CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX. 

THE NOTHING

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"DANK FARRIK!"

Tess was half asleep in her chair, head resting against the back of her seat. Her legs were curled close to her body, mouth hanging open, soft eyes closed. Everything about Tess Oprin was soft right as sleep drifted off. The bliss of unconsciousness, now no longer plagued with nightmares and demons in the dark, was a tapestry of broken fragments, memories of good times forgotten after the perpetual darkness that had swarmed her for so many years.

Tess' head rose slowly, her eyes burning from the light of the galaxy around them. At first, she could barely see, sleep sealing her eyes shut. Then, gently, she reached up and wiped a hand over her face, feeling returning. Her legs tingled from staying in the same spot for so long. Tess let a soft groan fall from her lips as she sat straight, her back arching.

"Hey, no. I'm not mad at you." Tess perked up at the sound of Mando's thin voice through his helmet. She craned her neck to see the man spun in his chair, looking intently at Grogu, whose play sphere was propped in his lap. Tess frowned lightly at the look of panic in the child's eyes. "You did good." The frown eased at Mando's comforting tone, and Tess stayed silent, watching the exchange with a curious look on her face.

"I just..." Din continued.''when the nice lady said you had training, I just... " He trailed off, sighing deeply, before reaching over and placing the sphere back in Grogu's hands. "You're very special, kid." Tess' smile reduced at the Mandalorian's tone, somber and guilt-ridden. She'd heard that voice enough times to know what he was thinking. "We're gonna find that place you belong... and they're gonna take real good care of you." At this, Tess shifted in her seat, and her metal leg hit the floor with a muted bang.

Immediately, Din turned, his eyes clashing with Tess' who sat still and unflinching. Her gaze was like steel.

"Oh," The Mandalorian said, nodding to Tess. "you're awake." the girl raised an eyebrow at Din's foolish attempt to hide the pain in his voice. While the mechanic was a master, the Mandalorian was miserably failing.

"Yeah." Tess replied, rolling back her shoulders. The Mandalorian nodded, pressing the controls of the ship to steady it. Up ahead, out through the frosted windows, a planet of green and yellow, sapphire and olive swirled together. Tufts of white revolved across the surface. It was beautiful, and Tess' eyes snagged on the raised edges that were most certainly mountains. It was so poignant, that she almost wanted to reach up, feeling as though her fingers could caress the rough surface of the planet.

"Tython." Din said absent-mindedly, watching the awe that passed across Tess' face. "We'll land in a bit." The girl nodded slowly, her mouth opening slightly, before it closed again with a snap, as if she'd decided against speaking.

Beneath his helmet, the Mandalorian frowned. Tess continued to stare out the window, taking tiny, shallow breaths. Her eyes were clouded with thought, so potent the man could almost swear he saw them, light threads weaved upon her head of damp curls. Faded ivory against ebony. white against black. That was Tess, there was no doubt.

Grogu cooed from where he distracted himself with his little toy. The ship was silent besides the usual hum of the hull, the beeps and thumps of the inner working of the aircraft. It was an incessant sound, a rattling of molded metal and fused beams, electrical wires strung through the walls like arteries, red and blue and pumping the fuel as a lifeline. It was beautiful, the things machines could do, without the burden of emotion and a real heart. To live and breathe as a unit, and die when it needed to.

For a moment, Din couldn't see fault in Tess' strewed ideals when it came to machinery.

"Din..." speaking of the young mechanic, her weathered voice came through his helmet like a vibroblade, strumming with electricity and hurting just as much. In an instance, the Mandalorian turned in his seat, his attention going back to the young girl. She had also turned in her seat, to face him. Her hands were in her lap, and she tapped one finger on top of the other continually. Her metal leg bounced up and down. The fractured wires had been put back in place by her own hand, sweat and tears going into making her leg as good as it could be.

But it still wasn't perfect. She didn't think it would ever be.

"Tess?" he asked, and didn't elaborate. The girl blew out a breath, leaning back to rest her head against the chair, messing up the back of her hair. She didn't say anything for a moment, clenching her jaw, biting down on the inside of her cheek. Inside her, a storm raged.

"Do you think that man will come after us?" she finally spoke up, her tone biting. It wasn't hard to understand who she meant. The mercenary, the spy that had almost killed her the day before. The smiling one, who, even as Din shot him, had a perpetual look of reverence on his scarred face.

