"Get her!" Stormtroopers race after the small girl as she runs through the halls of the ship. "Moff! She's disappeared! So has that lousy pilot and Wookie!" "Find them! We can't let him destroy everything. She's the key. Find her. NOW!" He roars through the system.

As the troopers track their living weapon, a fresh-faced Han Solo is running to his ship with his best friend and a tiny new addition to the team. A small child that was bruised, cut, and burned, hidden away in a large satchel on Chewie's side.

Flying away Han looks over the small child. She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "Are you okay?" She shakes her head covering her eyes. "My head hurts." She whines crying. Han cleans the small child of the dried blood and smiles at her making funny faces. "Hey, kid, you're safe now. We're not going to let anything happen to you. Now, what's your name?"

She gazes at her protectors with glee. "Aria Dooku."

~

"Solo!" Aria giggles as she hangs onto Han's leg as he sorts through a haul of the newly smuggled goods. He huffs picking up the small girl in his arms. "What is it, kid?" She giggles again, pinching his nose. "Ah! Ow!"

He smiles at the little laughter that fills the ship. He nods, setting her on the table beside the junk. "You're not too bad, kid."

She points her small finger at him, "You too, Solo." Han shakes his head staring at the little girl. "Call me Han." She nods messing with the junk. "Okay, Han."

~

Aria was about 12 when her talents poured through. She would be an amazing Jedi if trained properly. "Han! Look!" She floats a cookie in the air floating it over to Chewie. He reaches for it, but Aria moves it away causing Chewie to growl. Aria giggles and allows him to have it. "Alright, all right, don't whine, fur ball!"

Han nods at his little sister, "You're getting good." She shuffles her feet with a small smile. "You think I could be trained? It's hard learning all this on my own."

Han gazes at her with sadness. He wishes he could take her to a Jedi temple and have her excel with the unknowing talents resting upon her, but they would truly find out she was decent of Count Dooku. They would take her back and kill him and Chewie.

"We don't even know what's going on, Aria. Let's just stick to what we know." She nods sadly, twirling the small white crystal upon her necklace she's had since birth.

~

I pull Han out of the pit laughing as I roll over with him covered in mud. "Uh, this was such a bad idea, Han." He nods, "Definitely. First thing you should know about being a Solo.  When you're in trouble, you always can find a way out. Remember that. Might save your life one day." I roll my eyes as I help him stand up.

~

Aria sits in her room of the ship welding a makeshift saber of her own. She reads over the material word by word crafting a weapon like no other. She removes her necklace and stares into it. Narrowing her eyes she flips the pages in her many books finding the right section.

"A Relic withholding the devastation and horror of death. Be warned this crystal may be held by surrounding enlightenment, but profound cryptic terrors of screeches will exist eternally once it is practiced."  Aria bites her lip sticking the crystal into the base.

She arranges the top into position and presses the operations of the device. A gleaming white beam protrudes from the silver platform, lighting the room completely. Aria gasps at herself with achievement, "I did it."

~

"You think you can get over that beam?" Xi'an asks, smirking next to me. "Have you ever doubted me before?" She nods with a smile. "Come on, girls! We don't have all day." Ran says running up behind us.

I throw myself across the pit landing on the other side. As they cheer on the other side. I tie the extending later to the edge and as I toss it over the doors behind me open revealing five brute figures.

I gasp smiling. "Hey, guys. You're all late to the party."

I fight them off as long as I can before bringing out my saber. I slide them one by one hearing their eternal screams. As more come overpowering me I feel a sudden rush of power. I swing my saber before pushing it down into the ground and activating trillions of little lightning bolts across the floor shocking them all down.

I gasp standing up and looking at my group. They come across and I rest against the wall feeling light-headed. "Well, that's new," Xi'an says, picking up a bag of riches we took.

I look down at my hands feeling the shocks of the blue electric lightning. "Yeah. It is."

"You didn't know you could... blow up?"

I shake my head feeling sick. "No. I... what happened?"

"Your eyes lit up and you fried everyone with lightning." Ran laughs gathering his bags and running towards the ship.

~

I grasp my saber on my belt as they lead me away. I start to speak loudly to Moff.

"You know... one thing I've learned from my life away from the Sith, one special lesson my brother taught me that has kept me alive all this time... A Solo always gets out of trouble," I smirk as I shock both the stormtroopers before grabbing my saber and cutting off the head of the captors holding me.

In seconds the fight begins. I can only hope Din and everyone leaves within the time I can hold off the Empire alone.

I fight off hundreds of stormtroopers in ways I never knew I could. "Ah, come on, Din. Get out of there."  I grumble cutting off more limbs.

Their fire blazes the room to a crisp, but no more voice escape. I smile hoping they got out. I struggle to keep the piling fight going. As my arms weaken I'm toppled over with a blade piercing my stomach. I scream looking into the face of the trooper. "Had enough?" He hisses twisting the blade.

I throw my head back screaming in pain.

I open my eyes feeling the electrifying power take over. I look down at the stab wound, letting out a laugh. "Bad move." I stab him with my saber pushing him to the ground. Several troopers charge at me, but I wait, slamming my saber into the dirt and electrocuting them all, and cracking the ground beneath them.

