#I really want to draw mando ahsoka

[omg-i-love-fives]

Does anybody know anything about mandalorian armor for aliens? That I know off all the Mandalorians we see are human.

[weyrwolfen]

Eidola: Chapter 17 - CT-25-9102 Sketch

Rating: T

Characters: Gen, Clone Trooper OCs, Captain Rex, Ahsoka Tano, and other canon members of the 501st/332nd

Warnings: canon-typical violence; references to self-harm, injuries, and substance abuse; PTSD; it’s post-Order 66 and nobody is having a good time (but they’re all working on it)

Summary: The mission was never to bring down the Empire. Not really. The mission was to save every single one of their chipped brothers. But if doing do helped break the Empire’s stranglehold on the galaxy? Well, that was just a bonus.

“Sketch! Sketch!”

Sketch, who’d been walking down the Scythe’s ramp, overfilled rucksack dragging at his sore shoulders, looked up to see Pry running full-tilt across the hanger bay, grinning like a loon. The other Reapers had stopped whatever they were doing to watch Pry’s progress, no doubt wondering what all the fuss was about.

“What?” Sketch called back, nudging the brother in front of him, Knots, to try to get him to start moving again.

“The bacta everybody brought back from Wadj was enough,” Pry gasped as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the ramp, panting like he’d just outrun a pack of commando droids. “The Captain’s lifting the rationing.”

Oh! Well, maybe that was news worth sprinting across base to deliver. “Does Canvas know?” Sketch asked, grinning wide enough to match Pry’s ebullient expression.

“He’s taken over one of the empty bunks. Come on!”

“I thought they were blue.”

“They were, but they were green before that.”

“How does that even work?”

“No idea. Some kind of Force osik.”

“What’re you thinking about getting?” That last question came from Pry, distractingly close to Sketch’s ear.

Sketch looked up from his flimsipad and found Pry peeking over his shoulder. They were both sitting on the floor, outside of the room Canvas had commandeered. It was in the section of the residential floors that had been given over to natborns and brothers with natborn families, but most all of them had already shipped out to Wadj, leaving the smaller, private rooms temporarily unclaimed. Sketch assumed that wouldn’t last for long, not with all the new Mandos arriving on base, but for now, this part of the base should be safe enough. Besides, Weaver had apparently signed off on the whole thing, so it wasn’t like anyone with any authority was going to come tell them they had to move.

Nano was inside with Canvas now, which meant that it was Sketch’s turn next. He had a lot of ideas, designs he’d been working on for ages, but he needed to choose one. Just one, to start. The rest could come later.

The brothers behind Sketch and Pry in line – Midge, Rancor, Vista, and a freshly cleared brother from the latest rescued batch whose name Sketch hadn’t caught quite yet – kept up their conversation in the background.

Sketch was only half-listening, letting their words wash over him, but Pry was still waiting for an answer, so he finally admitted, “I’m having some trouble deciding.”

“I heard Vader did it. Changed them,” the conversation continued, further down the hall.

“You’re serious.”

“Yeah. I mean, he wasn’t Vader then. It was before.”

“Huh. That’s karked up.”

“Understatement.”

Pry was eyeing the page in Sketch’s book. “That one would be pretty wizard,” he said, pointing at one of the smaller doodles in the lower, lefthand corner of the page. It was a drawing of a chipped stone knife, cutting edge crude and scalloped, with a handle wrapped in intricately-knotted cording.

In the second year of the war, Sketch had been stationed on a moon so remote it didn’t even have a formal name, just a number. XR-33-419 had been pretty boring, in all honesty. They’d been tasked with guarding a small base with a stockpile of supplies nobody had seemed interested in either deploying or stealing. It had been nice at first. He could draw whenever he wanted, and nobody was actively shooting at him, but after a while, the boredom had started getting to him.

Their CO, Sergeant Ellis, had been stationed there since the beginning of the war. Nobody knew who he’d pissed off, to get stuck with such a jerkwater assignment for so long. Sketch had liked him well enough, but he had to admit that their CO had come across as more than a little weird. The Sergeant had cultivated all sorts of obscure hobbies he’d picked up from watching holonet videos on a contraband datapad.

One of them was chipping primitive stone tools out of the surrounding volcanic rocks. Sketch hadn’t really seen the appeal at first, but after a while, he’d gotten bored enough with endless, uneventful patrols to give it a try. He’d never quite gotten the hang of it. The Sergeant had never stopped trying to teach Sketch, had actually been way more patient than Sketch himself had been, the couple of times brothers had asked him to teach them how to draw.

In the end, Sergeant Ellis had ended up making so many blades during those doomed demonstrations that he’d started handing them out to the other brothers on base. Sketch had carried his for the rest of the war, even after he’d been transferred back into a front-line battalion. It had even gotten him out of a tight spot once, when he’d been grabbed by one of the giant, semi-sentient plants on Felucia. Apparently, if you knew how to work it correctly, natural volcanic glass could be pretty kriffing sharp.

Force only knew where that knife was now. He had no memory of what he’d done with it, once his chip had activated. Probably chucked it in a trash receptacle somewhere, seeing as how it had been decidedly non-regulation.

He also didn’t know what had happened to Sergeant Ellis. He’d asked some of his brothers in the control center to check, but they’d never found anything. The designation number he’d known had been attached to a brother who’d died at the First Battle of Geonosis.

Maybe Sketch had remembered the number wrong.

Maybe the Sergeant was still stationed on XR-33-419, making his rock knives, except apparently Sketch had remembered the moon’s stupid designation incorrectly too. They couldn’t find any record of the place.

Maybe Sketch had knocked more than a few screws loose, during the chip or after. Maybe none of that had ever happened.

Kriff, he was going to have to sit down and chat with Sling again, wasn’t he?

“Yeah,” he’d said to Pry noncommittally, not wanting to talk about it. He flipped to the next page in his book.

Their brothers continued their conversation, which seemed to be annoying Pry, assuming Sketch was interpreting the glower his brother threw over his shoulder correctly. “So, now they’re green again.”

“Obviously.”

“Okay, but why are they green?”

“Maybe she changed them back?”

“How does that even work?”

“I don’t know. Whatever he did to them, but in reverse?”

“I’m going to get Commander Tano’s markings on my shoulder,” Pry finally said, turning his attention back to Sketch’s book. Some of the art wasn’t really appropriate for Canvas to use, detailed studies of ships or buildings or people Sketch had seen, so he flipped past those pages quickly. “Maybe in 44th silver? I think Canvas said the machine they found can do the fancy metallic stuff.”

Pry’s plan wasn’t exactly surprising, especially now that the Commander had given everyone her blessing to use her markings as a semi-official symbol of their operation. Or at least that was what Jesse had said on the flight back from Wadj.

Sketch had come up with a couple of designs incorporating her mirrored marks too, but he wasn’t happy with any of them just yet. It felt wrong, to only credit her for their work here and not the Captain, but referencing Rex was a little harder to pin down, graphically speaking. There were his jaig eyes, of course, but those had a kind of cultural weight Sketch wasn’t comfortable claiming for his own. Not without doing something to actually earn them. He’d been playing around with incorporating a pair of DC-17s, but it was all very much a work in progress.

But Pry’s comment about metallic inks did give him an idea. Sketch turned a couple more pages, looking for another half-completed design he’d been playing with, off and on, for weeks.

It didn’t take long to find it: a pair of crossed scythes, shorter-bladed and longer-handled than the purely agricultural variant. He’d first seen them on the belts of some local farmers on a few of the Mid-Rim agriworlds. That style of blade had apparently worked just as well on grain as pirates, and Sketch had figured they’d make just about the perfect symbol for the Reapers.

He’d only mentioned it to a couple of the others, but they’d all like it. Feathers had been enthusiastic enough that he’d insisted on renaming their ship. Sketch was supposed to float the design past Jesse and Ridge for approval, whenever he got around to finishing it.

He hadn’t realized they’d be able to get metallic tattoos. It got him thinking about the design again.

Maybe if he added a couple mirrored slashes, near where the handles crossed. That would be kind of reminiscent of the Captain’s jaig eyes without actually being them, and adding in the top half of the commander’s markings above that sort of filled in the visual dead space nicely. Oh, and he could continue her paired lines below the crossed scythes too. Now that was an idea…

The door next to Sketch swished open and Nano stepped out, a bacta patch peeking out from under the high collar of his blacks on the side of his neck. “You’re up,” he said, smiling down at Sketch, who was still sitting on the floor.

Osik! Maybe he’d have time to rough out the design for Canvas? He’d heard something about sanitizing the equipment in between uses. Or maybe he should just stick with one of his other designs, so he could finish working up this one?

“What does it feel like?” Pry asked while Sketch started to push himself to his feet, turning the question around and around in his head.

“It tingled some,” Nano admitted, starting to reach up to maybe rub at his neck, but he arrested the gesture before he’d actually made contact. “The improvised stuff we had on the Fearless used needles instead of lasers and stung a whole lot more.”

That was interesting. In the privacy of his own mind, Sketch could confess that he hadn’t realized there would be a difference. He bent over to pick up his helmet.

“Quartz said they used to be two different greens. Like, regular green and kind of yellow green.”

“Shouldn’t they have matched? I thought the colors meant something. You know, like spiritually.”

“I don’t think they do.”

“I mean, red means something pretty kriffing specific.”

“Yeah, okay fair. But I think that’s an exception.”

“Sith-flavored Force osik.”

“Exactly.”

“I swear some of the 91st said purple meant something about balance.”

“She got new crystals,” Pry said loudly, interrupting the ongoing debate which had continued, unabated, further down the line in the hallway. “She went into that Force temple and brought out a big chunk of kyber. So did everyone else on that–”

Sketch, who’d actually heard all of that straight from Jesse, didn’t stick around to listen to the rest. He just stepped into Canvas’s improvised studio and let the door whisk shut behind him, muffling the rest of Pry’s lecture.

Canvas looked up from whatever he’d been doing to the device in his hands, the intricate, geometric lines of his own facial tattoos crinkling at the corners of both eyes. “Got a design ready for me?”

“Uh, more like too many designs, and I’m leaning towards one I haven’t even finished,” Sketch admitted awkwardly.

“Well, let me take a look,” Canvas said, gesturing for Sketch to sit down on the stool next to him. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

The bacta patch pulled at the skin across the back of Sketch’s neck and down onto his upper back. It itched, but beneath his armor, there wasn’t a kriffing thing he could do about that right now. Honestly, he should have taken the stupid thing off hours ago, but he’d gotten a little waylaid.

The Martez sisters had arrived earlier in the shift to drop off their latest shipment and pick up the gold-plated pleasure craft which had been junking up the base’s exterior. Apparently there’d been some kind of haggling to be done with the chop shop owner who’d agreed to take the thing, because while he was very much in favor of earning credits and sabotaging slavers, the craft itself was well-enough known in certain circles to be a liability if it was recognized. Also, there’d been news of some sort, way too sensitive to discuss out in the hanger, amongst the rank and file. Commander Tano, Captain Rex, and both of their remaining Corries had disappeared off with the sisters to deal with whatever that situation was shaping up to be.

And that had left the hanger bay unusually light on clones this shift.

Which was bad news for Sketch, because firstly, he’d been saddled with doing an inventory of everything the Martezes had delivered, and secondly, one of the Mandalorians had cornered him in a dead end made by the walls of newly delivered crates.

Granted, she was a very small Mandalorian, but still.

“Do clones take foundlings?” the girl was asking, all sharp, bright-eyed curiosity.

“Uh…” Sketch said, sounding like a complete idiot, but in all fairness, he was kind of panicking on the inside. He wasn’t entirely sure what a ‘foundling’ was, but he was absolutely sure that Weaver would skin him as a warning to their other brothers if he did something to offend their guests. “What’s a foundling?”

The girl looked at him like he’d lost his mind. She was a tiny little thing, maybe three or four years old if Sketch guessed right. Or, what, seven or so, given that she was a natborn? In any case, she was wearing barely any armor, just a couple bracers and one spaulder over a utilitarian, blue-gray jumpsuit. It’d be cute, if she had been one of Sketch’s younger siblings.

But she wasn’t.

“Like, kids who don’t have any clan to take care of them, so an adult takes them in?” the kid said, sounding like it was entirely possible that Sketch was the stupidest sentient she’d ever had the misfortune of meeting.

“Uh, yes?” Sketch said, because that sounded like half a dozen examples on base, where clones had adopted natborn kids.

“Hmm,” the kid said consideringly, like he’d said something far more interesting that Sketch thought he had. “Do you have an Armorer? Because Lira says you do, but Rian says you don’t, because plastoid doesn’t count.”

Kriff, kriff, kriff. He had a better idea of what the kid meant by that, beyond the obvious. Armorers were like religious leaders, or something. Ori had sent around a memo, once a couple weird interactions had started going down between the Mandalorians and Buckler’s team.

Sketch punched a button on his vambrace, again, hoping someone on his squad would see his distress signal and come save him. He didn’t even care that this obviously wasn’t a combat situation. He needed kriffing exfil before he accidentally started some kind of diplomatic incident because he couldn’t figure out how to escape from a kriffing natborn kid without offending her, her natborn parents, who really should be watching their kid better, and whoever else fell in this cadet’s direct chain of command.

His brothers weren’t ever going to let him hear the end of this.

At the moment, Sketch didn’t really care. He didn’t see another way out, short of shoulder-checking the kid out of the way. She was planted right in the middle of his only exit, which was a complete shiny mistake on his part, except this was his base, his home, and he shouldn’t be getting ambushed by tiny Mandalorians here anyway.

“We have brothers who make our armor,” he hedged, taking another step backwards, but he was hemmed in on all sides by crates from the Silver Angel.

“Do you speak Mando’a?” the kid asked, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at Sketch significantly.

Yes, yes Sketch did, a little. A very, very little. And he wasn’t about to demonstrate any of the words he used most often in front of a political timebomb of a natborn child who he absolutely could not offend.

“Sora! Where did you get to?” another voice cut in, and maybe that might have made Sketch relax a little if he’d recognized them, but he didn’t.

The kid’s face scrunched up, like she very badly wanted to stomp her foot or throw some other kind of tantrum, but she did turn halfway around and reply, “I’m over here!”

The voice’s owner appeared at the end of the row of crates, and of course it was another Mandalorian, except this one was an adult woman, fully-armored in green and blue plate. “I told you not to leave the ship!” she said, storming down the aisle between the crates, headed straight for the kid.

Headed straight for Sketch.

The back of his cuirass clacked against the crates as he took another involuntary step backwards.

A voice, which sounded an awful lot like Sling, was saying in the back of Sketch’s head, ‘Breathe. You’re safe. Just breathe with me.’

Sketch breathed, or tried to, as the Mandalorian woman stomped closer.

He hated this. He hadn’t been like this before. General Talmani had been kind. The natborn officers on the Synchronicity had been professional. Most of the civilians he’d interacted with had been fine. Some had even been nice.

But then his chip had activated, and then the nature of his interactions with natborns had taken a definite turn.

You’re safe. Breathe. You do not answer to them. They haven’t done anything, and if they do, you have the right to defend yourself now. Just breathe.

Kark every last square centimeter of all of this. He was not going to have his first panic attack in a kriffing year because he’d let himself get cornered by an overly-curious if overbearing natborn child and her parent? Sibling? Guardian?

Didn’t matter. She could be Lady Kryze herself, and she still wouldn’t be in Sketch’s chain of command. He was safe. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

He must have fuzzed out for a second, because it took him a minute to realize that the Mandalorian woman was lecturing the kid, not him. Unless he was really misjudging the angle of her helmet’s T-visor, she wasn’t even looking at him.

“… going to apologize to him. Right now,” she was saying, sounding very annoyed.

Which, what? That seemed like a trap.

“That’s not necessary, ma’am,” he found himself saying mechanically.

Both of the Mandalorians were looking at him now. The kid was pouting, and the adult’s helmet was tipped to one side at an angle Sketch might have called ‘assessing’ if he’d seen it on one of his brothers.

The datapad in Sketch’s hands was starting to creak in protest of how hard he was gripping it.

