Lysa pulled up her landspeeder a little way from the cabin, and turned off the engine.

Her heart was pounding inside her chest, a fear washing over her, the likes of which she had never felt before.

If Crix really was inside the cabin, then she was determined to confront him. Done with the pain and anguish he had caused her these past few years. Done being his little woman. A mere plaything he could toy with whenever he pleased.

For years he she had put up with the abuse. Keeping all that agony inside.

But then Din had appeared- and everything had changed.

It was as though he was the first person in years to truly look at her. Noticing her as more than just a baker, or as Crix's possession.

In just a few short weeks Din and Grogu had brightened her life completely, making her smile and laugh, in spite of the violence she had to go home to every day.

And for just those brief moments of time, that her and Din had spent together, Lysa had felt more than she had ever done with Crix. Even before the abuse began.

But Lysa doubted that a person like Din Djarin would ever feel the same about someone like her…some nobody, who just sold cakes for a living.

But despite this, he had still set alight the spark in her that had changed everything. And Lysa would be damned now, if she saw Din or Grogu hurt because of her.

In a moment or two, with her visor discarded back at the speeder, Lysa had crept towards the cabin, keeping to the shadows, holding her skirts in her hands to prevent them from brushing along the dusty ground and making a sound.

She cursed herself for not thinking to wear breeches today.

But when she had awoken this morning at first light, the last thing she had thought she would be doing was creeping a long in the dark to confront Crix.

The idea still terrified her - still having no clue what she was going to say when she saw him.

But that wasn't going to stop her, not while Crix was still a danger to Din.

Din and Grogu meant more to her now than anything else in this world..

For so long, Crix had made her believe she was alone. That she had no one at all but him.

But now here Lysa was, ready to stand tall and protect the people she cared for. Two people who seemed to also care for her, in return.

Din Djarin had shown nothing but concern about Lysa's welfare since the day he had met her. Questioning Crix's love for her more than once. And yet she had been so foolish, she saw that now, for pushing Din away, trying to convince him that Crix did what he did because he loved her.

Even then Lysa had known that that was a lie. Had he ever loved her?

And yet it had seemed an impossible thing to admit how badly she was being treated. For if she had, it would have meant addressing the fact that she was completely alone. Not only on this planet, but in this galaxy.

But now, Lysa was no longer on her own.

She swallowed now, the distant sound of blaster fire, still audible in the distance. She truly hoped that Din would stay safe and make it back to her.

But while Din was dealing with Crix's men, Lysa knew now what she had to do.

Who it was her job to confront…

The lights in the cabin were all on. But as she stepped up onto the small porch, she stopped suddenly, noticing that the front door was open. She took a stealthy step to the left of the door, peering inside, but she could see nothing.

Her heart was hammering a drumbeat inside her ribs so loud, she was convinced that if Crix was nearby, he would hear it.

But nevertheless, Lysa slipped silently inside.

Din's home was as neat as it had previously been, and she couldn't help but note that her own grey travel cloak was hung up on a hook just inside the front door from when she had left it the last time she had been here.

Lysa's mind flitted back to the feelings that had swarmed inside her on that stormy night.

For a moment, Lysa had hoped that Din had been about to admit that he felt for her, just what she felt for him.

But she had been stupid to think that a Mandalorian, someone who travelled the stars, meeting people far more interesting, more smart and more beautiful than Lysa, every day of his life, would ever feel the same.

Lysa entered the little living space now and turned suddenly, her eye catching a movement over to her left…

…her eyes coming to rest on Crix Val'shif, on his knees between the doorways to Din and Grogu's separate sleeping quarters.

For a moment, he didn't turn around, and Lysa could only stare wide-eyed. The realisation of what he was doing, hitting her like a front-loaded cargo train.

"Crix," she said, coming to stand beside Din's large scrubbed-wood table covered in weapons, her breathing becoming shallow in her throat as she gazed at the device in his hand in horror. "W-What are you doing?"

For, attached to a thin, almost-invisible wire that crossed both Din and Grogu's doors, was a small square thermal detonator that Crix was presently fixing to an open panel on the inside of the cabin wall.

And even Lysa, who knew nothing about explosives, could see that one trip of the wire and this entire place would blow.

Lysa heard Crix laugh coldly before he turned to look at her over his shoulder.

"I should have known that this is where I'd find you," he said in a bitter voice, his eyes grazing her up and down with a sneer painted over his lips. "Whoring yourself out…like you were when I first met you back on Nar Shaddaa."

At his words, Lysa felt her hands begin to shake and tears prick at her eyes. But determined now, not to let him manipulate and berate her again, Lysa did her best to ignore his foul comments.