I rush back into the room filled with crisped items, holding my bleeding stomach. I don't see any of them in sight. I cheer as I run through the opened grate and run in the muggy water towards the voices.

I run faster as I see Din being carried by Cara. "Din!" I yell causing him to spend around in his weakened state. He doesn't say a word but envelops me in his arms tightly. "How?" He whispers in my ear.

"I just had to embrace my strength," I smirk showing him the small lighting on my fingers. He holds me close walking with the group. "Why did you never say anything?" I look up to him with a sad smile. "I never told anyone. Han made me swear to secrecy. If anyone ever found out I was his descendent, they would take me away, and kill him. I should've known to trust you with the truth." He shakes his head holding my hand in his. "No, Aria. It was your story, your past. The only question is if you still want to come with me once this is over."

I nod kissing his metal cheek. "I've never wanted anything more, Din."

~

"They should be up ahead." Din guides us through the tunnels never letting go of my hand as we track through the water. "How are you feeling, love?" I ask looking up at him. "I can feel it working every minute," he replies leaning down to my ear. "I'll be feeling healed by tonight to celebrate." I gasped looking at him. "Din, we're in the middle of risking our lives." He tilts his head, with a knowing smirk under his helmet. "I thought that was your thing." I laugh walking along. "I think that spray has made you a little dazed."

A while after walking Din stops. "we're close. Turn here."

We enter a chamber finding nothing but a pile of Mandalorian helmets on the floor. Din falls to his knees in front of the pile. "We should go, Din," I say softly as I approach him. "You go, take the ship, I can't leave everything this way," Din shakes his head, filling with anger.

He strives towards Greef, "Did you know about this? Is this the work of your hunters?" "No," Greef agues, "When you left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries, not zealots!"

"Did you do this!?" Din yells loudly in frustration. "Did you?" "No!" Greef shouts.

"It was not his fault," a voice interrupts the two men.

I turn to see a woman clad in Mandalorian armor. "We reveal ourselves. We knew what would happen if we left the covert. The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted."

"Did any survive?" Din asks, stepping forward into the room.

"I hope so. Some have escaped off-world." "You should come with us," I offer, stepping up next to Din. "No," she answers firmly and glances over at Din. "I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains." She grabs a crate filled with the lost Helmets and pushes it into the same room she had come from.

"Show me the one who's safety seemed such destruction," the woman commands. Din steps closer towards the child in the IG unit's hold. "This is the one," "This is the one you hunted, then saved?" "Yes," Din answers. "I recall you telling a tale of two." Din glances at me and nods at me. "This is Aria Solo. I saved her as well. In the attack of the Mudhorn, she ended up saving me." ,

She glances down at the child. "It looks helpless." "It's injured, but it is not helpless," Din defends. "Its species can move objects with its mind. Aria can do it as well."

"I know of such things," the woman nods. "The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great, and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers."

"It is an enemy?" Din asks with confusion looking down at our hands. "No," the woman states. "Its kind were enemies, but these individuals are not." "What is its species?" The woman looks up at Din. "It is a foundling, by Creed, it is in your care."

"You wish me to train this thing?" She shakes her head elaborating, "It is too weak, it will die, you must reunite it with its own kind." "Where?" "This, you must determine."

"You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of this creature and deliver it to a race of enemy sorcerers?" Din asks the woman. She simply looks at him nodding. "This is the Way."

"Hey, these tunnels will be lousy with Imps in a matter of minutes, we should at least discuss an escape plan!" Cara says quickly.

"If you follow the underground tunnel it will lead you to the river," the woman says, distracted with the work of the Beskar. "We should go," Greef says hastily. "I'm staying," Din shakes his head.

I look up at him pleading. He looks away from my eyes. "I need to help her and I need to heal." "You must go. A foundling is in your care. By Creed, until it is of age or is reunited with its own kind, you are as its father. And it seems as if this one is the mother. Rightfully so. This is the Way."

As we ready to bolt the Mandalorian stops us once more."I have one more gift for your journey, you two." She looks to Din, "Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?" "When I was a boy, yes," He answers. "Then this will make you complete." She passes Din a jetpack. "Thank you."

"As for you." She passes a string with two rings attached. "When you find the time, commit to the creed. You are his wife when these reach your fingers." I look to Din in awe. Am I being willingly forced into marrying a Mandalorian?

Din grabs my hand, never leaving my eyes. "We understand," he nods.

~

"This is the lava river," Greef points to the river ahead of us. I stare at the excuse of a river holding my nose. "This sucks."

"The ferry droid is fried," Din says as he sees its lifeless body underneath the piles of rocks. "Yeah, but if we push the boat out, we can get it to float downstream," Greef says. "Looks old, will it take the heat?" Din asks. "You got a better idea?" Greef counters back.

Once we get the boat free they all begin to board. "Watch your step, it's molten lava," the IG unit states. "Yeah, no shit IG," I scoff as I step into the boat. The red droid starts up, stands, ad starts to speak as it carries an oar in its hands. "I believe it is asking us where we'd like to go," IG-11 answers for him. "Down the river," Greef tells the red droid. "To the lava flat."

