Chapter 13: The Aftermath

I slowly regained consciousness, head pounding and swimming, though the darkness around me remained. My eyes refused to open, and I remained paralyzed in between the state of sleep and that of wakefulness. The dream-like haziness would not release me from its grasp. I felt entirely weightless. Having no control of my body, I simply floated, limbs splayed around me, my hearing muted and subdued by something in liquid form. I continued to force myself to wake, wondering whether this was what death felt like.

Though I could barely feel it, something that resembled a mask was placed upon my face, covering the entirety of my mouth and nose. I was still able to breathe, though my breaths were slow and uneven. Flashes of light invaded my eyes as I finally managed to somewhat open them. The thick liquid fogged my vision. Was this a dream? Through blurred sight, I discerned that I was strapped inside a tube-like, glass contraption, entirely submerged in the light-blue liquid. Though my heart began to race in panic, my body was still unable to move.

I faintly perceived some movement to my left. The sole lifeform in the stark-white room kept its back to me, its long cape swaying as it moved about. It slowly materialized. A humanoid. He ran his fingers through his dark, mussed hair and reached for a plate of food in front of him. As he did so, the glint of his armour revealed a Mudhorn signet on his pauldron.

Din?

My eyelids became heavier, then everything turned black once more.

(V)(V)(V)

I came to with a start. This time, my eyes shot wide open, my lungs greedily gasping for air. My heart pounded on my chest, screaming to get out. I was no longer in a liquid-filled, glass tube, but upon a bed in another stark-white room that appeared to be an infirmary. The lighting in the space was dimmed, enabling my eyes to comfortably adjust to and observe my surroundings. Faded hums and beeps of machines sounded around me, their multicoloured lights blinking in greeting. I had no perception of time, no idea how long I had been unconscious. As swiftly as I could manage, I raked my hands through my body, feeling for anything that was amiss. I found myself clothed in a long, white robe, with heavy marks and bruising scattered upon my limbs.

"Hello?" I called out wearily, my voice raspy. My mouth tasted like sandpaper, throat stinging from the effort. "Is anyone here?"

Hurried footsteps sounded from behind a metal door a few meters from the bed. The door whooshed open, revealing a cloak of darkness. I recoiled, adrenaline pumping through me. After a few heartbeats, Din appeared in my line of vision, clad in a simple, grey tunic and dark trousers. As I relaxed, he rushed to my side and placed a hand protectively upon the side of my face.

"Hey," he said.

I weakly held on to his wrist, still acclimating to my new environment and state. "Din, where...where am I?"

"Kriger's ship," he replied, scanning my form. "We're back in Kalevala."

"Wait, what?" The slits of my eyes narrowed. My head pounded in protest. "How...how long have I been out?"

"A few days." Din moved closer to me. His voice wavered. "I...I thought I lost you."

My brows knitted in concern as I traced the side of his helmet with the pads of my fingers. "I'm right here."

He pressed his head upon my palm, then nodded.

I reveled in his closeness, quickly reminded of how his mere presence and the rhythmic sound of his breathing soothed me.

The haziness in my mind suddenly dissipated as the memories of what had occurred returned in a tidal wave. Distinct images flashed of the recce, albeit scrambled and incomplete. Our patrol through Neart. The captives that we found in the storage facility. Caught in a firefight. A Mandalorian helmet motionless upon the ground…

"T'iana…" I struggled to push myself off of the bed, pain seizing my entire body at the slightest of movements. At that moment, however, panic temporarily won over the pain. Through the effort, my movements were slow and clumsy, feeling as though my body had been in stasis for too long. "T'iana!" I called out once more, stare piercing into the darkness as though I expected her to walk through the threshold.

Din shook his head and gently coaxed me to stay in place. "Luna, you need to rest."

"I need to see T'iana," I countered in distress, holding on to the fabric of his shirt. "Where is she, Din?"

He clenched his fists as his stare fell to the ground.

He wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Din, where is she?" The question was more forceful this time as tears formed upon the brims of my eyes. Din had never shown this much reluctance with me before.

Then, after what seemed like hours, he said:

"She didn't make it."

It took a while for my brain to compute what he had just said. The room felt as though it was steadily collapsing around me, swallowing me into nothingness. I covered my mouth with the palm of my hand, hoping to stop what was burning inside of me.

