𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 28: The Cave

chapter 28: the cave •••

"Wake up, Mandalorian."

It's the familiar and metallic voice that rips you from your sleep—though, for a quick moment, you wonder if you're stuck inside yet another nightmare from that day upon the prison ship. You'd been nestled against Din's chest as his helmet rested against your head, but the move he makes to instantly reach for his blaster and extend it towards Zero's figure hanging from the wall disrupts that. You release a quick gasp as one of your hands instantly presses upon Din's cuirass, the metal cold and frozen beneath your fingers as you nearly cower into Din's figure.

"This cannot wait until morning." Upon further observation, you can see that the Frog Lady's standing beside Zero, speaking into a wire that's connected to his decapitated head. You look up at Din's helmet, silently questioning why he'd even kept the droid's body around. You hadn't been aware that he had it on the ship. "Do not be alarmed," the Frog Lady continues via Zero. It makes a chill go down your spine as you feel the baby climb onto your lap, one of your hands helping him as he hides away with both you and Din. "I bypassed the droid's security protocols and accessed its vocabulator."

You raise your brow. Impressive. Din doesn't have quite the same reaction, instead slowly lowering his blaster as he looks between the Frog Lady and Zero with disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?" Din barks, causing you to throw him a warning glance that he easily disregards. He aggressively reholsters his blaster before he points at Zero. "That droid is a killer."

"These eggs are the last brood of my life cycle," the Frog Lady continues, unfazed by Din's frustration. "My husband has risked his life to carve out an existence for us on the only planet that is hospitable to our species."

The Frog Lady pauses. You can feel Din take a deep breath beneath you, your body moving with his beskar as you feel your own chest tighten with the risks of this crash.

"We fought too hard and suffered too much to resign ourselves to the extinction of our family line," the Frog Lady goes on. "I must demand that you hold true to the deal that you agreed to." The Frog Lady stops, whimpering a few times as she looks Din's way desperately.

You swallow hard as both you and the baby look up at Din, watching his helmet barely move as he responds with a tight voice. "Look, lady, the deal is off," Din insists, his tone fuller of exhaustion than it is frustration. "We're lucky if we get off this frozen tomb with our lives."

You sigh gently as you see the Frog Lady lower her head and whimper more, placing your hand upon Din's cuirass again as you whisper quiet enough for only him to hear. "Din..."

Before you can say more, the Frog Lady continues—now, with more resilience than before. "I thought honoring one's word was a part of the Mandalorian code," the Frog Lady asserts, taking you aback at her rather harsh accusation. Your face heats up with sudden anger, especially as you feel Din deflate beneath you. You'd been on board with her before she'd started using your husband's code against him. "I guess those are just stories for children."

The baby turns to look up at Din with ears that fall to his sides, his chin tucking into his chest as if he's encouraging him to do what she's said. You, on the other hand, sit up further from your place against Din's cuirass as you frown harshly at the Frog Lady. "It's not right to use his code against him," you nearly snap, your brow furrowing as you stare directly at her. "He's doing everything he can for all three of us right now."

"Cyar'ika—," Din tries to stop you.

"In case you've forgotten, I nearly froze to death," you press on, ignoring Din's plea and attempting to get closer to the Frog Lady. Instead, you feel one of Din's arms wrap around your middle, forcing your back into his cuirass as he keeps you tight against him. "If it wasn't for him, we all would've. And now you think that's not enough? There's only so much that can be done!"