Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Din collapsed against the wall inside of the boarding ramp on the Gauntlet and slid down, straightening his left leg out in front of him. He leaned back and clenched his fist in pain. The injury throbbed. He hoped he’d be able to get some bacta spray soon. Now that the adrenaline wore off, he realized just how bad the injury was. There’s no way it was only a sprain. Maybe - no, definitely - he pushed himself too hard with Moff Gideon and the soldiers in red. He protected Grogu and Bo, and he did not regret it, but he paid for that now.

Grogu made a sad noise and blinked up at him sleepily. He’d been fading in and out of sleep since he created the force field that protected the three to shield them from the light-cruiser explosion. He must have felt Din’s distress and woke up. Din unclenched his fist to pat his head, “I’m okay, Grogu.” He could tell his voice sounded strained, and he noticed Bo turned to look at him in concern.

The child hugged him and attempted to keep his eyes open. The times between blinks increased before he fell asleep again. Din continued to gently stroke the green head.

Bo crouched next to him and asked, “Can I bring you anything?”

“Not unless there’s any bacta spray on board, but I doubt even that would help. It’s an internal injury, so I think I’m going to need to submerge my leg or go into a bacta tank.”

“I can go see about it anyway.”

As she walked away, he heard her greet someone within earshot. “Oh good, you’re still with us! Thanks for the backup.”

Axe’s voice responded, “For Mandalore, anytime.”

Thanks for the backup. The same phrase echoed in his mind from their brief time on Kalevala prior to the TIE Interceptors destroying the Mandalorian castle. That explained how the Imperial fighters had found them so quickly – they simply followed them when they took off near Sundari in the Gauntlet. Not just any scugged off Imperial warlord’s ships. They were Moff Gideon’s! That explained a lot.

Din closed his eyes and tried to relax. “How did you survive the blast?” Axe spoke nearby.

The other not warranting his attention, Din didn’t move as he responded, “Grogu saved us. I… did not expect to walk away from that.”

“Well, I wanted to thank you and your foundling for saving her life.”

Din’s eyes popped open, and he looked directly at Axe. The other did not hold any hostility in his voice, and he looked genuinely thankful. Din gave him a nod, measuring the other’s intentions. He figured that as long as Axe did not harbor any resentment or animosity towards him, then he would be open to having a cautious but civil alliance with Bo’s friend.

Axe didn’t know where to look after Din acknowledged his gratitude, and he nodded awkwardly as he also sat down against the boarding ramp. The silence stretched until they heard footsteps. Din heard the other man exhale, as if in relief.

Bo appeared, seemingly empty-handed. “No bacta, but I have several painkillers. Will that do?”

Din gratefully accepted the pills, and after making sure that she took some for herself, angled his face away from the two to ingest them. He noticed Bo looked away prior to him doing so, and once again, he appreciated her embracing his beliefs.

After fixing his helmet, he returned to his position to find that Bo sat herself between them. She exhaled loudly. “Never did I imagine this. I wonder if Moff Gideon is the reason why everyone said the planet was poisoned. That would have kept people away and kept us from finding out his plans with the planet.” Din mentioned his own realization from earlier. “You’re right! Now I’m even more glad I went when Grogu showed up.”

“Where did you go?” asked Axe.

“Din got into some trouble with a cyborg scavenger on Mandalore, and Grogu came to me for help. Right before the covert took me in.”

Axe looked surprised. “They didn’t join you; you joined them?”

“They are good people, and I kind of didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“You actually followed their ancient beliefs? But why?” he asked incredulously.

“Adhering to the beliefs wasn’t difficult. In fact, they’re fairly similar to ours. I earned their respect in the time I lived with the Watch. Plus, it… it felt nice to belong somewhere.” This she said quietly, and Axe at least had the decency to look guilty for abandoning her. Glancing at her, Din saw the stoic visage slip. He wanted to put a comforting hand over hers, but he finally got Axe to treat him normally, so he planned to tread lightly.

After a pause, she turned to Din and added. “I’ve only told this to the Armourer, but I saw something when I pulled you out of the Living Waters.”

Din turned his full attention to her and waited for her to continue.

“Part of the reason why I came with you to the covert was because I saw– I saw a mythosaur in the depths.”

Unconvinced, he shook his head, “But they’re extinct.”

“This one wasn’t. It looked right at me and blinked. It was massive.” Din didn’t know what to say. Her silence was unusual on the way to Kalevala, and the mythosaur probably prompted her response of “This is the Way” while on the Gauntlet. She looked lost in thought. “Knowing that it is real, it bothered me. I began to question everything I knew. That legend came true. What else did we miss? That’s why the Armourer said–”

“–that the next age was upon us!” Din interrupted breathlessly. He proceeded to quote the Armourer’s words from years ago, “The songs of eons past foretold of the Mythosaur rising up to herald a new age of Mandalore.” He got excited.

He had also fallen right past the mythosaur and didn’t even realize. While he would have liked to see it, he was a bit thankful he didn’t have the same honor. Having kept this to herself must have been hard on Bo. And just another reason why she felt disconnected from everyone else.

Axe looked from one to the other, processing. He finally spoke, “But then… that would mean you are the rightful ruler of Mandalore, especially with the Darksaber.”

Bo confessed Gideon destroyed the Darksaber and showed the remains to Axe. “The Nite Owls acknowledged me as its wielder, and I did not lose in the battle against him, so it is still rightfully mine. However, historically, our society has a tendency to ignore all logic where the Darksaber is concerned. The people believe that this weapon influences all, and I’ve seen our society give up on their morals when it was in the hands of someone who had no claim to it because they never spoke the Creed. A part of me is glad it was destroyed… but since no one can vouch for the mythosaur existing, I can technically no longer claim a right to the throne.”

“I’m not jumping down there again. I almost drowned. Once was enough.” Din hoped she could tell he was joking.

Her lips twitched. She knew. “I wasn’t expecting you to. It just feels nice to tell someone.” Happy she held him in high regard enough to share, he smiled under his helmet.

“Well, you still have my endorsement, and I will back you up in good time.” He promised to serve her until her Song was written, and he planned to honor his word.

Axe reassured her as well, and Bo thanked the two men sitting on either side of her, sounding relieved.

The transport ship shuddered and came to a landing. The Armourer found the three sitting together and announced, “We have arrived to Nevarro. We need to offload the wounded and get you to Mandalore, Lady Kryze. There is much we need to discuss.”

Din handed Grogu to Bo and made a half-hearted attempt to get up, but he was no longer able to put his weight on the injured foot. “I suppose I can fly over to wherever we’re going.”

The Armourer’s posture was disapproving. “Nonsense. You, what is your name again?”

“Axe Woves.”

“Help me with him. I have already let the High Magistrate know to be ready for the wounded. I can show you where to go, and you can help with the others.” Axe followed the orders given to him.

According to her, because Mandalore did not currently have a med-center set up, they would use the lodging and accommodations on Nevarro for now.

Now weary, the Mandalorians were manually sweeping for other life-forms in the surrounding area of the devastated Imperial base and hunting down any soldiers that might have escaped. Once they were sure the neighboring areas were safe, they would have a group settle down and send out smaller scouting groups to be confident that the rest of the planet was uninhabited by additional pockets of Imperials.

Once they could reliably say that the planet was secure, they would come back for the rest of the Mandalorians on Nevarro, which included the weak survivors, those injured in the battle for Mandalore, and the foundlings.

Grief Karga and his people set up a med-tent close to the Mandalorian settlement with supplies. Not having an inordinate amount of life-threatening injuries to attend to, Din and Bo-Katan were among the first to get assistance, the latter because she had to leave to go to Mandalore. Din’s foot was indeed broken and in pretty bad shape. His running around on it didn’t help, and his healing time would be longer than most, even with generous bacta application.

Bo-Katan’s injury was also non-trivial. After a quick scan, the medic asked her what had caused such a unique injury, generating fractures in several finger joints with none of the fractures lining up. When she described what happened, Axe, who had been helping a new batch of injured inside the tent, spoke up, “Shuk'orok?”

The medic looked inquisitive, and he expanded, “Crushgaunts.” Since that didn’t answer the medic’s question, Axe elaborated further, “They were strength-enhancing gauntlets, but I haven’t heard of any being made in recent years. Wearing these, the grip strength became impossibly strong, and the wearer would be able to do some serious damage.”

Bo-Katan nodded, “That might be it. He crushed my fingers and the hilt of my weapon at the same time.” Where did Moff Gideon get a crushgaunt?

A Nite Owl appeared, ushering Bo-Katan and Axe to depart.

The medic spoke quickly, “I know you need to head out. We will give you a container of the bacta mixture. You will need to keep your hand submerged for several days. If you must, you can take it out, but I don’t recommend doing so for an extended period of time as this can hinder the healing process. I estimate about four to six days for you to be fully recovered. Once you no longer feel any pain, I advise you to leave the hand in the mixture for at least another half day.”

Bo-Katan acknowledged the instructions, took the container of bacta, and was escorted out before she had a chance to say goodbye to Din and Grogu. She searched for them on her way out, but the two were not around. She wished them a speedy recovery and hoped they would join her soon.

She was diligent with the bacta application, and her recovery was speedy. She’d never been a huge fan of bacta, though she didn’t mind the aerosolized version. The syrupy substance was usually applied warm, which was unappealing. But after a day, mixture cooled off and became goopy and cold, which was just downright unpleasant. Dreading the feeling of her submerged hand in the mixture, but hoping for a quick recovery, she stuck to it.

Undeviating from the instructions given to her by the medic, she recovered within a little over four days. Within that time, she attended a multitude of meetings, discussions, and - unfortunately - arguments about where to focus their initial efforts. She set up a council to help guide her choices, so they could be productive in the interim. She made numerous decisions and met with countless people, but the absence of two specific individuals weighed on her.

A few tasks that they did accomplish included getting some housing set up; locating sources of necessary essentials like water, food, and other supplies; and identifying a source of beskar ore near enough to the Great Forge. They chose to settle in the dilapidated ruins of Sundari, the domed capital City of the previous New Mandalorian society. The old capital city of Keldabe was deemed to be too structurally unsound due to so many of its structures rising taller, taking more damage during the Night of a Thousand Tears, and being overall much older. To not live out of the transport ships, they cleared out some apartments in a few buildings in Sundari that were still intact and in decent shape to hold members of both tribes. The city of Sundari also provided most of their other needs. There were water wells and a major beskar ore mine underneath the city. Sundari was located in one of the desert regions of the planet, so in the meantime, any food would have to be imported from nearby planets and moons, like Concordia, which were rich in agricultural resources.

The apartments weren’t anything special. Just several floors of one or two-bedroom spaces that allowed the Mandalorians some privacy and to take care of basic hygiene. For most, having the space was an opportunity to shed the armor, and for the Children of the Watch, this was also a chance to take off the helmet without being called an apostate.

After just a few days of establishing plans and enacting them, Bo-Katan felt like her brain was running a hundred kilometers a minute. She succumbed to decision fatigue and would find herself ducking out early on some days. For nostalgia’s sake, one of the Nite Owls set up a mini-cantina amongst the ruins. The stock often ran short, but food runs could provide a meager replenishment to its stores. Bo-Katan took to stopping by in the evenings to imbibe in some cheap spotchka brought over from a nearby system.

Bo-Katan recognized how good she had it before, when she ruled as regent of New Mandalore. There was a system in place, and even though she didn’t agree with it and it didn’t always work, their society functioned. But she wished to change the broken system. Now, starting from scratch, every day that she delayed meant their society would be at a standstill.

Two more days passed. Her confidence shattered after an exceptionally grueling day, she wandered to the mini-cantina. Surprised to find Axe there, she joined him and stuck up a conversation. He had a seat on her council and knew some of her worries. He wasn’t Din, and her concerns weren’t assuaged completely, but Axe was a decent listener. That was enough for now. Or at least until she had a chance to talk to Din. The latter gave good advice and was direct with his opinions. She’d rather hear the truth than have someone sugar-coat things for her, especially at this critical time. She and Axe drank and chatted for hours. Eventually, she forgot her troubles as they recalled the peak of Mandalorian culture and got all sentimental about the Nite Owls they used to serve with.

Walking home alone, she wondered when Din and Grogu would arrive. She knew the Armourer was preparing for a ritual ceremony for Paz Vizsla’s son in about a week. Most of the Children of the Watch would be in attendance, so the two must be making an appearance, right?

The next morning, Bo-Katan came across some new faces greeting her, including some of the survivors that they discovered on Mandalore a week ago, looking much healthier. The Mandalorians had apparently shown up the night before on a couple different transports and were housed within the same structure as the original re-settlers.

The captain of the survivors sought her out and expressed his eternal gratitude for saving them. He didn't think many of them would make it, if any at all. To have them survive and now be part of the efforts to rebuild was a great honor. "And it's all thanks to you, Lady Kryze."

At the end of the next day, she thought she heard Grogu. Not locating the little one nearby, she figured his absence from her life for the last week caused her to hear him in her head, even in her waking hours. Heart sore, and missing the two greatly, she went to bed early.

The next morning, upon running into the Armourer, Bo-Katan was surprised to learn that Din arrived with the transport a couple days ago. Why had she not bumped into him yet? It surely must have been Grogu that she heard yesterday! Seeing her taken aback, the Armourer went silent, tilting her head. Also confused, Bo-Katan meandered through her tasks for the day only to discover that she would need to redo half of the items she worked on in her disoriented state. Blast it all!

A squeal of joy came from ahead, and a green blur pounced on her.

“Grogu!”

Her mood instantly lifted. The foundling babbled at her and wiggled his ears, arms, everything really. She was jubilant at the sight of the little creature. She hugged him and felt little hands around her neck. Her heart melted a little. How she missed him! Where was his dad?

And there he was. He came around the corner, tagging along with Axe and Koska, the two Nite Owls he knew from the beginning. He appeared to nod to something as they continued talking. It was a generic nod that you use when the person you’re talking to doesn’t actually need your feedback since they’re going to continue to rattle on. It felt different, not like him. He felt different. His gait appeared normal at least; she was delighted he could walk without issues.

The three approached her, still not detecting her up ahead. Her heart was beaming, but the mind told her something was off. She couldn’t tell anything about his posture nor his emotions. His helmet was obviously not giving anything away either. He was a blank canvas. It made her flustered and not in a good way.

“Look who we ran into!” Koska said upon catching sight of Bo-Katan, gesturing to Din. No head incline, nothing. No acknowledgement that he even saw her. If she didn’t know any better, he was simply staring at her without any reaction at all.

“Hi,” she murmured, almost shyly, far from the confidence she would normally exude. What was happening? “I’m glad you’re looking better and are back on both your feet.” That got a nod in response.

“Are you staying in this building?” Another nod. This felt like a very one-sided conversation.

“When did you get here?”

“Two? No, three days ago. I’ve had to keep administering the bacta to restore the flexibility and regular functions to the foot. I finally made a full recovery.” A real answer at last!

“Ah, that explains why I haven’t seen you around.” Back to the nods. What was going on?

She gave him a hard look and tilted her head, urging him to explain himself. No one said a word.

“Lady Kryze, Grogu and I should go.”

Lady Kryze? She swallowed but maintained an impassive face. The foundling’s ears sagged, but he reached for Din. Careful not to touch her, Din took Grogu out of her arms and gave them all a final nod before walking away. He still wore the commando jet-pack.

Waiting till he was out of earshot, Bo-Katan spoke up, “That was weird to you both, right?”

“Yes. Definitely super weird.”

"Weirder than his usual."

His new behavior troubled her.

The day when Ragnar would take the Creed approached. Just two days left. Din ignored her for the last three, and Bo-Katan hadn’t laid eyes on him since the incredibly awkward encounter with Axe and Koska. Well, she’d sighted him far off in the distance while he helped out with the cleanup project. And she happened to be on the same path as him, walking in the same direction on a different day. She considered calling out to him, but his recent behavior made her pause. Mustering her courage, she yelled his name weakly, but it came out softer than she intended because a small part of her didn’t want to face the stony helmet. It's like it wasn’t him behind there. She didn’t know if Din ignored her, or he might have legitimately not heard the shout. She hung back and didn’t call out again. She spent the next minute feeling so close yet so far away from him.

Oh great, people were asking about her now. Why was she so distracted? Did she sleep okay? Was she eating well? Could they help? Was there anything bothering her? Those were the wrong questions. She wanted to know what the kriff was wrong with him! And what happened to make him act this way.

The last couple of days Grogu visited her, which brightened her mood. The first morning, a scraping sound alarmed Bo-Katan enough to investigate. Grogu used his claws as way of knocking. When she opened the door, he walked inside, looking downhearted. She wagered that his low spirits reflected his dad’s. She let him tag along with her for the day's tasks, and while his expression and eyes were considerably more cheery, his ears never lost their wilted appearance. Not wanting him to leave at the end of the day, she got them both food and watched as he ate. At least food made him forget his troubles. She pushed away her untouched meal and lay her head onto the table, propped up by her arms underneath. Bo-Katan looked forlornly at the child and stroked his large ears. He gave her a quizzical look, momentarily distracted from the stew he tucked into.

“What’s happening with your dad, Grogu?”

“Why is he being like this?”

“Why do I feel like this is my fault?”

“What did I do?”

“I miss him.” With that last sentence, she turned to rest on her forehead on the table with the hair falling around her face. Stars! When did she become so insecure? Especially because of a guy? Snap out of it! she told herself. It’s certainly been a while since she pined after a guy like this. He seemed like a good person. No, he was, and she knew it. Something must have happened. That was the only plausible explanation. She hadn’t done anything to cause this behavior, and he wasn’t like every other cold-hearted mudscuffer. He was a good man, and something occurred while she was away to make him behave in such a manner.

Grogu touched his little clawed hand to her head and patted gently. Oh stars, she wouldn’t cry! She sat up, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She was fine. She’d be fine. Time to go return Grogu to his dad. She brought him back to her room and watched as he walked not ten doors down the hall. He scratched at the door and waited. He scratched again, and the door eventually opened and closed.

Bo-Katan decided that she was going to figure out what was wrong and help.

But not tonight. Tonight, there was a glass at the mini-cantina with her name on it.

Grogu showed up at her door again the next day, but at least she was expecting the soft scraping sounds. He accompanied her to the meetings again and sat quietly. She’d peer at him now and then, checking up on his ears. Still droopy.

Everyone was off today. Axe was inexplicably late to their first meeting, so much so that he missed most of it. He did not acknowledge the truancy. She also overheard the Armourer mentioning that Din Djarin would be leaving Mandalore after the ceremony. At first, Bo-Katan didn’t think she heard it right. But then the Armourer did a double-take upon realizing Bo-Katan was behind her and nodded haltingly in greeting, and her suspicions were confirmed. The Armourer and Paz Vizsla always saw her and Din as one unit since they arrived together to the covert.

He was leaving? But he’d only just arrived!

At the conclusion of the day, she sighed deeply. Another miserable day. Despite the fact that she told herself she wouldn't be upset about it, she couldn’t actually turn off her feelings. Grabbing another quick dinner with the little one, she ate a miserly portion. She was primarily focused on petting Grogu’s wrinkly head. He loved the attention. That, with the food, made him a very happy child.

She dropped him off near Din’s door again, and she backed off as she waited. She planned to talk to him, but as Grogu began to scratch at the door, she left, not ready to face Din. Maybe tomorrow.

Time for another evening at the mini-cantina. Maybe something stronger this time. For courage. Yes, for courage.

Chapter Text

Splotches of blue, purple, and red skin covered his foot. Considering that Din almost passed out upon pulling off his boot, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it looked worse. The medic gave him a look that said, What did you do? He refused to answer unless she asked the question. She took a scan of the foot and schooled her features before checking the results. The only giveaway was her clenched jaw. She finally spoke up, “How long did you continue to use it post-injury?”

Din considered telling her less than the truth, but she probably would have seen through it. He confessed, “A while…”

She nodded, lips pressed in a firm line. “Let’s get you started on the bacta treatment immediately. This will take longer than normal to heal, but you should be able to make a full recovery.”

He nodded and looked for Bo as he was transferred to the treatment area. Did she leave? He thought he would have more time with her. His foundling rested on his stomach, already passed out, lightly snoring. Comforted with the friendly presence nearby, Din settled down on the cot and lowered his leg into the bucket with the bacta mixture. This would be a long few days…

He underestimated how long the days would last. Pretty tired from the fight with Gideon and adrenaline rush finally wearing off, he fell into a light sleep. A couple of hours later, judging by the twilight falling outside, he woke up in worse pain than before. He flagged down a medic and asked if the pain was supposed to get worse. She said it could happen, checked up on his vitals, and did another scan. Nothing odd or unusual. He got a long-lasting painkiller.

The next three days were spent in interminable agony, both physical and emotional, as the pain prevented him from sleeping and all he had to distract himself were his own dark thoughts and insecurities. The painkillers did nothing to eliminate the physical pain, and Grogu stayed asleep. Din debated asking the foundling to heal him when he woke up, but in all the instances Grogu had done so in the past, there was always an external wound. The internal injury was probably beyond his abilities, especially in his weakened state. He resigned himself to several days doing nothing but staring at the ceiling as the bacta did its work.

Greef Karga visited him at one point, and Din requested that the High Magistrate come by to get Grogu when he woke up since the child wouldn’t want to sit still. His friend agreed to pick him up when the little one regained consciousness.

At first, Din was able to keep some of the darkness at bay, but once he started down that particular scurrier hole, his addled mind did the rest. His thoughts drifted to Bo and the last couple of their interactions alone. She dropped his arm before the Gauntlet came into view, as if she didn’t want the two to be seen together. When he approached her after the light-cruiser explosion, she walked away. And the soft moment he thought they’d had? The affection in her eyes might have been a trick of the light. Plus, she was obviously shaken from almost dying. She could have simply been looking for a way to quiet her mind and find solace in his gesture. She’d had a really trying day.

Within a few hours, he’d convinced himself that nothing in their interactions spoke of anything more than a platonic love and that he somehow misinterpreted their close friendship as something more. Which was frankly pitiful because he’d attached his affections to the first person that trusted him and became his partner since their abilities were so well-matched.

A thought struck him. Was he backing her into a corner by attempting to make a move on her? Bo only joined up with the Children of the Watch because he invited her. She already felt like she didn’t belong on either side. If he made things awkward, will that alienate her even more from the Watch?

Attempting to bypass this disheartening topic, his mind jumped to one that was worse. What about Axe? Did he have something with Bo? Is that why he reacted the way he did? He clearly cared about her. Was Din getting in between them when they already had something, or were the two teammates planning to get back together now that they've reconciled?

Even if the answer to all those questions was no, Axe’s words still haunted Din – You’re beneath her. He didn’t deny it because a large part of him agreed. You might think you have a chance to increase your mediocre station in life, but you wouldn’t deserve it. She has plenty of other people to take your place. She doesn’t need you. He didn’t comment on the words during the encounter, but they stuck with him. At first they only floated through his mind, but as the sleepless hours rolled on, he heard Axe repeating them in his head, and he began to believe them. Eventually, he started to hear them in Bo’s voice too.

Bo did have plenty of better choices than him. Din Djarin was a nobody. Not even Mandalore-born. And their beliefs were different, no matter what she said. She only came with him to the covert because she literally had nowhere else to go and Imperials were chasing her. If he didn’t need rescuing, the Imperials wouldn’t have seen the Gauntlet and followed her back to Kalevala. The reason Bo lost her home and ended up stuck with him was his fault. He didn’t blame her for getting close to the only person she knew in the covert that did not openly exhibit disapproval towards her. She only came with him on Moff Gideon’s cruiser for the Darksaber (though he didn’t know it at the time), but he defeated the warlord and unintentionally took the blade for himself. He took that away from her too, and her fleet deserted her as a result. The last couple of years were really hard on Bo.

He was the reason for all her suffering, his mind conceived. She would be better off if I wasn’t anywhere near her, he realized sadly.

A week after arriving at Nevarro, Din Djarin was finally feeling the effects of the bacta, and the throbbing pain was now only a slight ache. When asked why the pain got so intense, the medics responded with, “When the bone begins to heal, it’s common to experience sharp, shooting pains as the bones are reconstructed and fractured pieces rejoin. There’s also some subacute pain due to the disuse of the relevant bones, which may also cause some discomfort.” His level of discomfort was definitely more than some but at least the worst was behind him. The pain had subsided, but his dreams haunted him, and disparaging voices woke him up in the night. The lack of sleep had an impact on his mood, but he was managing.

With a rumble in the air, three Kom'rk Class transport ships landed nearby. The Mandalorian pilots walked around their temporary settlement and med-tents to notify the current residents that they would be shuttling anyone to Mandalore if they wished to attend the taking-of-the-Creed ceremony. Greef Karga approached from the town and located Din. He saw the ships land from his office and figured the Mandalorian might be leaving, so he brought Grogu along.

“I still have a few more days of bacta sessions, but I should go. I’m not sure when they will return again.” He dreaded going back to see Axe and Bo, but Din didn’t trust himself to fly his starship in his sleep-deprived state.

Bidding goodbye to his friend, he limped aboard with a bucket of bacta for his remaining treatments. Grogu trailed behind him up the loading ramp. The foundling must have sensed the inner turmoil in Din upon waking up because he almost refused to leave with Greef Karga. He must have felt it recede since then, but he continued to look at Din with saggy ears. When the other didn’t pay him any attention, Grogu hopped to his lap and patted his chest plate gently. Din knew he wasn’t great company right now in his state of mind, but he returned the gesture, providing some comfort to his kid.

Upon landing at the foot of the ruins of Sundari, the travelers disembarked. This looks familiar. He turned around and looked up. There, in the distance, perched the entrance from the surface where he and Grogu had first laid eyes on the ruins. It felt like ages ago but just like yesterday at the same time.

Pillars of buildings and half-destroyed structures surrounded them. Only one ship could land at a time amongst the towering wreckage. They waited till everyone gathered before Koska Reeves stepped forward to make a couple of announcements.

“To most of you, welcome back! I see some new helmets and faces, and to you I say welcome to Mandalore! I know it looks a little run down right now,” there were some titters. “But we are planning to rebuild it to be even more grand than before. A few housekeeping things: First, the next few months will be tough, so we are asking you to pitch in however you can, whether it’s to help demolish the remains, remove rubble, or by notifying us of any specialized skills that you have. In return, we will provide you with living quarters, food, and other basic comforts in the near future. We understand that if you are spending all your time here helping us rebuild, you aren’t earning an income, so we don’t expect you to contribute monetarily in the upcoming few months. In the meantime, we are working on setting up a working government and society that will benefit us all. That being said, we will never turn down a monetary donation.

“Second, we are also looking for people to fill roles behind the scenes. These may include any past leadership involvement, mining experience, security and perimeter patrol, and food prep. That’s just to name a few. Please come speak to me or anyone else within the provisional government about how you can contribute. I am in room 303 in Building A.

“Third, food and housing. We are serving meals three times a day in the Civic Center, and the times are posted outside of the main entrance. We have allocated several buildings to your right to be common housing since they were generally untouched by the blasts and there are no structures that could threaten the safety of their inhabitants during the demolition. Building A is the one at the end. For most of you, the rooms were assigned based on the tribe, but a few who had previously worked with units made up of both clans were given rooms on mixed floors.” At least this meant that Bo didn’t feel isolated from either tribe.

Koska gave the rescued Mandalorian survivors a room on the first floor of Building A and assigned the rest to the lower floors in Building B. Din and Grogu got a room near Koska. Before continuing, she announced, “We are working to fix this in the near future, but the doors don’t currently lock. We had to break into the residences to make sure they had a livable space for each of you, but you should be able to close them and enable the chain lock once inside. This especially helps out some of our Children of the Watch friends,” she pointed to the pair, “who can only take off their helmets in private. We advise knocking and waiting for the occupants to open the doors before heading inside. If there’s anything you need for your new home, ask and we will see what we can do.

“And finally, getting around. As you’ve probably noticed, we cleared these couple of blocks, so this is where most of the livable area is. The housing is on your right, the food hall is the Civic Center directly behind me, and if you are looking for our provisional government meeting space, that is in the academy building behind the Civic Center. If you are planning to venture deeper into the ruins, stay alert since the original bombings and current demolition efforts might have loosened the construction and could cause it to crumble. Take care walking underneath overhangs as well. Otherwise, take some time, settle down, and we look forward to starting anew with you all!”

She pointed them in the direction of the relevant buildings and finished up. Din nodded at her in thanks and slowly made his way over to his new home.

He was limping up the stairs when Koska appeared by his side. “Do you need help?” He gladly accepted, and they made their way up to the 3rd floor.

“How much longer do you have before you’re completely healed?”

“Another couple of days at most. I can’t wait to be done.”

“I’m actually just a few doors down from you, so if you ever need help just shout.”

Din thanked her for the help as she dropped him off in front of his door.

The bounty hunter hadn’t seen too many hinged doors in his lifetime, but one served as the entrance to his living space. The unit was a one-bedroom with a small kitchenette off the living room. A small couch stood in the middle of the space, and the rest of the furniture was arranged on the peripherals of the room. A sonic shower and, surprisingly, a sonic washer were included in the adjoining refresher. Din decided to use the couch for the remainder of the bacta sessions.

The apartment unit was small and quaint. Someone who lived here a long time ago clearly took the time to arrange their belongings in a specific way and keep their home clean. All the dusty items were arranged neatly on the shelves, and even the cluttered displays had some method to the madness. He didn’t want to snoop, so he avoided going through the bedroom and closets. He knew it was unlikely that the original owners would be returning, but he wanted to respect their memory and space. The previous owner felt like a kindred spirit. This place reminded him of his old Razor Crest, which he maintained in a similar state.

Before retiring for the day and dipping his foot back into the bacta, he took a shower and felt clean for the first time in a while. He discovered that the windows opened and decided to take the opportunity to grab some food for his foundling and himself. Using the jetpack, he could enter and exit the apartment to avoid the stairs for the next day or two.

The Civic Center must have been beautiful in its prime, though many of the decorative designs were no longer whole. Within the food hall, Din began to see familiar faces, both from the scouting group and the Watch. He sighted Ragnar sitting alone and silently offered his condolences to the young warrior. He only found out about the elder Vizsla’s passing a couple days ago.

As he exited the hall, he noticed Bo entering a building not listed by Koska during the orientation. Wanting to talk to her but not knowing what he’d say, he loosely followed her. Limping up the steps, he looked for her on the next floor. If he didn’t find her, he’d move on. He wasn’t climbing any more stairs with his bad foot. Peeking around the last open door, he froze. Din saw her sitting with Axe at a bar counter, conversing in low tones. The only other person in the room was the Nite Owl who served them the drinks, and she largely stuck to herself. Was his suspicion correct? Did Axe have a valid reason for being jealous on the langskib?

Not wanting to interrupt whatever was going on between the pair, he hobbled down the stairs and to his lonely home. He sighed as it registered that his suspicions were confirmed. He slumped onto the lumpy couch and shoved his leg into the bacta bucket before falling into an uneasy sleep.

Din sat up with a start, and Grogu slipped from his chest to his lap with an undignified squeak. The child must have crawled onto him while he slept. Din apologized and sat him up on one of the couch cushions. The child rubbed his eyes, yawning. That’s pretty cute, thought Din.

Not feeling very sociable, he waited till the breakfast period was almost over before leaving with Grogu. He grabbed some food for lunch to avoid going out more often than necessary. He told himself the injury was the primary reason, but mostly he wanted to steer clear of the two people he’d spied on last night. As he mentioned to Koska the night before, he was mostly healed. In fact, later that night, the pain disappeared. He still took it easy and collected enough food for dinner and breakfast the next morning, figuring another half day of bacta application should restore him to 100%. He resolved to go exploring after lunchtime the next day.

Cooped up in the little unit, Grogu grew restless and did not have the same reservations about exploring the apartment as Din, so he spent a decent part of the two days rummaging through closets and drawers. He grabbed little knick-knacks that looked like bugs and animals, and he assembled quite a few items and stacked them up on the kitchenette table. Din saw the mess his kid created, but he couldn’t be bothered to clean it up, too impatient for anything that didn’t require his immediate attention. Still exhausted and feeling testy from the already limited social interaction, he felt like he never recovered after the few sleepless nights on Nevarro.

The next afternoon, Grogu scratched at the door to indicate they should go eat, and Din begrudgingly agreed. To give his foundling a chance to stretch his legs, he figured out the location of the Armourer’s temporary forge and visited her. She seemed to know about his arrival before she turned around.

He inquired about getting some equipment replaced after his own were confiscated by Imperials. She asked what he needed, and he listed off a few items. “You might need to hang onto that jet-pack for a bit until we can acquire more beskar ore. I can craft some Whistling Birds and a new fibercord whip. Come back in a couple days, and it shall be done.”

He attempted to make conversation. “When are you moving to the Great Forge?”

“Another week or two. I am looking for an apprentice to join me who wants to learn the craft. Are you interested?”

Declining the offer, Din asked about volunteering his time instead. She directed him to talk to someone named Twyla, who ran the clean up and demolition. She would eventually head up the reconstruction when the time came. With a reminder to take it easy with his healed leg, she bid him a good night. He thanked her and left.

Rejuvenated by socializing with someone other than his out-of-sorts caretaker, Grogu babbled on for most of the trip back, pointing at small details in the ruins around them. He stuck up unintelligible conversations with strangers when Din just wanted to get home. He felt short-fused and had no desire to meet people right now. Yet for some reason, the others indulged the kid and stopped to speak with him. Quickly grabbing dinner, Din couldn’t wait to hide out in their apartment. Grogu appeared less talkative once inside and retreated to his stash.

Din withdrew to the bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief. Trying not to snap at everything and everyone this week was a challenge. He’d been stuck in his head for the last week and a half, going stir-crazy. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that he’s been going a little insane from the inside out, especially with the lack of sleep, so he tried to keep his thoughts to himself. It meant he was more reserved around Grogu as well, but he’d rather do that than accidentally snap at his kid.

The longer he spent in proximity to Bo without physically seeing her, the more he noticed her absence. He got too used to spending most of his time by Bo’s side at the covert, and he missed her like crazy. He hated staying away, but everything reminded him of her here. His heart rate would elevate just at sighting a Nite Owl signet on someone’s pauldron before realizing that it wasn’t her. Even with his limited time on Sundari, he could see her efforts paying off with both their tribes working toward a common goal. There weren’t too many people living here yet, but it was a start. A few people from each tribe would build the trust between groups, which in turn would perpetuate to the larger population when the remaining members of the tribes joined them within the city and eventually on the planet. He knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that, but their people had to start somewhere.

Happy for her, but low-spirited himself, Din knew he couldn’t avoid her and Axe forever. If he could minimize their interaction and maintain his distance, that should put an end to his feelings. Should be easy enough to do, right?

As soon as the ceremony ended, he’d request a transport back to Nevarro for his starfighter and go back to bounty hunting with Grogu. Maybe he could strengthen the kid with the Force. Ahsoka said the reason he grew fatigued using his powers was because he suppressed them for a long time. If Din couldn’t help himself, then at least he’d try to support his foundling. If it put some distance between him and the cause of his aching heart, all the better. He wondered if he could promote Grogu’s rank to Apprentice during the ceremony. It probably wouldn’t hurt to ask.

With a final deep breath, Din walked out into the living room. He saw Grogu playing with a small object. Upon closer inspection, it was a little owl figurine, no doubt reminding him of Bo. The child missed her. His heart ached for the two of them.

When Din introduced himself to Twyla, it sounded like she actually had prior experience with work like this; her background was in civil engineering. Bo must have been grateful to have specialists assisting rebuild Mandalore.

Twyla advised him on where to start, and he gladly jumped to the task before him. He would be among a group of others helping remove rubble inside buildings and clearing the streets. “Be careful. Some of the structures might not be stable.” It was a good thing he donned his jet-pack. It might come in handy in a tight spot.

Removing the loose pieces of granite and marble was grueling work, but he preferred his body hurting to his heart. If his focus went into the work, his mind would be distracted. It mostly worked. For a few hours, he forgot to think of Bo.

Since Grogu appreciated the day outside yesterday, Din brought him along even though he wouldn’t have time to hang out with him. The foundling found himself sitting by Twyla and "helping" oversee the work. They struck up a very one-sided conversation, but Din was pretty sure they were good friends within a couple of hours.

Twyla called out the end of the day, and everyone regrouped to return tools. Koska and Axe chatted with the Nite Owl as he approached. They invited him to dinner since they’d grown to accept him, apparently something to do with bonds formed in the forges of battle. Actually hungry for the first time since arriving, he accepted and decided maybe the day wasn’t a complete loss.

Grogu bounced up and down in happiness. Presumably, it had something to do with some semblance of his life returning to normal after hiding out in the little apartment for days. He was similar to Din in that sense – he wanted adventure, work, and to keep busy. He hated being stuck and restrained. Grogu assisted others whenever he could, even at his own expense. And only stars knew how often Din got roped into helping someone out even when he barely knew the other guy. He was probably a terrible influence. Like him, the kid had the same penchant of getting into trouble without intending to. He had the same enjoyment of zooming through the galaxy as him. Even his love–

NO. He refused to finish that thought.

The child darted ahead, sensing something or someone, and Din grew uneasy. Oh no. They turned the corner, and there she was. His breath caught. Koska and Axe didn’t see they were coming up on her yet, and he honestly stopped paying attention to whatever they were talking about. She stared at him, his kid in her arms, and it stirred up so many feelings inside. Afraid of what he could reveal and how much of a fool he’d make of himself, he put up walls. He should bow out gracefully. He glanced at Axe, who smiled over at Bo. His affection was obvious.

Her eyes were still puzzling him out. Din couldn’t maintain eye contact and found himself averting his glance, looking to the ground. He realized she spoke to him, and he tried to act politely but not be too friendly.

“Are you staying in our building?” she pointed, and he nodded in response.

“When did you get here?”

He gave her a legitimate response about recovering the last few days before his brain shut down.

“Ah, that explains why I haven’t seen you around.”

With a gaze from her that looked so vulnerable, pain stabbed at his heart. I can’t do this. He couldn’t be around her, even with limited interaction. His traitorous heart wanted to misinterpret her actions as affection for him, but he cared about her too much to see her be with someone else. As much as he denied it, in a weak moment of indulging his feelings, he had even considered taking his helmet off for her.

He was in too deep, and he needed to get out of there.

“Lady Kryze, Grogu and I should go.” He tried to keep his voice level. His little one sensed his distress anyway, and he saw Bo’s eyes take note of the foundling’s reaction. As they walked away, the foundling hugged him and stared over his shoulder at the trio.

He had no memory of returning to the apartment. His heart hurt, and his breathing came more frequently. He gave Grogu a snack he’d saved from the previous day and skipped dinner himself. He locked himself in the bedroom and fell to his knees in defeat. He took off his helmet and held his head in his hands, ready to tear his hair out. How could he stay here for three more days? He tried to calm himself but to no avail. Eventually, he pulled his helmet on and left the bedroom. In an attempt to focus on something else, he cleaned the mess Grogu made while turning the place over. He paced all over the small apartment and noticed the little one sleeping with something. It was the small stone owl, and he felt a lump rise in his throat.

Grogu loved her too.

He would be separating them too.

Dank farrik. Refusing to allow his emotions to overflow, but his breath coming in stuttered gasps anyway, he clipped on the jet-pack, opened his window, and shot out of his apartment. He flew to the overhang above Sundari and sat on the ledge. The cold desert-evening air cooled him off, and he calmed down. He lay on his back, legs dangling over the edge and stared up at the stormy skies in the twilight. How apt. That’s exactly how his insides felt – in his stomach, heart, and mind.

Completely unaware of the passage of time, he stayed on the ledge until the morning sun bleached the sky. He figured he should return to the apartment, so Grogu wouldn’t be worried about his absence. Maybe he’d be able to finally fall asleep…

Soaring through the window, he closed it behind him and realized how much the temperature had fallen inside the room. Good. Maybe that will keep my heart from feeling, he was his first bitter thought. But seriously, his fingers were numb. He rubbed his hands together to create friction and added an extra blanket on top of Grogu to keep him warm from the chill.

Din lay down on the couch and turned to his side. He watched the large green ears twitch at random intervals while the little one dreamed. He himself tossed and turned all morning, but he couldn’t drift off, no matter how hard he tried to silence his mind. He finally gave up and snuck downstairs to grab a few servings of food for them as soon as the hall opened for breakfast. He made the decision to not leave the apartment again today.

Despite his firm resolute thought, he ached to see her. He hated himself for craving her presence when just being in her company could send him into a spiral. Soon, darkness fell outside, and he was grateful for an excuse to pass out.

His sleep was troubled, and he woke up to loud scratching at the door in the morning.

“Grogu! NO!” he yelled and rolled over, not fully conscious.

The sound stopped.

He opened his eyes and grasped what he just did. He looked over his shoulder at the child. The foundling looked so wounded, and Din sighed, annoyed with himself. “I’m sorry!” that came out angrily too. He took a few breaths and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, Grogu. I’m not angry with you.”

When the other still didn’t move, he rolled off the couch. Ugh, I can’t do anything right. He remembered Grogu hugging the stone owl, and he discerned that maybe it wasn’t him that he needed right now.

He walked to the door and crouched. He stroked his ears as gently as possible. At least he didn’t flinch away from me. “I’m sorry, kid. Go find Bo to hang out with, okay?” With that, he opened the door for him and watched his boy waddle out sadly. He was ashamed of himself.

Definitely not able to rest after that, Din joined Twyla’s volunteers again and worked himself to the bone. He helped with demolition this time and used the opportunity to take out some anger on the decrepit buildings. During lunch, he headed out for a walk, completely lost in his thoughts. He found his way back to the grounds and worked in a daze the rest of the day. Not sure when Bo wrapped up with her daily tasks, he went straight home to make sure he was there to open the door for Grogu.

He didn’t make out the first scratching sound because it was so quiet. Din ran to the door with the second attempt and let the child in immediately.

Grogu avoided Din as he climbed into his makeshift nest of blankets; he really hurt his feelings.

When Din asked if the other already ate, the foundling nodded without looking in his direction. Din pulled the lonely chair over to Grogu’s pile of blankets and sat nearby, leaning on the counter next to his collection of knick-knacks.

“I would never yell at you on purpose. I’m really sorry, Grogu. I’m just going through something.” He was sure the foundling didn’t need him to tell that. He could sense it, no doubt. The child turned in early, but Din stayed by his side. He tucked him in and petted him reassuringly. He fell asleep holding the little creature that was the closest thing he had to family.

Evidently forgiven enough to warrant Grogu’s attention, he awoke to gentle taps on his helmet. The little one gestured toward the door with a tiny hand, and Din jumped up to open it for him.

He actually slept through the whole night! Feeling more refreshed than he’d felt in days, he remembered that he needed to go visit the Armourer. He snacked on one of the rations he gathered one of the previous days and got ready to head out. He should probably take a sonic shower first since he desperately needed one following yesterday’s exhausting demolishing session. The thought was interrupted by a knock.

Please don’t be Bo. He didn’t think he would be able to face her after raising his voice at Grogu; nor could he keep acting so solemn with her. He opened the door. Huh, Axe Woves. He stepped aside to let him in.

Neither spoke, and they stood frozen.

Finally, Axe asked, “Did you also see the mythosaur?”

Not where he expected the conversation to go. He spoke honestly, “No. I fell too quickly into the depths, and I got knocked out by the fall.” He wasn’t sure where this was going.

A nod and silence again. This would be a long conversation if every topic went like this.

“Why have you been acting weird around Bo-Katan? She has been stressed over it since you showed up.”

In a guarded tone, Din responded, “I’m not acting in a manner that’s impolite. I’m being very civil.” I figured you of all people would prefer that.

“Yes! Precisely. That’s not how you used to act with her. You were friendlier. Too friendly, in my opinion, but you two had become closer while staying at the covert, and I see that now.”

Din paused, weary. “What happened to ‘you’re beneath her?’”

Axe sighed and looked uncomfortable. “If you ever repeat a word of this, I will punch you. And I will deny ever saying this. You’re a skilled Mandalorian and a good support system for Bo-Katan. You were there when I wasn’t, even after everything that happened when we met. I can see how she trusts you. You gave her an in with the covert, and we wouldn’t have been here if you hadn’t. She also got the Darksaber and defeated Moff Gideon with your help. She got what she wanted, and despite the pressure she’s feeling right now, I know she’s happy about being back here. Or she used to be. She’s mostly upset now. I’m more than happy to blame you for that, but I also want to help because I care for her. Whatever you’ve got going on, figure it out and go talk to her.” He looked away and spoke softly, “She actually misses you.”

Din widened eyes under the helmet. “She told you this?”

“I overheard her talking to your kid. She cares for him too.” He let that sink in.

“And…” Din got so nervous all of a sudden, ”...there’s nothing going on between you two?”

