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CHAPTER FIVE 

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         ARTEMIS was sitting on her bed, unpacking her bag. Din knocked on the open door, making her look up.

"Hi," he said. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Artemis said, as she removed her cloak and threw it next to her onto the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Unpacking," Artemis replied, taking out some pants and tunics before shoving them in the small closet. "I'm planning on staying around some more."

"I was wondering whether you wanted to teach me how to block my emotions off," Din suddenly said. "I don't want to bother you with my emotions."

"You're not," Artemis assured him, turning around to face him.

Din took a step closer to her and raised his gloved hand to touch her cheek. "But I want to," he whispered.

Artemis closed her eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

"It's been a while," Din replied. "Why?"

"Because you need to be awake when we're going to do this," Artemis said.

"I am awake."

"I can tell you are exhausted, Din. Please, get some sleep."

The Mandalorian didn't move and Artemis sighed before taking his hands. She leaded him towards her bed and pushed him down.

"Sleep," she ordered him, sitting down onto the bed next to him. "I'll be here when you wake up." She then leaned forwards and pressed a kiss on the side of his helmet. "Sweet dreams, Din."

Artemis then stood up, took her blindfold from out of the bag and sat down on the ground. She needed some answers.

The red head blindfolded herself and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and controlled her breathing.

"You called for me?"

Artemis eyes opened and she was met by the sight of her former Master. The Razor Crest had dissappeared from view as she sat down onto the warm sand beneath her.

"Why are we on Tatooine?" Artemis questioned Obi-Wan as she stood up, eying the surroundings around them.

"It's where we spend most of your life," Obi-Wan simply said, his blue eyes eying her without any visible emotion. "You are wondering what to do with the Mandalorian," he stated. "You are afraid that you are already caring too much about him."

"I am," Artemis admitted. "It's hard to follow the Jedi Code when there aren't many Jedi left."

Obi-Wan hummed. "I understand, more than you think I do."

"I know."

Obi-Wan looked at her and she didn't look away. She had known about his feelings towards Satine.

"I would never had left the Jedi, you know," Obi-Wan told her. "I mean, I might have if I didn't have you, but only if she asked me to."

"I know, Master."

Obi-Wan smiled. "You don't have to call me that, Artemis, we're equals now."

"I know, but you'll always be my master."

Obi-Wan smiled fondly at her. "I'm proud of you, Red."

Artemis smiled, although tears were forming in her eyes. It had been a while since she had last heard that name.

"I intend to make you proud, Obi-Wan."

"Artie?"

Obi-Wan looked at her amused. "I believe your friend is starting to get worried about you."

"Then I'll take my leave," Artemis said, bowing her head. "May the Force be with you, Master."

"May it be with you as well."

Artemis opened her eyes and was met with the dark fabric of her blindfold. She was about to pull it off when two hands stopped her. Artemis froze as her hands touched — not gloves this time — but skin.

Din had removed his gloves.

"I don't have my helmet on," Din quietly said, in a tone that was both familiar as unfamiliar to Artemis.

She could feel his thumbs drawing circles on the palm of her hands. Her breath stocked slightly at the thought that he was kneeling in front of her without his helmet.

He might as well be naked.

Artemis quickly banned that thought out of her head, as she felt her cheeks burn up.

"What are you feeling?" Din quietly asked, as he sat down in front of her.

"I'm thinking that you might have forgotten something very important," Artemis muttered. "You know, your helmet?"

Din chuckled, something that sounded very different without his helmet. "I haven't forgotten," he assured her. "I simply thought it wasn't necessary since you were blindfolded."

Artemis shuffled nervously and Din placed a comfortable hand on her knee. "Relax, Artie, it's okay."

Then he leaned forwards and placed his forehead against hers. Artemis closed her eyes again as she enjoyed this small moment.

"I have known you for a couple of years now, Artie, I trust you. That's why I didn't put my helmet on," he breathed.

Artemis raised her hand and softly caressed his cheek, before going higher and feeling his hair. She smiled when she realised it was curly.

Din didn't move and she could tell her was nervous.

"There is nothing to be nervous about," Artemis comforted him. "I like you with the helmet and I will like you without it."

Somewhere above them, the child whined.

"We should check up on him," Artemis told him quietly, standing up and pulling him with her.

"Hold up," Din said, and before Artemis knew it, she was in his arms. Her head was buried into his neck — now not bothered by his helmet — and his was in hers. She also noticed that he had taken off his other armor so that he was left in pants and a tunic.

The child whined again and Artemis pulled back. "I'm heading up and don't worry," she added, already knowing what he'd ask, "I'll know my way."

Artemis turned around, not bothering to take off the blindfold, walked into the main area and climbed up the stairs towards the cockpit. Once she was inside, she pulled the blindfold off and bowed over the child who was laying awake in his cradle.

"Hello, Grogu," she cooed, caressing his cheek. "How did you sleep?"

The child smiled at her and raised his hands, indicating that he wanted to be picked up. Artemis smiled and picked him up before sitting down onto the passenger seat and placing him on her knee while bouncing him up and down. He seemed to like that.

Din came in soon after that, dressed in his armor once more, and sat down onto the pilot's seat.

"Let's see," he said. "Sorgan. Looks like there's no star port, no industrial centers, no population density. Real backwater skug hole."

"Which means it's perfect for us," Artemis finished, still bouncing the little guy up and down.

Din looked over his shoulder at the kid. "You ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple of months, you little womp rat?"

"Din!" Artemis scolded. "You can't just call him that! He has a name, you know."

"Which is?"

"Grogu," Artemis said, making Grogu look at her. She smiled down at him before planting a kiss on top of his head. "You're so cute."

