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In a Crowd of Thousands: Prologue

Din Djarin/Mando X Fem!OC ; Star Wars/The Mandalorian Universe

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3.5K words

Warnings: Star Wars Canon spoilers/events

Note: Chapter image created by @followwhereshegoes & co-written with @ronnieiswriting

The swelling sound of the gathering crowds seeped through windows and doorways; the people of Alderaan were alive with anticipation to celebrate their beloved monarchs. It was a welcoming noise -- at least to someone accustomed to it -- The young princess, Aurelia, was not as visibly emboldened by the noise as her parents were.

“Ready, Love?” The Queen asked the girl while kneeling next to her to fix the hairpiece that had started to droop to one side.

“Leia loves the parade…” Aurelia mumbled to her feet, “Can’t we wait until she’s back?”

Queen Breha sighed. It was no secret to how much Aurelia loved her older sister nor how much she missed her -- Though Leia was not the Organa’s biological daughter, they loved her all the same. They adopted the child after they believed Breha’s body could not handle giving birth to a child of her own. Breha’s husband did not speak much about the circumstances of how he acquired the baby, but it did not matter to them. The child was loved. And several years later, a little miracle in the embodiment of the young princess Aurelia was brought into the world -- Aurelia’s hair had been styled in the twin buns that Leia wore often and around her neck hung the older sister’s gold necklace, a wordless promise that she would be back soon. But it was not enough to satisfy little Aurelia, nor the sizable hole that Leia’s absence had left in all of the Organas’ hearts. The eldest daughter was away on a diplomatic mission, with tension growing in the galaxy, the Organas did all they could to foster peace and make sure things found their way to the rightful hands.

With the hairpin back in place, Breha turned her attention to the necklace. It was an odd pendant in an abstract shape with carvings that Breha could never truly make sense of; but it was special, and that was enough to make it beautiful. “If we waited I think that would disappoint Leia more.” At that, Aurelia’s eyes shot up in confusion. The queen continued, “She loves the parades because the people love them.” Then her mother smiled, “Why don't we have another when Leia comes back from her mission?”

Her mood lifted slightly, Aurelia nodded. She still doubted her ability to enjoy the parade without her sister but she wanted to prove that she could be mature. The frown didn’t remain on her face for too long as she was scooped up into the air from behind by her father, Bail.

Any other time, he would have hefted her up onto his shoulders or swung her around in the air, but the king, more commonly referred to as Senator Organa, had his official parade robes on and they were quick to wrinkle.

“Ready, my dearest Aurelia?” He smiled, already carrying her in the direction of the parade with Breha at his side. Her smile felt a little more true this time.

The Royal float wasn’t as festive as some of the others in the parade, it was beautiful though, covered in blue, while and yellow flowers and on it stood three thrones for the family. Senator Bail led the way onto the float platform, Aurelia still in his arms, and took his spot in the middle seat once he’d placed his child on her own to the left.

Once they were all seated, and Bail had given the order, the parade began with an explosion of grand music that stirred the crowds once again. The royal float led the line and was set to leave the Alderaan castle and make a loop around the city. The energy in the air was palpable and it rose like smoke with the cheers of the spectators. There were dancers too and performers that moved freely around the floats and interacted with the people -- for a place known for being blue and white from terrain to citizen, it was undeniably alive with all the colours of life and joy.

And yet, not ten minutes into being at the centre of it all, Aurelia was growing restless. Her arm was tired from waving and she was even more aware of the impact of her sister’s absence. Something about having Leia beside her gave Aurelia a sense of peace. They balanced one another. Still, the young princess was determined to uphold appearances and kept her back straight with a smile on her face. Aurelia found it hard to focus on the sounds of the crowds or the tune of the music, her unfocused gaze shifting from the dancers to her father beside her, then to the buildings around and back to the masses, but was caught by a flash of red.

Stark against a sea of blues and white it was impossible to lose as it flickered through the crowd of thousands, weaving in and out. It didn’t take long for Aurelia to realize that the red flash was actually a small boy clad in red with a matching scarf that whipped out behind him like the tail of a comet; and then she noticed he was running.