I failed.

The sharp cry that escaped my lips then was a mixture of rage and despair. Uncontrollable tears streamed down my face in violent rivulets, meeting their end upon the steel floor below. The room began to spin even more, Din's form becoming less and less clear. The shortness in my breath became more prominent as my mind still attempted to comprehend what he had just said. "It's not true," I croaked out shakily, grasping Din's arms. "You're mistaken, Din. She...she can't be gone!"

"I'm sorry, Luna."

My chest constricted. It was as though my lungs refused to accept oxygen anymore. I was incapable of thinking straight. Of thinking at all.

Din sat upon the bed and enveloped me in his arms, pulling me tenderly towards him. My entire body trembled as I continued to weep, trying to find solace in Din's company. His body was tense, almost as though he were uncomfortable with what was occurring; yet, he remained at my side, emanating nothing but patience through my grief.

We remained this way for a while, as though there was no one else in the galaxy but the two of us.

We were brought back to reality by hushed tones and footsteps that sounded by the door. Din and I looked up in unison, breaking apart from one another. As I wiped my tears with the backs of my hands, my father, the child in arm, and Cara made their way to our side. With a high-pitched noise, the child reached out for me with both hands as my father placed him upon the bed beside me. The concern that manifested itself upon his green face was discernible. My heart swelled at his sight. I embraced him lightly, careful not to hurt him.

Almost imperceptibly, Din stepped back from my father as he approached, averting his gaze. Din seemed uncomfortable - apprehensive even - his body's movements forced and rigid. My father, however, regarded him with a subdued expression, bearing no malice towards him.

My father bent down and kissed my forehead, cupping my face in his calloused hands. "It warms my heart to finally see you awake, my daughter."

Cara, on my father's opposite side, nodded in agreement and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Glad you're good now, Luna. You got beat up pretty hard."

I allowed my tears to freely run down my face, unable to control them anymore. "How did I get here?"

My father took my hand. "Din brought you back here as soon as he found you. The Mandalorians immediately put you in the bacta tank when they realized that a medpac wasn't going to be enough to heal your injuries." He cleared his throat in an attempt to steady his voice. "It took you a while to heal. We just took you out of the tank yesterday. You've been asleep all this time."

So I hadn't dreamed of being in the liquid cylinder

As I tried to push myself off of the bed once more, three pairs of hands shot out towards me in order to keep me in place. The child sat down beside my head and merely stared at me.

"You are still recovering, Luna," my father stated, squaring his jaw. "You need to get your sleep."

"We'll leave you to it." Cara placed a comlink upon my pillow. "Just let us know if you need anything."

Though my father and Cara made their way to the door, the child moved closer to me, placing his tiny hand upon my cheek. His ears lightly twitched as he looked up to his father, who moved to our side. Din eyed his son. "Do you want to stay here with Luna?"

He flashed his teeth and babbled.

Din met my eyes, seeking my blessing. I smiled for a brief moment and nodded.

Din dragged a chair to my bedside and took a seat. "I'll stay here and watch her," he stated, gazing at my father and Cara alternately. His tone had left no room for argument. "You should both get your sleep as well."

"Thank you, Din," my father said as he and Cara exited the room.

The child marked his little territory between my torso and my left arm, lying down on his back. I brought him closer to me, ensuring that he was comfortable as he used my upper arm as his pillow. He stared up at me once more and squealed sharply before closing his eyes.

I turned my head to face Din, who met my gaze in silence. He reached out to me, gingerly running his fingers through my hair, observing me with even breaths. Once more, it was his image that I last saw before the light faded into darkness.

(V)(V)(V)

The days of my convalescence passed by in a blur. Seeing my emotional and physical state, Din rarely left my side and would only allow my father or Cara to relieve him when he could no longer fend off sleep. He made it his mission to ensure that I was fed and comfortable. Though I was grateful for his treatment, a part of me questioned his behaviour. He acted almost apologetically, as though he were attempting to atone for something. I never brought it up.

I was quickly reminded by how quietly Din carried himself as he prepared our morning meal. His movements were swift. Exact. As though completing his daily tasks with agility and proficiency had been drilled into him.

