Kia wakes up to discover she's on a tropical beach. Sighing, she sits up to brush silvery grains from her black hair. The air is fresh with a cool breeze, the ground beneath her is soft and hot, and the brightness of the sun stings her eyes. Blinking, Kia squints upwards and into the sky, which settles into a bright blue with the faded shapes of distant clouds rolling slowly towards the horizon.

The white seashore glimmers in the sunlight as she shifts her sinking weight, she can feel the fine particles between her bare toes and fingers. Yards away she sees the gentle roils and clashing of water striking a sandy shore. Magnificent emerald waves rolling in constant oscillations, commanded by air currents and the gravitational pull.

"Hello Kia," a friendly and soft male voice is heard echoing all around her. It is someone she recognizes.

"Luke?" She calls out as her voice is swallowed up by the crashing of waves, but no one is around. "Where are we?"

"Naboo. This was where my mother was born. I often come here when I meditate," Luke says as his image is slowly coming into view before her. Kia rubs her eyes and soon sees him sitting across from her in all black clothes.

"This place is beautiful, but you know I don't like it when you contact me like this."

"I know Kia, but — I had to make sure you were okay. I — " Luke stammers then paused to take a deep breath, feeling hesitant to continue. " — sensed your anger."

"Yes, Luke. I lost myself for a second. I — killed people," Kia's voice cracked as she holds back tears. "I know shouldn't have given in."

"The dark side can trick you, Kia. It is unwise to go too far with it."

"Yes, I understand. But in that moment I felt — free."

"Those men didn't have to die like that."

"Luke, with all due respect, even you have used the dark side on certain occasions."

"That is true, but only when there was no other option."

"They deserved it. Mandalore doesn't belong to the Imperials!" She snarls at him, feeling instinctively protective of her people's home planet.

"Yes. You are right. And your anger is natural, but you must promise me that you'll never lose yourself to it's intoxicating control."

"I promise, Luke. I refuse to let it take over me."

"I'm glad that you are safe, but there's something else that is different about you, Kia. How are you and the Mandalorian getting along?" Luke asked, but she can sense that her master already knew the answer.

"The Mandalorian is — " Kia began to say with an elated smile but couldn't find the right words. Her gaze shifted down as she stares at the glistening sand beneath them.

"You love him, don't you?" Luke asked after a brief moment of silence.

Blinking back tears, Kia sniffed and looks back up at Luke, "I'm sorry, master. I know it is forbidden, but I cannot ignore how I feel. I will forever be a Mandalorian."

"Kia, you have always been a wise yet revolutionary Jedi. Unfortunately, this is where we must part ways."

She begins to sob, "Please Luke. Forgive me!"

"Goodbye, Kia. And take good care of Grogu," Luke frowns with a deep sadness as his image gradually fades away.

"Luke, I'm sorry. Please don't leave me!" Kia cries as she reaches her out with both hands to touch her master's shoulders, but once she got within arms reach, he was gone.

And she wakes up.

***

"Hey! Hey!"

Kia is startled awake hours later onboard their ship. Laying down in their bed, she feels her wrists are being held by two powerful, calloused hands to still her thrashing. Her wrists are then released as she feels two strong, warm arms wrap around her body, pulling her into to a soft, thumping chest. Next, she hears a familiar raspy voice coming out gentle and low, instantly giving her a sense of calmness and safety.

"Easy, ridurr. You're alright, it's me," Din soothes her. The second she realized it was him, she buries her face into his warm chest and takes a deep breath, taking in the scent of him. His aroma and voice calmed her. She melts into his grip, her whole body gone soft and ductile against the touch of his grasp. She felt heat burning deep in her core, her body sizzling with her love for him as she inclined into his embrace. His deep, gruff voice is a warm resound that darts up her spine and settles into her heart.

The way she calmed when she became aware it was him, gave Din a comforting feeling he's never felt before, further strengthening his love of her. He liked how she relaxed into him, relying on him when she was defenseless in her sleep. She looked so perfectly peaceful in his arms. When she moved closer towards him, and how her body loosened up against him, proved how at ease she feels laying with him. Din has had many nightmares throughout his life. The lifestyle he has lived provided his mind with plenty of unpleasant dreams. He couldn't count how many times he has woken up on the Razor Crest, breathing hard and covered in a cold sweat.