“Kriffin’ hell,” he heard Axe murmur under his breath. “Is that what you thought? I’ve asked her a few times, but she’s always turned me down. We are just friends.” Agonizing part of the conversation over, he stood up straight. “Now, she has a full day planned, but she’s taken to going to the mini-cantina after her duties are completed. If you go into the building to the left of the Civic Center, you’ll find it.”

Din nodded, and Axe mirrored the action. As he turned to walk away, Din spoke up. “Thank you.”

“I’m still not sure about you, but I hate seeing her sad, so I’m doing this for her.”

With that, he left Din alone with his thoughts. He almost forgot about his meeting with the Armourer. Shower could wait, he thought as he ran out the door.

The Armourer was still in her temporary forge when he arrived breathless.

“I wasn’t sure whether you’d be showing up. But I see you didn’t take my advice to take it easy.”

“I am completely healed.”

“Good!” She turned to pick up the tools for his gauntlets. “Here are the Whistling Birds and fibercord. Once we have the Great Forge and some volunteers mining the ore, we will restock some more of your supplies.”

“Of course. Save some for the others.” He wasn’t sure how to broach the next topic with her, so he just went for it. “I am planning to head to Nevarro after the ceremony.”

The Armourer turned to look at him and said, “I hoped you would stick around as a mechanic. I know you’ve fixed up starships before. We need someone to fill that role; maybe someone also willing to help fix up droids?”

He grimaced under the helmet. “I’m more used to taking them apart than putting them back together, but I think my departure is unavoidable. Grogu is my foundling, and while he is strong with the Force, he needs training. He gave up on a chance to become a Jedi Master under one’s training, so the least I can do is give him opportunities to grow his abilities. He has grown quite powerful, and I think he would benefit from the additional experience.”

She appraised him silently before nodding. “You have to do what you believe is right for your foundling. Foundlings are the future, and you must help him grow into a warrior.”

He gave her a small bow and thanked her for the new equipment.

After getting to the apartment, Din finally gave Axe’s words some thought. He spent an entire week on Nevarro and the first few days on Mandalore believing he was the reason for her sadness, but Axe strolled in here and reworked his muddled negative thoughts into hope.

Am I am the reason for it all? Her happiness, being here, and having a place to belong. He could barely believe it. How had his chotic brain thought otherwise? The lack of sleep probably had something to do with it… his brain now supplied, helpfully.

And there was nothing going on between Bo and Axe! He told himself not to get too excited, but he wasn’t able to reverse the warm feeling spreading through his body. He was anxious and excited and joyful and annoyed with himself, all at the same time. If only he’d taken the time to understand her feelings, he could have saved himself some heartache. Her too, according to Axe. He needed to make things right!

Filled with an anxious energy, sitting still was not a possibility. He debated going to help Twyla out for a half day, but he chose to instead figure out what he wanted to say to Bo. Pacing around the apartment, he planned out a long elaborate speech to explain his behavior for the last couple of weeks. Then, he decided to just be honest and get straight to the point. She deserved as much.

Having done that, he looked around for something else to do. Time seemed to slow down suddenly, and he couldn’t wait to see her to explain.

He recalled that he never cleaned himself up after yesterday. He stuck his flight-suit and gear in the sonic washer, thinking he should get a few replacements for the former. He’d been living out of his N-1 and gear for a while. It was probably time he got himself a new flight-suit or two, but as long as he maintained this one, it would be good enough for now.

With that, he finally went to take that shower he had put off since yesterday. The sonic waves vibrated the dirt, oil, and other impurities off his skin and left his natural scent. Nothing quite beat the feel of water on his skin, but the gentle massaging was soothing. He almost missed his time with the covert and their underground baths.

That night, Din moved around the room, his thoughts erratic. He wanted to see her. He needed to see her. Grogu came back a few minutes ago, so she’d be heading over to the mini-cantina right about now, according to Axe. He wanted to fix what was going on between them, but what if it was too late? Did he push her away too much?

Dank farrik, he was being dumb. He was still beating himself up, and he needed to stop doing that. She had been nothing but supportive of him, and he turned his back on her. He acted cowardly, and he would be making it up to her forever if she’d let him. Taking a breath, he noticed Grogu staring at him with something like amusement on his face. Picking up his emotions right now must have been a sight to see.

Din walked over to the little one and kneeled down. “I’m sorry for worrying you, Grogu.” He stroked his wrinkled head in reassurance. “And I am sorry for snapping at you earlier.” The foundling jumped on his knees and patted the helmet, as if to say he was forgiven. “Thanks, buddy.”

“Now, what do you say I go make up with Bo?” Grogu nodded and gurgled happily.

Din picked up the child and deposited him in the kitchenette sink where the little one made himself the makeshift bed with some blankets. “We can also fix this up for you when I come back.” Grogu shouldn’t have to sleep in the sink, for kriff’s sake. He was really out of it these last few days, wasn’t he?

Chapter Text

Din retraced his steps from a week ago, but everything couldn’t have been more different. He practically flew up the steps in his excitement to make things right with Bo. Before walking through the doorway, he paused to breathe for a second and calm his racing heart. He turned the corner and stepped inside.

He honestly didn’t pay attention to his surroundings the first time, too focused on the pair sitting at the counter. The mini-cantina was a tiny place; he could see why it had the moniker it did. It must have been a legitimate cantina before because the room smelled of alcohol. He spied a pile of colored shards on the floor near one of the shelved walls, which now stood empty. Part of the roof caved in on the far side, significantly cutting down on the size of the room.

The Nite Owl behind the counter appeared to be the only one who noticed he walked in. He approached the woman facing away from him and took note of the slumped shoulders. Without even seeing her face, her posture told him her mood. He wondered how much of that was his fault.

The young woman behind the counter peered at him in curiosity since he stopped a few feet away and just stood there, motionless. Din gestured for her to give them both a drink. Dismissing the thought as to how the bartender would interpret their relationship, he proceeded over to Bo.

When the new glass appeared in front of her, Bo looked up questioningly, and the Nite Owl pointed at Din, sliding his order to him before giving them some privacy. Bo barely turned in his direction before averting her face to stare into her drink.

Din slid into the seat, and she chugged the drink she was originally playing with. She grabbed for the new glass and turned it in her fingers. He wanted to have a conversation with her, and he’d prefer her to be sober, not downing drinks.

He figured he should start somewhere, so he started off with gratitude that he could segway into the real conversation if she seemed receptive to it. “Thanks for hanging out with Grogu these last few days. He missed you.” He could see her glance at him out of the corner of her eyes, mouth set in a hard line. He added quietly, “I missed you too.” When she didn’t say anything, he swallowed and went for a safer topic. “It looks like we’re starting to make progress with the cleanup. I’ve helped out a bit myself, and the Nite Owl running it seems to know what she’s doing.”

“Why are you here?” she spoke quietly.

He paused before saying the words with intention. “I missed–”

“I mean why are you here now?” her voice sharper. She was totally justified in brushing him off.

“Because someone knocked some sense into me, and I realized that I was acting like a scughole when you–"

“You said it, not me.”

"– you didn’t deserve it, so I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shut you out. I cannot apologize enough," he finished, leaning closer and willing her to see his sincerity behind his words.

Bo spun in her seat toward him and wobbled. He reacted on instinct and threw out an arm to prevent her from tipping off the chair, which she grabbed to stabilize. She glanced up at his visor before lowering her eyes.

“How much did you have?” he asked quietly, trying not to sound disappointed. This wouldn’t be much of a conversation if she didn’t remember it in the morning.

“A couple tihaars. They’re quite strong.”

“You don’t say. Is that including the one you just downed?”

“Mmm, no.” He was conscious that she hadn’t let go of his arm, but he didn’t know if she was aware of that.

“So three then. That’s it, no more for you tonight.” He helped her back into her seat. “She’ll have some water,” he raised his voice to catch the other Nite Owl's attention, who obliged. “I’ll take this.” He removed the glass in front of her and dumped the contents into his own. Then, turning away from the two other occupants of the room, he lifted his helmet and gulped down the double serving of the blue-tinted beverage, never one to let food or drink go to waste.

He asked the bartender how much they owed, to which she responded that they weren’t charging for drinks at this time. He dropped some credits on the counter anyway and said, “For Mandalore then.”

Speaking to Bo, he murmured, “Let’s get you home.” As she slid off her seat, the Nite Owl checked in with her. Bo nodded, and Din figured it was good that the other woman wouldn’t let her Mand’alor walk away with some guy she didn’t trust.

“Are you well enough to walk on your own?” She nodded, but he was attentive the rest of the way back anyway. Bo’s footsteps were a little too unstable for his liking, but at least one of them was sober. He might not normally drink, but he could still hold his liquor.

How much do we owe you? We. We! Bo-Katan’s heart did a flip. She might have replayed his words to herself a few times, liking the sound of the two of them as a unit.

Din walked half a step behind her, looking preoccupied behind his helmet. His body language was expressive again, and she could tell he was no longer as guarded around her. He hung his head a little, but she figured he still kept his eye on her to make sure she didn’t trip over her feet or any rubble lying around.

He apologized! Bo-Katan still didn't know the full details, but all her functions were currently focused on putting one foot in front of the other, so she didn’t want to disrupt that with talk. Now that they were on normal speaking terms again, she figured she could always ask him when she was sober.

She registered that maybe she got too much liquid courage. She was quickly becoming more wobbly than she would have liked, so she very much appreciated him walking her home. At some point, she felt the lightest touch on the back of her hand, and she looked down to find his fingers brushing hers. She took his hand and sent him a silent thanks. She wondered whether he knew just how unbalanced she actually felt on her feet. Either way, she appreciated it. They continued to walk in silence.

She opened her door and walked in. Not sure if he would follow her, she asked him, “Can you please get me some water?” in lieu of an invitation. She called it a small win when he entered.

Bringing her the water, Din looked a bit out of place. The previous owner preferred bright colors, and her guest stuck out like a sore thumb with his beskar-and-darkness look. She stifled a giggle, very obviously drunk.

She downed the water and flopped to her bed. “You don’t have to stay, but I’d prefer if you didn’t stand over me.”

He moved to the door, and she worried he would leave. Instead, he sat against it and got comfortable. “This okay?” She gave him a small smile and felt her eyelids falling closed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Normally, Din knew she'd be able to take care of herself, but since Bo was so unsteady on her feet, he figured he'd watch over her. So far, that just involved bringing her some liquids and sitting in her small apartment. He felt a bit responsible for her being in that state. She appeared to have fallen asleep, so he looked around her room. It looked similar to his, except hers didn’t have the adjoining bedroom. Too many colors though.

He wasn’t sure how things would be between them now. Would Bo throw him out in the morning after sobering up? But she allowed him to take her hand, so maybe he was on the way to being forgiven.

Just as he was starting to feel tired himself, she woke up. He got to his feet immediately to see if he could tend to her. Bo sat up and groaned, holding her head in her hands. He brought her water again, and she drank it all with a quick thank you. She went to lie down but immediately sat up. “I’m so nauseated. As soon as I get even remotely horizontal, the world begins to spin, and I feel sick to my stomach.” She pulled her knees to her chest and attempted to get into a position that would allow her to fall back to sleep. He watched her unsuccessful attempts to get comfortable and made a decision. If she was bothered by it, she could turn him down.

He unclasped his cape and draped it over a nearby chair. He moved to loosen a pauldron, and she freaked out a bit. He paused in taking off his armor. “I’m just taking off the armor, nothing more.”

She blushed a deep red and whispered, “Ok…"

It was kind of funny to see the usually composed Bo flustered.

He pulled off a couple of other pieces of armor, primarily on his chest and arms, and asked, "Can I?" gesturing at the bed.

Bo-Katan’s mind was malfunctioning on so many levels… She was pretty sure her brain stopped working. How did one even react to a respectful guy who asked before jumping into bed? Not like that, but still. Add in the fact that this was a guy she really liked that was asking to get on the bed with her, and her brain turned completely to mush.

“Bo?” He was starting to sound a bit concerned. “Are you okay?”

She waved him off. “Yep, yes, all good.”

“What happened?” He tilted his head innocently, and she found the action charming.

“My mind jumped into the Living Waters without a jetpack,” she teased. If he wasn't wearing a helmet, she was sure she would have seen an annoyed expression on his face. His posture spoke to it too. He was unamused. More seriously, she responded, “Don't worry about it.” Mind's in the gutter, but you don’t need to know that.

“Uhuh… so, can I sit?” He gestured at the bed again.

“Oh, yes, of course!” She hid a smile. She said he was a good guy, did she not?

He shook his head, amused, and joined her on the bed. “I figured if you were able to sleep sitting upright on the langskib, that could be an option.”

She agreed and remembered something from that night. “Last time, I had a thought. If I also wear a helmet, you could lean on me without your neck hurting.”

Din leaned back against the wall and thought about her idea for a second, “Mmm. I’d take you up on that offer, but maybe not when you could throw up into the helmet…” he chuckled quietly.

Her eyes widened, and she pulled a face. “Good call.”

She made sure he was comfortable and leaned into his warmth. Din wrapped his arms around her, and no matter what happened to them for the last week, she felt so cared for in that moment. Just this simple embrace gave her a sense of security and elation. She could feel her own heart pounding away with her growing feelings for him. Since when did we get this touchy-feely? She wasn't sure, but she knew that she didn't mind this closeness at all. She had a silly grin on her face that he could probably see, but she couldn't help herself. He made her happy.

As she was drifting off to sleep, when he must have thought she was already out, he lifted his helmet and kissed the back of her head.

Chapter Text

Bo-Katan had a splitting headache. But who cares? She was surrounded by his scent, and it felt akin to paradise. She must have died during the explosion on the Imperial remnant base and gone to heaven. That was the only explanation.

She probably moved to indicate she was awake because Din's husky morning voice announced that she should drink some water.

Yep. Dead. So very dead.

“No, you're not. You are perfectly alive, albeit a bit hungover.”

Apparently, she uttered that last portion out loud. Or at least she hoped it was only that last part.

Unable to hide her grin, she opened her eyes. Evidently, she snuggled up to him during the night and ended up using his chest as a pillow. From her vantage point with her face buried in his jumpsuit, she could see the bottom of his jawline beneath the helmet. She averted her gaze, unsure if he’d be okay with her staring.

“Good morning,” she breathed as she buried her face in his flight suit.

He echoed the greeting, and she could hear the smile under the helmet. “How are you feeling?” She could feel his hand on her upper back between her shoulder blades, holding her close.

“Much better since I fell back asleep. Thank you for staying with me and making sure I drank water.”

“Of course. I wouldn't leave you alone to be sick.”

This man. Why did other men exist?

“Would you mind if I took a sonic here? I smell like the bar.”

“No you don't.”

“Well, you also smell like the bar.” She loved hearing the teasing back in his voice.

“Ahh, that's probably why I couldn’t tell.”

She loathed to let him go, but she disentangled her arms from around him, and he walked off with the words, “Please drink some water in the meantime.”

She sighed and got up. The motion made her head pound harder, so she sipped some more water, testing her stomach. Much better today!

On the way back to the bed, she snatched Din’s cape off the chair where he left it last night. She lowered herself back on the mattress and covered herself with the cape. Yep. Smelled like him too. She buried her face in it, grinning widely. Did she dream of him kissing the back of her head, or was that real? Honestly, with how familiar they were today, she could see it. Hoping it actually happened and it wasn’t just her affection-deprived brain making things up, she nodded off again, now horizontally.

“Bo?”

Regaining some alertness, she heard his footsteps approach. She stirred and softly responded, “I love it when you call me Bo. No one else does because my family used to. At first, it was a painful reminder of them, and it left me grief-stricken. But now it's a memory I don't want to forget, so I relish it.” She opened her eyes and smiled as he crouched down. “But please don’t call me Lady Kryze,” she said imploringly.

Din stroked her hair out of her face and quietly murmured, “Ok.” After a pause, he added, “I wanted to talk to you about something though. Seriously.”

Subdued, Bo-Katan asked, “Are you leaving?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “But if you can spare the time, I wanted to spend the day with you before leaving. And I was hoping you'd accompany me to Nevarro after the ceremony.”

Her brow wrinkled in confusion.

“My starfighter is still there, so if you don’t mind some extra time with me, I’d love for you to be my ride.”

Her smile grew as he spoke, and she nodded, thinking it was about time she got a day off.

While Din went to wake Grogu, she got ready for the day. They decided to venture out into the ruins, and she donned the gear she hadn't worn in a week now. Running around from meeting to meeting didn’t require her armor, so she left it off most days.

Taking Din’s hint, she threw her jumpsuit in the sonic washer and jumped in the shower herself. She could still smell a trace of his scent on her, and it was a shame to cleanse herself of it so quickly, but she should actually get clean. Start fresh, like them. Distracted, she remembered his rumbling chuckle from the night before, and the corners of her mouth lifted in another smile. How obvious was she being right now?

Din awoke with Bo burrowed into his chest. While this made him happy, at first he blamed himself for not talking to her earlier. They could have had a week together instead of a day. But then he stopped himself. He couldn’t do this again. I can’t change the past. All I can do is work on myself to make sure the pessimism and insecurities don't ruin my future. Our future, he corrected himself, which now seemed like a possibility.

Bo woke up, and he could see the joy shining back at him from her expression. None of the bitterness or annoyance he sensed last night. He still wished to explain himself to her, but he was glad she appeared better both physically and emotionally.

It was still relatively early in the morning, but when he lightly snapped Bo’s door shut and turned around, he noticed Koska staring at him surprised, evidently also on her way out. Dimly aware that he carried his cape instead of wearing it as he usually would, he calmly walked past her. As he got close, he nodded at her, and continued to walk with a regular gait to his apartment. Once inside, he shut the door behind him and fell against it. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He might not know exactly what she thought, but he had a pretty good idea. Her astonishment morphed into a knowing smile the closer he got. He was pretty sure Koska’s eyes followed him the entire way back to his room. She had been far too pleased with him.

Burning up inside his helmet, he exhaled again and refocused his mind to the day ahead. Din approached Grogu’s makeshift bed within the sink and gently roused the sleeping figure. The foundling woke up almost immediately at the mention of Bo’s name and burbled, waving his limbs, jumping to the floor, and making a beeline to the exit. Getting an idea, he called Grogu back before the little one got too far ahead of him, and pointed to the little stone owl, partially buried in the blankets. “Hey Grogu, did you want to show that to Bo?”

The foundling nodded and grasped the owl with both hands and waddled out the door. Koska disappeared by the time he entered the hallway again, which was probably good. He didn’t think he could face her again so soon. Din picked up the little one as they approached Bo’s place.

He knocked, and she opened up and greeted them with a smile. Grogu held out the little owl with his clawed hands, and Bo glanced to Din for an explanation. “I think he wants you to take it.”

As Bo took hold of the item, Din continued, “When he missed you these last few days, he wouldn’t let it out of his sight. He even slept with it. It looks like now that we’ve made up, he wants you to have it.”

Bo was touched, and her brows knitted together as she struggled to control her features. Grogu jumped to hug her, and she returned the embrace. “Thank you, Grogu!”

Din leaned on the doorframe and felt joy at seeing the duo interact. Bo placed the little owl in her window, and the light made the small flecks of gold within the stone sparkle and shimmer. She used the moment to hide her face from Din. Choosing to give her some privacy, he waited outside. She joined him with Grogu propped up on her hip.

“Ready?”

She nodded, and they headed off in the direction of the Civic Center to grab food. Din offered to put Grogu in his messenger crossbody bag, and she watched in amusement as the child jumped into it and wiggled around to find the best position.

There weren’t too many people in the food hall, and the ones that were there didn’t pay attention to them for the most part. Koska’s glance darted between them, and then she averted her eyes without her face giving anything away. He was pleasantly surprised; that wasn’t the reaction he expected after running into each other this morning.

They each grabbed their own food, and while Din headed out, Bo stopped by Koska’s table to let her know she wouldn’t be available for the rest of the day.

The pair snuck off towards the center of the city and spent the day together wandering through the remains of the Mandalorian capital. Bo would point out a landmark and reminisce over adventures she and her sister Satine were up to as kids. Scaling the stone railing of a nearby bridge, she held onto Din and walked the length while they crossed the structure. She had a sentimental look to her while clambering up the balustrade, as if attempting to resurrect more than just a memory. From what he could tell, there were fewer fond memories as they grew up, but he didn’t want to bring it up since he perceived it to be a painful subject. She could tell him in time.

Topics that they never discussed suddenly became an option because they were willing to let the other in after crossing an invisible threshold the previous night. Din figured it was that and, to some extent, the lack of lights in the ruins around them. The gloomy surroundings allowed Bo to hide her face while letting her guard down around him.

During one of the breaks in conversation, he finally gathered the courage to talk to her about everything that had been going on with him the last couple of weeks. He briefly summarized his insomnia, state of mind, and how he’d misinterpreted several interactions. Part of him was glad she didn’t question him on the specifics. He worried that if he explained how he’d misunderstood something, she’d feel the need to explain herself to him, which was not his intention. He also didn’t specifically mention Axe by name, but he suspected she knew something occurred between the two of them.

She listened quietly and asked if he still had reservations concerning anything, laying a palm on his forearm. He took the gesture as additional reassurance. “I think I’m mostly past them. I’ll let you know if there’s anything that could be left to misinterpretation.”

“Great, because then I can completely dispel all those thoughts!”

He stopped and stared at her, posture unreadable.

“What?”

“You’re a good person, Bo. I’m glad I met you.”

Skeptical, she denied the former statement. “I’ve done too many terrible things in my life to be considered good.”

“Are you saying you’re not a decent person?” He sincerely meant the question.

“I’m pretty sure we don’t need to go past our first encounter to see the evidence. Do you not remember any of our time on Trask?” Her serious response showed him how much she blamed herself for their haughty initial interactions.

“What about it?” Her face was rueful, and he ached to make her see herself as he did, just how much he believed she’d grown and changed.

She turned to face him. “I was horrible to you! I completely dismissed you because you were a Child of the Watch, scorned your beliefs, and literally used them against you a couple times.”

“Don’t forget that I dismissed you three because you took off your helmet initially too! I think neither one of us is too proud of how our first meeting went. But now you value my opinion, have lived following our beliefs, and defended the Watch from other Nite Owls. Your words were sincere when you spoke them on the couple of occasions that I have witnessed. I think you’ve legitimately changed your mind regarding the Children of the Watch, no matter your reasons, and I appreciate it. So you’ve made up for all of that countless times, and you don’t have to keep beating yourself up.”

“Ah, but you forget how much you’ve helped and saved me too. We’re completely even.” He didn’t miss how she transitioned the topic away from his intended conversation, but he’d make sure she saw herself in a positive light one day. He owed her a few hundred times over from saving him from certain death, which was yet another reason he insisted that she was a righteous person, especially now.

“Are we? I still think you’ve saved me more often,” he said in a challenging tone, stepping towards her.

“Not at all!”

“Well, you’ve saved me more recently. Repeatedly on that day within the Mines.”

“But what about you saving me on Kalevala?”

“That was after you had just saved me a bunch of times, so it doesn’t count.”

“It counts!”

Grogu warbled worriedly at them from below. Neither of them had registered that they were slowly getting closer as they traded words, and they discovered that they were basically in each other’s faces. The foundling’s head swung back and forth between the two, looking distressed.

Din chuckled and petted Grogu’s head soothingly. “Are we really bickering over who saved the other more?”

“That’s pretty weird,” Bo admitted, giving him a crooked smile. Conversation and easy banter wasn’t the only thing that came easily to them. Affectionate gazes and casual touches became more commonplace.

“I don’t mind weird. In fact, I really like it. But honestly, if that’s the worst thing we ever come close to arguing over, I would be pretty happy.”

“You’re right." She mused, "You know, at some point I started thinking of it as us backing each other up instead of saving the other, so I really did call it even between us a while ago.”

“Fair enough.” Using their proximity to his advantage, Din extended his arm and gently pulled on one of her belt-loops to bring her just imperceptibly closer but enough to gently touch his forehead to hers. “We can call it even if you’d really like to,” he murmured only for her to hear. She nodded, eyes glittering at him.

When the light filtering through the stone and concrete began to get sparse, they realized they should get back.

Bo directed them to the best route, and they turned on their tactical lights. The moment reminded him of his first trip to Mandalore with Grogu. “I meant to ask about this earlier, but do you know where I can get some kind of bed for Grogu? He’s been sleeping in the kitchenette sink, but I didn’t notice till last night. When I bring over the N-1, he should have his pram but just for the meantime? Although, it’s basically too late since we’ll be leaving tomorrow…"

She was confused. "Isn’t there a bed and a couch in your unit?" And then he heard her mutter under her breath, "I could have sworn we made sure you had an extra room…"

"Oh, yes, but I used the couch while healing, and I kinda got used to it. I've barely used the bedroom."

She gave him the most amused glance. "You do know you’ve been living there almost the entire week, barely coming out?"

"Yeah, but if you recall, I was a little out of it."

She shook her head, stifling a laugh. “Use the bedroom! Grogu can sleep on the couch instead of a sink. Maybe build him a fort next time. He’d love that!” Next time? He smiled wider under the helmet.

Complete darkness surrounded them by the time they arrived at their building. He walked her to the apartment and wished her a good night. Grogu waved sleepily at her over his shoulder as he walked a few doors down. Arriving at his own, he peered from whence he came and saw her watching him from the open doorway. With a final wave, they headed inside.

Din moved Grogu to the couch and took the bed, locking the door. He hadn't slept without a helmet on in what felt like forever. Since the Razor Crest. Since before Grogu. When he rescued the kid, he gave up his bedroom space. Wow, my life was completely different then… but he was happy with where his roundabout path had taken him. He saw Bo in his mind’s eye. He adored her laugh, her smile, everything. He’d never seen her smile so much as she did today. Was he grinning like a fool under the helmet all day? Yes, yes he was.

The next morning, Bo-Katan woke up with a smile on her face. Maybe it was for the best that she had to wear a helmet for the ceremony. People would surely ask about her happy mood. She elected to wear the helmet in the meantime.

She joined Axe and Koska for breakfast that morning. Setting down her meal on the table, she slid off her helmet. Was it her, or was Koska sneaking peeks at her? She checked her expression and attempted to not be obvious in suppressing her smile.

“I am going to Nevarro after the ceremony.” Both her friends glanced at her with the announcement.

“What brought this on?” Koska asked.

“Greef Karga helped us out after the battle on Mandalore, and I was thinking of asking him for a favor.” When she was trying to come up with an excuse earlier, she didn't think this was realistic enough, but the longer she considered it, the more plausible it seemed. Karga should presumably know some specialists since, according to Din, Nevarro has also undergone a lot of changes over the last couple of years.

Din and Grogu chose this moment to walk through the entrance. She saw him incline his head towards the Armourer and towards their table. Axe noticed him as he walked by, and his eyes followed the movements for a few seconds. “Does this have anything to do with Din Djarin?”

Her attention snapped to her friend, and he saw right through her.

She nodded. “He also happens to be going to Nevarro.” Before the other two could ask any other questions, she was saved by Grogu’s interruption. He jumped to the table and pointed to her food on the tray and burbled, "Patoo!" She grinned and pushed the tray towards him, watching him eat.

“Grogu, you shouldn’t steal other people’s food.”

She denied it as Din approached. “He asked first.” She turned in her seat to beam at him.

He sounded a bit taken aback, “Did he now,” he said with a head tilt. Stopping by the table, he placed a couple days’ worth of food and addressed the two others at the table. “Will you be joining us for the ceremony? I think everyone’s attendance will be gladly received, especially if you don’t mind wearing the helmet for a bit.”

Surprisingly, it was Axe who spoke up. “We’ll be there.” Koska agreed, and they received a nod from Din.

Before leaving, Din voiced a quiet, “Thank you.” She thought she noticed the smallest of nods from Axe. Bo-Katan wondered what that was about.

“Come on, Grogu!” The child glanced quickly behind him to see Din was waiting, grabbed a couple more snacks for the road, and jumped into Din’s arms with his cheeks stuffed to the brim. The latter stared at him for a second before chuckling. He murmured something that sounded like, “What am I going to do with you?” before taking off with a wave over his shoulder.

Din arrived late.

“If his parent gave permission, couldn’t he then become a Mandalorian apprentice?” Is he about to do what I think he is?!

“Then I will adopt him as my own.” Oh, wow, that was not something she anticipated to see today. She knew how deeply the duo cared for each other, but she did not expect him to take the step to officially adopt the foundling so soon.

“This… is the way.” Even the Armourer sounded shocked at the certainty with which Din announced his intentions. The Armourer declared that Grogu’s new status was written into Song, and the little family of two stood proudly together.

Axe whispered to her, "did you know he was going to do that?"

She shook her head, still in awe over his actions. She noticed Grogu poking at the water's edge, staring down into the depths as if he sensed something. Her heart beat faster than the drums they were using for the ceremony. He must sense the mythosaur too! It really wasn't just a fever dream. Seeing how only she had seen it till that point, she was glad to have it confirmed.

Din picked up his - now - son and stepped over behind Bo-Katan quietly where she stood with the other Mandalorians. Another youngling stepped up to speak the words of the Creed. With a final "This is the Way" and hammering of vambraces in applause, the ceremony concluded, and the Mandalorians congregated to greet the new initiates. The Children of the Watch near Bo-Katan welcomed Grogu into their ranks and celebrated his new parentage. The apprentice absolutely loved the attention and smiled happily. Bo-Katan waited her turn and watched as Axe stepped over to congratulate Din with a light smack on the shoulder. The faceoff from the langskib floated to the forefront of her mind, and the difference to the scene now didn’t escape her notice. Their new interaction threw her a bit, but she was definitely glad they were getting along.

After Koska, finally, it was her turn. Her friends hung back. She stepped closer to the members of the Mudhorn Clan, and Grogu reached for her. She took him and called him by his new name, "Hello Din Grogu! Congratulations on becoming a Mandalorian apprentice.” She lifted him up above her head in excitement, and he seemed to enjoy that a lot. “Didn't I tell you that your dad was proud of you? You will do amazingly!" In an intimate gesture, she brought his forehead against her own. Grogu stretched as far as his little arms would reach and hugged her helmet.

“And to you too!” she spoke warmly to Din as Grogu let go and her vision became unobstructed.

Noticing her two friends waiting behind her, he whispered his thanks.

After a quiet moment of gazing at each other, the pair joined the others in heading over to their small settlement in the ruins. They walked behind Axe and Koska and kept stealing glances at each other the entire trip.

Chapter Text

Din accidentally let time get away from him while talking to Grogu prior to the ceremony. He made all kinds of plans to go off on their own, but since he intended to take Grogu on as an apprentice, he figured he should run it past the founding first.

Grogu seemed excited at the prospect of rising in ranks and even more so at journeying across the galaxy again to enhance his abilities. If it wasn’t for the Jedi powers and the fact that he wasn’t human, the kid was turning into a carbon-copy of Din, which the Mandalorian found quite adorable.

During the ceremony, when the Armourer rejected his idea of promoting the foundling to apprentice on account of his being unable to speak, the look of disappointment on the kid’s face made him assert himself on Grogu’s behalf. An idea began to take place in the back of his mind as he registered that he’d long acknowledged Grogu as his own. That’s why it hurt so much to separate from him when the Jedi Master agreed to train the foundling, and that was partially why he lost his sense of purpose for those couple of years when his only family was torn from him. He loved the little creature with everything he had, and hurting Grogu’s feelings just a few days ago felt like taking a knife to his chest. It felt right to formally adopt him as his own, and he didn’t hesitate to declare his thoughts out loud.

The little one looked pleasantly surprised with the announcement, and Din felt elated as he watched the little one’s features light up with trust and delight for his new parent. Since he never specifically discussed this with him, Din was glad the child was taking this well. The Armourer also sounded surprised, but it appeared that she now understood why he wanted to leave. She gave him the proper permission to head off on their own.

He caught sight of Grogu at the water’s edge and realized that he must be sensing the mythosaur. His glance darted to Bo, and he wondered if she noticed. Not sure if she wanted everyone to recognize that something was living in the depths, he picked up his son and took his place among the rows of Mandalorians standing at attention. If he stood close to Bo, who could fault him?

Her reaction after the end of the ceremony was positive, and his heart swelled with happiness at watching her interact with his son. She accepted his decision and took it in stride. He still wondered what she really thought, but he felt beyond grateful to her for accepting both of them. He was a bit overcome with emotion and didn’t trust his voice to speak when she congratulated him. Cognizant that they were being watched, he indicated that they should follow the rest of the Mandalorians back up to Sundari.

Her sweet gesture with his son kept replaying in his mind, and he wanted to reach out and take her hand. However, knowing that Axe would see them if he turned around, Din hesitated. He refused to rub his developing relationship in the other man’s face. The man had done nothing to him during their recent interactions. In fact, he had gone to great lengths to help them, at the cost of his own pride and undoubtedly feelings. That being said, Din couldn’t help but stare at Bo, and she was only too happy to return the sneaky glances right back at him.

The trip back up to the city felt much shorter now that his time with Bo was limited. She joined him at his apartment under the premise of helping him pack, but once inside, she looked sad at his impending departure. He began to gather the blankets from Grogu’s couch when she spoke up, “You don’t have to move out, you know. I can keep this unit for you two.”

“Would you?”

“Of course. Especially if you are planning to come back.”

“You know it!” She smiled right back at him.

He folded up the blankets and collected items throughout, picking up after themselves and returning the unit to the appearance it had prior to their arrival.

She peered around the room, amusement in her voice. “Did you… clean this place?”

“Only after Grogu made a mess,” he glanced up and realized she was appraising him. Feeling a bit like he was being judged, he added, “But it was already pretty clean.”

She snorted. “Of course it was.”

Half defensively, half entertained, he stated, “The previous tenant was actually very tidy. Go look in the closet if you don’t believe me!”

She glanced inside and stared at him in disbelief. “Wow, you weren’t kidding.”

“Told you!”

While he was distracted, Din caught Grogu packing away most of the little knick-knacks into his crossbody bag, and he had to stop him before all of them ended up in there. He heard a sound and discovered it was Bo stifling a giggle. He sighed at his child and directed a request at Bo, “Help me out here?”

Grinning, she came over to tell Grogu they would be coming back, and his little figurines would be safe. She helped put them back on the counter and even offered to rearrange them in the window for him.

Delighted with her uplifted mood, Din finished up with his tasks around the apartment without further distractions and prepared their meager belongings at the door. Seeing his chance to run his clothes and himself through the sonic appliances before having to live out of his N-1 again, he snuck away while the two were distracted.

Bo was surprised at how few items he owned. He explained that most of his belongings were on the Razor Crest when it was blown up, and he never bothered replacing them after bidding Grogu goodbye on Moff Gideon’s light-cruiser. He usually traveled light anyway, and that continued to be the case with his limited space on the N-1.

“It’s a good thing you have a new place then! And this gives me an idea of what some of the other members of our society might be looking for in Sundari. Looks like you’re ready to go?”

He picked up the bag. “I need to go find R5, but I can meet you at the ship?” He finished his statement with a question, and she agreed.

Upon arriving in Sundari, he was told that R5-D4 was picked up by one of the Kom’rk Class transport ships after the battle, and it had been powered down for the last couple of weeks while awaiting further instructions. After saying goodbye to Bo, Din realized he wasn’t confident he could find the droid on his own, so he knocked on Koska’s door, remembering her offer to help out if he needed anything. Since she was involved with the provisional government, he figured she might be a good place to start.

Koska met him at the door, and he saw Axe and the young bartender sitting in her main room behind her. Din mentioned what he was looking for, and she explained to him where the droid was being stored.

Just as he was about to leave, she asked, “Is she really going with you?” There was something in her tone that made him look back at her. The bartender lifted her head, curiosity piqued again.

Aware that he should tread cautiously, especially with others listening in, he responded with, “I know she was planning to discuss a few things with Greef Karga. That town was completely shot up by Imps, but he and Cara Dune really turned things around. I hardly recognized the place when I came back to it after a year or so. I think Karga is a great resource. After we helped them with the pirates, he’s even more amenable to helping us out as a new independent world. Bo’s also taking me to my starfighter per my request, but I’m assuming she will pick up some other Mandalorians on her way back.”

Koska nodded, and her eyes expressed an unspoken concern. “Will you be coming back often?”

He nodded. “As much as I can, yes, and when I’m in the area.”

She looked more reassured.

“I’ll see you all around next time,” he said in lieu of a goodbye.

Taking a trip on the Gauntlet with just the three of them reminded Din of their short time with the covert after getting redeemed. He knew that at least a few of the Watch members considered their trio a unit on Pasaana, despite not actually being too close back then. The new subtle changes in Bo’s and his behavior only strengthened their connection and made their interactions feel easy and more natural. He was glad nothing altered drastically while their relationship progressed.

They initiated a casual conversation that continued for most of the flight to Nevarro. There was only one topic that Din was uneasy about raising, and the longer he avoided it, the more it weighed on his mind. He wished to check with her that she was, in fact, okay with him not asking for her opinion regarding the adoption. While he would have still gone through with it even if she disagreed, her opinion mattered to him, and he would be that much more content with his decision if his future partner supported him on this. So he bit the bullet.

“I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t consult with you about Grogu. I talked to him about how he’d feel about becoming an apprentice, and he was positively radiant, so I was excited for him. When the Armourer mentioned the parents, it wasn’t even a choice. I love him like my own son. I have from the beginning. There was something about him that made our bond so much stronger.”

“I know. That was a very thoughtful thing you did. I couldn’t be more thrilled for you two. Honestly!” She even turned around and gave him one of her brilliant smiles. He had nothing to worry about, apparently.

Upon landing on Nevarro, they requested a meeting with the High Magistrate. The protocol droid told them to come back in two hours, so they wandered through the streets.

Each time Din came to Nevarro, he couldn't believe the progress the new world was making. He thought he saw a small remnant of the shootout that took place in the main plaza, but he then realized it was nothing more than a shadow from a nearby tree. He shook his head and shared his thoughts with Bo. He recounted his first run in with Gideon and their escape through the Mandalorian sewers. The level of destruction that the main square experienced was completely invisible after the reconstruction efforts, and Bo was encouraged by this.

The trio went in search of a diner to pass the time. The streets were cleaned up after the pirate encounter as well, and Din was thrilled that Nevarro was able to bounce back. There were more street vendors than ever before, and the cobbled roads were packed with residents bustling about their day. People were actually enjoying themselves, not attempting to stick to corners and shadows in an effort to not be seen.

Din saw a vendor selling something he knew Grogu would enjoy and quickly ducked away to make the purchase.

They finally spotted the doorway of a diner as they skirted another tree on a street corner. Din mused, “I think the one thing this planet would benefit from is some more vegetation. I spent a decent part of my life on Nevarro, but there’s something about green forests and plant life that make me happy.”

As they walked in, Bo filled him in on the scouting group’s discovery of the surface caves on Mandalore, and he was amazed that something like that existed. He expressed interest in seeing them as he led them towards a table in the corner.

After sitting down, Bo continued, “I never thought that the surface was capable of sustaining life, but with our bellicose people driven out, the planet’s other species began to thrive. That just shows that there is still hope for our planet yet.”

“That, and life finds a way. According to you, those were dormant species, but with enough care and some fertile soil to grow, they flourished. I wonder if the same would be possible on Nevarro? Volcanic soil is supposed to be rich in nutrients.”

Her smile only grew as he talked, and he paused, “What?”

“Nothing,” she hummed. Embarrassed, he went quiet. He took the opportunity to turn into the dark corner of the diner and lifted the helmet to ingest some food.

Pivoting to the table, Din discerned that Bo had distracted Grogu from attempting to look at his face.

She changed topics and inquired what his plans were.

“I was thinking of my skill set and how I might apply it to Grogu’s teachings. Do you remember that Adelphi ranger that visited us on Pasaana? Their outpost is near Tattooine, but the New Republic jurisdiction stretches far, and I am thinking they wouldn’t mind an extra starship patrolling the Outer Rim. This way, Grogu and I can also look for any other Imperial remnants in the area to help them out if they don’t have any specific things for me to help out with.”

Intrigued, Bo wondered out loud. “How did you come up with that idea?”

“Karga and I have a long history, not always friendly, but I think defending this place really solidified our friendship. Before I rejoined the covert, I was offered a position of Marshal here on the planet after Cara left,” which reminded him that the position was probably still open. “But I like traversing the galaxy too much to stay in one place. That made me think – how could I still perform the duties but throughout the system? So I remembered Captain Teva.”

She asked how the two met, and he related their few encounters and what led to their unusual rapport. He told her about the bounty job to "rescue” a prisoner and his attempt to save the security officer; the rangers first hailing the Razor Crest, giving chase, and eventually cutting him a break after saving his life; their investigation of the abrupt destruction of the Imperial base on Nevarro, and Captain Teva connecting the dots between him and Karga, who refused to give him up; and the event she was privy to when the Captain found the covert on Pasaana to let him know Karga needed help.

“I figured the New Republic won’t approve of senseless killing, so I think the role would be more of a peacekeeper role. The more conflict I could prevent in the future, the better. Even if it means getting my hands dirty now.”

At his words, Bo got a faraway look and it took her a minute to come out of a daze. “I was wondering how you came to know him!” She considered him quietly and spoke up again, “You have friends all over the galaxy, don’t you?”

“You never know who might be a potential ally,” he said matter-of-factly.

She regarded him with such a warm look, that he longed to return the affection with some kind of gesture. He reached over their small table and grasped her hand in his. Grogu shuffled over and placed his little clawed hand on theirs, and the moment broke. They turned away, laughing.

Din remembered his purchase from earlier and showed Grogu the snack. His eyes grew almost twice their size, and he made grabby hands at the package. Amused, Bo tilted her head in question and Din responded while handing the blue milk cookies to his son, “It’s a snack he discovered here a few trips ago, and he loves it.”

They watched the boy happily munching at the cookies, and Bo grinned, “How cute is he?”

Bo-Katan was curious what bothered Din for most of their trip to Nevarro, and by the looks of it, he was just anxious to hear her honest outlook in reference to the adoption. She didn’t think she had any right to dictate what he could and couldn’t do, but she appreciated that he even considered asking. She told him the truth, and his worries were alleviated almost immediately.

She also found his organized tendencies and interest in plants endearing. She loved the fact that he cared. She didn’t think this was something she would have learned about him before. He didn’t speak much around others normally, probably adhering to the belief “one doesn’t speak unless one knows.” However, as he grew comfortable with her, he began to articulate his views more, and she got little tidbits like the vegetation-comment from earlier.

When he spoke of taking on a peacekeeper role, her mind stalled a bit. In that instance, he reminded her of Satine, her pacifist sister. Bo-Katan had walked in on several arguments between Satine and Obi-Wan about what being a peacekeeper meant. Din seemed to intertwine both their beliefs and took steps in the same direction while not abandoning his strengths as a warrior. In fact, his decision for what jobs to take on was one of the topics they were thrashing out at their council meetings. She wondered, What events had led Din to come to the decision to head down the peacekeeper path? She made a mental note to ask him later.

While Bo-Katan didn’t see the world with the same peaceful ideology as Satine, she wasn’t sure her beliefs were still the same as when she was younger. She certainly wouldn’t have joined up with Death Watch, knowing now what atrocities the group of radicals committed. But she wouldn’t have been on the complete opposite side of Satine either. Just as she and her sister were coming around to not being adversaries, the latter was executed. It was like life had sent Din in Satine’s stead to show her they could have joined forces and kept Mandalore alive.

Today, Bo-Katan was confident in her warrior abilities, but what else was she good at? Prior to taking back Mandalore, she kept failing as a leader of the Nite Owls for several years. That just cemented the belief that she wasn’t fit to rule. It was only with Din’s help that she was able to sway the others and commandeer the Nite Owls again. Over the last few weeks, people kept referring to Bo-Katan as Mand’alor, but she didn’t even know if she deserved the title. So much of her attitude these days was fake aplomb, and she had too many doubts.

She didn’t have the answers, but she was beginning to think that hearing from others like Din would assuredly help the council settle the debate. Din had a unique ability to convert random strangers into allies. He was diplomatic when he tried, though any form of propriety flew out of the window if droids were concerned. He usually carefully listened to others and learned about their ways before making a decision. Doing so allowed him to be sensitive to their concerns and to speak tactfully, which resulted in lasting relationships, droids notwithstanding. She felt like she should take a page out of his book. Maybe not speaking (or fighting) until one knew was the way to go.

A thought struck her – he might not have been Mandalore-born and didn’t have any experience with politics, yet she thought he would have made a decent leader if he still owned the Darksaber. He would have been a fair ruler.

She’d definitely ask him to join the council next time.

When Grogu added his hand to the stack, she may have been a little dismayed that a rare moment of physical contact was interrupted, but she was thrilled to be here with the two nonetheless. Din’s shoulders shook in quiet laughter, and her only regret was that she couldn’t hear it in the cacophony of noises at the diner.

