Early update for y'all! Sorry about the weird breaks/format. I was going to break it in half, but then the pacing didn't work out and left both chapters too short. The good news- more for all of you!

Again, I love your reviews/follows/favorites. It means so much that people take time to read this and get so involved. I love you all (platonically, of course :))

CHAPTER XIX: AS ABOVE, SO BELOW

Zakia was not expecting both of Greef Karga's remaining men to fall dead when blasters were drawn.

If she was being honest, she expected to be the dead one. Kuiil was safe on the last Bluurg several yards behind her, while Din and Cara both had some armor to protect their chests.

They had just made it to a ridge overlooking the town Greef paused and sighed aloud. The trio on their feet had all tensed, and Zakia could see the hunters moving in her peripherals. Everyone had blasters drawn by the time Karga had fired and, in hindsight, it was a comical sight. Her, Din, and Cara all stood at the ready, muzzles pointed to Karga.

The Guild boss instantly relented, lifting his hands in surrender. Din straightened from his defensive position, and Zakia slowly lowered her dual blasters. Her sniper rifle hung at her shoulders, its presence a comforting weight.

"There's something you should know." Greed said, walking between Cara and Mando. Zakia took a step forward to be at Din's side, slipping both guns back into their holsters. Karga continued wordlessly, kicking blasters away from their fallen owners. "The plan was to kill you and take the kid."

Zakia lifted her shoulders. "Shocker."

"But, after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it." Greef's gaze bounced back and forth between Din and Cara, trying to gauge their reactions. "Go on. You can gun me down right here and now and it wouldn't be a violation of the Guild code. But if you do, this child will never be safe."

As much as she wanted to speak up and say that was her desire, Zakia couldn't bring her mind around to it. Karga had indeed violated their trust- not that there was any to begin with- but he had killed his own men. She knew first-hand the effect their tiny charge had on others, and it seemed his innocence had won their old boss over as well. Zakia noticed Kuiil seemed to share her sentiment, as the Ugnaught watched the tense exchange with stony eyes.

"We'll take our chances." Cara spat, and Zakia opened her mouth briefly before snapping it shut again. She didn't want to make such a staunch declaration like Cara, but knew somewhere that the Mandalorian would trust her.

"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining this asset. You tried to run, but where did it get you?" Greef held his hands out, motioning to their surroundings.

"This is ridiculous." Cara hissed at Din and Zakia. The latter grit her teeth, forcing herself to gather the words she needed.

"He might be right." Zakia blurted.

Din's helmet swung towards her at the same time Cara did. An grimace was stretched across the shock-trooper's face, almost accusatory as it was directed at Zakia.

"Perhaps you should let him speak." Kuiil saved Zakia from having to form an explanation, but she kept her eyes on Din's visor nonetheless.

The Child was going to be in danger until the client was dead, and they all knew it. They could run, but for how long? It was only a matter of time before a run in went wrong, or there wasn't a second person in the trees to kill their pursuers.

"Listen. We both need the client to be eliminated. Let me take the Child to him. And then you three-"

"No." Din cut into Karga's new plan, silencing him before he had a chance to finish.

"Let's just kill him and get out of here." Cara urged.

Zakia's head snapped in her direction. As much as she had respected the shock-trooper's instinct on Nevarro, this situation was being tugged in the opposite direction. She knew Cara was worried about her chain code and the implications of it being ran. But she knew the risk when she boarded the Razor Crest, and it irked Zakia she wanted to run. They were all wanted, and would most likely end up dead if they were caught in an ambush attempt.

But if they were caught running with the Child one day, they would all be dead.

"No offence, because you're a great friend, but I think you worrying about your chain code is clouding the current state of the mission, Cara. You know, it's not that hard. If you want to leave- go. If Kuiil and I are the only ones that can see there is actually a point being made here, fine." Zakia stepped forwards, and Din dropped his blaster once she was in its path. "We can run now, but it will only be a matter of time before it happens again, and again, and again."

