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againstacecilia · 2 years ago

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Cosmic Delight

Pairing: Din Djarin x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3k

Rating: 18+ minors DNI

Warnings: Reader still has some big feelings, alcohol, Din is beautiful (which isn't a warning, really, but feels like it needs to be).

A/N: Y'all, 400 followers already? I don't deserve any of you, thank you for reblogging and commenting and wanting to be a part of this little part of the internet. Also, always always always thank you to @creatively-analytical for beta-reading. I love you beyond words. 💖 Asks are always open!!

A binary sunrise rouses you from sleep, eyes cracking open and neck protesting from a night of sleeping in a chair. You uncurl and stand, stretching and massaging the knots from multiple spots on your body. It seems like Din isn’t up yet; thanking the Maker, you quietly descend the ladder and slip into the fresher.

The stark light above the small mirror casts your face in sharp relief. Your eyes are still puffy from the night before, nose and lips dry and raw from rubbing. Hoping to wash the night away, you turn on the fresher as hot as you can handle and stand under the spray.

Not even the scalding water can keep memories from flooding back, though, and the truth you admitted to yourself in the dark of night rears its head once again now in the glow of morning. You have feelings for Din, there’s no denying that now, and looking back over the last couple of months just confirms that for you. Your dedication to learning everything he taught you, the drive to catch Jafan, the fear that bloomed in your chest when you heard Din pass out last night, there were elements of your feelings for him in every moment for the last couple of weeks. You thought you wouldn’t feel anything like this after Arlon and his betrayal, but Din’s constant support and belief in you softened the ice that had begun forming around your heart before it even had a chance to take hold.

Turning off the water, you grab your towel and quickly dry off. Throwing your old clothes back on, you open the door and cross to your cot. You fully intend to climb in when the small door on Din’s bunk slides up and open and he begins to climb out.

“Morning,” he greets you, voice still groggy through the modulator.

“Morning,” you respond, “How are you feeling?”

“Bit of a headache but nothing to worry about.” He climbs fully out of his bunk and adjusts his armor. “How are you?”

“Fine.” You don’t make eye contact with him as you flop onto the cot.

He looks at you and, in the corner of your eye, you see his helmet tilt. You know the question he’s trying to ask: Fine? But you don’t acknowledge it. You just lay down and open your book, pretending to read.

Din’s stare lingers for another moment before he steps into the fresher. While he gets ready for the day, you stare at the pages in front of you desperately trying to come to terms with how you’re feeling. There’s no part of you that wants to leave or stop traveling with him, but would you be able to keep it together in front of Din? Was it fair to this other person in his life for you to be here with him while you had these feelings? Was it even healthy for you to be feeling like this so soon after Arlon? By the time the shower turns off and Din steps back out you’re more confused than before, mind spinning and chasing itself in circles.

“We still have some time before Karga expects us back,” Din’s voice pulls you from your racing thoughts, “Want to explore the city?”

“Sure,” you respond, voice higher than usual. If Din notices, he doesn’t say anything as the two of you get ready to go back into the morning crowd.

The day is drizzly, the sound of rain hitting the streets and the ocean around you creates a pleasant soundtrack to your day. You spend it popping in and out of shops, gathering supplies and experiencing the culture of Mon Cala. Din orders you lunch from a delicious-smelling cart and finds a table for you to eat, overlooking the waves below. For as far as your eyes can see there’s just the blue of the ocean before meeting the gray of the sky. Somehow, even the rain is beautiful here.

“You’ve been quiet today,” Din observes, visor still pointed at the horizon.

Wiping your mouth and swallowing the food you’d been chewing, you respond, “Just a big day yesterday.” You shrug and take another bite.

“You did well, Cuyan.” He finally turns to face you, gaze somehow hard hidden under the helmet. “Come on, tell me what’s wrong.”

You finish your lunch and stand to throw the trash in a bin nearby. “Really, it’s nothing. Let’s go back to the Crest.” Without checking to see if Din was following, you take off toward the hanger.

Din takes your lead and follows you back in silence. You aren’t sure what you hope to accomplish by going to the one place you don’t have anywhere to be alone, but the Razor Crest has begun to feel like home. A safe space from the unknown and new territory of your new life. When you reach the hanger, Din opens the ramp and your feet carry you quickly into the dim interior.

The closing of the ramp behind you sets your heart racing. You make to head to the fresher when a gloved hand wraps around your wrist. Din pulls you around to face him, “Tell me what’s wrong, Cuyan.”

Your feet stop, but you don’t respond right away. How can you? You’re at a crossroads, feeling emotions you didn’t think you’d feel again. But, at the same time, what if you were just imagining things? What if what you were picking up wasn’t there in the first place? Your silence lingers long enough that Din places a crooked finger under your chin, once again lifting your eyes to his visor and sending sparks through you.

“I was so scared yesterday.” The admission slips from your lips as you stare where you think his eyes would be under the helmet. Time seems to slow as you open your mouth and more secrets begin spilling out. “I heard you hit the floor and my heart stopped. The whole damn world stopped, Din.”

His hand falls from your chin and hangs by his side. He goes still, helmet never leaving your face.

“It was my bounty, I should’ve followed him in. You got hurt because I made a bad call.” You’re desperately trying to keep the dam of tears from breaking as you finally tear your eyes from him and look down at your shoes. It wasn’t entirely what was bothering you, but it was close enough to settle the issue for today.

Din says your name so softly you nearly miss it. He takes a half step closer to you and you lift your gaze again to meet his. “You made exactly the call I would’ve made, Cuyan. Your instincts are good.”

Praise. The last thing you expected, but exactly what your soul needed to hear. Din raises his hand again and, for a moment, you think he’s going to place it on your cheek before it changes directions and pats your shoulder. “Really?”

“Really,” he nods, “I followed your call because I trust you.”

A small smile blooms on your lips at that. “Thank you, Din.”

You still have a few days before Karga expects the quarry back, but you and Din agree that getting Jafan to him early wouldn’t be the worst idea. You both ready the Crest for flight, securing various crates and anything that could be dangerous if it moved during your trip. You take a few minutes of solitude in the fresher, thinking about what Din said about trusting you. That prickling feeling in your chest returns, demanding to be recognized again after your acceptance last night, but this time you don’t feel lost or sad. You mull over the last couple of years with Arlon; the way he began pulling away from you shortly after proposing, the look in his eyes when he said goodbye to you for the last time on Randon… It all began making sense, seeing it in hindsight. That relationship was doomed from the start. It would never have mattered how much you worked or how hard you loved him; Arlon was never the man you were going to spend the rest of your life with.

Turning off the shower, you dry off and put your travel clothes on in the small space. Black leggings wrap your legs in buttery soft comfort and a plain, oversized tee shirt falls gently over your head. You give your hair a rough towel dry before hanging the towel back up and climbing into the cockpit.

“Ready when you are, Mandalorian,” you announce, dropping into your seat.

He gives you a playful, two-fingered salute before bringing the Crest to life. The rumbles of take-off gently give way to a low hum as you gain altitude and break into the atmosphere of Mon Cala. The ocean planet below you isn’t too far from Nevarro, so no lightspeed is needed on the journey back. You spend most of it in companionable silence.