Calming down, she asked him about his life as a Mandalorian, prefacing the question with a statement that he didn’t have to tell her if he didn’t want to. He didn’t deny her the opportunity to learn more about him, and he briefly recounted his adult life. According to him, before he found work with the Bounty Hunting Guild and Karga, he would take odd jobs that were sometimes definitely-questionable. When push came to shove, he’d get the job done since he stuck to honoring his word whenever he could, but he took no pleasure in killing when another opportunity to resolve matters was presented. That was precisely why he ended up cutting most ties with the previous crew he used to run with. They ended up betraying him in the end, so he had no reserves against leaving them all locked in a prison cell after they killed an innocent. “There was no honor in that death,” he spat out, affronted just thinking about it.

She understood him better now and why he took the high road if he could. She thought people might learn from this man’s views. He continued to surprise her with how remarkable his mind was.

If she wasn’t careful, she’d be falling completely head over heels for him. Although honestly, that was probably a lost cause. Not that she minded.

The trio finished their lunch and went to see the High Magistrate. Bo-Katan never spoke to the man, though she remembered his speech after they helped defeat the pirates. He dressed even more stylishly than before, but he was a courtly man.

“Mando! Grogu!” Greef Karga was pleased to see his friend, and the two exchanged a strong forearm handshake. Grogu jumped into the office chair and then to the table to snack on the candies in the bowl atop the desk. The High Magistrate directed his attention to Bo-Katan and gave her a dignified bow. “And who is your friend?”

“I am Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze. I am currently working on establishing a provisional government to set Mandalore up as a new independent planet.”

“Her family used to rule Mandalore,” Din added helpfully, when she went the humble route.

“A princess of Mandalore!” Karga bowed to her again and shook her hand, though less aggressively than with Din.

“We really appreciate your help with our wounded earlier. It’s thanks to you that many lives were saved, and Din here is back on his feet. Now that we have control of the planet again, we need to establish our citizens as more than just terrifying warriors. I’m not sure if you’ve had dealings with other Mandalorian bounty hunters besides Din, but most of the galaxy knows our people as ruthless mercenaries and fearsome bounty hunters, taking on jobs for the highest bidder.”

“Din here was my best bounty hunter. He was extremely skilled and became a legend after retrieving the child when half the guild was unable to! He had a reputation of bringing targets in ali–” Din waved him to stop.

“She has fought by my side.”

“Ahh, so you know his value then?” The corners of Bo-Katan’s mouth tilted upwards, and she nodded. Probably even better than you, Karga. “Well then, I don’t need to blather on. Go on!”

Din cut in, since she discussed her idea with him earlier. “Our whole culture is based on being warriors. Weapons and armor are part of our religion, but we think our skills could be put to better use than mindless killing. Similar to how you offered me the role of marshal, we were thinking our people could start taking on legitimate jobs, like security and protective detail or other peacekeeping roles.”

Bo-Katan noticed how Karga’s eyes darted between the two of them when Din said “we.” Dismissing that distracting thought, she continued, “We know you used to be an agent of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, but now, as High Magistrate of this independent trade anchor of the Hydian Way,” she knew she was laying it on pretty thick, “you might hear more about potential jobs. If you hear of anyone, including Nevarro, needing services like this, please point them our way or contact us.”

Din wrapped up, “I might be in the area more often, so you can reach Mandalore through me.”

The High Magistrate studied Bo-Katan for a couple of seconds and laughed. “Looks like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Bo-Katan Kryze. I think our worlds will be able to help each other! Is there anything you need in the meantime?”

“If you could recommend any civil engineers, architects, and medics to help during reconstruction, that would be great. We are somewhat lacking in people who specialize in specific trades, so we’d be willing to pay a finder’s fee for anyone you send our way.”

“Consider it a gift for protecting our citizens without any promise of reward when we were just getting on our feet as well. We can be allies across the galaxy.” Karga inclined his head at her.

Bo-Katan returned the small bow with one of her rare genuine smiles, and looked over to Din, ecstatic at how well this had gone.

Greef Karga and the two shook hands, and the magistrate directed his attention to the young apprentice, pulling out a secret stash of new snacks to share with the little one.

“Are you two staying here long?”

“Our main goal was to discuss the proposal with you, and Din needed to get to his starship. I’ll be picking up some other Mandalorians from the settlement here and heading out. We might be back a few more times to get the rest of our people.”

“Also, I wanted to share some good news. I adopted the child. He is now my new apprentice Din Grogu. Per Mandalorian culture, he needs to journey across the galaxy to train, and I have business with the Adelphi rangers. I’ll be sure to stop by again soon!”

“Congratulations! Make sure to protect Mando on your journeys, Din Grogu.”

“He’s already been doing that.”

“Keep up the good work!” He stroked the child’s head.

“Come, Grogu!” The little one jumped to Bo-Katan’s arms, and they headed out.

After stepping outside, Bo-Katan mentioned, “I think he noticed something between us.”

“I don’t doubt it. Karga sees a lot. I’m sure I’ll get some questions next time.” Din shook his head. “If you’re okay with it, I think I’ll head out after getting R5?”

“Sure. Will I see you for the Great Forge lighting ceremony? We finally settled on a date. It’ll be in two weeks from today.”

“I think I’ll be able to make it if I travel back directly via the trade routes.”

“Looking forward to it!”

Gathering his rations and bag from the Gauntlet, Din powered up the droid and transferred everything to the N-1 standing nearby. Bo-Katan saw Grogu jump into the cockpit and fretted, We haven’t said goodbye yet!

She called out, “Wait!” and took a running leap, putting on her helmet as she landed. She reached for Din and connected their foreheads with a gentle clink. “Okay, now you can go!”

He outright laughed, and her heart soared. That was a new sound that she wanted to play on repeat forever.

“Take care of yourself,” she said a little breathlessly, her hands in his. She opened her arms for Grogu to jump into and said, “You too, Grogu.”

With emotion in his voice, he said, “See you very soon.” Unwilling to let go, she let their hands trace the length of each others’ fingers as she stepped back.

Chapter Text

After saying their goodbyes, Bo-Katan collected another Gauntlet’s worth of Mandalorians to transport back to their planet. She smiled under the helmet for an hour before the high from the sound of Din's laughter wore off.

She tried not to focus on how much she will miss Din and Grogu over the next couple of weeks. Now that her relationship with the man was no longer of a questionable status and at the forefront of her mind, she could allocate some more brain power towards other concerns. Specifically, the growing unrest between the two tribes. At the time of the lighting ceremony for the Great Forge, their growing settlement would hold more than three hundred warriors along with their apprentices and foundlings. As more and more arrived with every trip back to Nevarro, their numbers continued to grow. Well, the Nite Owl numbers continued to grow. There were considerably fewer Children of the Watch – less than one for every five Nite Owls. The latter did not understand their helmet-wearing and religious counterparts. There were snippy comments made every day, but Bo-Katan held on to the hope that their common goal would keep them from not only tearing each other apart but from even getting to that point.

Even within the council, there were people from both tribes that weren't thrilled with accommodating others’ beliefs. She knew a decent amount of the Nite Owls had accepted Din since she vouched for him so vocally on Plazir-15, but most still had reservations about the rest of his tribe. Her two best friends were definitely among the first to adjust their outlook on their new commingled society.

After her return, Koska seemed to be keeping an eye on her, but she was fine. She was great! Her heart hummed with happiness and hope. Sure, she was counting down the days till the Great Forge lighting because that was when he was planning to come back, but she had plenty of things to keep her busy here.

The council were excited to learn that Nevarro would be helping out by referring some professional tradespeople and consultants for their use. They discussed how much they could afford to pay for when the opportunity to take the others on came to fruition.

In an effort to be more inclusive of the helmet-wearing members of their community, a few changes were put in place. Specifically, changing the lighting and the addition of booths with enclosures in the food hall that allowed the Watch members to eat without worrying about revealing their face. Some of these booths were set up for groups of Watch members only while others allowed for mixed groups. As expected, the latter were seldom used, but the council maintained that these would be used more in the future.

They also finally got around to fixing the locks on the doors. Bo-Katan hung onto the keys for Din’s apartment. Every time her hand brushed the keys in her pocket, her mind drifted to the two members of the Mudhorn Clan. She hoped they hurried back soon. The miniature owl sparkled at her from the windowsill each morning, and the apprentice’s pure gesture put a smile on her face. She hoped he didn’t miss her too much after giving up the stone figurine.

Only a day after her arrival, Axe pointed out that she picked up a small shadow. Ragnar started to follow her around, asking her if she needed help and whether he could join her in the council meetings. He was no longer dismissive of her like some of the other Children of the Watch were for a while. And even the latter came around as well. Now that she was beginning to get to know him, the kid was pretty cute but very curious and outspoken. He reminded her of a younger version of herself, so she figured she’d take him under her wing.

Two days later, as the kid opened up, she ventured to ask him why he was really accompanying her everywhere.

“I’m not as physically strong as the grownups, so I can’t help with the debris destruction or elimination. I’ve been helping catalog items from buildings to be demolished, but most end up being garbage, so that task hasn’t been very exciting.” Bo-Katan could relate. She’d done a fair amount of that work herself when she first arrived while incapacitated, and she knew the resettling wasn’t the thrilling experience that some people thought it would be. She focused on the young warrior as he continued, “I wanted to see what you were working on and to learn. Dad was right, you don’t give up. The meetings do feel a bit repetitive, but you keep the council focused on the issues. I think dad would have been happy with how you are trying to help both tribes.”

Staring at the young man in front of her, Bo-Katan wondered aloud at how he knew that.

“Before he–” Ragnar stopped, shoulders falling. He sighed deeply and collected himself before picking up where he left off, “Before, dad used to scorn Din Djarin since he took off his helmet, but he began to hold both of you in high regard after he spent some time working together, especially during my rescue. He was very grateful to you two and respected you both for always standing by what's right and your perseverance.” Ragnar went quiet, and just as it looked like he was about to say something else, the Armourer approached and requested Bo-Katan’s presence. Bo-Katan told Ragnar they could continue chatting at a later time.

The Armourer led the way to the clearing they were using for a couple of their stationed transports. There stood a ship with several newcomers, who just disembarked. The pair approached the strangers cautiously as the others looked around. After the initial introductions, the Armourer and Bo-Katan were told that this group of Mandalorians left the planet after Satine Kryze’s demise since they supported her pacifist ways.

Swallowing, Bo-Katan tried not to let her concern show. Can I live up to their standards? She knew she wasn’t her sister, and she felt like she wasn’t living up to her promises as a ruler of Mandalore, though that might have been her impostor syndrome talking. She knew most still saw her bravado that she exuded. She voiced her hopes that she could achieve half the goals that her sister had. She was determined to not make any other comparisons to her sister. As they left before they saw her rule as regent, they wouldn’t get the chance to see her flounder twice. She didn’t want to make empty promises to them, especially considering their council didn’t know which direction they might take as a society.

Deciding to bring that up at the meeting after lunch, she prefaced the dialogue with an announcement that they were joined in Sundari by another group of settlers, who were previously Satine’s followers. She clarified what that meant to the Watch members and led the discussion to the contentious topic. “I am proposing a discourse as to how we should portray ourselves as a Mandalorian society going forward.” She spent the last couple of nights dwelling on this topic since this was one of the major issues that had torn their people apart before the Purge of Mandalore. “I think it’s important that we convey a united front on this policy from the beginning. If possible, I wish to communicate our decision at the Great Forge lighting ceremony when we are most likely to have the largest attendance.”

A couple of people immediately jumped in, loudly renouncing the extreme pacifist lifestyle that her sister had supported. A few others interrupted, and Bo-Katan was forced to raise her voice to be heard over the others as she reminded them that they needed to take an orderly approach to their debates.

As expected, the council did not agree on how to proceed by the end of the day. Bo-Katan never even got an opportunity to talk to the others about what she and Din discussed on Nevarro. They also didn't get too much else done in the next few hours, but at least they were beginning to consider their options. She’d rather have this item as a focus, even if they didn’t get anywhere yet. Unfortunately, the next few days passed in a similar manner.

During a lunch break the following day, Ragnar asked the question that was probably eating him up from the inside. “How did my dad die?” Axe and Koska went quiet. The four were sitting at one of the booths set up for mixed groups, and Ragnar spun around in his seat and lifted the bowl of soup to the helmet and swallowed a few gulps. Bo-Katan waited until he faced her again before speaking. This must have been what Ragnar was psyching himself up to ask yesterday.

“Your father was a remarkable warrior. One of the bravest men I’ve ever known. I didn’t get to know him very well, but he is the reason we are all here. Because of him, we were able to save the fleet, get reinforcements, and escape the Imperial base. I saw Paz Vizsla take down several platoons of soldiers before he told me to leave him and escape to win back Mandalore. I don’t believe any of the beskar-reinforced troopers would have been strong enough to take him down.” She paused to give Ragnar an out if he chose to stop her there. The boy continued to look expectant all while listening intently, so she continued, “Moff Gideon had three elite soldiers called the Praetorian Guard, and I think it must have been them who defeated your dad. They were supposed to be an extremely powerful class of soldier that could coordinate their attacks, so historically they were nearly impossible to defeat. They were a formidable opponent to lose against.”

He bowed his head in mourning, and his shoulders moved with a sigh. Bo-Katan delicately reached out to place a hand on his. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

After a few seconds of silence, Ragnar lifted his head and asked worriedly. “Did they escape? What happened to them?”

This answer she knew from Din telling her during their walk through the ruins, so she responded to the best of her abilities. “I know that Din Djarin and Grogu managed to take out all three Praetorian Guards, but it was a tough battle. I didn’t see it happen, but according to Din, he was almost killed himself. It was only thanks to Grogu that he had a fighting chance. He said the elite warriors had some kind of weapons that were able to stop a heart. Only the two working together with their varying abilities managed to defeat all three soldiers, and even then I think it was a close call.”

She knew this conversation was about Ragnar and Paz Vizsla, but she still couldn’t believe that she’d come so close to losing Din. To losing both of them! She swallowed down the lump in her throat. Time to switch the conversation back to what Ragnar wanted to hear.

“I knew your grandfather Pre Vizsla back at the peak of our New Mandalorian society. As it happens, I served right under him. He was also an amazing warrior. He used to wield the Darksaber at one point.”

The boy glanced up at her. “Really?”

She nodded. “You have some large shoes to fill,” she smiled at him. “But no pressure!”

The boy grunted. “Don’t worry, I’ll be just like my dad. Better even!”

“Sounds like you should train with Din Djarin.”

The haughty response came quickly. “Why?” It looked like the young man in front of her hadn’t warmed up to Din yet, despite his father’s acceptance of the two. I wonder if Grogu’s quick defeat of him had anything to do with it, she thought as she remembered him sulking after Grogu’s first duel when Din quoted the Creed at him.

She underpinned her previous comment with “Did you know that your father challenged Din for the Darksaber?”

“No way! My dad lost?”

Trying to hide a smile, Bo-Katan told him the story of how Din clumsily fought off Paz Vizsla with the Darksaber on Glavis Ringworld. He never did master it. “Your father came really close to beating him too, but apparently Din was a bit better at hand-to-hand combat, so when he switched to a different weapon he overpowered him.”

“Hmph!” Ragnar crossed his arms.

“Why do you think I didn’t want to challenge him for the Darksaber?” Koska raised her eyebrow, and Bo-Katan shook her head lightly as if to say, That’s not why. Not really. “If you want to become a great warrior, you have to learn from the best!”

She’d bet a lot that if he didn’t have a helmet covering his face, he’d be sporting the largest pout right now. He didn’t like to lose – either him or his own. She understood that only too well. Grinning, she reminded Ragnar to finish off the soup, and the four headed back to the academy building where most of the council sessions took place.

At the meeting, she spoke up. “I know we can talk about the future government and direction of society ad nauseam, but I had something else to discuss today if we could switch topics?”

She got a few nods, and she jumped right into it. With their growing population, it wasn’t enough that they only had the food hall, housing, and volunteering locations. She proposed that they formally set up and open a few supply shops. Namely, a place to obtain new clothes or flight-suits, a location for a mechanic or repair shop, and someplace to obtain armor or resupply their gauntlet weapons, especially as the Great Forge became operational. For the latter, they could ask people for a small donation towards rebuilding Mandalore to help collect capital when they acquired items from the armory. Similarly, they could officially expand the mini-cantina and open it to others. This would be the one location where they could either rely on donations again or specifically charge for the drinks, but all earnings would be treated as donations towards Mandalore. It was Din that gave her the idea for this when he slid some credits to Luna the night they made up. They could open up other businesses as they saw fit if there was a space and demand for them.

A few people backed her up on needing some new clothes, citing that the sonic washers weren’t enough and they needed an actual change of clothes. A lot of the gear was lost at the time the large light-cruiser was destroyed, and most now only had limited belongings. The Armourer agreed to setting up an armor supply shed after she had an opportunity to create more weapons and perhaps train someone as an apprentice. They would need to keep it closed to most in the meantime unless they were going off-world and needed urgent resupplying. Currently, she was primarily focused on supplying the security and perimeter patrol. If they had a few more volunteers down in the mines, she could get started on creating more armor sooner as her supply was largely dependent on the quantity of beskar ore she had to work with.

The cantina idea was met with varying responses. Some did not want to charge for drinks since they weren’t charging for meals, but they could see the benefits of collecting towards Mandalore reparations. Bo-Katan pointed out that they did not currently have enough supplies to stock up a full bar, and they didn't want to spend a lot of their diminishing capital towards alcohol, so asking people to donate could discourage some from frequenting the cantina often. At the same time, charging for alcohol would encourage others to go out and earn an income that they could then use to spend at the cantina. Without a final decision, they decided to clean up the space for now and prepare to expand as demand increased.

As they switched back to their controversial topics, someone suggested getting opinions from the rest of the settlers, which she quickly seconded. Ultimately, they agreed on allocating a couple of hours before lunch every other day for representatives from each floor to show up and participate in the meetings if they so chose. Since most of the clans and tribes stuck together, having a person from each floor would get a reasonable distribution of everyone’s beliefs and concerns. They planned to communicate the announcement regarding the inclusive assembly times to the others.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a Nite-Owl-versus-Watch conflict that flared up first.

As word got out about their retaking of the planet, other small groups of Mandalorians started to join them and offered to aid in their efforts. A large number of these were survivors that escaped Mandalore before it got bombed, similar to the first group that showed up, and some - but still very few - of these immigrants were Children of the Watch. Most still seemed to get along with everyone else. Usually.

There was a traveler who was an avid follower of the Way of the Mandalore that seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. He was apparently of Old Mandalorian blood but still adhered to similar beliefs as those followed by the Children of the Watch. He and a few others arrived on a small starship that was in pretty bad disrepair. Their armor looked worn but well-used; some were even missing sections of armor, undoubtedly lost or badly-damaged during a battle. Most of his crew were decent people, if not a bit unusual, but they fit in well enough. The belligerent man’s name was Einar Awaud, and he seemed to cause conflict wherever he went. He didn’t even get along with the Armourer, who was usually a patient person. His red armor was like a warning to everyone to stay away. When he walked into a room, the atmosphere instantly soured. Luckily for everyone, he primarily stayed quiet, but on the occasion he had an opinion, he made sure everyone knew it.

The morning a couple days before the Great Forge ceremony, Ragnar walked into the council chambers in a lousy mood and sat himself near Bo-Katan. She inquired what was wrong, and his response was a monotonous “Einar.” Nothing else needed to be said.

“Ignore that old grouch,” she said and dismissed any thoughts about the old man. The grouch in question had been joining them for the last few representative meetings since they resolved to hear others’ opinions.

Ignoring Einar was certainly not an easy thing to do. He’d been quiet for most of today so far, and Bo-Katan was praying that he would stay that way until they broke for lunch. If he did, she wouldn’t need to deal with him again until after the ceremony since they would be postponing additional assemblies till after the Great Forge was lit.

A door opened behind her, and Koska went to the newcomer. She called over Diana, who had been handling treasury matters for Mandalore. Bo-Katan heard a stage-whisper of “Join us!” from behind her, as if the person needed extra convincing, and three sets of footsteps approached the council table.

She did a double take and was pleasantly surprised when it was Din that joined them. Normally, seeing him would be cause for celebration for Bo-Katan, but they were involved in another one of their tedious debates about the direction in which they could take their Mandalorian society, and her patience was wearing thin. They’d been going around in circles for almost two hours. She still sent a small smile his way, and he nodded back at her.

Evidently, something about Din made Einar decide to pick a fight. His obnoxious voice rang out, and Bo-Katan closed her eyes in impatience. Oh stars, please give me strength.

“Weren’t you asking for representatives from each floor? It seems like anyone can get a seat at the table as long as they’re sleeping with Bo-Katan Kryze.”

Her eyes snapped open, looking at the man in horror. “E– Excuse me?” Bo-Katan stared at him. “We are not sleeping together.” She felt her cheeks color. She was willing to wager that her face resembled the color of her hair.

“Oh, so you aren’t together?”

She glanced at Din’s tense figure to see him give her an imperceptible nod, and with a gulp, she responded haltingly yet defensively, “We are, but that doesn’t mean–”

“So you’re an apostate.” Her brows met in the middle. This man was outrageous. She was given explicit permission by the Armourer to take off her helmet! He directed his next slight at Din, “You’re taking your helmet off too, aren’t you?”

Silence stretched through the small room. She could see the faces of the Nite Owls, and they all looked on edge, preparing for a dispute.

“I am not.” His voice was restrained but so cold. A few of the Nite Owls’ eyes darted between her and Din. As the silence stretched on and no one else said a word, Din continued, “But even if I was, that would be none of your business. Plus, the Living Waters are right here.”

The crotchety old man went on accusingly, “I heard about you, Din Djarin.” Einar spit out his name with such venom. “You were an apostate before and supposedly got redeemed. You cannot pretend that you are still a Child of the Watch. Even if you drown yourself in the Waters a hundred times, that wouldn’t change the fact that you departed from the Way!” A few Nite Owls looked at Din curiously. Most didn’t know that he had removed his helmet.

In her commanding voice, the Armourer spoke up. “That is enough! By Creed, bathing in the Living Waters will redeem anyone who has strayed from the Way. And Lady Kryze walks both worlds.” Bo-Katan let the Armourer handle Einar. She was staring at Din, his posture so stiff, and she just now realized what he had to deal with from members of the Watch after taking the helmet off that one time. Maybe it would be better if she put on her own helmet when they were together? She reached for it when –

“Does she? Seems like she’s living in one world now,” Einar refused to give it a rest as he sneered at her. She could see the other Watch members shaking their heads. Most of them accepted her walking both worlds, especially since the Armourer had nothing against it. Einar was an extremist, even to them.

Bo-Katan put the helmet on anyway, though it wasn’t because of Einar’s words. It still felt like she caved to his criticism, and it frustrated her to no end. I didn’t do it for that mudscuffer. I did it for Din! She swallowed and breathed through her nose, striving to calm down. An emotional outburst would not help anyone right now.

“If you disagree with how things are done, you are welcome to pack your bags.” She should make sure to thank the Armourer later for defending them.

It took Bo-Katan a few seconds to remember what they were talking about before the conversation got so derailed. She finally got her thoughts in order and defended Din. “The reason I asked Din here was because he might be able to offer some opinions regarding the topics we are discussing.”

“He's a foundling. A naasade. What does he know about our ways and politics?” Those who knew Mando’a bristled and glared at Einar. Din had proven himself time and time again, and this pointless conversation had no merit in their eyes.

The Armourer was getting aggravated. “Do we have to ask you to leave?” Bo-Katan wanted to cheer for the Armourer.

Bo-Katan continued to defend Din, but she shouldn’t have had to. Einar was out of line. “I have discussed this with him, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has something to add to this conversation. Additionally, you might see him as an outsider, but that’s precisely why we can benefit from him being here. As someone who wasn’t born with our beliefs, he may have innovative ideas the rest of us don’t. A meeting with a diverse set of participants can only benefit us. Plus, not everyone coming to Mandalore has lived here all their lives and is used to our customs. Whatever society and government we set up for the future has to take everyone into account.”

Soooo she may have gotten a bit defensive, but Einar earned her ire.

They somehow got through the rest of the meeting, and Din even spoke up a few times. He attested that there was a middle ground that they could adhere to. He listed off some options for how they could sustain this way of life and the opportunities available to them if they went that route. He also mentioned how he had, in fact, just been off doing something for the New Republic. Bo-Katan felt justified in inviting him despite everything that happened.

Meeting over, she breathed a sigh of relief. She was still stupefied that this is what Din had to go through.

Wow, what an absolute skughole!

Din sat one chair over, and Axe saw him clenching his fists after the comment regarding Bo-Katan. He honestly agreed. That was entirely unnecessary.

The assembly ended, and Einar slinked out of there. Din followed. Axe had half a mind to tail the two when he heard Bo-Katan mention that she was more worried about Din Djarin. Ah, what the hell. He went after them.

It was a good thing too. He saw Einar shove Din off of him and heard, “–means you're a nobody. Tell me, was she lying for you? Are you actually running off to the Living Waters every night?”

Outraged, Axe itched to knock Einar out himself, but instead he got to Din just in time to stop him from jumping the older man. He was barely able to hinder Din’s charge at the offender.

Din raised his voice. “You stay away from her, and stay away from me!”

He could hear Din was beyond furious, and he growled at Axe, “Let me go.” The man was breathing hard, but he still had his wits about him enough to not attack the one holding him back. Having seen Din fight, Axe pondered if he would have been able to restrain him if Din had really tried to throw him off.

Axe heard a long exhale. “Let me go. I won’t go after him,” and then added ferociously, “Unfortunately.” Trusting him to keep his word, Axe released his hold, and Din pushed off the ground with all his might to fly up and away.

Sighing, Axe looked around for the skughole who started this whole mess, but he’d disappeared. With one last glance toward Din, he rejoined Bo-Katan and Koska back in the meeting chamber and notified them both about Din flying off.

“Show me where!” Bo-Katan jumped up and ran out.

He pointed in the general direction, and light dawned behind her eyes as if she knew exactly where he went.

“Can I borrow your jet-pack?” She had been planning to go out later, so she wore her armor. Handing her the jet-pack, he heard the click as it magnetized to her suit, and she flew off with a whoosh.

Why did he keep getting involved in their relationship? It wasn’t good for him. Bo-Katan clearly had eyes for no one else.

Landing on the ledge where she first set her eyes on the ruins of Sundari, she saw Din pacing in the trinitite clearing.

She approached cautiously. “Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that.” He growled back at her in his agitation.

Sighing, she said, “I had no idea that’s what you had to deal with in your covert.”

“Some are more unreasonable than others.”

“I dont think I’ve ever seen you this tense. Maybe when we first met and you went on the defensive, or… no, when Gideon captured you?” She watched him walk up and down.

“Some of the Watch members are…” he grasped for a word but couldn’t find the right one.

“That was a religious zealot if I’d ever seen one. I’m sorry I ever called you that in the first place. The people in your covert are nothing like him.” She paused, mind running over what happened again. “Part of me is debating how bad that was. On one hand, it’s good that it wasn’t one tribe against the other, but we also don’t want tribe members fighting amongst each other.”

“Yeah, arguably, that was worse.” He shook his head and finally stopped in front of her. He sounded more calm. “It’s a good thing Axe stepped in when he did. I almost escalated the issue. I’m really sorry; I almost messed everything up.”

She shook her head and bowed her helmet so that her forehead rested against his chest. “I’m sorry. I’ll wear my helmet when we’re together from now on.”

”What?” His hands landed on her shoulders. “You don’t have to!”

“But I want to.” She looked up. “If it helps you not deal with unreasonable situations like that, I’ll do it.”

“I am not sure it will help with people like him, but thank you.” He inclined his head at her and released her shoulders.

She examined him closely. He was still too tense, and his hands were apprehensively fidgety. “Now, what else is on your mind?”

“Am I that obvious?” He at least had the sense to sound sheepish.

She didn’t respond but took Din’s hands in hers to stop him from wringing them together.

Chapter Text

Din grimaced under the helmet. Of course it was obvious. Realizing his fingers were basically knotting themselves in his distress, he splayed the fingers out, attempting a real smile under the helmet. He showed her his hands. “Not tense, see?” He jested and peered at her, but instead of her small smile that he’d grown accustomed to seeing, he now saw the owl helmet looking back at him. His mood turning glum, he thought, We’re from two completely different worlds. Can this even work?

What a mess. Now people knew, and soon, the news would spread. That thought stressed him out more than he realized. What did that detestable Mandalorian call him? A nobody? Kriff. The shadows from the dark corner of his mind expanded.

“Din?” He brought his focus back to the real world, the murkiness receding slightly at her voice. “Whatever you’re thinking right now, don’t, okay?” The owl helmet stared back at him intently. Bo reached for him but got distracted by what must have been her commlink coming online. She froze as she listened. “I am very sorry, but I need to run. I can stop by later today, alright?”

He waved away the apology. “It’s alright. I need to go get Grogu anyway. I left him in the food hall; I didn’t intend on sitting in on the meeting. I only wanted to drop off a portion of my earnings.”

“Already? You’re too considerate and prudent.”

“Circumstances allowed me to get paid sooner, so I figured I’d chip in.” He shrugged. As long as he had an income coming in, he didn’t mind donating to the cause before being asked. Knowing she needed to go, Din queried, “Can you point me in the direction of the base we destroyed? I want to see if I can recover IG-12 for Karga.”

She gestured behind her.

As she stepped away, she asserted, “Now you,” she pointed, “don’t go overthinking things, okay? Not till we have a chance to talk.” A few meters away, she turned and said, “Oh, and this is for you!” She threw him a set of keys. He caught them and waved as she flew off toward their settlement.

No overthinking things. He should be able to do that for a few hours, right? His stomach growled, and he headed off for the food hall, thinking about going to the base with Grogu to keep him distracted enough for several hours.

The doors slid open, and he took in the changes around him. The open place now had a scattering of tall booths to accommodate the Watch members. He glanced into one on his way to pick up food for himself. From his understanding, the outside dividers of the seats were constructed with one-way glass to avoid making the occupants feel isolated from the rest of the citizens in the hall. The lighting within the booths was concentrated on the tables and cast shadows above the chest, which would conceal enough of the face so that a helmet could be tilted up to consume food. There were also partitions that could be added to specific seats to completely take off the helmet, if so desired. Din wasn’t sure how much that last feature would be used if there were mixed groups sitting around the tables. Fascinating though. He was sure this was Bo’s idea. The Watch members were usually content enough to eat separately since they were used to life wearing a helmet.

Sighting Grogu babbling at Ragnar in a booth, he walked towards them. The young man’s food sat untouched, save for Grogu nibbling at it.

“Grogu, what are you doing?” He leaned into the booth. Softer, his voice reflecting grief for the elder Vizsla’s passing, he uttered, “I’m sorry about your dad.”

Ragnar nodded in reply but didn’t say anything else, so Din picked up Grogu and turned to leave.

"Din Djarin." He stopped. Knowing the young man was in attendance at the assembly, Din worried Ragnar would accuse him just like the man in red. Instead, he surprised Din by announcing, “I want to train with you.” The man faced him and gauged his commitment. Din consented to the other’s request but clarified that he might not be around all the time because of his plans to travel. His son jumped out of his arms and grabbed a few more morsels of food off the plate, the young human watching him.

Ragnar agreed and looked up. “Can I... can I travel with you sometime?”

Din considered the modified request. “What are your responsibilities now?”

“Bo-Katan has been letting me sit in on and shadow her at the meetings to learn, but I want to be a great warrior. Like dad. Like you.”

Honored that the youth considered him a great warrior, Din responded with, “I think we can make that work.” Even if he wasn’t assigned to anything specific, checking in with Bo would still be a good idea just in case. Wait, did I take on a second apprentice? I might need to borrow a different ship if I’ll be traveling with a whole other person.

“Come on, Grogu.”

“Can I come with you today?”

“What about the meeting after lunch?”

“Bo-Katan dismissed us for the rest of the day as she had other responsibilities.”

Hmm. He didn’t want to take the boy to his father’s place of death. “Not today. I’m a bit short on space, but maybe next time I’m leaving for a bounty hunting mission, alright?”

As Din left the Civic Center, he thought he got some looks, or he was probably just being paranoid. It had been less than an hour; the news about him and Bo couldn’t have spread that quickly. At least he clarified during the assembly that he was not taking his helmet off, so people should have no reason to think otherwise. And while he felt that no one else should have a say in their private lives, he was also curious - what were the others thinking? The darker confines of his mind hissed that the Watch might see it as Bo trying to make him take the helmet off, and the Nite Owls could see it as him leading her on.

Except when he’d offered her his shoulder on the langskib, there hadn’t been much casual contact between the two of them. They’d kept their developing relationship under wraps until that kriffing guy in red forced their hand. Din knew that as their attachment grew, their lack of physical contact was apt to change, but they should be able to keep it out of the public’s eye. But how could he stay a Mandalorian? He didn’t want to become an apostate, yet he yearned for a closeness with Bo more than he’d ever craved it with anyone else. Deliberating the nerve-racking topic of removing the helmet, his heart pounded and his anxiety climbed. He wasn’t ready to do it, not yet, but he would like to do it someday. There was no denying it anymore; he was willing to do anything for her. It just was a matter of time. He hoped she would be patient with him. For now, the Armourer and the others could claim plausible deniability to him not removing the helmet, which was true for the near future anyway.

To distract himself from the anxiety-inducing thoughts, he headed off to his N-1. Grogu decided to come with him to the base, and they headed over in the direction Bo indicated. He sighed, his mind in a jumbled mess after the confrontation. At least he had a productive week. He met with Captain Carson Teva, they got a deal going, and he somehow managed to get himself a replacement central processing unit for IG-11. He smiled as he remembered the lame joke made by the droid when he lay concussed on Nevarro. The droid attempted to distract him from the pain while Din was trying to come up with an idea as to how to hold off a whole platoon of soldiers in his battered state. He hoped the Anzellans would be able to fix him up if he found all the remains in the destroyed base. It would make a good gift for Karga for all his help, and this was the only trustworthy droid that Din relied on to fill Nevarro’s Marshal position.

Captain Teva caught him as he moved to take off, and Din helped the Adelphi Rangers out with another pirate attack. The job was nearby, so they made quick work of it. He asked Captain Teva to prioritize sending him on missions where the little one could get involved as well. But a job’s a job, so he gratefully accepted a small payment in thanks for helping chase away the pirates.

Carefully checking for the trinitaur in the surrounding area, he piloted the starship through the opening in the surface of the base. It was in complete disarray. Din parked the starship on the platform where Grogu saved them and found IG-12’s body exactly where he last remembered seeing it. He shone a light around him on the chance that he could find anything else salvageable, but he couldn’t make sense of much else in his surroundings. All he saw were charred remains. The sprinkling of soot on everything made objects hard to discern, so he had to admit defeat and call his missing jetpack and weapons a loss. He’d have to wait for the Armourer to make him some new gear later.

Forced to position the droid awkwardly out of the cockpit while making his way back to Sundari, he was pretty uncomfortable in the cramped space. Grogu scaled the droid and stuck his head out of the glorified landspeeder as Din whizzed around the trinitite mountains. His large ears flapping in the wind, Grogu laughed, swaying in the current of air rushing past, and it brought a smile to Din’s face. Yep, a little speed demon, exactly like him. Like father, like son, he realized.

As he landed amid the ruins of Sundari, he knew he’d have to think of a better way to transport the IG unit to Nevarro. Even if he could figure out how to fit the pieces into the cockpit, there’s no way he was spending a couple days like that in the confined space. And it wouldn’t work to leave the cockpit open while traveling through the galaxy. He might have to see how much storage space he can free up.

Din tried the door to his unit and had to double check that he had the right one before he remembered that the locks had been changed. He dug out the keys from his pockets and looked at them. They were a set of thin, elongated metal cylinders with notches along the bottom. The other end had a hole by which they were attached to a leather cord. Using them was fairly easy, but he should probably attach them to his person to not forget them when leaving. He understood why these kinds of doors weren’t as popular in other parts of the galaxy.

When Bo knocked on his door that evening, she no longer sported a helmet. Walking in and shutting the door behind her, she asked curiously, “What happened here?”

I attempted to follow your instructions… he thought abashedly. Needing something to occupy his mind, Din reorganized the entire apartment. It all started out with Grogu asking him to move the couch near the window, and physical labor distracted him from his thoughts, so before he knew it, everything else shifted around as well.

To Bo, he only clarified, “Grogu really liked the figurines on the window.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and grinned. “And you, being the doting father, rearranged the entire place just for the couch?”

“Maybe.” There was no preventing his face from splitting into a wide grin. Her smile was contagious.

He noticed she carried meal packs. “Did you bring us food?”

“Yes, I wanted to make sure you weren’t hiding out in your apartment like last time.” Her eyebrow tilted upwards, and as he went to take it from her, he squeezed her fingers in the process. She knew him too well. Her smile grew.

They sat on both sides of his bedroom door as they ate and picked up small strands of conversation here and there. Even silence wasn’t awkward. Bo prevented Grogu from heading in the room until she was sure Din put the helmet back on. She kept the little one in her lap, and he munched on some of her food. She had grabbed several types of his favorite snacks, but Grogu loved stealing food from others. Anticipating this, the snacks were non-perishable and could be saved for later.

After the meal, she asked, “Is your face covered?” Hearing his affirmation, she pushed the door open.

“Get comfortable, I’ll be right back.” Din set Grogu down on the sofa and came back to the bedroom. He sat against the bed, next to Bo. For a second, he wondered why she didn’t sit on top of it, but when his mind supplied the answer, he felt entirely too warm in his flight suit and armor.

She scooched over closer and looped her arm through his. The hair on his arms stood up as if electrified upon her pressing against him. “Now, what’s on your mind?” Her voice was gentle and calming in contrast to the agitated feelings in his chest.

He took a breath, deflecting intrusive thoughts, and dived in. “That Mandalorian in red– what is his name anyway?”

“Einar Awaud. He thinks he can be this obnoxious because he comes from an Old Mandalorian family. But his clan left Mandalore half a century ago and apparently some of them started following their own Way of the Mandalore.”

“Right. Einar. He called me something while in the meeting, and I asked him what the Mandalorian word meant.”

“Mando’a.”

“Hmm?” He tipped his head in confusion.

“Mando’a. That’s the name of the spoken language of our people. The written language is Mandalorian.”

He indicated that he understood. “I can read some of it, but I don’t know the spoken language. I didn’t even know that.” He sighed. “I am a nobody.” He looked forlornly at the wall in front of him.

“You most certainly are not! Mando’a isn’t spoken very often anymore. I think only residents of Mandalore really knew it. It hasn't been very mainstream after the Purge. But you are a Mandalorian warrior of the Mudhorn Clan. You have rescued and adopted a son that loves you like a father. You have defeated Moff Gideon and wielded a Darksaber. According to Greef Karga, you’re an impressive bounty hunter, and a pretty good pilot, if I do say so myself.”

“That’s not how others see me though. Einar barely sees me as a Mandalorian.”

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t even see half of us as Mandalorians. Think of how many Nite Owls are here. We all take off our helmets. We’re all apostates in his eyes. Do you regard the Nite Owls as not Mandalorians?”

“No, you all hold different beliefs, and some of you have a bloodline that makes you Mandalorian.”

“Ah, so you agree that there is more than one way to be a Mandalorian, yes?” He nodded. “Well, whether or not Einar considers you a Mandalorian, you are a foundling. It is such a large part of your identity that you should not be dismissing it so easily. You believed that you were a Mandalorian so much that you went out of your way to take the Creed twice! You spoke the words so reverently that I was convinced in your belief down in the Mines. You made me doubt my own dismissive words that I’d spoken hundreds of times. And sure, the mythosaur made me question everything else, but you started me down this path. You, who continued to stick to your beliefs even under pressure. It was among the biggest reasons why I even bothered coming with you to the covert. Because if you regarded something as true so reverently - so passionately - I wanted to know about it.”

They sat in silence as Din absorbed all of this. Finally, he spoke, “But the mythosaur…” She gave him a look that said, What about it? “I’m assuming the mythosaur was also a big reason why you came along?”

“Yes,” she agreed matter-of-factly. “And so was the fact that I had no one and nothing else left. Not even the Darksaber, that I knew at the time. But with the mythosaur calling all my beliefs under question, I no longer trusted myself. But the longer I stuck by your side, the more I started to believe in you. Not just the Creed and the Way, but you as a person. I think if we hadn’t figured out that the Darksaber passed to me, I would have been content to follow you. You may not agree with me on this, but I think you’d make a good leader.” She stopped speaking, and Din was speechless. He gaped at her after that confession. Being Mand’alor was everything she wanted since their first meeting, and here she conceded that he’d have been a fair leader in her place. “Wha–” was all he could manage before halting again. She looked away. Looking lost in thought, she didn’t continue. Finally finding his voice, Din faltered, “N-no.”

She raised her eyes, and the unguarded expression took him aback. Her eyes told him that she spoke with the utmost honesty as she took his fingers into hers. “You have the same qualities that I’ve seen in some of the greatest warriors I've ever known. You stick to your beliefs and you’re so honorable. I… I see qualities in you that my own sister had when she ruled Mandalore. Qualities that I admired and respected but never had as regent.”

“But having the same qualities as great warriors isn’t the same as being Mandalorian,” he challenged.

She smiled, “No, but you can safely say you have both the qualities and the right to call yourself one. Do you remember when I spoke up for you in front of the Nite Owls, before you handed over the Darksaber? I said ‘Din Djarin took the Creed and chose to walk the Way. Just as our ancestors did. He is every bit the Mandalorian that they were. Certainly as much as any of us.’ I meant it. I still do. Every. Word. You are the best of us, and it pains me to see you doubt yourself. If you don’t have faith in yourself, then believe in me because I believe in you.”

The absolute sincerity and conviction with which she looked at him and spoke stirred something inside. He felt his heart expand to what felt like more than the space it was meant to take up in his chest and stuttered. His affection for her threatened to overflow, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep his feelings to himself. The fondness drowned out most feelings of doubt, and he feebly brought up the last thing weighing on his mind, averting his eyes. “But will people care that I’m a foundling or a Child of the Watch? How will they perceive us being together?”

“It doesn’t matter to me. Plus, isn’t the whole point of us settling on the planet to bring our people together? What better way than to show that our cultures can co-exist as more than soldiers on the same side of a fight?”

She gingerly grasped his chin and turned his head from where he stared into nothing. “You are a Mandalorian. You don’t need Mandalorian blood to belong here. You don’t need to prove yourself either, whether by submerging yourself into the Living Waters or re-taking the Creed again. You are one of us.”

He was his biggest enemy sometimes, imprisoned and constrained to his own mind, and everything Bo said clicked into place. How could she just spin all his distorted thoughts in such a way that made so much sense looking at them from an outside point of view?. Even if it was as simple in believing in himself. Bo more than saved his life; she saved him from himself.

“How do you do that? How do you drive away all the harrowing and judgemental thoughts from the darkest corners of my mind?”

“Must be my sunny personality.” She smiled at her own quip. Schooling her face, she continued, “I know what it’s like to be your biggest enemy. While you’ve been brooding about your own shortcomings - and don’t you deny it!” she interjected, giving him a pointed look, “everyone else and I have been noticing all the good things you have accomplished. Most people don’t usually notice all the bad things you think about yourself.”

Distracted, he pondered her latest words. It sounded like she spoke from experience. He responded with an earnest thank you, hoping she would understand everything he wanted to convey and how much he valued her spending the time to put him at ease. Still not feeling like that was an adequate enough response, he tried to reassure her own worries quietly. “I hope you know how much good you’re doing here too. I can see all you’ve already achieved, and you’ve done an amazing job in a very short time. I hope you feel like you’re building this world in the image that you’ve sought after for so long.”

With a smile, Bo averted her eyes. A moment later, she stifled a yawn.

“Let me walk you home.” It wasn't even that late, but she’d had an eventful day. He helped her up but didn’t let her go as she stood in front of him.

“I’m sorry that you got pulled into that outburst today,” he said quietly. “An inappropriate comment like that shouldn’t have been made at an assembly.”

“No, but some are less content to see female rulers. Einar’s views are backwards in more ways than one. Unfortunately, I’m a bit used to it.”

“You’re okay though?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Din ungloved his hand, and she did the same. They intertwined their fingers as they walked the twenty meters to her door and said their goodbyes. Not wanting to release her after being near her for the last few hours, he closed the distance between them and held her to him. He wished they weren’t wearing armor so he could hold her even closer. With one last squeeze and a thank you, he slowly stepped back with his fingertips brushing the length of her arm all the way to the tips of her fingers before falling away.

“Sweet dreams,” he murmured.

“Good night.”

Bo-Katan shut the door and leaned against it, thinking over the last couple of hours. She half expected to hear clunking from inside her armor as her heart hammered away in her chest. Din held her delicately, even with all his armor on, so much so that she could feel his affection seeping through his entire being. That man deserves to be cherished.