Cara looked to be preparing a rebuttal, but Din straightened suddenly and holstered his blaster. "Karga is right."

"What are you doing?" The shock-trooper looked at Mando, still pointing her blaster towards Greef.

"As long as the Imp lives, he'll send hunters after the Child." Din explained. Zakia nodded, hoping her eyes were conveying thanks to his.

"It's a trap." Cara reiterated, blinking from Zakia to Mando.

"Bring me." Din offered.

"Bring you?" Zakia squeaked the words at the same time Karga spoke them.

"Tell them you captured me. Get me close to him and I'll kill him." The Mandalorian's voice was steady, and Zakia could find no indications of mistrust in his body language. "You said he's stationed where your tavern used to be. There's a high chimney that climbs one of the buildings about three hundred meters away from the bar window. Zakia can set up with the rifle there as backup."

Zakia swallowed at the thought of Mando diving headfirst into the Imperial hideout. Her only reassurance was their last out facing the Imperials, where the troopers prooved more incompetent than any she had seen. However, this time he had betrayed the client. He was wanted, and there was a bounty hanging high over his head. Her own conflicts with the Imps were of little consequence- if they couldn't find out her name, how was she going to be indicted of any crime?

"That's a good idea. Give me your blaster."

Mando did so wordlessly, and turned to Zakia. "Can you get in?"

Zakia swung the rifle over her shoulder and used the scope to check for unguarded sections of the wall that surrounded the bazaar. There was a crumbling slat to the right of the entrance and around a corner, and she was sure it would make an easy entrypoint.

"Yeah."

"This is insane." Cara protested yet again.

"It's the only way." Din argued.

"Well- I'm coming with you." The shock-trooper relented, but she sounded far from happy.

"No, no no." Karga held up a hand. "That would make them suspicious."

"I don't care. I'm coming." And now the attitude had flipped.

"Tell them she caught him." Zakia said, lowering the rifle. "More likely than you. No offense."

"Fine. Then she can bring the Child." Karga tried to reason, but the entirety of their team opposed it.

"No. The kid goes back in the ship." Din asserted, looking to Kuiil. He ignored Karga's protests. "I have a plan. Kuiil, ride back to the Razor Crest with the Child, and seal yourself in. When you're inside, engage ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet will breach those doors."

The Ugnaught was already walking forward. "Here is a comlink. I will keep the Child safe." He paused, looking up at Cara. "Don't forget to cover your stripes."

With his words hanging in the air, Cara did just that. The Mandalorian stepped towards Greef, fingers brushing by Zakia's hip. "I trust you." His words were barely a whisper, slipping out beneath the modulator and rushing over Zakia like a warm wash of water.

"I know."

"Let's go."

Making her way around the bazaar's wall was simple. Zakia had done it plenty of times, sneaking around when her and Mando were younger, to mess around in the dark nights after she had too much to drink. The memories were her only comfort then, her legs screaming as she crept along the ground.

At the small break in the wall, she stopped to survey it. She switched her scope to thermal and directed it towards the bazaar, checking for any signatures that could belong to troopers. There was movement all about the town, but nothing indicating a hostile presence near her.

"Hey!"

Zakia whirled around, coming face to face with the exact type she had been trying to avoid. Her eyes widened as he reached for a blaster, white armor gleaming in the sun. To her relief, he failed to signal for help.

"What are you doing outside the wall?" He demanded.

Sliding an innocent look onto her face, the blonde forced her limbs to relax. "I was just-" She motioned at the flats. "Hunting.

She imagined the man beneath the obnoxious-looking helmet would be rolling his eyes. "Chain code?"

Now that, she didn't have with her. "Sure thing. Give me just a minute to find it, would you?"

The trooper sighed. "Make it quick."

He hitched his hands onto his hips, head swiveling back in the direction of the entrance to town. Zakia did her best impression of a scared woman, shuffling through her pockets one by one until the Stormtrooper looked in the right direction.

