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notfreetoday · 8 months

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MPW Ep 2 Subtitle Corrections

Subtitle Corrections: Ep 1 here

Cultural/Language Tidbits: Ep 2 here

Same translation disclaimer applies. Thanks to everyone reading the first post and geeking out with me in the notes, I really appreciate it XD Ok, Ep 2, let's go! Sorry in advance for the length!

If you're wondering why Yoh's freaking out about the rainy season even though they've been together for 3 years, the manga artist posted a clarification on twitter:

By the way, “it’s been 3 years since then” – that phrase refers to it being 3 years since that conversation regarding the slave contract. As for living together, they’ve only just started (to do so) around Mar/April*, so (at this point) it’s only been a few months (for them). What if (I) got it wrong…. I remember making a note of it, but the file that I wrote it in and passed over (to the crew) couldn’t be found right, so… (was it) a dream?” *Japan's rainy season comes around June/July, so this means that this is the first rainy season these two have been experienced together.

[Y: まずっ] Y: Tastes bad In case the original "that sucks" sounds like Yoh might be talking about the news of the young forecaster - he's really just talking about the food here.

[S: 遅くなるからいらねぇっつっただろう] Original: I told you not to bother since I returned late Mine: I told you I wouldn't need it cause I'd be late right? This is actually a pretty harsh sounding line tbh. It's sort of inkeeping with Segasaki's curtness, but still pretty harsh - so this tells us he's tired after a long day, and explains the frown on his face that Yoh just wipes away with his cuteness

Nikujaga literally means meat and potatoes. It's a stewed dish and a very well-loved comfort food. Super easy to make too (link goes to an easy to follow recipe, and the site also explains a little about the dish).

[Y: 本当、顔だけはいいよな] Y: Really, it's only his face that looks good.

I've talked about this in my cultural/language tidbits for this episode (linked up top) but I'll add it here for completion's sake

[Y: あ、いや。なんでもない…です*] (Ah, iya, nandemonai…desu*) Y: Ah, no, it's….nothing* Yoh let's his sentence trail off before tacking on a "desu" at the end. "Desu" is an ending verb characteristic of "polite" speech, which Yoh doesn't use frequently with Segasaki (in fact, by this point, he has not used polite speech with Segasaki at all, except for maybe saying the full form of the word "welcome home", and even that's pushing it). Here he adds it at the end as an afterthought (the polite form of "iya" would be "iie", if he had wanted the whole sentence to be polite from the get go), which tells us that Yoh's feeling a little off-kilter here, and does introduce the slightest distance between him and Segasaki. We'll see this distance increase as the episode goes on.

[Y: いや、どう考えても食べ過ぎだろう] Y: No but, no matter which way you look at it, (he's) eaten way too much hasn't he? Btw, if your hair started standing at the spoon scraping the pot - in the manga artist's post about visiting the shooting venue (as well as during Ep 1 twitter space) it was mentioned that Mashiko, the actor, can actually cook, so during filming they had to tell him what someone who can't would likely do, and also asked him to do the housework poorly (because Yoh's not supposed to be good at cooking or housework hahaha)

この人*、明日も朝早いんだよな。たぶん。 Original: This guy, has an early morning again tomorrow. Probably. Mine: This person*, has (to leave) early tomorrow morning too. Probably. *The word here is "kono hito", literally "this person". There's actually nothing wrong with the translation "this guy" tbh because that's a fairly neutral term in English, but I'm highlighting it here because in his monologues, Yoh usually refers to Segasaki using much rougher language, such as "koitsu, aitsu", except when he addresses Segasaki directly in his head. I'll talk more about how Yoh addresses Segasaki in the analysis post, but for now - this sentence hints that Yoh has clocked Segasaki's tiredness (subconsciously or not) and is feeling a little bad for him. Then again he quickly hides that by adding on "probably". (Adding the word "probably" behind your sentence is a common way to express doubt/negate what you just said, and incidentally is commonly used by comedians to deliver a punchline).

[Y: あの*…あの…寝るなら部屋でとおもって。] Original: Um… Hey… You should go back to your room. Mine: Um*... Um... if you're going to sleep then, (it would be better to sleep) in your room - at least that's what I thought...

*"あの…" (ano…), translated as "um" here, is a common sound you use when you want to get someone's attention but don't want to sound too demanding - it actually isn't being polite per se, but it does show the hesitancy with which Yoh approaches him. Contrast this with the way Segasaki gets Yoh's attention (so far it's just been "Yoh" or "Oi" - the latter of which you would NOT use unless you were close to the person, or looking for a fight).

As a general rule of thumb, the level of politeness in Japanese is directly correlated with the length of the sentence and just how far you can beat around the bush. So, Yoh's suggestion that Segasaki goes to sleep in his room is literally just "if sleeping, then room..." and everything else in that translation is assumed. He may not being using polite speech forms here (that would be "to omoimashita" instead of "to omotte") but this is still a common way to be polite because he's making a suggestion that is so mild Segasaki can choose to ignore it. This is a great example of Brown & Levinson's "negative politeness" which we'll revisit when analysing their speech patterns, and which you can read about in entirely too much detail here (free to read).