Even several hours after the incident, when she showed up at his door, Din had been upset. She could see the way his shoulders sagged. He was still quiet and reserved when she stopped by with food. She hated how much Einar’s words affected him, especially when she realized just how tormented he was by his perception of himself. By the end of the night, his posture wasn’t as stiff, and he seemed to be more like himself.

As she slid under her own blankets, she remembered the embrace again. With every cell in her body humming with joy, Bo-Katan fell asleep quickly.

Her first thought in the morning was concern for Din. She hoped their conversation stuck with him and he stopped seeing himself as inadequate. While she had countless doubts and insecurities about her own role on Mandalore, she was confident about every word she had spoken from her heart about him last night. Besides trusting him with the admission of her own qualms and undoubtedly her not-so-secret feelings, she was grateful to him. Since the moment she’d met him, Bo-Katan felt like Din was an amazing presence that was bestowed onto her. He opened her eyes to many things and new ways of thinking. And he inspired her to do better because he had full confidence in her abilities, even when she didn’t herself.

Stirring but not wanting to get out of bed, she put on her helmet from where it stood nearby. She linked up with Din’s and chirped cheerily, “Good morning! Breakfast?”

No response, so he must finally be taking off the helmet and using the bedroom. Good! she thought, though she hoped to hear his morning voice again. For research purposes… She grinned to herself. She’d go over there in a bit.

He beat her to it. She was hunting around for her armor before putting it on when a knock sounded along with a quiet scratch on the door. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she greeted the Mudhorn Clan eagerly. She tried to hurry with donning her jetpack and noticed Din didn’t wear his. She had a plan for lunchtime and hinted that he might need it, so they stopped by his unit before heading down.

They walked into the Civic Center together, with Grogu clinging to Bo, and got some stares. Did everyone know by now? Her mind drifted back to the time on the langskib, before Din’s encouraging words (that she now realized completely gave away how he felt). She recalled her words from that time. This blade is all I have to unify our people, but that wasn’t true. The two (well, three) of them were living proof that their tribes and cultures could get along and have lasting relationships, even if their original encounter began in animosity. The three of us. That’s what I have that could unite our people, her thoughts echoing her words from the night before. And it was enough for her. She smiled widely under her helmet as they slid into a booth.

Bo-Katan waved at Ragnar, who had been joining her for breakfast daily with her two other friends. He looked unsure because Din was there, but he relaxed when Din echoed the request to join them.

“I wanted to discuss something with you both anyway. Ragnar, have you talked to Bo about training and traveling with me?”

“Not yet.”

“Bo, would you be okay with Ragnar coming along with me on missions? Or would you prefer he continue to stay here and shadow you?”

“He is more than welcome to join you!” Addressing Ragnar as well, she spoke, “I can always fill you both in on what happened during the meetings and assemblies.”

“Great! You can join me on my next mission from Captain Teva then.”

Considering how well the conversation started, she was surprised to find the two basically bickering by the end of breakfast. Ragnar could be bratty, and she hadn’t seen the argumentative side of Din much. Yet neither of them voiced a desire to renege on their agreement. Amused and hiding a smile under the helmet, she wondered how the first trip would go.

They had a relatively productive morning meeting, likely spurred on by only a couple of sessions remaining till the Great Forge ceremony. It helped that they weren’t side-tracked by Einar’s acerbic interruptions. No one commented on Bo-Katan’s wearing the helmet during the meeting, nor Grogu sitting on Din’s lap for the duration of the discussion.

They were finally considering the types of roles that they as a society would accept and encourage. They moved on to the topic of taking on bounty hunter roles, and Bo-Katan hesitated, being only too aware of the types of jobs one could get.

“My Lady,” her pulse fluttered. I really like that! Temporarily preoccupied with the new honorific, Bo-Katan had to force herself to focus on his words. “I think, similar to the role of mercenary, the role of bounty hunter could still be an option as long as people use discretion with the missions they select. It’s not always easy to find the right bounty to go after, but it is definitely possible. It helps to let the Guild Agent know that you are more selective in your jobs.” Part of her wanted to brag about what Greef Karga told her all about how Din consistently brought targets in alive, but she figured she should maintain a professional stance in front of the others. She gave him a nod and asked for other opinions. Most were in agreement with Din.

As they were about to break for lunch, Din was distracted by an incoming message on his vambrace. Bo-Katan called for any last topics of discussion, and Din mentioned that R5 forwarded him a holo-message from Greef Karga. He played it for the council.

The High Magistrate requested Din’s presence and asked him to pass on a message to Lady Bo-Katan Kryze. Based on their discussions, Karga had some people she would be interested in meeting. “I would recommend bringing a transport ship that you can use to shuttle people to Mandalore since I think you’ll like most of them.”

The council grew excited and asked Din to leave immediately, granting him the power to select the professionals under their specifications. He stuck around for a briefing on the council’s decision for compensation amounts and types of positions they were hoping to fill. Bo-Katan also added, “I don’t need to relinquish control of a Gauntlet ship to you since you should be able to turn it on with the press of a button, but I can set it up to open to your chain code when you approach. It will be easiest to do with mine.” He nodded and stayed behind to set that up.

Prior to departing the academy building, Bo-Katan pulled Din aside and mentioned, “Can I point out that the council didn’t even hesitate to send you on this mission? They have full confidence in your abilities. You’ll do great!” she said proudly. Din bowed bashfully.

They stocked the ship up for a round trip, and Bo-Katan dejectedly remembered her plans for them. “I completely forgot, I wanted to show you something at lunch.”

He stepped up to her and placed his hands on her arms, gently touching their helmets. “I’ll be back before you know it, and you can show me then, alright?”

She nodded at him and whispered, “Save travels.”

“See you very soon, Bo.”

“See you soon, Dinui.” She wasn’t sure if he caught the slight tweak in his name, but she grinned under her helmet while using a cute nickname right back at him.

Chapter Text

Din slept better than he had in a while. Maybe not as well as when Bo was in his arms last time, but his heart reverberated the sound of her name with every beat. B-Bo. B-Bo. B-Bo. Her words calmed his restless soul for the first time since… perhaps forever. He felt like he finally belonged somewhere.

He recalled her blatant disregard for his beliefs upon their first meeting. It was ironic that the person who turned his world upside down had also righted it again and corrected his spin along the axis. He was being pulled into her orbit, and he was helpless to stop it. Not that he had any intention to do so; his own trajectory has been aimed directly at her for a while.

He basically knew her schedule by now, so Din figured he’d stop by right around when she’d normally leave. He knocked and heard the quick patter of footfalls, and her breathless smile greeted him. She was stunning; happiness looked so good on her!

Apparently, he’d interrupted her getting ready, so she invited him in while he waited. In the light of day, her place was messy, he noted with amusement. In some ways, they were as different as two sides of the same coin. Din wondered if that helped draw them together. They were alike in the ways that mattered though. He turned to look at her fondly, and he completely lost his train of thought. Back-lit by the morning sun streaming through the window, she was literally glowing. She was putting on the vest and beskar armor with both the material and sunlight hugging her curves. He wasn’t sure how long he stared at her silhouette. Definitely long enough for her to finish getting ready and probably notice his gaze. He couldn’t explain that away, so he silently averted his eyes and watched the small apprentice Force-jump from her table to the window where the little stone owl dazzled in the morning rays.

They headed down for a quick breakfast prior to the council meeting, which she insisted he attend. Since he was interrupting her normal schedule, he didn’t mind if it resembled her typical day - even if that meant sharing her this morning.

As he got to know Ragnar during breakfast, he found them slightly at odds with each other, yet their discussion was more playful than an actual argument. He supposed it made sense that he didn’t get completely along with Paz Vizsla’s son.

He was surprised that the youth left for lunch before Din could ask him to join the council’s assignment, and he made sure to find him prior to departing to make sure he didn’t want to come along. The boy explained that he wanted to remain on site for the ceremony, which was to signal the rebirth of Mandalore. His father gave up his life for them to get to this point, so he wanted to remain here out of respect for his parent. Din understood and gave him a small, empathetic bow.

Bo seemed legitimately sorry that her plans fell through, so he got really curious what she’d been planning; he’d have to rush back to find out.

After departing the planet, Din’s waking hours on the starship were spent tasking Grogu with practicing his Force-telekinesis abilities. He was still struggling with items larger than a meiloorun fruit unless someone’s life was in danger. Din tried to work with the apprentice in hopes that the personal connection to him would help the youngster, and he progressed a little every day. Usually, there was at least one object whizzing around the compartment.

Disembarking the transport craft, he grabbed pieces of IG-11, thankful that he had more than enough space for the droid on the Gauntlet. The Anzellans promised Din they’d be done by nightfall as long as Grogu didn’t bother them. Chuckling softly, Din caught Grogu just as the latter tried to sneak past him into the small enclosure.

Din met with the High Magistrate’s protocol droid to notify Karga of their arrival. Acknowledging that it would take a bit to gather everyone that they were hoping to meet, the protocol droid asked Din to come back in a few hours. He saw a couple messenger droids sent off shortly thereafter.

Deciding to use their free time preparing his apprentice for their journeys ahead, he walked them to an open space near the Gauntlet. He crouched near Grogu to not tower over him. “I’m not sure how large your species grow in size, so at least for a while, most of your opponents will be larger than you. You should be able to use your small stature to your advantage though. You also might not be able to run very fast, but your use of the Force allows you to move very quickly through space.”

Din stood up and asked Grogu to jump to his arms. “Now, try kicking off as hard as you can.” The green creature did a small flip in the air and landed smoothly on the ground, but Din stood motionlessly as if nothing happened. He instructed Grogu to use the Force-jump on his next attempt.

After a few attempts of this, he reminded Grogu of what happened with the red soldiers. The Praetorian Guard, his mind supplied, according to Bo. “Pretend they are trying to stop you from helping me, and you need to try to make a close range attack.” He watched as the little creature grasped onto him with his little clawed hands and kicked off with a Force-jump.

He felt a light shove on his chest and recoiled slightly. “Yeah, that’s it! Let’s do that a couple more times and see if we can increase the power behind the kicks, and then we can try some variations.”

Grogu found a small number of attacks that he could do without using telekinesis, modeled off the original Force-jump-shove. Being a small creature, his Force-push attacks did not pack as much of a punch as Din’s, but he could make a smaller opponent stagger and fall to the ground. Din made sure to praise the child for working hard, and he led the way to the cantina the trio visited on their previous trip.

They passed through the street littered with stalls, and Din sneakily purchased two more packages of the cookies that Grogu loved. Passing the last counter drew his eyes as the Mandalorian had never seen this stall before. On display were stone figurines of varying shapes and sizes, and one in particular drew his attention. According to the vendor, it was made out of the chrysocolla stone, and the color matched the object quite well.

Grogu kept walking after Din stopped, but he returned and clambered on his father’s shoulders. When he discerned what the man was staring at, his eyes grew huge, and he pointed to it with urgency. It was a large Sorgan frog made out of stone, and it looked so realistic that it even gave Din pause.

He recalled the scene from earlier and thought, Grogu had an easier time lifting frogs than tiny pebbles. He recalled what Ahsoka told him when they first met. Maybe he needed a special connection to the items to learn. Clearly, the size of the object or Force-user didn't matter. He picked up the statuette, which was about the size of your typical one-eyed frog and weighed it in his hands. He gave Grogu an appraising glance and decided to make the purchase. It would be good encouragement for the kid to work on his Jedi abilities.

The Armourer convinced Bo-Katan to have her helmet off for the Great Forge ceremony. With the two of them seemingly representing the major factions, they could display a united front. Bo-Katan knew that whether she kept the hemet off or on, someone could misinterpret it as her turning her back on one clan. Nonetheless, she appreciated that the Armourer saw it as two major tribes joining together, and she hoped the others would see it as well.

After lighting the forge, Axe led the group in a resounding rally of “For Mandalore!”

Bo-Katan regarded several hundred faces looking up at her and wished that Din and Grogu were among them. If for no reason besides to settle her nerves. She could see Nite Owls, Children of the Watch, and some smaller clans represented in the crowd.

“Mando’ade! Sons and daughters of Mandalore! Our people are proud warriors, but in recent years, the galaxy has had a pretty negative connotation when it comes to the name of a Mandalorian. The council believes that refocusing our vision on the Creed and away from killing will help change the perception of our dignified people.”

Remembering the conversation she had with Din before they visited the Mines, what felt like forever ago, she spoke again. “‘Without the Creed, what are we? What do we stand for?’ We were scattered like stars in the galaxy. Embracing the qualities of what it means to be a Mandalorian is how a large number of us survived. Going forward, I implore you to champion loyalty and honesty, help each other because Mandalorians are stronger together, and maintain our tradition of protecting foundlings. These principles are at the heart of our beliefs, no matter which House you’re part of or what religion you follow.

“The council’s vision for the future is this: Along with following the Creed, we also wish to enhance our image by forging ourselves as the galaxy’s defenders. I realize that our weapons are part of our religion, but that doesn’t mean that we need to rely on brutal methods for a living. My sister and the man she loved once told me about their different views on how to keep the peace. Both had the same end goal in mind, but their methods were different. I think we can merge their ideas and work off both.

“Whether you’re a Child of the Watch, a Nite Owl, or any other faction. Whether you’re a foundling or have ancestors going back generations. You are Mandalorian if you took the Creed and hold our beliefs - any of our beliefs! I believe our people can rise to be stronger than before. I urge anyone who is not helping with demolition and reconstruction to go out into the galaxy and show the New Republic and independent worlds what our new home means to us and how we honor our old traditions by taking them in a new direction. Valuing life is not weak. Be the defenders of peace. Be Marshalls, security, and protectors. If you must, be bounty hunters and mercenaries, but I ask that you be especially selective in your assignments. Let us build a more enduring world by building a better galaxy together!”

The Armourer inclined her head at Bo-Katan, projecting her voice. “This is the Way.”

Her own words combined with more voices than she expected spoke up to echo the phrase.

Despite some of the friction that flared up recently, more notably so after Einar Awaud’s arrival, for once she was optimistic about the direction of their society. She smiled. Bo-Katan wasn’t Satine, not by a long shot. But hopefully her new path of guiding their people beyond their violent history would be able to honor Satine’s memory.

Their people.

At the High Magistrate’s building, Karga lent them a room where they could talk to the candidates one-on-one. By the end, they had almost a dozen aspirants that were willing to relocate for the pay offered. Din requested that the chosen professionals meet him in the courtyard at noon on the following day with the belongings they planned to bring for the near future.

He checked the progress on IG-11 and was happy to discover the Anzellans’ work was almost done, so he went to find Karga.

Din hadn’t set out to be someone esteemed and worth looking up to. All he planned to do was help his associate-turned-friend Greef Karga. But, with the other’s help, Nevarro was cleaned up of the Imperial scum that used to occupy the planet and had grown to be the popular independent trading hub it now was. And somehow… “The people of Nevarro appreciate all you’ve done, Mando. I want to give you this deed to a cabin just outside of town where you can lay low with your new family if you choose so - between adventures.”

Reaching for the deed, Din did not expect this. He and the Children of the Watch were already thanked several times over, and they got a lot in return, so if anything, they were in Nevarro’s debt again. He then remembered what Bo said while wandering around the ruins. At some point, I started thinking of it as us backing each other up instead of saving the other. That was presumably akin to what was happening here, and all their good deeds towards their ally would even out in the long run. With that realization, Din extended his hand for a forearm handshake with his friend, thanking him.

“And I have a gift for you as well.” Turning, he let the recently repaired droid make the announcement.

“Greetings citizens, I am IG-11, your new Marshal. Your new Marshal of Nevarro. I am here to serve and protect the citizenry. I am at your disposal and serve at your pleasure.”

The crowd gathered in the square to greet the droid, and it was another minute or two before Din had a chance to lock eyes with the High Magistrate. Both of them gave each other a slow incline of the head, and Din headed out.

He explored the new cabin eagerly, beyond impressed with the work. This was more than just a bottle of fancy wine or promising a section of land for Mandalorians to use as their home away from their destroyed planet. Karga had taken the time to construct him a house on this world. As someone who had spent all of his adult life traveling from place to place, he was touched by the gesture. Just a week ago, he didn’t have a place to call home, and suddenly he had two. Sure, the Razor Crest was technically his home, but he was a drifter, a transient. He smiled, appreciative of the two individuals who gave him so much to be grateful for.

Wandering outside, he examined his surroundings. The nearby area was a bleak, volcanic terrain, bare of anything but moss in some places. He sighted a tree in the distance and considered replanting it near the cabin at some point. There was a dip in the land several meters away, and Din saw something resembling the tiniest of ponds. Grogu waddled over and peered into the shallow pool. He turned to Din and pointed at the water.

“Are there any frogs in there?” The little one babbled his assent, spinning around to the water again and watching the amphibians happily.

The next day, Din entered in the coordinates for Mandalore and angled the starship toward the skies. As he took off, he could just see his cabin in the distance; a light structure in the barren landscape below.

Grogu jumped to his lap and hugged his father close as his eyes fell shut. Finally reaching the main trade route, Din made the jump into hyperspace and settled down to sleep in the navigation chair, watching the nebulae speed by in a glowing pale-blue blur. The galaxy was also his home, but his heart and thoughts strayed back to Mandalore. To her. She was yet another beautiful object in space, just as fascinating and, occasionally mysterious, as the unexplored territories in this wide universe.

Chapter Text

Another day, another heated debate at their council session, courtesy of Einar. Bo-Katan saw Din and a couple of other Watch members sigh. What worried her is that she noticed a couple of nods from a few Watch members.

“How did you even come up with this so-called ‘New Age of Mandalore?’ Please enlighten us,” the repugnant man blurted out sarcastically.

The basis of Einar’s dispute was that there was no reason for the Armourer to simply allow Bo-Katan to walk both worlds, short of it being a convenient enough excuse for the Nite Owls to join them.

Neither she nor the Armourer had mentioned the mythosaur up till now, and she’d prefer to keep it quiet if possible. Axe raised his eyebrow at her as if trying to say, Now’s your chance to tell them.

She didn’t speak up but glanced at the Armourer, whose face was unreadable under her visor. Now that Bo-Katan started wearing her helmet in Din’s vicinity, she was glad her face was also concealed, as it must have cycled through so many emotions in a short period.

“My Lady,” Din spoke, and if it wasn’t for the apprehensive situation, she would have been able to appreciate the nickname more. “If I can shed some light on this? I was certainly surprised when you first took off your helmet after agreeing to live by the Way. You appeared to come into your own regarding abiding by our beliefs and customs, so I didn’t think you would have taken off your helmet lightly. Just based on your manner at that time, you were hesitant and looked unsure. As someone who knew you before you joined up with the Watch, that’s not an expression that crosses your face very often. So taking off your helmet did not look like it was an easy decision to me.

“The Armourer also made no objections to you taking off your helmet and supported you. She is not one to simply overlook a removal of the helmet, especially if you did so of your own accord. I should know. When we were trying to rebuild our covert and there were only three of us, she threw me out for taking mine off, and she only welcomed me back after being redeemed. Having scant numbers and being in a dire situation did not excuse me from being an apostate, and the Armourer stuck by her beliefs despite everything. I think she believed you had proven yourself as being capable of living in both words, hence being allowed to walk both worlds.”

“Well put,” the Armourer confirmed.

Din turned his head and stared directly at Einar. “Both of them acted with accountability and in the Watch’s best interests, considering the situation. And it is because of Lady Bo-Katan Kryze’s unique position that this is a New Age of Mandalore. It is a time for all our people to work and build a more accommodating and cooperative world together. The hope is that we can all put our differences aside to let our new world flourish. If that’s not what you had in mind joining us, you can leave.”

Bo-Katan could kiss him! He defended her in front of everyone once again, and his explanation made it impossible to challenge their authority as they were following the Way and doing so in furtherance of their people. And he’d done it all without revealing the mythosaur in the Mines beneath them.

Einar didn’t respond. Neither did the couple of people who seemed to agree with him before.

The rest of the assembly passed smoothly, possibly due to Din glaring daggers at Einar across the table, daring him to speak up. She couldn’t actually tell if he was staring directly at the older man, but his posture was resolutely firm and his (apparent) gaze unrelenting.

As the clock signaled the end of the assembly, Bo-Katan relaxed. Din reattached his jet-pack, reminding her to don hers, and she told her friends that they would be eating lunch separately. They made a quick stop at the Civic Center for lunch for three and headed out.

Bo landed in a seemingly empty clearing, and Din wondered what they were doing here.

She approached him and thanked him for jumping to her aid earlier. “I find it somewhat fascinating that the words you expressed to Einar at the end were basically a reiteration of my speech during the ceremony, yet you never heard the original one!” She summarized the event for him and recounted how approximately half of the people in attendance spoke the phrase This is the Way.

“Now, onto the reveal!” She grasped his hand and told him not to peek. He closed his eyes and let her lead him somewhere. They descended down, and he detected a change in the air. The scents were earthy, resembling moist soil and vegetation. Was that a gurgle of water he heard? And sounds of insects on the breeze? Grogu stirred in his arms; Din felt him scrutinizing their surroundings, turning this way and that.

He felt Bo stand next to him and heard, “Open them.”

So much color surrounded him! It was like he stepped foot into an emerald cave, with colors dancing on every surface in the bottom half of his vision. He spun to take in all the surroundings and tried to speak. “Wow, this–” His eyes fell on sunlight streaming in through gaps in the surface, and the plants’ rich-green was so vivid, the brilliance took his words away. All he did for a couple of minutes was take in the view.

He cleared his throat and finally declared. “This is enthralling! We’re really still on Mandalore?”

A sound of a hiss and a helmet being removed from behind him reached his ears. “Yes. Do you like it?”

Din looked at her bright expression and uttered almost deliriously, his voice full of wonder, “I love it! Is this what you were talking about on Nevarro?”

“Yes, I asked the Captain where the location of the underground cavern was so I could show you, especially after you said you enjoyed greenery and plants in general.”

He grasped her fingers, and they wandered through the rows of the undergrowth. Grogu wiggled out of Din’s grip and ran ahead.

“Don't go too far!” he called out, only too aware just how protective that sounded.

Bo soothed his nerves by explaining that these caverns were safe. “This is still within the patrolled zone. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

Her voice took on a sulky quality, and she voiced her annoyance at not having a chance to do this the week prior. “I had it all planned out last time - they even had soup for lunch! Today, I don't know how much of this food you’ll be able to eat without taking the helmet fully off. Maybe I hold Grogu, and you can lift the helmet to eat while we walk? Or would you prefer to go back to eat at home?”

Din stopped her criticism of the current moment. It was perfect, and she was worrying too much. “How about we sit down, and you keep an eye on Grogu?” He indicated a nearby area with a half dozen rocks jutting out of the earth. She took off her jetpack and sat down facing Grogu, who was exploring in the distance. Double checking that the child was very much distracted with whatever was in the water, Din made a choice.

She must have assumed he'd sit on a nearby rock, but the boulder where she perched had more than enough space, so he also unclipped his jetpack and sat back-to-back with her, the angle of the stone putting him slightly lower relative to her. She drew in a breath as she grasped what he was doing, especially as he took off his helmet. He was trusting her, and she knew it.

His heart beat violently in his chest as he tipped his head back to gently touch hers. At that moment, the cloud cover in the sky above shifted, and a few rays of sun warmed his skin, streaming in through gaps in the surface. Din closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, pretty sure he hadn't felt the sun on his face since he was a kid. Since before becoming a Mandalorian. If he ever took the helmet off, it was inside or in an enclosed space. He shared this with Bo.

She was silent for a while and then asked what he remembered before he became a founding. He recounted as much as he remembered up until the moment he was rescued by the Mandalorians.

Bo didn't interrupt, but as soon as he finished, she spoke, voice filled with understanding, “That's why you don't trust droids. Especially the super battle droids that we saw on Plazir-15!”

He nodded softly and knew she felt the motion.

She took off her glove and extended her arm to the side, wiggling the digits to get his attention. He pulled his own glove off and intertwined their bare fingers, brushing his thumb along her soft skin.

“Thanks for telling me.”

Instead of a response, he asked her to close her eyes. Shifting slightly to the side, he tilted his head back and gently rested his neck against her shoulder blade.

“Keep them closed please.”

The armor didn't make for a good pillow, but when he tilted his face towards her, their cheeks connected, and he felt her shoulders rise with the deep breath she inhaled.

He knew he was taking a risk. All it would take is one glance before he was ready for it. She might forget herself and open her eyes if she was surprised. Grogu, who has so far been babbling with the brook, may decide to come closer and see him. But he wanted her to know how he felt.

Din turned his head imperceptibly further and nuzzled her skin. He saw her fervent reaction to the gesture and confessed, "I love you, Bo-Katan Kryze."

She squeezed her eyes shut as her breathing elevated. Indulging just one more of his insane impulses, he kissed her neck, which was the closest part of her within reach. Her fingers gripped his tighter, and he squeezed in response.

Her breathing quieting down, Din heard Bo swallow and whisper, “Should we check on Grogu?”

“I can hear him by the water.” His keen sense of hearing was definitely much better without the helmet.

She acknowledged his response and followed up with, “Can I try something?”

“Mhm,” he breathed. He didn’t need to keep his eyes closed, but he did so anyway because he felt so peaceful with Bo by his side. His heart was a different story.

Bo turned her face towards him, nestled her cheek against his, and whispered, "I love you, Dinui." She called him something that sounded like his name again. He thought he heard it as she told him goodbye before he left for Nevarro, so he asked what the word meant.

“It's Mando'a. It means gift or present. Because that's what you are to me. The greatest gift this world could have presented me after I lost everything. Not only did you fulfill all my dreams, gave me my world, but also so much more. You made me feel something brand new. Made me feel brand new.”

“Bo–” his breath caught. Just as he was about to continue, he heard a rustle nearby and realized that he no longer heard splashing from the brook. He carefully straightened up, and asked Bo to check up on Grogu. Sure enough, he was approaching them and, now having their attention, started communicating in the only way he knew how.

Din slid on his helmet and turned around to face the two most precious beings to him. He knew it wasn't fair he saw her but she couldn't do the same. He just needed some more time. Today helped with that. He was still anxious about the whole thing, but he was pretty sure his feelings towards her were beginning to overshadow the anxiety.

He stepped up to the child and let him lead the way to the source of water. He pointed to something in the depths, and Din squatted down to see better. “Is there something alive in there?” Grogu chattered up at him, and Din listened to the little creature. When he paused, he surveyed the surface littered with ripples from the insects sliding along the surface. Still not seeing anything, Din asked, “Do you want to show me?”

Grogu focused and stuck his hand out, tapping into his Force abilities. With a splash, a brown slimy lump emerged and disturbed the waters even further. It rotated in the air to face them, and Din recoiled. It might have been a frog, but it may have also been something else. And it had entirely way too many eyes. The surface of the planet was safe for humans, but that didn’t mean that the radiation didn’t affect the creatures who lived on the planet during the bombings. The creature struggled and wiggled about, so Grogu released it. “Let’s leave it alone for now. You can watch it, but don't touch.” Just in case.

He glanced at Bo, and she was regarding them affectionately, biting her lip. He returned to her side and asked, “What?”

Grinning, she stated, “You’re a big softie, but not a lot of people know that. I’m glad I get to see this side of you.”

Din felt like she saw straight through him, so he averted his gaze. Clearing his throat, he said, “We should hurry and eat before the meeting starts up again.” She conceded and handed him a meal pack. They returned to their original arrangement and ate quickly.

Brushing off dirt as she was getting up, Bo asked, “What was that thing by the way?”

“No idea, but I suppose it was once a frog. Oh! Speaking of, Karga gifted me a little cabin on Nevarro, and it has a little pond nearby with a few frogs. Grogu loves it.”

“That… was very kind of him.” Lost in thought, she glanced up at him with a look that he hadn’t seen before. He couldn’t place it, but she was starting to grin. What was she planning?

Bo-Katan had an idea.

Nevarro was far away, but if it was his home away from home on the other side of the galaxy when he didn’t have time to come back to her, then she wanted to help make it feel more welcome. I wonder if any of the plants from Mandalore could survive on Nevarro?

They took flight and just barely made it back before the afternoon meeting. They decided to end early, and that they could cut down the future meetings to half a day. As they wrapped up, Din recommended training, and who was she to say no to that? She was a warrior first and Princess second.

They invited Ragnar to join them, and Din filled Bo-Katan in on Grogu’s progress with him. While Din focused his attention on the young man, she tried to pick up where Din and Grogu left off. She could see the potential behind the Force-push and Force-jump moves. It seemed like the movements that used the Force boosted his speed. His limbs were simply too small to produce movements as quick and agile to keep up with most opponents, but supplemented with the Force, he should grow to be a nimble warrior.

The few Jedi that Bo-Katan knew relied on a lightsaber as their primary weapon. But not all Jedi must have used lightsabers, right? She had no idea where to get one. What’s similar to and could defend against a lightsaber? As far as she knew, it was only beskar and her now broken Darksaber. She remembered Din’s old spear that he used to defeat Moff Gideon. Based on what he told her, the Armourer did not approve of the spear as a Mandalorian weapon as it may be used to penetrate their armor. But what about a staff? That’d work. She glanced at Din and Ragnar. They seemed too focused on their own thing, so she picked up Grogu and went to find the Armourer. She’d be able to recommend the best thing for Grogu.

It’s not that Ragnar was unwilling to learn. The more appropriate way to describe it was that he was unwilling to admit that he was not doing something correctly. Otherwise, he was fairly skilled and a decent fighter for his age. When Din noticed an issue with form or technique, he tried to point out a better way to perform the movement, but the younger would fight him, saying this was not something that had ever been corrected by others. To impress the point upon the younger, Din would throw in more attacks to the vulnerable areas to show that his attacks got through, and he continued to favor the those targets until Ragnar began to see some of the points he was driving home.

Begrudgingly, the young man became less reluctant to listen to him. When he’d fixed the worst of the deviations from proper form and technique, Din halted his offensive to inquire if there was anything in particular the boy wanted to learn. Now that Ragnar actually listened to his advice, he was able to fend better for himself as Din made pointers on how to improve.

Without realizing it, Bo disappeared with Grogu, so the pair headed off to dinner. Din pinged Bo to get her location, and she responded with a quick “Be there soon!” But she didn’t show up until they were heading out. He bid Ragnar goodnight and decided to stick around.

“What were you two up to?”

Bo explained that while Din worked off the abilities he was aware of and tried to make them work for Grogu, she decided to go about it a different way. She knew some Jedi and figured she’d use her prior knowledge to figure out what Grogu could potentially be taught to do.

He was impressed but also thrilled that Bo cared enough about Grogu to go out of her way to help him out like this. He appreciated her more than she knew.

Thinking he spent too much time with other people today and not enough with her, he asked if that mini-cantina was still running. She gave him a playful smile and asked, “Would you like to go tonight?”

“Let’s drop off Grogu and then sure.”

By the time they headed down, Bo put on her helmet. It was now completely normal to see them both wearing full gear in public while together. According to Bo, it was partially for his benefit, so others would not assume that Din was taking off his helmet in front of her. Which he technically wasn’t; she still hadn’t seen his face. And the secondary benefit was that it kept Einar off her back. Speak of the devil… The man and a few of his crew walked out of the food hall just as they approached the open square area in front of the Civic Center. Din felt several pairs of eyes on them as they walked to the cantina.

Walking in, the place changed so much. The rubble cutting off half the room had been cleared and the roof reinforced. It was no longer just the main bar counter either. Small tables had been added, a few resembling the booths from the food hall. Din paused to take in all the developments, and Bo, who had stepped over the threshold and continued on, returned to the doorway to grab his hand.

The biggest difference, by far, was the number of patrons. Surprisingly, there were a few handfuls of people in attendance. Several of them turned in their seats to glance at the new pair. If someone didn’t realize they were together after Einar’s accusations a couple weeks ago, they would now. He was almost glad that the covered booths at the center of the room were all taken. He wouldn’t have wanted people to leer at them. Instead, they found a small table in the corner, which worked for him. They turned away and ignored the rest of the cantina attendees, and as an added bonus, the small table forced them to stand closer, shoulders almost touching.

Din went to grab Luna's attention at the counter and found himself praised by her. "I'm glad you fixed things between you two. She seems much happier now." He nodded in response and laid some currency on the counter. "That's still too much, even if we are charging people now!"

He rejected her attempts to return some credits with a raise of his palm. "You know what I'm going to say."

"For Mandalore?"

"For Mandalore," he smiled under the helmet.

She gave him a grateful smile and mentioned the drinks would be brought to them.

Within a minute, Luna peeked around Bo's end of the table and set down their tihaars. “Is your man rich or something? He keeps paying too much for the drinks.”

“It's all going towards Mandalore in the end, right? So don't worry about it.”

The barkeep left with an entertained shake of her head, and Bo turned toward him, voice taking on the playful lilt from before. “So. Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“My man?” He heard the grin in her voice.

“As long as you're My Lady, I can be whatever you'd like.”

“Did I ever tell you how much I love it when you call me that?”

“Oh? I figured it's not as formal as Lady Kryze, which you disliked to hear from me so much, but still a title that I can refer to you so I'm being proper in public. Just please don't call me My Lord or something. That's just not me.” He turned to face her and added softly, “I really like the Mando'a name you've given me.”

“Do you? Sometimes I worry it's silly.”

“It's not silly. It's uniquely mine, and you have your own meaning behind it, which makes it extra special.”

Bo stepped closer and put her hand on his chest, but Din, realizing where they were, glanced around and averted his eyes to their table. Bo understood and turned around with him.

“Sorry,” he spoke shyly. He wasn’t one for public displays of affection.

Wrapping her hand around his fingers on the table, she gave them a squeeze and reassured him, “Don’t worry about it. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

Without letting her hand go, he grasped the glass of tihaar with one hand and tilted the helmet with one of his fingers to down the entire drink in one go.

She had to momentarily let go to drain her own glass, but to give her credit, she didn’t take off the helmet. Following his example, Bo also tilted it away from others to imbibe the drink. She intertwined their fingers again afterwards, shoulders brushing.

“Thanks for being so okay with this.”

“I stand by what I said to Axe on the Gauntlet. Your beliefs are really not much different than mine. And if all I have to do to have the pleasure of your company is wear the helmet, that was never an issue.”

“Well, it’s appreciated.” After a pause, Din added, “Were the covered tables in the Civic Center and here your idea?”

She sounded surprised, “Ah, you realized!”

He chuckled, “Thank you for being so considerate of us.”

She bumped his shoulder and added, “Don’t mention it.”

As was the norm now, he walked her to the door. They had stayed at the cantina for a while longer before the alcohol made Bo-Katan drowsy. She took off her helmet to increase her visibility climbing the stairs and was carrying it under an arm. The other arm was intertwined with Din’s as he walked her home in a comfortable silence.

Stopping right outside the doorway, he called her name, “Bo?”

She glanced up, blinking at him sleepily.

“I love you.”

Her eyes widened, sleep completely gone. “I love you!” she whispered, her heart racing. She hugged him close and felt positively buoyant. With a warm “good night” he walked to his unit. She pressed to the doorway to watch his figure walking away, and with a final wave, they both entered their respective homes.

Bo-Katan’s face hurt from smiling so much. He expressed he loved her. Again! Euphoric, she was ready to run a few hundred kilometers, never mind sleep! She glanced at the stone owl in the window and felt giddy with happiness.

And earlier today? She kept her eyes closed as he’d asked, though definitely with a struggle at the end there, but she finally felt the touch of his skin on hers, and not solely his hand. And how could she forget that neck kiss? Her mind was going insane just remembering it. She was beginning to burn up under her gear, so she fanned herself with her hand.

Well, there was no way she was going to sleep now.

Chapter Text

Bo-Katan pinged Ragnar and Din that she would be leaving later today, so they could go on to breakfast without her. However, when she exited her apartment, her helmet under her arm, she was met with three figures. Surprised, she asked why they waited for her. Instead of a response, Din handed her a sandwich and a bag of snacks to keep her nourished throughout the day.

“We finished early and decided to come back.”

“Thank you!” She opened the bag to review the contents. Dried varos, her favorite! She inhaled the amazing aroma of the fruit and beamed at Din. This man noticed everything! They didn’t carry the varos fruit slices often at the food hall, but she always made sure to grab some whenever she had an opportunity.

As they descended the stairs, she told them the Armourer wouldn’t be at the council meeting today since she planned to be at the Great Forge on the days they didn’t hold assemblies going forward. She mentioned that Din should visit her this morning as she should have something ready for Grogu, nothing giving him much else to go on.

“Din Djarin, I was expecting you.”

“Bo told me to show up but didn’t explain why.”

“We have designed a melee weapon for your apprentice and a larger version for you to train with him. They are almost complete. Feel free to wait here.”

When she was done, she showed both of them the result. Two sets of beskar staves– one set just a little taller than Grogu, and the other approximately half the length of Din’s arm-span. She took out a second, slightly-crude version of Din’s set, which she said was a prototype. Given a day, she’d be able to fashion another larger set of staves, but they could use the prototype set to train in the meantime.

“I can show you how to use these, and then you can train Grogu in turn.”

“Thank you! How much do I owe you for these?”

“Bo-Katan has already made a payment, but is there anything else you’d like while you’re here?” Bo shouldn’t have! He’d have to thank her later. He considered the Armourer’s question. Grogu was getting his own set of weapons and already had some armor. The boy on the other hand…

“Do you know if Ragnar has been trained in the Rising Phoenix?”

“I believe he started that training, but I am unaware of him having ever finished it. I could craft him a jet-pack if you give me a couple of days.”

“Yes, please. I think he also only has a single vibro-blade if you could have a spare made? Otherwise, I can lend him one of mine temporarily.”

She walked over to her workbench and pulled out a freshly forged vibro-blade that she handed to him. “Do you need any of your own equipment replaced?”

“I’ve gotten accustomed to this jetpack and blaster, so I’m okay keeping them. There’s no need to use beskar on my behalf if someone else needs more urgent resupplying.”

“Very well. I heard that you’ve already been making contributions towards Mandalore, so all I ask is that you spend some time with our mechanic and help them out a bit. I can show you where the new shop is located.” He agreed, and they headed out.

On the way, the Armourer mentioned, “Regarding Ragnar,” Din focused on her. “It’s fairly common for children of fallen warriors to be adopted by a family that was close to them. He is of age, so he doesn’t need to be adopted, but it also appears as if he’s decided to stick by your side. Can you please watch over him?”

“This is the Way.” It would be his honor to train the son of someone as skilled as Paz Vizsla. Ragnar resembled his father in some ways, and the friendship with the son brought him some ease of mind.

The mechanic shop was two entrances over from the cantina doorway, to the left. The Armourer explained, “The current mechanic’s name is Beck, and they appear to be knowledgeable of the inner workings of both droids and starships. They were a recent arrival, but they fit in pretty well with both tribes.”

The Armourer then led them to a cleared area past all the apartment buildings and handed him the newly crafted beskar staves. She took the prototype ones for herself. After she walked him through several of the drills, they slowly started varying things up, speeding up as the day went on.

I am getting good at this!

Moments later, he noticed Bo walk out of the old academy building. Was it lunchtime already? They've been at this for over an hour! Distracted, he received a resounding clang on the head from the Armourer. “Pay attention!” she said sternly. Din could have sworn Bo covered her mouth to laugh.

She and Ragnar approached Grogu standing on the sidelines. A couple of other people gathered as well. His arms were getting tired. It didn’t look like he was going to get any rest though, as the Armourer yelled out, “Bo-Katan! Take over!” and tossed her both the staves. Bo jumped in, and though her movements weren’t as practiced as the Armourer’s, she got into the rhythm fairly quickly. The Armourer primarily focused on the basic movements and how to prevent hits on his person, but Bo didn’t stick to the simple moves as she maneuvered her staves with more skill than Din. She attacked aggressively, making him retreat. Her hits fell harder, and his arms started to feel like lead.

He was startled when he worked out a formula to her movements. Bo following a predictable pattern to her attacks? That was a bit unusual. Feeling tired, he wasn’t going to complain. As long as he paid attention at the start of the attack-cycle, he could get into a rhythm. As he finally got the hang of the sequence of attacks, she changed it up on him and knocked one of the staves out of his hands. Ha, there it was! Bo would never accidentally use the same attack over and over, he thought with chagrin. He really should have known better. The fallen stave bounced a few times on the dusty concrete ground and rolled further away. Working with a single beskar rod, he had to be more evasive and calculating with his attacks to keep her at bay. I need to get the other one back!

He feinted right and tucked-and-rolled in the opposite direction, close enough to the other rod that he was able to snatch it off the ground with a quick jog. He got the staves up just in time to prevent her striking him on the head with two strong swings. He gripped the staves harder in an effort to prevent a kickback, and his fingers felt ridges at the bottom of the rod he’s picked up. He surrendered a couple meters of ground while he examined the stave. Except they weren’t grooves like he originally thought – but threading! With understanding, he glanced at the bottom of the other rod and saw threading on the inside of the cylinder. Both were solid beskar except in those two specific areas on the entire set of staves.

Din glanced over to the Armourer, wondering if she purposely didn’t let him examine the new weapons prior to using them to see if he’d figure it out. The slight distraction almost cost him, and he stopped Bo’s prototype stave mere millimeters away from a hit. “Better watch yourself, Dinui.”

“Watch yourself,” and he used the feinting move that worked last time but in reverse. She fell for it again, and he used the time he gained from the feint to insert and screw one stave into the other tightly to create a quarterstaff.

“Good!” the Armourer yelled out.

Now we were talking! He was more comfortable with a staff and used his knowledge of the weapon to advance on Bo. Not only did he have a longer range of attack, but the self-assurance with which Din handled the quarterstaff was more pronounced. He pulled some complicated moves, including twirls and kicks, and he was really making headway. Finally, he knocked one of the staves out of her arms, and he figured they were about done. In her rush to retreat backwards, Bo’s feet tangled, and she started tipping.

Forgetting himself, he reached out, grabbed her by the hand, and righted her. Instead of a thank you, he received a loud whack on his helmet. He flinched and started laughing. “What was that for?”

“Are you gonna save your opponent in battle too?” but she joined in.

Before they could finish catching their breath, footsteps approached. “I’m glad you figured it out.” Din turned to the Armourer. “I remembered you had a spear, and I fashioned these to be convertible weapons, depending on the situation. The prototype set doesn’t do that, but the second set I make for you can be adjusted. Just out of curiosity, what tipped you off?”

Din explained the threading he felt when he picked up the stave.

“Well done. Your skills as a warrior have improved and will continue to do so with practice.”

“Thank you. I will use these well.”

“Visit me again in a day or two, and I can have the items we spoke of ready for you. Remember to help Beck!”

“Of course!” Turning to Bo, he said, “Can we now please get some food? I’m starving.”

That was exhilarating! Bo-Katan loved the sparring session with Din. We should do that more! She wasn’t kidding when she said she was a warrior first. This is what she was born to do. Not a scavenger, trying to scrounge up weapons caches; and not a pirate, hijacking starships and star-cruisers for her modest fleet. Her heart was simply not in it. Her kar'ta was more enthusiastic about being a warrior and a leader, commanding her own people.

She was delighted to see the considerable change in confidence between the weapons Din wasn’t familiar with and the staff. The staves, especially when handling just one, were quite similar to a sword, and she knew he struggled to wield the Darksaber.

On the way to lunch, he asked for any pointers with the staves, so she recommended a few moves he could try later.

Apparently, the Armourer involved him with helping the mechanic. She’d heard about them. Beck showed up as part of Einar’s crew, but the Armourer had nothing but great things to say about them, so she hoped there would be no issues with Din working by their side. Honestly, he probably wouldn’t have any problems because of his ability to befriend most living things.

Her own schedule for the rest of the day consisted of working with the new settlers from Nevarro to establish their needs as far as space, materials, and any other demands. Din succeeded in getting three architects and civil engineers, a medic, a teacher, a seamstress, and a few other skilled professionals to help restore their planet.

In addition, the season of Growing was approaching on Concordia. She planned to take advantage of the temperate weather and get groups to the moon to help meet their food needs. The less capital they spent buying food, the more funding they’d have to use in the future.

Din figured it would be good to have Ragnar help her with the settlers, so he was tagging along with Bo-Katan for the foreseeable future until they went off-world.

Deciding to check in with Beck earlier to see if they needed help, Din entered the mechanic shop. As expected, it smelled of metal shavings and oil, a scent which put his mind at ease. Tinkering with tools is something that he’d been good at for a while.

Din called out and, with a clatter, he heard, “I’m here!” The person to whom the voice belonged then proceeded to hit their helmet on the underside of the tabletop and sheepishly rubbed their neck as they peeked out. The flat surface in front of them was currently littered with a variety of bits and bobs in addition to random tools.

“Hey, I’m Beck!” their voice sounded pleasant, gentle. When they stood up, they were almost a head shorter than Din, but their handshake was strong. They wore a single glove, but both their hands’ fingertips were covered in grease.

Din nodded. “Din. Is Beck short for anything?”

“Nope, just Beck. You're Din Djarin, right?”

