Broken Soul | Din Djarin

chapter twenty: sanctuary

No.

You stumble, kicking up dirt as you run.

No.

"Alora!" Din calls out from behind you. You'd darted from the barn the second you'd sensed it.

The child. Danger. Get the child.

You slide to a halt in the dirt, filling the air with a dusty cloud as you scout the area. You can see the kid playing with the other children across the way. No one other than the villagers is with them. No strangers or obvious threats. It must be something in the distance.

Your senses focus and it feels as if a string is pulling at your chest, away from the village.

"Alora." Din slides to a stop at your side. "Alora, what's wrong?"

"The kid." Your voice rasps as your head whips around to the forest.

"What?"

"Someone's going to hurt the kid."

The villagers have started to notice your frantic nature and they're glancing around at one another, mumbling questions.

Din doesn't question your statement. Glancing back, you realize that he'd darted for the kid the second the words had left your lips. He ushers the kids away to their homes, yelling at them to scatter while he covers the child with his body in a protective manner. His armor has become a wall of safety around the kid and Din looks back at you, yelling.

"Go! Find who it is!"

You sprint for the woods, eyes focusing on the area that the Force is drawing you to. A dark figure stands out to you in the trees and a small growl emits from your lips. The hunter is hiding behind a tree, his sniper rifle aimed at Din and the child, but his attention diverts to you as he notices your quick approach. He fires a shot at you and you duck, letting the bolt pass by and slam into a tree as you enter the first line of trees. The hunter recoils in fear when it realizes your anger and he sends another shot in your direction as he starts to retreat.

He turns his back to you as he runs, a deadly mistake. Vaulting over a fallen tree, you pull a vibroblade from your boot as you fly through the air. Your boots slam into the ground as you continue your pursuit, turning the blade in your hand. The hunter is weaving through the trees and he's expecting you to try to shoot at him, not throw a knife. A cry of pain and surprise flies from his mouth as the knife slams into his back right as he emerges from behind a tree.

He stumbles from the force of the blade but continues to run against the pain, kicking up leaves from the forest floor. Calling another blade to your hand, you hurl it at him, your strength mixing with the focus of the Force. It's as if it moves in slow motion as you watch the handle turn through the air. The knife plunges into the base of the hunter's neck with a sickening thud, right between his shoulders and spine. A strained croak flies from his lips as he crumples to the ground, reaching out as if someone will help him. Even if there was someone near, no one would have moved to help him. Not with the angry Jedi on his tail, her eyes flaring.

Your pace slows and you walk in front of the fallen bounty hunter, squatting to meet his eye as he struggles to breathe. The terrifying gaze of the Jedi was calm and yet scorching at the same time. It was the last thing he saw as the light drains from his eyes and his ragged breathing ended with one final croak.

You sit for a few more moments, trying to steady your breathing and your anger. Pulling the blades from the body, you strip the hunter of his weapons and carry them back to the village, leaving his body in the woods. His sniper rifle was strapped to your back and his blaster hung loosely in your grasp. Your fingers nervously tap against it as you walk as your senses haven't calmed.