With his head turned far enough behind him, Zakia slipped a hand to her boot and forced herself to move as fast as she could. She drew the knife that was always sheather in her leg, jerking straight up and plunging the blade through the trooper's throat. She jumped out of the way of the blood splatter, yanking the vibroblade back with her.

"Damn."

Zakia shook out her hands, and wiped the blade clean before turning back to the wall. She braced her hands on the rock surface before hesitating and turning back towards the man on the ground. She considered him for a moment before biting her lip and stepping back, nearing his fallen body.

It took only a few moments to figure out how the armor went together, and Zakia quickly stripped him of it. She snatched the boots- big enough to go over her own petite ones, and dragged all the items on clumsily. It fit loosely over her own clothing, but the armor was easily tied tighter.

The entire process only took a few minutes, and Zakia ignored whatever the man's face looked like when she took the helmet from his head. She wrapped her head scarf around her face and placed the helmet over her head, feeling every ounce like she was defiling something sacred within herself.

"Awesome." She surveyed her own appearance best she could, and proceeded to haul her body over the V-shaped crack in the wall.

Zakia's rifle clattered uncomfortably against the white armor, but she pressed on until the chimney Mando mentioned came into view. While she wasn't exactly hiding, she didn't want to have a confrontation either. Her costume change served as camouflage, but not as a promise of escape.

"How the hell- oh hello." Zakia muttered to herself as she sought out a way to get herself onto the roof. There was a narrow alley between two buildings, and Zakia crept into it from the darkened alley. The normally bustling town was oddly silent, and she found herself at odds with the lack of noise.

Thankful for her vertically-challenged status, Zakia's limbs were the ideal length to fit in the crevice. They provided her with a quiet and easy solution to scale the wall. She used both hands outstretched and legs to crawl up like a spider, snorting at the image of a Stormtrooper doing so. She hauled herself onto the correct rooftop and then up its water tower, which was placed just to the left of the chimney- far enough that she could easily roll to the side and be hidden. Zakia was unaware of Din's sources on that particular bit of knowledge, but she was thankful he had it nonetheless.

From her vantage point, the main drag was clear. Zakia rushed to set up her rifle, turning the thermal on to check the tavern. Sure enough, there was a trio just inside the door that looked to be Din, Cara, and Karga. Zakia sighed, watching carefully through the scope as they were apparently ushered further in. There were several other heat signatures present, and Zakia switched off her thermal when they all became visible in the long window behind the bar. It was translucent, but in a way that made individual figures apparent in the daylight.

"I don't like this." She muttered to no one in particular.

Minutes ticked by, throughout which Zakia flicked the scope from thermal to normal, to infrared with no winners between the three. Four figures now sat at the table inside the bar; the fourth she assumed to be the client. She noticed the enumerated Stormtroopers, and was annoyed at Karga's mention of four the previous night. This was closer to a whole platoon outside the hideout alone.

Zakia pulled the helmet from her head and made sure to cover her hair before looking back through the scope. When she did so, one of the figures that had been at the table previously stood, wandering to the bar. The frame and posture was unfamiliar- to broad to be Karga, and too hunched to be the Mandalorian. No curves to indicate it was Cara. She placed the crosshairs on the figures head, breathing in deeply. She waited a moment before placing her finger on the trigger, and another moment before applying any pressure.

The rifle was primed and seconds away from firing a shot when the sounds of footsteps drew Zakia's attention away. It was a large number of people moving, and she was horrified when she lowered the rifle.

Outside the tavern window was a squad of Death Troopers.

Their black armor reflected the sun in a sickly green fashion, and they all had wide-barrel blasters raised and aimed at the window. Zakia no time to think when they began shooting round after round through the window. She gasped audibly, and forced herself to refrain from sound. As long as people were still fighting to get to Mando and the group, the Child must be safe.

The sniper lowered her eyes back to the scope, searching for the three signatures that would come from Din and their crew. She was thankful to find just that, spotting the blue spot of cold that was Din's cuirass. Zakia was considering her options- spoiler, there weren't many- as a hovering, armored vehicle offloaded a full platoon of troopers onto the street.