The boy in red dodged the Alderaanians, ducking between their legs and slipping around them with a fluid confidence. Behind him, chasing him, were two troopers that navigated the thick crowd with much less ease. Aurelia was captivated by the scene that would be easily missed had the boy not worn red, her eyes eagerly following the action. At one point, the two locked eyes. Even if it was only for a moment, Aurelia felt breathless. However, the boy was moving faster than the float and she lost sight of him altogether when he turned into an alleyway. The troopers continued past on the main street, none the wiser.

Aurelia fell back into her chair when she realized that the small flash of action was over, and had drawn her forwards. She resisted the instinct to frown with disappointment. The parade continued and would for some time longer so she gathered her will to endure it, counting the strips of confetti in the air as a way to occupy her mind.

Suddenly, the clones flanking the royal float stopped in synchronisation along with every single float in the parade. Aurelia saw her father’s head snap to the side to look at her mother.

“Why have we stopped?” Whispered Breha to her husband, turning to look at her daughter, her hand moving to cover her husband’s. Bail stood up, grabbing his daughter’s arm and pulling her up from her chair and pushing her behind him. Aurelia hid behind her father’s leg and under his cape, curious and wary eyes looking around everywhere as the crowd quieted down. Murmurs were heard as the Organas stood in place, eyes searching for the captain of the royal guard.

“What is going on?” Bail asked the clone commander, to which the man in white armor kept quiet. Aurelia felt her mother holding her while her father kept both of them behind him, mother and daughter starting to tremble.

“I asked you a question, General.” Bail said in a firmer voice, dark eyes fixed on the clone. The general kept quiet, his back to the Royal Family. The man snapped his fist in the air, making the king and the people of Alderaan quiet at once.

The whole squad of troopers turned around, the ones on the sides turned to the crowds while the ones in the middle line turned to the Organas, all of them pointing their blasters at the people surrounding them. Gasps were heard, no one daring to move in fear of setting the troopers’ trigger into action.

The general walked through the troopers, slowly making his way towards the float where the Organa family were huddled together. His steps were quiet as a good soldier’s must be, yet Bail could hear every single rock shift under the general’s boot as stalked towards them. The crowd gasped when he lifted his blaster and pointed it at the Organas.

“What is the meaning of this?” Bail whispered loudly, pushing Aurelia farther behind him. She could feel how much her body was trembling and she couldn’t take her dark eyes off of the general in front of her, his helmet with orange stripes, chest plates and gloves on an otherwise white armor; silently pleading him to not hurt her family.

“I’m sorry, Your Highnesses,” He said with a nod, as if mocking them, his voice sounding robotic through the modulator in the helmet, “but the Empire no longer requires your services.” Shots rang through the air around them. The troopers were firing on the crowd. Breha screamed and hunched over Aurelia’s back. The princess cowered into her father’s leg, when she felt someone pull on her arm. She screamed and struggled to get the hand off of her, tears forming in her closed eyes and running down her cheeks.

“Come with me!” A modulated voice said as Aurelia opened her eyes to see a trooper holding her and signaling for them to follow him, another trooper with his blaster smoking and pointing at the now fallen general. Bail took Aurelia’s hand in his and pulled her down with him and his wife, the family getting off the float as the troopers started shooting at the crowds, chaos erupting. The family followed the two rogue troopers as shots were now directed at them.

“Come on, we have to move quickly. We’ll get you to safety, Senator!”

Aurelia’s hand was clasped tightly in her father’s as they ran behind the troopers, people running and screaming around them as the Empire’s pawns chased them through the streets. Shots and cries of anguish were heard all around, Aurelia trying to run as fast as her little legs and the weight of her dress allowed her to.

The world seemed to stop when the ground began to shake. Buildings trembled, people fell to their knees, and the bright blue sky slowly started to turn a dark red like a stain seeping onto cloth. Aurelia looked up and saw with wide eyes as a ball of light expanded in the sky, darkening her beloved planet’s atmosphere. The world around her became dark. Everything was slowly covered in red.

“Maker help us…” Breha whispered under her breath, hand rising to cover her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks.

“We don’t have much time,” the trooper said, signaling for the Organas to follow him. “Move!”