[Y: じゅあ、俺は寝るので** あの、その、そういうことで、おやすみ] Original: Then, I’ll go to sleep. That…sort of thing. Good night. Mine: So then, I'm going to bed, therefore**... Um... that... with that... night!

"Therefore" is an awkward translation for the word ので (node), which is more often translated as "so". I've chosen to use that word because "node", whilst again not a polite form per se, is less colloquial than the more commonly used "から(kara)", to mean the same thing. It tends to pop up more in writing than in speech. "Therefore" doesn't make a sentence polite/formal in English, but it's definitely less colloquial than using the word "so". The use of "node" is just that tiny bit out of place in this sentence paired with the informal pronoun "ore" for "I" as opposed to the more formal choice of "boku".

Again, Yoh answers Segasaki properly here with a "はい (hai)" as opposed to his usual "un" (which is a sound that expresses agreement), when told that Segasaki will be late again. There actually aren't very many moments where Yoh does speak politely to Segasaki (he's definitely rude when he talks about Segasaki in his head hahaha), so these moments stand out. This whole short exchange, together with the random -desu he added earlier, just make Yoh's sentences a little more stilted/awkward, and more distant. Individually they don't deserve much mention at all, but together, and in the context of his jealousy, show just how unsure Yoh is about where he stands with Segasaki.

[Y: あの人の帰宅が遅くなり] Y: That person returned home later and later

"That person" - similar to the above usage of "this person". This sentence is incomplete - the verb form of the last word - 遅くなり (osokunari) indicates that there should be a second part to the sentence (the "completed" form would be osokunatta). But after he says this, there is a pregnant pause, as Yoh puts his phone down and continues cooking alone. The pause continues all the way into the next scene, before the sentence continues, highlighting the loneliness that Yoh feels.

[Y: 当然、触れられることもないままに] Original: Of course, he did not touch me at all Mine: (and) of course, (I) remained untouched (by him) as well

The literal translation for this would be "(the situation in which I) was not touched (by him) continued on as well". Yoh uses the passive form of the word "touch", which places the emphasis on Yoh "receiving" the action of being touched as opposed to placing the emphasis on Segasaki "carrying out" the action of touching Yoh. Consider the difference between the sentences "I was hurt by him" and "he hurt me". The former is the passive form, and is super common in Jp, much less common in Eng. If this is confusing - welcome to Jp grammar just know that the emphasis of this line is more on what Yoh does not have, rather than what Segasaki has not done. It accentuates Yoh's feelings of emptiness and loss.

Y: すっかり日々は過ぎて Y: The days pass by completely ...

Similarly, this sentence is "incomplete", and is instead continued by Segasaki walking in and telling Yoh he'll be late again. (This whole bit just hurts my soul tbh, Yoh is so lonely. )

This is a teruteru bouzu aka a charm of sorts for good weather. See the cultural tidbits post for Ep 2 linked up top for more info!

This is said really strongly, and gives the "what the hell are you doing" feel. Yoh's truly upset here.

I try not to care about some of the subs in these side conversations because they don't add much to the main story and these posts are already too long, but this sentence should really be "Dammit, maybe I should (go) troll the chat" (and the previous sentence should be "If this was broadcasted in a certain country it would be instant death" aka N.Korea ^^;) and I just think it was a nice touch to hint at the fandom wars/flaming that goes on between fans hahaha

[Y: しんどい] Y: This is too draining The word here used is "shindoi", which is a term used when you're feeling mentally/physically exhausted/drained, and carries a sense of frustration (at feeling this way) and sometimes (emotional) pain.

This. Is. Huge. Segasaki does 2 things here - one, he rejects an after-work meal, which you rarely do because Japan is all about the group and rejecting a group invite, to welcome a new member, can make you seem like you aren't a team player - two, the guy who invites him is his senior, which you can tell because Segasaki sticks to polite speech forms whilst the other guy does not. It's still relatively casual, so you can tell he's got a good working relationship with them (probably why he's not worried about rejecting them) but still. In Segasaki's world, Yoh is the No. 1 priority.

This is more accurately "WTF". There are many sounds in Japanese that aren't exactly words, but carry a lot of meaning - "Haa?!" is one of them, and is a very rude way to express a lot of anger and shock. Please, never say this in real life. You will royally piss off whoever it's directed at and if you are outside a Shibuya bar you will get punched.

The word used here is てめぇ (temee), which is a really rude way to say "you", and has the same energy as "you bastard". Segasaki usually uses the informal pronoun "omae" for "you" when he talks to Yoh, he's definitely pissed off here.

This is the same word, "shindoi" again.

I'm going to put the rest of the whole argument here with just my translation because it's too long to screencap the whole thing.