After a very long, very awkward silence, the woman reached up to remove her helmet, revealing what was, in all fairness, a very attractive, seemingly human face. Close-cropped brown hair, high cheekbones, rich brown eyes, and lips that seemed more prone to smiles than their current, small frown.

Sketch didn’t relax even a little, still every bit as tripwire tense as he’d been since the woman had first appeared.

She opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of heavy boot treads behind her drew her attention instead.

The choking, smothering feeling of panic loosened its hold inside Sketch’s chest when he saw the Republic cog on his brother’s helmet.

Jesse.

Thank kriff. Jesse would know how to handle this.

“What seems to be the problem?” Jesse said, sounding perfectly cordial. His stance was anything but.

Sketch didn’t miss the way the woman angled herself, where the slightest twist would put her armored body in between the child and either one of the troopers who were now surrounding her, but her voice sounded utterly calm, even casual when she said, “I’m afraid my little sister cornered one of your troopers with, I’m sure, a large number of highly nosy questions. For which she was just about to apologize.”

The child’s pout intensified, but she did look up at Sketch and mumble, “Sorry.”

Sketch jerked a small nod. “No harm done, ma’am,” he said in the same mechanical tone.

If anything, that made Jesse’s posture go even more tense, but none of that was obvious in his voice when he said, “That’s good to hear. Brother, could you join me?”

Something occurred to the woman then. Unhappy surprise flashed across her features before her eyes shuttered. She put a hand on her sister’s shoulder and turned, backing them both against the long line of crates, opening an obvious escape route for Sketch.

One foot in front of the next, measured and perfect. Above reproach. He even managed a marginal nod, conveying appropriate gratitude as he passed the two Mandalorians. He hated to give them his back, but Jesse was here. His brother, his team leader was here, watching over the situation. Sketch was safe enough, with an ARC as his backup.

When he got in range, Jesse took him by the elbow, his gloved and gauntleted hand solid and grounding.

Sketch took a shaky breath in the privacy of his own helmet.

“I hear you’ve finally come up with a design for a Reaper logo,” Jesse said as they started walking swiftly away, still sounding supremely casual. Sketch was grateful for the distraction.

The Mandalorians weren’t following them. Sketch looked back to check.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, sounding humiliatingly unsteady. “Canvas just finished up the coloring earlier this shift.”

“I hear he does good work,” Jesse said, steering them both towards the bay’s side door rather than the main exit. That led towards the medics’ area rather than the main part of the base, which wasn’t exactly surprising. Sketch didn’t have it in him to protest. He was having a bad reaction, way out of proportion with the severity of the actual situation. He knew that. Knowing didn’t make his heart stop pounding though. “We’ll have to compare notes, after you chat with Kix.”

Kriff, that was right. Kix had accompanied them back from Wadj. It was looking like their Reaper team had picked up a dedicated medic. Kind of a step down from being the functional CMO of their little operation, but Kix had insisted. Jesse certainly wasn’t about to tell his closest brother no, and apparently, neither were his former COs.

Sketch still winced a little. Kix could be kind of intense. “I was going to talk to Sling,” he said, sounding as sulky as the kid had.

Something about that seemed to amuse Jesse, given the angle of his bucket. “You can do that too, but you’re still seeing Kix.”

Kark.

Jesse liked the tattoo. So did all of the others.

Canvas had some kind of personal rule about not copying the same tattoos between brothers without explicit permission, but Sketch was happy to share. That was sort of the whole point of the design, after all.

Smaller versions showed up on Quartz’s shoulder and Mirror’s chest. List added a version to his armor. Feathers wanted Sketch to paint a bigger version on the side of the Scythe. Apparently some of Ridge’s team had gotten wind of it too, not that Sketch had seen what they’d done yet.

Kix surprisingly hadn’t insisted on benching Sketch, but it didn’t escape anyone’s attention that Sketch was always assigned a partner, when he was given any task which might bring him into contact with the Mandalorians on base. He might have protested being coddled like that if it hadn’t been such a relief.

When word of their next mission came down, a major raid on some kind of independent pirate enclave, Kix still didn’t flag Sketch’s file.

When pressed, their way-too-senior team medic had sourly pointed out that Sketch had proven time and again that he was perfectly capable of keeping it together when his mission involved shooting natborns. He just couldn’t kriffing talk to them.

“It’s not ideal, but what is these days?” Kix had said, which was abrasive as all kriff, but also weirdly comforting. If Sketch was a basket case, then at least he was in good company.

For an osik’la, independent pirate base on the shebs-end of Mandalorian space, their target apparently had some unexpected perimeter defenses.

“Hold on!” Feathers yelled over the ship’s comms even as the ship swerved to miss… whatever the kriff had just hit them. Not a missile. Missiles didn’t clang against the hull like that and not explode. Not unless something had gone badly wrong with their internal mechanisms, and clones just didn’t get that lucky.

They were already in atmo, which was a karking good thing, because all of them could hear the whistling howl of air ripping across a new hole somewhere in the ship. Whatever had happened had better not have cut across the Scythe’s new nose art. Sketch had worked hard getting it just right.

His absurdly misplaced priorities almost made him laugh out loud, but he knew it would come out sounding a little hysterical, so he swallowed the reaction back down.

On the other hand, they were already in atmo, which also meant that Dive’s rapid, irregular maneuvers were hitting Sketch’s stomach in a way they just didn’t in zero-G. He had a pretty solid stomach, as such things went, but there were limits. Oof.

“Coming in hot!” Feathers shouted again, which was the only warning any of them got before

the ship rolled to one side, dropped abruptly, and impacted the ground, metal screaming in protest as they skidded across whatever surface Feathers had picked as his emergency landing area.

Sketch must have hit his head, or something, because the next thing he knew, he was staggering out of the half-deployed loading ramp, blaster rifle in hand. The ship was tilted at an awkward angle, wedged up against a wall and listing over what looked like a drain culvert for a massively polluted stream. There was a Kom’rk fighter downed on the other side of the courtyard, burning ferociously and bristling with what looked like four giant, metal spears.

What the kriff? Is that what had been hitting them?

His vision swam a little when he jumped down to the flagstones, staggering to get into formation behind Jesse and the others. Definitely a head injury then. Great.

The only good news was that the base’s defenses got a whole lot squishier now that they were past the automated aerial systems. Pirates were, on the whole, a sloppy, undisciplined lot; and this group was shaping up to fit with that pattern.

Didn’t mean the whole mission went off without a hitch though.

Sketch was starting to feel pretty rough, maybe thirty minutes later when Jesse’s Reapers had reached the base’s large mess hall or cantina. Whatever was served here, alcohol was clearly a major component of it, given the round bar area which dominated the center of the room. Quad’s Raiders had already cleared the space, so the room should have been clear. This should have been mop-up, on the way to back up Ridge’s team, who had run into some pockets of resistance in the base’s brig.

Sketch’s vision was getting worse by the second, and his head was starting to pound, but he just happened to be angled the right direction to see the scrawny weequay peek over the edge of the bar.

A lot of things happened in very rapid succession.

Sketch shouted out a warning.

The weequay pointed something at Torque. It wasn’t a blaster, or at least it wasn’t any model Sketch recognized, but it was clearly some kind of projectile weapon.

His brothers swung around, pivoting their blasters towards the perceived threat.

Torque was raising his blaster too, but he wasn’t going to get it up in time.

Sketch was already moving, throwing himself at his brother.

A shot rang out, a loud crack instead of a sharp sizzle.

Something slammed into Sketch’s back, right as he collided with Torque.

The two of them went down in a heap.

Rings of blue light, stunning blasts in preparation for the possibility of civilians on base, flew over Sketch’s head, in the direction of the bar.

Sketch rolled off of Torque, trying to get his own blaster up, even from this awkward position. Nothing hurt, but something was definitely wrong. His arm wasn’t working right.

Oh.

Oh wait.

Now he hurt.

Right, because shock was still a thing.

There was a lot of shouting happening, but Sketch was having trouble following most of it, especially when Kix appeared in his field of vision and started tearing at the releases on his cuirass.

The inside of his chest plate, as Kix lifted it away, was red. That wasn’t right.

“Slug thrower,” Kix barked to somebody off to Sketch’s left. “Hold still,” he said, obviously to Sketch himself.

Sketch wanted to say something, maybe a joking, ‘Sir, yes sir,’ but all he managed to do was half-raise one hand. To do what, exactly, he wasn’t sure. Everything was hurting now.

Kix pulled something out of his belt, tugged the high collar of Sketch’s blacks down, and jabbed something into the side of his neck.

It was cold.

Everything went dark.

Waking up was a process.

Sketch’s head felt like it was stuffed with fluff. He was lying on his front, face pressed into a soft surface. It was unreasonably comfortable. Maybe he didn’t need to wake up just yet.

The next time he drifted back towards consciousness, he heard voices nearby.

“… Commander’s great,” someone was slurring. A brother. “’S her marks, see? Sort of. She lets us wear ‘em.”

“Is that so?” another voice asked, and even though it sounded soft and kind, it decidedly wasn’t a brother.

Sketch tensed, and something started beeping. He was still face-down on a cot, he couldn’t see what was going on. He tried to push himself up, needing to see where he was, needing to assess the current threat, when a hand landed in the middle of his back.

“Yeah, no,” another brother, apparently the hand’s owner, said. “You’re not going anywhere.” His tone was sharp, but the hand on Sketch’s back was gentle, even as it inexorably pressed him back down. “Mirror, I’m gonna need you to stop talking.”

“Sure thing, Kix,” Sketch’s brother, Mirror, said, still sounding very drugged.

Kix. Their medic. The medic.

Kriff, Sketch had been injured, hadn’t he? It was hard to remember.

The weight of Kix’s hand disappeared from Sketch’s back and the beeping sound stopped abruptly. “Mel, could you go check on Chat and Rico?” the medic asked, but the tone of voice made it very obvious to everyone that it wasn’t really a request.

“Of course,” the natborn, this ‘Mel,’ said. Sketch could hear footsteps retreating and a door opening and closing.

“Come on back down, Sketch,” Kix said, hand returning to the back of Sketch’s neck, heavy and grounding. “It’s just Mirror and me in here with you now.”

Okay. Okay, that was good.

“What happened?” Sketch mumbled into his… pillow? It was thicker than the ones he was used to. Softer.

“You got shot in the back,” Kix said dryly. “The slug just missed your subclavian artery, or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. Don’t worry, we managed to dig it out and patch you back together well enough.”

The haze of the lingering drugs was fading just enough that Sketch was able to think through that information, at least a little. “Who’s ‘we’?” he asked. He didn’t think they’d brought any other medics on this mission. Maybe Kipp? He’d been training with the real medics lately, hadn’t he?

Kix was silent for a long moment, but he did answer when Sketch managed to turn his head to look up at his brother. “Mel has medical training,” he admitted, expression very serious. “You were never alone with them. I promise.”

Sketch couldn’t help the shudder that inched up his spine.

“Right,” he said, brain sluggishly working through the implications. At the moment, Kix was here, and that was enough. Sketch let himself relax, just a little.

Now that he’d had his attention drawn to it, he could feel the bandage across his upper back and shoulders. That… wasn’t great.

“Did it mess up my tattoo?” he asked, because that would be just about typical. He’d only just gotten the kriffing thing.

Kix snorted. “Nothing Canvas won’t be able to fix,” he said, sounding more than a little sardonic. “And we took the base, by the way.”

Right. The base. Yeah, that was probably a little more important. “Casualties?”

“Light, all things considered. Kryze’s people got the worst of it,” Kix admitted. “But we can go over that later, when you’re more likely to remember the conversation.”

“Yeah,” Sketch said, rolling his face back into the pillow. He was feeling awfully groggy again. “Okay.”

“I need to go check on my other patients,” Kix said, almost sounding apologetic, but he huffed a small laugh when Sketch managed to flap one hand in permission or agreement or something. “If you need anything, tell Mirror to call me.”

“S’that mean I can talk again?” Mirror asked, still sounding at least twice as out of it as Sketch felt. And he was getting sleepier by the second.

“Yeah, I guess it does,” Kix said with an audible sigh. “Try not to talk Sketch’s ear off though. He could use some more sleep.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

The admonition didn’t slow Mirror down for long though. Kix had barely left when he said, “Mel’s alright. The pirates apparently bought them off some Hutts. I know you’ve got issues with…” he paused, apparently recognizing that he was verging into dangerous territory, even in his highly drugged state. “Uh, the point is, they’re one of the good ones.”

Sketch wasn’t in the mood to unpack any of that. “What’d Kix give you?” he asked instead, because even in his own drugged state, he still wasn’t half as karked up as Mirror sounded.

“Dunno, Kix said they’d burned through the regular stuff on you and some of the Mandos,” Mirror said cheerfully. “I got some of the good osik from the pirates’ supplies.”

“Lucky,” Sketch grumbled into his pillow.

“But seriously, you don’t have to worry about Mel.”

Sketch didn’t bother to dignify that with an answer. If he thought about it too much, he was going to tense up all over again, and what he really wanted was sleep.

“They liked your tattoo design,” Mirror tried again, sounding almost hopeful.

That… wasn’t actually very comforting, but Sketch was having trouble pinning down why exactly. Other than his blanket aversion to natborns he didn’t know.

“Going to try to sleep some more,” he mumbled, hoping Mirror would take the hint.

“Right, you do that,” Mirror said cheerfully. “I’ve got the watch.”

That also wasn’t half as comforting as Mirror clearly meant for it to be.

AN: Apologies for the delay with this one. This chapter fought me tooth and nail. I did write a little vignette in the interim, just to try to kick myself out of wy writing funk though. It's called Lazarus and it's from Rex's POV during Echo's rescue on Skako Minor, in case you're interested.

I know that canonically there is already a clone named Sketch. I remembered him pretty early on while writing this chapter, but the other names I tried out just didn't fit. So no, they're not the same person, but also meh, my guess is in an army of millions, there are at least a few clones running around with duplicate names.

Other chapters are available here.

Dividers by freesia-writes using helmets by lornaka. More designs available here.

[joels6string]

do you think we’ll get (at least one ) helmetless scene in the mandalorian this season?

so far this season doesn’t really do it for me so the thing i’m looking most forward to is seeing din djarin’s pretty face lol

Eh I don’t know. I don’t really care either way. I’m kind of hoping they don’t because then what was the point of the first two episodes and making him redeem himself? It would have to be a good, believable reason for me to support it because I hate wasted time in series’ that are already too short lol.

I love this season. We got a mythosaur already?! And Grogu is very much his own character with autonomy and a budding personality. But I also just love Star Wars and this season is just so much bigger in terms of making Mando matter within the existing world instead of it just being it’s own little standalone thing. The Andor vibes of last episode were amazing and they’re establishing some future villainy for not only more Mando, but all the series set in this time period. I find this era so fascinating because the OG trilogy is superior and with a Galaxy in ruin after the fall of their fascist Empire I know mistakes were made and I wanna see them. We’re watching the First Order brewing! I also think, at the end of the day, Grand Admiral Thrawn is coming, and like…hell fucking yes.

I’ve had so much fun theorizing what might be happening and what all these huge reveals mean so far, and I’ve never been able to do that in Mando before. Like, purgills (Ezra and Thrawn?? Does Grogu draw more Force power from hyperspace??), the mythosaur (Din my man are you the prodigy???), is Paz Vizsla going to try and get the saber again and it was never Bo vs Din at all? And Bo having to swallow she’s been wrong about the Creed and the Way forever?! Elia is def still working for Moff Gideon so wtf is he up to and why did he need Pershing’s brain wiped? Or maybe she just doesn’t want Pershing’s knowledge to get out and WHY?! Next ep is going to be Grogu-centric it sounds like from the title so do I get to see more of Order 66?! I’m thriving over here. If something in s3 doesn’t connect to Ahsoka I’ll be more disappointed than if we don’t get a helmetless scene 😂

[smokeybrandreviews]

Lowered Expectations

If you know me, you know I shill hard for all things Star Wars. This blog is riddled with so much Star Wars content, it’s absurd. While I consider myself a fan of the greater universe, I’d be lying if I said my adoration didn’t start with Darth Vader. For me, he was this ominous, overpowering, force of nature who just embarrassed anyone willing, or dumb enough, to stand in his way. Then the prequels happened and we were introduced to Anakin Skywalker; A Vader before Vader. Those films sucked, with the exception of the last hour or so of the third, but it gave me a version of Vader i didn't think I'd ever see and i wanted so much more. Thankfully, Clone Wars redeemed those films and introduced my second favorite character in the entire series, Ahsoka Tano. Like most fans, I hated this kid so much in the beginning but, as the show progressed, Ahsoka became, arguably, the most developed character in the entire franchise and number two on my list. It helped tremendously that number one was her Master and their dynamic was pure, serotonin inducing, joy. And then things went bad. Anakin was Destroyed. Vader was created. Ahsoka was lost. That sh*t hurt. I never lost hope in seeing Snips again and Filoni rewarded my faith with her appearance in Rebels, and then again in Mando. The second they announce Ms. Tano was going to get her own series, i was all over it. Well, Ahsoka has finally dropped and I am decidedly meh about it.