Zakia didn't dare to try and contact Mando's com unit- the Imperials had a reputation for intercepting signals, and would not be party to it. She just bit her lip and watched, unsure of the next possible move.

'WHOOSH'.

Zakia ducked her head down, mind flashing back to the winged beast from the previous night. A thunderous noise bore down on the town, and Zakia prayed whatever it hadn't spotted her on the way down. As it sped into view, her stomach twisted all over again.

A TIE-fighter was landing behind the armored vehicle, setting up a display of violent opposition to whatever little opportunity was left for escape. The circular top hissed open, but its position with respect to Zakia blocked her from being able to get a mark on the target. The craft blocked most of her view, and the blonde cursed. She had to get to the tavern.

Zakia scrambled down from her position as quietly as she could, slipping the Stormtrooper helmet back on when she made it to the ground. She searched around the ground, trying to figure out a way to the tavern. Zakia knew there was no back door, and getting across the main street would be impossible regardless.

"Damn." Zakia paced the alleyway, trying to think of any possible solution. There was no way for her to get back with her team, and there was no way she would be able to wipe out an entire platoon without being captured.

Searching the ground for any sign of hope, Zakia slung the rifle to her front. The Mandalorians had a covert in the bazaar, and she had never seen one before. They had to transverse the town somehow, and she doubted it was by jetpack.

"How…" Zakia leaned near the door of a small building, and paused as her eyes drilled holes into the dirt. "The sewers."

Nevarro was, underneath, a lava-formed planet. It was always hot, and the heat from the planet had to be channeled out. The only sensible way to keep it from building below the town was to channel it out. Zakia understood that homes were heated during the cold night, and the realization struck her then.

She turned to the door, knocking briefly. No answer came, and she edged it open slowly, effectively avoiding any creaking. It was a dimly lit dwelling, with an empty dinner table and kitchen area. The blonde wasted no time hustling in, and followed the seam of the wall. The grate for their heating had to be somewhere near, and Zakia needed to move.

The tinny sound of an amplified voice reached her ears, but it was too far to discern anything other than harsh syllables. "Come on, come on…."

Zakia found herself in a small bedroom before she located her target. It was tucked beneath the bed, and would be just barely wide enough to squeeze herself through. The bolts holding it in place looked old, and her vibroknife was put to use as she sliced through the brittle metal.

"Oh, thank the Makers for code violations." Zakia pulled the rifle from her shoulder and pointed its flashlight into the hole. It was dark for a few feet, but the concrete beneath was visible.

Zakia shed her armor and lowered the rifle down first, extending her arm to the full length so her gun only dropped a foot. Inhaling deeply, she dangled her legs in and allowed her body to slip down. It was incredibly claustrophobic, and her ass almost got stuck on a lip of concrete, but Zakia managed to tumble not-so-gracefully to the ground.

"Shit." She breathed upon impact.

Fortunately, she managed to keep her bearings directionally. Zakis shouldered the gun and took off in the direction she assumed the tavern was, keeping her ears open. As she neared a junction that could only be of the main pathway, she paused.

There was a sound echoing through the chambers, and Zakia was forced to cover her ears. It was shrill and familiar, and she forced herself to look up. She knew that sound...

"A speeder…"

Zakia recalled seeing a few outside the wall, and two through the scope. She doubted any civilians were authorized to leave, and the thought brought her to a conclusion.

A speeder meant one of two things:

Someone was coming to help them

Or

The Imperials had captured the Child.

And Zakia had a sinking feeling it was the latter.

Din wasn't sure when he came back to consciousness.

His limbs were heavy, and he was on the ground. Cloudy eyes blinked lazily beneath his helmet, and the resounding vibration from its impact seemed to reverberate constantly.