They continued running through the streets, when they ran through the crowds to try and lose the troopers following them. As Bail rushed through the people with Aurelia’s hand in his, pulling her behind him, she tripped and fell to the ground, her hand slipped out of the protection of her father’s. When she finally managed to stand up and look around, her parents were nowhere to be seen. Aurelia couldn’t hear their voices among the shrieks and screams of the crowd.

“Papa!” She cried. “Mama!”

Locks of hair fell out of the buns it was styled into, Aurelia’s face flushed in contrast to her blue dress. Fear held her captive as she helplessly sobbed and cried out for her parents. The shouts of the people eventually were drowned out by the blood pumping in her ears as she looked around desperately for someone, anyone who could help her.

“Hey!” She heard a voice say, making her turn around startled, hoping to not see the troopers chasing her. To her surprise, she saw the same boy in red that looked at her during the parade running right at her. To Aurelia, it seemed as if he was moving in slow motion making his way through the crowd and past blaster shots.

“Come with me! I know where to go!” The boy shouted when he reached her.

He gripped her hand tightly as they wound their way through the mob. Panic descended on all of Alderaan as the two children scrambled to find their way to the nearest ship launch. Mass evacuations were happening simultaneously across the city, and planet. The pair ran towards the nearest one, the boy careful to duck into alleyways and dark corners to avoid being spotted by the troopers.

Aurelia couldn’t help but cry. Her parents were nowhere to be seen. The bodies of the guards who swore to protect Alderaan with their lives lay motionless on the ground everywhere she looked. Her entire body trembled so much so the boy looked back and saw her grief stricken face. Aurelia had never witnessed anything like this before, and it was clear that the boy understood this.

“What’s your name?” He asked suddenly.

Aurelia’s voice broke as she could barely manage her reply of, “Wh-what?”

“Tell me your name.” He gently squeezed her hand, the same one he’d yet to let go of.

“Aurelia.” Was all she could squeak out.

“My name is Din.” He kept fierce eye contact. His eyes were brown. A warm, and deep brown. His face was soft with round cheeks. He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Aurelia, but he managed to stay as calm as a trained soldier, “I’m going to get you out of here. You will be safe.”

There was not an ounce of doubt in his voice. She believed his words.

Once the coast was clear they managed to find a spaceship. Dozens of people scrambled up the ramp which allowed the children to sneak on board undetected. The boy named Din led Aurelia to a quieter corner of the ship where there were lots of boxes and small pod doors lining the walls. The two stayed huddled together, when Aurelia heard a familiar voice.

“We have to go back and find her. I’m not leaving without Aurelia.”

“Papa!” The young princess yelled out.

Din immediately hushed her. He forced the two of them to crouch down even further into the shadows of the crates. “I’ll go and see if it’s safe. Stay here. Do not move until I come back.”

Aurelia nodded meekly before Din made his way between more boxes and crates, then out of her sight. Any more noises she heard were muffled and far away. She strained to hear her parents' voices. Panic settled in further as the ship’s engines roared to life. The massive shift in gravity pushed Aurelia into the floor as the ship made it ascent into the atmosphere. Thunderous noises mixed with the sounds of the engines. Something was happening back on the ground, but there were no windows for Aurelia to look and see what it was. Whimpers and cries from the other passengers echoed through the packed ship. People began slowly coming into the area Aurelia was hiding. Their faces were covered in soot, some with blood, and nearly everyone was crying.

A hand suddenly placing itself on Aurelia’s shoulder causing her to yelp. When she turned back it was Din. A breath of relief escaped the princess’ lips.

“I found your parents, I’m going to take you to them.” Din’s voice was low, trying not to alert any of the new refugees of her whereabouts. He took Aurelia’s hand once more, and a sense of hope washed through the young princess. As they began to move, Aurelia’s hair began to fall entirely out of its once neat style. Her hairpin clattered to the floor. Din swiftly picked it up to avoid drawing further attention to either one of them and quickly wrapped his red scarf around her head.

They walked calmly and quietly passed a wall of pods. Din never wavered in his hold of Aurelia’s hand. The children reached a corner when they heard yelling. Then a series of blaster shots. They could see shadows being cast on the floor from beyond the corner. Din had them duck down low towards the wall.