"W-Whatever you're doing, just stop," she said in an attempt at a firm voice, but she was very aware of how shaky she sounded, Crix immediately noting that too, as he gave a vile smirk. "I swear if you hurt them-"

He gave an arrogant laugh, before turning back to the detonator. "Yeah an' you'll do what?" he said in a bettitling tone of voice. He gave another snorting chuckle. "You're truly pathetic, you know that, Lys'?

Crix continued to laugh to himself mockingly, as Lysa merely stood there trembling and breathing hard. Just the way he was speaking to her, making her feel an inch small.

So much so, that she didn't even notice a sudden beskar-covered figure come to stand just outside the open doorway to the cabin…just watching…waiting…giving Lysa the space and the time she needed…

"You know…when I first met you you were such an easy screw," Crix said in a poisonous and uncaring voice. "Practically begging for it. Oh my parents died and now I'm all alone please stay with me."

His last words were high-pitched and derisive. And almost immediately at the mention of her parents, Lysa felt herself shrinking down into herself once more. Crix's words having the effect he obviously wanted them to have.

Still facing the wall panel, she saw him shake his head. "Pfft. You know how many years of my life I've wasted with someone as weak and as frigid as you? Most of the time you bore me half to death just looking at you."

With her eyes now brimming with tears, Lysa wanted to scream at Crix.

Ask him why, if she was so awful, did he choose to stay with her? Ask him why he chose to put her through all that for so long, if he felt nothing for her?

But all that anger, all that emotion, seemed to be suffocated by Crix's bile. And despite her mouth opening, Lysa could not seem to get any words out. All that she had been wanting to say to him for so long just…gone.

And here she was. Back to the weak and pathetic woman Crix knew her to be.

Questioning herself now. Doubting that she had ever been good enough for Crix.

But Crix spoke again, hurriedly replacing the panel over the detonator as he did so.

"After I've done this. When the Mandalorian and his kid are dead, I'll be out of here. Thanks to you I've saved up enough credits to get me off this woke little planet," he said matter-of -factly, patting the credit purse at his belt. "Then I'll be able to make a real life for myself. Find a real gal, not some frigid bitch, who's got too much baggage to be any fun."

Lysa gave a hard swallow, bowing her head and squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

She wanted to run.

Hide.

Tears sliding down her cheeks now thick and fast.

"An' you know, Lys'...after tonight….if you think about it…" Crix finally continued, in a twisted and smirking voice. "...you'll be responsible for the deaths of two more people you care about."

He gave a poisonous laugh, turning to look at her over his shoulder once more, his steely eyes grazing her up and down.

"Your poor parents," he uttered, giving a shake of his head. "They didn't even see it coming-"

At his words, Lysa's eyes snapped open, blackening instantly.

A deadly switch suddenly flipping inside her.

How dare he talk about her parents! How dare he talk like he truly knew what happened that day!

Lysa's fear and hurt suddenly becoming an all encompassing anger.

And in the moment that her eyes had opened, her gaze landed on the one thing that would make her feel better.

On the one thing that would make Crix' poisonous words go away forever.

And so snatching up a small compact blaster from Din's table, not even questioning why it was there, she pointed it at Crix and fired instantly…

…not even waiting for him to argue or defend himself…

She was done listening to his words…his hurtful, poisonous words. She was done being the victim.

Lysa's arm jolted backwards with the blast, the noise sending a ringing through her ears.

As immediately Crix let out a loud yell of pain, clutching at his shoulder, as he toppled backwards from his kneeling position, his back hitting the doorframe behind him.

Lysa breathed hard through her nose, still pointing the gun at him with determined, but trembling hands…wishing she had had better aim.

Still shaking with fury and sadness..

…Lysa made to raise the gun again, as angry tears sloshed down her cheeks, aiming for his head this time.

But suddenly, a movement to her left distracted her enough, as she glanced around to see Din Djarin standing in the doorway to the small cabin…

…like a statue. Stoic, and thankfully unharmed.

Lysa half expected him to try and stop her.

Try and stop her from killing Crix, the man who had hurt her in so many different ways over so many years.

But Din merely stood there watching…waiting…knowing full well that she needed this. Closure and justice for what Crix had done.

But that split-second distraction, with Lysa turned away, was all that Crix needed.

And before anyone could do anything to stop him…

…with gritted teeth, and with his hand coated in his own blood, he had pulled out his own blaster from his belt…

…firing it suddenly at Lysa Kane.

Uh oh...

Thanks to chipiam, MsRosePetal, Lockheart96, HipCheckChick, ReRe00 and J-James for reviewing the last chapter.

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