'CONCUSSION'

Din's brain screamed at him, but it acted as if no signals could leave it. He felt someone grab him-drag him to safety. Away from the Imps, and away from Moff Gideon. The tavern door rushed closed, and Din was propped against an overturned table. Blood trickled into his mouth and down his neck, through the stubble he hadn't had time to shave.

He wished he could feel his legs, or his arms. Something to solidify the fact he was actually awake. Everything was submerged to him, swimming in a sea of red and brown.

The sea.

It was something he hadn't seen in years. Since before the Child, and before he had ever taken the bounty from Karga. Someone else had been on the beach with him, and his brain clung to the memory as it scrambled to stay afloat in the waves of his mind.

"Oh, Mando. It's beautiful."

Zakia was standing beside him, bare feet dug deep into the sand. The Mandalorian sighed, shaking out his boots.

"It's going to look really beautiful on the floor of my ship." He returned, nudging the blonde.

Her hair was gorgeous, as it always appeared to him. It was beauty in its most natural form- curls bouncing around her shoulders and coiled more tightly than normal because of the humidity rolling off the ocean. Zakia turned to him with a smile, though only the left side of her face lifted. The right was still wounded, pink flesh just beginning to regain its function. Dark tissue lined the outside of her newest battle scar, and he could tell it pained her to smile.

In a newfound gesture of affection- they were doing that now- she leaned into his side. They had been traveling together for a few months after her injury, and had grown closer than Din thought he was capable of. Zakia was almost completely dependent upon him at first, and had grown distant once she was independent again. But nightmares plagued her, and they couldn't stay far apart on a ship that was barely made for two people. So they relied on each other. Din had someone to talk to about missions, and Zakia had someone to help her with basic tasks that she was unable to complete alone anymore.

He enjoyed the company. More than he ever thought possible. The closeness was something he had not felt since being a boy, and he reveled in Zakia's occasional contact.

"Is this okay?" She murmured.

Unbeknownst to her, Din was content. Putting on a face about the sand, but that was his job.

"It's great." Din allowed Zakia freedom as she turned further into him. She tucked her arms to her chest and pressed her face to his side. His arm lifted to hold her gently by the waist.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Mando." Zakia spoke, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Uh... " He trailed off, unsure how to continue. "Din."

"Sorry?" Zakia looked up at him, all blue eyes and sunshine.

"My name. It's Din." He kept his gaze on the ocean, though his cheeks felt hot beneath his helm.

"Thank you." Zakia didn't push the topic or inquire on his reasoning. She just let him be, and they took in the sights together.

"Don't wear it out."

Zakia snorted, lifting her head from his cuirass. "You got it, Mando."

"Mando!"

"Mando!"

"Is he-"

"It's our only path-"

"Clear it!"

The voices came in bursts, and Din's brain protested the change of subject. The oceanside memory had been warm, and his body was cold. But the voice from his dream was there, and it dragged Din back to the surface.

"...Zak?"

"Oh, Thank Maker." The voice was far away, and Din's hand flopped uselessly on the ground. "Where?"

"I'm here, don't worry. I'm fine." Zakia's voice was close, but he could hear the concern.

"Good." He choked on what was probably his own blood, and did his best to push it down. Another face came into his view, this one with dark-hair.

Cara.

He could remember the Imps and the E-Web. The fight. But not how it ended. Din could recall the worry he'd felt about his partner, which was partially soothed as he heard her voice.

But he could barely breathe.

As his brain came back into contact with his body, the pain in his chest and stomach became more apparent. It hurt to pull in each breath. Cara was still hovering over him, and he weakly tilted his helmet towards her when she spoke.

"Zakia found the tunnels in the sewer you mentioned. She's stuck on the other side of the grate- Karga's trying-"

"I'm not gonna make it." He breathed. "Go- make Zak go with you. She d-doesn't need to be here."

"Shut up. You just got your bell rung, you'll be fine." Cara was leaning over him, eyes darting behind her every so often. He could hear a faint hissing sound, but what exactly it was escaped him.

"Cara? How is he?"