In truth, the man's face had not left Mando's thoughts since he'd carried Tess away from the bloody scene. His eyes sharp and wise despite his predicament. Amusement in his gaunt features, slim and lined with overlapping scars. His clothes, musty and ridden with holes, the perfect outfit for a hired soldier. There was no doubt he'd been hired by the Empire, or what was left of it. The thought brought a sour taste to Din's mouth, the idea that Moff Gideon knew of Tess, the girl who'd eluded him before. The girl he'd almost got his hands on.

He should have shot the soy in the chest.

"No." Mando said honestly, his voice dim. "And if he does... I'll make sure he doesn't get anywhere near you."

At this, Tess' head tilted upwards, her whole face coming into view, light shining against her pale skin. The Mandalorian sucked in a breath. This was not the Tess he knew. The Tess he knew was sharp edges and all angles, even in the calm of morning. The Tess he knew carried the weight of her past like a trophy, a burden, yes, but one she was able to lift. The Tess he knew didn't let the walls around her crumble, not when she was scared, not when she was about to die, not ever.

But the Tess he saw now was none of those things. Tears fell upon her cheeks, heavy and glistening, a living being that tracked cuts into her flesh. Her eyes were wide and doe-like, her mouth puckered as she struggled to keep in sobs. Her hands were shaking, shoulders heaving, and she anxiously tried to quell the quivering in her leg.

In an instant, the Mandalorian got up from his spot and went to her, kneeling until their legs touched and his hands went to the side of her arms, just above the wrist, the exact spot he'd comforted her the first time, at the battle against the Krayt Dragon.

"Tess," he murmured, her name soft against his lips when it was usually like a strike to the chest. "What's wrong?"

"Did I make the right choice?" she asked through a whimper. "About my powers?" Din watched in silence, pursing his lips as Tess raised her hands to show him. "I thought that by getting rid of them... I could save who I was, but..." she sniffed in. "I don't know anymore."

Din gripped Tess' hand harder, wanting — no, needing— to comfort her, to show her he understood. "It's alright, Tess." he mumbled, his voice weathered and strained. Tess shook her head and retracted her hands from his own, going to hold her head within her calloused palms. Both could see the wrongness of the action, the certain fragility that spilled out of Tess with that simple movement. Tess' hands were supposed to hold metal, machines, lifeless and compliant. Not this.

Blood and bones belonged inside the hands of someone who cared, not someone that tried to push it all away.

"I didn't want to listen to Ahsoka," she continued, "About what she said... about the Force... about the anger." she blew out a breath, unsteady and full of regrets. "But even now, I can feel it, Mando. I can feel it under my skin, and-" she trailed off, shaking her head furiously, sobs erupting from her pale lips.

"What if it never goes away?" she finally said, so quiet the words were like feathers flying in the wind. "What if this is all for nothing?"

"Don't say that, Tess." Din said. "Don't say that, it's not true."

"How do you know?" she snapped, so harshly a flinch ran up Mando's spine. "You heard what Ahsoka said. She said she didn't know how long it would take for my powers to fade. It might never go away. I might continue to float when I sleep, my hands might always hurt." her voice broke. "And I don't want that."

This left them in silence, in a darkened quiet that neither had the courage to break. All Din could do was watch as Tess' shoulders heaved with the weight of the buried, as conflict waged war upon her heart. Years of hiding everything she didn't want to feel had come back to bite, the jaws closing around her throat with an iron grip.

"Sometimes..." her voice was a welcome change to the uneasy stillness. "I wonder what it would have been like... if I hadn't chosen to-to feel nothing." Din cocked his head to side at her unusual declaration. Tess could see his confusion, and despite it all, a smirk fell on her lips, only for a second. "And I did. After my parents died, I... I think I closed myself off." her voice was slurred from the tears. "I was angry, and I, Mando, I tried so damn hard to forget it all."

"Now... now this power is making me remember." she looked down at her hands again. Din didn't say anything, words having left him. From beside them, Grogu watched silently, his wide eyes confused and clouded.

Tess let out a breath, making a pained face and closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, I..."

"No." Din said forcefully, enough for Tess to stop, her head jerking upwards. "Tess, stop. Stop." she pulled back, shaking her head furiously.

"Mando, listen." she was saying, her words jumbled and messy. "Maybe I was wrong, maybe I can't get rid of it,"

"Stop."

"Maybe I'm supposed to have it for the rest of this goddamn life!"

"Tess, stop."