[S: 何なんだよ？このエロい惨状は Y: うるさい。 Y: 俺は売れっ子エロ漫画家になるんだ S: なんだそりゃ。おい *takes away beer can* Y: 売れっ子さんが　シコリながらネーム描くと　いいのができるって言ってた S: なんも描けてなかったぞ。 S: おい、だめだっつってんの S: 飲みすぎ　出すもん出して　寝てただけだろう Y: 黙れ！ Y: 俺はエロくて　抜ける漫画描いて　いっぱい稼いで Y: 早く　こんなとこ出ていくんだ S: はあ？　おい、お前　どういうつもりだよ Y: どうもこうもないよ！ Y: 平気で抱かれてると思うなよ。 Y: 俺のこと、好きでもないくせに Y: 便利な奴隷としか思ってないんだろう？そんなにやりたきゃ隣のキャスターとやってろよ S: お前　さっきから　何を... Y: 俺はあんな風に笑いかけられたことない]

Breakdown: S: What's up with this? This lewd disaster of a scene Y: (You're) annoying! ["うるさい (urusai)" is often translated as "shut up", but it literally means someone is being "noisy", and here is more of a complaint that Segasaki is being bothersome] Y: I'm going to become a hot-selling erotica manga artist! [the word used here is 売れっ子 (urekko), which literally means "someone who gets huge sales" and mostly refers to idols, entertainers, TV personalities etc. So Yoh is not just saying he's going to become popular, he's saying he's gonna be like a celebrity manga artist, which is why Segasaki snorts a little at this] S: What's with that? Hey. *takes away beer can* Y: The hot sellers say that if you jerk off whilst drawing your storyboard, you'll come up with good stuff [urekko-san is a pretty cute way of referring to these popular artists] S: You've not drawn anything, you know? [this is said with a really indulgent air, which contrasts directly with the more authoritative tone of the next line] S: Hey, I'm telling you no more *grabs beer can* S: You drank too much. You just shot what you shot and then went to sleep didn't you? [And this is back to an indulgent tone - also, everyone knows Segasaki is talking about cumming here, he just doesn't actually say it so directly] Y: Shut up! ["黙れ (damare) - contrast with "urusai" earlier. The former is used much less commonly and really does mean to "be quiet". This is why Segasaki pauses and looks at Yoh. Up until now Segasaki just thinks Yoh's gotten drunk and is whining cutely, but this word means things are serious.] Y: I'm going to draw manga that is erotic, that you can wank off to, and then earn lots of money [this is a call back to the conversation with Man-san over the phone in Ep 1, which I did not include earlier because I didn't think it was important to the story when Yoh says "the work that was released last month was amazing! There was a big buzz around the topic "I can't wank off (to this)" - Yoh was being sarcastic here, meaning that he got reviews that his work wasn't erotic enough] Y: and leave this sort of place soon! S: What? Hey - what (the hell) are you thinking? [Again, "haa?" here shows he does NOT like what Yoh's saying, but he does soften the end of the sentence with a "yo"] Y: I'm not thinking of anything! Y: Embracing me so easily - don't think you can (keep on) doing that [again, this is the passive form, so the emphasis is on Yoh being embraced, and here has the nuance of "don't think I'll just (keep on) being fine with being embraced (by you) like it's some sort of norm"] Y: when you don't even like me [this line has quite a bit of bitterness in it - the emphasis here is strongly on Segasaki and his apparent "non-liking" of Yoh my english is dying.] Y: You think of me as just a convenient slave, don't you? Y: If you want to do it that much, go do it with that forecaster next to you! S: You... from the start... what have (you been saying?) Y: I have never been smiled at like that before [again, this is in passive voice]

It's obvious from the acting alone that this entire argument is pretty emotionally charged - this is also reflected in the language because Yoh uses the pronoun "ore (I)" a lot. Pronouns are frequently dropped in Japanese - often you can go an entire conversation without ever uttering the words "I/me" or "you", in part because the pronouns are assumed and also because emphasis on an individual can come across as too selfish/narcissistic or direct. Segasaki uses them often enough with Yoh, which fits his personality, but Yoh normally doesn't. So, when he uses "ore" here it stands out - his plans to be successful and leave, his feelings, his interpretation of Segasaki's actions - all of the emphasis is on his own self. The message is very clear - Yoh is hurting a lot more than he is blaming or accusing Segasaki.

[Y: もう疲れた。あんたといると疲れる。嫌いだ S: お前　酒入るとめちゃくちゃしゃべるんだな Y: ねぇ、何で雨の時はだめなの？ S: はあ？　だって、お前が言ったんだろう] Y: (I'm) tired out. When (I'm) with you, (I) get tired. Hate it. [We've lost the "I" pronouns here, because the emphasis is on the extreme sense of physical and emotional fatigue as opposed to Yoh himself, and on how much he dislikes that feeling. Of note, "hate" here is closer to "detest/really dislike" - the word is "kirai" - which is not as strong as the word "nikui" which we talked about in Ep 1 when Yoh said he hated the part of him that always listened to Segasaki. Also, this is the first time Yoh has addressed Segasaki with the pronoun "you" out loud - he uses "あんた anta", which he also used in his head in Ep 1, after they did it. Again, we'll talk about this in the analysis post in the future, but for now just know that this term is usually used between older couples.] S: You... once you start drinking you really start talking huh? [literally, you "become able to talk"] Y: Hey...why is it when it rains, (we) can't do it? S: What? Because, you said so didn't you? [the last "haa?" from Segasaki! This time expressing his surprise and slight indignation.]