“Am I famous or infamous? And do I want to know?” he asked wearily.

“All I heard is that you were involved with Bo-Katan.”

He sighed internally. Please don’t let this person be a busybody.

“I won't gossip. I know a bit about complicated relationships myself, so I figured if you need someone to talk t– Haar'chak!” There was a loud crash, and Beck let out an annoyed sigh. “Can you help me lift this droid to the table?” The change in topics threw Din, but he obliged.

Stepping back, he shrugged. “It's not that complicated. We're good.”

“I meant that it’s complicated in terms of how others perceive you.” He stared at Beck. They saw right through him, didn’t they? As if they were reading his mind, they followed up with, “How does it work with the helmet?”

“I'm still trying to figure that out myself, honestly.” Belatedly, a voice in the back of his mind wondered if they were trying to determine whether or not he was taking off his helmet.

Beck asked, “Can you please work on fixing up the sonic washer in the corner there?” and immediately jumped back into their conversation, “Good luck with the others!”

Figuring he didn’t need to keep the other at arm’s length unless they gave him a reason to, he responded with, “You too, with whatever your complicated relationship issue is!”

He heard them grin under the helmet, “Like you, we’re also good. We just sometimes have trouble when people find out.”

When they saw Grogu peeking out from behind a workbench, they squealed and wouldn’t put him down, coddling him and saying how adorable he was. Suddenly, they turned around and put a hand on their hip, declaring huffily, “You know, you really shouldn’t have infants in a mechanic shop!”

“He’s fifty-two.”

Beck stared at him. “Seriously?”

“His species can live for a long time. But he is generally pretty good about not tou–” okay, no, Grogu liked to touch things a lot. Din finally got him trained to not press all the buttons on the Razor Crest before it got blown up. He changed tracks, “If we give him something to keep his attention, preferably a ball or a sphere of some sort, that will keep him amused for a while. Ideally one that you don’t expect to get back, since he will want to keep it.”

Beck giggled and found an object matching that description. They handed it to Grogu, and he wandered off. The humans worked to the sound of buzzing, whirring, tapping, and the occasional metallic scrape as their armor brushed against something. Din spent longer than he realized tinkering with various gadgets, enjoying the sensation of working with his hands. Beck came over to look at his progress as Bo stopped by to find him.

“The Armourer wasn’t kidding when she said you like to fix things. These look great,” Beck complimented him.

“He’s a man of many talents,” Din spun to see Bo leaning in the doorway. “That apparently can get so carried away with his hobbies that he forgets food.” Her eyebrows twitched in amusement.

“What time–” he checked the display on his gauntlet, “Oh, it’s late! Would you like to join us for dinner?”

Beck hesitated, “I wouldn’t want to intrude! I was planning on eating with my friend.”

“They are welcome to join us as well,” said Bo. And it worked out– they joined Axe, Koska, Luna, and Ragnar in a larger booth, and time passed quickly with their merry group. Beck’s friend Adira was equally convivial, and Din was happy he invited the pair. If nothing else, he was elated to see their table seating people from more than three different backgrounds.

“Hey, Bo?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m proud of you and all you’ve accomplished.”

Bo-Katan stared at the man facing her. Their walk upstairs was quiet since he seemed lost in thought, but he still grasped her hand when they got out of the others’ view.

“What brought this on?”

“I was just thinking back to the time on the langskib when you told me you weren’t sure you could keep our people together. You said that instead of walking both worlds, you’d been torn from both. Do you remember how I responded?”

“Besides not to overthink?” He nodded. “You said to build trust and to establish a circle of people I could work with.”

“That dinner table was pretty diverse.” She remembered the rest of his words. Showing them that you can work with both clans is a good start, and also making them collaborate together towards a common goal. Small steps are the way to go. “You can see progress happening, Bo, and it’s because of you.” He took her by the arms and squeezed.

She swallowed and looked at the T-visor behind which the man’s eyes hid. He sometimes believed in her dreams more than she did herself. She blinked rapidly and embraced him.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, “Thank you.” Tightening her hold on him, Bo-Katan buried her face into the crook of his neck. His hands wrapped tighter around her and pressed her close.

The pair stepped away, and he murmured, “It’s gonna be alright, you know.” With a tight-lipped smile, she pressed her forehead to his before saying goodnight and stepping inside.

A knock sounded as she stepped away from the door.

A suspicious Koska barged in with her brow wrinkled. “Is everything alright? Did anything happen with Din?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

“I will beat him up if I need to,” her friend threatened.

Bo-Katan laughed. “There’s no need. Din’s a really great guy, honestly. He made me recognize how much has changed between the moment when our tribes met up on Nevarro and now. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we’re making progress, and he said he was proud of me.”

Koska considered her words and answered begrudgingly “Okay, that was pretty sweet of him. Now, tell me what your plans were for Concordia for tomorrow’s session.”

Din rejoined Beck the next day after a quick breakfast with Bo and Ragnar. Anticipating that Grogu would be sitting around the whole day, he brought a couple of items for Grogu in his crossbody bag.

He set Grogu up to practice lifting and levitating pebbles and larger stones. He also created a makeshift target across the room, where Grogu could practice his Force-push accuracy.

Beck was in their cheery mood, and they jumped right to the point before even greeting Din. “The Armourer told me you’re pretty good with ships.”

“I helped rebuild and upgrade my N-1.”

“The starfighter from the High Republic times?”

“That’s the one.”

“You’ll have to show it to me sometime!” They sounded fascinated. As they led Din over to where a couple of starships were parked, they explained, “One of the Gauntlets’ hyperdrives has been acting up. It’s operating at less than 50% efficiency. Can you take a look? It’s on the left!”

The two of them made good time. The transport ships were repaired, and they headed off to lunch. As soon as the assembly ended and its attendees spilled into the dining area, Beck ran off with an extra portion. Din was joined by Bo, who was wearing her helmet.

“Is Einar causing trouble still?”

She shook her head. “No, just wearing the helmet as a precaution, so he doesn’t say I’m only wearing it to get everyone’s support.”

“That honestly seems like the type of thing he’d say.”

They checked in with each other. Bo was helping organize sending people to Concordia to farm the land. There weren’t as many volunteers as she’d hoped, so they might need to assign some others. One of the new settlers that Din interviewed on Nevarro knew about agriculture, so he’d be able to help them by making the best use of the land. They also had an exciting development – they were planning to start paying people for their services over the next few weeks.

“That’s great! And you will now have a couple extra ships back in your fleet to ferry people around.” Bo made a questioning noise, and he explained, “Beck and I repaired the two Gauntlets that were having issues.”

“You guys are so fast!”

“Speaking of repairs though, I should get back to help them. See you later!”

It was super quiet in the mechanic shop as Din approached. Stepping inside, two figures jumped apart, fingers unbraiding themselves from each other. Beck and Adira. More than a friend, it seems.

Silence stretched in the shop, so Din figured he’d clear the air. “Hey, I don't judge. As long as you don’t do anything around the kid, I'm good.”

The pair turned to look at each other and then back to him. Adira exclaimed, “I knew you were a good guy!” and approached to slap him on the shoulder.

The two relaxed more around him, and that seemed to explain the hesitancy he’d noticed the night before at dinner.

“Was this the complication that you spoke about yesterday?”

“Mostly.”

Now that the situation de-escalated, Adira noticed Grogu trailing after him. Her voice rose an entire octave as she cooed, “Who is this ad'ika?”

“This what??” Din noticed Beck’s use of Mando’a yesterday, but he got the gist of their cursing. This word he didn’t know.

“Ad’ika, as in ‘little one,’ but it could also be used to refer to your own child.”

I like that word! “This is Grogu, he is my son and apprentice.”

“What’s he doing?”

“He’s supposed to be training on using his abilities, but he’s clearly distracted.” Adira waved at the kid, and he mimicked the gesture at her, forgotten pebbles in his other hand.

“He’s so cute!” When Grogu spoke nonsensically at her, Adira asked, “He’s already an apprentice? But he can’t speak.”

“His appearance is deceptive–” Din started, as Beck jumped in with, “He’s fifty-two years old.”

“Oh wow!”

“His skills are more developed than people realize, so I got his rank promoted.”

“He’s going to be a little warrior soon!”

Din looked down at Grogu, who stared back at him, and reached out his little hands. Din felt the corners of his mouth twitch. “Come on, back to training!” He picked up his ad’ika and deposited him near the corner that was covered in small pebbles.

“I’m assuming you’re both warriors?” he asked.

“I'm no Nite Owl, but I can fight. Beck here is the technically savvy one.”

A sound of footsteps came from the outside, and someone yelled, “Beck!”

“Wayii!” Beck flinched so hard that they hit their knee on the workbench. “I’m not here,” Beck whispered and hid behind the workbench. With a glance at Din, Adira walked outside.

“Where is she?”

“They are not here. Can you please leave them alone? They don’t want to see you.”

“She can’t avoid me forever.”

“If you keep acting like an ori'jagyc, maybe they will. Tayli’bac?”

The voice of someone who sounded like Einar huffed and stomped off. I’m so confused.

Adira re-entered a minute later and, after a sigh, announced quietly, “He’s gone.” Beck peeked out like a scurrier checking for predators.

Din finally expressed his confusion, “What just happened? Was that Einar?”

“Oh, I keep forgetting you don’t speak Mando’a. Yes, that was Einar. I told him that if he keeps acting like a bully and the small man that he is, Beck here will actually leave him. And then that last bit was a very aggressive ‘ya got it?’” Adira scornfully uttered the last phrase. She stepped to Beck’s side and massaged their nape.

The shorter Mandalorian was subdued. “You probably shouldn’t have spoken to him like that.”

“I don’t care what he thinks of me. The only reason I ever stuck around with your clan was because of you. What’s he gonna do, throw me out? I will gladly never see that shabuir's face again.”

“She insulted him,” Beck piped up, though Din figured it wasn’t a pleasant word by the way Adira spat it out. Beck turned to Din and looked so small. “I’m sorry for the trouble Einar has caused you.”

Din wasn’t quite sure how that was related to them, and it must have shown in his posture, so Beck explained, “We came with him. He’s the leader of what remains of Clan Awaud. And… he’s technically my uncle.”

Din’s mouth dropped open under the helmet. “Seriously? But you’re so… different?”

“He's normally not that bad.” Despite what had just occurred, Beck tried to justify the older man’s actions.

“How can you stand him?” He was affronted for the three of them.

Adira chimed in, “I agree with Din!”

But Beck defended their clan patriarch. “He's usually just a harmless grouch, but he’s been worse recently. And he seems to have really taken a disliking to you.”

“Any advice?” Din inquired halfheartedly, not actually expecting an answer.

Adira grumbled, “Get out of Bracca, or hope he does.”

Din sighed. Well, that wasn’t encouraging.

“He’s a mir'sheb and too annoyingly proud.”

Beck whispered, an aside only to him, “That meant 'smartass.’”

In the silence that followed, Beck spoke up softly, “If he gets kicked out though, I don't think we'd accompany him.”

Din looked up. That was interesting.

“Most of us that came with him have no love for the guy, and at least Beck and I would stand against him with you,” Adira declared.

Din inclined his head in thanks. “If either of you ever need help with him, I don’t know how much I can do, but feel free to tell Bo or myself.”

“Thanks. The Armourer knows our predicament as well.”

Din recalled the Armourer’s words. All I ask is that you spend some time with our mechanic and help them out a bit. Knowing what he did now, Din wondered if there was a second reason to the Armourer sending him here.

Sensing Beck’s despondent mood, Grogu walked over and handed them the sphere from yesterday. The gift brought a smile to their face, and they gently hugged Grogu. “Vor'e, ad’ika.”

Chapter Text

Din enjoyed spending time with Beck and Adira. The former acted like a kid sometimes with their easily-excitable personality. They were somewhat disorganized, but as they put it, “it was an organized mess.” They did know exactly where everything was located. Adira came by again on his last morning, and she helped with Grogu’s training while hiding out from Beck’s uncle. She would throw the pebbles, and Grogu would use the Force to pull them to him and then push the pebbles back to her. Her cheers for a successful catch were constant background noise. Din had never been too close with any Children of the Watch members. His relationships with everyone but his teacher were not-tense at best, but this was a nice change.

After wrapping up his last repair for Beck and finally managing to prise Grogu from Adira’s arms, he visited the Armourer to pick up the newly-forged beskar equipment. He stashed it away on the ship and set about preparing for a longer trip. Not accustomed to having to worry about his helmet during sleep, Din realized that having an extra room on Mandalore all to himself spoiled him in his short time on-world. He selected two bunks and added curtains with fasteners to them, which would allow him and Ragnar to take the helmet off during sleep.

Bo shared a quiet meal with the three at the Civic Center and then walked them to the starship, carrying a bunch of meal packs in addition to the food Din had in his crossbody bag and arms. After unloading the provisions inside and saying goodbye to Ragnar, Din walked Bo back to the boarding-ramp. Grogu pulled on the shaft of her boot and jumped to her arms. He went to hug her helmet, but she took it off so he could hug her instead. “Enjoy your training, verd'ika.” She glanced up at Din. “When used affectionately, that means ‘little warrior’.”

Din nodded, and she put Grogu down. Standing up, Bo sighed, and her shoulders sagged. He felt that sigh in his chest, sorry to be leaving so soon after their confession. He placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to reassure her without words. When she lowered her eyes, he moved his palms on the sides of her neck and used the thumbs to nudge her face up. “You know I can’t stay away for too long either, right?”

The sadness in her expressive eyes pierced his visor and stabbed away at his chest. He had to avert his own to avoid feeling too much. He connected their foreheads oh-so-gently and whispered, “I’ll miss you.”

She nodded without saying anything. He couldn’t leave without hearing a word. “I love you.”

Bo embraced him tightly and breathed into his neck, “I love you too, Dinui.”

Her words gave him the courage to weigh the anchor holding him to the planet. He released her and stepped away. With one last sigh, Bo descended the ramp and stopped at the bottom to look at the two figures in the doorway. Din saw a couple Watch members approach her from the mechanic shop nearby. The shorter figure placed a hand on the Nite Owl’s shoulder.

“He’ll be back,” he heard Beck say to Bo.

“You’d better!” yelled out Adira.

He chuckled and saw Bo’s weak smile before raising his hand in goodbye. Take care of her, please. He waved and shut the door, sighing. Since when did saying goodbye become this hard?

They took off, and Din tried not to look at where Bo and the others were standing. He’ll see her again.

Once he set the course, he showed Ragnar the bunks set up with curtains, so he wouldn’t feel obligated to keep the helmet on. He cautioned Grogu about not trying to get inside if the curtains were secured.

The trip to their first destination passed quickly. Celanon was a Bounty Hunter’s Guild hub, and he wanted to accept a few bounties before starting out on their journey. If they’re going to be traveling all over the galaxy, he wouldn’t pass up the chance to earn some credits. Celanon City was the bustling capital that had no shortage of cantinas, starships, and guilds. Hopefully, they would blend into the background just like all the other travelers in its swarming spaceport.

Prior to disembarking, Din warned Grogu and Ragnar about staying close and not touching anything they shouldn’t. “I’m mostly talking to you, Grogu.” The two trailed so close after him, they were akin to shadows, no more than a few steps behind him on the unfamiliar planet. The young man in particular was overwhelmed by the swarms of people and his surroundings teeming with activity. Din picked up Grogu after a few meters and found himself looking over his shoulder to make sure Ragnar was still following as the crowds didn’t allow for walking next to each other at all times.

The trio found the cantina that housed the Guild hub, and Din selected three bounties. If allowed, Din would have taken additional, but the agent refused. Most Guild members, especially those working out of a new hub, would have received two at best. Anticipating something like this, Din asked Karga to reach out prior to him stopping by. Only the glowing recommendation from his friend got him an opportunity to take additional holo-pucks and tracking fobs. He thanked the agent and left with the two companions in his wake. All three tracking fobs did not indicate a target was nearby, so Din led the way to the Gauntlet.

As they already paid premium rates for a full day, they remained docked for a while longer. Din used the afternoon to inform the young travelers about the Guild, their code, and how the Guild equipment worked. He was forced to acknowledge that he really did pick up a second apprentice. And while he knew Ragnar was no longer of the apprentice rank, everything about space travel was new to the young man, so he’d started to call him an apprentice in his mind.

They set off in the afternoon, and Din spent his waking hours explaining to his apprentices how to pilot the ship and what the various controls on the console did. Ragnar appeared eager to learn, so he also recounted what he’d previously taught Grogu – how to read maps and chart the course for hyperspace travel. Since Grogu had heard parts of this spiel previously, he found the equivalent shifter on Bo’s ship, similar to that on the Razor Crest. He unscrewed the spherical knob from the handle while Din was giving Ragnar an explanation. The ball was larger than the one from the Razor Crest but just as fascinating to his son. Din hoped the Nite Owls wouldn’t miss the lever handle.

He thought he had his hands full with just Grogu, but the both of them kept him on his toes. Grogu might have grown out of pressing random buttons but, like Ragnar, he was curious in his own way. And with Din’s attention divided between the two, that gave Grogu the opportunity to wander around. Where he had previously been confined to his pram or cockpit, now he explored the entire ship. Humorously, Ragnar was the one pressing buttons this time. He’d triggered and turned on the weapons console, and Din had an insane urge to tell him to Stop touching things.

Sighing, Din called Grogu over and showed the two how to read the scope and use the targeting systems. Without firing, he mimed taking aim and shooting at something speeding past to show them the sensitivity of the controls. As with the console explanation, he advised them that every starship was slightly different, so they shouldn’t expect the controls to handle the same way.

The initial quarreling that Ragnar instigated at breakfast several weeks ago seemed to mostly dissipate as they hung out together and he grew to trust Din. The youngster’s competitive spirit and sophomoric attitude came out during training, but that’s usually the only instance when it did, so Din didn’t mind. As they learned how the other operated, they clashed less and less – with the occasional defiant retort.

When they exited hyperspace in the Inner Rim, Din checked on the tracking fobs and showed the apprentices how the blinking changed. Sometimes the hunt was just a guessing game, and he lucked out. Though at this point he’d probably call it more of an intuition than luck; he knew how to search the galaxy for various bounties. Within the next day, they tracked down the first target.

Din stressed the importance of taking an acquisition alive and uninjured, particularly in light of recent guidelines set by the council on Mandalore. Sometimes, but not often, the quarry could surrender themselves without a fight, so if you didn’t have to escalate the situation to cause anyone injury, that was in everyone’s best interests. With that in mind, he explained the plan to his protégés and handed Ragnar the stuncuffs. If everything went well, the three of them would bring the target on the ship within minutes. If things went sideways, Din instructed them to watch what he did and learn from the first few encounters.

Pleasantly surprised, but unfortunately for his protégés, Din was able to get the acquisition without a struggle. Sometimes the targets were relieved to be caught. It meant they could stop running and looking over their shoulder every few minutes.

The second quarry they caught a few days later, but he tried to run, so Ragnar and Grogu watched from the sidelines as Din expertly fought, then captured the bounty, and helped Ragnar put on the binders.

The third allowed the protégés a chance to participate. This bounty seemed less intent on fighting, and he bolted as soon as Din showed him the holo-puck, so Din asked Grogu to use the Force to freeze him in his tracks. Ragnar then cautiously approached the figure, disarmed him, and locked a single binder over the wrist. Just as he went to insert the second paw into the stuncuffs, the creature broke free of Grogu’s Force-hold and made a swipe at Ragnar. The young man, prepared for a situation such as this, dodged the swing and grabbed the offending paw to spin the creature around and insert it into the other stuncuff.

Watching from nearby, Din congratulated them on another successful capture and helped get the quarry aboard their ship. The training they’d been holding in their free time made the apprentices confident in their actions, whether it was in hand-to-hand combat, practicing Force-abilities, or stave drills. Din also prioritized moves that forced Grogu to multitask, such as making him perform a Force-hold and an unrelated physical action.

After following the tracking fobs to their acquisitions, it took them almost a week to get back to the Hydian Way. One thing that Din really missed from the Razor Crest was the carbon-freezing chamber. With that on board, he wouldn’t have to deal with random fighting in the cargo bay and other unpleasant handling of the captives in their care.

The week-long trip took a heavy toll on the two humans. Partially because of the bounty acquisitions in the hold but also because of Ragnar’s cabin fever. Grogu was taking the long journey quite well since he felt at ease traveling through the galaxy with Din. The young man, on the other hand, became headstrong and unruly when stuck in the enclosed space for more than a couple days. Din missed being able to talk to Bo about anything, especially since the only other person capable of speech in the starship was moody half the time. When training did not dispel the bad mood, Din decided to surprise his human apprentice with the jet-pack. He was saving it for a rest day, but he figured the young man could do with some cheering up.

“This– this is for me?” Ragnar asked timidly, handling the jetpack with care, and acting reserved for the first time in days.

“I heard you started practicing but never finished training in the Rising Phoenix, so I figured I’d pick up where you left off.”

“But… these are so expensive! Wouldn’t you rather upgrade your own?”

Din shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m used to mine. It’s not that much different than the one I used to have anyway!”

The young man fell silent, staring at the shiny, new jet-pack.

“When we drop off the bounties, we can take a rest day on a different planet and get some training in. It’ll be great!”

The boy nodded slowly.

The grumbling ceased. The gift seemed to give the young man something to think about, and it tempered his snapping and moods as well.

As they got closer to the core planets, they got access to the holo-net again. The dead zones in the Outer Rim prevented the starship from receiving messages, despite the New Republic opening access to everyone. A message from Bo awaited them. Her holo-message notified them that the council agreed to pay anyone employed by the new city of Sundari starting with this week, and there were a few new businesses opening in a few days.

It was great to see her, even a holographic version of her. Din tried not to think about how much he missed her. He’d gotten so used to her being the first person he saw in the morning and the last one in the evenings. He called the others over to show them the message and to record a response. Grogu jumped into his lap, and Ragnar stood next to him while he sat in the pilot’s chair.

He started the recording and spoke. “Hi Bo! Sounds like you’re making great progress over there. Congrats on getting a few of the businesses up and running! Can’t wait to see that in person. We’re doing well. We caught our third bounty a few days ago and are on our way to trade them in. Here’s an interesting question for you. How would you feel about me installing a carbon-freezing chamber in the cargo bay?” He turned in his seat to Ragnar and asked, “Did you have anything to add?”

“Din says he will be training me in the Rising Phoenix next. I’m very excited!”

“Grogu?”

The large eyes looked up at him as if to ask, Who am I supposed to be speaking to?

With the words, “Thanks for the update. We miss you!” Din ended the recording, a smile falling off his face. It’s not like she could tell under the helmet anyway. Bo’s response came just before they landed on Celanon.

Impressed with his speed, and relying on Greef Karga’s word, the Guild agent gave him the benefit of the doubt and handed him four holo-pucks this time, and Din gratefully accepted them.

Din shouldn’t have even bothered checking the pricing for the installation of the carbon chamber within the Celanon city limits – the spaceport overcharged for most services, which was the only downside to having the Guild hub on this planet. After unloading the three quarries from his cargo bay to the local police, they headed towards the Core planets via the Hydian Way.

He was preoccupied after listening to Bo’s message again. When they left Mandalore, they requested the use of one of the smaller Gauntlet ships, but it still felt like too much space on board. Especially when he was used to sitting in her co-pilot seat. Din didn’t expect to miss her this much. It was almost worse that they were whizzing past Mandalore and not stopping by. According to the second message, Bo even downgraded her ship for him. “I traded my ship for the smaller model you are currently using. You can go ahead with the cargo bay upgrade.”

He turned on the recording, alone this time. “Hey, Bo. You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it. It will certainly make our lives easier. We’re probably going to have the upgrades done on one of the Core planets while I teach Ragnar the Phoenix. And since it’s your ship now, I should mention that Grogu stole the knob off one of the levers on the console. He used to do the same on my Razor Crest.” He paused for a breath, and continued in a low voice. “I hope you’re doing well.”

They followed the tracking fobs and found a decent spaceport on their route that wouldn’t overcharge him for an upgrade. Corellia normally had fairly temperate weather, and the city looked welcoming, so after paying the docking bay fee, they ventured out onto the planet.

With Din, Grogu, and Ragnar gone, Bo-Katan suddenly had a lot of free time on her hands. She volunteered where she could, particularly since she knew they lost some of their construction work-force due to the farming group being dispatched to Concordia.

Because of their experienced civil engineers and architects, they could distribute the work better and apply themselves to rebuilding. Twyla worked with the new settlers to finalize all work on the new store fronts they planned to open within the next few weeks. In addition to several stores, they set up a training zone precisely where the Armourer drilled Din.

Bo-Katan spent time with her two best friends and Luna, Beck, and Adira. She’d found Luna hanging around with their group considerably more, and she was beginning to guess why.

Adira was a skilled sparring partner in the evenings, and Beck sometimes joined in for two-against-one training. What could she say, she loved a challenge!

In some ways, the pair reminded Bo-Katan of herself and Din. She didn’t realize how true that was until the day only Adira was around for a very late lunch. They were trying to add new meals to the menu, and today’s was simply too messy to eat with just a tilt of the helmet. Bo-Katan gave up and took off hers. Adira glanced at her, and with a quick, “Don’t tell Einar,” she slipped off her own.

Bo-Katan gaped. “But– How?”

“I’m not a Child of the Watch. I was on my own and got into a heap of trouble. Beck saved me, and Einar’s group took me in. They all seemed insistent on following the Way to a T, so I just kept up with it. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. And I found other reasons to stay before long.” Adira shot her a crooked smile. “Except for Beck, and now you, I don’t think anyone else knows, so if Einar hears of this, I’ll know who to blame,” she added playfully and tucked into her meal with speed. That did explain why her armor wasn’t the red tint almost everyone else in that group sported. Still dazed, Bo-Katan watched her. Her long angular face was freckled and framed by short, wavy hair. She had a series of piercings on her left ear. Adira finished eating in record time and slid the helmet on, peeking outside the booth after donning the gear.

Bo-Katan ate slowly, but she snuck glances at Adira. She must have been less subtle than she thought, because the other snorted and asked, “What’s on your mind?”

“How… how does it work with being a Child of the Watch?” She knew her face heated up, and Bo-Katan was glad she couldn’t see Adira’s eyes judging her. She was so embarrassed!

Adira’s voice held understanding and kindness as she responded, “Allegedly, no Child of the Watch ever takes off the helmet around their family. But there’s no way people don’t make exceptions for at least their partners. If they do, I’m not sure they’d ever admit it out loud since it’s a very personal choice. Beck was raised under Einar’s archaic customs, but even they elect to remove it for intimate moments. It was entirely their decision. I don’t think anyone from the clan is aware of them having done this either.” Adira hesitated before asking, “I’m assuming Din hasn’t…?”

“We’re not there yet. It’s still very new,” Bo-Katan murmured shyly.

“I’ve heard of the whole ‘you walk both worlds’ explanation, but would your family or partner be able to do the same?”

Bo-Katan shrugged. “As far as I know, I’m the only exception the Armourer made. Din’s been great in helping me not feel isolated from either tribe, but people like Einar certainly make it interesting.”

“We mentioned this to Din, but Einar’s a mir'sheb and clearly thinks his Way is the only way. If push comes to shove, the two of us are 100% on your side.”

“I appreciate that more than you know. How about the others from Clan Awaud?”

“We’ve roamed the galaxy like vagabonds for a few years, so having a stable place to call home might convince a few others. There’s a few that could swing either way, but I think if you do as great of a job with this place as we’ve seen so far, Einar will be the only one fighting against you. Though he is a force to be reckoned with,” Bo-Katan practically heard Adira roll her eyes.

Bo-Katan sent holo-messages to those on Concordia and Din as soon as the council made a concrete decision about beginning to pay the workers. Almost a week passed, and no response from Din. She wondered if they were somewhere in the Outer Rim and hadn’t seen it yet. When the first message did come, she loved it.

Convincing the other Nite Owl to trade away her smaller ship wasn’t difficult, but the sly smile she got from the other after explaining why she was willing to make that disadvantageous trade was irritating. People assumed too much.

Meanwhile, some people were oblivious. Bo-Katan didn’t want to speak ill of her friend, but Axe could be blind to the true intentions of those around him. She, Axe, and Koska would go out to the cantina, and he’d miss all the signs. Not only had Luna been joining them in her free time outside her job, but one evening, Axe noted she spent more time by their section of the bar counter versus with anyone else. Yet for some reason, it didn’t click why. Bo-Katan and Koska’s eyes met behind him, and they both shook their heads in disappointment. He was so clueless! The two women bowed out early and left the other pair to talk.

“Think he’ll finally figure it out?”

“Doubt it… I asked him about her a few days ago, and he called her a friend. Except we can all see he’s attracted to her!”

“How are Din and Ragnar doing?”

Bo-Katan shared the recent update from Din that they were heading to the Core.

She recalled the message, and the bit about Grogu put a smile on her face. Nevertheless, throughout the entire update, a dejected atmosphere seeped through the hologram, as if an air of melancholy permeated the Gauntlet cockpit at the time of recording. Bo-Katan didn’t need to see his face to tell. If anything, she got so used to looking for signals in his body language and voice that she was practically an expert at all things related to him. Even his silences divulged his frame of mind.

Her response contained only five words. Unmasked, smiling, and sending positive thoughts his way, she chirped, “I love you, my Dinui!”

Chapter Text

The next recording from Bo he saved to a special data disk that Din kept on his own person. It was like he was carrying a little bit of home with him. The few previous messages and all the incoming ones made their way on the disk as well. And if he listened to them a half dozen times per day, no one had to know. Maybe it was the recordings, or maybe the rest day consoled him more than he thought, but soon he felt his mood turn.

Before they knew it, they’d traversed the galaxy several times over, and a couple of months passed. Their primary focus was bounty hunting, but Captain Teva came through and assigned them a few missions as well. It didn’t take long for Din to pay off the carbon-freezing chamber. He set aside a decent portion of their earnings for fuel and nourishment, but any additional credits he split between Ragnar and the Mudhorn Clan.

Ragnar was no longer suffering from cabin fever, and they were able to read each other’s moods fairly well. Din could almost reliably predict when he should start charting a course for a hospitable planet for a rest day to avoid Ragnar falling victim to malaise and irritability.

Grogu didn’t pick everything up as quickly as Ragnar since he was learning a lot of basic melee fighting techniques, but over the weeks, his learning curve grew steep as the fundamental concepts became a great base for all his other skills. Din worked with Grogu to build on the original drills to add actions that his son could use to take down an opponent. He volunteered himself as the punching bag for Grogu in an effort to show him how, even with his small size, the little creature was more than capable of taking down someone more than six times his build. With practice, and to some extent the Force, he was able to augment most of his combative maneuvers and work on the speeds of his attack.

After a few more captures with them working jointly, Din began to have them take turns in subduing and detaining the quarry, depending on how the target reacted and the type of skill the respective apprentice was working on that day. Din still stood at the ready in case he had to step in, but more often than not, they could handle almost every single encounter. More recently, Din saw Grogu hold the captor in place with the Force and put on the stuncuffs without taking a step. His control of the Force abilities was amazing, and he was only a child! He would grow up to be quite capable, Din thought.

A recent discovery allowed him to stumble upon a means of communication with Grogu. They were on Tatooine, and one of their more dangerous targets hijacked a mode of transport and ventured out into the vast Dune Sea. Upon coming across a group of Tusken Raiders, Din asked them if they’d seen someone of the target’s description. To not leave Ragnar and Grogu in the dark, he spoke the Standard Basic out loud and used hand gestures to communicate with the Tuskens. Looking back on that moment, he realized Grogu was watching him intently. After a quick conversation, they headed their separate ways.

Din anticipated capturing the vicious criminal on his own, but Ragnar and Grogu followed. He gestured for them to stay back. He’d prefer not to involve the two if he could, just in case anything went wrong.

Grogu stepped forward, grumbled, and gestured something. With astonishment, Din realized it was a word in the Tusken Sign Language. We. He gestured again. We.

“You want to go together?”

Both apprentices nodded. They were full of surprises.

“Alright, follow my lead.”

Din was away for so long. After several weeks, Bo-Katan stopped counting. A couple days ago – or was it a week now? – Din said they’d be back soon, but then Captain Teva reached out, and they went off on another mission. She understood that this was his trade and how he earned his keep, but she felt lonelier without the presence of the three travelers. Her breakfasts were quiet, and she found her thoughts drifting to Din in her free time.

Determined to keep her mind busy, she dove into her work for the next two months. With the council’s agreement, she officially took on the role of Mand’alor and set up her own Stjornmal to help execute her will and official edicts. The Stjornmal also acted as her personal confidants and trusted advisors, but official decisions and legislation ultimately went through her. They no longer held regular assemblies, but any concerns could be brought up to any member of the Mand’alor’s Stjornmal so a resolution could be found.

With a real government in place, Bo-Katan implemented a plan to start taxing Mandalorians’ incomes a couple months after wages went into effect. In the meantime, they organized additional storefronts and fixed up a few businesses to be more helmet-friendly.

Karga was once again their greatest ally in terms of helping them progress as a new society. He sent word that a couple of worlds were looking for security services, and he’d be happy to send along the information if they were still thinking of going down that path. This set the Stjornmal on the path to create an organization that would maintain the various security projects. In the interim, their current government would oversee payment to the participants.

Bo-Katan diverted her daily attention between her responsibilities and periodically joining a Stjornmal member and their crew on their task of the day to stay apprised of how different facets of society were functioning.

One such crew was coming back from the ruins of a different city when she saw a Gauntlet break through the clouds. It had a blue, white, and yellow color scheme. Din had asked her permission prior to doing so, but he’d added yellow streaks to the Gauntlet’s pivoting wings.

They’re back!

The boarding ramp of their transport ship was barely open when she shot out with her jet pack.

“Din! Grogu!” The man spun in place on top of the ramp to look in her direction. She barreled toward them, so he did the only thing that made sense. He took a running jump towards her, triggering his own jetpack, and met her in the air. Except with Bo-Katan’s speed, they first spun around a couple times before coming to hover a meter off the ground. They were already laughing pretty hard before they came to a halt and touched their helmets in a Keldabe kiss. Their arms still around the other's wrists, they whispered, “Hi!” at the same time and burst out laughing again before lowering themselves.

Koska and Axe ran after her to see where she flew off to before witnessing the strangest thing they'd ever seen Bo-Katan do. Koska shook her head, "Stars, they're so weird!"

“Hey, it’s been a couple of months!” Bo-Katan retorted.

“Almost three actually.”

Grogu jumped in between them, and Bo-Katan hugged him too. Then, holding him at arm's length, she gasped and cried, "Did you grow?!"

“Bah!” He waved his limbs in a very precise gesture, which she didn’t understand, but the excited grin confirmed his response.

Glancing past Din, she observed the young human apprentice disembarking. Still grinning ear-to-ear in her happiness, she exclaimed, “Hi Ragnar!” Something clicked, “Wait, did you pilot the ship?”

“He’s getting really good at it too!” Din added his praise.

She approached the youth and put a hand on his shoulder. “Wow, look at you guys! You’re turning into young warriors before my eyes!” Her tone softened, “Thanks for coming back safe and sound.”

Distinctly aware of Ragnar’s dragging feet and Din’s quiet demeanor, Bo-Katan invited them to an early dinner after showing them around a bit. She invited her friends to dinner as well. Luna tagged along, as was her custom.

Just as they were finishing up, Luna looked at Axe and spoke, “Want to come along to the cantina tonight?”

“Is anyone else going?” Bo-Katan wanted to smack him.

Luna averted her eyes and hesitated, “I… I’m not sure. Actually, it’s alright. I just realized tomorrow’s Benduday anyway, so I’m sure it’ll be busy. I’ll need to focus on our customers.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as Luna left without a word.

Din was exhausted, but even he noticed the exchange and awkward attempt to withdraw the invite.

Axe stared forlornly after her. With an exhale, he announced he was going to get dessert.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Din whispered to Bo, “How long has that been going on?"

She groaned quietly. “They’ve been driving me crazy. He cannot read any of the signs despite Luna being so incredibly obvious these days."

Din gestured he wanted to get out of the booth and trailed after the other man. It didn’t look like he was paying attention to what he was getting, since he paid for a heaping pile of sweets as Din approached.

“You should go after her.”

“What?”

Din tilted his head forward with a hard stare at the Nite Owl, not that Axe could tell. “Think of it as me returning the favor.”

He finally saw the gears turning. With a nod, Axe gave him a quick, “Thanks. Here!” and pressed the plate with desserts into Din’s arms before running off after Luna.

Grinning underneath the helmet, he set the plate down in the center of their table.

Bo eyed the plate towering with sweets and asked, “Is that a good idea? Weren’t you tired?”

“Still hungry!” murmured Ragnar, already reaching for a large dessert. Grogu very quickly joined in.

After emptying the plate, Ragnar began to recount their adventures animatedly. Grogu was miming what he could based on Ragnar’s tales, much to the women’s amusement. Koska had never seen Ragnar so sociable.

The boys’ sugar rush came to an end half an hour later, and Grogu clumsily plopped onto Bo-Katan’s lap. Din patted the young man’s shoulder and indicated they should head to bed.

“It was lovely to see you three again!” Koska called after them, shooting Bo-Katan a furtive grin instead of a goodbye. Bo-Katan chose to ignore the wagging eyebrows.

They dropped Ragnar off first. With a final, “Get some well-earned rest,” Din bid his human apprentice goodnight. The duo’s footsteps slowed as they approached Bo-Katan’s doorway. Grogu was barely awake in her arms, and his little claws clamped onto her sleeve. The little one didn’t want to let her go, even in his semi-conscious state. If she was honest, she didn’t want to part from them yet either.

Din looked at his son in her arms and asked softly, “Want to come to ours?”

Without even thinking about what it could mean, she agreed. “Let me drop off my gear, and I’ll stop by.” She carefully peeled off as much of her armor as she could without disturbing Grogu and stole over to his apartment.

She peeked around the door. “Din?”

“Come on in.” He had taken off his own armor. Bo-Katan didn’t think she’d ever seen him in just the flight suit and helmet, and she said as much out loud.

Grogu refused to leave her arms, even when she sat on the couch. She wasn’t sure if Din purposely kept his distance or if he meant to face her head on, but he sat on a chair across from her as they caught up for a while longer, voices subduing and leaning in towards each other.

Grogu passed out a while ago, and Din turned away to stifle a yawn. Realizing what time it was, she stood and Din stepped close.

She tried to pry Grogu’s claws off, but to no avail. “Looks like he’s staying with me tonight,” she joked, not minding one bit.

Bo-Katan’s thoughts stuttered as Din dragged his hands down her arms and stopped at her elbows. “What if,” she thought she heard an almost audible swallow, “what if you stayed here tonight?”

As she looked at Din, the silly expression slid off her face and her eyes widened. He looked hesitant, shy, but his actions spoke of a resolve as well. Was he– Her mind jumped to conclusions before he confirmed anything. Distinctly aware of her elevated breathing, she looked at Grogu, taking a moment to avert her eyes. She nodded.

Neither one of them moved. She glanced at the couch out of the corner of her eye, but before she could move towards it, his fingers found hers, and he gently pulled her to the bedroom.

Her heart pounded behind the rib cage. Din slid in on one side and she on the other. Both their heads hit the pillows at the same time, and she saw his entire being relax. Voice groggy, he rumbled, “No offense to your ship, or any starship really, but beds are so much better.” Grogu finally loosened his hold on her sleeve, and she placed him on one of the pillows behind her. She scooted closer to the man, and he reached for her, his fingers tracing her spine from the nape to her lower back. Her heart did a flip, and she tangled her fingers in the hair at the back of his neck. She watched with pleasure as his chest swelled with a quiet gasp.

Her heart was a live animal, throwing itself around her chest, attempting to claw its way out. Bo-Katan buried her face in the hollow of his neck, taking in the heat radiating from the nearby figure and deeply breathing in his scent. She was no longer in control of her actions as she slowly caressed his collarbone with her cheek, nose, anything she could reach. Her respirations grew ragged and her eyes fluttered closed on their own, the sensuous moment halting all conscious thought. His fingers trailed fire everywhere they explored before finally enveloping her in his embrace. But his grip promptly slacked as he passed out – just as she realized what happened. She groaned internally. He is going to be the death of me.

She looked up and whispered, “Don’t make me wait too long,” and nestled in for the night, enraptured by both his presence and his scent all around her. “Good night, Dinui.”

Bo-Katan woke up first. Well, technically, Grogu did. The first thing she saw was Din’s helmet. Then, as she felt a light touch on her arm, she looked to Grogu standing between them. He made another new gesture. I really have to ask Din about those! And when she inquired what it meant, he patted her stomach. That she understood.

“Alright, give us a minute,” she spoke in a hushed voice.

She looked at the man still dozing next to her and smiled in contentment. So maybe they weren’t moving as quickly as she wanted to, but she’d waited this long, hadn’t she? Memories of last night floated to the surface. The rustle of sheets and their synchronized breathing; his natural fragrance all around her; watching his visceral reactions to her caresses; and their deliberate touches elevating her body temperature yet causing shivers all the same. Goosebumps covered her skin just remembering the events of the previous night. She yearned to satisfy the craving of the last of her senses.

Grogu jumped up to the bed by her feet, reminding him of his presence. Right, food. Din’s sleeping form was so peaceful, and it was almost a shame to wake him. Placing a hand on his arm, she asked, “Dinui?” She shook him gently, but he slept on, undisturbed, so she left with Grogu after giving him one last fond look.

As she opened Din’s apartment door, she heard a resounding crash. Bo-Katan froze and cautiously entered, “Who's there?”

“Ummm. Bo…” The inflection he used with her name was unusual, and he sounded off.

“What?”

“Can you hand me my helmet?”

As things fell into place, she giggled, and went to pick it up from across the room. “Sure!” Averting her eyes, she reached around the doorway to hand it off. “You okay in there?”

“...maybe some bacta spray too.” He sounded congested.

Her eyes widened. “Are you not okay?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I slipped and smashed my face in.”

She tried to stifle her laughter. She really did, but she couldn’t help a few giggles that escaped. When he joined her, she laughed outright. Grogu, still peering from behind her feet, contributing to the moment with cheery gurgling noises.

She pulled herself together enough to get some bacta from her apartment first aid kit. She heard a hiss and a yelp. Attempting to keep her composure, she asked, “Is your face okay?”

“Yeah, I'll be fine,” he grumbled in response.

He didn’t want to say goodnight. Din had missed her smile, her purposeful but fluid movements, the cadence of her speech. Though he kept all her holo-messages, the real thing sitting in front of him captivated him more than ever before. He wanted to be close to her and memorize her every gesture and feature, so that when he did have to leave again, he could picture her in his mind.

He really didn't mean to fall asleep that quickly, but after months of sleeping in a small bunk, Din forgot how good a mattress felt. The slight time difference from the previous planet didn’t help his case. And as soon as he'd wound his hands around her, he felt cozy, loved, and so at home. Just the two of them. And before he knew it, the sun was streaming through a window.

He recognized the desire in Bo’s eyes in their private moments, though he knew she tried to suppress it to give him time. He adored her for it, but he’d have to make it up to her. He had intended to do so last night. Din remembered the feeling of her against him, her sounds and zealous reaction to their long-overdue intimacy. He wished to be back in that moment. He’d stay awake this time.

He tried to contact Bo via the commlink, but no reply. Finally making up his mind to get dressed, he went to clean himself up. Stars knew he was a mess under his helmet after the long journey. His thick mop of hair had gotten long enough to curl naturally at the ends, but this also meant that it got all rumpled while stuck under a helmet all day. Not to mention he desperately needed a shave. He had just finished the latter and was drying his face, looking out his window. He was thinking about the Barber Shop downstairs outfitted with a couple grooming droids. He wouldn’t mind a real haircut, instead of the close-shaves he usually gave himself.

Suddenly, Din heard the door handle rotate. Dank farrik. He made a beeline to the refresher but slipped and came crashing to the ground. They had a good laugh (him through the throbbing of his nose), but at least the bacta worked quickly.

Every time Bo looked at him over the next few hours, she’d keep bursting out in small giggles. He left her with Grogu and hit up a bunch of the new shops, primarily the barber and seamstress. They reconvened for lunch, and they were joined by others. It looked like Luna, Beck, and Adira were there to stay. The former sat with Axe, and they exchanged mushy glances and not-so-subtle smiles.

Bo took off her helmet to eat with the large mix of people. They weren’t sitting side by side, so everytime she looked at him, she had to hide a smile. He spoke to Grogu, which drew her eyes, and she was once again unable to contain herself.

“Sto-o-op,” he practically whined, barely stopping himself from laughing. The table went silent.

Instead, she disobeyed him outright as her laughter burst forth. “I'm s-sorry,” he heard through her chortles.

Koska’s eyes flitted between the two, “What happened?”

“In an attempt to hide his face, he– he–” and she lost it completely, covering her face and attempting to smother the laughter.