Landing on the packed, hard ground of Nevarro, you and Din both stand to head down to the cargo hold.

“Oops, sorry-”

“Sorry, after-”

Both of you talk at the same time, bodies and words jumbling as you trip over your own feet trying to make room. Din reaches out and catches you, steadying you as a laugh escapes your lips.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine,” you laugh again. He lets go of your shoulders and motions for you to head down the ladder. He follows, once again taking the lead on the way into town.

Din heads straight for the same cantina you met Karga in last time. It’s later in the evening this time, though, so more bodies fill the space. Music encourages dancing, and droids wheel around tables and groups of people with trays of drinks.

“Back so soon? She must be good, Mando!” Karga’s voice booms from near the bar. You and Din make your way toward the smiling man. “If only all my hunters were this quick.”

You smile back, handing him the now quiet tracking fob. “He’s all yours, Karga.”

“I’ll have him offloaded right away.” Handing the fob to someone behind him, Karga relays the order and turns back toward the two of you. “Can I get you a drink?”

Din shakes his head but says, “Thank you.”

“I’ll take one!” You thank Karga as well as he hands you a glass of something light and bubbling. It smells like oranges, like the middle of summer by a lake. One sip of it sends tingles over your skin. “This is delicious!”

“It’s called a Cosmic Delight,” Karga clinks the rim of his glass with yours, “But be careful, they’re stronger than they taste.”

You nod and thank him again before he turns to discuss business with your Mandalorian companion. As they talk, you let yourself get lost in watching the patrons of the cantina. Your first impression of the Nevvarian people still held true; they were proud and strong people. But after a day of hard work, it seems that these people also love to play just as hard. Dartboards line one wall in the back, a make-shift poker table has been created in the heart of the room, and people all over the bar are rolling dice in games of chance.

“I want to play darts,” you announce, turning to look at Din and Karga. Din looks at you with his head tilted to the side. Darts? he seems to ask.

You nod before grabbing his hand and pulling him away from Karga. Weaving your way through the crowd, you pick the smallest group in front of the far board and say with a friendly smile, “I’ve got winner.”

The human man standing in front of you eyes Din warily before nodding. Turning back to his game, he and his friends finish the round and pull the darts from the board. “Care to make it interesting?”

“What do you mean?” you ask, the bubbles in your glass popping pleasantly on your upper lip as you take a drink.

“A bet,” the human says. He holds his hand out to shake, “The name’s Corr.”

You shake his hand and give him your name. Din, on the other hand, just stares him down.

Elbowing Din in the side, you turn your attention back to Corr and ask, “What kind of bet?”

“Oh nothing crazy,” he picks at his nails, “Loser has to buy next round.”

“You’re on.” You shake his hand again, a mischievous smile playing on your lips.

“Ladies first.”

You step up to the line, darts in hand. It’s been a while since you played bar games, but the Cosmic Delight has worked its way into your head and you feel lighter than air. Lining up your first shot, the dart sinks into the cork. You aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but once Corr steps up to the line you realize you may have been a little bold. Two of his three shots hit the bullseye.

“Damn,” you laugh, stepping into position, “You’re good.”

The round continues and Corr blows you out of the water. “Time to pay up,” he jokes with you, finally loosening up around you and your silent companion.

“Alright, alright, a bet’s a bet.” You wave down one of the droids ferrying drinks and order another round, as well as another Cosmic Delight for yourself. “Mando, why don’t you play? I bet you’re a great shot.”

“I bet he’s got some sort of gadget in that helmet that would give him an unfair advantage,” Corr grumbles. His buddies nod along. With a dark grin, Corr continues, “But if you took it off, I’m sure we’d be more evenly matched.”

You go still as night, waiting for Din to respond. The blaster on your thigh almost seems to hum with anticipation as Din’s head turns to lock onto Corr’s face. The man had enough good sense to look nervous under the gaze of a Mandalorian.

The droid comes back with your drinks, breaking the tension for a moment. Everyone grabs their glasses as you say, “Well, gentlemen, it was nice to meet you but we should get going.” There was no graceful way out of the encounter anyway, so you just decided to pull Din away from the group and headed for a small, secluded table across the room.

“Sorry about that,” you say as you slide into the small booth.

“Why are you sorry?” Din replies, sliding in next to you.

“I was the one who wanted to play darts then they got all douchey.”

A snort leaves the modulator of his helmet, “They’re just assholes, not your fault.”

You nod and take another sip of your drink. “I’m gonna have to get the recipe for these so I can make one for you to try on the Crest.”

“A Cosmic Delight? I think I’m okay never having one.” His tone is light, teasing even. It sends those damn butterflies into a tizzy in your stomach.

“Hey now, this is delicious,” you insist, taking another sip. “It’s like… It’s like being able to drink that first sunset I saw here.”

He regards you for a moment before asking, “Why did you want to stay with me?”

The question throws you for a loop. The table was secluded enough to give you privacy, but the cantina was still full of people. “I… What do you mean?”

“Why did you want to stay with me?”

“Just repeating the question doesn’t really clear things up, Mando.”

“You could’ve asked anyone to train you. Hired someone on Randon or asked Tonis. But you asked me. Why?”

You’re silent for a minute, lightly tracing the rim of your glass with your fingertip. “It just… Felt right.”

Din seems satisfied enough to nod and lean back in his seat. You take the moment to look at him as he takes in the room. The dim light shines off his beskar, hiding different planes in shadow while highlighting others. The curves of his shoulders and chest plate gleam and outline his broad form. He’s leaning back, arm draped across the back of the cushion, fingers idly tracing patterns along the soft fabric.

Before logic could stop you, your liquor-loosened tongue betrays you by saying, “Has anyone told you how beautiful you are?”

Your cheeks immediately burn as his head snaps to yours and you bury your face in your drink, looking anywhere other than the man sitting beside you. “What?”

“Nothing,” you squeak, “Ignore me.”

He laughs softly, “Thank you, Cuyan.”

You wave him away with a hand, turning to survey the rest of the room.

The rest of the night progresses nicely, even after an embarrassing slip. Din doesn’t bring it up again and you’re content to pretend it didn’t happen. You continue to talk through the evening, Karga coming over to join you for a bit before heading off to another group. You slow down on the drinks and, by the time you and Din are making your way back to the Razor Crest, your head is once again clear as the sky above you.

The stars twinkle overhead as the ramp lowers at the command from Din’s vambrace. Before stepping inside, you both stop to stare at the sky.

“I never realized that the stars would be different somewhere else,” you comment, eyes wide in awe. “They’re beautiful.”

“Almost as beautiful as me?” Din asks. Your jaw drops and you whip around to look at him.

“Uhm… Well…”

He laughs, the sound full and bright even through the modulator. “Relax, I’m just joking with you.” He walks up the ramp and into the Crest, leaving you alone. Shaking your head and allowing yourself to laugh at the events of the night, you follow him in.