After three episodes, I find myself at an impasse. It’s more confliction than anything. I was never a huge fan of Rebels but I didn't outright hate the show like a lot of the fandom. There were aspects i enjoyed, Ezra was not one of them, but Sabine Wren, is. Officially adding her to the Disaster Lineage by making her Ahsoka’s Padawan is everything to my Imperial heart. It makes so much sense that it would be Sabine, basically a Mando version of Ahsoka, herself, who would end up being Ahsoka's first student. Witnessing Snips make the same faces as Skyguy when her own Padawan does the same reckless sh*t she did when she was a Padawan, is just perfect. So why don’t i like this show more? I mean, if we’re being perfectly honest, this thing is tailor-made for me. The titular characters is basically my second favorite of the entire franchise, continuing her exceptional development in what has turned out to be the most gorgeous of the Star Wars serials. It focuses on Jedi and the force, aspects that always draw me in. There’s promise of an Anakin sighting in an interaction with an adult Snips, which I have wanted since Rosario first popped up on screen in that orange body paint. And, most important, this sh*t is a straight up adaption of Heir to the Empire. Obviously, it's going the way of “inspired by” but still, we're talking Thrawn and maybe Mara Jade. I Should absolutely adore this show so why am i so goddamn lukewarm?

I don't have an answer and that bugs the f*ck out of me. It's not Star Wars fatigue because there's no way i would get tired of sci-fi wizard having telekinetic laser sword fights ins space. That sentence just kills. It's not the performances because, even though everyone says they're wooden, they didn't seem that way to me. They seemed aloof and stoic; The way all those powerful in the force act. I already mentioned how gorgeous the show looks, you see every penny on screen, and even the practical sh*t looks really great. I mean, look at Hera's leku. They blend that obvious headpiece perfectly on to MEW's head. Speaking of, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just another stroke of inspired casting after Rosario's Ahsoka, Natasha Liu Bordizzo's Sabine, and Lars Mikkelsen's Thrawn. I've heard grumblings that this has too much “GUUURL power” but I've never subscribed to that. The Force has always been Female and cats just need to get over that sh*t. I mean, Abeloth, the most powerful force entity in the entity of Legends, presents female so, you know, there's that. The pacing didn't bother me either but I'm a fan and enjoy the exposition and easter eggs. Again, tailor-made for me. This sh*t should have been an easy win for someone like me and it's not. Like, it's not a bad show and I am enjoying it, but this thing is definitely missing something and I cannot, for the life of me, put my finger on it.

[smokeybrand]

Lowered Expectations

If you know me, you know I shill hard for all things Star Wars. This blog is riddled with so much Star Wars content, it’s absurd. While I consider myself a fan of the greater universe, I’d be lying if I said my adoration didn’t start with Darth Vader. For me, he was this ominous, overpowering, force of nature who just embarrassed anyone willing, or dumb enough, to stand in his way. Then the prequels happened and we were introduced to Anakin Skywalker; A Vader before Vader. Those films sucked, with the exception of the last hour or so of the third, but it gave me a version of Vader i didn't think I'd ever see and i wanted so much more. Thankfully, Clone Wars redeemed those films and introduced my second favorite character in the entire series, Ahsoka Tano. Like most fans, I hated this kid so much in the beginning but, as the show progressed, Ahsoka became, arguably, the most developed character in the entire franchise and number two on my list. It helped tremendously that number one was her Master and their dynamic was pure, serotonin inducing, joy. And then things went bad. Anakin was Destroyed. Vader was created. Ahsoka was lost. That sh*t hurt. I never lost hope in seeing Snips again and Filoni rewarded my faith with her appearance in Rebels, and then again in Mando. The second they announce Ms. Tano was going to get her own series, i was all over it. Well, Ahsoka has finally dropped and I am decidedly meh about it.

After three episodes, I find myself at an impasse. It’s more confliction than anything. I was never a huge fan of Rebels but I didn't outright hate the show like a lot of the fandom. There were aspects i enjoyed, Ezra was not one of them, but Sabine Wren, is. Officially adding her to the Disaster Lineage by making her Ahsoka’s Padawan is everything to my Imperial heart. It makes so much sense that it would be Sabine, basically a Mando version of Ahsoka, herself, who would end up being Ahsoka's first student. Witnessing Snips make the same faces as Skyguy when her own Padawan does the same reckless sh*t she did when she was a Padawan, is just perfect. So why don’t i like this show more? I mean, if we’re being perfectly honest, this thing is tailor-made for me. The titular characters is basically my second favorite of the entire franchise, continuing her exceptional development in what has turned out to be the most gorgeous of the Star Wars serials. It focuses on Jedi and the force, aspects that always draw me in. There’s promise of an Anakin sighting in an interaction with an adult Snips, which I have wanted since Rosario first popped up on screen in that orange body paint. And, most important, this sh*t is a straight up adaption of Heir to the Empire. Obviously, it's going the way of “inspired by” but still, we're talking Thrawn and maybe Mara Jade. I Should absolutely adore this show so why am i so goddamn lukewarm?

I don't have an answer and that bugs the f*ck out of me. It's not Star Wars fatigue because there's no way i would get tired of sci-fi wizard having telekinetic laser sword fights ins space. That sentence just kills. It's not the performances because, even though everyone says they're wooden, they didn't seem that way to me. They seemed aloof and stoic; The way all those powerful in the force act. I already mentioned how gorgeous the show looks, you see every penny on screen, and even the practical sh*t looks really great. I mean, look at Hera's leku. They blend that obvious headpiece perfectly on to MEW's head. Speaking of, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is just another stroke of inspired casting after Rosario's Ahsoka, Natasha Liu Bordizzo's Sabine, and Lars Mikkelsen's Thrawn. I've heard grumblings that this has too much “GUUURL power” but I've never subscribed to that. The Force has always been Female and cats just need to get over that sh*t. I mean, Abeloth, the most powerful force entity in the entity of Legends, presents female so, you know, there's that. The pacing didn't bother me either but I'm a fan and enjoy the exposition and easter eggs. Again, tailor-made for me. This sh*t should have been an easy win for someone like me and it's not. Like, it's not a bad show and I am enjoying it, but this thing is definitely missing something and I cannot, for the life of me, put my finger on it.

[elismor]

This take is...fascinating.

I don't actually disagree...but I also don't really agree, either? I mean. I can only speak for myself here but...

I grew up on the OT as it was being released. Yeah. I'm old. And I can say with absolute certainty that the Prequels did NOT need to happen in order to lay the groundwork for the Kenobi series. Nice to have more backstory, sure, but not necessary.

ANH sets up the story of Obi-Wan and Anakin in a perfect way to dovetail into Kenobi. They could have not made a single piece of content between ROTJ and Kenobi and that story would still make sense and be an interesting one to tell. We could have been exposed to O66 in Kenobi alone and it would have been just as impactful for his story as it was with all the Canon in between.

By contrast, I'd say Ahsoka is more closely tied to the prequels. We don't need to know more about Anakin as a person to understand Kenobi--its not Anakin's story--but we DO need to see that to really know that he was once good and loved by many, Ahsoka among them, to understand hers.

And, yeah, Thrawn comes from Legends and brings all sorts of thematic stuff with him but I don't think anyone really needs to know the ins and outs of that to understand what was going on in Ahsoka (especially if they watched Rebels).

The idea of segmenting SW fandom by the epochs of the source material is a convenient way for fans to connect (and also to draw lines in the proverbial sand) but, personally, I don't think there is a real difference in the intended audience for the Prequels vs the one for the OT. Yeah, there was overlap and yeah there were generational and cultural differences between those two audiences, but I'd argue that the INTENDED audiences were similar with the notable overlap of "original fans" added on top for the Prequels.

I do think that most of the new SW content--Mando, Boba Fett, Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka-- does have somewhat broader intended audience. They want to bring new people into the franchise. And I think that one could argue that Kenobi and Ahsoka were both loveletters to an older fangroup...but I actually think that group is TCW fans, not movie fans.

I'm also not really convinced that the ven diagram of Legends/OT fans and Prequels Suck fans overlaps as much as fandom thinks it does. There is this perception in modern SW fandom that all the OT fans hated the Prequels and, as someone who was there online as a whole ass adult when they were being released, its just not true. Vocal minorities can really skew perceptions. There were plenty of gleeful people going to cons, making art, writing fic, and having discussions without hating on them back then. The Prequels were a BIG DEAL to SW fen of the time--we'd been without content for decades!

TLDR: I loved the OT. I loved what I read of Legends. I loved the Prequels. I LOVED Kenobi. I very much enjoyed Ahsoka (loved would be stretching it, but I didn't hate it by any means) and I know plenty of fen who fall into similar circles, even if they don't love everything...they certainly don't only love one thing and one thing only.

Look I'm not necessarily saying there's a super deep meaning to this, but the Ahsoka show is one of the first ones at this point NOT to have an Order 66 flashback in it somewhere. The Kenobi show obviously had several, TBB started the entire thing on Order 66, Grogu's flashbacks first happened in TBOBF and then made their way into The Mandalorian later as well, and even Jedi: Fallen Order had an entire Order 66 sequence.

I know Ahsoka obviously had her own Order 66 two parter back in TCW season 7, but the fact that this was a show centered on a Jedi who survived Order 66 and is one of the first to actually NEVER touch on Order 66 feels notable.

Ahsoka is dealing with her feelings about Anakin and that betrayal and they showed us the SIEGE OF MANDALORE, but not Order 66 and her struggle to survive on the ship and the realization that the clones were mind controlled and the devastation of having to bury everyone they could find? How is that NOT relevant to the discussion at hand and the things she is feeling? What was the point of showing the Siege of Mandalore when Anakin isn't even AT that battle and has nothing to do with it and the only relevance it had was "You're a soldier now" which would be just as true in some of her battles on the venator during Order 66, except that the reason she's fighting for her life is because Anakin made a choice that explicitly put her in danger.

Like I said, I don't know that it got left out FOR A REASON in one of the shows it would've been most relevant to show it in, but it does feel like it leaves a very noticeable absence.

[rainbow-squirrels-7]

I hope Morai shows up in the Ahsoka show and she can have a cool magic bird companion like a DND ranger but in space

[gizkalord]

Tell us why you don't like the "so much like your father' line! I want to hear your take!

i genuinely don't see how luke in that moment (or in that episode) acted particularly like anakin. it's immediately in response to luke's line "i wonder if [grogu's] heart is in it" (or something like that idk), but HOW does it remind her of anakin?? is it self-doubt? sure, anakin had lots of self-doubt in private, though i don't feel ahsoka was immediately privy to it, and it'd be weird to bring that up in a fond way.

being considerate with their teaching? mayyyybe but it's a stretch imo, bc i think their relationship involved a fair amount of possessiveness on anakin's part. also even though TOTJ hasn't come out yet, i feel safe in concluding that anakin was a tough teacher. even without TOTJ context, he was relatively assertive with ahsoka (this happens more obviously in s1-2), she's just rebellious enough to talk back and he's ok with that haha. i also really don't think anakin would ever be as hesitant/self-restrained as luke over a concern like that—ahsoka herself called anakin impulsive and passionate.

i do believe ahsoka thinks of anakin as someone who was once kind and cared deeply about others—she says as much herself. but imo luke and anakin demonstrate those qualities in very different ways. also, i have no idea where ST era ahsoka stands with anakin bc she's upset enough with what happened that she refused to teach grogu in mando s2 and yet somehow not upset enough to draw a seemingly positive comparison between anakin and his son in tbobf. i blame lame, poorly thought out cameos. and again, luke does nothing in that episode to justify such a vague and unspecific comparison to anakin.

anyways. tldr it annoys me deeply bc i'm a freak for anakin and ahsoka and i think that scene was a cheap and vapid way to force in an anakin reference

[phoenixyfriend]

Anakin and the Jedi Babies: Names and Faces

Context:  Anakin and the Jedi Babies, chrono

Word Count: 6,477

---------------

It goes like this:

Nobody wants to separate Anakin from the children in his care until they know more about why he’s here. The gamble paid off, to some degree, and he thanks the Force that it did.

He hasn’t felt that cold in years.

He knows the logic of why the Mandalorians he’s fallen in with aren’t doing anything yet. He’s an obvious Jedi, and they don’t know why he’s here or what he’s doing. Hedging on the Mando’a and the cultural obligation to childcare hadn’t been anything close to sure, but it was... enough. He got lucky that these Mandalorians leaned on those obligations, at least to the point of keeping them all in the same room. He can sense that much, even before he opens his eyes, and he has to be grateful.

The looming hypothermia had probably nudged things in his favor.

Anakin opens his eyes to a guest room of a cell, something well-furnished and cozy, but definitely not meant to be something he can escape from. His saber is gone, and there are Force-nullifying cuffs on his wrists, and he’s pretty sure they’ve taken his--yep, vibroblade’s gone.

Fuck.

His body doesn’t want to move, and he’s still shivering a bit, but he’s mostly back to normal. When he sits up, he notices that there is, in fact, only one Force-nullifying cuff. They detached his arm.

He closes his eyes and breathes deep and tells himself it was probably medically necessary. Large pieces of metal aren’t great for maintaining homeostasis. He’ll get it back.

Probably.

“Ah!”

The voice makes him jolt, and his eyes fly open.

Two cribs, one much bigger than the other. Both are occupied. The larger one has bars, and through it...

“Snips,” he breathes, lurching to his feet and then crashing to his knees, about as graceful as a newborn eopie.

“Bah!”

“Just--just one second,” Anakin grits out, grimacing as he tries to pull himself to standing again. The fact that he’s down an arm doesn’t impact him much, but the shakiness of his legs is... a problem.

“Owwww,” Ahsoka coos with an exaggerated grimace, reacting to his pain with the innocent sympathy of a toddler. She looks, what, two? Maybe? He’s not sure if there’s anything particular about how Togruta babies age. She’s too young for words, clearly.

“I’m fine,” Anakin assures her, even as his heart sinks. She’s Ahsoka, clearly, he knows her in the Force and it can’t be anyone else, but her memories...

She recognizes him, but that’s not saying much.

He manages to get over to the chair next to the crib, but doesn’t trust himself to take her out right now. The snow and the mess of a fight before that haven’t been kind to him. Instead, he just sticks his hand through the bars and lets her grab at his fingers.

He can’t help but smile, really. She’s adorable, and she’s so damn happy to see him.

“Skyguy!”

“Oh, so you are talking,” Anakin says, part of him relaxing just a tad. “I was worried.”

“Mine,” she stresses, patting at his wrist.

“Yeah, your Skyguy,” he says. So she remembers... some things, at least. “And you’re my Snips.”

She squeals and yanks on his hand, just enough that the Force-suppressing cuff clanks against the bars of the crib. “Sky, Sky, Sky!”

Oh, she’s precious.

“You having fun?” he asks, filling the air with words faster than his head can fill with doubts. “Has everyone been nice?”

“Mmmmm,” she grumbles, falling to her butt with a huff. “Doc!”

“Oh, a doctor?” he asks, wondering at his own tone. He never expected to be one for baby-talk. “Was the doctor mean?”