[S: 俺は優しいんだ] S: I. am. Kind. Great example of Segasaki's use of the "ore" pronoun here to quite literally emphasise how great he is. "優しい (kind)" in Japanese carries the connotation of being thoughtful, anticipating the other person's needs and wants and then meeting them etc. It's a characteristic that people often say they look for in their potential partners.

[S: そもそも、なんだ先の言いぐさは好きじゃないだの　出ていきたいだのお前　俺のプロポーズを受けといてよくそんなことが言えんな S: 養ってやる*っつってんだ　プロポーズ以外になに] S: In the first place, what was with those things you said earlier? That you don't like me, that you want to leave... You... that was rich, saying all that after accepting my proposal. S: I was saying I'd provide and care* for you. If that's not a proposal than what is? ["養ってやる" is a pretty possessive way to say I'll provide for you - it's the same word used when referring to parent providing for a child, or an owner providing for a small animal. It's not rude per se, but it does imply a power imbalance. Segasaki actually sort of has a point here because... this is not something you say to someone else unless you're in a relationship ^^;]

S: ていうかお前、俺のこと嫌いなんだ S: どうなの S: Actually about that... so you hate me huh? S: Which is it?

S: ふーん。あ、そ S: Ohh..? I see. ふーん (Ohh..?) - Segasaki says this a lot, especially in this episode. This is another one of those sounds that isn't a word but carries a lot of meaning. It has a dismissive sort of tone to it, like you've already assumed something or when you're pretty nonchalant/not impressed about whatever the other person has said and are just playing along with them by giving them some attention (so again, if you use it wrongly, it can piss people off). Segasaki uses it whenever Yoh goes mute or shy, as a way to tease Yoh - though Yoh seems to think Segasaki is dismissing/not interested in his answer. あ、そ (A, so) - again, Segasaki says this a lot - can be interpreted as "oh really?/I see/is that so?" - Combined with the above, you can see why Yoh often thinks Segasaki isn't interested in his answer, and even when he does recognise it as teasing, he gets too flustered to do anything about it.

This seems to have gotten longer, if you reached the end - congratulations! I hope this makes it a little clearer why it's so obvious to us as the viewer that Segasaki is really quite patient with Yoh, and is waiting for him to come to terms with his feelings, but at the same time so confusing for Yoh, because of the way many of these interactions can be read both ways. In Ep 3, we'll really be able to get into their dynamics because they've got so much more interaction together.

#my personal weatherman #taikan yohou #体感予報 #MPW subtitle corrections #mytranslations #finally got it out #doing a breakdown of the argument was very fun #this is like the most indulgent t/n ever #i am indulging myself the same way segasaki indulges yoh #thanks to everyone for reading my indulgent notes #please geek out with me more #these two are so perfect for each other #sorry I wanted to get Ep 3 and the analysis out before Ep 4 but it's not happening

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zapsalis-d · 2 years

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Narudar: Chapter Thirty-Seven—The Siege

SUMMARY: Fighting off the last of the Imperial remnants reveals facts that you never would’ve imagined, leaving Din to think about another option… You’re not too sure about it, though.

WARNINGS: Canon-typical violence, slight fluff

WORD COUNT: 4.3k

MASTERLIST >>> MAIN MASTERLIST

"Empty base, huh?"

Din had been the first person you saw when your team left the elevator. Apparently, he already wiped out all the stormtroopers from this floor. Surprisingly quick, actually. Gun in hand, he approached you guys while your group stepped forward.

"The reactor should be set in the heat shaft," Greef Karga explained, quickly cutting to the point of the plan without delaying any further. "If we drain the cooling line, this whole base will go up in a matter of minutes."

"Look!" Mythrol called out, excitement in his tone. "It's a mint trexler marauder. We can get a lot for this on the black market."

"And we'll be blowing it up along with the rest of this base," you added. "We're wasting time. We should go."

You, alongside the rest of the team, had quickly traveled throughout the Imperial base. Luckily, you had passed without detection, although you weren't sure how long that would last. Then, you entered what was presumably a control room. Cara had dealt with the single Imp overseeing the cameras, whilst you rushed to switch them all off and deactivate any alarms that may sound.

Once all that was over with, Karga probed through the Imperial's pockets and pulled out a code cylinder. "This'll come in handy."

"Look," you pointed towards one of the screens that displayed exactly what you were searching for.

Din had been right by your side to view it as well. "We found the heat shaft. Let's go."