"The exit should be coming up ahead," IG-11 says staring at the tunnel ahead. Greef claps laughing, "That's it, we're free!" "No, no, we're not," Din disagrees. "They're flanking the mouth of the tunnel. They know we're coming." "Stop the boat," Cara commands the droid, but "hey, I said stop the boat! Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Cara shoots at the droid, and the boat slows down, but never stops. "It's still going," Greef says frowning. "Then we fight," I sigh with defeat throwing my hood up.

"No, there are too many," Din says. "Well, then what are you suggesting? Because I can't surrender!" Cara yells. "They will not be satisfied with anything less than the child and Aria. This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy, and you will escape." IG says, "You don't have that kind of firepower. You wouldn't even get to daylight."

"That is not my objective," the droid says.

"We're getting close," I shouted looking at the oncoming enemies.

"I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer. If my designs are compromised, I must self-destruct." "What are you talking about?" Din asks, stepping towards the droid. "I am not permitted to be captured. I must be destroyed."

"Are we going to keep talking or are we gonna get out of here?" Greef yells at them. "I can no longer carry this for you," IG-11 speaks, handing Din the jetpack and Aria the child. "you can't self-destruct. Your base command is to watch the child. That supersedes your manufacturer's protocol, right? Right!?" Din exclaims.

"This is correct," IG-11 agrees with him. "Then grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out."

"Victory through combat is impossible. We will be captured. The child and Aria will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the child and Aria are saved, in which I survive."

Din agues with the droid, "You're not going anywhere. We can still come up with a-." "Please tell me that the child will be safe in your care," IG-11 spats. "If you do so, I can default to my secondary command."

"But you'll be destroyed," Din fights.

"And you will live. And I will have served my purpose." IG says.

"No, we need you." "There is nothing to be sad about. I have never been alive." "I'm not ... sad," Din retorts weakly. "Yes, you are, I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice. You're also feeling over amounts of emotion for Aria Solo." IG-11 silently reaches for the child with one of its long, metal fingers before stepping away.

An engine roars loudly in the sky and when I glance up my breath hitches. "Moff Gideon!" Cara exclaims. I shield the child as the others fight off the blasters.

"He missed!" Greef cheers.

"He won't next time," Din grunts. Cara yells frustrated, "Our blasters are useless against him,"

"Hey!" Greef exclaims look at me. "Do the magic hand thing!" Everyone looks at me just as confused. "My what?" "Come on, you and the baby, do the magic hand thing!" Greef shouts at us.

I look up and push the child in Din's arms. I build up every amount of strength I have and force it out creating large amounts of lightning, but it barely does anything to our advantage.

I crash against the seat out of breath. "I'm out of ideas."

"I'm not," Din replies, setting the kid in my lap and places his jetpack on. He rests his head against mine whispering, "I'll come back, I promise."

He flies in the air and latches onto the ship with his grappling hook. An explosion going off. Then a second explosion rings throughout the sky and the ship crashes onto the ground.

Din's cry rushes me to pass my son to Cara and run to Din's aid. I fall into him wrapping my arms around him. I pull back breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" I ask him softly. He raises his helmet just to his lips and brings me to him capturing mine.

A low cough quickly divides us as we notice Cara, Greef, and the baby. "That was impressive. I think your Guild rates have gone up." "Any more Stormtroopers?" Din asks. "I think we cleared up the town. I'm thinking of staying behind just to be sure." I gasp at him, "You're staying here?"

Cara sets the child down onto the ground. "Well, why not? Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have washed away, it's very respectable again." "As a bounty hunter hive?" "Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters," Greef says smirking. "And perhaps this specimen of a soldier might consider joining our ranks."

"I've got some clerical concerns regarding my chain code," Cara adds. "And if you agree to be my enforcer clerical concerns would be the least of your worries." As the two discuss business I pick up the child in my arms.

"you will be welcomed back into the Guild with open arms. So go off and enjoy yourself. And when you're ready to return you will have the pick of all the quarries."

Din looks down at me and pulls out the rings. "I'm afraid I have more pressing matters at hand," Din says.

Cara hugs me tightly. "You better take care of her,". Din nods at them, as they walk in the opposite direction.

Din wraps his arms around me and the child securely. "Are you ready to go home?" "Home?" Din nods holding the rings again. "Can't have a wedding without your brother now can we?"

As we arrive back to the ship I pick up the child giggling. Din walks around, peeking over my shoulder. "I didn't think I'd ever see this again," he says holding his necklace. "Why don't you hang onto that?" The child grasps the string and tugs at it.

Din starts the ship and leaves this planet. I sit on Din's lap as he flies around. I lift up the helmet giggling. He removes it fully revealing his face I've missed. "There he is." I sit in awe of his features. "My handsome Mandalorian." Din traces my chin, pulling me down to meet his lips. "Aria Solo, you're going to make the most beautiful Mrs. Djarin."

~o0o~

Until we meet the Mandalorian, Din Djarin, and Aria Solo again...