound, taking her time to minimise the risk of a fall, before reaching the top a few moments later. She sat cross legged and closed her eyes, meditating as the evening air brushed gently against her soft, tired face. It was refreshing to feel such a gentle breeze after almost twenty hours on board the Razorcrest. Despite the evening silence, her head was filled with thoughts and voices. Her father's last words, the screams of the Vicingian people who had died fighting for their village, and the overbearing confusion of what she had managed to do when she had quite literally blown the men off of her with nothing but pure rage. What was it? What did it mean? It was unlike anything she had ever known or experienced… something bigger than life itself.
The peace she had begun to feel was interrupted a few minutes later, when she was joined by someone else. She didn't bother opening her eyes, and let the person identify themselves.
"I had a feeling I'd find you up here," claimed Eelbus, as he sat cross legged next to the woman, who remained motionless with her eyes closed.
The pair sat in silence, with only the faint humming of engines from the nearby spaceport breaking the peace sporadically. It was a perfect evening, but for a thin layer of crowd across the horizon. The heat of the suns had died down, yet there was enough light to see out into the distance, way past Mos Eisely.
"I'm sorry for your loss," sighed Eelbus.
Signe twitched at the sound of his words. She was stunned… there was no way that he could have known. The Rodian's words had absolutely shocked her. It was too uncanny for her liking, yet she remained in her position.
"You know. He isn't gone… Not forever, anyway. A person only truly dies when you allow yourself to forget them… or forget their legacy,"
Signe's heart began to pound. She was so confused as to how Eelbus had known about what had happened, yet she felt so comforted by his words. The woman was on the brink of crying, when she felt a cool hand rest on her shoulder. Her heart began to thud even harder, as the overwhelming emotion continued to surge through her body.
"He lives on… through you. In the weapons you wield, in the words you speak, in the memories you hold close to you. He will never truly be gone, as long as you are always true to yourself… and your name,"
The Rodian slowly stood up and made his way over to the edge of the mound before turning around one last time.
"You are a cunning warrior and a brave soul, Signe. I hope our paths meet again some time…" With that, Eelbus bent down and hung over the edge of the mound, lowering himself down onto the ledges below, descending the way he and Signe had both climbed just minutes ago.
Signe took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled, opening her eyes as the breath left her body. What met her was a sight that would stay with her forever. The thin layer of cloud that just moments ago, had covered the horizon, had now cleared. The two suns hung in the sky, casting a magnificent purple that bled into a darker blue, as the day grew thin. The cool wind brushed against her, blowing her hair gently as she sat and stared back at the binary sunset, taking it all in. She knew that she could carry the legacy of her late father, and was determined to not let him down. Goosebumps formed on her forearms, as Tatooine's stars began to slowly disappear beyond the barren landscape.
It was what she needed…
Peace and purpose.