Aldor was in the gardens when Din came back from the forest alone, radiating with gratification she was sure she could guess the source of. There was a miniscule smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye when he stopped to kiss her. "Everything okay, my Lady?"

"Yes, my Love. What about you? Where is Mr. Mayfeld?"

"He'll be along."

"Din…"

"He had it coming." He shrugged, unable to disguise a broader smile when he kissed her again. It was clear he'd relieved rather a large knot of tension, and cheerfully bent to help her gather the last of the winter greens and gourds before they headed back inside.

"Grogu went out to the Maze," Aldor answered before Din asked. "I hope you don't blame me for letting him go, my Love. He did so well this morning and I'm sure Mr. Mayfeld is no match for him…"

Din shook his head. "He isn't. Grogu's fine. But I'll go see what he's up to. If Mayfeld comes before I'm back…" He stopped on a chuckle at Aldor's incredulous expression. "You're right, my Lady. If you can handle me, you can handle Mayfeld." He gave her a wide smile, and brushed his fingers through her hair before he took a long, deep kiss from her. "My Master can handle herself too."

"And you know where my heart lies," she whispered, teetering near the edge of desire.

He gave her another soft kiss. "How could I not when I am its keeper." He flashed his tiniest smile. "I won't be long, cyare. I sense our boy is in a mood. And you'll want to get out your salve for Mayfeld."

Aldor spent a while rinsing the greens while Din went to check on Grogu at the Maze, and by the time she'd put the last bunch aside to dry, a barrage of meaningless words and static had made its way across the gardens. Aldor opened the hatch just as Migs Mayfeld stepped up to the edge of the dugout. "Come along, Mr. Mayfeld," Aldor insisted. "If you'd like, I can see to that cut over your eye."

"So… so Mando… he…"

"Don't worry, Mr. Mayfeld. Come on." She motioned him up the ramp and toward the engine room. "Second door on the left."

Mayfeld tentatively stepped into the hull and took a cursory look around. Not like a pirate casing a plunder, but like someone who was almost positive he was dreaming. However many words shot around in Mayfeld's twitchy little brain, none of them could explain what he was experiencing. He only knew he was in Mando's home in the middle of nowhere… following Mando's wife into the engine room of a derelict freighter. It wasn't what he expected from the hardened bounty hunter he remembered, but it made perfect sense for the man he saw on Morak. As he tentatively shuffled through the door, Migs Mayfeld remained in a state of confused readiness, on guard against whatever unexpected thing might pop into the surreal scene before him.

He was afraid he'd been silent too long, and finally asked, "What is this… an old YT? Sturdy ships. Good choice…"

"Yes, we were lucky to find such a convenient ship. It's proven a comfortable home these thirty years."

"Thirty years? Holy shit. You been here thirty years?"

Aldor nodded, and indicated the chair by her medical stores. "I came here with other refugees after the Clone Wars. We traveled the Outer Rim for a time, but the Empire spread so quickly, we couldn't keep ahead. So we came out as far as we could… and ended up here."

"What happened to the others?"

"Some left. Others died."

"Why did you stay?"

"I was happy here. And something told me to stay, so I listened."

Mayfeld snorted derisively. "What? The Force?"

He was about to speak again, but Aldor shoved him down in the chair with the Force and shot him a warning look. "Yes. The Force." She turned again to her stores and got out her healing ointment and a hypospray, ignoring Mayfeld's look of awe. "Sit still, now, Mr. Mayfeld. I'll try to be gentle." She carefully began to clean the large cut over Mayfeld's brow while his breath grew heavier, trying not to squirm in pain or look at her breasts. "I suspect you said something that pissed Din off," she said to distract him. "He does have a temper, Mr. Mayfeld. I sense my Mandalorian is rather infamous for it, so it seems like you'd know you shouldn't poke the Rancor."

"Yeah, well… sometimes it's fun… until he punches me in the face…"

"You really should know better, Mr. Mayfeld." She set aside the hypospray and dipped into her jar of salve to gently brush some along the deep cut above his ginger brow. He tried to gulp it back, but a soft murmur breathed through his mouth as Aldor leaned over him. She sensed him wanting to reach out and touch her. Luckily, he was wise enough to resist the urge, but she'd had enough of that, and backed farther away as she dabbed at a few smaller scratches along his jaw. "Before you get any ideas, Mr. Mayfeld, I assure you I only have eyes for my Mandalorian. Our relationship is built on more than convenience. Seems like that would be obvious."

The old mercenary gulped hard and cleared his throat as anxiety rippled through him at being caught red-handed. "Yeah… yeah… I get that." When Aldor stood up straight to put away her salve, he leaned back in his chair and looked around the room to get away from her, fidgety and wired and just… exhausting. Aldor tried not to let him distract her while she cut a length of epifilm for his brow, but like Din said, the man couldn't shut up. "So is this all you do? Dodge Mando's temper and patch up anybody who pisses him off?"

"Now Mr. Mayfeld, let's not be ugly," Aldor warned in a lower register. "I have my limit too." She pressed the epifilm into place over his cut more forcefully than she needed to, and decided she understood Din's earlier satisfaction as Mayfeld cursed and jumped under the brief shot of pain. "Don't forget, sir, that I have two lightsabers… and I'm quite good with them."

"Okay... Okay... I'm sorry, I'm... I've had a messed up day, all right."

"Haven't we all."

"What do you do here anyway?"

Aldor turned into her stores to grab a cold pack, and broke apart the elements inside to begin the cooling reaction. She handed the pack to Mayfeld for his jaw and answered, "We train and we hunt. We maintain the settlement. We always have our little tasks."

"What do you do for credits?"

"We don't need them. What can we buy that we can't build or make? The planet provides the rest."

"Well… I mean you can't make everything, can you?"

"No, but I've had a lot of time to learn how to use what I have, and I like to think I've employed myself wisely. If I have a circuit board and a housing, I can do something with it, and I've always stayed well enough in scraps that I've rarely needed anything I didn't have."

"Yeah, but... you've got a T-16... don't you need fuel and parts?"

"I've always managed to trade or win what I need."

"Win?"

"Smugglers like to gamble, and I'm rather infamous in some circles for my luck. I've also salvaged quite a lot of gear and parts from scugholes who underestimated me."

"Uhh..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Mayfeld. You have nothing to fear from me... so long as you behave yourself."

"Y... yes ma'am."

