Shots ring out in the street. Red bolts of plasma shriek through the air, some striking their mark while others harmlessly whiz past and leave dark spots on buildings.

You don't remember much of the gunfight. It all goes by too fast for you to comprehend with your body moving on autopilot. Din's pistol feels light as a feather in your hands and your aim is surprisingly sharp for someone who grew up shooting rifles.

Several hunters are vaporized by Din's amban rifle, leaving no trace behind other than a pile of clothes. He uses those rounds sparingly, only firing when he knows he has a shot, and leaves most of the other targets for you to pick off.

At one point, he leaps through the open window before you can stop him and rushes to someone's aid. Dozens of shots deflect off of his beskar as he uses his body as a shield so the person can escape. Unable to leave the child, you watch his back from your position and take out anyone who comes close.

Within minutes, it was all over.

Bodies littered the street, a majority of them belonging to the bounty hunters. Once you're sure the coast is clear, you scoop up the child and head outside to regroup with Din.

"You alright?" You ask as you approach. "That armor of yours took a beating."

Din's posture seems stiff as he straightens up. "It did its job. I'll probably feel the bruises tomorrow."

A soft chuckle escapes you. "I bet. I have some cream back at home that would help with that, if you'd like."

Before Din can answer, his attention is suddenly drawn by something on the horizon. At the same time, nearby townspeople gasp and point at something. You turn to see what they're looking at and your heart plummets into your stomach.

A dark, billowing cloud of black smoke was rising on the horizon. Although your heart didn't want to accept it, your mind already had.

Your home was burning.

"No no no..." You mumble, taking a few steps forward and pressing your palms to your forehead. "We have to go back! We have to save it!"

Din doesn't have the heart to tell you that there won't be anything left to save because neither of you will make it back in time. He stands there, helpless and unable to think of a way to comfort you.

"Here! Take my speeder!" One of the townsfolk shouts as he pulls up on his speeder.

You don't question it, quickly climbing onto the speeder and looking over at Din. He nods and climbs on behind you. You make sure one arm is tightly wrapped around the child before you take off towards your farm, praying that all is not lost.

•
•
•

As you arrive, you notice several speeders parked by the entrance of your farm. You immediately draw Din's blaster and slide off the speeder, a thousand different emotions flowing through you all at once.

"Let me take the child. He'll be safe in the satchel." Din says.

You stare at the rising smoke for a moment, just taking it all in, before you turn and hand the child off to Din. Despite your attempts to hide it, you know he can clearly see the anguish in your expression. However, it's soon replaced by anger as you think of the bastards that set your house ablaze.

Din lets you take the lead since you know the land. Once you get closer to the house, you move behind a cluster of boulders to use them as cover. By now, you can practically taste the smoke in the air. It burns your throat and makes your eyes water.

You almost don't want to see the damage that's been done, but you know you'll have to regardless.

Faint voices can be heard over the crackling flames. You peer around one of the rocks and count five bounty hunters standing around, presumably to watch the house go up in flames.

"How many?" Din asks.

"Five. Looks like they're waiting to hear from the others." You murmur, tightening your grip on Din's blaster. "That's not going to happen."

Din can scarcely get your name out of his mouth before you step out from behind the rocks and open fire on the hunters. One is taken down, but the others are quick to retaliate. It's four against one and a bolt grazes your shoulder, but you hardly register the pain through your anger. Din helps finish off the rest of them, then rushes to your side.

"What the hell were you thinking? They could've killed you." He says in a strained voice, though he was more worried than angry. "That's a nasty graze."

You flinch and pull your arm away when he tries to examine it. "I'm sorry, I just..." You can't bring yourself to say much more. It's all too much.

Din is quick to support you when your knees buckle and you sink to the ground. He goes down with you, holding you close with one arm.

Everything you've ever worked for, your livelihood, your passion... it had all gone up in smoke. The place you could finally call home was gone. To make matters worse, Banx was nowhere to be found. Had he perished in the fire? Had he breathed in too much smoke and succumbed to the raging inferno?

Din comforts you in silence for a moment, then presses his helmet against the side of your head. The child gives his own apologetic coo and reaches for your arm with his tiny hand. Through the tears that are building in your eyes, you manage to see him and lift your hand to hold his.

For several minutes, you grieve. All of this still felt like a dream—like you would suddenly wake up and everything would be fine. You wish it was true.

"I'm sorry." Din murmurs, gently breaking the long silence. He squeezes your arm. "I know what it's like to lose a home."