“Cold!” she tells him. “Cold here!”

She taps at her chest, right where someone might check her heartbeat or breathing; the metal would be cold, and also necessary. He doesn’t fault anyone for it. Considering how poorly Anakin had fared, he’s just happy they’re all alive and mostly fine.

He doesn’t know what year it is. He knows he’s not in the year he should be. He’s vaguely aware of the name Jaster--one of the Mandos had said it while bringing him in--but he doesn’t know when Mereel’s reign ended and Fett’s began. He does know both are supposed to be dead.

Has Anakin been born yet? Has Ahsoka? Hell, has Obi-Wan?

Can he give out any real names?

A series of small, upset noises start coming up from the other, smaller crib.

He stands, but Ahsoka clings to his hand and refuses to let go. He can’t pry her off, not without his other arm, but he pulls away with quiet reassurances that he just has to check on... on...

Her brother, he says, aware that there’s more than a slight chance someone has the room bugged. He’s a Jedi in Mando custody. They aren’t stupid, and neither is he.

Obi-Wan’s the most likely to have already been born. Having the same name and face will draw attention, will cause questions, but... he can’t just rename his master like a recently-adopted pet. That’s just... wrong.

Anakin’s less shaky than when he first woke up, but he still has no way of safely picking up the kids. He reaches into the small crib, something twisting behind his sternum, and tickles under Obi-Wan’s chin.

The baby--the infant--looks up at him with wide eyes, too blue for the Obi-Wan he knows, but full of wonder and--

Love, the Force whispers through the cracks in the effects of the cuff.

“Love you too,” Anakin whispers, though he wonders if Obi-Wan would really feel like this as an adult again. Babies love easily, he thinks, and he’s the only adult that Obi-Wan knows right now. Maybe it’s just chemicals.

He stands there for longer than is probably a good idea, with the state of his body, but he can’t help it. Obi-Wan keeps grabbing at his finger and kicking with tiny legs, and sticking a tiny, tiny fist in his mouth as he tries watches Anakin.

It’s all Anakin can do to mutter a stream of meaningless nonsense as he struggles not to cry. He’s always had too many emotions, and right now he’s the only person these two can rely on. He’s the adult.

The door whooshes open.

“The medic said you were awake.”

He knows that voice. He closes his eyes and doesn’t turn, because there are a million feelings in his chest and he’s not sure which one is going to come out first.

“Sky?” Ahsoka questions, likely feeling his worry. “Issokay! Good!”

No, she wouldn’t have the mind to recognize why this familiar face she knows as friend is quite the opposite.

Anakin turns away from the crib, and smiles. “Mando.”

“Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker,” the teenager in the door says. He’s not wearing his bucket, but the rest of his armor is in place. Anakin would peg him as younger than Ahsoka was, before. Not by much, but... fourteen, maybe fifteen. The face is painfully familiar, and stays utterly neutral as he answers the question Anakin didn’t ask. “We found your Ident card after you passed out.”

Cool, so, Anakin definitely can’t change his name.

“Are they yours?” the teenager that will one day create an army says.

“They have no one else,” Anakin tells him. It’s true enough. Still, he gets the feeling that’s not what Fett’s asking. “They’re family.”

Jango squints at him. “I was told Jedi can’t have families.”

Anakin’s mind flashes to Padme and the fantasies he’d long harbored of children born free, and tears himself away. He can’t think about that right now. He can’t think of who he’s--

“Jetii!”

Anakin’s head snaps up, and he realizes he’s shaking. Fett’s not neutral anymore, just... concerned.

“I’m fine,” Anakin spits out, and leans on the crib behind him. He can hear the little ones whimpering. He has to pull his thoughts in and bundle them up into something that won’t hurt the incredibly Force-Sensitive babies behind him. “I’m--I’m all they have. They’re all I have. Are the exact words important?”

Fett doesn’t grimace, exactly, but his expression isn’t pleasant. “I guess.”

Anakin waits to see if there’s anything else coming, but no. Just an awkward silence. He holds onto his frustration, but it still gets the better of him.

“What are my chances of getting my arm back?” he asks.

“Hm?”

Anakin waves what’s left of that arm, the tied-off sleeve flapping about. “My arm. If you don’t want to give me mine back, can I at least have some kind of placeholder? I can’t pick up the babies without worrying that I’m going to drop them.”

“I can ask the medics,” Fett says. He stares at Anakin for a little more, and then asks, “Aren’t you going to ask about our plans for you, or...?”

“If you wanted to kill me, you already would have,” Anakin mutters. “Right now, these two are my only priority. I’m more likely to keep them safe and alive here than I am if I try to break out. I can be patient. I would also assume they wouldn’t have been left in a room with me, alone, if any of us were in danger of medical complications.”

Fett flushes and turns. “I’ll tell buir you’re up and active. There’s a nurse droid in the hall, I can have it handle feedings until you get an arm.”

“Thanks,” Anakin drawls, aware that he’s a little bitchy right now, but not in any mood to temper himself.

He settles himself on the floor next to Ahsoka’s crib, lets her play with his hair while the nurse droid feeds Obi-Wan, and then feeds Ahsoka herself. Anakin thinks he could probably pull the droid apart for an escape attempt if it came down to it. He hopes it won’t be necessary. He’s barely existing in the moment as it is. The droid asks Anakin if he needs anything, and he... shrugs.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Perhaps some non-perishables,” the nurse droids suggests. “Ration bars, for if you are hungry before one of the Mando’ade returns.”

Anakin shrugs again. “Alright.”

He ignores the droid after that. He’s only mostly cut off from the Force by the single cuff. He can’t blanket his Master and Padawan in his own Force presence, try to make them feel safe and calm with the fact that he’s here and ready to protect them, but he can monitor them. He can meditate, even if it’s not the way he prefers to do it. He doesn’t have the strength for moving meditation right now, but a regular meditation... he can do that.

He needs to do that, because no other stress relief option is available to him right now.

Anakin lets himself feel the babies fall asleep, the two of them radiating contentment and warmth. He lets himself trust that, for the moment, he doesn’t need to worry. He lets himself sink into an absence of thought, and then the Force guides him deeper still.

“Anakin!”

His eyes fly open.

This is not the real world.

This is not the room-cell in the Haat Mando’ade base he’s managed to stumble across.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says again, a smile hidden in a beard and worn laugh lines about his eyes. The right age, the right size, reaching for him and--

There’s only a moment’s hesitation for Anakin to process, and then he sprints forward and yanks his Master into a hug.

“You’re good,” Obi-Wan mutters to him, rubbing his back as they both sink to their knees. There’s a click of bootheels against the empty white not-space that they’re in, and Ahsoka buries herself into their sides. Anakin pulls her in a little closer too.

They stay that for longer than is maybe necessary, but Anakin’s stress levels are sky high right now, and he needs this. A hug, even one that’s technically only taking place in his head, is important.

“Sorry, Skyguy,” Ahsoka whispers. “Thinking in the real world is... really hard right now.”

He pulls away from the desperate hug he’d started them off with, rearranges things so he’s leaning against Obi-Wan, lets Ahsoka lie down with her head in his lap, on her back and legs stretched out across the white nothingness.

“I don’t know what happened,” Anakin says. “I mean, Sith stuff, probably, but... we’re in the wrong year.”

“I’d wondered,” Obi-Wan admits. “I thought it odd that I couldn’t feel the clones, but I only have so much energy to think right now...”

“Please tell me there’s a way to fix it,” Anakin begs. “I can’t be the adult, Obi-Wan. I haven’t even been born yet, that’s how far back we are. I don’t know what to do, and I can’t just bang around making bad decisions without you there to pull me back and--”

“Breathe,” Obi-Wan tells him.

“We’re in the Force,” Anakin says, just a little hysterically. “We don’t need to breathe!”

“Actually, I think we’re in your head,” Ahsoka says. She’s pointing and stretching her feet like a dancer, but looks up to grin at Anakin like the little shit she is. “You’re the only one whose brain is big enough right now.”

“Hey,” Anakin complains, putting his entire palm over her face as revenge. She giggles and swats him away. “That any way to talk to the guy who taught you how to kill five guys in one move?”

She sticks her tongue out at him. He rolls his eyes and runs a hand over her montrals, smiling when she wriggles and makes a little chirruping noise.

“She’s not wrong,” Obi-Wan says. “Though the phrasing was unfortunate, it does stand to reason that as the only person without the brain of a toddler, you’re hosting. Our minds can’t handle the strain of our own selves, let alone sharing space.”

“Infant.”

“Hm?”

“Ahsoka’s a toddler. You’re an infant. Maybe six months.” Anakin grins, just this side of brittle. He doesn’t want to joke about a problem he can’t fix, but what else is there? “You’re the literal baby of the lineage now.”

Obi-Wan sighs over the riot of Ahsoka’s laugh. “Of course I am.”

“It’s okay, Master,” Ahsoka assures him. “Skyguy’s gonna take care of us until we can fight again.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan says, grimacing slightly. “I am sorry for you being put in such a position, Anakin. It’s certainly not an easy one.”

Anakin wishes he could say that his immediate reaction isn’t a sense of hurt, a you don’t trust me, a you don’t think I can do this, a you’re disappointed someone else wasn’t here to handle things instead.

He wishes he could make that claim and have anyone believe him, but they are in a shared meditation, and in this moment there are very, very few secrets. He does not make the effort to hide his reaction in time, and Obi-Wan catches it.

Anakin turns away as Obi-Wan’s face fills with surprise and horror. “Anakin--”

“Can we just pretend you didn’t feel that?” Anakin asks, and flinches when Ahsoka pops up from where she lies and scurries around to hug him like a vise. “Can we just pretend I’m not--”

“Dear one, there are very few people I would trust as much as you in this,” Obi-Wan says. “Those who match up are largely the people who helped me raise me when I was actually this age.”

“Being completely reliant on your padawan isn’t--”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, cutting him off there. “I can trust you to care for me in ways that don’t just come down to making me a useful general again. I already trust you to risk your life and safety and freedom to see us survive, given what little I remember of that storm.”

“You handed yourself over to Mandalorians you knew nothing about so we’d be safe,” Ahsoka mutters into the fabric somewhere over his ribs. “That could have gone really badly, and you still did it because you were worried about us.”

“We trust you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, pulling Anakin to his chest and resting his chin on Anakin’s head. “We know you.”

“You don’t even know what happened in the storm,” Anakin mutters. “You were asleep.”

“I caught enough listening to the doctors,” Obi-Wan says. He runs a hand over Anakin’s head and through his hair. “You did well, Anakin.”

Anakin wonders why they don’t do this in real life. Obi-Wan doesn’t usually hug him, let alone cuddle. Maybe it’s because they’re all stuck in too much truth in this shared meditation, and the other two are currently stuck in child bodies that crave physical affection in ways they don’t realize they’re expressing in here as well. Maybe it’s the stress.

“What even can you hear?” Anakin mutters, still in Obi-Wan’s arms. Ahsoka giggles at him, nuzzling into his side in a way he doesn’t think she’d ever let herself, normally.

“We can’t really think in the real world right now,” she muses. “Only when we’re sleeping, and probably when we’re meditating once we’re bigger. If I try to think too hard, my head hurts worse than that time Ventress got me in the head with the back of her saber.”

“Everything takes up more space than it should,” Obi-Wan adds. “It’s... all of my senses are bigger and brighter and take up more of my attention, but they aren’t very clear, really. They’re just more. I can’t focus on anything, either, except... well, the feedings.”

Ahsoka makes an annoyed noise. “The whole diapers and bottles thing is really embarrassing, by the way. Only here, though, I barely notice when I’m awake because...”

“Because you’re a toddler,” Anakin says drily.

She huffs. “How would you feel if you were stuck like that?”

That’s fair.

“I don’t remember much,” Obi-Wan says carefully. “But part of me recognizes familiar things, even if I can’t quite make the connection.”

“Was that Fett, earlier?” Ahsoka asks. “Because I thought I saw a friend, and I pretty much forgot the face as soon as they left, but--”

“It’s Fett,” Anakin confirms. “But I guess that’s good to know? You saw his face and your baby brain just assumed it was one of the clones?”

“Pretty much.”

“And we know we trust you,” Obi-Wan adds, and tightens the hug when Anakin stiffens. “Anakin, I can barely understand the world around me at all right now. It’s like being on the painkillers that don’t knock you out but leave you saying only the most ridiculous things that come to mind. You have a general understanding of what’s going on, but all your emotions are too much and the room spins, you can’t stay on one track mentally, you can’t remember what you’ve done and what you haven’t--”

“You can’t control your bladder,” Ahsoka mutters, just a touch spitefully.

Obi-Wan grimaces and nods. “An unfortunate commonality in the experiences, yes. What I was aiming to address, however, is the fact that I only remember a very few things with any reliability. Most of my adult mind, so to speak, appears to be stored in a stasis form in the Force itself, because the infant mind can only handle the barest edges of who I am. But what that infant mind knows, and what I remember thinking once I have some sense of my full self in sleep, is that there is no one I react to as positively as you, Anakin.”

“What he’s trying to say,” Ahsoka interrupts, “but can’t because he’s trying to be a serene Jedi Councilor who definitely doesn’t break the code, nosiree, is that we don’t remember much about ourselves when we’re awake, but we remember you, and we know that we love you, Skyguy.”

Anakin stares at her, and then twists around to look at Obi-Wan instead.

“Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka croons. “Stop being emotionally constipated. We’re literal babies right not, which sucks, but we’re like 90% emotion. Tell Skyguy.”

“Yes, er, Ahsoka was not incorrect,” Obi-Wan says, stroking his beard and refusing to meet Anakin’s eyes. “I, that is to say, we...”

“Master Kenobi,” Ahsoka says, a touch sharper than she might have dared if not for the reversal of their ages.

“I do love you, Anakin, and it’s one of the only things my child mind knows consistently.”

The Force does, in fact, sing with the truth of this. It circles them like a delighted tornado of emotional reality, pulsing like a coat of positivity.

Anakin buries his face in Obi-Wan’s shoulder and hugs him as tightly as possible.

“Oh! Oh dear, I--Anakin, really, this isn’t news.”

“Master Kenobi, you’re allergic to actually talking about your emotions. Let him hug you.”

“Anakin, I’ve raised you since you were nine, it would be nearly impossible for me to not care, why are you--”

“Master Kenobi, stop questioning him!” Ahsoka whines. “It’s affirmation time.”

“Ahsoka, have you been spending time with the mind healers again?”

“I was a teenager in a warzone and also Barriss bullied me into it for my own good.” Ahsoka shrugs. “I learned some stuff. You two should have gone, too. You were more karked up than I was.”

“Ahsoka,” Obi-Wan scolds.

“What are you going to do, spit up on me? You can’t exactly make me run laps, Master.”

“Both of you shut up,” Anakin mumbles, and tries to push as much of his own affection as possible into a little ball of feelings that he can just drop on the two of them while he’s still in his own brain and not somewhere he can’t touch the Force. “Just--just shut.”

Apparently, Anakin’s feelings are a lot, because Ahsoka bursts into tears and Obi-Wan zones out so hard Anakin starts worrying about him.

They’re in a mindscape, a thing that he didn’t really think happened, but does. He shouldn’t have to worry about his--

“Oh, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says, pulling him in tighter. “Why did you...”

“Skyguy, I don’t think you planned on putting in the part where you worry about nobody loving you back as much as you loved them,” Ahsoka says, raw and uneven. “Because, uh, we got that? Skyguy, that’s really wrong!”

Oh shit.

“No, you were... you were not supposed to get that,” he says, just a little strangled. “I am so sorry, that wasn’t--”

“Be our dad.”

Anakin stares down at his Padawan. She stares determinedly back.

“What?”

“Fett asked if we were yours, and you edged around the question by saying we were family, but he was asking if you were our dad. I’m guessing you didn’t want to claim that when we couldn’t agree to it, so I’m telling you now: do it. Adopt us the Mandalorian way or whatever. You were already my older brother, basically, this is just a step sideways in how we talk about it.”