"All right then. Now that we have an understanding, clean yourself up and come into the kitchen for supper. My Mandalorian may be in a more congenial mood now that he's had some time to relax."

"Y... yes ma'am."

Aldor gave him a nod and gestured him through the door and back into the hallway. "The fresher is to your left, Mr. Mayfeld."

Din had already returned from the Maze and now sat at the table in his usual chair, faintly smiling at her as she stepped into the room. "Grogu wanted to run it one more time," he said before she asked. "Promised he'd head back as soon as he's done." When Aldor nodded to acknowledge this information, his smile flickered and deepened. He tried to suppress a chuckle as he shook his head. "My fierce, beautiful Lady," he murmured affectionately. "Mayfeld is more terrified of you now than he is of me." He yanked her into his lap and crushed his lips to hers, licking deeply into her mouth as he pulled her into a close embrace. He broke their kiss and trailed his lips under her jaw and to her ear. He kissed her there and whispered fondly, "That's my girl."

Aldor shuddered at the heat in his voice, and wrapped her arms around her lover's shoulders. She kissed his temple as she gave him an affectionate squeeze. He hummed with pleasure as she brushed her lips through his soft sideburns, trembling under the exquisite tingle. "Oh, he's just a baby, my Love," she said softly. "Whatever his origins are, they're not much different from ours. He only took a different path. And I suspect he's not the one who chose it."

"You're so diplomatic, my Lady."

"Maybe. But he has a good mind, my Love. He just... wields it differently. He only seems selfish and antagonistic because he wants to, and it's not a bad tactic for a man like him. Because truthfully, I think he has a good heart too."

Din sighed and looked toward the fresher, considering what he knew of Migs Mayfeld. He turned back to her and nodded. "He irritates me, my Lady, but I agree with you. He has a good soul and he's not stupid. He's just... an asshole."

Aldor laughed, nuzzling briefly into his hair before she dropped a kiss to his forehead. "You're not wrong at all about that, my Love. But at least he's entertaining."

"I just wish he didn't talk so much. Wish his mind was quieter."

"Yeah," Aldor sighed. "Makes things... uneasy…"

"Too noisy," Din grumbled. "Our way is so peaceful and I guess I've gotten used to it. I'm just annoyed we have that to contend with for now." He screwed up his eyes through another attempt to work his way into Mayfeld's mind, but soon jumped back out and shuddered as he clamped his arms around her to steady himself. "Fuck, it's painful. I was always so jumpy in those days, and now I think it was because of all the fucking noise from minds like his. I imagine they're pretty common in this Galaxy."

"Why do you think I've never wanted to leave the Eye?"

Din smiled and chuckled softly. He pressed a kiss to her throat and whispered against her skin, "My Lady is so wise. Maybe scugholes like him could learn something from you."

"Well, my Love, I sense you may have had some influence on him long before me. It's strange how he's terrified of you, but he's not… afraid of you. He trusts you. He respects you. I think he may even admire you a little. But he'll never let on. Not on purpose. But… as I expected, his disguise isn't good. Can see right through it."

Din's smile pitched up at one corner, and a quiet huff shook his chest against her. "I think I might actually feel a little sorry for him, my Lady."

"How so?"

"I knew he'd be no match for you," Din answered with an admiring little smile. "Just now when you were doctoring him, he had no idea who he was dealing with."

Aldor gave him a saucy smile. "They never do, my Love. None but you."

"And none but you, my Lady," he whispered, and didn't stop kissing her, dragging his lips indulgently along her neck and throat, nipping gently at her jaw and taking a few deep sweeps into her mouth with his tongue. His lips were warm and his mustache soft against her skin. His arms at this moment seemed like the source of all comfort in the Universe. She wanted him so badly, she could taste it on every patch of skin her lips caressed, and all the lovely sensations of Din momentarily routed her intentions to get up and start dinner. Sensing he'd triumphed, he continued to trail soft kisses over her throat and under her jaw, licking behind her ear as he murmured softly, "First bright day, my Lady. And I already promised you."

Aldor wrapped her arms as far around her lover as she could, so tempted to turn in his lap and straddle him. Impale herself on his gorgeous thick cock and ride him until he was half mad. She was already wet enough to accommodate him with ease, but there were too many variables in play right now. Resigned, she sighed plaintively and took Din's handsome face in her hands, and coaxed him closer to kiss him. His lips so delicious and warm. So soft and pliant under hers as she licked slowly into the spicy flavor she loved more than anything in the Galaxy.

"Oh shit! Sorry, Mando…"

Aldor grumbled and let her mouth part from her lover's as she cast him a little pout. He smiled sadly and brushed his thumb over her lips before he took one more brief peck, and Aldor got up from his lap to start dinner. "Never mind, Mr. Mayfeld," she said graciously. "We were getting distracted anyway."

Din let his hand trail along the small of her back as she stood, and watched his palm slide over her backside as he asked, "Do you need a hand, my Lady?"

"I will later," she whispered, and took his hair in her fingers to kiss him hard and hungry, punctuating the suggestion in her reply. I know you won't leave me empty. "But for now, my Love, try not to punch Mr. Mayfeld again. I don't want any blood on the table."

Din shot Mayfeld a dark look. "I'll take him outside first if the need arises, my Lady."

"That's my Mandalorian."

Having witnessed this exchange, Mayfeld seemed torn between laughing it off and taking it seriously, and ended up only looking more twitchy while he tried to wrap his head around what he'd just witnessed. The same man who accepted a passionate kiss from his lover tilted a stiff nod at him, and silently indicated the chair directly across the table. Mayfeld had gathered this was someone's designated seat, and hesitated just in case it was some kind of trick. "Where's the Kid?"

"He'll be along," Din said, taking up the circuit board he had been working on since last night. Without looking up, he nodded at the chair again. "Have a seat, Mayfeld. We're not getting anything done on your ship until morning. Gets cold here at night. And you don't want to meet up with a vulture in the dark."

Aldor set a cup of Nightfall tea at the spot on the table Din had indicated. "Here, Mr. Mayfeld. This will settle you. Please, have a seat."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

"Only if you misbehave."

Aldor sensed Din longing to burst into laughter, but it came out in a short huff. "I told you, Mayfeld," he said. "You really don't want to fuck with her."

At last, Migs sat down and looked tentatively into his cup of tea, and lifting it to his nose, he took a short whiff. "What is this?"

"I call it Nightfall tea," Aldor answered as she set a cup in front of her Mandalorian, and gave his cheek a quick peck. "It has an herb in it that's native to the Eye. It refreshes and relaxes, and I find it quite tasty. It will settle you, Mr. Mayfeld. I promise it's not poison."

