Chapter Text
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The door opened, smoke flooding into the room as the mysterious figure that had decimated the Dark Troopers walked towards Din. The Mandalorian stood his ground, watching as the stranger extinguished his lightsaber, before slowly pulling down his hood. Din was silent as his gaze met bright blue eyes. There were a few audible gasps behind him but Din ignored them. He had so many questions but only one mattered right now “Are you a jedi?”
“I am” the man confirmed in a gentle voice, his mouth curling upwards into a shy smile “I heard your son’s call for help and came as fast as I could”
Din’s insides fluttered with emotion as this Jedi referred to Grogu as his son. He had wanted more than anything to make Grogu his son, but with the knowledge that sooner or later Grogu would be reunited with his own kind and not allowed any attachments, he had never done so. Din was terrified to speak the sacred Mando’a vowels as it would only make the inevitable heartbreak even more painful.
Din felt like he should say something, express his gratitude to the Jedi for saving them but that patient sky-blue stare was making it hard for him to come up with a simple sentence so he resorted to a single nod.
Grogu thankfully chose this moment to slip down from the seat that Din had placed him in to save everyone from the awkward silence. He made his way over to them, standing in front of the stranger who kneeled down to meet him “Hello Grogu, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
The child stared up at the Jedi for a while. Din was startled at the sound of a small chuckle coming from the Jedi “Well I wasn’t anywhere near Tython at the time”
Din recognised that Grogu was mentally communicating with the Jedi like he had done with Ahsoka. He smiled fondly at the realisation that the little womp rat must be scolding the Jedi for not arriving sooner.
The Jedi poked Grogu’s nose causing him to giggle, before turning to Din, smiling up at him “I’ve seen his kind before, one of my teachers. Unfortunately I didn’t get to know much about him before he passed”
That was new, Din had never met anyone that had recognised Grogu’s species. “Grogu needs a teacher of his own.. would you train him?”
“Of course I can” the Jedi immediately responded, he was quiet for a moment before continuing “I know a safe place. If you’re ready to leave, we can go there now” he glanced over Din’s shoulder, reminding him of the others still standing behind him “unless you have unfinished business”
The Mandalorian was stunned at such a response, surely he had heard wrong “I.. but.. he..” Din took a deep breath before trying once more “I can come with you? What about his attachment to me?”
“I would never separate a child from their parent” the Jedi assured him “If managed in a healthy way I believe that attachment can make us stronger” he shrugged, looking down at Grogu and added in a whisper that Din just about heard “Plus I have my own attachments so I would be a hypocrite not to allow you the same little one”
The Mandalorian was flooded with relief, tears spilling from his eyes. He would not have to part with Grogu after all. Din quickly choked out a raspy “Thank you” before the Jedi would get a chance to change his mind.
“Of course” the man said, his tone soft and sincere.
A very loud and deliberate cough drew Din’s attention “I.. uh better say my goodbyes” he said with a sigh and bent down to pick up Grogu.
The Jedi nodded and so Din turned and made his way to his companions “I appreciate all of your help here today”
Cara reached out, patting Din’s shoulder fondly “Any time Mando” her face morphed into a sly smirk “Hey Skywalker, good show back there” she called out to the Jedi “You better take care of these 2 for me”
Din glanced between them, bewildered. The Jedi grinned “Will do” he shouted back to her.
“You know him?” he whispered to Cara who stared at him, dumbstruck
“Who doesn’t?”
“Me” Din replied, his tone flat and unimpressed. He heard Fennec snigger. Din felt like he was missing something, he glanced over at Fennec who shrugged.
“You ever decide you don’t need him for the kid anymore maybe we can split his bounty sometime”
“Did she say Skywalker?” he made out Bo-Katan muttering to Koska who confirmed her question with a firm nod “Oh great another one”
Did everyone here know this man apart from him? Bo-Katan then reached into her pocket and passed Din a communicator “Do what you have to do but remember, you have won the Darksaber now” her eyes trailed down to where it rested on his belt “Whether or not I like it, it is rightfully yours. I do not wish to fight you for it, but I can assure you that others will” she warned him “Give it some thought and get in touch if you need us, Mand’alor”
Din tensed at her words “I’m not..” he sighed, he had no energy to waste on denying the title that he had no interest in “Thanks” he said simply, and headed back over to the Jedi.
“Ready to go?”
“Ready”
It was only when they reached the landing bay that Din had the terrible realisation that he didn’t have a ship to leave in, and that the Jedi had come in a X-Wing that had one seat. So he could not come with them after all. As if sensing his distress the Jedi stopped “What’s wrong?”
Din looked away, focusing on a dismembered Dark Trooper, sparking to his left “My ship was destroyed..”
The Jedi looked puzzled for a moment before his eyes filled with understanding, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink “Oh.. huh. Well I’m sure we can all fit into my X-Wing, if you’d be comfortable to try that is”
“Alright” Din agreed, surprised that the Jedi was even open to that but grateful for the offer all the same.