He stares at her a bit more. He doesn’t have words, and his emotions are such a cyclone of conflicting thoughts that he’s surprised the Force hasn’t tossed him out.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be born, but if I am, then I need a name so I don’t have the same one as future me,” she says. She takes his hands, holds them tight and leans in close. “You’re going to be raising us anyway. The Force already made it clear there’s no fixing this, we tried asking while you were unconscious, it wants us to grow up the long way. You’re going to be our dad. Just make it official. Make me a Skywalker.”

Anakin sits up straight, looks her up and down, the determination and affection and--

He turns to look at Obi-Wan. “Master?”

“...yes, Anakin?”

“I know she said ‘we’ and ‘us,’ but I’m not letting anyone speak for anyone else. Not for something this important.”

Obi-Wan blinks at him, and then rearranges himself to something a tad more formal. He takes one of Anakin’s hands in his own. “Anakin, we’ve been family since you were nine. This is just redefining the terms. We can adjust as we go forward, but for all intents and purposes, the majority of the time, I will be that youngling in the cot. For all intents and purposes, I will be your child, and... and I would be honored for you to make that official.”

“Even if it breaks the Code?” Anakin presses.

“All is as the Force wills it,” Obi-Wan says, almost but not quite overriding Ahsoka’s, “This doesn’t break the Code.”

They both turn to look at her. She shrugs. “What? You guys are always arguing about it and Skyguy was married. I went and did some digging about what is and isn’t allowed. This adoption would be skirting the edges of some rules, since we should be taken to the creche to be raised in a communal manner, and official adoptions are discouraged for reasons relating to later padawan stuff, but since the Force is also insisting we stay with the Mandalorians, I think it qualifies as an exception and will be treated as such, retroactively, by the Council. You also won’t be able to take either of us as Padawan once that time comes. It does not, however, violate the Code in and of itself.”

“What the hell, Snips?”

“I’m impressed, young one,” Obi-Wan says, with a smile Anakin can feel. “I could have expected to see you in court in a few years, with an argument like that.”

“You knew I was married?” Anakin squeaks.

“Rex isn’t a very good liar,” she says. She then droops. “Or, he wasn’t. Wouldn’t be. He tried, at least, but I caught on. That was against the Code, though. Just so you know.”

Anakin runs a hand over his face, tries very hard not to think about what and whom he’s left behind. He can save that breakdown for later.

He chances a look at Obi-Wan.

He gets a raised eyebrow in response.

“You’re not mad?”

“I knew you and the Senator were close, considering all the kissing you did in the Arena,” Obi-Wan says drily. Anakin isn’t stupid enough to ask how he knows it’s Padme. “I didn’t know you were married, and am a little disappointed you didn’t at least tell me, or consult me before you did it, considering you were still a padawan... but no, I’m not mad. Even if I were--and I am not--we’ve time-traveled, so I’m fairly certain that qualifies as annulment. It’s a non-issue.”

Anakin pushes down the tidal wave of grief for people who haven’t been born yet, and just breathes instead. This is important. This is too important for him to just kriff it up.

“Names,” he says.

“I still want part of it to be ‘Soka,’ if you don’t think it’s too risky.”

Obi-Wan shrugs with a smile. “Almost every time I’ve posed as a Mandalorian, since my first mission with Satine, I’ve gone by Ben. It would be fitting that, now that we’re here and apparently staying, I take the name for real.”

Anakin nods. He closes his eyes, and breathes deep, and thinks that they may be among Mandalorians on a world of snow, but he has the desert in his bones and will never forget it.

“Ahsoka Tano, sister of my heart,” he says, hoping he’s getting the words right, and takes her hands in his. It’ll have more meaning here and now, where they’re both of full mind. He holds her gaze. “You ask to join my family, to be of those who walk the sky. You shed your old name as you shed the chains of your past. You become my daughter, not of blood, but of love, loyalty, and survival. My wells are your wells, and all I own and earn is to set the path of your freedom. I name you Sokanth Skywalker, she who slips through every hunter’s trap, and you are my child.”

She smiles brightly at him, and looks like she might cry. He presses his lips to her forehead. He turns to his Master. He hesitates, because it’s one thing to redefine his little sister, but...

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, father of my heart,” he says, his voice catching where it shouldn’t. He can do this. It’s weird but he can do this. “You ask to join my family, to be of those who walk the sky. You shed your old name as you shed the chains of your past. You become my son, not of blood, but of love, loyalty, and survival. My wells are your wells, and all I own and earn is to set the path of your freedom. I name you Ylliben Skywalker, he who hunts the monsters of the darkest nights, and you are my child.”

The man before him almost laughs, well aware of how absurd it is for Anakin to be the one adopting him, but keeps it limited to just a twinkle in his eye and a quirk to his lips. Anakin presses his lips to his teacher’s forehead.

He pulls both of them in close. Padawan and Master. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan.

Daughter and son. Soka and Ben. His.

“I’m still gonna call you Skyguy,” Soka says wetly. “But Mas--um, Ben. Ben can call you buir, all the Mandos are gonna love it.”

“Fine by me,” Anakin says. “I’m going to be telling you Tatooine bedtime stories, by the way. You’ll remember creche stories as you grow, but these’ll be new.”

“I do believe that would be appropriate,” Ben says, laughing just a touch. “I also think we should perhaps disband this, unless you have something else to address. You’re going to be dealing with two very cranky younglings soon.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have headaches after this,” Soka laughs, rubbing her face against his shoulder. “But it’s okay, we got what we ne--”

“No, shut up, what you do mean, headaches? You said that was only when you were awake!”

“I mean, we’d be sobbing after like three minutes if we were awake,” Soka says cheerfully. “This way, it’s been like... an hour or whatever between all the talking and the hugging and the crying and the feelings, and we’re just gonna be grumpy.”

“Oh my--wake up!” Anakin growls at both of them. “I’m responsible for you now, wake up.”

He ignores Soka’s laughter and drags himself back to wakefulness. Behind him, he feels slight confusion and pain mixed with love and delight. Ben starts fussing.

Anakin drags a hand over his face and groans. He gets to his feet, nods to the nurse droid, and steps over to the cribs.

“Can we put them in the same one until I get my arm back?” he asks. The droid obliges, moving Ben to Soka’s crib. She immediately crawls over to him and envelops him in a hug. She pouts up at Anakin, eyes going watery, and he drops into the chair next to her and offers his hand through the bars. She grabs it.

“You’re going to be trouble for a long, long time, huh?”

She sticks her tongue out at him, and he smiles at her. Yes, trouble in spades, his Snips.

He starts telling her one of the fables of Tatooine, the really sanitized ones meant for children her age, before they got to the slave stories and haunt-tales. She falls asleep for real, no Force Shenanigans, shortly after. Ben is dead to the world by that point, making small snuffling noises whenever the blanket tickles his nose.

Anakin knows he’s got the galaxy’s dopiest smile on his face. It’s fine.

It’s a few more hours before someone stops by. He’s used the fresher by that point, helped the nurse droid coax Ben through a feeding, and helped Soka play with the little stuffed eopie they’ve given her.

“They got names, aruetti?”

He looks up and over. “Yes.”

The middle-aged man ambles over, arms crossed. “Jango said you claimed to be all they had left.”

He is. “They’re family. I’ve had a few hours to think it over, now that I’m not getting shot at or dying in the snow. To any system that allows it, I’ll be their father.”

“No chance of returning them to their people?”

Anakin shakes his head. “Soka has none who would recognize her, and I already--I already babysat her regularly, and she thought of me as a brother. It’s an easy next step.”

“And the human?”

“I... the master-padawan relationship is often one that is compared to that of parent and child,” Anakin says carefully. “My own master was like a father to me, and Ben is... Ben is all I have left of him.”

There. Not quite the truth, but... technically not lying.

Ben makes a small noise in his sleep, fussing, and Anakin reaches through the bars to brush his thumb across the infant’s chubby cheek. He smiles helplessly as Ben whines and curls in tighter on himself, pressing a tiny fist to his mouth.

“You’re good,” Anakin whispers. “We’re fine, Ylliben.”

“I don’t know what you’re hiding,” the Mando says. “But I do believe you’re doing what you can for those kids.”

“That’s all that matters,” Anakin agrees, finally looking away from his... his son.

Mine, the greedy krayt in his chest whispers.

“When are you planning on going back to Coruscanta?”

“I’m not,” Anakin says, standing and looking the man head-on. Anakin’s taller than him. That’s usually useful. “I don’t know why, but the Force wants me to stay here, or at least with the Mandalorians.”

“You want me to believe that you support my cause?”

“I don’t know your cause,” Anakin admits. “But I don’t like Death Watch, and I know you don’t either. Nobody on Coruscant is going to know to miss me, and the Force is warning me away from trying to go back. Whatever it is that needs doing, I’m supposed to be doing it here.”

The man steps forward. “Anyone tell you who I am?”

“No.”

“I’m Jaster Mereel.”

Good for you, Anakin thinks, and doesn’t say. “I’m pretty sure you already know my name.”

“I do,” Mereel says. “Wanna tell me how a Knight with a seemingly valid ident card claims nobody will know to miss him?”

“No.”

Mereel doesn’t even blink. “Try that again.”

“It means exactly what I said,” Anakin says. “The ident card is real. My training and rank are earned and deserved and bestowed by protocol. All of it was done at the Temple in Coruscant, but if you phone up the Temple with my name and face, nobody will know who I am.”

“And you’re not going to tell me why,” Mereel grouses. “What’s stopping me from calling them up anyway and asking them to come fetch your hypothermic ass?”

“...the fact that I already offered to help you?” Anakin manages. “I... I did say that part, right? That I’d help?”

“What’s stopping you from wanting to go back? And don’t give me any of that ‘will of the force’ banthashit.”

“I broke the Code,” Anakain says. The words sit heavy in his mouth, but one of his violations is lesser than the other, and-- “I married, and we’re not supposed to do that. She’s... not around anymore, but it still stands that I did it.”

The Tuskens weigh on his mind, suddenly and intensely. He hasn’t thought about them in ages, has always pushed those memories down, down, down, but--

“And they won’t take you back?”

“They might,” Anakin admits. They probably would, with his full title and everything, especially if he told them about the future. “But they wouldn’t let me keep the kids.”

Understanding flickers. “Not allowed kids?”

“It’s not... technically against the code,” he hedges. “But they’d find out about my marriage while investigating my past--” maybe, he’s not sure what kind of investigation they’d justify for a complete stranger of a knight, especially to confirm the future, but if they had a psychometric so much as touch his saber or arm, once he gets those back, there’d be a risk, “--and after already breaking the code by marrying, they’d be far less willing to bend the rules about the babies.”

He doesn’t realize how likely the risk is until after he says it, because he’s just been focusing on staying alive and following the Force, but.. they’d want the kids in the creche. He’s broken the code enough that any investigation they set to prove he’s legitimately a Jedi Knight that isn’t recorded and isn’t in the system is going to uncover something through the Force. They might not let him keep his family.

“What are their names?”

“I already--”

“Jango kept his last name,” Mereel cuts him off. “Did yours?”

Anakin looks the man in the eye, and then attempts to cross his arms in response, to mirror the pose and hold his ground. Unfortunately, he’s forgotten that he’s only got the one arm, which is really kriffing irritating.

“I gave them my name,” he says. “They’ll know where they came from, but they are mine.”

Yeah, no shit they’ll know where they came from.

Mereel’s face twitches, but the man is unreadable in the Force. Still, there’s something in the air... “So, those names?”

“Sokanth and Ylliben Skywalker,” Anakin tells him. He spells it out when the droid asks. He assumes it’s just for the medical data their droids are collecting.

“How well can you fight without your laser sword?”

“You mean unarmed?” Anakin asks, and then smiles brightly and tauntingly and waves his empty sleeve around. Mereel does not appreciate the humor. “Pretty well, but I do better when I have the Force, and am not still recovering from hypothermia. And I’m a fair shot with a blaster, but no specialist.”

Mereel eyes him for a moment, and then nods. “One of my snipers is Force-Sensitive. Never was enough to get more than some basic training in mental shields and the control to not hurt herself, but when we mentioned bringing in a Jetii, someone asked her what she thought. Came by the room while you were unconscious and said she thought you felt sad, angry, and desperate... but that she had a good feeling about where you’d be going.”

“Sad, angry, and desperate?” Anakin repeats, a little offended.

“You act like a veteran, kid,” Mereel says. He shrugs. “Damn near everyone that goes through some kind of war has all that going on. S’normal. You got Kamira’s approval, though, and that means a damn sight more. Keep your secrets for now. We’ll get there eventually.”

No we won’t, Anakin thinks. Out loud, he asks, “So, how much of what kind of work would I have to do to borrow a ship to Tatooine and earn enough to free a slave girl?”

[barnes-dameron]

Balance

*gif not mine

The Mandalorian x Jedi!Reader

Summary: Upon arriving on Corvus, you realize you won’t be able to hide your secret from your Mandalorian traveling partner forever, especially since the Jedi you encounter asks a lot of questions...

Word Count: 4.1k 

A/N: Spoilers for Chapter 13 so read at your own risk! I think we all need a little something after the tragedy in Chapter 14. By the way, this is a gender-neutral reader ;)

***

The closer you got to Corvus, the further down your stomach sank to the floor. Your heart beat faster against your rib cage as anticipation rose inside you. The day that the Mandalorian came to you saying that he knows where to find a Jedi for the Child, you were shocked. Of course you were happy that the kid will finally get a teacher, but you were shocked that there were still Jedi around. 

Your leg bounced up and down as the landscape of Corvus came to view in the windshield. You took a deep breath, and left the cockpit, trying to avoid any questions that the Mandalorian might ask. The Child was asleep in his little hammock, and your heart ached for the little guy. From the first moment you saw him, you knew something was special about him. Well, you sensed it, really. And you hoped that the Child wouldn’t say anything, and thankfully, he didn’t.

You reached over, and picked up the tiny creature, his black eyes revealing themselves as his green lids pulled back. 

“Listen,” you whispered, bringing his face close to yours. “When we find that Jedi, you don’t say anything, got it? Do not blow this for us.” 

Of course, he didn’t repsond to your warning, but instead cocked his head and cooed. You rolled your eyes and shifted him so he was sitting on your hip. 

“We’re here,” the Mandalorian announced as he climbed down the ladder and opened the hatch door. 

You took another deep breath, and straightened your back before following the Mandalorian out.

***

You’ve been wandering around the forest on Corvus for a while now, your stomach turning with every step. After visiting the seemingly enslaved village and meeting the Magistrate, you followed the Mandalorian into the wilderness to find the Jedi named Ahsoka Tano. 

You constantly turned your head in search for the Jedi, dreading the impending moment of your meeting. You rested your hand on your blaster, your heart beating rapidly. 

“So you’re not really gonna kill this Jedi, right?” you asked, looking at your beskar clad companion with wide eyes. 

“No,” he simply replied.

You nodded, looking about your surroundings again. The Mandalorian set the Child down on a nearby rock, bringing his binoculars to his visor. You were so in depth in your own thoughts and anxieties that you didn’t even hear him talking. Sweat was collecting on your brow as you thought about what this Jedi will be like. You have heard stories of her bravery and her part in the Clone Wars, but that was years ago. Was she a different person now? Would she try to kill the Mandalorian? A crack from a tree drew you out of your thoughts, and a person descended from above. 

You moved over to the Child, reaching for your blaster as the Mandalorian struggled with the intruder. But the sight of the white lightsabers didn’t do anything to relax you. You could feel the heat from the Mandalorian’s flame thrower as he set her cloak on fire. You thought she was contained once he tied her, but never under estimate a Jedi. She gave him a smirk before jumping up, back bending over a branch, dragging the Mandalorian with her. Once on the ground, she ignited her lightsabers, freeing herself from the restraints, and preparing herself in a battle stance.  

“Ahsoka Tano,” the Mandalorian yelled. “Bo-Katan sent me. We need to talk.” 

You watched as she straightened herself from her fighting stance, pulling back her sabers to her sides. She was as intimidating as you imagined. 

“I hope it’s about him,” she said, looking over to the spot where you and the Child were.  

