The Promise

Din held on to Grogu who was sitting inside the sling bag as he stealthily approached the Jabba's palace. He was well aware of the risks but at this point, nothing was truly a risk for him. The only thing that was different was to think of Grogu before getting into things like this. But this time, it was on him. He was partly the reason that Aria was no longer with them. After she was taken, he knew he had to keep his promise. He could have fought off Boba Fett and his assassin but it was risky as she was fallen and if he was to die, Grogu would be left without a guardian again.

As soon as Slave 1 disappeared with Aria into the outer rim, Din set course for Tatooine without losing one more minute. Grogu kept cooing at him as though he was asking for answers. Din closed his eyes every time he thought of the way Aria held him in her arms and sang to him. He wanted her back, he needed her.

The guards kept walking here and there as he walked past the main doors. He dodged most eyes or the ones who suspected his arrival were diverted by something or the other. He approached the corridor that opened into the cells where prisoners were kept. He looked down at Grogu as heard him coo. "Do you sense her, buddy?" Din whispers to him.

Grogu tilts his head to the side looking up at him, Din nodded at him as he carefully walked forward from one cell to another. He noticed a few dangerous-looking prisoners gnarling at him as he passed by their cell doors. Grogu's ears perked up and he began cooing louder as he approached a certain cell door.

Din stopped in his tracks as he walked closer to the cell. It was dark for him to see anything so he quickly turns on his night vision to find Aria laying on the floor, curled up and injured.

"Aria! Aria, get up!" Din whispered as he looked around hoping that nobody was noticing their presence. Aria hummed a little in pain as she turned her face to look in the direction of the cell door. "It's Din! I am going to get you out of here!"

"Din!" Aria's voice filled with enthusiasm as she knew she trusted anyone at this point was only him and he was probably the only one who could help her get out of this agony. She tried to get up on her feet, grunting and struggling for a few minutes before she finally made it to greet her savior at the cell door.

"Aria!" Din wanted to ask her many things at that moment but he could only blurt her name. His voice filled with relief and pain at the same time. She placed her hand over his hand that was wrapped around the cell rod and looked down at Grogu who was extending his arms at her. She couldn't help but smile.

"Who's there?" A guard was approaching the cell door as he finds a man standing near Aria's cell. "Answer me! Guards, alert everyone!" He shouts as he continues to approach him drawing his weapon. Din's eyes were fixated on Aria's face, her injuries on her lips, bruises on her face, and the collar that beeped every two seconds in bright red light.

He heard the man approach with a roar, making him turn as quick as lightning, and blasted his head off before the man could press the trigger on his blaster. Aria looks at him wide-eyed as she realizes that now they are both going to be surrounded in no time. "Din! I can't... I can't use my powers. It... It will kill me!"

Din turned immediately to her as he pressed his hand over the choker on her neck. It was an energy-absorbing grenade that will explode if exposed to high levels of energy such as a force user. He didn't understand how the force works, but he understood that if she used her powers with the choker on, it will trigger it. But there was no way he could remove it without causing her harm. He needed to find the key to it.

As he examined the choker, he heard more footsteps approaching them. Aria signaled him to use his blaster to open the cell lock, which he hurriedly followed as per she directed. He stamped the cell door open and held Aria for a moment before pressing her against his chest, before walking out towards the passage that would open to the area where he parked his ship. But first, he had to find the key to free her.

She hugged him tightly as they walked down the hallway and it wasn't long before a surge of guards kept running toward them. Din takes everyone down before they could approach them but as they get surrounded by more and more, he uses his flamethrower to create a passage for them to pass through.

"Quick! This way!" Aria points to him as they approach an opening. But as they were close to the way out, Din stops mid-way as though he heard something. He was planning to secure Aria and Grogu in the ship before he could go look for Aria's key but now he knew he won't be able to reach the ship as he heard a familiar sound approach them from the dark.

"We agreed on this, she is a high price target. Respect the guild code and hand her over!" Fennec's voice was echoing through the tunnel-like structure. Din looked down at her and saw a tired Aria who was laying her cheek on his chest plate. He held her tighter, promising himself that he is not going to give up on her again.

He picks up his Dark Saber and ignites it, Boba's armor shined a little from the light that emitted from the metal. "You want her, you will need to go through me!"

"She is a Jedi! She is an enemy of yours! Your creed lost everything because of their kind. I lost everything because of their kind!" Boba's thunderous voice was modulated through his vocoder. Din didn't move but stood there, ready to slash both of them if they approached.

"You touch her! You die!" Die roared, Aria looks up at him as her eyes teared up. She held him tighter as she never felt more protected than in that moment. But she was also scared that she might be seeing him or feeling last time, that she will be snatched from him again.

Boba began the first firing as he picked up his blaster. Din deflected it skillfully using Dark Saber. But he didn't feel the heaviness anymore as he slashed it along his sides swiftly. He looked at Aria for a moment, he felt a tingle inside his palm that was guiding his motions. Aria smiled softly, Din smiled at her inside his helmet as he knew now that he will be getting her out of there.

Aria slowly lets go of him as Din steps forward with a grin under his helmet. Boba kept firing in all directions so did Fennec. She charged at him as he continued to deflect and move forward easily, and slashed at her cutting open her arm and the hollow part of her stomach. The blaster in her hand goes flying away from her, almost knocking her to the floor.

Boba watched and he roars in frustration as he charges at him the saber touches his armor making a ringing sound but the impact pushes him backward, making him lose his balance. He steadies himself and charges at him again, and as Din continued to charge at him, Aria sees Fennec's blaster lying on the floor.

She quickly picks it up and aims it at Boba who was deflecting and defending every attack Din was making. She aimed it on the side of his calves which she knew will cause damage enough to stop him from charging but also, he had no beskar covering him there.

The blaster's sound was terrifying for Din as he stops immediately to look at Aria and saw her standing with the blaster. Boba was already on his knees as he wreathed in misery and pain. But he had still some fight left in him. He makes a full-blown fist charge on Din on his thigh, which makes him kneel in response. And as he lost his balance, the Dark Saber lands in the area between his arm plates and shoulder plates.

Aria drops her blaster immediately and runs to Din, helping him up. "Din! Let's go! Now!" She blurts out before taking Grogu in her arms, who was still in his sling bag. She was relieved that he was safe. They quickly made their way to the ship. Din felt the pain in his arm but his main priority at the moment was to escape with her and bring her to safety.

He picked up Grogu and placed him in his pod. Aria looked at him confused, "how am I going to?"

Din didn't respond but just sat down in his pilot spot and gestured for her to follow in. She was shocked a little or pleasantly surprised! "In your lap?"

"We don't have much of a choice, you know?" Din replied as he pointed in the direction of the Jabba's Palace. She turned around confused and then back at him. She climbed up to him and slowly sank into his lap, curling a little as she pressed her head onto his chest. Her tiny stature was more than comfortable for both of them to travel like that and more than that, he was happy that she was finally with him.

But... the only thing that still loomed on their head was the choker on her neck.