"If you wanna settle me, maybe you could find me something stronger."

"I do occasionally make a sort of wine out of the winter stone fruits," Aldor said. "But it's been years, and I traded my last few bottles before Din and Grogu came. So I'm sorry Mr. Mayfeld. For now, it's this or water."

"Trust me, Mayfeld," Din urged. "You'll like it. Do us all a favor and fucking relax. I promise we won't kill you unless you give us a reason."

Mayfeld sighed heavily, and after a bit more inspection, finally took a sip. After a moment of expecting to pass out, he seemed satisfied when he didn't, and took another sip after he watched Din take a long pull from his own mug. No longer distracted by the prospect of being poisoned, his sharp blue eyes darted around the hull, simply for something to do while Din sat silently at work and Aldor hummed over a pot of gourd stew. Aldor felt poor Mayfeld winding up tighter with each passing second of silence, and even sooner than she predicted, he broke. "So is this all you do? Sit and... what is that... I dunno... program explosives or somethin'..."

"Sometimes," Din answered casually. "But mostly we spend our time on what needs to be done. Whatever it is."

"So... do you talk... ever?"

"We talk all the time, but we don't speak much."

Aldor felt Mayfeld's brain breaking, and couldn't stifle her laugh. Poor Mayfeld. Din was rather enjoying this, and frankly so was Aldor, but she felt guilty for leaving him out of the joke, and took pity on the wayward smuggler. "None of the three of us needs words to talk to each other, Mr. Mayfeld. We use the Force. We prefer it that way."

Mayfeld's mind came to a full stop as he looked back and forth between Din and Aldor, then clicked through a few details he'd skipped over in their exchanges so far. It suddenly seemed to dawn on him all at once. "So you're really... You're actually a Jedi now, Mando? Mind tricks and all? I thought the Empire wiped them all out."

"A few of us survived," Aldor answered with a stern look at their guest, warning him not to push too far. "And I believe many… like Din… never made it to the Temple. Which was fortunate. Because very few of us escaped there."

"But… but you're Mandalorian," Mayfeld protested. "How can you be a Jedi too?"

Din shrugged. "I'm not really a Jedi, but I can wield the Force like one. And I'm not the first Mandalorian who can. Pretty sure I'm not the only one alive. I just remember now how to do what I've always done by nature. Most of my life it was reduced to a buried instinct, but now I can understand and use it. I'm still learning and I have a few blocks, but Aldor is a good teacher."

Mayfeld's eyes swiveled back to Aldor. "And what about you? You're a Jedi?"

Aldor nodded. "I was. I grew up at the Jedi Temple and escaped when the Clones attacked us. I managed to bring along a few datapads I used to advance my studies on my own. And for a time, I had the benefit of instruction from both a Jedi Master and a seasoned soldier. I was lucky, Mr. Mayfeld. Unlike so many others."

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Migs?" Din asked quietly. "Same story for all of us. Grogu too. Cara Dune and Boba Fett. Even Fennec. It's all the same story. Like you said on Morak. Doesn't matter who was in charge of our sector of the Galaxy, we got fucked over all the same. That's why we're helping you. And because we know you have a soul." Din leaned over the table significantly, making sure Mayfeld caught his full meaning when he concluded, "But I will not hesitate to kill you if you give me a good enough reason."

"What kind of reason is that?" Mayfeld asked tentatively.

"You already know the answer to that question, Migs," he said as he looked back down at the board in his hands.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Mayfeld huffed mirthlessly. But again his eyes betrayed his heart, and Aldor sensed his sincerity when he went on. "But… really… I gotta know, Mando… not because I want to be jerk or anything, but because I'm just fuckin' curious. How'd you end up here? Like this? And how the fuck are you a Jedi all of a sudden?"

"It wasn't all of a sudden," Din answered. "Started before I came here. You said you heard about Mandalore." Din sighed and shook his head, glancing up at Aldor as he questioned the wisdom of answering Mayfeld's curiosity.

Aldor merely nodded because she saw no harm in being honest. She sensed he wanted to be candid anyway, because he was curious to see how Mayfeld would react to all he would say. Mayfeld had only known him as Mando, so this was a rare opportunity. Aldor understood this entirely, and sensed honesty was the best policy in this case anyway. After all, my Love, he's behaved himself so far.

Din flashed a confirming smile at her, then looked back across the table at Mayfeld to continue. "After everything went down on Mandalore, me and the Kid headed out… needed to lay low because there were too many people after us. And shit on Mandalore was… well… I had to get off that rock. So we came out this way looking for a place to hunker down. We went system-hopping for nearly a year, but the Kid was leading us here the whole time. He remembered her from the Temple. So I landed here when the Kid begged me to, and… well… Aldor was here. After a while I realized I like this planet. Knew I liked her the second I met her. My boy was the happiest I'd ever seen him, so… here we still are. Was here a few months before I remembered how to use the Force. I started to wake up before we got here, but I didn't remember. Aldor helped me. Helped me find out for myself." At this, he looked up at her and tilted her a loving smile. "My Lady is wise. She's gracious. And she knows how to handle me. Wasn't about to give that up."

"I mean… yeah… you gotta lock that down when you find it, Mando, and I don't blame you. But… don't you miss it? Being out in the Galaxy. Like… that was the thing everybody knew about you. That you were always fuckin' on the move. And not to fuck with you or your kid. That's what everybody remembered about Mando. I just don't get how you go from being a bastard of a bounty hunter to… to… whatever this is."

"Whatever this is has given me purpose I never thought I'd have. Like you said. You gotta lock it down when you find it." He paused and looked pointedly across the table at Mayfeld. Aldor sensed the old convict's mind going back to a moment in his memory, when he saw the Mandalorian's heart in his eyes and recognized something familiar there. Din sensed where Mayfeld's mind was, and continued quietly, "You were the first person to see my face in more than thirty years, Migs. You saw it before Grogu did. So tell me… when you saw this face, did you see a killer?"

Mayfeld was struck by this question, and responded more deeply to it than he thought he let on. Aldor sensed that he'd seriously considered it already, but never expected anyone to ask his opinion. He sat in silence while he fidgeted and swept his eyes over Din's face. "No," he said at last, and sat back in a huff. "Okay. I get it. Really."

Din nodded. "I didn't think so. And I think you remember it because I never saw a killer in your face either."