“I was minding my own business in the apartment. Bo took Grogu for breakfast, and I wasn't expecting them back so soon, so I had my helmet off. I heard the sound of the door opening, so I sprinted to the refresher and completely wiped out!”

Through her laughter, Bo interrupted, “You made so– so much noise! The armor didn't help. It was so loud that Grogu hid behind me!”

Din chuckled, “Did he? I’m sorry, Grogu.”

“I'm honestly surprised the neighbors didn't check up on you.”

Luna spoke up, “Are you okay that he wears his helmet all the time?” She seemed genuinely curious, not trying to imply anything.

To her credit, Bo responded without any hesitation, “Yeah!” Her eyes flicked to Adira, and she continued, “I wear mine around him when we're out anyway.” Luna didn’t look like that answered her question, but she didn’t press further.

Chapter Text

As they finished lunch, some Watch members showed up with Einar. Bo’s jaw went rigid, and she tensed up. The rest of the table quieted down. The helmets of the Watch searched the room for a group of Nite Owls, who were located nearby. Einar and his associates sat as far away as possible from the warriors in blue. The latter glared at the helmet-clad group.

Din regarded Bo, unsettled. She gestured at him to head out, and the couple said their goodbyes. Einar’s visor followed the pair out of the Civic Center.

“What just happened?” Din spoke in a hushed voice. They headed off for a walk in the ruins, not anxious to be overheard.

“This is the result of mixing societies that have been at war with each other for ages. I think everyone was willing to stay civil at the beginning, but I’ve definitely had to resolve some petty disagreements. The more people we have, the more out of control I feel. And I didn’t realize this at the time, but we sent away a decent amount of reasonable Mandalorians to Concordia. The ones remaining are more likely to stir up conflict, which worries me. I thought we were doing okay, but these last couple of weeks, I feel like I’m not getting enough done.”

“Not getting– Where is that coming from? You have a functioning government, you’re putting in a lot of work as Mand’alor to help all members of New Sundari, and we’re making progress as a society. You may not see it since you have seen everything happen gradually, but this place has changed so much – for the better! I almost didn’t recognize what used to be the settlement.”

“I appreciate that.” She looked to her feet. “Einar’s been agitating some of the Watch members, which in turn makes the Nite Owls go on the defensive. I think we’re in a state of delicate balance right now; I just hope I can prevent inter-clan conflicts.”

Din thought carefully about his next words. “Would you throw out Einar if you had to?” He didn’t want to suggest that she do this, but he wanted to know how far she’d be willing to go to keep her stable society.

“I’m not seeing any other alternative, unless he decides to spend a lot more time off-world. In order to be part of our society, he needs to accept the way things are or help us work to change the status quo by going about it the right way. He needs to start acting like he wants to be here, and that means not inciting conflicts and at least attempting to be civil.”

Din agreed, though currently, he didn’t know what to say. Some Watch members walked past and nodded at the two in greeting. Once out of earshot, Bo blurted out, “Wanna help me lead Mandalore?”

Din stared. Her tone was teasing, but the words were anything but. He waited for her to explain.

“You would know what needs to be done to cater to the Watch’s needs. People look up to you, and most of them trust you.”

Only as long as they are confident I am not taking off the helmet, he thought. He’d made up his mind, but his resolve still wavered whenever he thought of being found out. It won’t be solely Einar standing against him. It wasn’t that long ago that he’d been thrown out of the covert. Part of him worried the Armourer and his own Watch brothers and sisters would renounce him, whether he atoned in the Living Waters or not. Although most of the inhabitants of New Sundari had put aside some of their differences, the Children of the Watch didn’t dismiss their beliefs completely.

“You know I never wanted to be a leader.” He grinned to himself, “I can barely control my apprentices on our missions. Half the time they’re calling the shots, and I’m simply along for the ride.” She probably thought he was kidding, but both Grogu and Ragnar had selected most of the bounties in the last month. He was impressed with both their progress and knew they were proficient enough to take on a lot of the adversaries they came up against on their own.

Bo snuck a glance at him. “That’s too bad. We could have ruled together!”

He peered at her, and she winked. He chuckled and shook his head. If she was joking, that probably meant she wasn’t terribly upset about the Einar thing. He still made a suggestion, “How about we go spar a bit? Maybe that’ll help you let off some steam.”

“Sure! Cantina afterwards?” Once Adira saw his ad’ika was back, Din accepted that he wouldn’t see his son for a few hours. But this worked out in his favor!

They sparred for a while, and both were breathing heavily by the end. Yet neither one chose to give up, even when they were (literally) backed into a corner. The training area was cleared of most debris, but there were still a few areas of cover and obstacles scattered throughout. Because a battle in the real world would almost never be on flat ground, part of the complexity of the sparring area was to pay attention to your surroundings. Temuera, the trainer, periodically moved the barricades around to make it more of a challenge.

Bo-Katan thought she had Din beat at one point, but, surprisingly, he avoided getting tripped up by the object directly behind him. He performed a jump-spin movement to evade both her attack and the hazard. He quickly found his footing behind the boulder and stood at the ready once more.

She let out a breathless chuckle. “Truce?”

“Giving up already?” Din taunted, chest rising and falling with his panting.

“‘Already?’” she parroted back at him. “It’s been over an hour!”

“Are you ready to share the claim to the Darksaber that quickly? Had I known it would take just a short sparring session to prove who could wield it, I’d have let you challenge me a long time ago.”

“Excuse me?” Bo-Katan scoffed. “Let me?” She knew he was joking, but she felt the need to respond with fake indignation to his jest as she stepped around the boulder in between them and got in his face.

He attempted a miniscule step backwards, but she tugged at his bandolier and pulled him in closer instead. He froze, his inhale morphing into a gasp.

She purred seductively, “I’d like to see you try. I don’t think you’re capable of controlling a Single. Thing. I. Do.” She wrapped her arm around his waist and pressed him to her.

“B-Bo–” he stuttered. Was it her mind playing tricks on her, or did she see a pair of surprised eyes gaping at her from behind his T-visor?

With a sense of self-satisfaction, Bo-Katan stepped back, taking off her helmet, and gave him a smirk before striding off. She was sure she looked a mess under her helmet with her hair plastered to her forehead, so she attempted to straighten it out on her walk to the water station.

Din caught up with her. “How can you do that and nonchalantly walk away?” He sounded almost pouty at having been played like that.

“Just proving my point.”

Din was 100% sure she had him wrapped around her finger. Make that 200%. He was absolutely gone for this woman. And the eyebrow twitch as she smirked after she’d peeled herself off him? He gulped. She knew exactly what she was doing. Their armor got in the way, sure, but his mind could imagine a very similar scene without their armor. Fewer layers even. He took a couple of breaths before catching up with his temptress.

Bo was a vision upon taking off the helmet. Her eyes were shining brilliantly, lips as red as her blazing hair and split in the widest grin, and a slight tint in her cheeks from the exercise. He loved how alive she looked in that moment. Like she was born for this.

They didn’t get a chance to talk much. Ragnar asked Bo to spar with him, and she accepted, giving Din one last smile before hiding her face once more beneath the helmet. He stared after her. Bo’s form was impeccable, movements so graceful. She handled most weapons with skill, and he recalled her mastery of the Darksaber. There was no one more deserving than her to rule Mandalore, especially as he got to know her open-minded self and her kind-heartedness. Both qualities made her attractive to him as they grew closer.

“Whatcha thinking?”

“Stars, she’s beautiful,” he murmured without thinking.

Melodic giggles rang out. Din spun to find Adira and Beck peeking over his shoulder to where Bo was still drilling Ragnar. He smacked his palm on the helmet. Well, that was an embarrassing admission. Though honestly, if it was anyone else, it would have been worse. At least he didn’t mind these two knowing. He was sure they knew his feelings anyway.

He noticed Grogu’s sleeping form in Adira’s arms and reached for the tiny figure. “Thank you for watching him.”

“We were going to see if you wanted him back tonight,” hint of an implication in her voice.

Glancing at her, he explained, “He’s okay to sleep at my place on his own.” Nice to know he had options for the future though.

A notification from R5 prompted him to check his vambrace. He excused himself from the pair and went to the Gauntlet to listen to the full message from Captain Teva. According to the Adelphi Ranger, there were rumors of a growing imperial hub at the enclosed coordinates. Several TIE fighters were seen flying in its atmosphere, so he asked if Din could check it out with haste. He advised caution since it was likely this might end up being more than a one person job. Teva could provide backup if necessary; he just had to give the word.

The coordinates were of a planet in the same sector, and they sounded familiar.

Morak.

He gathered some supplies and went to find Ragnar and Bo. They were still drilling, but when she noticed him standing at the ready with a jetpack, she called for a halt.

“Are you leaving?” He understood the disappointment infecting her previous mood.

“Captain Teva contacted me about a potential resurgent Imperial hub. Boba Fett and I were among a group that blew it up a couple years back, but it seems like they’re growing in numbers again. He’s asking me to investigate to assess the situation. The whole trip shouldn’t take too long, but if we want to get there before dawn, we should leave within the next hour. Ragnar, I’d imagine it would be a fairly quick trip, so you don’t have to tag along if you wanted to stick around on Mandalore a bit longer.”

“I’ll go.” Din nodded.

She didn’t realize he’d be leaving again so soon! It made her wish she wasn’t so tied-down by her duties here. Bo-Katan purposely kept the helmet on as they walked in silence to the Gauntlet.

She wasn’t sure if Din was aware, but blue, white, and yellow were the colors of Clan Kryze. She wouldn’t have minded if he’d chosen a different color other than the goldenrod tint, but it brought her a feeling of satisfaction that he was flying around with her clan’s colors.

“Take care of each other,” she told Din and Ragnar. Grogu was still napping in Din’s arms. As the young man headed up the ramp, the couple followed, albeit more slowly. “Do you think there’s any cause for concern?”

“Truthfully?” Bo-Katan turned to look at him. “Yes.” She stopped and faced the man, waiting for him to continue. “Carson Teva stressed that I should be careful since his source on the planet stopped responding soon after letting him know there was a new base being built. And Morak used to have a secret mining hub of combustible materials, but that’s a different concern entirely.”

“Be careful. Come back immediately if you think you’ll need backup. We can scout as a group.”

She heard the smile in his voice. “Will the exalted Mand’alor be joining us on this scouting mission?”

“If it’s a new Imperial base, not just a random pocket of Imps, especially this close to Mandalore, then of course! If any of the troops from this planet retreated there, I would feel responsible and have to help take care of them.”

He sighed. “It would be nice to have you on a mission with me again,” he expressed softly. “It’s not the same without you.”

She averted her eyes under the helmet. “You’re making me miss you already, and you’re still right here.”

Din wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I’ll miss you, but I promise you it’ll be a couple of days. Three days tops.” He looked into her eyes and whispered, “Wait for me.”

With a parting glance and final brush of their gloved fingers, Bo-Katan descended the ramp.

Din was going to say I love you to Bo, but he realized that the last few times they’d said it aloud was during departures. With so few instances of them having spoken the words, he didn’t want the phrase to be associated with goodbyes, so he said he’d miss her instead.

As they set off towards a planet less than a day’s flight away, he thought about his last words to Bo. Wait for me.

Prior to the previous journey, he’d spent a couple of days with Beck and Adira, and one particular conversation had stuck with him. The two revealed the existence of the traditional Resol'nare, or Six Actions, that were central to the ancient Mandalorian way of life. In short, this ancient code, or creed, spoke that to be a proper Mandalorian, you wear the armor proudly; bring up children according to the core values of their society; defend their family, Clan, and House; rally to the Mand’alor’s call; and know the language of the Mandalorians.

The Way of the Mandalore was a faith built on the ancient Resol’nare with a couple of changes, namely wearing the helmet and stressing the importance of Foundlings.

Most of the codes Din lived by up to this point in his life had intersecting elements, and honor was usually one of the primary principles. The Way honored the Mandalorian heritage, similar to the Resol’nare creed. Due to his being brought up walking the Way, he followed all of the six tenets and then some (though he could probably brush up on Mando’a despite knowing some of the written language). When it came down to honoring their peoples’ heritage, he’d been doing that his entire life since becoming a foundling.

As Bo pointed out, most believed there was more than one way to be Mandalorian. Was following the Resol'nare not an acceptable practice? From what he’d heard across the galaxy, most religions could be left up to interpretation. All that mattered to him was that he’d been following the Creed his entire life. As to which one – did it really matter?

Plus, Bo wasn’t some living thing to take his helmet in front of. She was his partner, his heart, and - quite literally - his reason for breathing. He wouldn’t have been around to fall for her if she didn’t save him a few million times first. She was a part of him, and he couldn’t shut her out like any other living being.

And… was it not Bo’s desire to be with him? Who was Din to deny the wish of the Mand’alor?

It was time to let her see his face.

He just wished he had a chance to act on the decision prior to leaving.

Chapter Text

After setting the on-board computer to pilot the starship to their destination, Din recommended they all get to bed in the time they had prior to arrival.

Unaware of what precisely awaited them on Morak, Din couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t thought back to the events on this planet in a while. Particularly because it was a reminder of the first time he’d taken off his helmet, so he made an effort to push the sin out of his mind. Yes, those who saw him take off the helmet were killed almost immediately, but a sole survivor still knew his face. Din wasn’t sure whether the man managed to get off-planet at any point in the last couple years, but his quick-thinking no doubt kept him out of too much trouble.

Din thought the second unmasking should have been judged more leniently since he took off the helmet to aid Grogu directly, but unfortunately, that had caused him to be cast out as an apostate. He hated that the planet brought up memories of his formerly blind faith and old disposition. The last few months of his changed perspective were now swirling in doubt, and he shook his head to clear the mind. He sighed. Looks like he wasn’t going to get much sleep in the bunk.

Trying to minimize the noise he made, he strode to the cockpit. In no time at all, a light patter sounded in the quiet ship, and Grogu’s small figure appeared in his peripherals, as if knowing he was troubled. He probably sensed it, for all Din knew. Grogu blinked at him with heavy eyelids and hopped to Din’s lap. Comforting his son as much as the youngster was attempting to soothe his father, Din wrapped his arms around the little creature and stroked his fluffy head. Grogu’s claws clanked gently on the helmet as he patted it, as if to say, It’s okay. You had your reasons.

The little one’s quiet compassion settled his fretful soul, and Din found himself getting drowsy. I don’t think I ever taught him the word for ‘father’ in the Tusken sign language. I should do that next time.

Turning off all the lights on the ship, they skimmed the inky atmosphere just below the clouds, looking for signs of human life. They passed a scattering of villages and – there! – a few TIE fighters docked in tight formation in a clearing, smooth angles reflecting the couple lights nearby. Nothing in the surrounding area indicated the presence of Imperial soldiers, so they pressed on. Ragnar was the first to spot the dark outline of a building in the distance.

They landed under cover of darkness in the tall trees, and Din called the two apprentices over to have a serious conversation, “Alright, I’m not sure what we’re going to find here, so be extremely careful and quiet, and don’t draw attention to yourself. Once outside, follow my instructions exactly. If I say to hide while I take someone out, stay hidden. No matter what. Don’t fight me on it; don’t try to help. Worst case, I’ll lead them away. If we get separated for any reason, contact me when it is safe to do so and try to get to the ship when the coast is clear. Understood?”

Both gave him solemn nods, and Din took out a couple brown ponchos with hoods for himself and Ragnar. “Don’t let your armor show too much. Hide your dominant hand underneath if you don’t need it,” he recommended as he clipped some material at the shoulder to allow Ragnar to use his weapon-hand on demand. He donned his own and smiled at Grogu, who had the best colors for this environment with his green skin and brown garb.

Din performed a quick scan of the surrounding area with the on-board computer; no life forms or movements, save for the fluttering of leaves in the wind. The occupants of the starship lined up at the ramp door, and Din gave them a last look. “Remember, complete silence.”

Even in the early morning light, the structure appeared newly constructed. No jungle vegetation scaled the walls, leaving the concrete building looking bare and naked in the surrounding greenery.

The trio made their way around the edifice, staying behind trees and the like. Having wandered around the building, it didn’t give away any of its secrets. The only thing they could tell for certain was that it had the two entrances – a large, main entrance at the front and a smaller one in the back. Had Din known more about the purpose of the building, he may have considered leaving Ragnar at the latter. As of right now, there were too many unknowns.

Periodically, a droid would patrol the perimeter of the building, but no one else came in or out for a couple of hours. A small shuttle landed inside the large entrance, and a handful of shapes got off. Once in a while, a small transport bearing containers would be shuttled in and then out again half an hour later. Rhydonium? There was no way to be sure from this far away. The large hangar-like area inside was usually desolate except when a transport came through or a droid went on patrol. The building looked to be mostly uninhabited and unattended, as far as they could tell.

By the time the sun peaked overhead, they were none the wiser. They slunk deeper into the trees as the rays filtered through the branches, lighting up everything around them and making their beskar armor more visible. Most of the daylight hours passed in a similar manner. Din tried to show Ragnar and Grogu what he was watching for and things he made note of so they could learn. He was glad he had the foresight to grab food, else the rumbling stomachs would have practically given them away. Ragnar’s announced itself as the sun was rising, and Din really wanted to shush it.

As the sun began to set, some clouds appeared, casting extra shadows. Din decided to take his chance.

“Stay here.” Just in case. Better safe than sorry.

He hastened to the fringes of the vegetation and snuck over to the side of the building after checking that he had enough time before the next patrol. He made his way inside, and found an open container that was being unloaded. Yep, Rhydonium. Great, he thought sarcastically. He ran through a couple of the floors inside and found mostly locked doors. There weren’t many people about, and they were easy to steer clear of. Not finding anything of interest, besides an alarming quantity of Rhydonium, Din made his way to the main entrance.

As luck would have it, a new shipment came in not too long ago, and Din used his heads-up display to track the outgoing transport ship. Making note of the approximate distance, he scampered to the others as he didn’t want to spend too much time out in the open.

“You guys up for another stakeout?”

Everything about this facility was different. The patrols were more frequent and performed in pairs. The building itself was larger and older, almost appearing like it was part of the landscape with a tangle of vines and shrubbery covering most of the outside. That probably helped camouflage it into its surroundings. It was spread out over a broad area and looked like it might also extend underground. Despite Din’s preference for greenery, nothing about this place yelled ‘welcoming.’ I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

After a couple patrols made their way around the structure, Din was ready to go off on his own to gather intel. He gave another order of “Stay here.”

Grogu signed, Together.

“No, Grogu. Stay,” Din insisted.

The hallways inside were dark, which provided some cover. His intuition told him this was an undesirable place to be. As such, he hugged the walls at the tiniest sound.

He came across a slightly ajar door, and he heard distinct voices from the inhabitants inside. He carefully snuck up as close to the doorway as he dared. His blood froze. He knew that voice. Barrett Shasa, a famed assassin. Probably several times more deadly than Fennec Shand, and she was a challenging opponent. He was fortunate to call Fennec an ally, but no such luck with the assassin in the next room. With all of his senses protesting at him to get out of there, he peered around the corner.

Was that…? Gerv Car, yet another experienced assassin, along with a few more shadowy figures; potentially other skilled assassins and mercenaries. Din didn’t stick around to figure out who the rest were. If they discovered him inside, he'd be overwhelmed. He had full confidence in his abilities, but he knew his limits too. He crept back to the entrance as fast as the echoing halls allowed. It was only once he was half a building away and an entire floor below that he dared to contact his apprentices.

“Ragnar, take Grogu and get back to the Gauntlet!”

“What did you find?”

“If we ever send people to this planet,” if we make it out of here, more like, “we’ll need a large squad equipped to handle elite assassins.”

In his rush to get out, Din almost walked into a corridor with two patrolling droids. He just managed to pull himself back at the last second, but the excess fabric on his poncho fluttered with the momentum of his movements, and he heard the droids arm themselves. Dank farrik.

Grabbing a vibro-blade, he knew he had to deal with these swiftly if the three of them had any chance of getting out of here without being followed. Sound would only draw extra attention. He leaped from behind cover at the two droids and finished them off quickly. Battle droids? Knowing they likely already sent off an alert, he raced to get to the exit.

An alarm sounded. Dank FARRIK. "RUN!" he whisper-yelled into the comms. Opting for the quickest way out, he found a nearby window and wedged it open, dropping to the ground below. The alarm wasn't as loud out here. The darkness that had fallen only accentuated the searchlights, and he felt too exposed while in the vicinity of the structure.

Din avoided returning the same way Ragnar and Grogu would have gone to give them a chance to escape.

Suddenly, he got a location ping. And then again. No! He full-out sprinted towards where his apprentices were holed up.

As he got near, he realized that Ragnar was surrounded by half a dozen battle droids. Grogu was nowhere in sight, which probably meant that he wasn’t in immediate danger at least. One of the droids raised his weaponized arm in Ragnar's face, who flinched away, and Din saw red.

He vaulted over the nearby tree stump and threw himself at the group of droids. Not sure which limb belonged to which droid, he fought relentlessly to protect his protégé. Panting, he finished off the last machine.

"Are you hurt?"

The boy, for Ragnar looked so young at that moment, shook his head.

"Where's Grogu?"

The little one came out of hiding, and Din sighed in relief.

Ragnar found his voice, "I told him to hide when it looked like I'd be discovered."

"I'm just glad both of you are okay, but we need to keep moving.”

He wished they could have used their jetpacks, but using them would have only revealed their location due to the light and noise produced. Din had them change directions a couple of times to lose anyone on their tail. He left a bunch of motion-detecting explosive charges in their wake and proceeded to direct their small unit towards the starship.

Too soon, an explosive charge blew up. Less than a minute later, so did the other. He glanced over his shoulder with the infrared sensor and saw three figures running directly at them. Humanoid shapes, not droids. Not good.

He pulled Ragnar to a stop in the tiniest of clearings, and handed his son to the human apprentice. In a hushed voice, he commanded, “Find yourself a good hiding spot up ahead and stay absolutely still.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine, just go. If anything happens, wait till everyone leaves and get home to Mandalore. Be super vigilant. Do you remember how to get back?”

Ragnar stared at him blankly, frozen on the spot.

Din could hear the sound of footsteps in the distance.

“Go! Hide!” He gave Ragnar a push towards a clump of trees. “Do not make any noise, no matter what happens.”

“But–”

“I can handle the droids.” It's the multiple assassins that I’m not sure about.

Din crouched just outside the clearing behind a tree, closest to the side where their assailants would appear. The first attacker charged in, and Din pounced on him. After an initial scuffle, Din started getting the upper hand. Just as he finished him off, two more entered from both sides of the clearing. They charged him, but he evaded the attacks; he noted that the female seemed to be the less skilled of the two. He retreated to the complete opposite side of the clearing – away from where he knew his apprentices hid. This had two effects. On one hand, he wasn’t flanked by the assassins. On the other, he was now facing them both head-on.

Gerv Car and the unknown female assassin marched at him. He didn’t want to make the first move, but neither of them advanced after stopping a short distance away. In the tense silence that followed, he obtained confirmation that at least there was no one else making their way towards them. Small blessings.

Arming himself with the vibro-blade, he made to attack the female. However, expecting Gerv Car to act while he was distracted, he prepared to change trajectory. Seeing his prediction come to pass, he had to defend against Gerv Car instead. The female clumsily stabbed at empty air before him, which prevented him from getting closer to either of them.

Maybe it would be better to take out the woman first since there was no way to take out Gerv Car with her aiding him. Dancing out of reach of the more experienced fighter, he bore down on the female. He came by several lacerations from Gerv Car in the meantime, but none of them were severe. Finally, he succeeded in dispatching the second assailant.

Din stood in their small clearing, chest heaving and facing down Gerv Car. Once they moved in on each other, there was no rest. He wasn’t sure how long their tussle lasted, but pretty soon, he was on his last legs. Only sheer will at the thought of his apprentices in danger kept him upright.

With one last-ditch effort, Din threw a feint-accompanied maneuver at the male assassin and felt his blade connect with flesh. Triumph flooded him, along with shock.

When the new assailants appeared, Ragnar saw Din face their direction, the assassins separating them, and shake his head almost imperceptibly. Don’t come.

His mentor fought with such fierce determination that Ragnar wondered how he still had the strength to carry on. The confrontation that followed was a spectacular show of technique from every combatant involved. He silently cheered for every small victory and winced for every cut that landed on his teacher’s person. Grogu watched with concern in every fiber of his being.

Din made a committed attack which finally delivered a crippling blow. Ragnar saw the male assassin make a stabbing motion towards his mentor’s chest, which Din stopped in time with his vambrace.

In a surprisingly sluggish movement, as if moving through a viscous substance, Din’s vibro-blade scraped along the assassin’s abdomen, causing further injury to the opponent. The assassin crumpled in pain, and Din too fell to his knees in slow motion. At first, Ragnar thought that he meant to kneel or his exhaustion finally caught up to him, but when he didn’t get up, Ragnar began to panic.

Din? A dark substance poured over Din’s chest plate.

Did he– No! Rage overflowing, but having the sense to stay quiet, Ragnar gestured for Grogu to freeze the assassin in place with his powers. Grogu first caused a branch to snap across the clearing and then froze the man in place, timing it so that he’d be staring directly away from them. As quickly as he could, Ragnar snuck up behind the last assassin and stabbed him with Din’s fallen blade.

He refocused his attention on his fallen teacher, and his voice shook in his distress, “Din? Oh no, Din! Please wake up.”

There was so much blood. Where was it coming from? Somewhere near his neck? He heard a gurgle.

“Din, no! You can’t leave me. You can’t leave Gr–” realizing that Grogu wasn’t nearby, he called out, “Grogu! Your dad is– Your dad–” He choked back a sob.

But Grogu was already rushing over, and he jumped to where the apparent injury was. He held out his little arm, and within a few seconds, the flow of blood was staunched.

“Din?” Grogu sank to the ground. “Grogu!” What was going on?

He heard Din raggedly gasping for breath and saw movement.

“Din…?” he asked cautiously, surprised to see the other attempting to prop himself up when he was lying supine on the ground mere seconds ago.

The man’s hand went to his neck where the injury probably was. All Ragnar could do was stare. Blood still coated much of his upper torso. How was he getting up?

“Are you alright?” asked the man in a hoarse voice.

Ragnar faltered, outraged by the question. “Am I okay?! I’m pretty sure you were– I don’t understand. What happened to you? What’s wrong with Grogu?”

“I’m fine now, but you’re not injured, right?” Ragnar gave a shake of his head, not following how Din could be so calm. “Then, come on, we gotta get out of here. I’ll explain everything later. Stay quiet,” he hissed.

His teacher carefully picked up the little creature barely keeping his eyes open, and they snuck over to the ship in silence; conversely, Ragnar’s mind was quite raucous. He saw Din checking behind them periodically and did the same.

As they were took off, the young man spoke up, “Who were those people?”

“Some very dangerous assassins. I appreciate you helping with the last one, but you should have stayed hidden. Please don’t disobey me again in such a high-risk situation.”

Was he angry with him? “But they almost…” The young man couldn’t bring himself to complete the sentence. Was he seriously getting chastised for killing the man who almost–? Who would have done the same to him and Grogu?

“Grogu is a skilled healer, but it saps a lot of his energy, so he fell asleep afterwards. He will be completely fine after a couple days or so. I’m no longer injured, so don’t worry about me. We will definitely need some backup before attempting to come there again.” Din massaged the front of his neck. “I am exhausted, so I’m going to clean myself up and rest before we get home, alright? The auto-pilot is already set, but could you watch the scope for a bit? I want to be completely sure we’re not being followed. Wake me if you see anything out of place.”

Ragnar nodded, still feeling reprimanded. They were less than a day away from Mandalore, so at least it would be a short flight. He stared after the departing figure. How could Din so casually brush off almost dying? Maybe he was used to that on his own, but he had taken Ragnar under his wing as an apprentice. Ragnar needed him. If anything happened to him, Bo-Katan, or even Grogu… he wouldn’t know what to do. They’d become a sort of family, and Ragnar couldn’t lose someone again.

Not this soon.

He really thought he’d blocked the attack, but he underestimated how tired his muscles were, and his arm couldn’t completely suppress the recoil due to the power behind the attack. He kind of blacked out in the moment and only remembered the moments after being healed.

Picking up Grogu, Din quietly released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. That was not how he expected today’s events to go. Sure, his previous time on the planet wasn’t a cakewalk, but he didn’t anticipate this! He had to stay focused for Ragnar and Grogu’s sake. He needed to get them off this godforsaken world and home before anything else happened. He just hoped they wouldn’t be met with any other surprises before they left the atmosphere. Distinctly aware that the human apprentice made a lot of noise in his panic, he concentrated on assessing their environment the entire way back. It distracted him from thinking about how close he came to his demise.

He couldn’t shake the thought that Ragnar shouldn’t have gone out in the open like that. He put himself in unnecessary danger for Din, and it frustrated him that he now had to worry about the young man disobeying his orders in the future. He thought he got across the seriousness of the situation!

He stroked the stitched-together muscle and skin under his chin. It felt as good as new. He had to hand it to Grogu. His healing powers were amazing and seemed limitless. He supposed it was likely he could have asked him to fix his foot and saved him a week of agony, although by the time he would have woken up from his long nap, he would have been mostly on the mend anyway. Din had absolutely no idea how to train Grogu to use his healing powers. At least now Din could see first-hand at how well the abilities worked. His son continued to impress him. He tucked the little creature under a set of covers in the bunk across from his and went to the refresher to tidy up the remains of his stained flight-suit. He could just imagine the look on Bo’s face if he showed up covered in his own blood… He was not looking forward to that conversation.

While Din and Ragnar were off on their extended trip, Bo-Katan confided in Axe and Koska. She brought up her concerns with Einar and asked them to be on the lookout for him causing trouble. “He’s planning something, and I don’t like it.”

She also caught Koska up on news of the Mythosaur. So now there are what, five of us that know about its existence? Six, counting Grogu, which Axe usually didn’t. He saw him as more of an extension of Din or Bo-Katan, depending on who the little guy was with for the day.

It was probably the third day after Din left Bo-Katan alone. Again. She was reserved and pensive that morning, and Axe wondered how much of that was due to him being gone.

News of Din leaving to check out a potential Imperial remnant base got out. Why this was even an issue, Axe didn’t understand. The guy was doing what he’d always done – flying off on his own to make a living, helping Mandalore, and backing Bo-Katan’s play. Yet some people decided to take issue with how Bo-Katan ran things. Axe suspected there were other more important factors involved, but strangely enough, those important issues weren’t the fuel that started the fire.

Einar’s contentious words rang out in the main square in front of the Civic Center. “She only accounts for her Nite Owls’ needs and wants, and the rest of us are being excluded from her decision making. Who knows what they’re deciding behind closed doors? For all we know, they’re just switching sides when it’s most convenient.”

Okay, I have to know what he’s blathering on about. That was probably Axe’s first mistake. Falling for the bait. “What in the kriffin’ hell are you talking about?”

“You were a Nite Owl under Lady Kryze’s command of Death Watch, were you not? You helped serve the Empire, and now you’re trying to act all noble as if you can erase your past, pretending to help the New Republic.”

Einar’s eyes glittered unpleasantly as Axe spluttered. That wasn’t just us changing sides because it was convenient! When it became clear the Night Owls were on the wrong side, they stood with the Mandalorian Resistance.

Some other Child of the Watch declared boastfully, (as if what they were doing right now was something to be proud of!) “Or are you still helping the Imperial remnants behind our backs?”

Axe clenched his fists and ground his teeth. He heard Koska step up behind him and whisper, “Just ignore them.” That was mistake number two; not following her advice.

With a smirk, Einar stared directly at him and drawled his antagonistic line yet, “Lady Kah-ryze? More like “Lady Chakaaryc! [chah-KAR-eesh]"

Who is he calling an unethical lowlife?! He lunged at Einar but a different Watch member stepped before him, socking him in the gut. It hurt more than it should have since he didn’t have armor on today. Before he knew it, there was a fight with almost a dozen of them. In hindsight, it was probably for the best that he and some of the others didn’t have their weapons.

By the time they were pulled apart, Einar had faded into the crowd. That old fool! He took a glance at Bo-Katan and realized he’d kriffed up. She looked so dismayed, and the anxiety was plain on her face. She couldn’t even compose her features. He was very obviously goaded into attacking first. Maybe this time his temper really had gotten the best of him… He was the fool, and that was mistake number three.

Bo-Katan saw a group congregating, and dread gathered in the pit of her stomach. As she approached, she heard a couple of the insults thrown around and a mockery being made of her name, but worst of all! Worst of all… in the midst of the people throwing punches was Axe and Koska.

“Stop,” she barely heard her own weak voice; she was so upset with the situation.

She took a couple of breaths and yelled louder, “Stop, stop!”

It was like no one heard her. Nobody cared. What have we become?

The Armourer clanged her hammer and tongs together. “Separate. Now,” her voice commanding and dangerous. More so than normal. “Everybody to the Civic Center.”

Chapter Text

Normally, in a tense situation such as this, Axe and Koska would have been by Bo-Katan’s side, but they didn’t think she’d have wanted them anywhere near her after being in the middle of the fist fight. They sat huddled together with the other Nite Owls in the Civic Center, dabbing at each other’s injuries with bacta balm someone had on hand, periodically glaring at the other side of the room where the Children of the Watch were clustered.

This was perhaps the worst thing he’d ever done to Bo-Katan. Worse than taking away her forces when she didn’t come back with the Darksaber. Worse than attempting to keep her from retaking control even! She was one of his oldest friends, and he had committed his share of blunders. She usually forgave him, and he hoped someday she’d forgive him for this too.

The front door screeched open, and Din Djarin strode through. He stopped short, and Ragnar ran into him with a clank. The boy peeked out from behind Din, and both looked at the two opposing groups. The little green creature slept in Ragnar’s arms.

Din looked weary as he strode towards the Armourer and Bo-Katan sitting in the center. Not cautious – well, maybe a little as he walked into the tense situation – but tired to the bone. And he looked a little worse for wear with a couple of visible slashes in his flight suit. No blood though. Either he cleaned up before arriving, or he got extremely lucky with each of those cuts. Axe was willing to bet it was the former since Din’s clothes and armor were suspiciously clean. Ragnar’s armor, on the other hand, no longer had its unsullied sheen, and his belongings were covered in a reddish-brown dust. The bottom of Grogu’s robes were of a similar shade.

Axe wondered what transpired on his recent trip. Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t good. He supposed that could wait till after the current mess was resolved, if it could be resolved at all.

New Sundari was deserted. Din debated checking Bo’s room, but decided to go to the Civic Center. That was the only place large enough, with the exception of the Great Forge, that could hold the entirety of all the current settlers. And with everyone inexplicably absent, he’d be more likely to find them all in one of those two places.

Dead on his feet, Din just wanted to see Bo. He led the way towards the food hall and walked through the main doors. Immediately, he could tell something was amiss. So much for being happy to be back. Ragnar collided into him, and Din threw out a hand to steady the apprentice.

A strained silence hung in the air as Din glanced around the room. Never had he seen the two groups this segregated. Both were on opposite sides, whispering amongst themselves and periodically staring daggers at the other side of the hall. Even the smaller pockets of recent newcomers appeared to have sided with one group over the other.

He saw Axe and Koska looking somewhat battered, and their faces closed off and remorseful.

A pair of lonely figures sat together in the center. Din nodded at the Armourer who looked up at his entrance. Bo sat with her head in her hands. Never had he seen her posture so wounded, not even during his first week here.

With another glance at the two groups, he walked up to Bo.

“What happened?” he asked, his voice tight.

“There was … an incident,” the Armourer’s voice was strained and uneasy. Oh, so the situation was bad bad.

“We had to pull apart an actual brawl,” Bo said in a low shaky voice, coming in breathy gasps. It frightened him how broken it sounded.

He turned to her. “Bo?” No movement. “Bo, look at me.”

She lifted her head but refused to raise her eyes to meet his. With the lightest of touches, he tilted her chin up with his fingertips. Despite an attempt to school her features, they were so vulnerable and spoke of her suffering at having been unable to prevent the hostilities. Seeing Bo upset completely removed all other thoughts from his mind. Nothing else mattered at that moment. He studied her face for a few seconds before stepping closer and putting a hand between the shoulder blades and applying gentle pressure.

He glanced up and addressed the entire room, “I'm not sure what entirely happened, but this is unacceptable. There was an actual fist fight? We are grownups that are capable of using words to resolve conflicts. We did not reclaim Mandalore by squabbling amongst ourselves. In fact, that's precisely how we lost our planet in the first place!” He was a fragging foundling! How did he know this better than them?

He continued, “Mandalorians are stronger together!” He reiterated Bo’s mantra, for it begged to be repeated in the current moment. “Many of us wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the help of members of the other tribe. Because of our varied backgrounds, we can come up with solutions that would have been impossible before. I have witnessed this occur time and time again. We certainly wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our fallen brothers and sisters who fought valiantly to win back our home. Both tribes have lost people to get us here.” He was starting to see some people cautiously nodding along.

Din turned to the Armourer and asked if anything had been done yet. Evidently, they had just finished gathering everyone together. He turned to address the room again, “Now, because we are adults, if you have a problem, you will talk through it, or at a minimum, use an intermediary if talking proves too difficult. I volunteer myself to be that intermediary. I will be here tomorrow afternoon to discuss the issues that caused today’s events. For those that were involved, sleep on it and think about what happened. I don't need everybody tomorrow. Just the people involved or the ones that have something to say. To everyone else, behave yourselves.” He hoped his glare came across through the helmet. If not, his voice dared them to disobey.

He sighed, so tired of the events of today. “Is there anything else?” he asked the Armourer.

“I… think that was handled as gracefully as that could have been for now.”

He gave a curt nod. Looks like he’d be playing a literal peacekeeper. Never in his wildest dreams did he think it would have been to two Mandalorian tribes facing off against each other. He reached for Bo’s hand, but someone scoffed loudly. Einar. Ugh, of course.

“Who are you to tell us what to do?”

Din had little doubt who the real culprit of today’s Mandalorian conflict was. He gritted his teeth and swiveled slowly to face the speaker. His voice carried in the hushed room. “I’m a resident of Mandalore and someone who cares about rebuilding this world.”

“K'uur! Wrong! You’re a naasade.”

“Are you sure about that? It seems like the nobody here is you.”

Einar spluttered, “Excuse me?! I was born on Mandalore. My entire family was born on Mandalore. We have lived here for generations.”

Din approached him. At last, someone had breached the gap between the divisions. The lone figure approaching the Children of the Watch seemingly fit in with the others, but his intentions were not as amicable towards one of its members.

Stopping a few meters away, he mimicked Einar’s dismissive tone from earlier. “Wrong! Your family left Mandalore half a century ago. As far as I’m aware, you’re refusing to accept this as your home.” Einar tried to interrupt, but Din spoke insistently to be heard over the other’s whiny denial. “If you show up here tomorrow, we can discuss your criticisms of our society. If you don’t, we will expect you to leave. Because if you can’t follow our rules, you don’t deserve to stay on Mandalore as part of the society we’re trying to build. If you don’t follow our rules, then this is not your home.” He sincerely hoped that Bo and the Armourer would back him up on this.

If Din could see Einar’s face, he’d have wagered that he looked positively livid underneath the helmet. His fists clenched, and he yelled, “You shabuir!” and lunged at Din, throwing a punch that Din narrowly dodged. He continued to evade several attempted strikes, weaving in between the tables and ducking just out of reach. More than once, he saw an opportunity to return a punch or kick, but discipline kept him from striking out and making the situation worse.

An idea formed in his mind. “You believe in duels to settle disputes, do you not?”

Einar stopped what he was doing (mostly humiliating himself, really), and looked at him appraisingly. "I do," he said warily.

“Then I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you can hate me all you want. But you will stop causing trouble and stop riling up members of our society. You will keep your primordial opinions to yourself and stop dismissing everything the Mand’alor’s Stjornmal tries to do.” As the other man got ready to interrupt, Din held up a hand in a let-me-finish gesture. “And lastly, you will come to the meeting tomorrow to discuss your grievances and follow our rules and any future laws if you wish to be considered part of our society. If you cannot do this, then you will leave. If you win, then I will leave Mandalore never to return. Never to redeem myself if I ever become an apostate. Believe me, or don’t, but I have faithfully followed the Creed since I was a foundling. When I became an apostate, there was little I wanted more than to be redeemed. I wandered around for two years without a purpose because I felt guilty despite the fact that I did it for a worthy cause.”

Din wasn’t sure when the hall got super quiet, but he suddenly noticed the smallest scrape of feet on the ground. The shuffle of clothes as Watch members turned to look at each other in surprise at his proposal.

“Din!” Ragnar whisper-yelled. As the man turned to look at his apprentice, the latter protested emphatically.

Din understood the young man’s concern. He was exhausted. He had almost died not too long ago. Due to the slight time difference of the planets, he had already had a very long day. But he was determined. Nothing they’ve done up to this point was able to get Einar under control.

He shook his head at his newest apprentice and tried to make him see that he was serious about challenging Einar.

He didn’t want to look at Bo. He tried not to look at her. Din didn’t want her concern to dissuade him from doing this. He was confident he could handle the contentious man. Both during the duel and after. If he had to bear the brunt of Einar’s hate but help their society function a bit more peacefully, he was willing to take that on. Not just for her. For Mandalore. Because in loving her, he understood her dreams and hopes and wanted to make them come true. He believed in this cause as if it was his. He believed in this cause as he believed in the Creed – loyally and unequivocally.

He turned back to Einar and challenged, “What say you?”

The Armourer jumped in, “Do you agree to this duel, Einar Awaud?”

“I do.”

“Then I recommend we clear the back of the hall.” A few people came out to help with the Armourer’s recommendation. They pushed aside a few tables and chairs.

Beck came near and, under pretense of helping, whispered to Din, “Are you okay? You look like you’ve already taken a beating. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“Someone has to stand up to him.” Din ignored their question.

“Maybe I can try to convince him to leave–” they stopped when Din rejected the idea. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Absolutely.”

Once the pair stood at both ends of the cleared space, the Armourer announced, “You may begin when ready.”

The duel was over almost as soon as it began. It was a bit anticlimactic, really, after all the set up and events leading up to the moment.

Sure, Din took a few hits, and his offense was a bit sloppy. He wasn’t insurmountable after all. But no matter how slow he felt, he was resolute about not losing to the other. The older man swung wide, and Din stepped out of reach. Except unlike before, where he held himself back from taking advantage of the opening left by the other man, he took this opportunity. He stepped behind Einar and, just as the other turned around, kicked him in his center of mass, knocking him backwards. Din kneeled next to him and grabbed Einar by the chest armor.

“Do you yield?”

The older man struggled to throw Din off but was unable to for a few embarrassing seconds. Ultimately, he responded through gritted teeth, “Fine!”

Din recounted the conditions of his winning and asked if he agreed to them. After a literal growl coming from the helmet, Din heard a resentful, “Yes” as he begrudgingly accepted the provisions of the duel.

“Then I will see you tomorrow.” He stumbled to his feet, his wakeful hours finally catching up to him. Trying to be civil, he reached a hand out to help the other man up. Einar shoved it aside and scrambled to his feet on his own.

Shrugging, Din walked off.

In an unexpected show of affection, Ragnar ran up and hugged him. “Are you alright?” he whispered. Maybe it was the events of today, or just the fact that they’ve spent so much time together.

Din patted his back. “I’m completely fine. Just tired after everything that happened.” They released each other. “Can you watch Grogu tonight? I doubt he’ll wake up before tomorrow.” When the young man agreed, Din nodded in thanks. Then, louder to everyone, he announced again, “Remember: if anyone has any complaints or criticisms, feel free to show up at noon tomorrow. If you don’t, we’ll assume you’re okay with how things are.”

They walked to the center where two figures waited for them. The Armourer conveyed her praise upon their arrival, “You are a testament to all Mandalorians. You have shown true mandokar today. Thank you.”

He was speechless. This was a Mando’a word he was familiar with. All Mandalorians strived to be the righteous warriors that embodied the Mando virtues, which were a blend of aggression, tenacity, loyalty, and general a lust for life. He bowed his head in gratitude at being honored this way, and the Armourer inclined her head in turn.

Stepping around her, Din squatted by Bo’s side and spoke tenderly, “Come on, Bo.” She was maintaining a blank expression, and for once, Din felt like the open book.

He let her walk in front of him and trailed after her. A dozen steps later, he jogged back to grab her helmet and followed her out. Outside, he breathed a sigh of relief. Another outburst diffused. For now. He glanced at Bo fretfully. I wonder how she’s holding up. Just how many emotions is she suppressing? he thought. He didn't have to wonder for long.

They walked briskly away from the Civic Center. Suddenly, Bo stopped, and a few traitorous tears leaked out of her eyes. Her voice broke, “I’ve failed.” Second by second, she began to completely lose her composure, her breathing coming in quick pants.