Immediately, the group hastened down the corridors that directed to the heat shaft. What felt like an eternity passed whilst your team rushed down the endless, grey hallways. As you were passing an intersection at one point, a pair of stormtroopers had appeared down one of the halls and the group had hastily backed up behind the wall to conceal themselves from the soldiers. They hadn't spotted either of you, luckily, although in the process Cara had accidentally stepped on one of your feet and... you nearly yelped out loud, but prevented yourself from doing so. Cara had whispered a silent apology, since that was all she could do at the moment. As the stormtroopers turned the corner—which also meant they turned their backs on you and hadn't seen anybody—everyone continued down the other corridor before them.

"There," Din voiced as soon as a gate came into view. "Mythrol, slice that door."

"Use the code cylinder," Karga suggested, handing the silver key to Mythrol.

Within a few seconds, the alien had the gate opened, revealing the heat shaft within it. As soon as the door raised, the heat had immediately struck you and the sweat already beginning to form by your temple from the constant running around had worsened. Warmth magnifying the further you stepped inside, you prompted yourself—alongside everyone else—to peer down into the profound pit that extended deep down into the planet. Searing lava pooled the bottom of the shaft, earning a 'woah!' from Mythrol and a remark from Karga. Besides you, though, Din had set a hand to your arm, stopping you from nearing the edge any further.

Which wasn't exactly fair because Din was even closer to the edge than you were...

You rolled your eyes... but grinned nevertheless.

"That's it." Karga lifted a finger, gesturing towards a control panel that hardly left any room to step on in order to reach it. "Get on the reactor controls, drain the coolant lines. We'll watch the doors."

Mythrol stood there, unsure. "...Me?"

"Yes, you!"

"I'm afraid o' heights! And heat. And... lava."

Karga's impatience was displaying all over his expression. "How about if I put ya back in carbonite? Get over there!"

Complaining to himself along the way, Mythrol stepped onto the ledge with quivering legs and dealt with the control panel.

"Hey," Din's voice quietly rung out, capturing your attention. You turned to find him holding out a commlink in front of him, and you immediately realized the kid had commed him. So he did remember how to use it. "How's your first day at school?" That earned a response from the Child—a series of prattling and cooing, and while Din couldn't understand him, he most definitely pretended he could. "Oh, yeah? That's great. What else did you learn about?"

You chuckled at that, but before you could listen to their interaction any further, a harsh eruption sounded behind you. You whipped around to find the Mythrol had succeeded and the lava was bubbling upwards too quickly for your comfort. Din had to end his conversation with the kid while his attention returned to the task at hand. "Alright, she's gonna blow!" The Mythrol shouted, rushing off the ledge. "Let's go! Let's get outta here!"

Everyone had escaped first, and—of course—Din had stayed behind until each person passed him to ensure everyone left securely. "How much time do we have?" you questioned, sprinting besides everyone else.

Karga replied first, "Ten minutes, at the most."

An alarm blaring obnoxiously had blown your cover. Now everyone in the building knew something was completely wrong, and that intruders had broken in—which meant that on top of those ten minutes, you also needed to avoid stormtroopers at all costs. After another scare, fearing the troopers would find you guys, everyone had made it safely to a room. It was never planned to stop here, but after killing off both Imps that stood by the control panel, you couldn't help but stop and take a look at the vile sight before you. Within a wall seemed to be... tanks. Tanks filled with water and bodies. The bodes were unrecognizable to you, as they didn't resemble any species you've ever seen in your life. They were definitely not humans, either. But they were dead. That was all you could possibly conclude about them. They were never moved a muscle—they didn't open their eyes, twitch, shift, nothing. All they did was float within their tanks, as if they had been abandoned or discarded.

Perhaps because they were test subjects?

The look of confusion on your features grew as you slowly continued to approach them. "What the hell are these...?"

"I thought you said this was a forward operating base," Cara said. It was a forward operating base. That's exactly what Karga said, but this... this doesn't make much sense.

"I thought it was," was the only response Karga could muster.

"No, this isn't a military operation. This is a lab," Cara deduced, her guess sounding reasonable to your ears. "We need to get into the system and figure out what's going on."

"What about the reactor—"

Cara stopped the Mythrol before he could finish. "Do it! Do it."

He paused for a split second, before nodded once and began searching through the control panels and datapads.

"I don't like this," Din voiced his concern. You nodded in agreement with him. As your eyes remained trained on the tanks, your fingers unconsciously strengthened around the handle of your blaster. What could these Imperials possibly be planning with all of this?

Your thoughts were cut short when a hologram appeared in the reflection of the tanks. You whirled around, eyes meeting with the fizzy presence that hovered over the control pane Mythrol had been working on. A frown took shape on your expression as you took in the familiar figure of Dr. Pershing—the man who had... sort of saved the Child's life back on Nevarro. If it weren't for him neglecting his orders to kill the kid and take the entirety of his blood if necessary, yours and Din's return to the Imperial base that day would've been for absolutely no reason. Still, the sight of him creased your eyebrows as clear memories from that day flashed through your mind. He may have avoided the Child's death, but he had weakened him during the process.