"Maybe I'm supposed to fail." With that, Din grabbed onto Tess' arms, and she jerked forward, burying her head against his shoulder, and Mando instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She cried into the soft cloth of his cape, tears staining the dark fabric. It was foreign, this action, the relation between mechanic and Mandalorian. One so cold and the other used to burning, a dichotomy of light and dark, storm and silence.

Yet now, they were so close, so fatefully entwined. The girl who always seemed to fall, and the man that caught her every time.

It was strange to think that only weeks before, the two had never met. Tess was still in her shop, wasting away, and the Mandalorian was on the run with a child he was obligated to care for. Perhaps it was destiny for Din Djarin to land on Tatooine and watch as the Marshal saved a young girl from burning inside her home. Perhaps it was fate that led Tess to accompany them on the mission to defeat that dragon and learn more of the strange bounty hunter.

Or perhaps it was purely a coincidence that the two ever met, that she went with him to rid herself of the pain, and found someone to trust along the way.

Perhaps it was luck that made the Mandalorian find someone he would bend heaven and hell to keep safe.

Whatever it was, whatever twist of fate had led Tess Oprin and Din Djarin to meet, it had all led to this moment, when the heartless girl found you could not always feel nothing, and the man waged from war found peace. Her tears stained his armour, and his words brought her repose.

"You didn't fail, Tess," he whispered. "This magic that you have, it's not who you are." she pulled back slightly to look at his vizor, and was struck by the fact that she'd never seen his face. "And whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, I'm going to help." then his voice went so low she could barely hear the end. "I promise."

That was enough.

It was enough for the conversation to end, for Tess to nod her head and wipe away the tears.

It was enough for the tension to break and the newfound bond harden.

It was enough for Tess Oprin to realize once and for all how much she trusted Din Djarin, and how no matter what happened, she would stick by his side, and never leave.

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Tython was a planet of mist and shrubs, a hazy green blur as they flew past above the rolling hills and valleys. Even from inside the cockpit, Tess could feel the ancientness through the glass. Her fingertips buzzed with an energy that was unknown and foreign. At the strange feeling, she tucked her hands inside the pockets of her coat and leant back.

Ever since they're conversation, the Razor Crest had been silent. Not a whisper had been heard from any of the occupants. But that was fine with them. For once, the silence was fitting, a new, more understanding air swam through the space. No longer did danger seem to be right at their doorstep.

The ship slowed, and Tess looked up to see a small diagram of the planet on Mando's screen. She then turned to peer outside, and saw a particularly large hill getting nearer to them. Atop it was a structure, old and partially in ruins, made of smoothed sandstone and engraved deeply, carved by a generous hand.

"Looks like that's the magic rock we're supposed to take you down there." The Mandalorian recalled, and Tess nodded. From beside her, Grogu gurgled, still playing with his toy. Din slipped the ship sideways, coming to circle around the stones to get a better look. Tess braced herself against the side, her neck craning to peer at the spot. It was surrounded by low hanging bushes, everything painted in pastel greens and rich, luscious yellows. Everywhere was sandy and dry, reminding Tess of her previous home.

"It's a ruin." she pointed out softly, eyes scanning the place Ahsoka had called the Seeing Stone. From where they were, Tess couldn't see anything that matched the description. Everything was rusted and decrepit, with the air of being long abandoned.

"Sorry, guys." Mando called out. "I can't land on the top." Tess shook her head, willing away that fog that rolled through her head as she stared at the place. "Too small." Grogu's ears perked up, having seen the old temple through the slit of the window near Tess' feet. She moved her legs so he might get a better look.

"Is there anywhere close we can land?" the girl asked from behind the Mandalorian. Din didn't even turn around before answering, his tone dull and slightly regretful.

"No..." Tess pursed her lips, mind whirring, before Mando spoke again. "Looks like we're gonna have to travel the last stretch with the windows down." Tess frowned, her eyebrows contracting at the statement, thoughts drifting. Seconds later, understanding dawned, and she couldn't help but groan at the idea.

"No," she pleaded, but even then, they all knew there was no other way. Still, Din couldn't help but laugh as Tess mumbled out a halfhearted "fine," as he led them away from the stones towards a patch of grass farther away.

The Razor Crest landed heavily on the uneven floor, engines hissing as they powered down near the foot of the mountain. Tess got unsteadily to her feet and went to pick up Grogu, who reached out for her eagerly. The moment she held him in his arms, Grogu tucked his little wrinkled head into the folds of her coat, near her heart. Tess patted his head, smirking down at the little creature. It was sometimes hard to think that this little thing was older than her, and had been around since the Clone Wars, a part of history Tess knew little about, only that it had happened way before she was born, at a time when her parents were still young.