His heart squeezed painfully at her anguish. Each gasp for air wrung out his heart, and he felt so helpless. Din took off his gloves and wiped the tears, disquieted by the state of her mind and concerned that she might be having a panic attack as her breathing turned erratic. She hugged him tightly, crying outright. “I’ve failed them!”

In the most comforting voice he had, he murmured, “No. No, cyar'ika. You’ve done no such thing!" Looking over her shoulder, Din saw people slowing their footsteps on their walk home to give them privacy. He didn't think Bo would appreciate the others seeing her moment of weakness, so he led her away from the others. "Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Bo retreated to her apartment to hide out.

She dropped to her bed, head in her hands. In the most pleading voice he’d ever heard her use, she cried, “What do I do?”

“Oh, Bo,” Din sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when it all went down.”

She leaned into him, and he watched as her tears rolled down her cheeks and onto his chest armor. Each tear that landed on the beskar stabbed away at his heart. They sat in silence for a short while, him rubbing her arm soothingly.

“Din?” Her voice stalled. It sounded extremely hesitant. He regarded her defeated posture out of the corner of his eye and waited as she gathered her thoughts. “I– If I were to give up being Mand’alor, would you take over? I’m afraid of losing Mandalore again. It would be better off without me.”

Taken aback, he faced her. What?! He was dumbfounded. How upset was she to even consider going down that path? For as long as he knew her, this was her dream. Bo had wanted to rule Mandalore in her family’s stead, and now she wanted to give it up?

“What?” he breathed. “Bo…” He shook his head. “It’s not–” he swallowed. ”Wow, I can’t even imagine what is going through your mind right now.” His pounding heart urged him to move around, and he paced in small circles around her tiny apartment. He was honored that she considered him, but he wasn’t fit for this. Releasing a steadying breath, he crouched at the foot of the bed and looked at her. There was no fight left in her eyes. How did I not see that things had gotten this far? She always acted so strong and confident. He knew she had her doubts, but clearly, she didn’t tell him everything.

Heart in his throat, he apprehensively picked up the conversation, “I love you, Bo, and If I had to, I would certainly try if for no other reason than to help you, but I implore you to take some time to think about this. I don’t think shifting the responsibility to me would work as well as you think. I know I joked about it, but I really don’t know how to lead. And before you say you don’t either, you do! You got us this far. Maybe you need some help, that’s all. If I had to take over for you right now, I… I wouldn’t trust myself to lead. I don’t think the Nite Owls would either.” With a realization, he spoke hastily, “Think of Einar! I just got him to aim his ire at me. That would not end well!” he declared. Din hoped he could make her see how much he wanted to take away the worries by taking on this responsibility, but he shouldn’t. He couldn’t. “It might seem like I know what I’m doing sometimes, but half the time I react and hope for the best. And it just happens to work out on most occasions, like today. But I also make mistakes and cannot prevent bad things from happening. You’re seeing the magnified result of your actions due to your status, and that’s why you feel this way. I promise you, you are a much better candidate for Mand’alor than me. You are very capable, and you are the best hope we have at getting this society – our society! – up on its feet and flourishing again. I know you can’t see it right now, but I truly and vehemently believe that.”

“I just don’t know how to do this anymore.” They sat in silence as tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

“Can I show you something?” He really hoped this would help. Like Bo, he wasn’t very sure of himself either at the moment.

She sniffled and nodded sadly.

“Come on, grab your jetpack!” They made a quick detour to the Gauntlet to grab Din’s.

He led the way to their overhang, where he squatted down and sat on the edge, legs dangling. Din patted the spot next to him, and Bo gave him a subdued skeptical look. He patted the spot more insistently, and she humored him with a roll of her eyes. Was that a hint of a smile?

“What are we doing up here?”

“Take a look. What do you see?” He pointed at New Sundari stretched out below them.

“I know what you’re trying to do.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re trying to show me that we have a functioning society.”

“Well, yes. But take a look at how far we’re spanning out across what used to just be ruins. The first time I came to this planet, I almost died. While you were making me pog soup, we were sitting on an overhang not unlike this one, and you said that there was ‘nothing to cling to but ashes.’ Does all of this seem like ashes to you?” he gestured across the spread of their new settlement below.

She looked out again with a new perspective. Figures wandered below, small groups coming and going out of small shops and their original buildings. People were scattered across the training area, and she heard a quiet peal of joyous laughter after the uneasy state of affairs earlier. And further out, there was a cleared area that Twyla and the three newcomers from Nevarro were hard at work to fill with new establishments for their growing society’s needs.

Bo-Katan no longer saw a city gasping for breath. Their miniature municipality could now breathe on its own. Each inhale was a breath of life and a reason to celebrate, and she was beginning to see what Din was getting at.

“And in case that’s not enough, you remember the original buildings?” He pointed them out. “In the last three months, while I was away, you more than doubled the livable area of our little city, and that’s not even including what Twyla and the others are working on. Within a couple of weeks of arrival, you’d already done a lot of good. Your sheer force of will made this possible. Your belief in us as a people got us this far.”

“But belief is not enough anymore.”

“I don’t think lack of belief is the issue. Even when I first showed up here, you were trying to be everywhere all at once to make sure everything was functioning properly. You were already running at a breakneck speed without taking a second to breathe to see the progress and evaluate how you were doing.”

“You kept tabs on me… even while we weren’t talking?” she asked, not expecting it.

“Of course.” She reached out to take his hand, and he met her in the middle. “What I’m trying to say is that I could see the toll it was taking on you. You are not superhuman; you’re just one person. I think having the Stjornmal help execute your orders is a great idea. It helps take some of the pressure off your shoulders. So that’s definitely a good start.”

“And that’s what I’m struggling with. I am not coming up with solutions quickly enough!” Anxiety pressed on her from all sides, and she could hear it in her voice.

Din turned toward her and took both her hands in his. “Bo, look at me. Breathe. It’s going to be okay.” He ran his thumbs over the backs of her hands. She heard the smile as he repeated her words from a few months ago, “If you don’t believe in yourself, then at least believe in me. Under the circumstances, you’re doing exceedingly well. But you need a break. As in, you need to take a day off. Do something for yourself! You’d be surprised how much more you can accomplish with a well-rested mind. I know it seems counterintuitive, but trust me on this.

“Plus, considering our new city is but a few months old, we are doing well for an evolving society. It takes time to set up anything new from scratch. I’m guessing you could have fallen back on how things were before, but you chose to go this path, correct?” Bo-Katan nodded. “Then you must have had a reason to do so. What was it?”

“The Nite Owls were unhappy during Satine’s pacifist rule. Contrarily, during the time I was regent, people were happier to besiege one another, which resulted in more Mandalorian lives lost. I wanted to try a compromise between the two competing ideas in hopes that we could come to some kind of middle ground.”

“How are the different clans feeling about meeting halfway? Are they all content to lead this way of life?”

“I thought so. Maybe I’ll need to sit down with some clan representatives again.”

“How are you determining clan reps? Because Einar and I have completely different views despite both following the Way.”

“We used to have the assemblies with floor reps, but the discussions went around in circles most of the time, and they distracted the Council rather than helped. So now if someone has a concern, we’ve asked people to bring it up to the Stjornmal.”

“Do you think taking away the opportunity to discuss things as a group could be causing some of the unrest?”

“Maybe. We certainly had fewer conflicts back then, but it’s not like we got anything done with the provisional government.”

“Perhaps that’s not how they saw things. I… don’t know much about running a city, but if I was given a voice and had it suddenly taken away, I might be upset. Especially if I had something to say on the upcoming changes.”

“They are still able to bring issues up to the Stjornmal.”

“But it would no longer be a discussion amongst their peers. It’s harder to stand up to someone’s opinions if they’re more powerful than yourself, so maybe that plays into the complication. Have you had anyone vocalize their concerns?”

“I’m… not aware of any,” she said apprehensively, beginning to see the problem.

He nodded. “I’ll ask tomorrow and try to consolidate their thoughts. Maybe you will find that helpful!”

Bo-Katan heard the uncertainty with which he originally steered the conversation in this direction. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to challenge her, but likely that he was inexperienced with this and yet he still tried to help. She could trust him to keep her honest and speak his mind. If he disagreed with her opinion or saw she was wrong, he called her out on it. That was something she’d always appreciated about him, even before they were together.

“Thank you, Dinui.”

“Of course. Let me know if I can be of any other help.”

They sat with an easy calm alighting around them, each lost in their thoughts. At one point, Bo-Katan wondered if anyone noticed them up here but then realized it didn't matter.

With so much else on her mind, Bo-Katan finally remembered Din had just come back from a long mission after the man turned away and stifled a yawn. She realized he must have been worn out. “How did Teva’s mission go?”

He shook his head. “That’s a conversation for a different time and place. You have enough on your plate as it is. Once we have a working solution for this issue, I’ll brief you and the Stjornmal on the rest.”

“Alright, you seem pretty tired though. Let’s get back.”

So Din didn’t want to worry her with another thing, guilty as charged! Bo already had so much on her mind. The recount of the mission on Morak could wait a day or a few.

He had a pretty good grasp on what Bo’s vision for New Sundari was. Well, the reasonable and well-rested Bo. The Bo sitting nearby was stressed out of her mind and at her wit’s end. She looked beyond distraught, and he felt so powerless to assist. After she started crying, he felt like he was grasping at straws and his platitudes weren’t doing much to help. But then he inquired into the ongoing issues, and he began to see a probable reason staring him in the face. Maybe his role as peacekeeper tomorrow will be more valuable than he thought! Instead of listening to the two sides yelling at each other, he might be able to jot down some issues that Bo and the Stjornmal were not aware of and help them out, which was certainly encouraging. And once their residents start seeing that their voices are being heard, Bo could work on getting the two sides to trust each other again.

Din had taken Bo to the overhang to show her all the good she’d done and mollify her worries, but it seemed like he was talking her off the figurative ledge.

As darkness fell, she recommended they return. Din teetered precariously over the edge as he got up and, after stabilizing himself, extended a hand to Bo. She grasped it, and he pulled her up. As she stood to her full height, he spotted some of her eyelashes still stuck together from earlier. Otherwise, there was barely any evidence of her having cried. At least she looked like she felt a bit better.

As they landed near their building, he asked, “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

“It’s alright. I have to think about a few things. Thanks for consoling me earlier.”

“Of course. Remember to rest, okay? You can’t always be charging full speed ahead.”

They stopped at her door, and Din looked at her one last time. Bo’s mouth still held the shape of a frown, and he wanted to erase her sorrow, if even for a moment.

His ungloved fingers traced slow shapes on her cheekbones, and she closed her eyes in contentment. How could such an innocent touch increase her heart rate so? “I'll make sure you get your Mandalore. Mandalorians are stronger together; we are stronger together.”

She opened her eyelids and stared at the spot where his eyes were hidden behind the visor. “Thanks for being there.”

“Always.”

One word. One simple word. But the sincerity and bluntness of the meaning behind it brought a small smile to her face, even after the events of today. Her unused muscles stretched in the expression, and she felt relief. She’d been frowning all day, and it was like a small weight lifted off her shoulders. Her Dinui had the most unusual but best ways to restore her mood.

She touched her forehead to the helmet, and her fingers entwined in the hair on his nape. Her fingertips reached further underneath to softly scratch at his scalp. He didn’t freeze in her embrace as he once did, understanding that she knew his boundaries and let him set the pace since his beliefs were more restrictive. They stood there for a few precious seconds, forgetting the events of the day. This moment, above everything else, brought a quietude to her mind that she hadn’t felt for the last few months.

“Good night,” he whispered as they pulled apart, and Bo watched him sleepily wander home.

Someone softly stepped next to her. “I came to check on you. Are you alright?”

She wasn’t expecting such concern from the Armourer, but she appreciated it. “I will be. Thank you.”

They stood there in silence, watching the edge of Din’s cape swing through his doorway as he stepped inside his apartment.

Bo-Katan realized the Armourer must have seen them. She hoped the woman didn’t make the wrong assumption about their relationship and that she was coercing Din to take off the helmet.

The Armourer had a penchant for reading her mind. “I’m not completely heartless, you know. I see how you three are together.”

Bo-Katan was unsure where she was going with this.

The Armourer also had a tendency to surprise her. “He has to be okay with it too. He must be comfortable enough in both worlds to be able to walk both. You two can unite us all.” Bo-Katan turned to stare at her. Without another word, the Armourer nodded and walked away, leaving her with her thoughts.

She thought back to her few short weeks with the covert. How with Din’s help she got comfortable with the new lifestyle. The helmet didn’t even phase her after a while, as it did at first. She followed their customs and lived by the Way just like the rest of them. It felt like a new home. Sure, she tended to take the helmet off fairly often now with other Nite Owls around, but if she had to go back to living as part of the covert, she would have no reservations about doing so. Between Din’s explanation and her words just now, Bo-Katan finally understood why the Armourer allowed her to walk both worlds.

She thought back to what Din said after returning from Nevarro with the new settlers. He was almost right. It wasn’t just about proving you are capable of living in both worlds but also being comfortable with living both. Each of those grounds still mattered, but embracing the switch from one world to another had to be there. No regrets.

She considered telling Din, but she didn’t want it to come off as her persuading him to take the helmet off. He said to wait for him. It seemed like he was already figuring something out on his own.

Stepping inside the apartment, the inner demons immediately rushed her. Bo-Katan would have to figure out a solution to the issue at hand sooner than later. Clearly, solely her being Mand’alor wasn’t working. But she was mentally and emotionally exhausted from the day, so maybe it was time for bed. Tomorrow was another day she could stress out about her predicament.

The momentary reprieve of spending a few hours with Din was nice. She could still feel the loving caress on her skin and impossibly featherlike hair underneath her fingertips. Bo-Katan cradled a hand to her chest and fell asleep curled up in the fetal position, protecting her heart.

Chapter Text

At first light, Bo-Katan forced herself to get out of bed. Whether or not she decided to hide out in her unit, she should at least get ready for the day.

She barely recognized herself in the mirror. She looked like she’d aged ten years overnight with the extreme fatigue adorning her features and puffy eyes doing the rest. The swollen eyelids almost weighed more than the heavy thoughts whirring through her mind, and she dreaded seeing people today. Maybe I’ll stay away to not make people worry for me.

After mindlessly meandering around the little studio apartment, she picked up the little stone owl gifted to her by Grogu. She turned it over in her palm and tried to focus on the small details. With her mind still restless after yesterday, she couldn’t concentrate on any single issue that she needed to, never mind the minute details of the object. She huffed.

Since it was early, she tentatively reached out to Din, not expecting a response. He sounded quite awake and got back to her almost immediately, “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“I think I’m going to heed your advice and take a personal day.”

“Great!” He sounded delighted that she was taking the time for herself. “Let me know if there’s anything you need. But if you are going to take some time off, you’re not allowed to think about politics, Einar, or any future laws or regulations. You should empty your mind of those thoughts to truly relax.”

“Half a personal day then.”

He chuckled, and the corners of her mouth tugged up. “I can’t stop you, but I still think you should take the rest of the day.”

“I’ll think about it.” She left the conversation there and paced the length of the small unit.

Making the decision to take the day off was easy when her mind forced it on her. It had been a while since she’d truly done nothing. What did she want to do? More than anything, I think I just want to be alone for a few hours. Still rolling the little owl over in her hands, Bo-Katan weighed her options as she approached the window. The sun was rising in the sky and reflected off the lattice remains of the ruined dome that used to surround the city. An image of a tall spire, split in two, partially by design, sprung to her mind. It’s been almost a decade since she’d been to the monument. No one should bother her there. Mind set, she set the owl back on the windowsill and flew up and out of New Sundari.

Din woke up with the rising sun. Figuring he could make decent use of the morning, he accomplished several items on his task list, including sending off a message to Captain Teva to give him a brief update. Bo contacted him before long, and he was reassured by her words. She might have been headstrong, but she couldn’t keep pushing forward. Din didn’t think she allowed many (if anyone) to see her in the state she was in last night. His concern for her was over the roof. Only the upturned corners of her lips the last time he saw her convinced him she was on her way to feeling better. Prior to that, he was worried about leaving her to her thoughts.

Remembering Bo’s two friends looking unusually abashed yesterday, he decided to check on them too. He knocked on Koska’s door. He knocked again before hearing the approaching footsteps. The door opened a crack, and her creased brows tried and failed to shade the blinking eyes at the shine of the hallway light.

“Do you know how early it is?” she croaked.

Din angled his vambrace towards his face and winced. “I just realized; I’m sorry.”

She gave a great sigh and rubbed an eye with a knuckle. “I guess I’m awake now. Come on in. Give me a minute.”

“Thanks.”

He wandered in and sat down on a high chair at her kitchen table. The room was designed similarly to Bo’s, though the colors weren’t as garish. The hues of the room were neutral and earthy.

Koska walked out of the refresher and braided her loose hair into one long plait down her back.

Din tried to start a conversation, but she shushed him and gestured at a kettle starting to boil. He grinned and let her have her pre-caffeine silence. She poured herself a giant cup of the liquid, and offered him some as well. He asked for a smaller cup. Harder to sip away at it with a helmet, though I appreciate the offer. Placing it in front of him, Koska got back to her taciturn morning routine.

Five minutes in, Koska finally initiated a conversation, “How is she doing?”

He shrugged his shoulders and exhaled. “Beating herself up more than anything. She asked to be alone, but I think I managed to convince her to rest. I'll keep an eye on her when I can.”

“Thank you. I don't think she'd want to see the two of us right now…”

Din’s helmet angled towards her. “I thought something happened by the looks of you two.”

Koska recounted the events prior to the hostilities and how Einar slunk away at the first opportunity in order to not appear involved. “You were smart. You actually challenged him. I just hope it keeps him quiet.”

“Me too.” He angled his face away from her and gulped down the scalding liquid.

“How was Morak?”

Din closed his eyes in defeat at having to recount his almost-failure so soon. Someone should probably know the disaster that was his last mission. Plus, she was a member of the Stjornmal. The rest would hear an explanation all in good time.

He started from the beginning, and just as he started to elaborate on the security measures surrounding the second building, Axe and Luna arrived. He took the occasion to sip at the drink without prying eyes.

Seeing him, Axe inquired about the same topics Koska did. Din caught the others up to where he was in the recount of the mission and continued in slightly more detail. He didn’t sugarcoat it, but he also didn’t mention that he almost died, not anxious to relive the memories that started to come back to him.

He had gone over most of the specifics in great detail, but he skirted around the events of his final confrontation. It wasn’t like they needed to know the dispatched assassins’ fighting techniques since they were no longer a concern. Maybe Koska heard something in his voice as he very briefly summarized his fight with the three, or maybe she noticed the state of his previous flight suit. She really was too observant sometimes. Once he was done, she added softly, “Glad to have you back safe!” The others agreed.

He nodded gratefully and, with a final helmet tilt, finished off his tea.

“I think once we rebound from the events of the previous day, and you enact whatever Bo’s planning, we can return to normal operations. I can debrief with the full Stjornmal then. Sooner is better, but I’d rather have a few good teams going out there once we develop a plan of attack.”

After bidding the others goodbye, Din headed off to their shopping area. He dropped off the slashed-up flight suit at the seamstress’ and headed off to the mechanic shop for the morning.

Din knocked on the inner door of Beck’s shop and watched in amusement as the other jumped half a meter in the air.

“You’re too quiet, you know that?”

“Sorry that I don’t stomp around,” he shot back in jest. “Did you want any help?”

“Sure thing!” They pointed at a couple of droids in the corner. “Just tell someone from the council that you helped out, and you’ll get paid for it this time.”

“Is it okay if it's just for the morning? I’ve gotta play peacekeeper after lunch.”

“I remember,” they said seriously, shaking their head. “You’re lucky you didn’t drop dead from exhaustion yesterday.”

“Hey, I got to beat up on Einar with his permission.”

They laughed, “You’re right!”

“I hope that doesn’t make everyone else’s lives difficult though. The goal was to have him focus all his bitterness on me, so maybe the others can have some peace. We’ll see what he does, I guess.” And then Din remembered one of their previous discussions, so doing a complete 360, he switched topics. “Hey, cyar’ika means ‘darling, sweetheart, or beloved,’ right?”

“Why– did you use it?” Oh, Beck was definitely grinning under the helmet. Hard.

His face heated up as he recollected the moment when he heard Beck and Adira use a pet name. He’d asked for the meaning, and they jumped into a long-winded exchange of a lengthy list of endearments, all too happy to shower him in secondhand embarrassment by calling out the mushiest terms they could possibly think of. He remembered holding completely still to not give away his mortification, but at least one good thing came from that day. He discovered the term ‘cyar’ika,’ which didn’t sound overly saccharine in Mando’a, and the meaning was a good balance of being sweet but not too sweet.

“Maybe… I remember it was one of the words you taught me last time. I like that one, but can you teach me more Mando’a? Just remember–”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t tell Adira.” Din could practically hear their eyes rolling in their sockets as they waved off his words.

“I’d never live it down!” He could still hear Adira’s laughter in his head when he made the mistake of fidgeting at first.

“I’m pretty sure she’d just find it adorable that you’re trying to learn Mando’a for Bo-Katan.”

“She can know I’m learning it, but definitely not about these words.”

“Fiiine, I still think she’d love it!”

The rest of the morning passed with the sound of banter filtering out of the mechanic shop as Din stumbled over the pronunciation of certain words. About an hour before noon, as Adira came by to find Beck for lunch, Din checked in with Bo over the commlink, “When was the last time you ate?”

“...Yesterday.”

“Are you at your apartment?”

Instead of a response, he got a location ping.

“Be there soon!” he announced eagerly and waved at the pair as he rushed off to grab a couple of meals for himself and Bo before flying off into the ruins. He found her sitting against a raised structure in the middle of some kind of plaza. The location appeared to be situated on the rooftops of several buildings, and it was made up of multiple layers of terraces, walkways, and platforms with what must have once been landscaped gardens. The most unique feature of the plaza was that a lot of the walkable surfaces were made of glass. Some of it had cracked in places, but the upper-most section was intact, which is where Bo sat looking out towards a large stone slab of foundation, which must have had a monument or statue while the city was inhabited.

“What is this place?” Din inquired as he sat next to her.

Bo explained that this was once the location of the destroyed memorial shrine, originally built to honor the victims of the Mandalorian Civil Wars, including her father. “It was bombed by Death Watch, but the remains were left by Satine as a warning against meaningless disputes and violence. Someone must have removed it when the Empire took over. I barely recognized this place. ‘Peace Park’ it was once called.”

“Have you been here all morning?”

“Yeah. Somehow it felt like I had an easier time remembering my father and sister here.”

Din bowed in the direction of where the memorial once stood. Thank you for watching over Bo.

Bo-Katan watched as the man next to her inclined his head, as if communicating with her family. She too had spent the morning relating to them all the events since she’d last seen the two. Then, she moved on to telling them her troubles. She didn't actually believe in ghosts, but something about this place made her feel connected to the two more than usual and prompted her candid conversation with her long-gone loved ones. Maybe her calm thoughts had something to do with it too.

Unfortunately, she didn’t spend the entire morning relaxing as she intended, but the austere ruins quieted her turbulent thoughts and allowed her to refocus.

With her mind piping down, Bo-Katan realized how unfair it was to suddenly spring the burden of being sole ruler of Mandalore on Din. She was all over the place yesterday in her distress. She shouldn’t have put him into a position he didn’t want to be in. Plus, he was right. It would probably cause more harm than good to swap her out for him, even if she thought he would make a good leader. The ones supporting her now could very well be the same ones objecting to Din. As much as she wished she could believe otherwise, Nite Owls with a long Mandalorian bloodline were still dismissive of foundlings, which was unfortunate. That was definitely an area where she agreed with the Watch. To think, she was once of the same mind as them. How she’d changed in the past year.

After a brief moment, Din looked up and pulled two meal packs from behind him. “Are y–” Her stomach growled voraciously, and he breathed a chuckle. “Guess that answers that question.” It was good to hear his laugh. It looked like he didn’t hate her for putting him in such an awkward position.

Din let her have the choice of the two lunches (and steal some extras from his since she didn’t have breakfast). She turned her back to him after a thank you, and without missing a beat, he did the same and leaned back against her.

The next half hour passed in a comfortable silence. Bo-Katan was careful to look forward to give Din privacy while eating. When he was done, she heard a scrape and sweep of his cape, so she focused her attention straight ahead.

She felt his arms wind around her, and she shut her eyes. One arm encircled her waist, and the other lay across her collarbone. She felt his temple rest against her hair, and she leaned into the embrace.

“You’ve made them so proud already,” he rumbled in her ear.

She’d been fine all morning, so why the sudden lump in her throat?

She took hold of the wrist on her abdomen and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you.” For the gesture, for keeping her company, for reminding her that she needed to take care of herself, and for knowing exactly what she wanted to hear.

Din must have checked the time on his vambrace because he started packing up after a couple of minutes. She didn’t hear the telltale click of the helmet to indicate he’d put it back on, so she kept her eyes closed. For a brief quiet second, she thought he may have disappeared, but then she sensed his presence in front of her.

She detected a light, warm touch and realized that he kissed her forehead. Then, without warning, he connected their brows and noses in an unmasked Keldabe kiss. Her heart did a flip, and she bit back a smile as their breathing mingled.

“I have to run,” he whispered. And there was the sound of the helmet, “but I’ll see you later?”

Her eyes opened just in time to see him give another mini bow towards where the shrine once stood. He gave her a wave and took off.

He was the perfect balance of gentle and warrior with her. He knew precisely when she needed which version of him. But most of all, he brought a light into her life that she was missing for a long while. She hoped her family would have approved of them together. Her mother as well, who did not live to see Bo-Katan past age six, but who loved her all the same and wanted only the best for her little princess.

She didn’t have too many memories of her, but the earliest one was of her mother’s soothing humming while brushing out her hacked up hair. A few boys spent the morning tugging on her long ginger braids, and Bo-Katan cut them off sloppily in her frustration. Instead of chastising her daughter for overreacting, which was Bo-Katan’s initial fear at being discovered, her mother jumped in to help. After a quick trim, her mother tucked the ends framing her face behind her ears and spoke melodically, “My beautiful princess, never let anyone mistreat you. Do what feels right.” Her words encouraged Bo-Katan to become the vibrant fireball of a warrior who refused to settle for injustice and corruption.

Hannah Kryze had never been involved in politics like her husband, and she died when Bo-Katan was but a child. She was a big proponent of peace, but alas she lived during a more violent time. When she was tragically killed, Satine saw the need to underpin a pacifist way of life so people wouldn’t have to suffer the same fate as her mother, whereas Bo-Katan adopted the opposite view. She wanted to learn to defend herself and her own, leaning more into the warrior side of her heritage.

And now, she was the only surviving member of her bloodline.

It wasn’t simply because of her choice in ideology. But also because of her fighting spirit, rebellious attitude, and steadfast resolve after every single setback in her life. She might have been Mandalorian by blood and became a Nite Owl, but her personal beliefs and decisions closely resembled the devotion of those following the ancient Way of the Mandalore. Despite everyone else’s vocal dissent and constant decline in membership, they quietly persevered. How many times did the covert relocate and start anew according to Din? And that was just his covert.

When she thought she lost the Darksaber to him, the Nite Owls abandoned her because they lost their faith in her. And yet, even when he was exiled, Din continued to wear the helmet and follow his beliefs. He stuck to them till the end. If that wasn’t admirable, she didn’t know what else was. She’d tried to do the same in her life, but she had her moments of doubt. Maybe, after becoming acquainted with Bo-Katan, the Armourer saw that determination within her and left her with the means to figure that out on her own.

She wasn’t torn from both worlds as she once thought. She walked both worlds long before the Armourer made it so. She did belong!

Din was half-hoping her eyes would flutter open and she'd see his face. Part of him debated whether the moment should be a grand gesture or a normal day-to-day moment between them. He could argue for both, but he still hesitated to try anything while she was vulnerable. He got really close; enough to make the blood pound in his ears with every heartbeat. But he did nothing that would force her to do anything she might not want to, and he held back for now. Plus, he didn't think he could pull away if he kissed her outright. Especially if she reciprocated.

The smile she tried to suppress told him he made the right decision. He hid one of his own behind the helmet as he and Ragnar strode towards the Civic Center. The apprentice chose to sit in on the meeting with him, so Din asked the other to take notes.

Axe and Koska showed up at noon with a couple other Nite Owls, but they mostly had issues with the attacks and accusations made on Bo and them as a whole. They also showed up to see the direction the meeting would go in. At first, Din was concerned they wouldn’t accomplish much as the Watch members stayed stubbornly mute.

After another attempt to get someone talking, Din let out a frustrated breath. “I can help you, but you have to try to talk about the underlying issues.”

“Easy for you to say! You have an in with the Mand'alor!” someone gruffly muttered.

“A detail which can benefit us all! I was planning on compiling a list of concerns and taking it to the Stjornmal. To my knowledge, no one's talked to them about any of the things that have been causing the recent unrest. Some of it, no doubt, could have been resolved by clarifying the facts instead of spouting half-truths.” He pointedly stared at Einar as he relayed that message, who harrumphed and crossed his arms.

Based on his conversation with Koska this morning, Din proceeded to clarify the veracity of some of the Watch’s accusations preceding the fight. He confirmed his words with their blue-armored counterparts in attendance.

Din sat with the group for several long hours getting to the root of their problems. As he suspected, the lack of representation on the Stjornmal and inability to divulge their frustrations across appeared to be the primary issue of the Watch members. It took a while to persuade them to admit this, but once he got the conversation going, he felt much better about the whole situation. If they trusted him, he could be their voice.

Einar stayed silent for a couple of hours, likely glowering at Din, and only piped in sarcastically at the end. Din did his best to not lash out in turn and stay calm, for he knew the other was trying to prompt a rise out of him. But at least the man was finally talking.

When someone brought up the fact that the two sides were completely different, Din finished off with an unintended impassioned speech, "Look, I'm not saying we're going to live in peace and harmony every single day. But there's a better way to go about it than riling up the other tribe's members and starting fist fights! No one is going to get along 100% of the time. Lady Bo-Katan Kryze and I didn't click at the beginning either. In fact, our initial conversations were scathing, and it felt like we had to compromise on our beliefs to get the bare minimum done. But as time went on, we figured out we shared similar values, even if our approach to them was different. That was enough to form a polite acquaintanceship.” Din pointed to Axe, "I don’t think we got along until well after I arrived on Mandalore." Axe gave a wry smile in agreement.

"I'm just saying it takes time to see the other point of view. It won't happen in a week, and certainly not after just a couple of these meetings, but if we keep working at it, we will make headway towards a more tolerant society. Most of us have the same core Mandalorian values. All I ask is for some understanding and patience from both sides. Mutual respect can go a long way.”

After arranging for a few more meetings over the next week, they broke off. Din stopped to pick up Grogu from Ragnar’s apartment, and they made their way to Din’s to debrief.

It’s not that Bo-Katan was pushing Din away, but she wanted to figure some things out on her own. She did feel a little bad about ending their conversation so abruptly this morning, but she didn’t want to be swayed by others’ suggestions. She knew Din would have helped her had she asked, but coming up with a solution on her own was something she wanted to do for her people as Mand’alor. Even if this was the last thing she did in the role.

And while she didn’t specifically tell him to stay away, he gave her the space and quiet she needed to clear her mind and boost her morale. The small effort to make sure she remembered to eat reminded her that he still cared even when he wasn’t by her immediate side and that he supported her in spirit. And when he did visit her, he didn’t press her to speak.

Deciding that she’d had enough of hiding out, she ventured to the Civic Center for a late dinner. There were a lot of Watch members clustered in one area, and she wondered how the meeting went. On her way back up to her room, she put the helmet on to call Axe and Koska. She might have been frustrated with their involvement in yesterday’s events, but they were still her closest friends, so they should be the first to know about her decision. She planned to tell them tomorrow prior to notifying the rest of the Stjornmal.

Not quite knowing where her feet were taking her, she ended up at Din’s door. She thought she heard a conversation in the unit but knocked anyway.

Din opened the door for her. “Hey.”

“Can I hang out here?”

“Ragnar and I were discussing the meeting, but sure. Don’t feel like you need to participate. Do you need anything? Food?” His arm opened with a silent offer of a hug.

Bo-Katan declined the offer for food but accepted the comforting gesture. Still with her chin on his shoulder, she mumbled, “I’m meeting with Axe and Koska tomorrow morning. I would like you to be there.”

They separated, and he nodded as he stood aside to let her in. “Of course. Just let me know when.”

“Mhm.” Already lost in thought, Bo-Katan breezed past him. She barely acknowledged Ragnar’s presence in the kitchen and plopped onto one end of the couch, opposite where a sleeping Grogu was snuggled into his nest of blankets.

Din went back to his discussion with Ragnar in hushed voices across the dining room table. With exasperation, Bo-Katan leaned on the armrest and tuned in and out of their conversation. Based on what her exhausted brain managed to catch, it sounded like she’d made the right decision. She hoped the others would agree.

She still hadn’t taken off her helmet, and she finally caved after readjusting her position several more times. Belatedly, she realized she had her helmet off with Din earlier, and she didn’t even concern herself with how she looked after crying. He didn’t treat her any differently after her breakdown the night before, for which she was grateful. Hoping the swelling of her eyelids had gone down by now, and that she looked a bit more human and less like a zombie, she tugged it off and stretched out towards where Grogu dozed quietly. She wrapped her arms around his sleeping form and felt at peace.

All other sounds faded as Bo-Katan fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.

Din and Ragnar continued brainstorming ideas on how to resolve some of the conflicts for another hour longer. The man periodically checked up on Bo and was endeared to see her finally sleeping near Grogu. Ragnar must have noticed him staring past him (and not hearing what he was saying), so he excused himself, and they decided to meet up again the next day.

As he closed the door behind the apprentice, Din approached the couch with a satisfied smile. Sounds like Bo had a plan, and he was glad today seemed to have helped.

He knew the couch wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, especially with all the armor, but he didn’t have the heart to wake her. The two looked too precious cuddled up to each other, so he carefully covered Bo with a blanket and retreated to his own bedroom, leaving the door open and helmet on.

Chapter Text

Bo-Katan woke up on her own with the morning light streaming through Din’s apartment windows. For a moment, she had no recollection where she was before the previous night came rushing back. She didn’t want to be alone after spending all day thinking about her deceased family members, and she wanted to be in the vicinity of someone who wouldn’t pass judgment on her for everything that occurred. Din seemed like the obvious choice.

Checking her vambrace for the time, she still had half an hour before her meeting with her friends. She cuddled up to Grogu once more and closed her eyes for a minute.

Jolting awake, she realized that a minute turned into twenty five, which meant she only had a few minutes left. In her scatterbrained state last night, she also neglected to tell Din when the meeting began. His door was open – so he must be wearing his helmet, right? She peered around the corner and saw the shine of beskar. Phew.

Leaning on the door jamb, she knocked, and he stirred. “Din? I’m sorry to wake you, but can you still attend that meeting with me?”

His head dropped back to the pillow. “Yep. Give me a moment.”

“Come over to mine when you’re ready, alright?”

She rushed to her place, set a kettle, and got a cup ready for Koska. Her best friend wouldn’t be functional until she sipped on some caffeine. Surprisingly, Koska was the one who dropped by first. Bo-Katan gestured at the cup of tea she poured prior to her arrival, and her friend gratefully accepted. Axe knocked next, and he acted so stiff and awkward around her that she felt terrible.

Both planted themselves on her bed, and Bo-Katan sat across from them.

Even after his apologies the night before, Axe insisted on bringing up his lapse in judgment again. “I’m so sorry for starting that fight… That was incredibly dumb of me. I knew Einar was egging me on, too! And Koska tried to hold me back, but I was the one who initiated the physical fight. I don’t deserve to be in the Stjornmal.”

Bo-Katan stopped him from beating himself up. “Nonsense. One mistake, even a big one, isn’t enough for me to get rid of you, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” She gave him a wane smile, and he looked immensely relieved to hear the words from her in person.

“Why did you call us together this early?”

“Let’s wait for Din. I wanted to run something past you three before I made an announcement to the Stjornmal.”

“You two need to stop waking me up at the crack of dawn,” Koska grumbled.

“Sorry,” Bo-Katan grinned. In her nervousness at the next conversation topic, she fidgeted for a few seconds before hearing a knock. Relieved at not having to prolong her stress much longer, she called out, “Come in!”

With three of her closest confidants present, she immediately launched into the proposition that she finalized yesterday. “I’ve made up my mind about this, but I would love to have your support before I go to the Stjornmal. I have decided that I will not be the only one ruling Mandalore.” Din tilted his head in reservation, Axe’s eyes darted to Din, and Koska’s brows furrowed.

“But it was your dream for so long!” the latter exclaimed.

“I did want that for a long time.” She averted her eyes, memories of her declaration of being the rightful ruler only too fresh in her mind. “But these last few months made me realize that I want different things now. Sovereignty over Mandalore might have once belonged to my family by birthright and through ownership of the Darksaber, but since the Darksaber is broken, and we are starting anew with so many different clans, the bloodline is not going to matter to some.”

Din defended her from herself, “You have other qualities that make you a good leader. You don’t need the Darksaber.”

“I know, but I think this might be better for everyone. I feel so inadequate recently, and I know I’ve been stretched so thin that I’m unable to meet my own goals or even maintain my friendships.” She turned to Din, “Listening to you and Ragnar discussing what went on at yesterday’s intermediary meeting, there’s a lot I don’t always know about what our citizens want. And I can’t keep forcing my own way of thinking on them. I will be proposing a reform to the way Mandalore has been historically governed, such that it will take power away from me and allow our people to make their own laws and decisions.”

Koska eyed her sadly. “Are you sure about this?”

Bo-Katan nodded, and the silence stretched on.

Axe found his voice first. “This… this is not how I wanted things to get resolved. Not with my best friend giving up on her dream. You would have made an amazing Mand’alor, but I will back you if you choose to go this route.”

Koska gave her a wavering smile. “You will always be Mand’alor to me.”

Finally, Bo-Katan faced Din.

“You know I will support your decision no matter what.”

With a relieved smile, she said, “It’s nice to hear all the same.”

“And you shouldn’t take Einar stirring the others up as a sign you cannot lead,” he added.

There was a chorus of agreement from the others, and she wished she could make their words take away all her insecurities. “Thanks, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

With a resolved sigh, she spoke, “I guess it’s time to make the announcement to the Stjornmal.”

Bo-Katan couldn’t stomach much food, and the others seemed to notice her distressed squirming, so they cut breakfast short.

Her Stjornmal gathered around her in the old academy building. She requested that Din join as an honorary member due to his current role as intermediary between the two opposing tribes. The meeting held today would demonstrate the Stjornmal’s plans to change the status quo, and Din could tailor the discussions with the Watch accordingly before the official announcement was made.

As she mentally prepared herself for the next few hours, a thought struck her. She leaned towards Din and the Armourer and asked in a hushed tone, “Should I tell them? About the mythosaur?”

“If you think it is wise,” came the Armourer’s enigmatic answer. Din’s emotionless helmet was likewise ambiguous. Speaking of helmets, where was hers? Now would have been a great time to hide her features behind the mask and make her feel braver than she actually felt. She must have left it at Din’s, for she did not see it at her place prior to leaving.

Taking one last moment to calm herself, she stood up to make the announcement. She told her Stjornmal the reasoning behind her decision to demit the position as sole ruler and that she did not make it lightly. “Now, I am not here to simply tell you that I am stepping down. I am also proposing an alternative.

“Over the last year, I have seen members from different tribes unite to defend one another repeatedly. Our society has always been deontologically motivated, but being a diverse culture, one person cannot dictate what is the best for everyone. Separating us by clans too often pits families and houses against each other, causing additional conflict. The wide assortment of political ideologies will always ensure that we’d be split if too few of us have control of the government. As a result, the honor of Mand’alor should not belong to one person. I want to give the concept of choice back to the people.”

Bo-Katan’s eyes darted to the Armourer. “Below our feet are the Mines of Mandalore. They are said to be the lair of the ancient mythosaur species, and upon my first trip back to the planet, I saw one. A mythosaur in the depths. I confided in this to our Armourer, and she told me that it was a sign that the new age of Mandalore was upon us. That Mandalore must all come together. And so, our people must rally, but not just in times of war. In times of peace as well! I think given the choice, Mandalorians would rather survive and see our planet thrive. We can set up a more democratic government where our citizens have a voice in this world we’ve come to build.

“For thousands of years, Mandalorians have succumbed to wars and violence, and we were practically extinct. The same could be said of the mighty mythosaur species, who were believed to have died out. Besides demonstrating that the symbol of our people has survived, it’s a sign that we are here to stay as well.

“I move to formally assemble a council of the general populace that gives us a wide spread of clans and ideas. These representatives would be formally elected by the people, and they would hold a seat for a period of time. I’d imagine that for a brief duration, the Mand’alor and Stjornmal would help supervise their decisions, but eventually, we would turn over the power to enact laws to that council. Since a wide breadth of citizens in the legislative assembly would likely come from a variety of trades, they could focus on specific issues that matter to everyone.

“I understand that a democratic process would be slower, but I think having the choice would give the power back to our citizens and sharply reduce the number of conflicts.

“In the spirit of going down a more democratic path, I’m going to put it up to a vote because I don’t want to be the only one deciding this. Also, if we so choose, the Stjornmal could continue to operate after the assembly of representatives is well-established and has proven it can function on its own. I’d imagine the Stjornmal would have a different and separate role if that is the case. So. What does everyone think?” All of her schemes from the last couple of weeks were out for the members of her Stjornmal to see. Am I making the right choice? her doubtful thoughts threatened to converge on her determination.

Stop it! You made a decision, and you are sticking with it. It’s up to the Stjornmal now to help take the next steps.

After an extended discussion, the following was decided:

Similar to how the assemblies were held before, representatives from each floor would gather to form a council of the general populace, or the Mando Althing. This would be the legislative council that would enact laws and make major pronouncements for their people as a whole. The members of the Althing would be formally elected for a period of up to a year by their respective floors.

To aid in the council’s decision making, the Althing would be able to form internal committees on a case-by-case basis to involve the representatives most knowledgeable in regards to topics at hand. These committees would then research and help steer the full assembly to make the most informed choice for their people.

The existing Mand’alor’s Stjornmal would continue to operate but with an evolved role – in a more executive function going forward. In the short run, the Stjornmal would direct the Althing towards necessary legislation for the near future. And the position of Mand’alor? Bo-Katan would keep her title since she was the most experienced out of any of them. She would continue to guide their people down the right path as the leader of the Stjornmal. The title would no longer mean ‘sole ruler’ as it once did but correspond to the meaning of the Mando’a term alor, which simply stood for ‘leader.’

With most of the major details ironed out, Bo-Katan would make an announcement in a few days’ time about the new form of government.

At lunch, Bo’s relief at the Stjornmal accepting her decision was rolling off her in waves. There was still much to discuss, but she bravely set forth the events in motion that would not only assuage her own discouraging thoughts, but continue to push Mandalore forward towards a brighter future. It’s possible Din was swayed by her speech, but he truly believed her solution could work. It would certainly give the naysayers something to think about while still moving forward. He glanced at her as they entered the Civic Center for a long-overdue lunch. She was incandescent, and the mood was infectious.

Din sent Ragnar a message apologizing for not being able to meet earlier as the Stjornmal meeting ran later than intended. He asked to delay their meeting until the next day instead. With that, his attention refocused back on Bo. “Thank you for finding a solution that did not involve me being Mand’alor,” Din murmured quietly to her as they slid into one of the booths. Part of him did fret that she’d try to involve him somehow, but her solution was infinitely better than what her harrowed mind came up with a couple nights ago.

“I know you probably thought I was a bit insane at first, but I was at a complete loss as to what to do. But then, I took the day yesterday to relax, and the solution clicked into place after everything I’d seen and heard. If it’s the new age of Mandalore, might as well take the opportunity to change everything else up.” Bo was always quick to undermine herself, he now realized. But she laughed easily now.

Din’s heart was overflowing with love for her and, taking her fingers in his, he confided in Bo the thought that had been running through his mind all day.

“Our people will live to see another day, and because of you, the Mandalorian way of life will survive. It will live on in the Song you’re writing. I am simply here helping with the harmony on occasion. I feel so privileged to be here by your side, supporting your cause. The completed Song will be performed for centuries to come to tell of a Mand’alor who was not afraid to renounce her claim to the throne for the good of her people.”

Not only was she feeling buoyant after the last few hours, but as he ardently expanded on his original vow, the relief presented itself as tears. She tried to blink away the wetness and aimed a wobbly smile at him, instead of weeping with joy like she wanted to.

She thought back to that fateful night when she’d taken a chance on him after his oath on the langskib. So much had happened, but his undying loyalty and belief in her was steadfast. Bo-Katan should have known the depth of his feelings then. “My Song is all the better for you being by my side, Dinui.”

“For as long as you’ll have me, cyar'ika.”

He went to connect their foreheads together, but Bo-Katan nuzzled him instead. The new pet name made her feel all warm and fuzzy, and she wanted to return the favor.

