THE ARC OF SKYWALKER | a star wars story✔️

16 | meaning every word

—DIN WATCHED ASA SHIFT UNCOMFORTABLY IN HER SEAT AS SHE AVOIDED EYE CONTACT WITH CARA DUNE.

Asa refused to look at her or even acknowledge Cara was there. Instead, she opted to stay silent and only spoke to add in on Din's sentences. He could see how guilty she felt just by glancing at her. Her shoulders slouched, her hands fiddled with the gloves on her hands, and her dark eyes held so much sorrow.

He remembered her telling him she was there when Alderaan was destroyed. At the time she said it, Asa was angry with him and was trying to prove a point to him. Her tone was harsh, cold, and unyielding to emotion, making her sound like she didn't care. But seeing Asa's change as she hesitantly spoke to Cara made Din pity her.

"So, you're an ex-rebel too, huh?" Cara asked Asa as she sipped on her drink. The brunette almost choked on her spotchka because of the question.

Din tensed, his gaze slightly glancing over to see if she would answer. He was about to answer for her but she beat him to it.

"You...could say that." Asa responded, her voice uneasy but she cleared her throat and asked a question of her own. "I'm guessing you're here as an early retirement?"

"Yeah. I needed to get away from politics and propaganda, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I completely understand."

Din glanced to the child who sat calmly at the table drinking another cup of broth. He cooed at him before slurping his broth again. Asa turned to give the kid a look which told him to stop slurping loudly. He squeaked in apology before drinking quietly.

"Well, it's been a real treat, but I best be going now." Cara said and set her empty cup down. Asa and Din watched her stand up as she bid farewell to them.

"I guess this planet's taken." Din grumbled to Asa and the kid before standing himself. Asa took one last look at Cara's retreating figure before standing too, her hands balled into fists to keep her nerves contained.

~*~

Asa, Din, and the Child relaxed on the Crest, the group in no rush to leave Sorgan. It was night now and the only light came from Din's ship. Birds hooted and made the occasional screech above while the bugs droned on and on. The sky was clear, giving way to the moons and stars above.

Din was making small repairs or checking panels while Asa and the Child sat outside together. He glanced to Asa who smiled and used the Force to make the child float in the air. The small creature giggled, smiling happily and reaching out to the woman with his small arms. She reached out to him and placed her hands under his arms, her fingers tightening to secure her grip on him.

Din couldn't help but smile as he watched the two interact together. Seeing Asa show how soft and gentle she could be toward the child warmed his heart. It was also a nice change from her usual stoic and cold behavior whenever she interacted with strangers or if she was around him. He could tell she didn't have a good footing in how she could be around him. Din never minded the silence they would share in the cockpit if she was up there with him. He wasn't a talker either.

"You're staring again." Asa said and turned to look at him. He held her gaze but he stopped what he was doing. Din couldn't object since he was caught in the act, but he turned away from her and tried ignoring the warmth in his chest and ears.

"You're smiling. You don't do that a lot."

"Never really had a reason to since I was Imperial all my life." Asa replied stiffly to him before turning her attention back to the child.

She stood up and walked up the ramp to where Din stood, her eyes looking over his helmeted face. He peered down at her, staring into the onyx eyes of the Force user in front of him.

"The little girl was right." Din said and hesitantly reached his hand up to gesture to her scar, his gloved finger almost brushing her skin. "It does look like a shooting star."

To say Asa was flustered was an understatement. She couldn't even get out a sentence or a word to say something to him. Din chuckled in amusement as Asa grumbled in Huttese and walked away from him, the child still in her arms. She set him down on a crate before looking back to him, stray strands of hair framing her face. To Din, she almost looked ethereal, and he couldn't help but stare.

"Stop it." Asa suddenly snapped, looking away from him. He could barely make out her ears turning red in the dim light.

"What?"

"Stop...thinking I'm some sort of good person or being."

Din frowned at her, confused as to how she could know what he thought. Asa shook her head, crossing her arms as she shifted her weight on her feet.

"Users of the Dark side are meant to look enticing." She spoke, her voice low but it held a pained tone to it. "We're meant to look or sound appealing to those around us. We're meant to feel mysterious and interesting. It's what makes me dangerous. The closer you get, the more likely you are to get hurt."

"I don't care, Ace."

Din stepped forward and placed his hand on her shoulder, the young woman tensing as she gazed at him.

"I rescued you because you deserve a second chance at living a life you deserve. I brought you with me because you want to keep the kid safe, and if I'm hurt along the way, then that's how it's going to be. Don't think for one second, Asa, that I regret bringing you along with me. We're partners, and the kid would be devastated if you weren't here."

Asa's eyes glossed over as she stared up at Din, her hand finding its place on his shoulder too. He smiled at her from under his helmet, meaning every word he spoke to her. She proved to be an ally—hell, maybe even a friend—to him and he saw she wanted nothing more than to keep the child safe.

"Thank you, Mando. You didn't have to say all that to make me look like a good person."

She had a halfhearted, teasing smile on her face as she looked at her boots.

"I meant every word I said, Asa."

Before anything else could be said, footsteps coming from outside made the two snap into defensive mode. Asa's soft expression hardened into a glare as she followed the Mandalorian outside. He drew his blaster and pointed it at the intruders. The intruders, two farmers from the looks of it, shouted in surprise and lifted their hands to show they meant no harm.

Din glanced to the woman behind him, gesturing for her to stand down. She begrudgingly obeyed and released the grip on her lightsabers which hung from her belt.

"Why are you two here?" She demanded, her voice cold. Din couldn't believe how she could change from being soft and kindhearted to cold and harsh in a matter of seconds.

"Please!" One of them pleaded, his eyes staring fearfully at the woman behind Din. "Our village needs help! Raiders terrorize us, steal our crops, burn our homes! We need your help."

~*~

*NOTE*
sorry for the long wait! i had a small period of writer's block but i uploaded 🙌
i might come back and edit this since it feels a bit choppy to me, but i hope you all enjoyed!

mando and asa are warming up to each other. i literally have the best ideas for when i write season 2 in here. it's gonna be great!

see ya soon!