When Kia reached up to cup his face, Din lets out a puff of air as he closed his eyes. Her tender doe eyes beam up at him and he feels like his insides become liquified. When his eyes met hers in the dim lighting of their sleeping quarters, he thinks he may become even more enchanted than he already is. If that was even possible. When she leaned in to kiss his cheek, he sucked in a breath of air into his lungs and his eyes squeezed shut. He has become totally mesmerized by her. His love. His wife.

"Oh, Din," she sobbed as her eyes began to swell up with tears.

"Are you okay, mesh'la?" His voice comes out soft and full of concern.

"I—I'm afraid I'm—I'm no longer a—" she stumbled with her words as she started to cry.

"Easy, my ridurr. Tell your husband what's wrong?"

"I'm no longer a Jedi," she cried into his chest.

There was a brief pause, feeling quite unsure of what she meant by that. So he continued to try to soothe her, "Shh. I'm sure there's something we can do to change that," he says as he sweeps his large fingers through her hair.

"No, Din. I spoke to Luke. He knows about us," she sniffed through her nose as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"What?" He asked, and he was genuinely confused with what she just said. "How?"

"It's hard to explain but — I spoke to him in my sleep. It's called a Force Bond. Marriage is forbidden. I've been—casted out."

Din didn't respond. He didn't know what to say, but he knows how it feels to be exiled from the people you care about. All he could do is hold her tight and kiss her forehead, "It'll be okay, ridurr. I'm here for you. We'll figure something out."

"I love you so much. You are my husband. Grogu is our son and we will look out for each other. I promise."

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do to help you return to the Jedi?"

"No, Din. I've made my decision."

"As long as you are happy, ridurr."

"As long as I'm with you and the baby, I'll always be happy. Also, we've never said our vows," she smiles up at him as her eyes have now dried up from crying.

"Do you know the words?" He asked.

"I do."

"Then start us off," Din says with a smile.

"Mhi solus dar'tome," Kia says and Din repeats it.

"Mhi me'dinui an," Kia says and Din repeats it.

"Mhi ba'juri verde," Kia says and Din repeats it.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum (I love you)," Din says softly.

"I am so happy to be a part of your family and the rest of Clan Mudhorn. I never thought I'd ever feel this way again. Ner kar'taylir darasuum (my love)," she says with a soft laugh and a huge grin on her face. "How do you feel?"

"I'm happy too. We are a family now and it is my duty to protect you and the kid, as well as provide for the others in our clan. Being a married man was never on my mind before, but I've never felt so satisfied and at peace in my life."

Din's heart beats in Kia's ear as she presses her forehead into his chest, sticking to him by the sweat from their bodies. Their minds are blissfully quiet as they match each other's breathing in unison. His fingers are still entwined in her hair, their legs still interlocked around each other, and their clothes laid discarded on the ground by the bed.

"I guess we should make an official announcement when we arrive on Krownest," Kia suggested.

"Yea I guess we should. But there's something else I'd like to do."

"What's that?"

"I want to visit my old covert."

"Of course, Din. I would like to meet them."

"I really don't know how they will react to my return."

"Regardless, I am here for you. But I'm afraid we'll have to earn some credits now that I'm no longer part of the Order. That kid of ours eats twice his weight in food every day."

Din chuckled, "Don't worry about that. I can find work on that space station where we first met."

"Bounty hunting?"

"Yes."

"I'll help you. I'm an expert tracker."

Din laughs and he sounded truly amused, "A Jedi bounty hunter."

"Technically I'm not a Jedi anymore, remember? Plus, I have skills that you don't. Trust me."

"It's a dangerous profession."

"So is being a Rebel pilot, but I managed to survive."

"I really should do it alone. Besides, someone will need to look after the kid."

"Grogu has seen many things in his young life. He'll be alright. And you know I'm a very capable fighter."

"I'm not questioning your abilities," his voice was stern, but she couldn't tell if he was teasing her or he was simply agreeing with her.

"I am not a typical housewife, and you know how well I can take you on when we sparred."

"I'll think about it, but for now let's just lay here quietly for a few more minutes. We only have a couple of hours until we land," he tells her as he breathes long and deep. He smiles against her as she inhales, taking in his scent as home.