Mayfeld only sighed and fidgeted some more, then finally took a deeper draught of his tea and cleared his throat. "Okay. This stuff is pretty good."

"Thank you Mr. Mayfeld," Aldor said. "Dinner's almost ready, and Grogu will be coming up the ramp in a minute." She summoned a chair from the living room with the Force, and positioned it at the table. "I think he pushed himself a bit, my Love. He's taken this visit quite seriously. He knew I was going to let him run the Gauntlet today, but he was so gracious about it when he didn't get to, Din. He was disappointed, but perfectly content when I got back here. Focused. If anything, he's just a little irritated. He's grown up a lot since the Solstice. And he knows it's almost time."

Din nodded. "I know." He heaved a deep sigh. "One thing at a time, my Lady. One thing at a time. But you're right. He's determined."

"Like father like son," Aldor said with a familial smile. "He's getting very good, my Love. And wiser than either of us. He's big enough now to grip a hilt, plus Force knows how strong that kid is."

Din chuckled. "Yeah. But we shouldn't say anything yet, my Lady. He'll sense it, but he knows not to push us."

Aldor nodded. "We'll tell him when we know the time is right, my Love." She lighted over to him long enough to steal a quick kiss, completely ignoring Mayfeld's surprise at seeing Mando smile again.

Din sensed Mayfeld's eyes on him and faced him after Aldor returned to her pot of stew. He nodded toward the ramp and commented, "Not sure you'll believe it when you see him, Mayfeld. The Kid's growing up."

"Doubt the Kid remembers me…"

"He remembers you," Din said. "Grogu remembers everything."

"Grogu?"

Din nodded. "That's his name."

Mayfeld followed Mando's eyes to the ramp just as it opened and Grogu trotted up and into the hull. "How'd you do, Son?" Din asked.

"Minute ten," Grogu grumbled. "Better next time." He paused to regard Mayfeld a moment, then gave him a quick nod and said, "Mayfeld."

"Hi-ya… Kid…"

Grogu hopped up onto the counter to give Aldor a sweet little kiss on her cheek. "Almost ready?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. "Both dinner and you my dear One. Don't worry. We'll run the Gauntlet soon."

Grogu grinned and nodded as Aldor gave his ever-thickening mane of hair an affectionate tousle, then he kissed her cheek again and hopped back down to the floor to trot over to his father and climb into his lap. He gave Din a greeting nose rub and asked, "All okay?"

"Just fine, Son," Din answered. "Mayfeld remembers not to fuck with us."

"Yeah… yeah, Kid…" Mayfeld laughed nervously. "Don't worry about me."

Grogu narrowed his eyes at Mayfeld a moment longer, seeming to dip into his mind more easily than either of his parents. He looked up at Din and nodded. "Wiser."

"I think so too," Din chuckled. "Now go wash up, Son. Your mother says dinner's almost ready."

"What did the Kid mean by that?"

"It's a good thing, Mayfeld. Makes me a little less likely to kill you."


Dinner and the hour or two after it were excruciating with Mayfeld in the mix. Aldor sensed Din's irritation, and kept him wrapped in calming ribbons. It was enough to keep his temper under control, so he managed to maintain a state of careful hospitality. At least Mayfeld had learned to stop leering at Aldor, and Din could live with most of the rest.

But he was utterly relieved when Mayfeld retired to the engine room with a pelt and some linens. Not long afterward, Grogu bid his parents good night, and Din was finally able to lie down with his Lady. He immediately gathered her in his arms and hugged her tight to him, closing his eyes on a heavy sigh as his muscles relinquished their grip on his bones. He didn't realize how anxious he'd been until now, when he was finally able to block everything out except the soothing hum of his lover's thoughts, and her warm, naked body in his arms. She was as relieved as he was, and snuggled closer against his chest as he buried his nose in her hair to inhale her sweet fragrance. "So peaceful," he whispered. "Got used to how things are with us, my Lady. Can't believe I was ever used to that."

Her lips curled into a smile against his chest, and he hugged her tighter. "It is a lot, my Love. But here in our bed, there is only us. I'm especially grateful for that right now."

Din smiled and kissed her forehead. "Yes, my Lady. Me too." He dipped his head to brush his nose across her brow, asking her to look at him. He smiled when she answered his unspoken request, and kissed her softly. So easy, my Lady. And so quiet. I touch you and you feel what I want… then you do it… same as I do for you… always know… what you want.

Want you, my Mandalorian.

I promised you. Don't care who's here. Don't care what comes. I won't leave you empty, my Lady.

Din rose to his knees and sat back on his heels, letting his hands travel along her slopes and rises, savoring her softness under his fingers. Her eyes were full of steam and fire, remembering this morning. She opened her legs wider as Din massaged her thighs, dragging his thumbs seductively through the creases. Already wet, aren't you, my Lady? He dipped his fingertip into her folds to see for himself, and found the soft lips damp and swollen. "Mmmm…" he murmured, mindless of everything but her and the pull of desire as it rippled through his hard penis, listening to her sighs while she looked longingly into his face. He stroked her clit in slow, gentle circles, gradually stoking a fire that wanted to rage through his Lady's heart and body. She sighed and stared back at him, letting him see how good he made her feel as she swayed against his slick fingers. His cock twitched plaintively when he eased his finger into the softness to find her more than ready to take all of him. "Want me inside you, don't you, my Lady?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Don't you want… don't you want me… to consume you…"

Din plunged his erection deep and hard into her without warning, lit up and already reeling as she gasped and dug her fingers into his back. "Yes, I do," he growled as he began to move, savoring every twitch and texture of her. Sunk in deep and possessed with how she felt and how she tasted as his lips fell wherever they would, just taking in every flavor of his lover's body while the rest of the Universe faded out of existence. Grateful to be here with you… inside you… nowhere else I should be… only here in this bed with my Lady… buried in her… making her cum… letting her lead me through the Force… He thrust hard and heavy into her, moaning at how she hugged and enveloped him in so much warm honey, slick and soft and tight as she levered her hips into his, meeting every stroke as her breath heaved through her lungs, coming faster as she clutched his hair in her fingers.

Feel so good, my Mandalorian… so big and hard in me… made me so wet… aches... aches... feels... oh shit... Din... gonna… gonna make me… make me… "Ahaahh!"