Tess followed Din down the ladder to the center of the ship, her legs groaning with stiffness, as if ice had grown over her joints in the time she had been napping. Mando noticed the hidden wince that fell from her lips as she stretched out her amputated leg, and saw the child put an acknowledging hand against Tess' neck. The girl looked down at him, surprised, but leaned into the touch, and Din smiled at the silent exchange between the two.

Only a short while ago, Tess had not even been willing to share her soup with the little child, and now she sought Grogu for comfort.

"Is your leg alright?" Din asked as the ramp lowered to the ground and Tess walked up beside him. She didn't even glance his way before nodding vigorously, a sure sign that she was lying. But, knowing Tess, the Mandalorian didn't press further, just taking one more glance towards her pant leg, where the seams split to reveal solid metal. Then he turned back towards the ramp, which hit the ground with a thud, and sunlight streamed in from the atmosphere of Tython.

They strode out together, landing on the soft, sandy stone with a hard thump. Outside, the wind whipped at Tess' tangled hair, and her eyes squinted, hand going to her forehead to block out the garish sun. The air was dusty and smelled of rot and ruin, but it was the ground that caught Tess off guard. The moment she stepped down onto the rocky terrain, a weight, like a block of pure sandstone, fell atop her shoulders. An invisible force, it's strength unmatched, energy crackling.

Tess bit down on her lip to keep from gasping, handing Grogu over to the occupied Mandalorian, crossing her arms over her chest, holding tight to her arms. Din was too busy scanning the landscape to notice, which Tess was grateful for. She released herself to peer down at her hands, half curled and shaking. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, hoping to steady the raucous inside her chest, like a bird trying to break free of it's ivory cage.

This place was strong with the Force, that was for certain.

"Tess?" The girl turned instantly, eyes wide to find Mando staring at her, his shoulders tense, head cocked to the side.

"Sorry..." she said, pursing her lips. "Let's go." There was a bite in her tone that ended at a final statement. Tess limped over to him, and without another word Din ignited his jetpack, the trio soaring into the air. The wind hit them harder up above as they flew through the sky, growing closer to the top of the hill.

They landed softly on the outskirts of the stones. Immediately, Tess pulled away, putting hand over her stomach as bile rose to her throat. Din stepped forward, his head swiveling around to survey the area. After Tess had gotten a hold of herself, she stood straight and followed after him, fists clenched at her side, her large coat trailing down near her knees. Her boots echoed across the silent space, and as they walked closer towards the center of the ring, the weight grew heavier and heavier.

In the middle of the cluster of stones was another rock, smoothed and rounded, perfectly intact. It was surrounded by intricate carvings marked into the ground. When Tess looked closer at the markings, she found they were written in a language she'd never seen before, the words and runes swirled and tailed, unlike the regular Galactic Basic she was used to.

"Well, I guess this is it." Din said from beside her. Tess nodded, her mouth shut tightly. From in the Mandalorian's arms, Grogu watched the young girl with wide eyes. Tess wondered if he too was feeling that weight, that divine strength running up his own little body.

"Yeah-" Tess answered half-heartedly. Din didn't seem to notice the cut off at the end, as if she were choking out that last bit, and continued to walk up to the half stone embedded in the center. Tess trailed behind him, taking tentative steps forward, her breaths shallow.

"Does this look Jedi to you?" Din called out, not asking anyone in particular. Tess snorted, but said nothing else. She didn't have an answer. They continued down, stepping over a ledge to stand fully in the circle. Beneath her feet, Tess thought she could feel the ground buzzing.

"I guess he sits right here." Mando's voice came again, and Tess looked at him, seeing that Din was gesturing to the semi circle. She couldn't bring herself to speak, a lump swelling in her throat, so she nodded instead. The Mandalorian nodded back, as if he were thinking more to himself, and carefully took Grogu, planting him on the center of the stone. Tess' breath caught in her throat, anticipation brimming along the seams of her skin. Mando took a step back, eyes never leaving Grogu, who appeared as oblivious and innocent as ever.

Tess frowned as nothing happened. Mando looked back to her, shrugging his shoulders, and Tess made a face to mirror his confusion. The weight was still on top of her, but the energy was gone, seeping through her feet back into the soil. It almost felt like the power was draining out of her.