"Din?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember your biological parents?" My lips twisted in hesitation. However, curiosity got the better of me, and I would earnestly listen to every detail - however minor - that he would divulge. I knew so much more about the Mandalorian people after having met Din - their history, their religion, their culture - and yet, it was Din that I wanted to become more familiar with, to grow even closer to. "You never talk about them."

He stopped what he was doing, placing the utensils that he was holding upon the metal table in front of him.

Had I pushed him too far?

Din slowly twisted his head towards me. "My mother was kind. Loving. She always put herself before others." He faced me now, leaning his legs upon the table. "Had a hell of a temper, though."

A small smile pulled upon my lips.

"My father was her counterbalance. Always steady and composed. He was intelligent. Well-liked." Din fixed his stare upon a point on the ground. "They both died saving me."

My chest tightened as inwardly berated myself. Perhaps I shouldn't have pried. My mouth opened to speak, but no words came out.

Din began to put our utensils on a tray, the pieces of our meal finally complete. "I think about them every day," he said.

(V)(V)(V)

I decided that the day that I was able to push myself off of the bed without any severe pain was as good a day as any to stand on my own two feet again. I steadily grew tired of the infirmary bed, of crying myself to sleep and thinking of nothing but the guilt that was increasingly building inside me. Careful not to wake the child beside me, I swung my legs over the mattress in a deliberate manner. To my opposite side upon the chair, Din appeared to be sleeping, his chest rhythmically rising and falling, hands clasped upon his chest. Shivers plagued my body as my bare feet touched the cold, tiled floor. I swayed as I attempted my first step, almost losing my balance entirely. As I wildly reached for anything solid to hang onto, I knocked an empty food tray off of the table beside me, its contents loudly smashing upon the ground.

The child began to wail.

Din shot up with a start.

"Sorry," I said weakly, immediately taking the child in my arms to comfort him. I rocked him gently, rubbing my thumb upon his forehead to soothe him. "Shh, everything is okay, little one. Go back to sleep."

"Luna, what are you doing?" Din questioned drowsily, walking to our side of the bed.

"I'm okay, Din," I said, placing the now quiet child back upon the bed. I covered his tiny body with a blanket. "I can't just lie here and do nothing anymore."

Din's head tilted to the side, as though he were in doubt. Nevertheless, he reached for a stack of clothing upon a drawer beside him and handed it to me. I accepted the offering with thanks and turned my back to him. His feet shuffled as he looked away to give me privacy.

I switched my clothing as carefully as I could, feeling only minor aches as I changed into trousers and a tank top. As I reached for my top tunic, I noticed that Din had slightly turned, staring intently at something. Without a word, his hand touched my upper back and shoulders, body taut. I stared at myself upon a reflective surface beside us and noticed the heavy bruising and discolouration upon my skin that had drawn his attention. I furrowed my brows and quickly placed the tunic on.

"Din, I need to see her."

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

I followed Din through the narrow hallways of Kriger's ship, descending to the lower level of the cargo bay. Though the space was bountifully stocked with supplies, the centre was emptied out, almost resembling a shallow crater from our view. There, upon a well-lit platform, was T'iana's body encased in a glass pod. She was clothed in a long, white shroud, her hands comfortably crossed upon her chest. The space smelt of herbs, spices, and a hint of lavender, reminding me of a summer morning.

"Clan Onóir has been preparing T'iana for kote kyr'am, the Mandalorian death ceremony." Din placed a hand upon my lower back as he guided me to her side. "We will honour her life."

My heart violently pounded against my chest. I fought back tears as I placed a hand upon the glass.

She looked so peaceful.

"Goodbye, my friend."

(V)(V)(V)

A/N: Sigh. Made me sad to write that. Hope you all enjoyed it, though!

If you haven't done so already, check out my latest Mandalorian fic, "The Sins of the Past". Inspiration struck me out of the blue. This fic will explore what made Din Djarin the way he is. Here is the summary: "A young boy attempts to cope with the loss of his parents. The Mandalorians take him in as a foundling. Din was warned that the way of the warrior would not be easy; however, could he expect anything less from Mandalorians? A small series of loosely-connected ficlets/oneshots about Din's coming of age. Young/Younger Din Djarin. Pre-Episode 1 of The Mandalorian. Mandalorian/OC." Check it out! Cheers! xx IFHD