It was all Din could do to hold on, loving that he could feel her thoughts through all of it. Loving that he could experience her orgasm through and through as he bit his lip and fought release. He wanted to make this last as long as it could, but her pulsing pussy was clamped perfectly around him, flooded and hugging him tighter as he saw the event horizon already ahead. She pulled him down to her and crushed his lips to hers, licking deep and hungrily into his mouth as his body flew into a riot of sensation, covered and consumed, possessed and overtaken as he hammered into her hard and fast, needing to give her every last drop of himself.

That's it, my Love… know you want to… know you want to cum… fill me… give me all of it… fuck me hard and cum harder… made my pussy so tight… made me so wet… know you want to… want to fill it… yes, my Love… yes! "Aaahhh!"

"Aldor!" Din was undone. Decimated and wrecked and helpless as death and resurrection came without warning, and every thick rope of release brought him closer to the Cosmic Force as his lover wrapped her arms and legs around him, spasming through a deep, powerful orgasm until at last she moaned softly, and her heat squeezed his softening cock in silk, and wouldn't allow a single drop to spill.

Stay in me a minute… please, my Love… don't want… don't want to let go… just yet… feel so good… even soft… just you… inside me… love it so much… love you so much… just stay… stay in me…

Promised… promised I wouldn't leave you empty… don't mean to… just grateful… so fucking grateful for you… for this… for how it feels to be in you… just so grateful…

Aldor lifted her hips to take him gently deeper, holding on tighter as she shifted and pulsed around him. He closed his eyes and breathed deep as she ran her fingers through his hair and let her fingertips trail behind his ear and over his cheek. And I am grateful for you, my Mandalorian. I am grateful to have you here at last after a lifetime apart… don't know why, but Mayfeld has made it all so clear, hasn't he? How lucky we are to have found each other after so long…

Makes me think of the time before. When I felt something coming but had no idea… had no notion… that I could ever have this… never imagined it… could so easily be just like Mayfeld… was for a while… but never again, my Lady. Why when I can have this. A lover who wants me to stay in her… wants to savor me as I savor her.

Don't want to let go, my Love… can you feel it? Can you feel me throbbing? Do you sense how much I love to hold all of you inside me?

Yes. Yes, my Lady. I feel everything… feel your heart purring… feel your pussy hugging my cock… could stay like this until time ends… would fucking love it. Looking at your sweet face and loving you. Seeing how you love me. This is how I want to die, my Lady. How I want to live. There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect this feeling…

I know, my Love… we will all fight to protect it.

Strength. You told me before the Solstice. Our purpose is not to break. I sense we are more than capable of that, my Lady. When I look at you and feel all this… yes, I sense it will be hard to break us. No matter what irritating scughole drops in on us.

Aldor laughed and kissed him. She held his eyes a moment as a miniscule smile softly turned up the corners of her sweet mouth. "I love you," she whispered, and brought him down to kiss him again. He barely noticed it, but she shifted her hips slightly and squeezed him, then finally let her body relax as she allowed his flaccid penis to slowly slip out of her.

Din sighed shakily, watching her expression flutter as he settled on top of her, carefully distributing his weight to his hip and elbow as he kissed her and let his fingers trail between her legs to gently stroke her clit. He looked down to watch his seed leak out of her wet lips, and sighed softly at the beautiful sight before he licked her nipple and settled his head on her breast to watch as he continued to stroke her. "Feels good after I cum in you, doesn't it, my Lady?" he asked softly. "When I play with your clit. It resonates so deep inside you… almost feel it in my own body… like when I make you cum with my tongue… always feel that in my cock… so hard not to fuck you after…"

"But you always fuck me after you taste me… well… except on Solstice Eve… like an asshole, Din Djarin."

Din chuckled. "You didn't mind it later, did you?"

Aldor sighed and subtly swayed her hips, smiling as he reminded her how good he could make her feel with his fingers through her folds. "No, my Love," she whispered, barely arcing her back as she sighed again and settled into a rhythm that matched Din's fingertip over her clit, murmuring as he watched her breasts rise in presentation, begging him to take one of them into his mouth. "But you made me wait so long," she breathed as Din licked between her breasts, then closed his lips around her left nipple. "Made me wait for…" Her voice stopped when he slipped two fingers into her softness. "Ahh..." she whispered.

"I just love to watch you cum, Aldor," he whispered, stroking deep into her heat with his fingers, burying them to the last knuckle and swirling circles inside her as she gasped and bucked and opened her legs wider. "However I can make you cum, I just fucking love to watch it," he rasped, pumping harder into her with his fingers as she whimpered his name to the ceiling. "Love to watch you unravel," he breathed, and took her nipple between his teeth as she sobbed and clutched his hair, bucking with every hard shove of his fingers until both hands wrenched at his hair. She pulled him down to devour him in a hard, hungry kiss until at last she couldn't hold on, and release poured over his hand while he shoved his fingers as deep as they could go. She seized and sobbed and fell limp under him, barely conscious until he covered her with his body and kisses, and buried himself to make her cum in yet another delightful way.

Hours later, coming out of a deep sleep in the small hours of the morning, Din sensed eyes on him. His hunter reflexes told him it wasn't a threat, so he remained where he was with Aldor draped over him as she slept. Mayfeld had glimpsed Mando holding his lady in their bunk, and stopped for a moment on his way to the fresher. In the few seconds that followed, the quietest thought Din had ever gathered from Migs Mayfeld's chaotic brain popped out. Fuckin' Mando. Lucky bastard. Least he's a good guy. Woman like that. Fuck. Maybe he's got the right idea. Gotta find me a warmer planet, though. Fuckin' backwater skank pit… woman like that, though… worth it I guess.

Din suppressed a chuckle and gathered Aldor gently closer as she sighed and snuggled against him under the furs. Luckiest bastard in the Universe. He knew he was. Knew it through and through as her heart beat steadily against him, and he let it soothe him back into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Din was annoyed to sense Mayfeld already stirring when he woke again near dawn. He'd hoped to make her cum at least twice before breakfast, but Mayfeld was clearly an early riser, and Din grumbled when he realized they wouldn't have time this morning. "Dank ferrick," Aldor mumbled from his chest, where she was warmly installed and just opening her eyes. "I was hoping you could make me cum before breakfast too, my Love."

"We just need to get him back on his way," Din whispered. "Then we can have our planet to ourselves again… for as long as we can anyway."

"I told you it would start soon. But like Grogu said, I think it's only the beginning. It'll be a while before we see… all those faces…"

"I hope so," Din sighed, smiling faintly as he brushed his fingers through her hair. "I want you to myself for at least a few more Solstices… greedy maybe, but… I don't think you'd mind that either."