***

Your leg once again was bouncing as you settled yourself on rock. The Mandalorian’s pacing was no help to you at all, only increasing your nerves. You looked over at the campfire, with Ahsoka and the Child just staring at each other in silence. You have heard about this technique, in fact it was how you were found out years ago on Tatooine. 

Mando’s pacing wouldn’t cease, much to your annoyance. You never done what you were about to do, but you needed to know what was going on in his head. You were always so careful to hide your true identity from the man, in fear of what he would do to you if he uncovered the truth. However, something didn’t rub you right. You closed your eyes, concentrating and reaching out into the darkness. You could sense his own anxiety about the situation, but you left it there. If you lingered too long, he could catch wind. Ever since you came across him and the kid on his first trip to Tatooine, you could sense the bond between the two. When he mentioned about finding the Child a teacher, you knew it would be difficult for him. 

The Mandalorian stopped and began to make his way towards Ahsoka who was holding the Child. You got up from where you were perched and followed your companion. You listened carefully to everything that Ahsoka said, from the time of Child’s training up to the present. Plus, you were pleasantly surprised to find his name was Grogu. Ahsoka ended the conversation on a hopeful note of Grogu’s training in the morning. You nodded, getting up from your spot as Mando grabbed the Child, Grogu, to prepare a place to make for camp. 

“Wait,” Ahsoka spoke up, getting your attention. “Can you stay here for a minute?” You nodded to her, sitting on a nearby log before waving off Mando, who nodded and continued to make his way. You pressed your lips into a thin line while clearing your head from any impending thoughts. Your heart was pounding once again. You rubbed your hands over your thighs. “You know a blaster isn’t a Jedi weapon.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you lied, gripping your thighs in defense. 

“Really?” Ahsoka replied. “Because Grogu said something very interesting-”

“Dammit,” you whispered, dropping your head while letting out a sigh. “What did he say?” 

“He mentioned that you knew the Force,” Ahsoka began. “But you were hiding it.”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “That sounds about right.” 

Ahsoka was quiet for a moment, and you felt her eyes peering into you despite your steady gaze on the forest floor. 

“Where are you from?” she asked. 

“Tatooine,” you mumbled, before meeting her eyes. 

She nodded, shifting in her seat a bit. 

“Have you practiced with a lightsaber?” she questioned, quirking up an eyebrow. 

“Once,” you revealed. “But my master thought it would be too dangerous to have one with the Empire and all so-”

“Wait,” Ahsoka interjected, holding up a hand. “Who was your master?” 

You realized your mistake. The air escaped your lungs as your heart sank to your stomach. You got up from your seat abruptly. What you needed to keep a secret, you almost let out. 

“No one important,” you said. “It’s late, so I’m going to go get some rest.”

You didn’t wait to hear her reply. You practically ran back to the Mandalorian, who was resting his head on a log as he laid on the ground. Grogu was nestled in one of arms, fast asleep. 

You tiptoed to where they were at on the ground, and moved to lay beside Mando, with your back to him and an inch or two between your bodies. You tried to even out your breathing, and put aside the questions that Ahsoka was asking. You had one job, and you almost blew it from the slight excitement that maybe you weren’t alone in the galaxy.

“What did she want?” Mando asked, his voice tinged with sleepiness and gruff through the modulator. 

“Nothing important,” you lied, turning over to face him. “Just some stuff about the Child.” 

Mando hummed, then out-stretched his arm as an invitation. You moved closer to him, placing your head on the clothed part of his bicep. Mando’s hand rested on your hip, and began to draw shapes with his thumb. 

“Do you think she will be a good teacher for him?” he asked, uncertainty laced in his voice. 

“I do,” you answered. 

You closed your eyes and started to drift into sleep, trying in vain to forget about Ahsoka for now. 

***

You were awoken from your sleep when a hard object was dropped on your stomach, the air from your lungs escaping. Your eyes flew open as you went to cradled your abdomen. A gasp nearly escaped your lips if it wasn’t for a hand covering your mouth. You looked up to see Ahsoka crouched above you, pressing a finger to her lips before motioning her head to follow her. She retracted her hand, and walked off. You took a deep breath, and looked over to Mando. For being a well trained Mandalorian, he can sleep like the dead when he wanted to. 

You slipped out from his arm, grabbing at the object that Ahsoka dropped on you. On closer inspection, you realized it was one of her lightsabers. Anger rose in you for her lack of dropping a topic. You marched over to where she stood, a good distance away from the Mandalorian and Child. 

“What the hell!” you whispered yelled, waving your arms. 

“A Jedi needs to practice,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders before igniting her lightsaber, illuminating her features in the darkness. 

“I’m not a Jedi,” you said through gritted teeth. “I’m just Force-sensitive.” 

“Oh really?” Ahsoka said in unbelief. Ahsoka reached her hand out, lifting up a rock that was a bit bigger than the Child’s size, and threw it at you. Panic arose at first, but by instinct, you rose your hand out in response. The rock was suspended in mid air right before your face. “I usually wouldn’t do that unless I knew for certain. That was just to show you that I didn’t believe you.”

You dropped your hand, the rock falling in front of you. You tightened your grip on Ahsoka’s lightsaber. If this is what she wants, then it’s what she’s going to get. You ignited the lightsaber in your hand, shifting your feet to a fighting stance that your Master once taught you. You saw the slight smirk that appeared on Ahsoka’s face as she too brought her lightsaber up with her backhand. 

 Ahsoka was the first to lunge forward, bringing down her saber onto yours as you rose it in a defense. You kept your feet planted to the ground as you pushed forward, then swung at Ahsoka, who blocked your advance. It was like a choreograph dance as you and Ahsoka sparred around the open space. The sound of the colliding beams filled the air along with your grunts. The lights of the clashing sabers nearly blinded you several times, but you didn’t let that stop you. You were taught better. You pushed Ahsoka aside one more time, before she looked at you, straightening her back. 

“Who was your Master?” Ahsoka asked through deep breaths. 

You ignored her question, and lunged forward again, bringing your lightsaber down on Ahsoka who blocked it last second. She pushed against the collided sabers, using more strength than before, causing you to stumble back. While caught off guard, Ahsoka bent down, swiping a leg against yours, making you fall down on the ground. The lightsaber flew out of your hand, switching off before Ahsoka grabbed it. She once again stood above you, but this time her lightsaber hovered over your face. 

“I’m going to ask you this one more time,” she reiterated. “Who was your Master?” 

You gave her a smirk, before reaching out your hand. The unlit lightsaber flew out of Ahsoka’s hand, returning once again to yours. You ignited the saber, clashing it against hers so it was away from you. You lifted your leg, and pushed Ahsoka with your foot. She fell backwards, but quickly got up, however you were faster. You scrambled to your feet, lightsaber in hand, and jumped onto a nearby boulder. You looked down at Ahsoka, switching off your lightsaber. 

“Obi Wan Kenobi,” you revealed. 

Ahsoka stumbled back, turning off her saber as her eyes widen down at you. You moved down from the boulder to a sitting position on the floor, watching Ahsoka’s reaction while trying to catch your breath from your bout. She let out a little laugh before sitting down across from you. 

“Obi Wan trained you?” she asked. 

You nodded.

“It seems like a forever ago, but yes,” you began. “I was living on Tatooine, and he found me. He only taught me little stuff like using the Force, and had me mess around with a lightsaber once. He was afraid that if I grew too much that the Empire will notice, so he ended our training.” 

You looked down at the forest floor, admiring the tangled roots from the nearby trees. So different from the sands of Tatooine. You remembered Obi Wan’s kind face and smooth instruction. He was always so patient with you even if you doubted yourself. You remembered the time when you went to visit him, but found his hermit’s hole empty. You waited for so long, but he never returned. You thought back to the time where you sat in his place, reaching out through the Force to feel him. But emptiness filled you when you couldn’t feel him. Looking up at Ahsoka’s sad eyes, you sensed that she knew about his absence in the galaxy as well. 

“I can see some of him in you when you fight,” Ahsoka said, fingering her lightsaber. “But I sense some fear in you.” You gulped, looking down again at the ground. “What are you afraid of?” 

You took a deep breath, thinking about your beskar clad warrior who you temporarily left behind. There was no way that you could hide anything from the Jedi before you. 

“I don’t know,” you started, rubbing your hands over your forearms.

Ahsoka smirked again, putting her hands behind her to lean back. 

“It’s the Mandalorian isn’t it?” she inquired, cocking up an eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I try to conceal my identity from him because I’m afraid how he would react. Everyone knows that Mandalorians and Jedi aren’t on the friendliest of terms-”

“That’s an understatement,” Ahsoka snorted. 

“And,” you continued. “I don’t want him to hate me. I mean the kid-”

“Grogu,” Ahsoka corrected.

“Knew about who I am,” you continued, once again. “He used the Force multiple times in front of the Mandalorian but he’s only a child. And he was given the task to help him find a teacher. I’m not a kid, and if he finds out, I’m just scared that he’ll leave.” 

Ahsoka sat there, absorbing everything while nodding. She tilted her head. 

“You love him don’t you?” Ahsoka asked, already knowing the answer. 

“Yes,” you replied. 

***

You listened to the villagers’ joyous noises as they celebrated the victory over the Magistrate. Their outfits changed from dreary gray and brown to green and blue. You assisted Ahsoka and Mando in freeing the city, shooting down droids and defending the villagers. Despite all the fighting and blaster shots, you were impressed to see how well you all worked together, especially Mando and Ahsoka. If anything, it gave you hope for your situation. But was it different for them compared to you? Does he rather work with a Jedi who he has never met before to one who was hiding their identity to him? You shook the question aside, choosing to instead watch the people. Ahsoka smiled in pride, and gave over the pure beskar staff to the Mandalorian before he set off to retrieve the Child. 

You waited alongside the Jedi, admiring the people’s celebration as they reinstated their original leader before the Empire took over. But some time has passed, and the Mandalorian was no where in sight. After much silent deliberation, you and Ahsoka decided to head over to the Razor Crest instead. 

You navigated through the foliage, dodging roots and rocks here and there. It was silent between the two of you until Ahsoka broke it. 

“You know I can’t train him,” she said, repeating her conclusion from yesterday morning. 

You let out a sigh, remembering how Grogu proved himself with moving his favorite metal ball from Mando’s hand to his. You were so proud with him, but that was instantly crushed when Ahsoka gave her verdict. You glanced down at the forest floor, reevaluating your options for the little guy, but it was slim to none. 

“What if I trained him?” you asked, looking up to see her reaction only to be met with a blank expression. “I don’t know much, but I could teach him how to control it and when to use it. Plus, Master Obi Wan taught me about meditation so-”

“Y/N,” Ahsoka interrupted holding up a hand, and stopping in her tracks. You ceased your walking in return, looking at her. Ahsoka shook her head, her eyebrows coming together as she looked down before meeting your gaze. “You can’t train him either.”

“Why not?” you demanded, disbelief creeping in your voice. “He needs someone to help him, he’s just a child-”

“You have an attachment as well,” Ahsoka interjected. You felt like she just punched you in the stomach. It was true, but knowing that she could tell and hearing her say it out loud made it sound so real. You stared at her in a loss of words. “Jedi cannot have any attachments, it could lead you down a dark path. Like Grogu, you were in hiding too, in a way. It’s just not wise.”

Ahsoka returned to her walking, leaving you standing there. Obi Wan did tell you the stories and lore of the Jedi, and everything about the Light and Dark side. He instilled the principles of the Light side, and you always planned to uphold them, despite your slight attachment to the Mandalorian. You jogged to catch up with Ahsoka. 

“You’re wrong,” you said, holding up an air of confidence. “I won’t let my attachment lead me anywhere near the Dark side.”

“Funny,” Ahsoka replied. “I knew someone who thought the same.”

“Unlike that person,” you defended. “I will succeed.” 

“A Mandalorian and a Jedi,” Ahsoka hummed, looking up at the gray sky above you two. “Quite a combination.”

You shrugged your shoulders, before looking over at her. She met your gaze as she raised an eyebrow at you. 

“It’s all about balance,” you said. 

***

The hull in the Razor Crest was quiet except for the little noises coming from Grogu. The Mandalorian resided in the cockpit as he set the coordinates to your next destination. You could tell how lost he was when Ahsoka reaffirmed her previous conclusion to him, but she didn’t leave you totally in the dark. She provided you some instructions to find Grogu a teacher and to decide his fate, but you yourself were uneasy in the whole matter. You knew you could train him. Hell, you even came across him, and you’re a Jedi. 

You looked down at the little green creature who was sitting in your lap, his dark eyes staring up at you. You bounced him a little, while he giggled. 

“What are we going to do with you, Grogu?” you asked, meaning for it to be rhetorical, but he tilted his head at you at the mention of his name. “By the way, I didn’t forget what you did. You really had to tell Ahsoka about me, traitor? We had a deal.” 

You knew he wouldn’t say anything, but you still smiled at him. You pet his ears, and he cooed with content. 

“I can’t be mad at you,” you sighed. 

Your attention was pulled away from Grogu when the sound of boots hitting the metal rungs of the ladder echoed throughout the haul. The Mandalorian approached you, his figure towering over you while casting a shadow. He bent down, and picked up the Child, before returning him to his hammock in the bunk. Mando shut the door before turning to you, his gaze burning a hole into you despite the beskar helmet. 

“We need to talk,” he said, stepping closer to where you were seated in the haul. 

“About what?” you questioned, blood roaring in your ears as fear gripped your heart. What if he knew?

“I saw you,” Mando began, his voice even and steady. “That night on Corvus, you left with Ahsoka. I followed you. I saw you. You have the same power as the kid. You used a lightsaber like Ahsoka.” With every sentence, the Mandalorian took a step forward until he was right before you. Your heart hammered in your chest, tears brimming the rims of your eyes as you tried to keep your emotions in check. What if this was it? You couldn’t bear to leave him and the Child, but now it seems like you have no choice. You took a deep breath, watching him carefully. He gave off no inclination on what he’s about to do. His hands were steady by his sides, his breathing was even, and his voice was unwavering. “Are you a Jedi?” 

“Yes,” you whispered, looking at the floor instead of his visor. You gripped your  own arms with a vice, reminding you to stay grounded before getting overwhelmed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his features unchanging. 

You swallowed a lump in your throat before standing up. You needed to face your fear, and not let it overcome you. You straightened your back, staring into the expressionless helmet. 

“Because I was scared,” you started. “I was scared that you wouldn’t want to take me on as a crew mate. I was scared that you would desert me on a planet all by myself. I was scared that I would lose you. The Mandalorians’ enemy is the Jedi, and I was scared that if you found out you wouldn’t want anything to do with me-”

You were cut off when Mando grabbed your biceps, pulling you forward until you were wrapped in his arms. Your cheek was pressed against his chest plate, his hands pressing into your back. You were silenced by his sudden actions. You wound your arms around him, before letting the tears fall from your eyes to run down the beskar. He didn’t want to kill you, or leave you. He wasn’t disgraced by taking in the enemy of his people. Instead, he was embracing one. 

“Listen to me,” he said. “I would never do that to you. After everything we’ve been through, I could never do that to you. I care about you, Y/N.” He pulled you back a bit, while keeping his hands on you. You stared up at the helmet, but if you looked closely, you could see the outline of his eyes. He caressed your cheek, the leather of his gloves soft against your cheek. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum,” he said, his voice softening. 

You didn’t know what he meant, but from his tender caresses and gentle voice, you knew he was speaking from his heart. 

“So you don’t mind having a Jedi on board with you?” you asked, humor hinted in your voice. 

“No,” he replied. “Now two Jedi, I might have to think about it.”

You gave him a playful punch to his bicep, a laugh coming from his modulator. His hands came to rest on your hips, before he reached in one of your pockets, and pulling out a small object. 

“What’s this?” Mando asked, holding the object up in the light. 

You grabbed the object from his hand, and held it up higher. 

“It’s a kyber crystal,” you answered, admiring the gift from Ahsoka. Before departing from Corvus, she pulled you aside once again, handing you the crystal. You were a Jedi after all, and she thought you should have a Jedi weapon instead of carrying around a blaster. Though Obi Wan is gone, she wanted you to know that there are more Jedi out there. “They power lightsabers. Ahsoka gave it to me so I can construct my own lightsaber when I’m ready. But I don’t think I’m going to do it.”

