By Creed or By Code

The Discovery

As they travel towards their destination, Kia's anxiety was at an all time high. She was feeling very distressed about having to leave the children behind. She can't shake the feeling that something horrible may happen to them. Then again, she knows all too well that the Force can be deceiving — and being on Fett's ship wasn't helping her uneasiness.

She is troubled by the thought that countless murders, and numerous other atrocities, probably have occurred here on this ship. She is particularly uncomfortable that the man responsible is now her lover's closest friend and ally. But if her husband trusts him, then she does as well.

So she decides to stay down by herself in the passenger cove. She leans against the hull and feels the hum of the engines, allowing the vibrations to ground her. Then she hears the clanking of metal above her. Through her helmet's visor, she sees Din's boots as he climbs down the ladder, his weight crashing with the impact of his landing.

She turns her attention towards him as he quickly approached her. Din closes the gap between her and the empty space next to her in just two large strides. She feels her agitation begin to settle as he moves to sit on the seat beside her. Then one of his large hands rest on her upper thigh, and although the weight of his palm relaxes her, yet she didn't realize her leg was fidgeting.

"You okay?" Din's low, deep voice boomed in her helmet's sensitive audio.

Kia sighs but doesn't look at him, "I have a bad feeling about leaving the children behind."

"I'm sure they'll be alright," he replied softly, while gently caressing her thigh with his thumb. "I trust Fett."

"He's not the one I'm worried about," Kia reiterated truthfully. "I know he's loyal to you—But I feel that someone is—waiting for us."

"Is this your Force stuff?" Din asked in his brutally honest manner.

"Most likely," Kia breathed out. "We have to be alert."

"The kids are smart. Try not to worry about it. I'm sure everything will be alright," Din reassured her and she knows he's probably right. After a few moments of silent humming coming from the ship's engines, Kia felt the need to bring up a conversation they have yet to talk about.

"Cyar'ika, how come you don't ever talk about your buir?"

"You never asked," he replied flatly. Din was not a man who was good with conversations, so she has learned not to take offense to this. "Kan Saxon," he continued. "He wasn't overly affectionate. Always called me boy or kid, but he was protective."

"Ohh," Kia breathed out, thinking about how parts of his childhood may have been. This was the most he had ever spoken about his parental caretaker.

"What happened to him?"

"Same as all the others," Din answered shortly. War and battle is the way of life for their people. For this reason, many adults die in combat. Kia understood this. No explanation was needed.

"Then he died honorably," she says, unfolding her arms to reach down to hold his hand that was on her thigh. "And he raised a good man," she says as Din silently clasped onto her hand in response, her kind words warming his heart. There was a brief pause, until Din's voice soft broke the silence between them.

"When this is all over," Din began to ask, but swallowed hard before continuing. "Do you think we could every have—Uh—one of our own?"

"That—," Kia muttered softly but takes a moment to gather her thoughts. "Would be nice—but there's a chance the child may be born with—special abilities," she said as another moment of silence fell between them. "Are you ready for another?"