"Okay. Here we go." Din said out loud, as if that would make something happen. Both Tess and Din looked over to Grogu, who cocked his head to the side, expectant. "This is the seeing stone," Din continued, talking to Grogu. "Are you seeing anything?"

"I don't think it works like that." Tess remarked stonily. The child cooed.

"Well, are they supposed to see him?" Din retorted, and Tess simply shook her head, making an incredulous face. "Are you seeing anything?"

"Gods," Tess cursed. "You know, yeah, I am feeling something." she said with a smirk. "I can see the whole damn Universe behind my eyes right now." Din sighed through his helmet, and Tess gave a short laugh. The Mandalorian turned away, turning on his scanner and began to walk steadily around the stone.

"Maybe there's some kind of control or something," he said. He walked all the way around the stone, Tess watching him, unimpressed. When he'd circled all of it, he sighed again and shook his head towards Tess. Nothing, he seemed to be saying. Tess pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She looked over to the child on the stone, her thoughts running rampant. Grogu stared at her with a faint smile on his face, then peered up to see a small fluttering creature fly around him. Tess's eyebrows creased at the sight of the little thing going around Grogu's ears.

"What is that?" she called out as the child held up a hand, and the animal stopped on his tiny hand. Din turned to look at her, and even though she could not see his face, it was clear he was surprised by her comment. Immediately, Tess frowned, her shoulders going tense in defense. "What?" she asked incredulously.

"It-nothing..." Din stumbled out. "It's a butterfly." Tess' frown turned to a softened look of utter puzzlement. "Don't worry, it's harmless. Have you never seen one before?"

She shook her head vigorously, eyes trailing over the beautiful blue creature that fluttered against Grogu's hand. "No." she said out loud, her voice tinged with wonder. "We didn't have a lot of those things on Tatooine." Everything was furry and carnivorous, she thought bitterly, the creatures either wanted to eat you or serve you till they dropped dead.

Din didn't press further, and turned back to Grogu, playing with the butterfly. "Oh, come on, kid." he said dimly. "Ahsoka told me all I had to do was get you here and you'd do the rest." Tess pursed her lips, her sharp eyes scanning the stone and markings around it, wracking her brain for any familiarity, any feeling that might give them a clue as to how to reach out. Then again, Tess thought wryly, she wouldn't be much help in the feelings department. The butterfly flew away from Grogu, fluttering meekly over to where Tess stood. She froze as the insect came to rest against her outstretched hand. It's tiny little legs tickled against her sensitive flesh, and Tess winced as it's wings flapped together once, twice.

Then, it flew away, a dot of bright sapphire against the green of its home planet.

She watched after it.

"Tess!" Mando's voice came urgent and irritated, and right beside her. Tess stepped away as Din's hand came to rest on her arm. Everything about his posture was alert, and Tess's brows furrowed at his demeanor.

"Din, what-" she started, but was cut off by the sound of a jet stream, similar to that of Mando's jetpack, from above. She craned her neck to see a ship, elongated and rusted, streaking across the bright blue sky. Her eyes narrowed. Din pulled on her arm, and Tess didn't need to be told twice. The two turned, in sync with each other, running towards the edge of the stones, their eyes trailing after the ship.

It landed at the bottom of the hill, closer to the Razor Crest and to them than Tess would have liked.

"Who is it?" she asked out loud, not particularly expecting an answer.

"We have to go." Din whispered softly to her as the ship fell away behind trees, going horizontally to land. Which meant whoever was onboard knew they were there, and were coming up the mountain as they stood, doing nothing. Tess nodded to herself and gripped onto Mando's wrist, her eyes still going after the disappearing starship.

Din called to Grogu. "Time's up, kid. We gotta get out of here." But as they turned, a sharp heaviness careened against the inside of Tess' ribcage. She gasped, eyes popping out of her head as a bright blue force illuminated around Grogu. Tess reached up to hold the side of her head as a pounding chant began at the base of her neck, working up her spine. Din took an alarmed step back at the sight of Grogu, surrounded by a strange sapphire light, beaming up into the sky.

The markings on the stone had turned a bright cerulean and Grogu sat with his wide eyes closed, hands in his lap. An air of peace took over his face, and never had he seemed so calm.

Meanwhile, Tess was trying not to collapse from the weight that had landed atop her the moment the light appeared. It was as if hands from the dirt, invisible and old, were clawing at her legs, attempting to pull her downwards. Indistinct noises surrounded her ears, and she squinted as her vision skewed on Grogu and the seeing stone.