“Should we come back later?” Koska asked teasingly, two more faces peering from behind her.

Bo-Katan jumped away, turning red. Judging by the angle of Din’s helmet, he turned away shyly as well. “Sorry, no, come on in.” She waved them into the booth.

Luna, as always, appeared intrigued by their relationship, her eyes dancing between them both. Luckily, her two best friends started a conversation that took the attention away from them. Bo-Katan was perfectly aware she was still grinning ear to ear, and she had finally managed to get the smile under control when an offering of the dried varos appeared in front of her. She felt her lips widen in another smile as she nodded at Din and added the fruit to her own pile of the snack, saving the best for last.

With her elated mood, they wandered around for a while afterwards and ran into Adira at the training field. Their food having settled in their stomachs, Bo-Katan made a suggestion. “Three on three?”

The Nite Owls were never one to walk away from a challenge, and so they played a variation of capture the flag. It was Bo-Katan, Din, and Adira against the others. Had it been only Luna and Axe against Bo-Katan and Din, the Nite Owls would have won, hands down. The latter two were besotted today, and Adira had to call their names more than a few times to get their attention. Once they were focused, the team did really well, but the challenge was keeping their mind on the game.

The losers had to treat the winners to a drink at the cantina, and since Bo-Katan and Din declined to join the others, Adira opted to invite Beck to make the most of her team winning.

After their conversation at lunch got interrupted, Din checked in with Bo-Katan as they headed back, “You’re really okay with all of this, right?”

She nodded. Her Song was far from written yet, and she went down a path that she did not expect, but she was happy. She’d have more free time to be a warrior, and be herself. And if she joined Din on more missions after their new government was set up and running, she was not going to complain.

He walked her home, as was their norm.

As she crossed her threshold, she turned and said, “Stay.” She’d never asked that of him before, and she wasn’t trying to force his hand. But she felt the sparks fly between them, and she did not want to separate that day. Her eyes gazed steadily where two of his must have stared back at her through the visor.

Din’s body language was unreadable.

After a few moments, he slowly stepped in and turned to face her. “I’ll walk both worlds for you.”

He pushed the door closed and slid off his helmet.

“Dinui, what– Am I dreaming?” She was surprised, but happy. But also concerned for him! She wasn’t sure if this day would come. Bo-Katan searched his eyes for any remorse, cupping his cheek.

His dark earthy eyes stared into her soul and were almost predacious with their potent yearning. “Feels pretty real to me.” His lips stretched in a lopsided grin.

“But what will the others say?” she breathed.

“Don't think about the others,” he whispered, reaching for her waist.

Din went to pull her to him, but she gasped and whispered, “Wait wait!” and wiggled out of his grip. She locked the door behind them and placed her hands on his shoulders, “Ok, I'm all yours.”

With a growl at being interrupted before, he pressed Bo-Katan to the door with a clank. Oof. The strength of the impact knocked the wind out of her.

Instantly, his frenetic intensity dissolved to be replaced by a look of worried puppy dog eyes. “You ok?”

She giggled at the contrasting range of his facial expressions. Because she could finally see his face! her amazed mind added. “Get over here,” she whispered enthusiastically. She saw – and felt! – his smile for the first time as their lips met, and her brain melted completely in her euphoria.

Chapter Text

Din awoke to the sun in the sky, lighting up everything in the vicinity of the window. Bo’s vibrant hair was strewn on the pillow next to him, and their arms were intertwined, their skin glowing in the light of day.

Without the helmet, the old him wanted to panic and go dive headfirst into the Living Waters to be immediately redeemed. Or at the very least hide his face. The new him was still nervous (old habits die hard), but he was happy. That's twice now that he'd taken off his helmet for someone he loved, and he did not regret it - either in the moment or looking back at those instances now. Stars knew how much he agonized over it before re-taking the Creed.

It had been ages since he’d been with anyone, and never like this. He’d limited himself to a rare indulgence here and there, more often when he was younger, but he’d never spent the night. Following the Way put limitations on the level of intimacy he and his partner could reach. Yet Bo and he never had trouble with that, even while following his covert’s conservative view of the Creed over the last year. Was it her acceptance of his beliefs? Or the depth of their feelings for and dedication to the other? But even before admitting their feelings, they were already in sync with each other, so much so they could communicate with gestures and simple glances. Their recent encounters during training and combat also exhibited just how much their senses were attuned to the other, and they were there to wordlessly back each other up before being asked. Bo understood him on so many levels. He felt his lips split in a smile, staring at his beloved across the pillow.

Bo stirred, and his heart flipped in anticipation as she stretched and laid eyes on him in daylight for the first time. Seeing his unmasked features, she averted her gaze.

He moved to catch her eye and said, “It's ok.”

“I know it's too late at this point, but are you sure about this?”

Din stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You made a courageous decision yesterday, and it inspired me to make one of my own. I said I’d walk both worlds for you, and I meant it.”

Her eyelids fluttered closed as a shiver made her hair stand up over her skin, and the corners of her lips turned upwards. Almost immediately she popped her eyes open to take in the sight of him again. “What about your covert and the rest of the Children of the Watch?”

“I know you prefer to keep the helmet off but wear it with me in public. I think I will do the opposite; I'll keep it on with everyone else.”

Bo nodded and repeated what the Armourer said a few nights ago about walking both worlds. Now that Din had made up his mind, there seemed to be no harm in telling him. “You know, for a Creed that honors foundlings, I find it unfair that you were called an apostate for helping yours.”

“Yeah, that’s partially what kinda messed me up for a while. It was too black and white. No one cared to listen to my reasons for unmasking, which helped push me on the path of re-examining my beliefs. It persuaded me to interpret the Creed in such a way that would allow me to be open with those I love.” To be open with those I deem my family. Too soon to say out loud? Perhaps. But it didn’t make it any less true.

As Bo continued to study him with delight, Din finally wondered out loud, “Is this how you saw me?” There wasn’t much time for talk the night before.

“Something like it. You have a kind face as I expected. Your eyes are beautiful; there’s some gold flecks in the irises, or maybe you've got the stars in your eyes.” At his immediate reaction, she added, “You're so quick to smile. I didn't know that under the helmet!”

“Have you considered that maybe that's just with you?”

He propped himself up on an elbow and looked at the mirth spanning her features. For months, Din held off mentioning anything that would remind Bo of the fact that he wasn’t showing his own face. But now, he could finally speak his mind.

“You're so breathtaking. I’ve wanted to tell you since forever ago, but especially since after the langskib.”

“Why then?”

“Because I saw you up close.”

At these words, she plopped her face into the pillow with a whine that sounded something like, “Noooo.”

Din put a hand on her back and asked with a chuckle, “Wha-a-at?”

The response was muffled, “What you saw was all my gray hairs and wrinkles.”

“First of all, those are not gray hairs. They are wisdom highlights. I’ll have you know that I have a lot, and I’m proud of mine.”

Laughing, Bo peeked out. “You don’t have a lot at all.”

“Are you saying I’m not wise?” he acted affronted.

Entertained but distracted, she shook her head, and turned back to him completely. “That’s not what I’m suggesting.” She reached out an arm and stroked his pepper-colored hair. His thoughts stuttered to a halt as he savored the feeling of Bo’s soft touch.

After remembering himself, he continued, “Second of all, have you seen yourself? You are gorgeous, and you’ve lived an eventful life, with the scars and laugh lines to prove it!” His thumb traced the remains of the old injury on her forehead above her right brow. Din then allowed his fingertips to explore the other lines and contours of her face, barely brushing over her freckled features. He found his voice again and murmured, “They only accentuate your appearance, and they speak to you having lived. They speak to your bravery and all that you've dealt with. The wonders, the hardships, the friendships, and the betrayals.”

Bo looked skeptical, but she waited for him to finish speaking. Knowing all too well what she would comment on as soon as he was done, Din preemptively added, “Each attribute defines all that you are, so don’t you go repudiating them. I fell in love with this exact version of you, and there is not one thing I would change. You're already the most brilliant constellation in my galaxy."

He was prepared to reiterate that to her as many times as necessary to ensure she saw herself through his eyes. She didn’t look entirely convinced, but he asserted his opinion with a determined expression. As Din ran his fingertips over her lips, she kissed them, and their cheeks stretched in unison with their mutual elation.

A soft peck on her lips turned into a more passionate kiss, and he moved his hand to cup Bo’s neck. Their lips moved together slowly at first, then more deeply–

A knock interrupted the quiet rustle of sheets. Both looked over but made no noise. Their eyes snapped back to each other. The door was locked.

“I should –”

He shook his head at her, smirked, and kissed down her neck.

“But what if someone needs me?”

“Someone needs you here,” he breathed in her ear, making note of the goosebumps proliferating across her skin. Not hearing any objection, he pressed himself to her and proceeded to run his hands all over for the upteenth time as she returned her attention back to him.

As if to make up for decades of wearing a helmet, Din had the most expressive eyes. His look of adoration as he spoke about her imperfections made Bo-Katan believe he meant every single word, and she tried to see herself as he did.

No, Din’s voice said in her mind, not imperfections but beautiful attributes. A lifetime of talking down to herself made it hard to accept, but with Din murmuring praises and stroking her features oh-so-tenderly, it probably wouldn't be long before that point of view stuck.

Din’s fingers had a special power. Every touch sent an electric current through her entire being and a cold breeze hit her skin at the sensation, making her hair stand on end. Yet somehow, the feeling also made her want to melt into his arms and stay here forever in the blaze of his desire for her.

A gurgle of her stomach eventually reminded them that they skipped the first meal of the day to prolong their time together. Din attempted to hide his chuckle.

“I suppose we should get up.” Bo-Katan was pretty sure Din didn’t just hear but also felt the stomach assert its hunger since he was still laughing. She couldn’t get enough of his stunning smile and remarkable visage. With a kiss on her abdomen, he slid out from under the sheets and offered her a hand to pull her up.

“What are your plans for today?” he asked as they got dressed.

“I have to get together with the Stjornmal today to make sure we have all the details ironed out before we go ahead with the announcement.”

“I’m assuming I won’t be needed at the meeting today?” At the shake of her head, he continued, “Just as well. I should check on Grogu.”

She walked him to the door, his helmet under her arm, and they bumped foreheads, relishing in the skin-to-skin contact before drawing closer and sharing one last kiss. He donned his helmet, and she bid him goodbye, but it wasn’t long before a quick knock sounded, and he burst in almost immediately after. “Grogu’s awake!”

“Is he? I’ll be right there!” Glancing at her vambrace for the time, she detoured to Din’s unit, where they both greeted Grogu’s waking form. “Hiii ad’ika,” she let slip as she stroked the little one’s ears. Din hung back to watch them, and Bo-Katan wondered if Grogu’s father noticed her use of the pet name. After a quiet exchange with the son, she sensed Din approach from behind.

“I still have your helmet since you slept over here.”

Ah, I’ve been wondering where that was!

Din directed her to their small stash of snacks she could welcome herself to, and Bo-Katan finally departed for the academy building. She blasted off with the jetpack, getting to the Stjornmal meeting in the nick of time.

“Missed you at breakfast today,” Koska said with a side-eye in her general direction.

Thankful for the helmet hiding her face, she responded, “Grogu woke up and wanted to see me! So I visited Din’s place.” Although if they’d also tried Din's place, she wouldn’t have an excuse. She hoped the reason for her absence was believable since the joy was obvious in her voice. It’s not like she was lying… she embellished the truth a bit to savor their time alone a litle longer without it becoming public knowledge yet. Their initial blossoming relationship was revealed to the rest of their settlement way too early, and she wanted their time together to be just that - their own. The rest of the populace didn’t need to know everything.

Ragnar and Koska nodded, though the latter gave Bo-Katan a longer stare than normal.

Din dropped by the mechanic shop for a couple hours. As the day crept closer to noon, Grogu’s attention wandered. After being asleep for several days, snacks could hold his son’s hunger at bay for only so long.

As they settled in a booth for lunch, Grogu waved at someone. He turned to find Bo and the others entering the hall.

Upon her approach, Bo reached out a finger, and Grogu gripped it, pulling her into the seat next to him. “Hiii,” he heard her whisper again as she patted Grogu’s head.

As the rest slid in around them, Bo finally asked about the gestures Grogu’d picked up on their most recent trip. Ragnar explained how they came about, and Din filled in the rest. Grogu grasped the sign language exceptionally quickly, though he supposed it made sense, for Grogu learned it out of necessity to communicate.

Recalling his thoughts from before disembarking on Morak, Din signed and translatedFather and then Son. He then put the new words in a sentence and spoke the words out loud, “I am your father. You are my son.” Bo beamed as she removed the helmet to eat.

“Now say it back to me.” Grogu followed the instructions eagerly, and the booth exploded in praise for the little creature.

“You’ll have to teach me later!” Bo exclaimed as an aside, and he grinned back at her with a quick nod. Part of him worried someone could tell something changed between them. For one thing, the smile never left Bo’s face after she took off her helmet to eat. Admittedly, everyone was looking at Grogu with affection after his successful translation, so maybe Bo’s joyful face wasn’t completely out of place. Plus, she had been smiling yesterday as well after her proclamation to the Stjornmal. People could probably attribute that to her relief at the future resolution of their ongoing issues… he hoped.

Grogu caught his eye and gestured, What do I call– he pointed at Bo.

She called him little warrior - and son! - before. Mother, he signed silently.

You are my father. She is my mother, and I am your son.

Din patted his son’s head in silent praise and snuck a glance at Bo. He’ll have to see how long it would take her to figure that one out. He hoped she wouldn't mind.

With several members of the Stjornmal present at the table, Din asked if his skills could be utilized elsewhere. That morning, Beck and he made quick progress on the repairs, so he offered to float from job to job before he could officially debrief regarding Morak. Grogu could help too since he had better control of his powers now. As a result, his son and Ragnar were given assignments of their own.

Axe led the way and introduced Din to Lance, who was one of the Nite Owls present when Bo challenged Axe for control of the fleet on Plazir-15. “Lance is the guy overseeing the patrols of the planet.”

Lance spoke up with a smirk and a disappointed shake of his head, “‘The guy,’ he says as if we haven’t known each other our whole lives.”

With a roll of his eyes, Axe muttered. “He also happens to be my baby brother.”

Din could see a slight resemblance in the appearance of the young fellow standing in front of him, though that’s where the differences stopped. He was shorter; not as stocky as Axe. He was in constant motion, always changing his stance or fidgeting. Axe was a statue compared to the younger brother.

Din nodded in greeting and went to shake his hand. The pilot announced, “Nice to finally make your acquaintance, Din Djarin.”

“Let me guess. You’ve heard a lot about me,” Din quipped sarcastically, raising his eyebrow.

The younger brother’s friendly personality made itself known as the other beamed. “That, and I’ve seen your skills first-hand. I don’t normally hang out in my brother’s circles, but I take an interest in those he calls his friends. Plus, before you, most of us Nite Owls never thought we’d be sharing a meal with any Watch members. You slowly won over a bunch of us, so I got curious.” Lance tilted his head in the direction of the parked starships. “Now, let me take you up and show you the route.” The pair nodded at Axe and headed off.

Lance showed Din a Fang-class starfighter that the Mandalorians used for making the rounds around the planet since even the smaller gauntlet ships weren’t as agile and quick as these models. He jumped into explaining the hardware on the fighter, but Din stopped him.

“If it helps, I have my own single-pilot starfighter that I can use.”

“Great! This model is usually in very short-supply, and newer pilots are often thrown off by the organization of the cockpit and some of its sophisticated features, so you are more than welcome to use your own.”

They took to the skies, each in their preferred starship.

Lance was great company. Because they didn’t start out with a rivalry for Bo, they got off on the right foot from the beginning. They kept up a light chatter on a private channel as Lance showed Din the routine flight paths.

As Axe explained on their trip to meet the pilot, they had their regular patrol and some long-range survey detail that Din would be able to assist with whenever he was on Mandalore if he stuck around. The duties rotated between members of the pilot group, so Din would be able to explore the planet as well. He could still help out Beck if their workload required it, but he should default to the pilot role going forward.

Din was happy to assist with either role, though he definitely preferred flying to being stuck on solid ground. Plus, there were fewer droids up in the skies.

Din came home to Bo waiting outside his place. According to her, Twyla would be by to drop off Grogu later.

They were barely inside when she kissed his neck. His heart skipped a beat, and he briefly forgot everything, including that he was (apparently) perfectly capable of tugging off his helmet on his own. It was only after Bo paused in her actions and arched her eyebrow at him that he remembered. He pulled it off, dropping it somewhere behind him without a care as she wrapped a leg around him. He used the opportunity to lift her up and press her closer, wrapping the other leg around him in the process. Completely blind, he half-stumbled, half-carried her to the bedroom where they collapsed ungracefully on the bed laughing. He brushed her hair off her face and peppered it in kisses, “Missed you today.”

The more intimate they got, the more they loathed to be apart from each other. The subsequent few days passed in a similar manner.

Din unmasking didn’t visibly change how they acted in public. The pair still both donned the helmets outside of the privacy of their rooms, so no one was any wiser about Din having taken off the helmet in the meantime. In fact, taking the next step in their relationship made it easier to not act like lovesick fools around others like they did prior to their night together. Din felt his ears heating up solely thinking about how obvious they were being. He was never one to show much outward affection, but he had been awfully touchy-feely more times than he could count the last few days. He warned Bo to let him know if it got too much. “Never!” was her buoyant response.

With Grogu now awake, they quickly fell into a pattern with Bo sleeping over, Din leaving early in the morning for patrol, and meeting at lunchtime after his peacekeeper meeting. Bo would pick Grogu up before lunch where the young apprentice helped Twyla’s group.

Maybe it was due to the progression of their relationship or the fact that Din had left on several missions recently, but Bo-Katan didn’t want to spend more time apart than they had to. Each touch set her soul on fire, and she couldn’t get enough of Din. It was amazing to have no boundaries inside their own space. Bo-Katan thanked all the stars of the galaxy that she got to fall asleep next to him every night with their limbs tangled together, pressed closer than close.

A good thing was too easy to get used to. Not just for her, but for Din as well. After several nights together, Bo-Katan noticed that Din was no longer waking at random points in the night. His behavior during the day became more animated and his mood lifted. Their first night together opened the floodgates, and they shared countless moments in private that told her just how much he cared for her, even if he didn’t outwardly show it with the others. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t see his face all the time either.

Bo-Katan’s mind gradually began to fill in the gaps between the gestures and reactions she knew so well to the newly available countenance that she saw in private. Eventually, she knew what his expressions were below the beskar and that was enough.

Since Din was now working with Lance’s group, their schedules didn’t quite align. He awoke before the sun lit up the surface of the planet and quietly left for patrol but not before dropping a feather-like kiss on her forehead or cheek. Stars, was it endearing to wake up to such a gentle gesture! Heart giddy with her affection for him, she eventually fell back asleep.

After completing her council duties, she’d get home and wait for him to let her know he was back. She’d be over in seconds, looking forward to the smile gracing his features with simply her appearance. A couple more days of this, and Din presented her with the spare key. “You already have a space all to yourself in my heart and soul. A space in my unit seems almost insignificant to that.”

Bo-Katan felt the thrill at his ardent revelation, and her heart took flight through a wounding canyon. Her Dinui always found a way to make it pound harder. She grinned so hard her nose scrunched up. “Wow, I guess you weren't kidding about a lifetime of affection positively oozing out with me around.”

She communicated her pleasure at his offer with an unmasked Keldabe kiss.

Din’s apartment now held an extra pair of boots, a helmet, and small items out of place throughout. Not that he minded the latter; he had no misconceptions about what Bo’s priorities were. Plus, each misplaced item reminded him of how far they’d come. After months of dancing around each other and getting practically nowhere, he was sure about Bo and wanting a future together. Living together also had the added benefit of allowing him to keep an eye on Bo’s mental state. She seemed much better now that the Stjornmal worked on a plan to transition to the new government structure.

They never explicitly stated that they didn’t want others to know what transpired between them, but Bo understood that he liked his privacy and wasn’t one for public displays of affection. Yet somehow, within a day of his offering Bo the key to his apartment, Koska gave him a conspiratorial grin as if she knew exactly where Bo was spending her nights. When Din tilted his head in question, she dismissed it with a wave and went back to acting as if nothing had happened. Weird. It was only later that day that Din found out what the strange behavior meant.

Evidently, Koska noticed the new addition on Bo’s belt and asked when they were alone. “She figured out I had an extra key, and she put two and two together. Wasn’t that hard, really. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t deny it when she had the evidence.”

“Did you know she saw me coming out of your room that very first time I stayed over after the cantina? Obviously nothing happened between the two of us, but she never said anything to anyone. I don’t think she will this time either.”

Bo gazed at him in surprise but nodded along, “She’s discreet like that. She’ll ambush me to confirm it, but she won’t say a peep outside the two of us.”

Between his new patrolling and peacekeeper roles, Din did not have as much time to dedicate to the Mando’a tutoring sessions with Beck. The latter still found a way to give him a couple of words and phrases per day. The most recent encounter with the Mando’a lexicon left Din with a jolt of realization. The verb for the act of adopting someone, or kir’manir, could also be used to express giving someone your soul.

And so – Bo had his heart and Grogu his soul. Why should Din hide his face from someone that important to him? Mentioning this to Bo, he left the door to the bedroom open that night, and Grogu wandered in with the rising sun. The Mandalorian woke with a paw on his cheek and surprised babbles. It felt amazing to show his face to another living being without being ashamed of it. Bo watched their interactions, a pleased look on her face, eyelids still heavy with sleep. Din had never felt more grateful for their presence in his life.

As for Ragnar, while the human apprentice treated him as more of an older brother, and though Din saw the youngster as an extension of their unusual little familial unit, Din worried that, like the elder Vizsla, Ragnar wouldn’t understand, so he chose to only let two beings in for now.

To celebrate, the trio went to the underground cavern on Benduday.

Bo’s laughter was bouncing off the cavernous space before they landed. On the flight there, she’d carried Grogu in her outstretched arms, and the little one’s fingers wiggled with happiness as his limbs extended as far as they could, and his robe flapped in the air stream.

“If we’re not careful, he’s going to ask for his own jetpack soon. I could barely keep an eye on him with the repurposed mech, never mind a jetpack,” Din said as he pulled off his helmet and tousled up his hair. Bo liked the effortless ruffled appearance and his soft locks, if her running her hands through his hair was anything to go by.

With a contemplating look, Bo approached to stand in front of him. She suddenly took his face in her hands and turned his head from side to side.

“Umm…. What are you doing?” He asked, surprised. Casual touches were definitely commonplace, but Din wasn’t sure where this was going.

She continued to peer at him, focusing somewhere halfway down his face. “Smile?” He hesitated but did as he was told. “Did you know you only have one dimple?”

He felt a more natural smile grace his features. “Do I?”

“Yep. Right here.” Bo poked at his cheek. “The other side isn’t as pronounced... I think it’s charming!” With that, she pecked the latter side.

The day passed quickly, particularly because Din wasn’t painstakingly agonizing over every second spent in paranoia that someone would see his face. Grogu spent the day running after the various critters he found in the caverns. Worn out, he sleepily sat next to the two as night fell. “Should we head back?” asked Bo as she packed away the remainder of their meals.

“I never mind the darkness. Give me the moon and stars, and I can find my way anywhere. You’re like my moon. You’re this beautiful celestial body that exists in the galaxy just for me, lighting the way.”

She laughed quietly. “Wow, that was cheesy.”

“Do you not like it?”

After a stunned silence from her direction, Din heard a stifled laugh instead, and he grinned. “Thought so!”

The trio stared up at the sky in the fading twilight, enjoying the idyllic mood.

And slowly, everything else seemingly fell into place.

Bo-Katan and the Armourer gathered the citizens of New Sundari for an assembly, and a proclamation was made regarding the new change in government structure to many shocked murmurs in the crowd. A plan for elections was announced.

Bo-Katan glanced at Din in the crowd, but he was looking at a figure clad in red. Einar did not join in the other members of his small group in whispering amongst themselves, but his helmet did not stray from Bo-Katan’s, sizing her up. The assembly ended without his snarky comments, rude attitude, and dismissive posture, which was definitely a first. Several members of his group periodically glanced over at him, but the man did nothing but appraise the two figures on the raised platform. Bo-Katan couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback. She expected something from his group.

With the finalization of the government structure, Din finally spoke to the full Stjornmal regarding what transpired on Morak, and the group decided to send a handful of units to help take out the rhydonium facilities and check up on other suspicious activity on the planet. Especially since Captain Teva got word to Din that the New Republic would be able to compensate the Mandalorians for taking the planet back from the Imperials.

Chapter Text

Facing a second wave of Imperial troopers coming from within the ancient refinery, it crossed Din’s mind not for the first time that the Imperials were waiting for them. But how could they have possibly known that they were coming?

The sun had not begun lighting the landscape as a handful of their smaller transport ships landed, and they crept towards the refinery. As far as Din could tell, their forces didn’t announce their presence. But it was abnormally quiet outside the refinery before all hell broke loose. He didn’t even see the usual patrol. As they prepared to advance towards the facility, it began spewing out soldiers.

Shooting down wave after wave of troopers was getting old. Their primary objective, which now seemed far off, was to block off the exits and firebomb the structure. He was about to go help the side flank, which was meeting more resistance, when Sidh Terr from a nearby squad was speared-through rather violently a few meters away. Din barely had a chance to peek at the fallen Nite Owl. A hilt of a weapon protruded from the minuscule gap in between her chest plate and belt. A gut wound; a tough recovery if they managed to get her help in time. Was that just a lucky throw?

He was calculating how best to get to Sidh to administer first aid when he realized Ragnar stood frozen next to him, staring at the impaled warrior. Not a moment too soon, Din tugged the boy down, and a sharp object whizzed past and embedded itself in the tree trunk behind them.

“Take cover!” he yelled out for the others’ benefit. A glance identified the blade as a vibro-bladed dirk. Dank farrik. Crouching a meter away, Bo asked, “What do you think?”

Ranged weaponry and stealth attacks. He heard trepidation in his own voice as he responded, “Barrett Shasa.” The skilled hunter and master assassin Din did not want to meet. They were currently able to just barely avoid the lightning-quick ranged attacks, but up close, Barrett was even more menacing and deadly. “...but I hope I’m wrong.” Judging by the precise hit between Sidh’s armor, unlikely.

His reply was cut off by the bustle at the compound. Another surge of soldiers appeared from its entrances, some they had no previous knowledge of. Their group expected to meet some resistance from the Imperials, but this was getting out of hand. It was in this disarray that Barrett chose to make his entrance, wielding a long spear and a handful of dirks hanging off his belt, similar to that which protruded from the nearby Nite Owl. Din sighed to himself.

Bo directed their units to cover the recently-unveiled entrances. Axe and Koska hung back, waiting for further instructions. Glancing at Bo, he could tell she was thinking; calculating how best to take on Barrett. Her rigid posture made it clear that he wouldn’t be able to convince her not to go head-to-head with the assassin. “Don’t get hurt,” he said privately, without his comm-link, and she reached out to squeeze his hand before giving a curt nod.

As the sun rose overhead, the air filled with yells, grunts, ripples of energy from blaster fire, and flashes of light. There was a constant stream of chatter in their helmets. Somewhere nearby, a vaguely familiar metallic whirring tolled, but the noise blended with the other cacophony, and it wasn’t long before the singular drone faded from Din’s mind. Sparks went off as bolts connected with targets on either side. Most of their warriors were spared as bursts of energy glanced off their armor. The Imperials were less fortunate.

Din, Ragnar, and Grogu were now covering the rear entrance. A score of Imperials stood between them and the door. The area was more overgrown than the others, providing both a bottleneck to their offensive and cover for the soldiers defending the compound. Ragnar and Din took turns firing at the Imperials from behind their defensive position while Grogu snuck away through the shrubbery to flank the enemy.

As soon as Grogu commenced his surprise assault, picking the rest off was easy enough. His son weaved in between the figures, using their close quarters against them, causing mayhem behind the enemy lines. Din watched Grogu disarm three soldiers at once with a well-placed force-kick to one all the while force-flinging another’s weapon at a third with expert ease. The camouflaged blur continued to take out troopers, relying on his Force abilities more than usual. Reflecting on their recent combat situations, Din realized to what extent Grogu had been holding back during their bounty hunting missions. These Imperials were easy prey compared to how much his apprentices’ abilities had grown. Din made a mental note to caution his son not to overdo it after they returned to Mandalore.

Without blaster fire to deter them, Din and Ragnar led a quick onslaught, cutting through stormtroopers like a Darksaber through metal.

Dispatching the last Imperial soldier in their area, Din placed a grav charge just below the doorway, and the trio retreated to avoid the blast. With the rear entrance cut off, their squad moved to the next fight. Immobile forms lay in the thicket as they made their way towards the others, moving parallel to the facility. A branch cracked behind him and, after quickly assessing his apprentices’ position, Din whirled around. Except there was nobody there, save for a few dura-plast plates of armor. An unmistakable smell of singed hair hung in the air, and he could have sworn he heard a sizzle. Din peered at his surroundings. Who–?

Ragnar called him away and, taking one last look behind him, he advanced to catch up. The trio joined a standoff between a few of their own and some Imperials. Their dark hue triggered a hint of a memory. What’s more, these soldiers were organized, their armor seemingly impenetrable except to precise hits - unalike the dura-plast their counterparts wore. What was it about these Imperials that made him feel like he’s been up against them before?

When a nearby ally got nailed with a disabling hit, Din furrowed his brow. Wait-a– Their stature, skill with the blaster, and overall intimidating presence. It came back to him.

Black-clad soldiers lined up in the courtyard before the cantina on Nevarro. Was it possible?

Assume I know everything, the words played in his mind.

His thoughts whirled dizzyingly, and he recalled when he was briefly reunited with Grogu on the man’s Imperial cruiser. Either there were spies among the settlers on Mandalore, or his messages to Captain Teva had been intercepted. The former was unlikely considering how much their people suffered at the Empire’s hands. He doubted too many Mandalorians would be willing to ally themselves with Imperials.

So that left Din with one explanation. But… he was dead, wasn’t he? If he wasn’t, it would explain why they were met with so much pushback.

Suddenly, he was airborne. In his distracted state, a blaster bolt connected with his chest, flinging him backwards and leaving him gasping for breath upon landing. As soon as he could force himself to move, he rolled behind a squat boulder.

A repeating blaster bombarded his temporary shelter. During a quick recess in the barrage of fire, Din chanced a peek around the rock. A metallic shot rang out once more, and someone literally disintegrated before his eyes with a sizzle, the stench of burning flesh assaulting his nostrils.

That was definitely an Amban rifle. Din scanned the landscape for where the weapon was discharged from and spied a lonely heat signature on a nearby cliff. Turning back to the standoff, Ragnar was glancing frantically over his shoulder at Din instead of retaliating. The latter had to remind him, “Watch your twelve.”

Flinching, Ragnar spluttered out, “Sir!” and faced forward.

With a groan, Din got to his feet. He rubbed the sore spot below the armor. That would certainly bruise, beskar or no beskar.

“There’s a shooter up on the ridge. Anyone available to investigate?”

Koska chimed in, somewhat out of breath. “I can check it out.”

“Axe, you too,” Bo asserted, also winded. He heard her voice nearby, unmodified by the comms, as she approached.

She came up alongside him, and Din asked, “Everyone alright? Any problems?”

“Barrett won’t be taking any more lives.” Glancing at his chest-plate, she said with humor in her voice, “Though I suppose I should be asking after your wellbeing.”

“What, this? Just a scratch.” He replied in jest, yet still wincing in pain as he moved.

“I can’t leave you alone for a minute.”

He grinned to himself, feeling better now that he knew she bested Barrett Shasa.

Even with the Power Trio, Barrett Shasa was an intimidating opponent. One mis-step, and Barrett took advantage of the opening. It was like he could read their minds or could sense where they would attack next. Luckily, Bo-Katan, Koska, and Axe knew each other incredibly well and filled in the gaps in each others’ defense.

There was a terrifying moment when Barrett side-swiped Koska, but the resulting scrape was superficial. After an intense struggle, they got the upper hand and smote Barrett down.

If Axe was being honest, he was still winded after their confrontation. A fact which only became more apparent as they climbed through the wooded terrain. He completely understood why Din was not eager to take the assassin on by himself last time.

Koska held up her fist to signal a halt. A figure lay outstretched on their abdomen, just barely peeking over cover, surveying the fighting below. The man placed his cheek to the stock with practiced ease, but before the sniper could let off another shot, the duo made their presence known.

“Identify yourself!”

Startled, the bald man spun around ungracefully and raised his arms, along with the rifle he was holding. “W-wait, I'm not with them!” The man tossed the rifle into the dirt, spurring up a cloud of reddish-brown powder.

“And the other one. Slowly!” The man cautiously unclipped the strap across his chest and let it fall.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you,” Koska barked with authority.

Panic crossing his face, the man lowered his hands in a wait-a-minute motion and declared, “I know one you!”

Axe didn’t think he heard him correctly. The other took this as a chance to keep talking, “Yeah, yeah! I did a couple jobs with him.”

“What's his name?”

“I always called him Mando.” Axe narrowed his eyes. This was not helping his case. Sheepishly, the man added, “Starting to regret that now…” Axe readjusted his grip on the blaster, though something told him this guy wouldn’t try anything.

Koska turned to Axe to say something when the other piped in again, “Oh, he travels with a little green guy!”

Axe and Koska exchanged looks. Koska murmured into the comm-link, “Hey, Din?”

“Have you found the shooter?”

“We tracked him down, and apparently he knows you? Said he worked with you and knows about Grogu.”

“What’s his name?” An audible explosion sounded in the background, but they heard him follow up with, “Is it Migs Mayfeld?”

Koska raised her voice to ask, “Name?” When the man provided the expected response, she clarified, “It's him.” The Nite Owls lowered their blasters, but stood at the ready in case Mayfeld tried anything.

Radio silence from Din extended for several minutes. Up here, away from the fighting, there were birds and rustling heard from the forest. Axe rotated to cover their backs. The swishing of the trees unnerved him, causing his eyes to dart from side to side.

“Can I put my hands down now?” Axe jumped and pointed his blaster at Mayfeld. The latter’s hands shot up. “Sorry, sorry.” The man didn’t attempt to speak again, and the awkward silence stretched.

Finally, they heard static and “Approaching your location.” There were soft footfalls behind them, and Mayfeld perked up and even managed a sort of grimace.

“Hey, Mando!”

“You can call me Din Djarin. What are you doing here?”

“I’m exactly where you standed me.”

“You mean saved you from 50 more years in prison?” Their bickering didn’t sound hostile, and Axe relaxed his shoulders.

“Well it’s been a bit difficult to get a ship off this dump of a planet. Kind of makes sense why the Empire chose this place. Not too many people coming or going.”

Koska piped in, “But what are you doing here on this ridge shooting at us?”

“I ain’t aiming for you!” Mayfeld huffed and turned to Din again, “While I’ve been here, I’ve been disrupting some of their juggernaut deliveries.” Din lowered his helmet to stare the other down. “No, I haven’t joined up with the pirates. Just on my own. I heard you guys attacking earlier and figured I’d help since it drew so many of them out.”

Mayfeld’s response appeared genuine. And Din was pretty sure the man saved him from being surprised by the Imperial soldier earlier.

Noticing the weapon on the ground, Din approached it. “Where did you get this?” He picked up the Amban sniper rifle and turned it over in his hands. There weren’t many of these left.

“Just some shed a few clicks back. Didn’t seem to be in use, so I claimed it as my own in accordance with the Charter of the New Republic.”

Already spewing BS. “So you stole?”

“Found, actually.”

Sighing, he retorted, “Pretty sure the Charter’s only applicable to wreckages and not abandoned encampments.” Mayfeld only shrugged. Quickly thinking it over, and hoping he wouldn’t have to eat his words, Din asked, “Want to join us?”

There was a chorus of indignant, “What?!” from the other two. Quickly followed up with, “Are you crazy?” and “He was shooting at us!”

Din recollected a dark trooper disintegrating. “He's a good shot, and we're at a bit of a deadlock with the elite troopers.” It makes their job a lot harder when their enemy actually knows what they’re doing.

With a glance at the other two, Mayfeld replied with some hesitation. “As long as everyone is okay with me playing sniper.” At least the hesitation didn’t appear to be about which side he was on.

Axe finally holstered his blaster, and Koska put her hands on her hips. “Looks like you live to shoot another day,” but she didn’t sound thrilled about the outcome.

For a second, Din paused as he went to hand the sniper rifle to Mayfeld, “If I hear that you've shot one one of our own, you will not get very far.”

“I get it. You know I feel no camaraderie with these guys.”

“Yeah, but you don’t owe us anything either.”

“We were allies last time, weren’t we?”

But Din barely heard Mayfeld. The three tensed up due to Bo’s outraged yell, and Din was the first to speak up, turning away, “Bo? Talk to me.”

“How?! Why is he not dead?” Looks like Din’s hunch was, unfortunately, correct. “No, he’s mine!”

Axe and Koska glanced at each other. Din filled them in and took off towards the fighting.

“Where are you?”

No response except another yell of fury, interrupted by the sound of the wind getting knocked out of her. His own breath caught in his throat.

He tried to speak as calmly as he could, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but please be cautious.” Either Bo chose to ignore him or simply didn’t hear. He flew towards where he last saw her, and their duel came into view. It was obvious that Bo’s hand-to-hand attacks were choppy as she raged.

As he drew near, Moff Gideon’s appearance took him aback. He wore the black beskar armor, minus the helmet. His face and skin were burned; his hair gone. His brow sported a jagged scar, warping the emotions as they crossed his features.

Landing close by, Din attempted to join their vicious dance, but in Bo’s anger, there was no synergy in their tactics. Her ferocious attacks kept Gideon on the defensive, but Din wondered if he was just biding his time, possibly even waiting for her to tire out. As Din joined the fray, Gideon twirled his electro-staff in a wide circle around himself to make them both fall back a step. The fighting continued, Gideon handling the electro-staff expertly to keep them both at bay, the weapon resembling a purple smudge in their vision. A wild swing and miss by Bo left her open to a counter-attack by Gideon, and Din didn’t hesitate to shield her from it. The unlucky - or maybe well-timed, on Gideon’s part - blow landed above his elbow. He hissed sharply and saw stars as the pain coursed through him. His left hand now hung all but uselessly at his side, dripping scarlet from a deep gash.

That drew Bo out of her agitated state. “Din!”

“I’ll live,” he grit out.

Din’s injury refocused Bo and tamped down her anger, but this only allowed Gideon to go on the offensive. Din dodged a swing from the lighting-staff and skipped out of reach.

Even with Din cradling his arm close to his person, their movements felt more harmonious. But despite now working together, Gideon’s beskar attire prolonged their encounter. Even a volley of well-timed rockets and Whistling Birds didn’t do the damage they’d hoped. Gideon simply tucked and rolled before effortlessly surging to his full height again. Just as quickly, the man hurled himself at them using his jetpack, brandishing the electro-staff while zooming closer.

As Din dodged a jab, he heard a gasp. His momentum carried him from the two, but once he regained his footing, he saw that an opening left Bo vulnerable. A spray of blood arched through the air as Gideon pulled the staff back. A pointed end protruded from the other end of the staff, now bright with her blood. No, not a staff. A spear. Something the Armourer warned him against so many seasons ago. He hadn’t realized Gideon’s electro-staff was different from the ones used by the Praetorian Guard.

Bo dropped in slow motion. And while she rolled to her back, she made no move to get up.

Time stopped, and the clamor that surrounded them grew muffled. Din tried to speak her name once. Then twice, but no sound came out. As he struggled to breathe, it felt like he was the one who got stabbed. The fear that enveloped him was so sudden and chilling, it further constricted his airways.

His opponent didn’t skip a beat and kept pressing on without allowing him to process the situation properly. Din wrestled to keep his emotions in check. Every other thought was on Bo’s inert body on the ground. He fought persistently, not knowing her status. He knew a wrong move would mean ending up as her, leaving them both incapacitated. Or worse, a voice in the back of his mind added. His eyes prickled. Pull it together. She’s fine. She’s just injured.

His frantic heart threatened to control his actions, pounding away the seconds since she toppled to the ground. Speed was of the utmost importance, but not at the cost of his focus. Yet a part of him couldn’t help peeking towards her supine form.

One glance at Gideon’s triumphant face, and he almost lost the control he fought so hard to maintain. The loathsome smirk proved to Din that this was only a game to Gideon. Except it wasn’t. Bo’s life hung in balance, and so many others had given theirs every time they faced him and the Imperials.

As Gideon taunted him, the Mandalorian fought back grimly. He was at a disadvantage and unwilling to take risks, so he threw everything he had at his rival to prevent him from gaining the upper hand while he composed himself and formulated a plan. Moff Gideon had learnt from each of their interactions. From identifying Din as a potential threat, to keeping an eye on him and realizing Grogu could be used against him, to obtaining his own beskar armor, and even crafting a beskar spear-like weapon of his own.

In the end, it was a simple disarm, not unlike the one on Moff Gideon’s cruiser. Din took possession of the electro-staff, which left him standing over the other man, breathing hard.

Din stayed his hand because... Because what? Gideon had to stand trial for his crimes? He'd find a way to escape again. Because they might be able to get some useful information out of him? Doubtful. Because they were peacekeepers now? They'd killed many Imps today, so that wasn't it. In the brief irresolution, some kind of triumph gleamed in Gideon’s eyes. It was that dangerous glint that determined his fate.

Unable to use his left arm as freely, Din readjusted his grip on the electro-staff and jammed the spear-head deep into Moff Gideon’s chest. The levity died on his adversary’s face, and his eyes dimmed. Finally, Moff Gideon was vanquished, never to haunt them again. Din closed his eyes and released a breath he was holding.

He stepped backwards, and his eyes found Bo. She was attempting to prop herself up on her elbows, her injury preventing her from doing so. Din rushed over and pushed her shoulders back to the ground.

“Don’t try to get up.”

Her breathing was ragged, and Din’s concern for her demanded he determine her status. “Can I?” he asked before tugging her helmet off to allow her to breathe easier.

Her face was pasty and contorted in pain; her lips white and turning a frightening shade of pale blue. In contrast, her hands were covered in crimson, fingers unable to completely staunch the flow of blood from the injury. To make matters worse, a puddle was spreading out below her. Mere minutes had passed since she was incapacitated, and she’d lost so much blood already.

Tugging his gloves off, Din felt for the exit wound on her lower back. Finding it, he inferred that the damage was quite severe since she’d been pierced clean through. Once, as she was stabbed, and again as the spear-head was torn out, causing additional damage on the egress. A wave of helplessness rolled over him, though he tried to act stoic for Bo’s sake.

Holding his fingers over the lacerations, Din scoured their surroundings for Grogu and hoped he wouldn't be too exhausted to help. A couple Mandalorians stood close, keeping watch over them.

"Someone find Grogu!" Din called out in desperation. With a glance at Bo, he knew they didn't have long. The next minute was agonizing, and he could barely stay level-headed. Telling her not to talk and save her strength, he held Bo’s hand, feeling her grip get weaker by the second. He mostly stayed resolutely silent as he didn’t want to fill her last moments with lies about her condition, nor could he have come up with anything convincing anyway.

At long last, someone pointed out his son. Practically flying towards the pair on the ground, he deftly avoided the blaster fire. In his concern for his beloved, he forgot there was still a battle going on.

Belatedly, Din noted that Grogu looked more tired than normal, but his son didn't hesitate even for a second. He reached for Bo loyally, and Din felt the skin on her back stitch together under his slippery fingertips. Grogu teetered but continued to heal her until Bo’s face no longer showed discomfort.

Then, his son swayed dangerously, and with shaking hands, Din caught him before the former could plop to the ground, “Good job. Thank you.”

Grogu signed, Mother is ok, and Din hugged his son to his chest.

“Yeah, she’ll be alright now.” As he exhaled for what felt like the first time, his breath quavered.

Color came rushing back to her lips and cheeks as confusion crossed Bo’s face.

“How are you feeling?”

She blinked. “Like I shouldn't have gotten off that easily. Did… Grogu–?”

“Yes. He healed you.” He released another shaky breath. “I'm so glad you're okay, cyar'ika.” He lowered his head, feeling both relieved and overwhelmed at the same time. His emotions bombarded him from all directions, and he couldn’t control the onslaught. He helped her to a sitting position and pressed her to him tightly, making sure not to squash Grogu.

Too soon she moved as if to pull back, probably aware of eyes on them, likely expecting the embrace to end earlier. But Din didn’t move away. “Give me a moment.” He wondered if she could feel him trembling.

“I'm really ok!”

“I know.” Finally releasing her and feeling self-conscious, Din cleared his throat. “His healing does that to you. You feel a bit invincible afterwards.” He glanced down at his little one, who was fast asleep in his arms, and tucked him closer.