You lean into him, absorbing every ounce of comfort he's giving off. "I never thought it would happen again. What am I going to do?" You whisper, your voice cracking with emotion.

Something stirs in a pile of charred wood nearby. You turn your head, drawn to the movement in case it was another hunter. A black furry bundle soon darts around the pile and runs straight toward you.

"Banx!" You cry, welcoming the loth cat with open arms. His fur is a bit charred, but he's alright.

All was not lost after all.

"That's one tough loth cat." Din says, reaching over to pet Banx behind the ears as well. "We should head back to town. It'll be getting dark soon."

You're finally able to give the remains of your house one final look. It only tears a larger hole in your heart.

"You're right. There's... nothing left for me here." You sigh softly.

It was time to leave this place behind.

•
•
•

The first to meet you when you arrive in town are Jako and Tria. They don't have to ask the question that's burning in everyone's minds. The answer is in your expression.

Tria's smile falters and she pulls you into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She murmurs.

"We can always rebuild, just like we did before." Jako tries to lighten the mood, pushing his hands into his pockets. You don't have the energy to deal with him right now, so you ignore him.

"The damage to the structure is severe. Nothing is salvageable." Din states solemnly. "You will have to begin again."

You pull away from Tria after a moment and release a shuddering sigh. "I don't think I can do that."

"What?" Tria appears dumbfounded by your response. "What do you mean? You aren't alone in this. We'll be here to help you every step of the way."

"Your aunt's right. You know the townspeople are more than willing to help you rebuild." Jako adds with a slight frown.

"That's not the problem." You say, crossing your arms over your chest. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... I think I've outgrown this place. I'm tired of being tied down. I want to explore the galaxy while I'm still young, you know?"

"But we need you here." Jako insists sharply. "You have a job, your family lives nearby... the people want you to stay."

"Have you ever considered what I want?"

"I have, actually. You want stability, and you're not going to find it out there!"

"How do you know that? You haven't left the surface in twenty years!"

"I've experienced enough to know that whatever life that bounty hunter is promising you isn't true!"

Your voice suddenly dies in your throat. You stare at him for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons of your actions if you were to punch him in the mouth. Choosing to use your judgement wisely instead of allowing your anger to take control, you walk away. Tria cries out your name, but her voice falls upon deaf ears.

Din follows you behind a building. "Y/N." He pleads, almost begging. "Talk to me. Tell me what you want."

You stop in your tracks and he almost runs into you. As you slowly turn to face him, tears glisten in your eyes. Could you tell him the truth?

"I want to go with you." Your voice is small and meek. You're afraid of how he'll react.

"You... what?" Din's voice is soft.

You take a deep breath. "I want to go with you." You repeat with more confidence. "I want to get out of this dust bowl, Din. I want to live!"

Din is speechless. Maker, you'd give anything to see the expression he had under his helmet.

"It's crazy, I know." You continue, averting your gaze with a sigh. "Please don't feel obligated to accept. I know you have your own life and I don't want to—"

Din stops you before you can continue rambling. He takes your hands into his own and squeezes them. "Y/N, I would be honored to have you join me in my travels."

Your heart seems to stop beating for a moment.

"You would...?" You ask hesitantly, as if he didn't mean it.

"I would." He reassures you.

Yet again, any words you might've said die prematurely in your throat. After letting his words sink in, you wrap your arms around him in a tight hug and close your eyes. His arms pull you into a comforting embrace.

"I knew there was something going on between you two."

You instantly pull away from Din when you hear Tria's voice, your face red as a tomato.

"A-Aunt Tria!" You sputter, though you suppose it's no use trying to lie. She probably heard everything. "Please don't be upset with me..."

She laughs as she walks over. "Why would I be upset with you? If this fella makes you happy, then so be it. It's not my place to choose your life for you." She puts one hand on Din's shoulder and looks him in the eye. "Now I know you can take care of yourself, but you better take care of my nephew too, ya hear?"

"I will defend him with my life." Din says, making your heart swell with love for him.

Tria nods, then turns to you with a sad smile. "I'm gonna miss you, honey. Be careful, okay? And stop by whenever you have the chance. We'll be here if you need us."

You smile and give her a warm hug. "I will. Take care of everyone for me."

Once the two of you pull apart, Tria gives one final wave before disappearing around the corner of the building. You almost can't believe this is happening. Your life was about to change.

What did the future hold?