"Leave me." Din kept his voice low to avoid Zakia's detection. Wherever she was stuck waiting to be freed, she didn't need to hear. Cara noticed the blood on his cowl and he was thankful she managed to keep a straight face.

"You have too much to lose, buddy. I'm gonna need to take this thing off." Cara reached for his helmet, and Din batted her hands away.

"No. You leave me. Zakia will understand, she-she has to. You two make sure the Child gets out safely. Here."

Through a wheeze he ripped the Mythosaur pendant from its resident place on his neck. Normally it remained hidden beneath his cowl, but it was important for their escape.

"Cara!" Zakia called once again over the hissing sound, but Karga was hushing her. They couldn't be heard.

"When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that. Zak doesn't know where it is… but you show them that and tell them its from Din Djarin. Tell them the foundling was in my protection, and they'll help you." Din's thoughts were far from coherent, but the connotations of their current situation hung on his shoulders.

"We can make it." Cara urged him.

Din noticed an encroaching heat, but his brain was far from acknowledging the danger.

"Protect the Child. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's death." He knew Cara could respect the last bit. She was a warrior too.

"I won't leave you. And if you think Zakia will, you're out of your mind."

"This is the Way."

A deafening back came from both their front and backs at the same time. A Stormtrooper- this one emblazoned with red stripes down the middle of his armor, breached the door with a smoldering flamethrower. It spewed fire, and Cara covered Din with her own body. Another scraping sound to his left drew his attention, and Din exhaled heavily when he felt familiar hands on his arms.

Zakia didn't have a chance to speak before the Stormtrooper lifted his flamethrower and pointed it at their faces. Her and Cara exchanged a glance over his helmet- as if he couldn't make logical decisions anymore- and ducked down. Din flinched out of pure instinct, and braced himself for what was sure to be a painful death, made even more so by the presence of his loved ones.

To his surprise, death hadn't reached them after a few seconds. Din blinked wearily, tipping his head forward to take in the tiny Child standing before them. Its tiny arms were outstretched, and a ball of fire spun in the air. It was motionless , only turning on itself as it remained in one place. It only moved when the baby thrust his arms forwards. The resounding explosion sent the Stormtrooper flying, and all three near the overturned table winced.

The Child then fell to his rear, exhausted from the ordeal.

"Come on! It's open, let's go!"

Karga was standing behind Din somewhere, but he couldn't turn his head to see. Cara looked at Zakia, who nodded curtly. The warrior stood, hissing something at the IG-11 droid positioned behind all of them. She placed a brief hand on Zakia's shoulder and moved away, leaving them alone as she scooped up the Child as well.

Zakia then focused her attention on him. "Din…"

"Zakia, I-I can't beat this one." He managed. "It's bad."

She sniffed, and Din knew she was trying to hold it together for his sake. "And I can't leave you. You need to let the IG bring you. We can get you to safety. Treat you."

Din swallowed, shaking his head. It sent stars flying across his vision, and he took it as a sign of his deteriorating condition. The fire was growing closer, illuminating his partner's face in orange and red. There was an exchange between group members taking place behind them, but Din was too far into the darkness to make out their words.

"Din! Dammit, Djarin, you're not allowed to leave me!" Zakia lifted a hand to his neck, pulling it away to examine the blood. "I need to take this off."

The mechanical steps of the IG droid came closer, and its metallic persona appeared in Din's vision.

"No." Din shook his head. "Go. Zakia, I need you to do this. For me."

Stubborn as ever, she shook her head. "No. I won't let you die alone. Remember last time we were on this planet? I won't let you die at all."

The IG turned to her. "I will stay with the Mandalorian."

"When will you two idiots realize I'm not leaving?" Zakia managed. Her hands were ineffectual, lying hopelessly on Din's thigh.

"I need to remove your helmet if I am to save you." IG-11 interrupted their pre-death staring match, and Din remained stock-still.

"IG's are hunters." Zakia deadpanned. She was straightforward, even to the point where she was staring death in the eye.