As you’re getting ready for bed, you pass him leaving the fresher and heading toward the ladder. Din stops you with a hand on your shoulder.

“You’ve done well with training and all of this. I want to make sure you know that.”

“Thank you, Din.” You smile up at him.

Before you get a chance to walk away, his hand leaves your shoulder and lightly cups your jaw. The touch sends fire through your veins and your heart begins to pound. He only lingers a moment before leaving you standing in the light of the fresher and climbing into the cockpit.

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eruditegeek · 5 months ago

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Gay Glup Shitto of the Day #10

Sabé

Bisexual bodyguard and decoy of Padmé

Sabè was the first, closest, and most loyal of Padmé's handmaidens. She wasn't content with the life laid out for her and jumped at the chance for an exciting life as a trained decoy. She threw herself into the life dedicating her entire self to Padmé. Padmé as queen, took on a royal name to go by, Amidala, and all the handmaids took on new first names to match Padmé.

Sabé fell deeply for Padmé. She would always regard her as her one true love even though she knew it would never be reciprocated. This would get in the way of all her future relationships. Always in the shadow of another person. She preferred to be Padmé's second most important than anyone else's first.

Her life as a decoy didn't make it easy either. During one diplomatic mission Sabé developed a crush on another woman named Harli Jafan. One night, Harli invited Sabé and her friends to sneak out to see a band together. Padmé went along undercover as a fellow handmaiden. This would lead Padmé to swap with Sabé the next day for her royal duties. During that time, Harli would try to kiss Padmé think she was Sabé. Padmé's reaction would cause the budding romance to end with Sabé unable to explain why.

Much later, after Padmé had become senator, Sabè would be the only original handmaiden still working for her. During this time, she would be on an extended mission to free slaves from tatooine. She spent this time undercover getting close with fellow "friend of padmé" Tonra, a bisexual man. They connected and developed a real relationship. Though the mission, and Padmé, always came first. Eventually, they split up for separate missions and gradually grew apart. Both of them started to spend time with others instead. Sabé dated many people, though she preferred women she found interesting.

After the clone wars ended, she and many other of Padmé's friends would dedicate themselves to finding and killing Padmé's killer. This would bring her to Vader, who, having recently encountered Luke, was also investigating the moments before her death. Seeing her and the other handmaidens again, causing flashbacks to a time long past, made Vader long for Padmé again.

However, unable to bring her back, he would instead focus on making Sabé into his idealization of Padmé. Sabé would use those feelings to get close to him in an attempt to assassinate Vader for killing Padmé. The temptations would work for a time with them getting closer. Though it is unclear how real their relationship and her corruption actually became. She would come to see the good that Padmé had believed was still in him and be unable to kill him. Vader, unable to corrupt her, threw her into an ocean to die.

Also of note: in Episode I Sabé is played by Keira Knightley.

#also ask me about how Sabé found out about Padmé's marriage to Anakin #it's wild but I had to make cuts #bi #bisexual #pride month #star wars #glup shit posting

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bittybug-sunflower-blog · 5 months ago

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Jafan Hardt (Youngling/Cadet, Padawan, Jedi Knight)

Son of Rebekath and Hunter Hardt

(All credit to the face and outfit inspo to the artists)

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Follow my IG

👤🌻 @bittybug.sunflower

👤📷 @ginnyanthony101

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©Copyrights

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jafanadis · 11 days ago

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HAPPY DIWALI FROM SID AND SILVER!

It has been brought to my attention that today is the Hindu festival of Diwali, and I wanted to make a pic celebrating the occasion. Here, Silver and his older brother Sid are in Gujrat, as representatives from the Canadian and Nepali Fae community to celebrate the holiday with the Indian Fae Community.

Both Silver and Sid are Nepalese-Canadians, their other brother, Raj is not attending because he's with his girlfriend back in Toronto. And it's for the best, to be honest, they didn't really want their little brother coming with them…

Here, Sid and Silver pose for a photo behind a lotus mural outside a Hindu temple. Nepal has a very high Hindu and Buddhist population, while the Bajracharya family is Buddhist/Animist, they have deep knowledge of Hindu customs.

Happy Diwali Everyone!

#human #humans #bishonen #biseinen #nepali #nepalese #canadian #buddhist #hindu #diwali #celebration #were #deer #eagle #weredeer #wereeagle #fae #faes

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mosylufanfic · 1 year ago

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Trick or treat! 🎃🎃🎃

You get a deleted scene from early on in Lost & Found!

"I'm sorry to take this amount of leave on such late notice." "Of course I understand," said the Portmaster of the Handil system. "You haven't taken any personal time in two years. I was starting to wonder if you were a particularly well-disguised droid." He chuckled. Andor didn't. The other man looked stressed, even through the vid screen, and that was unsettling in itself. He'd personally seen the man face down a pirate crew wanted in most of the Outer Rim with little more expression than a faint smile. Jafan Melne cleared his throat. "I mean - take all the time you need. I'm sure it's owed to you." "Thank you. It shouldn't be more than a week. I'll let you know if it has to be longer."

#trick or treat #deleted scene

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queer-starwars-bracket · 1 year ago

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Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 1): General Bracket Match 12

Kor Plouth | Identity: wlw | Meda: The High Republic Phase II

Kor Plouth was the Force-sensitive daughter of the Herald of the Path of the Open Hand. While most Force-sensitive children were abandoned in the nearby town, Kor’s parents decided to keep her. She grew up to believe fervently in the Path and suppressed her Force powers the best she could. She became the girlfriend of another Path member, Yana Ro. She tried to convince Kor to join her in leaving Path and traveling the galaxy. They both became members of the Children, a group of operatives that stole Force-artifacts for the Path. Kor desperately wanted her parents to approve of Yana, but because of Yana’s cynicism they didn’t in her lifetime. While she was a Children, Kor was still very compassionate and unlike her girlfriend didn’t approve of killing to complete their missions.

The Mother agreed that Yana could leave after doing one last mission for the Path. However this mission was a trap to kill all the surviving Children. As Kor died in Yana’s arms, she confessed that if Yana had asked, she would have left her family and all she’d ever known. After her death, Kor haunted Yana, and it’s unclear if it was a manifestation of Yana’s own mind and her survivor’s guilt or some aspect of her girlfriend that couldn’t dissolve into the Force.

Art by @isob_ell on twitter

Harli Jafan | Identity: wlw | Media: Queen’s Trilogy

Harli Jafan was the daughter of the director of the planetary director of Jafan, one of Naboo’s client state planets in the Chommel sector. Unlike the similarly aged Padmé, she got to act much more like an actual fourteen year old. She was her family’s representative to Queen Amidalla’s unprecedented meeting with the leaders of the client states, hoping to start the path to giving them equal representation. At said summit, she developed mutual romantic feelings with Sabé. She invited the handmaidens to a concert/rave, which was essentially a date between her and Sabé. The next day, she approached a disguised Padmé and attempted to kiss her. She panicked and rejected Harli, ruining her and Sabé’s budding relationship.