Dr. Pershing's voice rung through your ears: "Replicated the results of the subsequent trials, which also resulted in catastrophic failure. There were promising effects for an entire fortnight, but then, sadly, the body rejected the blood. I highly doubt we'll find a donor with a higher m-count, though. I recommend that we suspend all experimentation. I fear that the volunteer will meet the same regrettable fate if we proceed with the transfusion. Unfortunately, we have exhausted our initial supply of blood. The Child is small, and I was only able to harvest a limited amount without killing him."

You and Din shared a glance... and you knew that the both of you had figured out what they were using the kid for back then. What the doctor meant by 'm-count' you could only assume were midichlorians. Perhaps these test subjects had volunteered to have the Child's blood transfused into their own, to gain the count of midichlorian cells in their bloodstream. While it sounded like a decent plan and it could work out, obviously it did not—and it costed these volunteers' lives.

"If these experiments are to continue as requested," the man continued, "we would again require access to the donor. I will not disappoint you again, Moff Gideon."

Hearing that name had only worsened the displeasure that boiled indignantly within your chest.

"That's an old transmission," you assumed. "It is. It has to be."

"Moff Gideon is dead," Din spoke up.

"Exactly."

"No," Mythrol replied, eyes searching through the datapad. "This recording's three days old."

"No, that doesn't make sense." You shook your head, wholeheartedly denying the fact that he could, indeed, still live to this day. "I watched his TIE-fighter go down in flames. Mando killed him."

"If Gideon's alive, then—"

Cara's sentence interrupted, a batch of stormtroopers discover your group and a shootout starts soon afterwards. The grip on your weapon tightened while you strive to protect yourself from the ammo flashing past you. Senses on intense alert, you found coverage besides Karga, behind a ledge in the wall that prevented the troopers from shooting you. Aiming had been difficult from your position. Blasting while also trying not to be blasted never came easy, no matter how many times you found yourself in this situation. But soon enough, the soldiers' numbers decreased to the point that they were no longer existent.

As soon as the stormtroopers are over with, you and Din find each other. But there was one objective on your mind—"The kid."

Din agreed, "I need to get him."

"Jet back," Cara suggested. "You're faster that way. We'll head to the speeder and meet you in town."

He seemed to comply with that idea, but had paused for a moment. His visor focused on you. "What about you?"

"Go get the kid," you immediately told him. The Child was your number one priority, especially considering Moff Gideon was alive and he couldn't be a split second away from you guys. You could never know what might happen while his sole protectors are gone, and that sickened you. "I'll meet you in town."

Din nodded at that, and had quickly whirled around to leave.

Eager to leave this building before it ultimately exploded, Karga shouted, "Come on, let's go!"

"When did you say this place was gonna blow again?" Mythrol asked, struggling to trail closely to the rest of the team as everyone continued down countless corridors.

Although before he received an answer from anyone, another pack of stormtroopers halted you guys. Fighting them off were simple, truly, what with their inadequate armor and poor aiming. What wasn't simple was facing off more and more troopers that appeared the more you advanced down the hallways. A gas bomb from your utility belt had been put into usage, and while this usually gave you the advantage, it most definitely did not in this case. Considering your mask was in the middle of a decaying mamacore's belly at the moment, you weren't capable of utilizing it now to see directly through the fog. Still, your team eventually gained the upper-hand and you found yourselves returning to the exterior side of the base.

Only, there was a problem—the elevator that led back down to Mythrol's speeder was swamped with troopers within it. Once again, you were urged to take cover behind a crate in order to shoot them down. Although since the soldiers were also able to conceal themselves from your bullets, it became nearly impossible to strike them. Panicked, the Mythrol couldn't help but yell, "We're trapped!"

"Is that so?" Cara replied, shifting from her position, an idea forming in her head. "Cover me!"

"What does she think she's doing?" Mythrol questioned, watching as she sprinted out into the open, completely exposed to the stormtroopers' bullets. You attempted to ward them off by shooting them yourself, but you were only capable of taking down a couple of them that stepped too far out.

A vehicle powered on and slid out of its parked position, floating towards you guys and revealing Cara in the pilot's seat. You assumed this was that 'mint trexler marauder' that Mythrol had been so damn thrilled about. Well, he was just about to board it—and he was not excited for it now. Cara gestured for you guys to enter, motivated to get out of here. "What are you guys waiting for, an invitation? Let's move!"

Everyone had immediately hopped inside—and maybe nearly being blasted down in the process. The Alderaanian hardly allowed any time to get comfortable inside the vehicle, jolting it forward to head into an open gate that led into the base and out into a secure exit. But access to that safer path had been rejected when the stormtroopers recognized her ideas, shutting the gate closed before you could even reach it. Cara wasted no time whipping the marauder around and rushing it forwards... off the platform, where an extended fall awaited you.

"Wait—"

"Hang on!" Cara interrupted you, pushing the vehicle through dozens of crates in her way—before ultimately guiding it straight off the cliff.