Aldor shook her head, then bent to his chest to kiss him there. "I wouldn't at all, my Love. But for now… I suppose we should get up and get dressed. So we can be underway and have him on his." She sighed and sat up, stretching so beautifully, Din almost didn't care what Mayfeld might see, and halfway considered attempting a quickie. But wisdom reigned as Aldor's words repeated in his head. Get underway. Have Mayfeld on his. Good idea.

So he ruefully sat up and got distracted only once when he had to kiss her breasts a few times before she covered them up again with her farm girl tunic. He groaned a little playfully and a little seriously when they were both fully dressed. "Teasing me with your farm girl clothes, my Lady," he murmured, running his hands under her tunic to palm her breasts again. "So fucking sexy like this," he whispered, and dipped his head down to kiss her deeply as he cupped and massaged her indulgently, caressing her nipples and just savoring her. She lay her hands over his through the fabric, and pressed his palms over her breasts, encouraging him to keep touching her as she licked deep into his mouth.

She practically sobbed when they both sensed Mayfeld's intentions to leave the engine room, and pulled her lips sadly away from his. "Aching for you," she whispered. "Want you inside me so much, my Love… your hands on me… already wet again… feels so good this morning… always does… but…"

"Oh shit, Mando, I'm sorry."

Aldor pouted deeply, and Din almost wanted to punch Mayfeld again. But he reigned in his temper, and sighed as he kissed his lover once more. He subtly let his hands slide out from under her tunic after one more gentle squeeze. "It's all right, Mayfeld," he murmured. "Sorry if we're… well… we're not used to company."

"Yeah… well… I'm sorry anyway… don't blame you… either of you…"

"I'll get breakfast started, my Love," she whispered, and kissed him again. "I'll just step out to get some meilooruns. Will cheer Grogu up. And of course we'll both help with the ship."

Din nodded. "Thank you, my Lady," he murmured. She turned to walk out the door, but he stopped her and pulled her back to kiss her one last time. I love you. Just remember… tonight, my Lady…

You won't leave me empty.

Din shook his head. "Never," he whispered. He watched her walk out the hatch and sighed as it closed behind her, then turned again to his guest. "Sorry, Mayfeld," he said quietly. "We didn't expect you to be up so early."

"I guess not," Migs snorted. "But really, Mando… I am sorry. Looks like… looks like you're in pretty deep with her."

Din nodded. "It was a good question you asked, Migs," he mumbled as he turned to the hob to start some Sunrise tea. "Why she's not my wife. It's a good question."

"Is that why you punched me?"

"No. I punched you because you were picturing her naked after I warned you," Din reminded him. "That and you annoy the fuck out of me, Mayfeld. But you ask good questions."

"Guess that's somethin'." Mayfeld stopped a moment, wearing an expression of confusion. "Wait… how did you know…"

"The Force, Mayfeld… that's how."

"So you can… really read minds now?"

"Kind of always could. Just… easier now that I know." Din shot him a warning look, and concluded, "So you might want to remember that, Mayfeld. Aldor and Grogu can do it too."

Migs threw his hands up in surrender. "All right… just… help me with my ship and I'll be on my way. Need to get back to normal after this. Tweaks me the fuck out… Mando out here… with a woman… just… fuckin' weird."

"Trust me, Mayfeld, I'm little tweaked out to see you too."

"Ah, Mando, don't worry. If I was gonna double cross you I woulda done it already. But I guess you know that."

Din nodded. "I do."

"Anyway… we kinda owe each other… and don't worry… I'll leave you a shield generator and a power cell like I promised. The people I'm workin' for… well… they're kinda like you… like me too, I guess. I'm bringin' 'em a few extras anyway. I'll still get paid and we'll keep doing business."

Din nodded again. "Good. It's not easy out here and I'm sure your clients know that. It's good you're not working for scugholes anymore. Guess we were right to tell the Blues you were dead."

"It did come in handy, Mando, but it was a bitch getting a new chain code. Everybody's tightening up and the whole fuckin' Galaxy feels it. Shit's gonna hit the fan eventually."

"Always does," Din sighed. "Won't be long before more folks are pushing out this way."

"Yeah, I'm afraid so, Mando," Mayfeld grunted. "Sorry, but I've seen this shit before… when I was on the other end of it… still have nightmares… and it's starting again. Probably a good thing you three are out here. The Imps are gunning for Force Sensitives. Just like the fuckin' old days."

"They always have been…" Din grumbled. "Not just Imps either."

"Yeah," Mayfeld grunted. He looked warily at Din for a moment, but Din didn't sense any snark this time. It was something else. Empathy of all things. Empathy from Migs Mayfeld when he soberly asked, "Is that why… you don't have any kids with her?"

Din stared hard at the softened blue eyes, not sure how he felt about this question. But Mayfeld clearly knew some things, and it couldn't hurt to hear him out. "How did you know?" he asked quietly.

"One of my COs from the old days. He was pretty old… was there for the Clone Wars… Separatist, but somehow he ended up an Officer in the Empire." Migs looked down, bouncing his leg nervously as he shook his head. "Fuckin' turned my stomach, Mando… not afraid to admit it to you… the shit he talked about. You're about the right age, I guess."

"Did he talk about sterilizing Force-sensitive children?"

Mayfeld nodded. "And worse. I think… I think you and your wife might've been lucky, Mando."

"We have been," Din murmured. "But you're right… they did the same thing to Aldor."

Mayfeld expelled a hard, irritated breath and spat a Huttese curse. "Fuckin' scugholes. You know, after fifteen years fighting for those bastards, blowing up that Imp refinery on Morak gave me more satisfaction than any fuckin' mark I can remember. Oh, strike that. Killing that fucker Hess… that's what did it. Made me happier than a dozen horny Twi's and a million credits. Fuckin' makes me smile every time I think of it. That's why I'm not gonna double cross you, Mando. Don't fuckin' worry. You did me a favor. You did all of us a favor. Maker knows what those psychos would've done with that rhydonium."

"That's why I probably won't kill you… unless…"

"Yeah, I know. Unless I give you a good enough reason. Loud and fuckin' clear, Mando."