That was what was causing this.

"Tess?!" Din exclaimed from beside her as the girl tried to breathe, taking in ragged breaths. She held up a hand, eyes going to his under the helmet, nodding to say she was fine. Din paused, but eventually Tess stood straight again, so his attention went back to Grogu.

"We don't have time for this." he yelled through the wall of blue. "We got to get..." he walked towards the barricade, attempting to walk through it, but the moment his hand connected with the Force, the man was thrown back so violently Tess had to fall out of the way before he landed against the stone with a crash. She scraped her hands against the rough stone, leg banging against the floor, but Tess didn't have time to deal with the pain. She whirled onto her back, looking over to where Mando staggered to his feet.

He breathed heavily, getting up and once again running towards the blue light.

"Din!" Tess gasped out, also getting to her feet. "We can't get him out."

"He has to snap out of it!" the Mandalorian argued, gesturing to where Grogu, powerful and completely entranced, continued to seek through the Force. Tess could feel it, simmering beneath her skin, a divine pathway caressing her veins and leading to the synapses firing in her head. An electrical surge was how best to describe it, lighting up her insides, as if she were the droid she'd always dreamed of being.

"He can't." she said bluntly, her body to Mando but her neck turning to watch the child. "We can't do anything for him now. Not until he finds what he's looking for." the Song of the Force. Tess grimaced.

Mando went back to the edge and looked over. Tess followed him, her limp more pronounced with each step, but she ignored it. Din pressed the side of his helmet again, scanning the area where the ship landed.

"Someone just left the ship," he told her. "Alright, I'll see if I can buy him some time."

"We." Tess clarified as Din turned back to Grogu. "We'll go buy some time." They had done this too many times for Din to try and argue again. Tess didn't really know why she decided to argue now, but all she did know was she needed to get as far away from the seeing stone as possible.

She needed the whispers to stop.

"And hurry up!" Tess called to Grogu as Mando began the trek down the mountain. They hurried down the path, shrubs and twisted vines pulling at their heels. Tess trailed behind Din, careful in her steps as her metal leg clunked against the stone. There were many times Tess was grateful for the device, but when it came to hikes like this, when they were rushing down a craggy surface, it was hard to keep her limb from snagging on passing rocks and ruin.

At some point, both Tess and Din had pulled out their weapons, the metal was cool and foreignin her hands, but Tess gripped it tightly, determination settling into her ricocheting heart. The echoes of the Force still pulled at her, but the heaviness slowly dissipated as they grew farther away from Grogu and the seeing stone.

They got to a grassy patch near the base of the mountain and slowed. Tess went beside Mando, her hands curling to fists, her weapon clamped between her palm. "Where did they go?" she whispered as they stepped out near a couple of large boulders, surrounded by high walls of stone.

"I don't know-" but Din was never able to finish, because right as he started talking, ruby red bolts encased Tess' vision. Loud bangs erupted around the space, and the grass beneath her feet was torn to shreds as a dozen blaster bolts fired at once.

Din pulled at Tess, and together the two dove behind the boulder, the young girl curled into his arms, her hands over her head, eyes closed tight. The blaster bolts ricocheted through her head, a dull ringing in her skull, more painful and corruptive than the voices she'd heard from Grogu.

When the blasts finally stopped, and the dust cleared, Tess fell out of the Mandalorian's arms, gulping in air as panic alarmed through her head. Din took a deep breath, shaking, and went to lean against the rock. Tess tried to calm the terror that gripped her heart.

"Din, Din..." she muttered, her body shaking. "They-they know..."

The Mandalorian was not even able to comfort Tess before another voice, stained in gravel and weathered with age, spoke up. "We've been tracking you, Mandalorian." 

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AUTHOR'S NOTE.

To be honest, Tess would make a terrible Jedi.  No but seriously, if she ever trained at the temple, I'm pretty sure she'd become like Anakin JSDIGFHTJS. 

ANYWAYS, what did you guys think of this chapter? thoughts on the conversation between Tess and Din at the beginning? Tess really opened up there, and I hope it was okay? I've been planning this for a while and really wanted it to be PERFECT, so pls let me know what you thought!! ALSO, there are only 6 more chapter left in this book, and all of them are INTENSE, so get ready. 

As always, don't be afraid to comment, vote, and perhaps follow me? Until next time lovelies...

Love you, Mal