Ten years later, at the start of the Clone Wars, she joined Yané- who was a member of Nabbo’s legislature- in investigating the large amount of freed slaves being sent to Karlinus and revising an old law that allowed Naboo to taken an uncapped amount from its client states in its defense. Now a capable leader, Harli was still fairly informal. While she was on good terms with Yané, she fiercely believed in defending the rights of her homeplanet potential Naboo oppression.

#star wars #sw #the high republic #sw the high republic #kor plouth #sw thr #sw thr phase ii

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tempest-sun · 1 year ago

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Diamond in the Rough Chapter 06

Chapter 6: A Whole New Galaxy

Warnings: None

Words: 2,472

Summary: You get a surprise offer when a stranger shows up to the palace.

A.N: Many many apologies for the length of time between Chapter 5 and Chapter 6. Between work and life responsibilities (and me being a bit of a perfectionist), I haven’t had the time to dedicate to writing. Now that summer is approaching, I will have more time to dedicate to bringing more content. For those that are still invested in this and for those that refuse to believe Tech is… you know… I hope you enjoy this chapter and I appreciate you for sticking around!

Ch. 01 - Ch. 02 - Ch. 03 - Ch. 04 - Ch. 05

As soon as you step out on the second floor landing, you immediately scan the crowd for Tech. You knew it would be impossible that he would be here but you can’t help hoping. You have to fight the frown from appearing on your lips when you don’t spot him. You’re so lost in this internal battle with yourself that you barely register Prince Jafan’s approach standing two steps below you with a smile on his face.

“Your Highness,” he says, bringing your knuckles to his lips.

“Prince Jafan,” You greet him hoping the soft smile on your lips is a sufficient mask as you let him lead you towards the ballroom.

With one more glance over your shoulder, you try to will Tech’s presence at the palace. Instead, you meet a pair of familiar brown eyes but they belong to an unfamiliar silver haired man with sharp features and a bullseye tattoo over his right eye. This time you can’t fight the frown that appears on your face.

This is what you get for allowing yourself to hope.

You allow Jafan to lead you into the ballroom, your body on autopilot. You look around the extravagantly decorated space. Apparently your mother has gone all out for your engagement ball. If your plan wasn’t already so precarious, you would be calling out her hypocrisy for this lavish spending when their people are struggling.

Your father’s crest hangs proudly on every second column of the ballroom reminding you of what you need to do. Especially when you realize that Jafan’s family banners are placed strategically on the columns in between.

He’s already taking over.

The thought makes your blood boil despite the jovial atmosphere that the band is creating. Their guests, nobles from across the Galaxy, funnel into the room. A festive buzz filling the spaces between the melody being played.

“Come, my pet, there are a few dignitaries that I would like you to meet,” Jafan places his hand on your lower back. You resist the urge to recoil from his touch, opting to nod and allowing it. You keep your head held high meeting these high ranking Imperial officers.

Time seems to pass at a Yavin snail’s pace with each introduction of those that the Prince is very obviously schmoozing. Your mind wanders away from the conversation of Imperial expansion to muse upon your fate and of course, Tech. You haven’t spoken to him in two days and you wonder if somehow you offended him or came on too strong. You don’t think you said anything out of turn but you’re worried that maybe he wants nothing to do with you.

Maybe he has a partner. Maybe he was just being nice. Maybe he just doesn’t want the headache that comes with you.

You wouldn’t blame him for thinking that way. An irritated sigh to your left drags you out of your musing.

“Sorry,” You say sheepishly. “What were you saying?”

Jafan’s thin lips twitch. You can tell he’s struggling to hold his annoyance in. His effort almost makes you giggle. “I was saying,” he says with a barely composed tone. “That General Dalton requested a tour and I will oblige him. If you don’t mind Darling.”

Yes! You internally cheer, placing a hand on Jafan’s cheek. “Of course, Dear, take your time. I’ll be here waiting,” your voice is tooth rottingly sweet. You remove your hand and look to General Dalton who is oblivious to the frostiness between you and your fiancé. “You’re going to love the palace. If you’re a patron of the arts, our gallery is my mothers pride and joy. You can say even more so than me,” you joke with a wink.

General Dalton laughs. “I do appreciate a fine mosaic,” he looks to Jafan. “You’ve got a keeper with this one. Make sure you hold on tight.”

“Oh I intend to,” Jafan smirks, something sinister lurking below the surface of those dark beady eyes. “Shall we, General?”

You keep the smile on your face watching them go. You never know if one of his advisors is watching for a crack in your facade. Once they are out of your eye line, you wave one of your handmaidens over.

“Your Highness,” Zio greets with a small curtsey.

“I need you to keep an eye on Prince Jafan during his tour,” you look around the room to make sure you’re not overheard. “In case he gets lost,” you add pointedly.

“I will,” Zio nods solemnly. She flits out of the room inconspicuously. You trust Zio, she is among the handful of people in the castle that you trust to be loyal to you and your cause.

Reaching for a flute of champagne to sip on, you watch the guests milling about the ballroom without a care in the world. A few of them have started to dance in pairs in the middle of the room. Your mother, with your sister at her side, talks to the various small pockets of Lords and Ladies. There’s no doubt she is trying to find a match for your sister.

Don’t worry, if things go to plan, you won’t have to marry a stranger. I got you—

“May I have this dance?” The man that you spotted from earlier with the bullseye tattoo above his right eye appears in front of you.

As the guest of honour you don’t have the luxury to say no to this stranger who is oddly familiar but you can’t quite put your finger on where you could have seen him before. It’s not like you to forget a face, especially one as unique as his.

“Of course you may,” you reply, taking the man’s arm as he leads you to the ballroom floor.

The man seems nervous because he keeps searching the crowd for someone. You glance towards where he is looking and you swear you see a thumbs up and a blur of platinum hair disappear into the crowd. The man shakes his head leading you to the middle of the dance floor. Your skirts swish around your ankles as you take your position in front of him.

The band strikes up the traditional melody for Mantellian Waltz. A dance you have done a thousand times before. Probably one you could do in your sleep. That is why you are surprised when the man places his hands in the wrong position on your body. You chuckle and take his wrists gently placing one hand on the middle of your back while taking his other hand with yours. You then lay your hand on his shoulder.

“Just follow my lead,” you say, stepping forward with your right foot. The man instinctively steps back. “It’s the same as any other waltz, just a bit more flourish.”

“In a traditional dance it is the male who should—“ the man begins before stopping himself mid sentence. “I should be leading this dance Princess. Not you.”

“Oh?” You can’t help the chuckle that escapes your lips continuing to lead the dance. “A stickler for tradition are we?”

“Not entirely,” he smiles wryly as if recounting a previous joke. “But it does not look proper for a woman let alone a Princess to be leading a dance.” It’s his turn to step forward this time causing you to stumble from the unexpected intrusion into your personal space.

You raise an eyebrow, looking incredulous that he is trying to push this. Stubbornly, you step forward to reclaim your lead before you retort, “Propriety is outdated. An old relic of the past is it not?”

“I’m afraid you do not have the luxury of holding such a notion,” the man says once again stepping forward causing you to falter.