Din rolled his eyes as he entered the coordinates. "Women," he muttered under his breath but loud enough for Artemis to hear it.

"Excuse me?" Artemis said, putting Grogu back into his cradle before crossing her arms and eying Din. "And what do you mean by that?"

"You always have a soft spot for children," Din said, shrugging. "It's your weakness."

"Weakness?" Artemis replied amused. "Well, why don't you come and find out how weak I am."

Din turned around in his chair. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, but Artemis could hear he was amused, too.

"You, me, main area now."

"Right behind you," he said, following her down the ladder towards the main area.

Artemis rolled her sleeves up, her eyes falling onto the tattoo she had on her lower right arm.

212. Her battalion.

Artemis looked back up when she saw Din taking off his armor.

"Why are you taking that of?"

Din looked up. "I want to give you a fair chance."

"Oh — you are so dead."

Din laughed, something that didn't happen often. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"I get the feeling you forget I fought it two wars and made it out alive."

"That's a story you have to tell me one day."

Artemis' green eyes darted towards her tattoo on her arm and she flinched upon remembering Order 66.

"You all right?" Din asked, sounding worried. "We don't have to do this, you know. I already know what you are capable of, I was just messing around."

Artemis pushed the thought aside. "Don't worry," she grinned. "I'll go easy on you."

⋆⋆⋆

ARTEMIS' body slammed to the ground as Din hovered over her, pinning her down. They had been fighting for what seemed like a long time and they were equally matched.

"I believe I won," Din said, breathing heavily, but Artemis could detect the pride in it.

"Is that so?" Artemis said, a smile creeping up her face. She pushed him off of her, using the Force to do that, and suddenly, she was the one on top, pinning his arms down. "You might want to reconsider that."

Din tilted his helmet. "What does it mean?" He nodded at the tattoo on her arm.

Artemis pulled her arms back and Din sat up, making her lose her balance. However, his arm quickly made its way around her waist as he held her steady.

"It was the number of the battalion I was in charge of," she told him, caressing the tattoo fondly as if it would bring back the memories. "I was second-in-command, my master being the general." She smiled sadly. "They were my friends — family even."

Din raised his hand and tucked a straw of red hair behind her ear. "I'm so sorry, Artie."

"It all right," Artemis replied, looking up at him. "It was a long time ago."

"That doesn't make it easier."

"No," Artemis breathe. "It doesn't."

It was then that Artemis noticed she was sitting on his lap with his arm around her waist. Her cheeks burned up and she quickly scrambled up.

"I — er — am going to check on the kid."

"The kid is fine, Artie," Din said, standing up, too. "You're tensed," he pointed out. "Why?"

"Why don't you take off your helmet?" Artemis retorted. "It's the same reason, Din. We Jedi have rules."

Din tilted his head. "What kind of rules?"

"We cannot have attachments," Artemis said. "We cannot . . . love."

"Why not?"

"Because emotional attachments can make us vulnerable to feelings of jealously, greed and the fear of loss, all of which are a path to the dark side." Artemis sighed. "Not that it matters much now."

Din took a step closer. "What does that mean?"

"That I already have too much attachments."

They looked at each other and Artemis ignored the feelings that rolled off of him.

"I've seen what attachments can do to a person," Artemis sighed, shaking her head. "It makes me think that maybe the Jedi Code was right, but . . ." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Din simply looked at her — at least, she thought he did. It was hard to tell with his helmet on.

Somewhere above them, an alarm went off, indicating they had arrived on their planet. Both of them climbed up the ladder and into the cockpit.

Sorgan had come into view and Din fell down onto the pilot seat while Artemis took her place on the passenger seat. She still felt flustered and Din not replying to anything she had told him was still bothering her.

"I'm going to go to my room," Artemis said and before Din could reply, she had already jumped down the ladder.

Artemis was never one who could deal with emotions very well. At least, not when it went about something like this. That had been one of the perks of being a Jedi, you didn't have to worry about finding someone to love since it wasn't allowed.

Someone to love. So she did love Din?

Artemis shook her head. It was never going to happy. Even if she did ignore the Jedi Code, Din would never take his helmet off without her being not blindfolded.

Artemis paced around, thinking of what to do. She could go and confess her feelings but when he didn't feel the same, their friendship would be ruined and that's something she absolutely didn't want.

Artemis could feel the ship land and she took her cloak before opening the door. Din was standing in front of it, his arm raised as if he was about to knock.

"Oh, hi," Artemis said awkwardly, throwing her cloak over her shoulders.

Din cleared his throat. "We have landed."

"I know," she replied.

No one spoke for a moment, then —

"Din —"

"Artie —"

Artemis smiled. "Go ahead."

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," Din began. "I mean, I don't need the Force to know that you're acting different and if you really want to follow the Jedi Code — or whatever it is called — I'll back off."

Artemis looked up at him in wide eyes as she let his words sink in. He'd respect her choice.

She threw her arms around him and pulled him down for a hug. He immediately hugged her back, as if he, too, needed it.

Somewhere behind him, Grogu cooed and Artemis laughed when she saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Din sighed, his head still buried into her shoulder. "I told him to stay in his cradle while we are going to have a look around."

"And you expected him to listen?" Artemis asked amused. "He's a kid, Din."

He pulled back and placed his forehead against hers. "I could try."

Artemis placed both of her hands on either side of his helmet and grinned. "You've got a lot to learn about children if you want to raise this one."

"So you're telling me you know how to raise a kid?"

"I used to help with the younglings," Artemis said, shrugging. "So I know more than you."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"There is a lot you don't know about me," Artemis pointed out.

"I'm looking forward to hearing all about it."

Word count: 2384

And that's it for chapter five! Next up: Sorgan I hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think of it! :)

Published: 24.02.2021