“This is madness. The Empire will destroy the galaxy!” It was Senator Organa’s voice.

Aurelia tried to surge forward, but Din held her back shaking his head. He silently brought a finger to his lips, urging her to keep quiet.

An unknown voice spoke as hazy shadows moved across the floor. All Aurelia could do was watch and listen in silence. “The Empire will return balance and order to the galaxy. You, Senator, are standing in our way.”

A single blaster shot illuminated the corridor. Someone fell. A hand dropped across the floor and Aurelia’s heart sank. She recognized the sleeve’s cuff and the metal bands adorning the wrist.

“Papa.” She whispered. Tears welling in her eyes as her heart seized.

A woman’s scream cut through the air like a siren. Aurelia knew it was her mother as she helplessly listened to her heartbroken cries and wails. The voice from beyond the corner dryly called for someone to shut her up. Another blaster shot rang out and the sound of a limp body hitting the ground was all the children could hear. Aurelia had a death grip on Din’s hand. Both children wore looks of horror on their faces. They knelt there frozen. Unsure of what to do when they heard, “Make sure the little brat is dead too. If she makes it off-planet there will be hell to pay.”

Din suddenly surged and pulled Aurelia with him. He led her to a pod in the farthest corner of the ship and pressed random buttons until the hermetically sealed door opened with a hiss. The limited amount of supplies reflected reality: there was only room for one.

“Get in.” Din whispered hoarsely.

Aurelia looked at him. The fear and pain trickled from her eyes. The king and queen were dead. Her mother and father were dead. They died only a few feet away from her. The sounds of their bodies hitting the floor, her mother’s screams echoed in her mind like phantoms. The blaster shots seemed to reverberate even louder in her head. How she was able to speak, Aurelia didn’t know, but she managed to say, “Please don’t leave me.”

There was a ruckus behind them in the cargo area where they first hid. Whoever was looking for her was making their way through the ship, getting closer and closer.

When Aurelia looked into Din’s eyes again, she saw a similar fear reflected back at her. All Din could do was gently guide her to sit back in the seat of the small pod. Neither broke eye contact or let go of one another’s hand. Din knelt before her, something Aurelia was accustomed to being a princess… well… a former princess now. Alderaan was gone. She knew it and so did Din.

Aurelia began to cry again, her eyes stung and her throat felt raw as the gravity of the situation settled in.

Witnessing the poor girl coming undone, Din’s next words were quiet, “I promised you that I would keep you safe,” He gently swept his thumb across her knuckles with the one hand, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear with the other, “But I promise I won’t leave you.”

There it was again. The sincerity.

“No matter what happens,” He drew closer, gently grasping both of her hands as he touched their foreheads together, “I will find you.”

Something changed. His words seemed to absorb any ounce of fear in Aurelia’s body. No one in the entire galaxy could comfort her the way this strange boy could in that very moment. Her heart slowed. Her jaw unclenched and she leaned into the gesture. She squeezed his hands back as her eyes fell shut. Reality was suspended for those moments the two sat there together. Aurelia’s hair fell to frame their faces, like a curtain designed to further block out the outside world. It was as if they were their own little solar system. A perfect balance of push and pull, content to float together.

Aurelia let out a shaky breath, “How will you find me?”

Din slowly began to pull away. He stood up as best he could in the cramped space. A compassionate smile spread across his lips. “You don’t have to be told where to look for stars. You just know.” The yelling and commotion grew far too loud of them to ignore. A single tear fell down the side of Aurelia’s face as Din stepped out of the pod. “I will find you… you’re a star too bright to miss.”

With that, Din pressed a button to seal the door. Aurelia was startled by the silence. She didn’t realize how loud and chaotic everything had been. The sudden lack of anything nearly drove her mad. She could still see Din’s face through the small window. Then came the sounds of the space locks releasing.

What exactly happened next she wasn’t sure of. The force of the pod ejecting from the craft was enough to knock Aurelia’s head onto a metal sheet.

Everything went dark as the stars streaked by and the silence of space witnessed the disappearance of the young princess of Alderaan.