Having reached a mutual understanding, Din offered Mayfeld some sunrise tea, which he took gratefully when Din promised it would give him a boost. Not long afterward, Aldor returned from the gardens and Grogu was up and awake. While Aldor and Grogu gathered tools, food, and water for the day, Mayfeld and Din went through Aldor's massive collection of scraps and parts where it was all neatly housed and carefully categorized in the shed near their ships. Din often enjoyed hours here, becoming lost in ideas for future modifications and present repairs. And he loved to imagine how she amassed such a collection over thirty years of scugholes who underestimated her. He smiled to himself while they were shifting through gun parts, and couldn't hold back his chuckles.

"Do I even wanna know, Mando?" Mayfeld asked over a bin full of fuses.

"Just… things I think about…"

"Well, I guess you must've been thinking about her," Mayfeld quipped. "Only ever see you smile when she's around."

"Wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. I think I probably would."

"Just need to find you a warmer planet," Din said with a wry twist under his mustache.

Mayfeld only huffed and went back to digging through fuses while he muttered to himself. "Fuckin' mind-reading Mando… end of the fuckin' Galaxy…"

Within an hour, all was assembled to trek southward to Mayfeld's ship with his parts in tow on the sledge. For once, R5 appeared to be in a good mood despite the weight he was hauling. Din suspected the droid left his typically shitty attitude in the engine room simply because he had a ship to work on. It was a good thing, because a bored astromech was just the thing to speed this along. Of course it helped to have three handy Force-wielders on the job too, so the work went quickly once they got going. Grogu's small size and developed understanding of electronics had fashioned him into a much better technician than he had been the last time he tried to help his father with a ship, and provided nimble fingers in places that would have been impossible for anyone else to reach. Aldor was brilliant as ever, offering advice on how to retrofit mismatched parts, and using the Force to hold heavy components in place to be welded or bolted to the hull.

All the while, they had a rapt audience in Mayfeld. He did his share of the work, but sometimes he got distracted, watching Mando and his family perfectly manipulate a complex array into something better than it had been before the hunters attacked him. All of it accomplished in a silent collaboration in which only the occasional, "Yeah, that's it," disturbed the quiet. Half of Mayfeld's brain was in agony at all this silence, but the other half was too fascinated to care. At last, after Clan Djarin refit a functioning cannon to the side of the hull in less than five minutes without uttering a word to each other, he'd had all he could take. "How the fuck are you doing this?!"

Din looked up at Mayfeld, and couldn't help but laugh at the confusion on his face. "Aldor told you, Mayfeld. We use the Force to speak. I'm sorry, but… it just kind of happens."

"I'm afraid we've gotten so used to it, Mr. Mayfeld, that sometimes we don't know whether we're speaking out loud or not," Aldor added.

"Doesn't that drive you crazy?"

"It's not constant," Din explained. "And we understand each other well enough to know when we shouldn't delve too deep."

"Guess it makes sense," Mayfeld grumbled as he bent under the newly fitted canon and worked on calibrating the sensors. He glanced down at Aldor. "You know, this guy… the first time I saw his face… could barely fucking talk… never talked much even in his beskar. Almost looked like he forgot how when he wasn't in it."

"Doesn't surprise me," Aldor replied. Her voice took on a sultry tone as Din felt a flutter of ribbons between his thighs. "My Mandalorian doesn't need words in or out of his armor. Certainly not with me."

Din smiled and chuckled, peering down at her where she was aligning the targeting lenses. She answered with a demure smile. You promised me.

I swear it, my Lady… I won't leave you empty.

"Well, you got something right with this guy, Lady," Mayfeld huffed. "Never thought the fucker could laugh before."

It was a lot harder then, my Lady.

Aldor's lips spread into a pale crimson bow. "I wasn't sure he could laugh either, Mr. Mayfeld. But didn't take me long to get a smile out of him. I always know when he's smiling. Even behind the beskar."

"How long did it take you to show your face anyway, Mando?" Mayfeld asked.

Din was in the mood to be open, so he answered without hesitation. "A few months." He looked back down at Aldor. "How many, my Lady?"

"I think about… three or four… not sure. Much of that is something of a blur, my Love."

Din chuckled. "For me too, my Lady."

"So… what did it?" Mayfeld glanced again at Aldor. "Was he weird about it like he always was before?"

"I wouldn't say weird," Aldor answered. "He had his reasons and I understood them."

"But… what did it, Mando? Really. I'm not tryin'a be a jerk here, just curious…"

"One of the vultures attacked me," Din answered. "Lost some blood and the vultures carry a lot of pathogens, so she had to heal it fast. Would've killed me if she didn't. Had to get my armor and shirt off to heal it, so… well… I guess I took it off out of necessity. But by that point, it didn't really matter. I wanted to kiss her so bad, I would've taken it off anyway."

"So what'd ya think?" Mayfeld asked Aldor.

"He looks how he feels," Aldor answered. "That's all I know to tell you. And yes, Mr. Mayfeld, I think my Mandalorian is a very handsome man."

"So… was that all it took… ya know… to get you together…"

"We were kind of together long before that," Din admitted. "Already in love with each other… before she saw my face. Just didn't… didn't really do anything about it until after."

Mayfeld stopped a moment in his work, and looked between them. Then he settled a more thoughtful eye on Din. "Yeah, I see how that would be a big deal to you. That she had feelings, you know… before. I get it… really, Mando… I get it. It's… a rare thing… what you got… I'm not gonna fight you on that, but I don't think that's everything. Last time I saw you, it nearly fucking killed you to take that helmet off. Gotta be more to it for a guy like you, so I wanna know what really did it."

"Definitely wasn't a trivial thing," Din admitted. "But I really can't explain it. There aren't any words for it. I guess when I realized I had something to fight for… for Aldor and our boy… I didn't need to hide my face anymore. Didn't want to hide anything from her."

Mayfeld sat back a moment deep in thought, staring sightlessly down at the sensor in front of him. "I guess I can see that," he answered. "Kinda like… leaving the Empire… was a relief to take off that fucking helmet."

Din nodded deeply in understanding. "Figured you'd know what that's like."

They worked another half hour before Din turned to Aldor and wordlessly suggested they take a break for lunch. Aldor agreed. They'd both sensed Grogu getting grumpy, and neither realized how quickly the morning passed. So she stood from under the cannon and summoned Grogu with the promise of ray jerky and dried winter fruits.

The four of them spent some time over lunch, resting and formulating the next steps. Din was confident they could get the ship ready for hyperspace by tomorrow afternoon if they continued at this pace, so he finally managed to relax a little. Aldor shot him a sweet smile, and scooted over to where he was leaned against a boulder on the ground. She burrowed into his arms and pressed a kiss into her favorite spot under his jaw. Going well, isn't it, my Love.