When they reached the X-Wing the Jedi suggested that he sit in first so Din passed over Grogu and started to climb up. He glared at the beeping astromech that he spied at the back of the ship before slipping into the cockpit. Not long after the Jedi was climbing inside, Grogu tucked closely against his chest. There wasn’t enough room for them to both share the seat so he ended up directly on Din’s lap “Is this okay?” he asked cautiously.
Din made a small wheezing sound at the sudden pressure of the other man dropping onto his thighs. Din was so unfamiliar with physical contact, and now here he was with a lap full of the best warrior he had ever met. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. “Sure”
“Excellent” the Jedi exclaimed, reaching out to the ship’s controls “Off we go”
Grogu let out an excited squeal from the Jedi’s lap as the X-Wing lifted up and glided out into the familiar darkness of space. “No Grogu, I don’t think now is an appropriate time to do some spinning” he heard the Jedi mutter “Maybe some other time, it is a good trick after all”
Din smiled, it was a thing he could easily see Grogu requesting “He’s always been a little speed demon” Din found himself blurting out.
“Oh is he now?” the Jedi said, and even without seeing his face Din could just feel the smirk on his face “Then it’s a good thing that I am too!”
The ship suddenly rotated in a quick, barely noticeable spin. Din just rolled his eyes, not commenting.
“..I’m afraid that I don’t know much about Mandalorians and their culture. Is there anything important that I should know? What can I call you?”
Din was taken aback by the question about his creed, not many had the decency to ask him upfront. Usually he found himself explaining after some situation that had given him a reason to.
“I can’t take off my helmet in front of another living thing unless they are part of my clan” Din told him, that was the most important and controversial aspect of his creed, the creed that he had broken on Morak.
It had been the only way to save Grogu so he could never regret removing it, but Din still felt ashamed of what the Armourer might think. He did not plan on breaking his creed again.
This man might have been their saviour but Din still did not trust him enough to share such a personal piece of information with him “You can call me Mando”
“Oh okay, yes that’s good to know. I’ll do everything I can to ensure you don’t have to worry about your privacy Mando” the Jedi promised
Din stared into the golden locks of hair in front of him, astonished. The Jedi just accepted his words without challenge or complaint. It felt strange, he felt his cheeks heating “You never told me your name” he quickly threw back despite remembering the others onboard the cruiser calling him Skywalker.
The Jedi was stunned into silence before he let out an embarrassed laugh “I’m sorry I assumed that you already knew. Most people know who I am, it’s actually refreshing to meet someone who does not recognise me” he explained, leaving Din wondering just how famous this guy was and what exactly he was so well known for.
“I’m Luke”
“Luke” Din repeated subconsciously, testing the words on his lips.
The Jedi made a noise of approval before turning to Grogu “Yes I know your name already Grogu” he snorted with laughter.
Din exhaled softly and smiled. After all the stress he had been through recently with Grogu being taken it felt nice to just lean his head against the seat and close his eyes as he listened to the Jedi talk. Which he did the entire trip, not that it bothered Din.
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“..so yeah you definitely seem like you’re long overdue a holiday. The last time I went away was with my sister. We went to Naboo to visit our relatives there. They own this beautiful villa..”
The X-Wing finally exited hyperspace and the Jedi stopped telling his story to focus on landing them on what he had been told was Yavin 4. Grogu squealed with excitement as they began the descent towards the moon.
Luke had told Din that he had been moving around a lot lately looking for Jedi artefacts and that he used the old rebel base as a place to stay when he was in the area. It was habitable and secluded so Din thought it was an ideal place for them to stay and train.
The Jedi brought them down in front of a giant stone temple. He cut off the engines and opened the roof of the ship before climbing out with Grogu carefully held in his arms. Din wobbled as he stood up, his legs feeling stiff after the long flight and the passenger in his lap. He carefully jumped from the ship and watched as the Jedi used the force to bring a bag, probably with some supplies, and his astromech down from the ship. He sighed at the sight of the droid.
“Now, don’t be rude” he heard Luke reprimanding the droid after it let out a string of binary beeps.
The freaky little thing made a noise that resembled laughter before deliberately bumping into Luke’s legs and starting to roll over towards the temple. Din grabbed his blaster and pointed it in the direction of the droid but the Jedi reached out his arm and pushed the blaster down with a surprisingly strong grip “Relax Mando. Artoo may be ill-mannered but I trust him with my life”
Din narrowed his eyes as he watched the unpleasant droid disappear into the temple. He looked down at the Jedi’s gloved hand firmly holding his own, not sure what to make of the contact. He lightly smacked it away and reluctantly put away the blaster. Din bent down to pick up the Jedi’s bag since his hands were full with Grogu. He swung it over his shoulder and started walking towards the temple without another word.
After showing Din where he and Grogu would be staying, the Jedi had flown off to pick up some fresh supplies for them. Din was glad to finally have some alone time with Grogu. They explored the surrounding jungle for some time before coming back to the temple to wait for Luke. Din used this time to wash Grogu in a fresher sink, then took a shower and washed himself. It had been days since he had felt clean and he doubted the Imps had washed Grogu whilst he was in their custody.