“Why not?” Mando questioned. 

“Well, our focus is the Child. We don’t exactly have time to stop everything to build one,” you tried to reason.

“Not now,” he said. “But maybe in the near future.” 

“Really?” you asked, excitement in your voice. “You would help me?”

“Of course, cyar’ika,” he affirmed. “A Mandalorian and a Jedi, they’ll never see it coming.”

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum- I love you 

Mando Taglist: @absurdthirst @tangledlove27

[oonajaeadira]

The Mandalorian Tarot: Major Arcana

If you’re following me, you know this is a Mandalorian obsessive account. I love the man, I love the show, I write a Mando-fando that is all about pining and touch. I tend to go all in when I have an interest. 

Another one of my interests? Tarot. A friend challenged me to Mandalorify the major arcana. And because Jon and Dave know their stuff and are good with archetypes (which is all tarot really is), it was an easy fit.

YOU GOT MANDO IN MY TAROT. YOU GOT TAROT IN MY MANDO. TWO GREAT TASTES THAT TASTE GREAT TOGETHER.

But. I can’t draw, so I’ve dreamed them in words and included the Rider-Waite-Smith deck illustrations that I would riff on if I could.

READY? LET’S PLAY.

(All tarot illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith. All Mandalorian images property of Star Wars/Disney.)

UPDATE! @heathenashtattoos​ has taken up where I cannot and is making these cards a reality! I will post them individually and come back to link them to this post as we go.

0 THE FOOL = THE MANDALORIAN / IT IS MADE! --->

The story of the tarot is the Fool’s journey, the arc of becoming. So it makes sense to me that Din would be the fool. Fits even better, since he has tremendous Fool energy in his himbo tendencies, just rushing forward into situations without a lot of planning--he’ll deal with it when he’s in it--ready to rely on others to show him the way or guide/help him to the next step.

If I could draw: Din on the cliff, with his jetpack on, meaning he has no fear of falling. Instead of the bindle-stick the Fool carries, he’d have his pulse rifle slung over his shoulder. Instead of the dog nipping at his heels, Grogu. And, of course, the landscape would be Tatooine/Navaro-esque.

~~~

1 THE MAGICIAN = LUKE SKYWALKER , IT IS MADE! --->

The Magician is someone who is still learning to bend the laws of magic/the Universe, but very adept with their tools. Since Luke is only a few years into his Jedi training at this time, he makes a pretty good Magician.

If I could draw: Luke in his blacks, holding up his lightsaber. The Jedi symbol would replace the infinity sign. 

***

2 THE HIGH PRIESTESS = AHSOKA TANO / IT IS MADE! -->

High Priestess is further along the path of her magic than Magician, and her knowledge is more intuitive, her skills more effortless. Where the Magician is still learning the balance of light and dark, the High Priestess knows the value and pitfalls of both. It was always going to be Ahsoka.

If I could draw: Ahsoka sitting cross-legged in meditation mode, but with eyes open and a knowing smile. Instead of two pillars, she holds her lightsabers up and parallel to each other.

***

3 THE EMPRESS = PELI MOTTO / IT IS MADE! -->

The Empress is the mother figure, the energy in the universe that provides all that is needed and embodies the energy of creation. I can see the argument for Omera being the Empress--mostly because she is a mom and she’s soft and a lot of people see the Empress as a soft female figure, I get it. (And if I were to do a minor arcana, girl would show up as one of the Queens for sure.) But in the end, I gave it to Peli because she’s a recurring character, more relevant in his story, and if Din is the Fool, Peli is more an Empress to him. She’s able to be the provider of his particular needs; services to his ship to get him up flying, contact and location information, and she’s always willing to care for Grogu whenever she gets the chance.

If I could draw: Peli sitting in the dock, against the R4 unit, holding aloft a spanner and surrounded by her pit droids.

***

4 THE EMPEROR = BOBA FETT / IT IS MADE! -->

The Emperor is all about authority. And all I gotta say about Boba is BIG DICK ENERGY.

If I could draw: Just put him on the Jabba throne and let him lounge like a badass.

~~~

5 THE HIEROPHANT = THE ARMORER / IT IS MADE! -->

The Hierophant is the keeper of traditions and a spiritual guide. As the leader of the covert and keeper of the Way, The Armorer fits.

If I could draw: The Armorer, framed by her forge, holding aloft her tools, with Mandalorian acolytes. Instead of the crossed keys at the bottom, let’s just have a mythosaur skull.

***

6 THE LOVERS = FROG LADY AND FROG HUSBAND

This should be obvious and I will fight anyone who says it isn’t the right thing to do. I will die for this.

If I could draw: I would actually depart from the Smith depiction and just draw them embracing or holding each other by the arms and staring into each others’ eyes. Some kind of glowing background? Maybe the egg tank?

***

7 THE CHARIOT = THE MUDHORN

Oh. You thought I was going to say the Razor Crest, didn’t you. Don’t worry, I have plans for our beloved craft, but it ain’t here. The Chariot can be a ride, yes, but it’s about victory. Sometimes it’s about the victory over your inner “beastly” natures. To travel to the next phase in the journey, the Fool must take on the beasts that drive the Chariot and claim dominance over them, and when he does, they will carry him to the next level. Since it’s the victory of the beastly mudhorn that brings Din to his bond with Grogu and becomes his signet, Mudhorn for the win.

If I could draw: Again, I’d probably play on Smith’s imagery, put the charging mudhorn in the middle, and replace the rams with Din on his knees brandishing the vibroblade and Grogu in his pram with his Force hand up.

***

8 STRENGTH = CARA DUNE

Don’t come at me about including Cara. I am glad Gina got shown the door and I lose no love on that bigot. But. Cara is not Gina and to cut her out is to cut out Jon and Dave’s creation and I won’t do it.  I actually love her a lot--she’s got her flaws, but she’s sassy and strong and solid, and I would happily accept a piggyback ride from her any day. She’s also a major player in Din’s story and deserves a spot in it. Strength comes after the Chariot--once you’ve conquered the beast within, you have confident dominion over it and it becomes a companion or a tool for your use. Cara is one with her toughness, she’s used it to do some good and bad shit in her past, and she continues to wield it effortlessly and fearlessly. She is absolutely this card.

If I could draw: I would put her maybe sitting on top of the downed ATST. I’d replace the infinity symbol over her head with the one on her cheek (Rebel Alliance).

~~~

9 THE HERMIT = KUIIL

The Hermit is a loner, yes, but in his solitude he looks within, learns from all he’s been through, and becomes wise. He holds aloft a light of wisdom and truth. This was always going to be Kuiil.

If I could drawn: Just our buddy, looking out over the Arvala-7 landscape, holding aloft an in-universe working lamp. No need to get fancy. He would want it to stay simple.

***

10  THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE = IMPERIAL SYMBOL AND STORM TROOPERS

The Wheel is fate. You win some, you lose some. Sometimes you’re on top, and sometimes the Wheel crushes you beneath it. You are helpless to its roll and where you’ll land. Storm Troopers are such a sad bunch. They are keepers of Imperial Law on the ground. On a good day, they capture a Rebel or hold off an attack. On a bad day, their Moff just blasts them to make an example.

If I could draw: The wheel would just be the Imperial symbol and there’d be Troopers on and under it. Maybe the one on top is just standing there, looking authoritative. The one underneath has been blasted. Some Wheels have two more figures--one on each side--and I’d add those too. The one on the down-going side would be falling, arms flailing, blaster shooting (if only sound were available, there’d be a Whilhelm scream), and the one on the up-going side would just be dangling by one arm, along for the ride.

***

11 JUSTICE = COBB VANTH

Well, it just feels right to make the Marshal into Justice. But it’s not just a literal translation of making sure the right thing gets done and the bad guys are punished. Justice is about wiping away emotion and making decisions with bare truth, looking at every side of the situation and understanding what is really there. And I think Cobb fits this well. He doesn’t want to give up his armor because of what it means for the protection of his people. But he’s willing to consider it, if there’s another way he can protect them. Emotionally, he doesn’t want to deal with the Tusken Raiders, but he does it because he can see it’s the best course of action. He flies into battle with the Krayt Dragon. He gives up his armor without a fight. He makes a fair trade and sees the balance in it because he walks away from the emotion and chooses the best course of action. Cobb Vanth for Justice, errybody.

If I could draw: Cobb in the Fett armor, but with the helmet at his feet. In one hand, a bottle of spotchka. In the other, the Tusken mushroom drinky thing; he’s holding them with equal balance.

***

12 THE HANGED MAN = MIGS MAYFELD

The Hanged Man is not just about a dude who’s hanging upside down. (If that was the case, I would have just gone with Gor Koresh and called it a day.) Hanged Man is about changing your perspective to see things in a new way so you can grow. Many times, this growth also requires sacrifice. Over the two episodes we see Mayfeld, we know he goes from Imperial sharp shooter, to traumatized deserter, to merc, prisoner, and exonerated friend. He’s seen some shit, given up a lot, and he’s willing to see how he can be a help to others and find redemption for himself.

If I could draw: Hear me out. Take the image of Mayfeld hanging upside down from the Crest hatch into the prison ship. Mirror that above with an image of him in his Imperial Ground Transport gear. Flip it all upside down so bad Mayfeld up top, good Mayfeld on bottom, images mirrored but inverted, hence “looking at things a new way and getting everything a little topsy-turvey.”

~~~

13 DEATH = MOFF GIDEON

Death is about transformation, so it’s not always the most sinister card. But Death does not discriminate. It comes for us all, constantly stalking, and it will strike you down to serve its needs. You need to face Death to get to your redemption. But really, Gideon is our big baddie here, so why the hell not.

If I could draw: I would forgo the Smith illustration and go for the Marseilles tradition on this one. Gideon and the Darksaber replaces Death and the scythe.

*** 

14 TEMPERANCE = IG-11

Temperance is the transformation that comes after Death. Once Death has chopped your physical being into pieces with his scythe, Temperance is there to take all your pieces and put them back together into something new and better. It’s also a card that asks you to re-evaluate your priorities and see if you can find better motivations than you previously had. IG’s death and reprogramming speak loudly to me on this.

If I could draw: IG pouring the tea.

***

15 THE DEVIL = THE CLIENT

Here’s another baddie card that’s all about your worst faults, about excess and giving into the stuff that will eventually kill your soul. The Client holds on hard to the Empire, doing whatever he’s ordered to do to be one of the top dogs. And in the end, it doesn’t matter. Gideon takes him down like he’s nothing.

If I could draw: The client, wearing his Empire bling, with chains around Doctor Pershing and a rough-looking Storm Trooper.

***

16 THE TOWER = THE RAZOR CREST

I don’t know about you, but Chapter 14 killed me. And not because the Dark Troopers flew away with Grogu. We all knew Din would never stop at getting him back. But when the Crest was destroyed, it was like someone punched me in the soft parts, and I made a lot of severely anguished noises. The Tower is the most tragic card in the tarot. It’s when forces beyond your control make a very big (and usually negative) impact in your life and everything changes. You are left to pick up the pieces and survive any way you can with the skills and resources you’ve been blessed with.

If I could draw: Just that moment of the ray hitting our beautiful Crest, just as it begins to break apart, maybe with Din, Boba, and Fennec watching in horror in the foreground.

~~~

17 THE STAR = GROGU

The Star is hope. It comes after the biggest tragedy in the deck to tell you that not all is lost. There is always something there to live for. C’mon, kids. In this series, there was only one choice.

If I could draw: Just Grogu. Maybe drinking his soup. Or maybe he’s levitating his metal ball overhead, reaching up to it with a smile on his face. *coos*

***

18 THE MOON = BO KATAN KRYZE

We all like Bo Katan, sure. But remember my Clone Wars/Rebels fiends, she was Death Watch, and they were terrorists. She sided with Maul to take over Mandalore. Sure, she’s come a long way and her path is a bit more honorable now, but she’s got an agenda, which makes her hard to trust. Since the Moon is about more feminine energies and has themes of illusion and deception--things look great in the moonlight, but maybe not as they really are--Bo Katan’s our girl.

If I could draw: Head and shoulders profile, double-imaged so you see her face, but her Nite Owl helmet superimposed in profile over it. Nite Owl signet on the bottom. Possibly flanked by her two Nite Owl cronies.

***

19 THE SUN = GREEF KARGA

Everything's sunny when Greef’s around! He’s the feel-good gramps that’s going to make any situation A-Ok! If you’ve got a problem, Greef can sort it out...or he knows someone who can! The sun is always gonna shine on you and take you back.

If I could draw: Just Greef smiling and being cheesy with the halo of the sun around him. 

***

20 JUDGEMENT = FENNEC SHAND

This card traditionally shows the resurrected rising from the grave, ready to be judged. Fennec’s got a lot to answer for in her life, but she is being given a second chance, and my number one girl crush is going to do new and wonderful badass things with it.

If I could draw: I’d either just show her opening her gut pocket to show her new works, all full of aura, with her looking down at it reverently. OR I might do a scene of her being rescued by Boba.

~~~

21 THE WORLD = THE HELMET

Din’s helmet is the world he lives in. But it’s also a symbol of The Way. The World represents completion, a wholeness of self and being, the end of the journey. And since Din is our Fool, his journey is an exploration of his morals and honor, what it means to walk the way of the Mandalore, and what the meaning of the helmet is for him. He may choose ultimately to keep it on and go all-in on Mandalorian-4-lyfe (Child of the Watch style), or he may understand that the helmet is just a symbol and the honor was in him all along; he can wear it or not wear it and it’s all the same.