You hadn't realized how elevated you had been up until now, faced with that obnoxious feeling in the pit of your stomach as the vehicle plummeted down off the mountain. All you could possibly do was grip onto a solid object—you hadn't paid attention what, exactly, it was—but you were paralyzed in your spot otherwise. Screaming filled your ears. Ground approached rapidly. Marauder landing, violently jerking everyone forward or backward—you didn't keep track of that. What you did realize was that the vehicle happened to land on... Mythrol's speeder.

It wasn't like you needed it at this point anyway. The marauder should work, right?

"Wait, was that my speeder—"

Before Mythrol could finish, he—alongside you and Karga—had been lurched back by the force of the vehicle jerking forwards. Gaining its highest velocity, the marauder passed into a canyon with troopers seated on speeder bikes that topped your vehicle's speeds trailing closely behind you. That didn't matter, though, because as soon as your eyes landed on the seat in the back of the vehicle and the screen attached to it, an idea formulated within your mind.

A smirk curled your lips when you seated yourself down, eyes concentrating on the screen that portrayed where the gun above you was directed towards. Your digits grasped the handlebars, shifting them around—which simultaneously moved the chair and the screen altogether. Precisely three troopers advanced towards the marauder, and you hadn't wasted any time to gun one down, watching as its silhouette disappeared from your screen, leaving a pair of them to deal with. Aiming and shooting with this technology was actually remarkably simple, although it was too bad it would go to waste with these troopers... who can't aim for the life of them.

The couple of stormtroopers remaining had split to either side of the marauder, shifting near to the vehicle in order to get into your blindspot. That, unfortunately, had worked—but Cara had successfully shoved one of them against the canyon wall, crushing that one straight away. The other one, though, seemed to dislike the idea of suffering his partner's exact fate—so instead, it seemed he decided to take a ride on the marauder as well. An alert resonated through the vehicle, indicating the soldier was near the blaster... but you didn't see him anywhere. Finally, you had the idea of completely turning the gun around—finding the trooper on verge of dropping a bomb into the marauder. Your fingers pulled the trigger without hesitation whatsoever, and an eruption vibrated the vehicle.

For a second, you believed that was all they had... Until the piercing sound of TIE-fighters filled your ears from a distance. Soon enough, the multiple fighters came into view. Without wasting a second, they fired—and this was when you realized that you were screwed. Further away, you caught sight of the Imperial base blowing up—but that was disregarded by you at the moment because there was no way you could shoot these fighters down from here. They clearly held the advantage, considering they could easily maneuver their ways out of your bullets' paths.

An individual TIE-fighter decides to near in on you, once again sounding an alarm. This one in particular was actually close to shooting you down, earning Cara's attention. "What is going on back there?!"

"This isn't as easy as it looks, Cara!"

The rest of the vessels approach much too quickly for your comfort, so you have no other choice than to fire at the nearest one— Bad idea. Very bad idea. You only had several seconds to evade the TIE-fighter that collided with the vehicle. Sending yourself roughly plummeting down to the floor, you feel the coercion of the fighter smashing into the marauder. A groan escaped your lips as you force yourself upright again, glancing back towards the entirely destroyed blaster. Great, now your only source of defense is nonexistent.

Focusing ahead instead, you found you were leaving the canyon and entering open space instead... which happened to be plenty more difficult to steer away from your attackers. Thankfully, though, they had stopped... All of a sudden. It was strange. What was even stranger was that they had sped up, passing you guys, and—

One TIE-fighter shot down...

Then the Razor Crest came into view.

"Yes!!" you exclaimed, exhilarated and relieved altogether.

Din would deal with them, no doubt. Cara rushed the marauder towards the outskirts of the town, allowing everyone to hop off and observe Din's piloting skills from afar. You knew he was a decent pilot, but that was when you were onboard the Crest... watching him from here was something different. The amount of tricks and twists throughout the air made you wonder how you could even handle being in that ship while Din was dogfighting. You smirked. It was... impressive, though.

Your smirk, though, seemed to capture Cara's attention. "I thought you hated him."

"I do."

"Then what's that look?"

You frowned, all evidence of your previous expression disappearing. "What look?"

She chuckled at that. Whilst Din returned to the ground and landed the Razor Crest, you bid your final goodbyes to your team. They had proven to be a trustworthy team today—as they always did—and you were pleased that Nevarro could now enjoy its peace away from the Empire. Afterwards, you boarded the Crest and headed straight up the ladder into the cockpit, meeting with the Child and Din.

"Aww, kid... what happened?"

Your eyes immediately landed on the blue liquid that stained his robes. He glanced up to you, wide-eyed, and you couldn't help the gentle grin that curled your lips as you picked him up.

"He... had a little accident," Din replied from the pilot's seat.

The silver packet that the kid grasped with his claws had caught your attention, taking note of the cookies that were the exact color as the vomit the marked his clothes. "Did you buy him this, Din?"

"No. I think they gave it to him at school."

"Well, obviously you ate too many, kid." You frowned. "Now we're gonna have to change your little robes."

Once the Razor Crest had been set on autopilot, Din stood from his seat and approached the two of you. His chest heaved up and down, indicating he was still slightly out-of-breath—but that didn't surprise you since he had hastened all the way back to the town in order to secure the Child and save your team from the TIE-fighters. "Are you okay?" you asked. "I know it's been a chaotic couple of days."