He’s got you there. The little voice in your head pipes up. You’re not going to admit that to this stranger though. Your pride is on the line and you have a waltz to lead. “Perhaps through demonstrations such as these, we can change these archaic ideas.”

“Two people are not enough to change an entire system of traditions. Let alone in a single night. It’s statistically impossible.” The man steps forward again to lead the dance for the sake of decorum.

You are so taken aback by his continued arguing with you that you don’t pick up on the familiar vocal pattern poking through the façade. You also don’t register that you’re falling until you feel the cool marble floor beneath you. Humiliation burns your cheeks as a few gathered nobles now stare directly at you. You can hear the barely discreet snickers from some of your contemporaries as if they are echoing off the walls. Ignoring the proffered hand to help you up, you retreat out of the ballroom before anyone can discover the burning tears leaving scalding tracks down your face.

————————————————————————

Meanwhile, back in the ballroom, Tech feels his own cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He didn’t mean to make you fall, he was just trying to get you to see reason. He abruptly turns on his heel and strides out of the ballroom as well. However, he makes a sharp left towards the front door. He spots Omega with a silver platter of cubed honey treats on her lap. “Let’s go, we’re leaving.”

“Tech?” Omega puts the platter down, sneaking a few of the treats in her pocket before dashing towards her brother. Her slippers slapping against the floor. “Wait up! What happened?”

“Nothing. I may have made a few miscalculations, that's all.”

“What do you mean? I saw you dancing with the Princess, isn’t that what you wanted?” Omega snacks on one of the stolen treats looking at him curiously.

“Yes but I did not expect her to fall.”

Omega stops mid bite. “She fell?”

“A miscalculation on her part. She was supposed to let me lead.” He explains simply. “We should let the others know we’re returning.”

Tech and Omega arrive back at the landing platform where an eager Wrecker is waiting. “So how was it?” He asks.

Tech doesn’t say a word and walks up the open ramp disappearing undoubtedly to his pilot seat.

“What’s with him?” Wrecker juts his thumb towards the Marauder.

“He’s upset because he blew it with the Princess,” Omega rubs the back of her head. “But, the night wasn’t totally ruined!” She digs into her evening bag producing a handful of the honey squares.

Wreckers eyes light up. “Are those…?”

“Yup!” Omega beams proudly.

The pair of them snack happily on the treats. “I have an idea,” Wrecker says, chewing thoughtfully. He strides onto the ship with Omega in tow. They spot Tech absentmindedly tinkering with his data pad. He always claims that there’s always something to fix but he would never admit that it’s an excuse to distract himself. “Tech! I solved your Princess problem.”

“I do not have a ‘Princess problem’,” a brief flicker of a frown appears on his lips.

Wrecker takes the data pad from Tech’s hands. He makes a noise of protest. Wrecker shakes his head. “If what our sister says is true… yes you do.”

“If you listened to our sister, then you would know I do not have a problem with the Princess. Not after tonight.” Tech reaches for his data pad. “Now can I please resume my work?”

Wrecker and Omega share a look. Wrecker holds the data pad out of his reach. “Not until you listen to my plan.”

Tech huffs leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed. “Fine. I’m listening.”

“Wow, you really are like Crosshair,” Wrecker comments. “Doesn’t he?”

“He just needs the toothpick to complete the scowl,” Omega giggles.

“What’s your plan?” Tech says with a small tone of annoyance. He just wants to sleep the serum off and forget all about you.

“To make it up to the Princess, you should take her on a tour of the planet!” Wrecker grins.

Tech, however, looks unimpressed. “This is their home Wrecker, they’ve probably seen it a million times.”

“But not in the Marauder,” Wrecker says slyly. “Bet you that your Princess has never been on a ship like this.”

Tech muses the probability of Wreckers statement. It is highly unlikely that you have been on an Omicron-class attack shuttle since your planet is not known for producing such a ship. The option of surprising you sounds slightly tempting but after what happened he doubts this would be a balm to the humiliation you felt.

As if reading his mind, Omega pipes up, placing a reassuring hand on his knee. “What have you got to lose Tech?”

“Statistically nothing but—“

“Then give it a shot!”

“Yeah!” Wrecker chimes in.

Tech looks between his brother and sister’s hopeful faces. His shoulders drop. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

“Yay!” They cheer.

“But first, we need to clean up in here.”

————————————————————————

Across the city, you are still in your outfit from the ball staring up at the moon with your communicator in your hand. Raia lays in a ball on your lap, her purrs soothing your frazzled nerves. You stroke her orange and black striped fur which calms you as well. You decided to get some fresh air before bed while hoping to hear from Tech. His voice alone could salvage this evening while you are still reeling from the audacity of the guy you danced with.

“Purreow?” Raia perks up looking towards the balcony edge.

“What the—?”

An unfamiliar ship rises next to the balcony rail. The door to the ship opens and the ramp extends towards you. Raia jumps off your lap and stands protectively between you and the ship with her back arched and her fur standing on end. She would be intimidating if she wasn’t so cute. Your chuckle is cut short when you realize who has appeared.

Speak of a womp rat and he shall appear.

“You again? You have some nerve showing up here,” you cross your arms across your chest. “What do you want?”

“I came to apologise and,” he takes a deep breath as if contemplating his next words. Especially when Raia growls. “Offer you a ride on my ship.”

“Easy girl,” you reach down to pet Raia.

You raise an eyebrow at the proposition, scanning the outside of his ship. You are tempted to take him up on his offer. His ship is not one you’re familiar with. You chew your bottom lip thoughtfully stepping towards him to get a better look at the ship.

Sensing your hesitation, he extends a hand to you. “Do you trust me?”

Your stomach flutters at the question. A familiar speech pattern that you’ve grown accustomed to coming from this stranger's lips.

Can this be? But how?

“Yes…” Cautiously, you slip your hand in his offered one, stepping up onto the ramp following him into the ship.

#star wars #star wars fanfiction #Star Wars angst #Star Wars the clone wars #star wars reader insert #the bad batch #the bad batch tech #tech x reader #tech x reader fic #tech x you #tbb tech #the bad batch fanfiction #the bad batch au #Diamond In The Rough

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mayxthexforce · 1 year ago

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💔 For Sabé!

send me a 💔 for my muse to talk about one of their exes.

"There was Harli Jafan... a sweet girl. Adventurous and funny. She found me interesting even when her reason to be in Naboo was to have a meeting with Padme, people don't usually find me– or anyone, for that matter, interesting once they've gotten to meet Padme. But Harli seemed more focused on me. I'm not sure she qualifies as an ex, but we went on a date, and I did want her to kiss me. In the end, I put my handmaiden duties before the possibility of a romantic relationship. Harli was very understanding. We still check on each other from time to time, but she's a queen and I spend most of my time on Tatooine, so we don't have any free time to meet in person."

#may the queue be with you #||mail: sabé||#||in character: sabé||#galaccias #vanillahub #||answered ask||

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alexversenaberrie · 2 years ago

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The Naboo Renaissance King Jafan I

Jafan was a general and eventual king of the Royal House of the planet Naboo. During the Time of Suffering, a roughly two-century-long civil war between Naboo city-states, General Jafan united the factions through force of will and military strength, ushering in the Great Time of Peace, a golden age for Naboo.