Just thinking… maybe by tomorrow afternoon…

I hope so. I may have warmed a little to Mr. Mayfeld, but he's still exhausting.

Din chuckled. It won't be much longer. And he promised to leave us a shield generator and a power cell. In the long run, it'll be worth it. And if he's right about his clients… he says they're like us, so maybe it's another settlement… hunkered down and trying to stay hidden. Force knows how many there are out here… they could be allies someday if we need them… hope we won't but… wouldn't hurt to know who they are.

I agree. That is an interesting bit of information. We should remember it. It may pay off to leave Mr. Mayfeld alive after all.

Maybe.

Din forgot what else he meant to say when Aldor suddenly looked skyward with an expression of alarm. "Something's coming," she murmured. For a moment she kept looking upward, then immediately stood and hurried over to the ship like she was following a sound.

"Aldor?"

"Mr. Mayfeld, have you checked your ship for tracking beacons?"

Din's head lit up at Aldor's question, and he began to sense static coming from the ship, connecting it to something off-world. He rushed to help her look for the source, and barked at Mayfeld, "Answer her, Migs!"

"Yes!" Mayfeld cried. "What, do you think I'm an idiot… soon as I landed!"

"Cloaked," Aldor murmured. "I think it's cloaked…." She rushed around the ship's hull, Din following close behind, trying to sense out where the static was coming from.

Then came Grogu's small, anxious voice. "There!" Aldor immediately rushed to where the boy stood pointing just under the loading ramp near the landing gear.

"Shit!" Aldor spat, and took her saber out in a flash to slash through open air just above the hull. But then a spark deactivated the cloak, and the tracker blinked a few more times before it went dark, and Aldor slashed it again for good measure. "We're going to have company very soon, gentlemen. We need to be ready."

"No alarm yet…" Din turned and called, "R5!"

The droid came quickly out from the side hatch, and told them he hadn't picked up on anything yet, but he wasn't sure if he could detect a ship if it was cloaked too.

Din turned again. "Mayfeld! Were the hunters cloaked?"

"Nah," Mayfeld said, getting louder as his anxiety grew. "I didn't see, Mando. But I don't think so."

"Probably wouldn't be," Aldor assured him. "If they're just hunters… that sort of tech isn't easy to come by."

"And expensive," Din mumbled. "Okay, so best case, they're more than ten parsecs out. Worst case they're already on us and cloaked." He looked again at Aldor. "Do you sense anything, my Lady? I don't yet."

"I still feel it coming, but it's far, I think… you might have time to get to the N1 before they hit atmo."

"No. The turret. They won't be able to read it on their array, so it'll surprise them. And I need to be on the ground in case they land."

Aldor nodded. "You're right. But we should go now, my Love. Regroup at the YT until we see how this plays out."

"Okay, my Lady." He turned again behind him. "Mayfeld! Grogu! Let's gather as much of this up as we can and keep it hidden inside the hull. But double fucking quick." He turned back to Aldor, and pulled her to him to kiss her hard and fast. "Go to the YT, my Lady. Get the cannon ready. I swear, we're right behind you."

Aldor nodded and turned to run home, but Din grabbed her and crushed her in a deep hug. "Be careful, my Lady. Please."

"Of course, my Love. We are Clan Djarin…"

"And nothing will take it from us."

She kissed him once more, and then scurried off as Din turned to help Mayfeld and Grogu hide the parts and lock down Mayfeld's ship. All was accomplished quickly, but Din practically sprinted back to the YT with Grogu hanging on to his shoulders. He hated being separated from her under a looming threat, and ran through the forest in a muted panic until he finally passed through the perimeter and yelled back at Mayfeld to hurry his ass up so they could put up the ray shields. When Din stepped into the hull, Aldor was anxiously watching the array. "Still not on the sensors… but I sense they're much closer. The signal lasted long enough for them to triangulate where it came from."

"Is the cannon ready?"

Aldor nodded. "I think they're coming from where Mayfeld left them. Between here and Ilum. So I positioned the gun toward that sector. Hope it'll be enough."

"It'll be enough to disable them," Din assured her. "I'm more concerned about what might make it to the ground. If they lose their ship, they'll want payback and a new ship. We can't let them have either."

"They won't," Aldor promised.

Mayfeld finally crested the top of the ramp and crumpled over to brace his hands on his knees, catching his breath. "Where are they?" he panted.

"They'll be on sensors soon," Aldor murmured, keeping her eyes trained on the array, waiting for the inevitable alarm. It didn't take long, and as soon as it sounded, Din jumped into action. "I'm headed up to the cannon. Keep me updated, my Lady. How fast are they coming in?"

"Sub light for now," Aldor called up after him as he climbed the ladder into the gun turret. "Soon as they get a few sensor readings, they'll probably go light."

"What sector?"

"Right where it's pointed for now." Aldor glanced back at Mayfeld's anxious face. "Just be ready, Mr. Mayfeld. Some of them might make it to the ground. I hope you're still a good shot."

Mayfeld merely nodded. "Me too."

Grogu stood beside her, and now latched on to her leg, attempting to reassure himself. "Nothing take?"

Aldor smiled and shook her head. "Nothing will take it, my dear One. But be ready, okay? This is what we train for."

Grogu nodded. "Ready."

"That's our boy."

"Aldor, I sense…"

"Yes, my Love… they just went light. Headed straight for us." She gave him the headings for the ship's trajectory, and Din immediately repositioned the cannon and scanned the sky, asking the suns to let him know what they saw. They showed him a massively modified Imperial gunship headed straight for them, and suggested he get ready to fire as Aldor gave him new headings. Then he began to feel a malicious collection of minds bearing down on them, and focused all his power on timing and placing his shot as precisely as he could, repeating in his head that nothing would take his family from him.

The moment he caught sight of what he was aiming for, Aldor called out his moment, and molten fire shot out of him as he pulled the trigger, and begged the Force to guide the plasma shell to its mark. It hit the engine vents perfectly to instigate a chain reaction that ended in a massive explosion of plasma and fire. The ship immediately keened and broke apart in flames as it headed straight into the craggy mountains in the northern hemisphere. But Din's heart sank when he saw a large capsule shoot from the rear of the ship, and sail toward the eastern corner of the Eye.

"Fuck." Din was pretty sure all three humans said it at the same time, and he continued to chant it like a mantra as he jumped down from the turret and went straight for his weapons.