The Jedi came back as it was getting dark. Grogu had sensed his arrival and led Din towards a kitchen where he found Luke putting away the food he had bought for them. Din felt guilty that the Jedi was spending credits on them, but it was not like he had any to offer.
Luke warmed a meal on the stove and then wished them goodnight, before leaving with a plate of the food. Din grabbed his and Grogu’s plates and took them back to their own room.
After they’d finished eating, Din took the plates to the kitchen and washed them up, stacking them neatly on the draining board. He had found some spare sleeping clothes in storage that looked like they would fit him so he took off his armour and changed into simple grey shorts.
He hesitated for a moment before removing his helmet and pulling the matching top over his head. Din stared down at the helmet, his reflection staring right back at him. After everything that they had been through, Din had never been more sure of the fact that Grogu was Clan, his child.
With trembling hands he put the helmet down and turned around to look at Grogu for the first time without the visor between them. Grogu looked up at him, eyes rounded with disbelief and then he was reaching out to Din, making excited sounds. Din let out a chuckle, his unmodulated voice so unfamiliar to his ears. He walked over to where Grogu was standing and lifted him up.
Grogu’s tiny green hands went straight to his face, resting against his cheeks. He cooed happily, his mouth opening with a toothy grin. Din closed his eyes and exhaled sharply at the intense feeling of Grogu touching his face. The last people to have touched his face were his parents.
“You’re like a son to me Grogu, you have been for some time” Din whispered, as he pressed his forehead against the child’s in a heartfelt Keldabe kiss.
“Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad”
Grogu babbled gleefully back at him and Din smiled with adoration. He buried this moment deep within his soul to treasure for eternity.
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Din gently closed the door to the bedroom so as not to wake Grogu. He had tried to get some rest, he knew that he needed rest after all the sleepless nights he’s suffered whilst trying to track down Gideon’s cruiser but he had just ended up laying awake, plagued with countless thoughts. The Mandalorian put his armour back on and after readjusting the covers around Grogu he left the room.
He crept down the corridors and through rooms, making sure to keep an eye out for the wretched astromech. He froze at the sight of the Jedi spread out across a sofa with his eyes closed. Din was still for a moment before continuing to walk past him, taking care to be as quiet as possible.
“Going somewhere?”
Din spun around to face him again, the Jedi hadn’t moved but his eyes were now open and he had an expectant expression on his face as he waited for an answer. The Mandolorian sighed, “I could not sleep” he explained.
“Neither could I” Luke said as he jumped to his feet which Din noticed were bare “So I tried some meditation, but that’s not been helping much”
Din grunted in acknowledgment.
The Jedi bit his lower lip as he tried to stop himself from laughing at Din’s meagre response “You’re not much of a talker are you?”
“Not really”
Luke just smiled “Come let’s take a walk”
And that was how Din found himself outside, lying on the grass, looking up at the night sky with the Jedi by his side. He moved his head to the side, looking at Luke. The man was not what he had expected at all.
The Jedi rolled to his side to look back at Din. His insides twisted at the close proximity but he stayed still.
“Thank you for keeping me company”
“No problem” Din looked back up at the dark night sky “Thank you for everything that you have done for us”
He felt Luke’s gaze still on him but didn’t dare to look back “It’s my pleasure”
There was a comfortable silence between them for a while before the Jedi spoke again “Why did you think that I would separate you and Grogu?”
“I met another Jedi but she refused to train Grogu, she told me that his attachment to me could be dangerous for him” Din explained, remembering his initial anger at Ahsoka’s refusal.
“Another Jedi?” Luke exclaimed, suddenly sitting up “I thought I was the last of us” Din was left amused yet again at how expressive and genuine he could be. Not many people in the galaxy wore their heart on their sleeve.
“Her name was Ahsoka, she had the same powers as you and Grogu” Din told him, sitting up as well “and 2 white sabers. I don’t think she wanted to be found though”
Luke nodded but he seemed grateful for the information “Speaking of sabers, I noticed you have one of your own”
“I won it when I defeated Moff Gideon on the Cruiser, I had no idea what it was and now I’ve been told that it gives me claim to the throne of Mandalore” Din wasn’t sure why he was telling the Jedi this, he just felt easy to talk to “I am not a leader, and I cannot even wield this kind of weapon”
“If it’s any consolation, I know what it’s like to have a responsibility that you never asked for thrown upon you” the Jedi smiled sympathetically “Take your time to figure it out, and if you ever want to learn to wield it then I would be happy to teach you Mando”
Din looked across at the Jedi, a soft expression hidden under his helmet. He had never met anybody like Luke before. He was incredibly powerful and yet also so caring. Din wanted to show the Jedi just how grateful he was, how glad he was that they had met, how he appreciated that someone so bright and full of goodness would want to waste his time on Din. So much for not trusting him, Din had not even lasted a day and already he felt endeared to the man.
“Din. My name is Din”
And it was worth it, just for the beautiful smile he was gifted.
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