Jafan became the first king of the new era, and in 832 BBY, he directed the construction of the Royal Palace in the newly founded capital city of Theed. The palace was built in the heart of the city in tribute to King Jafan, with a network of streets and plazas stretching out from it. Jafan also built the handcrafted Turret Room and a small temple at the rear of the palace, the latter of which would be used by Naboo's monarchs to pay homage to their predecessors. The palace can be seen behind Jafan on the painting.

it is not know how Jafan looked like, but he was presented as older and wise gentleman. The King ruled during the difficult time, due to that the artist showed him not in royal robes, but in an uniform worn by officers of the Royal Naboo Security Forces and a long cape with the royal crest (the crest is also seen on the column on the right).

Behind him, we can also see a Gungan energy shield and sword of Naboo Royal Security Forces.

#star wars paintings | SW Paintings

#star wars paintings #star wars painting style #star wars #king of naboo #naboo #naboo king #jafan #king jafan #as a face of jafan i used face of unknown naboo council advisor from E1 #for 10th of june there will be other unknown naboo queen

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sw5w · 1 year ago

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I Will Not Condone a Course of Action That Will Lead Us to War

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace 00:09:53

#Star Wars #Episode I #The Phantom Menace #Naboo #Theed #Theed Royal Palace #throne room #Queen Amidala #Naboo stone #escoffiate headpiece #Jewel of Zenda #Queen of Naboo #Queen Sanandrassa #scar of remembrance #King Jafan #Great Time of Peace #royal throne #throne room gown

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queeruscant · 2 years ago

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These Star Wars characters are women canonically attracted to other women! Links to each character profile will be added as they are posted.

Ackmena

Alys Ongwa ("Crash")

Amara Kel ("Shadow")

Amilyn Holdo

Audj Seedol

Beesar Tal-Apurna

Cassie Cryar

Chass na Chadic

Chelli Lona Aphra

Cinta Kaz

Deemus Abrus

Delian Mors

Dima

Domina Tagge

Ela Radodan

Eron

Erta

Esmelle

Eustacia Okka

Harli Jafan

"Howlrunner" (Theta Squadron)

Ione Marcy

Isabalia

Jordanna Sparkburn

Joy Iya

Kalandra

Kinni

Klerin Chekkat

Kor Plouth

Kouru

Kryys Durango

Larma D'Acy

Lee Skillen

Losha Tarkon

Lula Talisola

Magna Tolvan

Matthea Cathley

Murra Mors

Moona

Raidah Doon

Rae Sloane

Rhee

Ric Farazi

Roan Lands

Rooper Nitani

Sabé

Saché

Sana Starros

Shirene

Smeemarm

Sorschi

Svi'no Atchapat

Sylvestri Yarrow

T'onga

Tal Veridian

Teemank

Thandeka

Ty Yorrick

Vel Sartha

Vukorah

Wesson Dove

Wrobie Tyce

Yana Ro

Yané

Yrica Quell

Zeen Mrala

Zohma

#star wars #queer star wars #wlw characters #star queers #queeruscant masterlist

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againstacecilia · 2 years ago

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A Realization

Pairing: Din Djarin x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.8k

Rating: 18+ minors DNI

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, bounty-hunting, alcohol, sad girl hour, Din gets hurt, more pining (I'm SORRY)

A/N: WHEW WE'RE BACK! Sorry for the sudden hiatus, but thank you for being here through it all. Reader gets a crack at leading a hunt in this chapter soooo get ready. 😍 Thank you forever and ever and ever to @creatively-analytical for beta-ing, ILYSM. 💖 Asks are always open!!

The next few weeks are spent training. You fall into your cot every night exhausted and sleep a dreamless sleep, waking the next morning with muscles you didn’t even know you had aching. As draining as it should have been, you actually find yourself thriving. Your body becomes strong and you learn to use it in ways you never imagined. Mando ups your sparring to nearly every night and you progress faster than either of you thought.

One night, after nearly taking him down, you’re both panting as Mando helps you up and says, “I think you’re ready.”

“Ready to what?”

“Ready to help me with another bounty.” He looks you up and down as you wipe dirt from your legs; the floor of the Crest needing a good cleaning. “What do you think?”

Adrenaline sparks in you, excitement creeping through your blood. “I’m ready,” you nod.

“Alright, we’ll head to Nevarro and pick one up. You’ll take point.”

You both head up to the cockpit and you watch Mando punch in the coordinates for Nevarro. The more you watch him pilot, the more interesting it becomes. It’s a new thing, finding interest in things like flying and fighting, but it solidifies the new direction your life is taking.

The first thing you notice about Nevarro is the smell. Sulfur and heat combined with packed dirt and fuel give you an idea of what the people will be like, and you’re right. Hardened, proud people nod and walk briskly past you as you follow Mando through the main street toward a small cantina. The interior is dim and sparsely populated in the early hour and, at a table in the middle of the room, a man with dark skin and close-cropped hair lights up at the sight of your Mandalorian companion.

“Mando!” he raises a hand in welcome, beckoning you both over, “It’s been a while! Welcome!”

“Karga,” Mando responds, shaking the man’s hand and offering you a seat at the table.

“And who is this?” the man Mando called Karga asks, looking at you. You extend your hand and give him your name with a polite smile.

“Nice to meet you,” he shakes your hand as well. “So! What brings you back to my neck of the woods?”

“Need a bounty. Something low- to mid-level.”

Karga pulls some pucks out of his cloak and sets them on the table between you. Various busts hover over the small devices and he gives you and Mando details on each person.

“Looks like we’ve got the normal array of bail jumpers, some escaped cons, an ex-Imp…” Karga stops and gestures to all of them, “Take your pick.”

Mando looks to you, “Which one do you want to take?”

You observe the holograms and sift through the information Karga just gave. You decide on one man, an escaped prisoner called Jafan Tille. Mando grabs the puck off the table.

“Good choice,” Karga comments, taking the rest and putting them back in his cloak. “Luckily, he should be close so I expect you back in a week or so.”

Mando nods and stands, you follow suit. “It was nice to meet you, Karga.”

“Lovely to meet you as well. Keep this one in line, alright?” He points at Mando with a gleam in his eye.

“I’ll do my best,” you chuckle.

The sun is nearing the horizon as you and Mando make it back to the Razor Crest. Mando had bought some fresh food before you left the cantina as well as some drinks the bartender promised were “the best in the parsec”. You were sure you wouldn’t know the difference; drinking was something you really only did at special occasions back home. But it kind of was a special occasion, to you anyway, and you were ready to celebrate the general success of this new life you’d started.

As usual, you and Mando sat back to back as you ate dinner. There’s an air of friendship that surrounds you now and you’ve begun to find comfort in his presence. You and he laugh through the evening, eating and drinking and talking about nothing of consequence. By the time the sun is fully set, you’re feeling light and your head is buzzing quite pleasantly.

