Broken Soul | Din Djarin

chapter one: the meeting

The setting of the two suns of Endor has always been the highlight of your days. Admiring the view of the light disappearing behind the towering trees, vines, and foliage, casting a soft orange glow that engulfs the forests and creates a sense of warmth and calm. The leaves and branches seem to change along with the sky as the golden glow covers them, and some seem to shine and sparkle in a mixture of raindrops and the remaining light of day.

You lean your back against the trunk of a tree, letting your legs swing slowly through the open air as you watch in awe as the suns go down. Your hands fiddle with a silver charm as your fingers trace the edges of the familiar image etched into the metal. Glancing down at the rubbed and faded symbol of the Jedi Order, a small frown flits over your face. Looking at it brings you intensely mixed feelings of remorse, shame, and slight anger. Even now, after all these years, the slightest trigger throws you back to the days on the battlefields with your fellow Jedi at your side.

Even the bang of your own blaster throws you back to the past, and it takes you some time to collect yourself and control your emotions. The panic that overcomes you must not gain control and you fear that one day it will. You'd give anything to forget that day - the day where everything crumbled and died around you. Not even just that day... but every day after that as well.

It's why you came out here to hide. To get away from it all. To block it all out. To keep everything in.

Shaking your head to clear your mind, you look back to the skyline and watch the suns cast their final glint of gold on the forest before they sink away and are replaced by the neighboring moons that are scattered throughout the night sky. You can faintly see the sparkle of stars through the leaves and branches above you. You take a deep breath in meditation and let it out a few moments later in a big sigh of relief. All is well. You're not back at Kashyyk. You're fine. You're here.

A small grunt comes from beside you and you glance over to see a small teddy bear-like figure standing a few feet away from you, balanced carefully on a branch.

"Hello, Rabin." 

The Ewok releases some more noises and grunts, coaxing you down the tree to the rest of the camp. "Acha." 

You chuckle as you shift your weight on the branch to face the Ewok as he continues to beckon you down. 

"Tyatee. Tyatee," he says as he begins to make his way down the tree ahead of you.

Tucking the charm away, you begin to slowly climb down the large tree, checking your footholds as you follow Rabin. As you get closer to the base of the tree, light from the bonfires cast shadows on the structures that reside in the middle branches of the large trees. You can hear the faint chantings and joy of the Ewok community in their camp as they celebrate the food that they have foraged and caught in today's hunts.

When you get close enough, you swing from a branch to land on the platforms connecting various trees and make your way after Rabin on the wooden bridges. You adjust your clothes and brush off leaves from your tunic as you make your way down the path, trying not to trip in the process. He's surprisingly fast for his size, as most Ewoks are, and you smile at the sight of his little grey ears popping through his brown hood as he hurries through the village to get his share of tonight's meal.

Eventually, you make it to the gathering of Ewoks around a bonfire that is roasting a boar-wolf on a large stick.

"Wow!" you exclaim as you approach the fire. The kill of the day was rather impressive, considering the difficulty of the catch of this predator. You hear a small grunt at your side and look down to see a young Ewok handing you a knife that was newly crafted from the teeth of the boar-wolf. You take it and observe its craftsmanship, turning it over in your hand, and you crouch down by the child with a smile to show your approval of the work. The small teddy bear made exclamations of glee and the sight of this small brown creature's joy shakes a laugh from your chest. You rub his head gingerly and ask, "Have you been able to learn my name yet, little one?"