Chapter Text
He clutches his father’s neck, trying to listen to what he’s being told, to obey. Keep your eyes closed sweetheart! Don’t look, just hold on!
But the noise, the vibrations, the jostling of his father running, his mother’s hand trying to stay on his back, to provide comfort even now. He saw light that entered another person, and a black hole forming where the light exited. She fell, screaming. Din, Baby, don’t look, look at mommy! I’m right here!
It wasn’t real, he could barely comprehend it all. It was too much, just too much, and he could do nothing but hold on, and watch. A giant droid marching behind him, his parents’ hands pushing his head down as if he couldn’t harmed if he couldn’t see the thing coming for them. He was too young to truly understand the way his parents tried to be on either side of his small body, to take a blaster shot aimed in their direction so it wouldn’t hit him. Every explosion made them flinch and cry out, and he saw people falling, struggling to get up, raising their hands in surrender… and they were shot down by the metal monsters. No pity, no shame, no mercy. No emotion. They were nothing but metal and malice, and he cringed, clinging tight to his father, seeking security that he could not longer take from the simple warmth of his family.
His father’s arms could not shield him from everything bad and terrible in the world, and he knew it. He was too young to know it, but he knew it anyway, because the universe did not care at what age you learned the brutal truth.
“There, there! A cellar!” his mother cried, heading towards the metal door into the ground. Din found himself on his feet, passed into his mother’s arms as his father pulled open the cellar. Seeing the space, feeling his mother’s hand caressing him, he calmed. A hiding place. His family was good at hide and seek. If the droids couldn’t find them, they would be safe. But then his father glanced back, and his eyes grew wild. His mother made him shift to climb in, but then his father gasped out that the droids were coming. “Get-get in.”
He turned to his mother and they clutched each other fearfully, but his father was urging him down into the pit. He looked to the man, who grasped him with shaking hands and kissed his forehead. “You stay in there, you don’t move, you don’t make noise. We’ll run and the droids will chase us, then we’ll come back for you.”
He nodded, trusting his father. His father wouldn’t lie to him. He started to climb down, hearing his mother cry out. “I love you!” He glanced up to see her wracked with sobs-
As the doors closed reached up for his parents, scared of the dark despite it all, and his father looked at him one more time, eyes full of panic and desperation, and then the door was shut. It was less than a moment before a terrible roar ended with a great explosion above him, and he knew without understanding that his father’s promise couldn’t be kept. He shook in place, weeping silently, and it could've been right away, it could’ve been hours, but there were heavy metal footsteps approaching, and paralysed with fear that he was, he knew he needed to hide... Be better concealed. The cellar door was pulled smoothly open, and one of the murder-droids towered over him, unhesitating in carrying out it’s directives, blaster coming to bare on Din- he closed his tear-stained eyes and curled up as if that could save him-
He heard the shots, and felt nothing. Another explosion and more shots in some order his brain didn’t quite arrange correctly. He looked, and through his tears, he could see a person walking towards him. They stopped at the edge of the cellar as he blinked rapidly, until he could see his saviour’s armour and T-shaped visor.
“Come on kid, let’s get you out of here,” He said, offering a hand up. Din shifted forward hesitantly, drawn to this person instinctively. The voice wasn’t his father’s, but he was there and his father was… not. There was an encouraging gesture, the armoured person bending over so he’d be able to reach. “C’mon kid.”
He pushed himself to his feet and reached up, grasping the man’s thumb. Strong fingers closed around his hand and he was pulled out of the cellar into the street. Despite coming back into full view of the droids, the shooting, the death, Din suddenly felt safe; there were others in armour just like his rescuer, and the droids were falling to pieces around them. He was deposited gently on the ground, the warrior kneeling before him. “Are you alright?”
“Yes sir, who are you?” He was smiling, looking around, expecting his parents to be nearby. Everything was okay now because the droids were losing. Then he saw red fabric, like the clothes his family wore, and he looked more closely, seeing dark stains and-
“Don’t look,” Said the warrior gently, gathering Din into his arms and standing up. Din looked at him, and then towards a wooshing sound, seeing another warrior drop from the sky and start shooting droids. Din listened to his saviour even as he watched more soldiers fall gracefully into battle. “I am a Mandalorian, we’re here to help.”
Like in Mom’s stories… He thought in awe, seeing another Mandalorian hit the ground nearby. This one shouted something at the Mandalorian holding him, pointing at the two of them, then up at the sky. There was a nod from his saviour, who then turned to look at Din.
“Arms around my neck, knees tight on my waist, we’re getting out of here.”
“Okay,” He said solemnly, with all the trust that he would’ve given his father had he been there. Strong, metal-covered arms wrapped around his back, holding him securely, and there was a roar as the Mandalorian walked. And then-and then they were flying, and Din watched the street fall away over the Mandalorian’s shoulder, the battle becoming no more than toy figures and flashing lights.
The wind whipped at him, and he buried his face in the fighter’s neck, suddenly cold beyond just the chill of rushing air. It was over, he was safe…
And he shook, realising all at once that he’d never see his family again.