“Mando,” you put the empty cup on the floor next to you, “What’s your actual name?”

He straightens up a bit against your back but stays quiet.

“Oh I’m sorry, is that something you can tell me?”

“It is,” he sighs, “Others know my name, but I don’t generally share it with too many. As a Mandalorian, secrecy is survival.”

“You don’t have to tell me, I’m sorry I asked so-”

“Din.”

The single syllable rings in your ears. “Din?”

“My name is Din Djarin,” he says again, a little stronger this time.

It takes every bit of will power you have to not turn and look at him. Instead, you reach down and find his hand. Giving it a squeeze, you say, “Thank you, Din.”

He squeezes back and you sit in silence for a second before you let go. “I think I should go to bed. The room is spinning a little bit.”

Mando chuckles as he reaches down to grab his helmet. It hisses back into place and he stands, coming around to help you up.

“Oops,” you stumble, the change in altitude as you stand really getting the room turning. Mando catches you with ease and sweeps you into his arms.

“Careful, Cuyan, looks like those drinks were strong.” He laughs and sets you on your cot.

You frown up at him as he adjusts your blankets and pillows, “When do I get to know what that means?”

“Eventually,” is all he says before stepping away. He returns with a canteen of water. “Drink up, you’ll thank me in the morning.”

- - - - - - - -

Even with the water, your pounding head is the first thing you notice as you come to consciousness. The Crest’s engines are humming and you figure you’re already headed toward your bounty. Groaning, you get up and head to the fresher, hoping a cold shower will help calm the rumbling in your stomach.

Luckily, you do feel a bit better after the shower, but your head is still pounding. You fill the canteen back up before climbing to the cockpit.

“Morning Ma-, I mean, Din.”

“How we feeling?” Din turns to face you as you settle into your chair. You catch the amusement in his voice but choose to ignore it.

“To be honest, my head is killing me.”

He laughs, turning back to the controls, “I told you to drink all the water.”

“I did,” you insist, but you laugh along with him. Whatever blossomed between the two of you last night is still there and it’s nice to laugh with him. Even if it’s at your own expense.

“We should make it to Mon Cala in a couple of hours.” Din begins to fill you in on the bounty you had selected, Jafan Tille. He broke out of a prison ship with the help of members of his gang and had skipped around the Galaxy for 6 months before being recognized at an outpost in the Mid-Rim. The amount on his head has been growing since.

“He isn’t dangerous, per say, just very crafty. Master of disguise, he seems to blend in with the locals wherever he is and charms most of the people who try to turn him in. We’re to bring him in alive.”

You study the holopad containing Jafan’s information. “What’s Mon Cala like?”

“It’s an ocean planet, lots of underwater cities to hide in.”

“Or be trapped in,” you pose. From what you’ve read about Jafan, he doesn’t seem like the type to want to be hidden away for the rest of his life. “He seems to be getting lazy.”

Din hums his agreement, “Likely not adjusting well to life on the run.”

“Let’s fix that for him,” you put the holopad on the arm of your chair.

For the rest of the journey you prepare for a hunt, packing your bag and stretching. You go through your forms by yourself in the cargo hold, punching and kicking at the air until Din’s voice calls.

“We’re about to land.”

Wiping sweat from your head with your sleeve, you climb up and into the cockpit. The view from the windows stops you in your tracks. A glittering city built on top of the water nearly blinds you, both tunnels under the cerulean waves and walkways above connecting the bustling areas. Districts of shops and homes lay in front of you, surrounded by crystal clear water. Din expertly lowers the Crest to an open landing pad while your eyes bounce from sight to sight.

After paying for the dock, you and Din load up and head down the ramp. You had both decided that trying out Dac City, an above water city, was a good place to start. Din agreed that an underwater city wasn’t the most likely spot he’d be; he’d want to be able to mingle and schmooze and celebrate his “freedom”.

“Here,” Din hands you the tracking fob, “Take the lead, bounty hunter.”

You take it with a smile, the small red light pulsing slowly. You know that to mean he isn’t incredibly close, but you pick a direction and follow the crowd keeping an eye on the fob. Din follows closely behind, standing nearly an entire head over most the other people in the city.

For a couple of hours you peruse the streets and shops of Dac City, falling into a rhythm with your companion. You begin asking the questions you’d heard him ask on your previous hunts, letting him ask the follow ups you might miss. He points out small spaces that people could slip into without being noticed and, before long, you’re seeing the world around you as he might.

As you turn a corner to a side road, the fob begins blinking furiously and your eyes snap to Din as he scans the street. He sinks into a crouch, keeping low and motioning for you to lead the way down the street. With wide eyes you whisper, “Where?”

He comes up close to you and breathes back, “Next intersection. He’s walking away from us and I don’t think we’ve been noticed.”

You nod, adjusting your footsteps to be as silent as possible. You near the next intersection and catch sight of Jafan for the first time. He’s tall, nearly as tall as Din, with jet black hair and a clean-shaven face. Circular sunglasses rest on his nose, and his dark, tailored suit is cut close to a slim frame. You and Din stay in the shadows of the building as much as possible when Jafan’s head peeks over his shoulder and sees you behind him.

Without hesitating, he takes off. Cursing under your breath you follow, Din on your heels. The three of you race through the uninhabited streets of Dac City before reaching the city center.

“Mando, I can’t see him anymore!”

“I got him,” he responds, taking the lead. The crowd begins to part for him as they notice his hulking from barreling toward them and you follow close behind to take advantage of the clearing. After a minute, Din calls your name and points to a small door. “He ducked in there!”

“You go in, I’ll go around back just in case!” You break off and skirt the building, finding the back door. You press your back to the wall directly next to the door and wait, chest heaving from the exertion.

It’s quiet for a full minute before you hear footsteps thundering through the room behind you. Steadying yourself, you prepare for the door to burst open. As it does, you stick your leg out and trip Jafan, sending him tumbling to the ground in front of you. You jump onto him, pinning his arms under your knees. “Gotcha.”

He stops struggling under your body and looks up at your face. Panting, he wiggles his eyebrows before saying, “Yes you did, gorgeous. Why am I feeling so lucky right now?”

You don’t respond, even though you desperately wish you could unhear the connotation of “lucky”. Pulling a pair of cuffs from your belt, you slide off his arms but keep your weight on his torso enough to keep him pinned while flipping him to his stomach. You snap the cuffs onto his wrists as Din stumbles out of the door behind you.

“You okay?” you ask over your shoulder, standing and yanking Jafan up with you.

Din nods, “Our friend here jumped me in the storage room back there. Got a cheap shot at my head.”

Jafan laughs, “Oh come on, that was clever of me! I got one up on a Mandalorian, I’m going to tell this story forever!”

“You’re awfully cheery for someone who just got nabbed after being on the run for almost a year.” You’re talking to Jafan but keeping an eye on Din as you make your way back to the Crest. He’s still wobbling a little bit and it’s making you nervous.

“You’re such a spoil sport,” Jafan pouts, kicking a rock in front of him.