"Yeah..." he breathed out. "I'm okay."

"Well... we're gonna have to find Ahsoka before Gideon catches up."

He paused for a moment. His gaze trailed away from your face... from a non-specific point in the distance, shifting to the Child who cooed softly, then returning his visor back up to you. He was contemplative about something.

"What are you thinking about?"

That had urged him to release his thoughts. "Why don't we just stop this and run away?"

The question had... surprised you, especially with it coming from him. Because he knew the risks that doing so would involve. Traveling someplace completely unknown, without recognizing a single person or planet. That could lead you into unwanted trouble, and not to mention if the ship broke down again then there truly was nobody else you could confide in for decent repairs. You could think of several hundred reasons why this was not a good idea, but...

You wanted it.

"I really wish we could..."

"We could," he continued. "I've thought about it—"

"You haven't thought about it enough, Din. Where are we gonna go?"

"Anywhere. It doesn't matter as long as we're far from the Empire. I just need you two, and... we'll be fine."

"Yeah, but if we go someplace neither of us recognize then we don't know what kind of trouble we could get into—"

"Then we'll be careful which planet we land on."

"—and you'll be breaking your Creed! You wouldn't finish your quest. Why would you do that?"

"If I break my Creed, then... then it wouldn't matter anymore, would it?"

"What..?"

"I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. I could take my helmet off... in front of both of you. We could leave everything else behind and escape while we can."

"Din—" You paused, sighed. Biting your lip as you quickly thought over the idea, you struggled to form a decision because his plan was really appealing to you. It didn't mean it would be correct, though... "Do you actually want that? I mean... are you sure you won't regret it in the future?"

"I'm sure, Cyar'ika..." He continued, modulated voice gentle as he spoke you. "Of course I am."

And you wished you could hear that voice without the distortion. Without the helmet that blocked you from perceiving his expressions. Without fearing you'd interfere with everything he's ever believed in since he was a kid... but you'd hate to be the one to break his Creed.

You had to force yourself to shake your head. "We can't, Din... You know that."

A defeated breath left his mouth as he realized it couldn't happen. It probably never would, and there wasn't much either of you could actually do about it. "I know."

"I want to..."

"Me too."

You could hear the desire in his tone, but it wasn't possible.

For now.

Perhaps... circumstances could change in the future. That's what you hoped for, at least.

"Let's find the Jedi, then." Din added, "And... try not to think about Gideon."

The mere idea of Moff Gideon still living discouraged you, and you were certain the news frustrated Din as well. But the fear of the Imperial catching up to you guys couldn't stop you, because your partner had a quest to complete and you needed to locate someone who could help you. While giving in and escaping to the furthest outskirts of the galaxy with Din and the kid seemed simple enough, there were other factors kept in mind that could ruin that plan, and even then Gideon would eventually catch up. Not only that but Din would be breaking his Creed—everything he was taught since he was a kid.

Why don't we just stop this and run away? It sounded so easy. He wanted it and you did, too—he knew that. But was it really as simple as saying it?

No. Unfortunately, it was not.

"I guess we'll head to Corvus, then?" you asked him. He was quiet as he nodded—and while he was quiet most of the time, you knew this time was for a reason.

He was worried and he couldn't bear the fact of facing Gideon again.

Neither could you.

As he silently took his seat in the pilot's chair to set the appropriate coordinates, you followed behind him with the Child still letting out random prattles in your one arm. Your palm found its way to Din's pauldron, thumb gently tracing the Mudhorn signet that embellished his armor—and you would've given his shoulder a reassuring squeeze if it weren't for the beskar in the way. Nevertheless, you continued, "We'll be okay."

There was a silence.

Because nobody could guarantee that.

You heard him sigh, almost inaudibly. His visor didn't move from the point he was focused on in the distance, but you felt his gloved hand graze your own for a second... and you allowed him to take your palm from his shoulder. "I can't let anything happen to the kid... or you."

Your grips strengthened each other's holds. You found yourself, once again, wanting to assure him that it would be okay.

But, once again, nobody could guarantee that. Not you. Not Din.

note;

HEYYYY

i know i've been gone for a while 💀 and I'M SORRY!! i went on hiatus bc i needed to sort a few things out in my life, but i came back eventually 😌 AND i wanted to surprise you guys on may the 4th! i've been working on this chapter for a while now, and i happened to say may 4th coming up, so... why not? 👀

ALSO DID YOU GUYS SEE THE OWK OFFICIAL TRAILER BC I DNDMDMDNDIDLXLXLSLSKSDNDNFM

but anyway thank you guys for being so patient with me, and for still being interested in narudar after all this time. i know this story seems to be going on for forever but we're actually nearing the end (of s2 at least) and i'm kinda scared 🥲 but it'll be fun...

i'm not kidding, it'll be fun 🤩

WELL i'll be attempting to come back to regular updates now so i'll see you guys next chapter!! ❤️

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