"Not this one. I was reprogrammed. I am a nurse droid. As previously stated- I am to remove the helmet if I am to save you."

Din managed to pull his blaster when the IG's clawed extremity reached out. The Creed was everything sacred to him. Mandalorians would rather die than break it, and he was no exception. Zakia knew the implications from the beginning, and always respected them. He would not allow a droid to break the oath he had sworn so many years ago.

"Try it and I'll kill you." Din pointed his gun at the droid, and Zakia shook with frustration. The noise that escaped her was half-sob, half- yell.

"It is… forbidden. No living thing has seen me without my helmet since I s-swore the Creed." Din choked. Zakia reached up, placing a hand on his blaster. She swung her body around, straddling his thighs with her knees. Her hair was a halo around her head, and Din reveled in the sight. If he had to die, it would be like this.

"I won't be living without you, Din." Zakia wiped tears away from her face, whimpering as she shielded him from the flames. "You know I've respected the Creed as long as we've been together, but this is where I draw the line. This is your life. This is us."

Din dropped his head against the table behind him, hands coming to rest on Zakia's hips. He squeezed gently, and his brain caught up with his mouth. Why was it this woman tore him to pieces? Built him up and then knocked him down like a blast charge on an old wall. Shattered to pieces in a matter of seconds

"I trust you. With everything. With this." Din didn't have to elaborate on his words for Zakia to understand them.

Their time was limited, and it was running out quickly. Zakia reached her hands up, fingers locking around the bottom of his helmet. Din didn't fight this time, despite the fact that his brain fought him at every step. Zakia was gentle, but more confident than she had been on Sorgan. Her hands pulled the metal away, deft fingers pressing the pneumatic release.

And it had been so long since he had felt the atmosphere of another planet on his face. Sorgan had been the exception, thought it was only a few moments worth of peace. This was a hot blast of heat in his face, and his eyes flickered open with more clarity than he had in a long time. It took a moment to adjust to the light, and the droid was already surveying him.

"This is a bacta spray. It will heal you in a matter of hours."

Din couldn't hear the droid or recognize his actions, as he was too busy staring at Zakia.

She still sat over his thighs, frozen with the helmet in her hands. Her glacial eyes were fixed on his, and he forced a smile. "S-sorry to… disappoint."

Zakia moved then, sobbing freely as she embraced him as gently and as tightly as possible while the droid tended to his wounds. Din was too concussed to process this development properly, but he imagined it would all rush over him later if they managed a miraculous escape.

"Disappoint?" Zakia cried into his shoulder, eventually lifting her head to kiss his cheeks and face. Everywhere she could reach was peppered with kisses, and Din began to gain some feeling back.

"You're perfect. Beat to hell and dragged through the dirt, but you're perfect."

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Zakia had been told that saying over and over as a child. It was true, as far as she was concerned. But that day, inches from death and beaten by flames on the floor of their old hangout, Zakia was given evidence to support her claims.

Seeing Din's eyes had both broken her and saved her at the same time.

She was left to consider the idea as they carefully climbed into the sewer grate, supported by IG-11. The Mandalorian's helmet was replaced once they were on the ground, and Zakia reached up to switch on his helmet light.

After the droid had urged their exit, neither party had a chance to consider the complication of the previous minutes' action. Zakia knew the code was broken, but it was necessary. Din and her were partners- together as long as they could be, and bonded by a broken life. They had been through countless tragedies together, and even more fortunes. Letting his die was not an option, and removing the helmet fell hand-in-hand in their predicament. If she was being honest, she expected a much bigger rebuke on his part. A harsher opposition- anything to indicate he was worried.

But he hadn't fought her.

Then when the beskar was gone and it was his dark, worried eyes staring back at her in place of a visor, she broke. Zakia cried, only pulling herself together to get all of them out of imminent mortal danger. IG-11 had been instrumental in their escape from the building, and Zakia was sure they never would have got away without the droid. As they limped deeper into the sewer, she had no words.

They had a long way to go, but it felt like a huge obstacle had been tackled.