Navigating the streets of Dac City is easier in the late afternoon, binary suns shining down on the glistening buildings. You pull Jafan along, not paying attention to his rambling but rather closely watching Din’s movements. Once you get back to the Crest, you have him walk you through the carbon freezer’s buttons and load Jafan in. Normally, you would’ve asked Din to just chain him to a rail or something, but you were much more preoccupied with making sure that “cheap shot” Jafan got on Din wasn’t something more serious.

Once all that is done, you round on Din. “Alright, you’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” he waves your concern away and tries to climb the ladder, only to miss the first rung and slam his foot into the ground.

“Din, come on. This isn’t normal.” A knot begins to form in your stomach. If it’s a head injury, he’s not going to let me help him take care of it…

He straightens up and turns to look at you, hand still gripping the side rail. “Okay, maybe I’m a little shaken up but it’s nothing to worry about.”

Marching over to him, you take his hand and pull him toward the fresher. “You’re going to go in there, take your helmet off, and walk me through what you see. I’ll help you take care of it from this side of the door.” You push him through the doorway and slide the door shut. “Well? I’m waiting, Mr. Djarin.”

You hear the hiss of his helmet coming off and the clunk of it being set on the small sink. “I don’t see anything.”

“Run your hand gently over the part of your head Jafan hit. Anything tender or bleeding?”

“Lots of places are tender, he hit me over the head with a plank of wood.”

“Okay, fair. What about blood?”

“I don’t think…” His sentence drifts off and he’s quiet for a moment before…

Thud.

“Din?” You ask, stepping closer to the door. “Din, everything okay?” It’s too quiet and your blood turns cold. There’s nothing you can do; his helmet is off in there and he definitely just passed out. If he has a concussion or something’s broken… You had to get in there.

Opening the door, you squeeze your eyes shut and fumble for the light switch. “Din, I’m going to turn off the light and come in, okay?”

Still no response. You finally find the switch, plunging the room into darkness. Remembering the light coming in from the cargo hold, you rush to turn that off as well and stumble your way back to your unconscious Mandalorian.

Sliding to the floor, you crawl to his prone form and cradle his head in your lap. “Din? Din I need you to wake up.”

His silence has become comforting, but not like this. This silence only promises pain and fear, not contemplation and companionship. Your hands are featherlight on his head as you search for the wound. No bleeding, thank the Maker, but there is a spot along the back of his head that is incredibly soft. You’re sure the scalp is bruised, already purple and blue, and there’s a chance his skull might have fractured. The fear bubbling up in you almost overwhelms you as you whisper, “Din, I’m going to try some of that bacta stuff, okay? I’ll be right back.”

You’re sure he can’t hear you, but talking through the steps helps you focus. First, get the first aid pack. Second, find the tube of bacta. Third, find your way blindly back to the fresher. Fourth, open the tube and smear it on his head. Fifth… Wait for something to happen.

So you wait. You sit in the dark with his head on your lap, stroking his hair and murmuring quietly to him. His hair is curly, something you never thought about, but as you sit there with him so close to you, you begin to imagine what he looks like. You know about the curly hair now, and you add that to the tan skin and stubble you vaguely remember seeing when he was carrying you back to the ship after Zena’s attack. You imagine his eyes are brown, depthless and warm. Maybe he even has little smile lines around them? You shake your head and focus on humming the lullaby you mom used to sing to you when you were sick.

After a couple choruses, Din starts to rouse. A groan slips from him and you stop humming with a gasp. “Don’t sit up, you gotta let the bacta work.”

He obeys, laying back down and sighing. “What happened?”

“You passed out. I’m so sorry, I had to come in and make sure you were okay. All the lights are off and I swear, I didn’t see anything.”

“It’s okay, Cuyan,” he pats your knee behind his head, “You did everything right.”

“Do you need anything?”

“I don’t think so,” he adjusts slightly in your lap, “I think the bacta’s working.”

“Can you stand?”

You feel him nod and help him slowly sit up. Taking it a step at a time, Din finally manages to get fully standing. The room is still pitch black and you suddenly realize just how close you are to each other.

“I’m gonna check on your wound, okay?” you warn him, reaching up. You find he’s facing you, so you gently ghost your fingers around the crown of his head until you find the batca covered patch of hair. It has only been a few minutes, but the swelling has already gone down and isn’t radiating heat the way it was before. With a sigh of relief, you pull away. “You’re going to be fine.”

“Thanks to you,” Din responds, voice low. He catches your hands as they leave his head and gives them a squeeze. “I’m not used to knowing someone has my back.”

“Well get used to it, Mandalorian.” Without thinking, you stand on tiptoe and place a kiss on his cheek, a friendly gesture you picked up from your mother. You let go of his hands and head for the cargo hold to give him space to clean up.

Relief paints the rest of the evening in a much needed calm. Din goes to bed early, which makes sense after the events of the afternoon, and you’re left to your own thoughts in the quiet of the Crest. You find yourself in the cockpit, using the height of your dock to your advantage to study Dac City. It’s more beautiful at night than it is in the daytime; the glittering of the lights on the waves around the city is mesmerizing.

While you watch, your mind drifts to the events of the last few weeks. The one thing that comes up over and over again is the nickname Din has started calling you, Cuyan. What does it mean? You’re sure it isn’t anything bad or degrading, but it’s maddening to not know what it means. If you could just find the context…

After mulling over the word for another few minutes, you decide to give your mind a break and lean into the pilot’s chair you commandeered for the evening. You’ve seen Din sit in it hundreds of times by now, but realized when you came up and started settling into your normal chair that you had never sat in it so you took the opportunity. It’s surprisingly comfortable. You imagine Din in it, turning to look at you while you read off a target’s information. You can see him flying the Crest, hands deftly pressing buttons and flipping switches before gently pulling the control for the jump to hyperspace. Another memory pops into your head of him in this room, but this time behind the chair, another figure kneeling in front of him…

Your eyes fly open and you try to fill your mind with any other view. The glowing buttons, the waves, the people still loitering in the streets below, anything but your intrusion on his privacy. You try to summon images of your adventures today, but you feel your cheeks heat and tears sting your eyes at the idea of him with someone else.

But why? You don’t mean anything romantic to each other. Sure, you feel more safe with him than you’ve felt in your entire life. Even running through streets of unknown cities with him, even after being stabbed chasing a bounty, his presence is still one of security for you. And sure, you’ve felt jolts here and there of something more than friendship. The way it felt to have his finger hooked under your chin, him carrying you to your cot after too much to drink, the spark that ignites in your heart whenever he says your name, but does that mean anything?

No. It couldn’t mean anything. He had someone, you had seen it with your own eyes. There’s nothing you may or may not feel that he’d ever reciprocate and the sooner you realized that, the better. No sense in admitting any sort of feelings when any relationship you might daydream would be dead on arrival in reality.

What started as a calm evening ends as emotionally choppy as the water below you. You’d been so focused on starting this new life and forgetting Arlon that you didn’t notice Din sneaking his way into unnoticed spaces in your heart. For the first time in weeks, you curl into yourself and cry yourself dry, falling asleep in the Crest’s pilot’s chair.

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