If I could draw: The World usually depicts a circle or sphere of some kind, the symbol of perfect completion. The helmet is close enough, so it takes up the center. Traditionally, there are four symbols in the corners that give more meaning to The World, and I would replace them with The Razor Crest, Grogu, the Mudhorn Signet, and the pulse rifle or blaster. These represent his home, his foundling, his clan, and his religion, all of which make up more of the whole; what it means to him to be Mandalorian.

~~~~~~~~~~

Challenge accepted and faced. 

Adira dops her witchy mic….

[dindjarindiaries]

10 Underrated Quotes from Season 2 of The Mandalorian

As previously seen with season one, I’m here with another list of underrated quotes from The Mandalorian—this time, from season two. I’m going to highlight some of my favorite quotes from the season or quotes that stick out to me and why I think they’re noteworthy.

I don’t own any rights to content from The Mandalorian and, if you haven’t watched season two yet, potential spoilers are ahead!

1. “Pay attention when a superior addresses you.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

While this scene certainly isn’t underrated, I believe this line spoken by Valin Hess when he finally catches Din Djarin’s attention by the Imperial terminal deserves some reflection. It’s interesting to think about how responding to Hess’ first call of “Trooper” is something Djarin just... wouldn’t think to do, or is something he thought he could get away with. It seems that Mandalorians, while they value their leadership, don’t focus on hierarchical structures in their society, so Djarin isn’t used to having to obey orders like that. It’s even worse that he has to deal with this unfamiliar situation without his helmet for the first time since he was a child. It really draws our attention to how little Djarin knows about the Empire and other organizations outside of his covert.

2. “This is the Way.” (Chapter 11: The Heiress)

I think many of us can agree that the first time this statement is uttered in this episode, we’re less than pleased about it, thanks to Bo-Katan’s ridiculing tone. When it happens later on, however, there’s so much meaning packed behind the words. First, from Bo-Katan, who has witnessed Mando’s bravery firsthand and has likely realized how wrong she was making assumptions about him based off his covert and his traditions. In return, Mando’s response of the phrase is strained. Why? Well, it’s up to interpretation—but to me, I think it’s because Mando’s in awe of the idea of these Mandalorians who have already proven their abilities to him actually coming to respect him and the Way he’s known ever since he was a child. It was a great moment of reconciliation.

3. “Is he speaking? Do you... understand him?” (Chapter 13: The Jedi)

Something I love about this line in particular is the way it’s delivered. There’s such desperation concealed behind Mando’s modulator that tells us so much about what he’s been thinking while pacing the forest floor nervously. This desperation also tells us how eager he’s been to communicate with his child. Mando and Grogu have been together for a long time, now, and we know they’ve had plenty of one-sided conversations. I’m sure Mando has longed to know what Grogu’s been thinking in return, and now that he might have an opportunity to, we can really hear that sheer curiosity and desperation in his voice with this line he offers to Ahsoka.

4. “Jet back, you’re faster that way.” (Chapter 12: The Siege)

I’m sure we all have our mixed opinions about the season one Nevarro crew, but this moment in particular really strikes the depth of their friendship and companionship. Once they’ve all heard about Moff Gideon’s return and his request to get the child once again, there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that Mando wouldn’t be going back for him immediately. Even though the job isn’t completely done and Greef, Cara, and Mythrol all still need a way out, they don’t even try to ask for Mando’s help. Instead, Cara insists that he gets back as fast as he can, even if that means the three of them don’t make it out themselves. I really love how that shared understanding and dedication to the child in all situations shows their deep friendship amongst the trio (and Mythrol).

5. “I’ve spent much time on Tatooine. I never saw a Mandalorian there.” (Chapter 9: The Marshal)

Mando’s response to Gor Karesh insisting that he knows of a Mandalorian on Tatooine could potentially be telling us more than we’re aware of. As far as we know, Mando’s only been to Tatooine once—and it was only for two days, tops. But here, he’s saying he’s “spent much time” there, which means it’s possible that Mando lived on Tatooine for a time while the Bounty Hunter’s Guild still operated out of there. If you think about it more, Mando knew exactly where to go for some work in Chapter 5, another hint that there’s more to Mando’s time on Tatooine than we’re aware of. The same thing could be said about his knowledge of Tusken and his friendship with the Sand People. Any time we get a potential hint of Mando’s backstory, I’m excited about it!

6. “Am I under arrest?” (Chapter 10: The Passenger)

This line comes quickly in the midst of Mando’s conversation with the New Republic pilots in Chapter 10, but I really love it. These few words say a lot about Mando’s character and how he responds to praise. He’s just been told all about his heroics in Chapter 6, when he risked his own life for Lieutenant Davan and reprimanded Mayfeld, Xi’an, and Burg—and when asked whether it was true, Mando offers no confirmation. He doesn’t even own up to his good acts. Instead, he simply acts this question, remaining the practical man we know him to be. This truly shows us the humble nature of Mando and how he tries his best to focus on the present rather than dwelling on things he’s done in the past, good or bad.

7. “... talent without training is nothing.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

On the surface, this seems like a very practical statement that many Jedi make throughout the series (see Ahsoka talking to Mando in Chapter 13 and Obi-Wan talking to Luke in Episode IV: A New Hope). When you think about it more, especially in context, you might be able to see Luke hinting at something much deeper. Luke heard Grogu’s cry for help from the Seeing Stone where it’s very possible Grogu was talking about his desire to protect his father by strengthening his abilities. Luke knows all too well what happens when you abandon training in an attempt to protect those you love—as for him, it didn’t go well. Yoda tried to warn him but he didn’t listen. Now that he’s learned his lesson, Luke can offer this wisdom to a Grogu who wants to keep his father safe. He knows that training first will then allow Grogu to protect himself and his father to his heart’s content, just as Luke was better able to protect his friends in Episode VI after he finished his training.

8. “Okay, I’m gonna protect you.” (Chapter 14: The Tragedy)

The scene in which this line is delivered is what truly establishes this episode as a tragedy. Mando’s tried three times to break through Grogu’s Force-field—not because he wasn’t thinking, but because he was so desperate—and now he has to come to terms with the fact that he’ll only hurt himself more if he keeps trying it again and again. Mando’s voice is pretty shaky if you listen to it closely enough in these lines, reluctant to leave his child atop the mountain alone but eager to protect him somehow. We know Mando doesn’t like to feel helpless, but we can sense he feels that way in this moment. He doesn’t even know if Grogu can hear him, yet he keeps speaking to him with such fierce protectiveness and reassurance. This is a promise he doesn’t fall through with, even if Grogu does fall into the Imperials’ hands for a time.

9. “Give it to me.” (Chapter 15: The Believer)

This is the moment where we all really knew what was about to go down. What I love about this quote is that Mando says it with no remorse. He says it firmly, insisting upon doing whatever it takes to get those coordinates and get to Grogu. He’s already made up his mind. Despite the fact he gave his word earlier about not showing his face, Mando’s going to do what he has to for his son. The firm way this line is delivered proves that, especially when he shifts from taking a backseat to Mayfeld to taking charge again as he pulls the data stick right from Mayfeld’s grip. I just really love Mando’s determination in this scene, despite the circumstances.

10. “I’ll see you again. I promise.” (Chapter 16: The Rescue)

Do I particularly think this line is underrated? No, not the direct meaning of it. But when you watch Star Wars Rebels and think more about the genius of Dave Filoni, there’s a whole new layer of meaning attached to these words. For those who may not have watched the show yet (you definitely should!), Kanan and Hera are two people who care very much for each other (wink wink) who once had to exchange a goodbye very similar to Mando and Grogu. Kanan was about to go on a very dangerous mission without Hera, unsure of what would happen to him, when he delivered these words: “We’ll see each other again. I promise.” This is almost exactly what Mando says to Grogu in the face of their temporary separation. The good news is Kanan and Hera did get to see each other again—but Kanan was changed forever. Will this happen with Mando or Grogu? It’s possible. But it’s just another one of those moments that makes me yell “FILONI!” in Darth Maul style.

[queenofspades6]

More than Partners- The Mandalorian x reader

Not a Jedi Anymore

Chapter 12 of More than Partners

———

Summary: Ahsoka Tano is scared that you’ll fall to the Dark Side by loving the Mandalorian. You are trying to find who you are without the Force, and especially who you want to be?

Warnings: Spoilers of episode 5 season 2 of the Mandalorian. Mentions of clone wars. Anakin Skywalker And Darth Vader

AN: Heyyy! I am very early but I really wanted to post it early for you guys!! I’ll definitely be back every Monday to post another chapter! I have so many ideas for this fanfic. It’s gonna be wonderfullll! I love seeing how reader has changed over the chapters and how independent she tries to become, Jedi or not. I also want to focus on Mando, to see how all along the chapters, he cares more, and more and becomes all caring and protective. Tell me if you want to be tagged in the comments and don’t forget to like, share, and comment, helps me stay motivated for you guys!

A NEW CHAPTER IS OUT EVERY MONDAY

———

<Chapter 11 — Chapter 13>

———

You spent the night away from the Mandalorian, Ahsoka and the Child. You couldn’t face them yet, you wished to wait until the morning to show up when Ahsoka Tano would test Grogu.

When you woke up, and came to see the Child, Mando was already awake, Grogu in his arms cooing when he saw you and stretching his arms towards you.

You smiled to him, and without a word, the Mandalorian gave you the Child in your arms. You patted Grogu’s head and murmured:

“I missed you, little guy.”

Mando was watching you all along. He didn’t really understand your sudden change of behavior. You were usually the one cheering people up and hating avoidance. And to say he was terrified was an understatement. The Mandalorian removed his helmet in front you, yes it was dark and yes you couldn’t decipher his traits, but he had removed it in front of someone, he had broken his Creed in more than a way. He wasn’t regretting that night he had with you, it was something he cherished more than life itself. It was probably the best night of his life, and knowing after all he gave you, all he sacrificed, you were slowly going away from him. The bounty hunter didn’t show it, and he was grateful for his helmet, but it hurt, watching you indifferent, like nothing happened between both of you. He thought after that night you spent in Sorgan together, everything would be easier, but definitely not, it was worst. You only remained cordial with him, as if that night was only a mean to satisfy your common needs.

“Y/N.”He whispered, an ounce of despair in his voice.

“Mando.”

“Ahsoka told me Grogu is the same species as someone named Yodu.”

You giggled awkwardly, putting a hand on your mouth and holding the Child in your other hand.

“It’s not “Yodu”, Mando, it’s Yoda.”You replied, a small smirk drawing on your lips.

“Yodu, Yoda, that’s the same.”

You laughed again. It made you feel a bit more relaxed. You felt your anxiety slowly fading in presence of the Mandalorian.

“The Jedi told me the Child was trying to be trained and they hid him when the Jedi Temple was destroyed in Coruscant.”He stated, trying to make you talk to him.

“She is no Jedi.”

“What?”He questioned, eyebrows raised in wonder behind his heavy helmet.

“Ahsoka Tano is not a Jedi. She uses the Force, that’s all.”You answered harshly slowly putting the Child on a rock, and turning your back to Mando.

“But she is a Jedi. She has lightsabers and she uses the thing called the Force.”

“She is not! Not every person that uses the Force is a Jedi.”

The Mandalorian sighed and tilted his head.

“What?”You interrogated, hands on your hips and clenching your teeth.

“What are you then?”

You felt the tears rushing to your eyes, and you did your best to hold them. What were you? That was a simple question, and yet, you couldn’t reply.

“I don’t know anymore!”You spitted, water flowing in your eyes.”Now let me alone, Mando!”

“Y/N! I didn’t say that to hurt you.”He declared, rushing to your sides.

“Am I interrupting something?”Ahsoka Tano asked staring at you, and then at the Mandalorian.

“No, nothing.”You answered.

“Then, I am going to test the Child.”

Mando acquiesced, and you did the same, taking some steps back.

Ahsoka Tano closed her eyes, focused on the feeling of power and balance in her body. She put her arm in front of her, a stone resting in the palm of her hand, and then, using the Force, she twirled the stone in a stable and slow line to Grogu’s hands.

“Now, return the stone to me, Grogu.”Ahsoka asked in a reassuring tone.

“He doesn’t understand.”Mando replied immediately.

“He does.”You answered harshly.

Ahsoka tries to reassure the Child with a soft and slow tone, but he whined and looked at you and the Mandalorian. The bounty hunter did a little head nod gesturing to the Child to give back the stone to the ex-Jedi. At that moment, you felt your anger fade. It was for these little things you loved Din Djarin, and that was why it was so difficult to choose, or to make your own path. You were not Master Yoda after all. Even if your old Master had adviced you to follow your heart, how could you be sure you didn’t imagine him saying that to comfort you and make your decision right?

The Child let the stone clatter on the ground, avoiding both your and the Mandalorian’s gaze. Ahsoka sighed, and advanced towards the Child.

“I sense much fear in you.”

You sighed and felt a bit jealous of Ahsoka’s sweetness and natural gentleness. Where she was soft and caring, you were rough and stubborn. Maybe that’s why you got along so well with Anakin Skywalker.

“Come here.”Ahsoka said in an authoritative tone.

“He’s stubborn.”Mando replied, glancing at you discreetly.

“Not him. You. I want to see if he’ll listen to you.”

“That would be a first.”

Mando took Ahsoka’s place, and stared at you, and then at the Child. The ex-Jedi was explaining to the Mandalorian what to do, while you focused on the Force, trying to empty your head of any thoughts or emotions. For an instant, you could feel Grogu’s fear for his ability with the Force, his fear to lose both you and the Mandalorian, but what you sensed trouble you. Love. The Child loved you and the Mandalorian. A lot. You were like a mother to him, and Mando was like a Father. And then your link with the Force was broken by your anger and your feelings rushing like a wave hitting you all at once.

“Alright, kid. Lift the stone.”

“Come on.”You whispered to him a shy smile on your lips.”You can do it. We believe in you, Grogu.”

The Child looked at Mando with intensity and tries to connect with him through the Force.

“Stubborn like his father.”You thought referring to the Child and Mando, and Ahsoka glanced at you, a strict look on her face. At least, the Force was still with you.

“Grogu.”Mando murmured, the small thing that had became the Child’s toy in his hands.

Again, you fell in love with the Mandalorian. Just that small gesture, him playing with the Child’s toy, he made you remember why you were here in the first place. The Child and the Mandalorian had became your home.

“Come on you can have it.”

You nodded to Grogu, an affectionate smile on your face.

The Child stared at his toy, and then, with only a little push, the toy came to his hand. He cooed and Mando congratulated him, proud of his little youngling.

“That’s really great, little one.”You declared, patting his head in reward.

“He’s formed a strong attachment to both of you.”The ex-Jedi shouted.

You nodded.

“I cannot train him.”

“What?”Mando stammered, standing up straight away.”Why not? You’ve seen what he can do.”

“His attachment to you and Y/N makes him vulnerable to his fears. His anger.”

“All the more reason to train him.”The Mandalorian exclaimed.

“No. I’ve seen what such feelings can do to a fully trained Jedi Knight. To the best of us. Ask Y/N. She knows why I can’t train him, and she understands it more than anyone else.”

“I will not start this child down that path. Better to let his abilities fade.”

“But Ahsoka, we can’t do that! The Child has an ability, we need to train him, we can’t let that go to waste!”You screamed, grabbing Ahsoka’s arm to make her listen.

“I can’t, Y/N. You are in the best position to know why. You’ve seen what a Jedi can do when his feelings take over. For all of our sakes, I can’t train him.”

“Then I’ll train him.”You declared solemnly.

“You? The Force is really strong in you, Y/N, but your feelings make you unstable. Have you told him?”Ahsoka gestured to the Mandalorian.

“Tell me what?”He asked, looking at you with sudden interest.

You looked at the ground, ashamed.

“That’s what I thought. Y/N has troubles using the Force. Her powers are fading. She can’t control her feelings, and that’s making her impotent.”

The Mandalorian peered at you. He approached you carefully and asked:

“Is it true?”

Even if he had his helmet hiding his face, you could swear his eyes were staring at your soul.

“Yes. It’s true.”

He took some small steps towards you and you can only see the beskar of his helmet in front of you.

“What did you not tell me?”

“I was afraid of how you would react! I don’t know what to do anymore, Mando. I am useless to you without the Force, I only have my lightsaber. I was a Jedi all my life, and now that I can’t control my feelings, I need to discover who I am really.”You murmured, your voice breaking a bit.

“You should have told me, Y/N. You can tell me everything.”He whispered, caressing your cheek with his gloved hand.

“I thought you would try to get rid of me.”

“It hasn’t even cross my mind. Not after what happened between us. I want you to stay.”

Ahsoka Tano cleared her throat.

“I don’t want to disturb your touching conversation, but I’ve delayed too long, I must get back to the village.”

The Mandalorian sighed. He knew you were going to tell him more about your past and Ahsoka had interrupted you.

“The Magistrate sent me to kill you. I didn’t agree with anything. And I’ll help you with your problem, if you see to it that Grogu is properly trained.”The Mandalorian uttered, willing to do whatever it would take to see Grogu be trained.

“And I’ll help.”You vociferated, your hand on your lightsaber.”I may have troubles using the Force, but I do know how to fight.”

*****

You, Ahsoka, and Mando were ready to free the villagers and make Morgan Elsbeth pay for what she made these people endured. Maybe you weren’t a Jedi anymore, but you knew you wanted to fight for freedom, and peace, even if it was the greatest lie of the Universe.

You heard an alarm ringing. You and Mando exchanged a look.

Ahsoka Tano had arrived.

You and the Mandalorian were waiting for the proper moment to free the prisoners while the ex-Jedi would take care of that Morgan Elsbeth. Even if the Force wasn’t as strong as before within you, it hadn’t betrayed you when it came to that woman. She was a monster, and, on that point, the Force wasn’t wrong.

A guard was going to kill a prisoner. Mando was going to take care of him, but with a small nod, he understood you wanted to take care of him. You rushed to the guard’s sides who startled discovering you. You initiated your lightsaber in a rapid motion and your saber went through the guard’s stomach. The guard collapsed on the ground.

Mando surprised a villager who was going to try to save the prisoners’lives. You, the Mandalorian and the villager freed the prisonners, and tried to shelter as many people as possible.

The captain was here, admiring Mando with a threatening gaze. You rushed to his sides and initiated your lightsaber again. You really wanted to slice that guy.

“So you threw in with the Jedi?”The captain asked, surprised to see Ahsoka behind the Mandalorian.

“Looks that way.”

“Who do you think’s gonna win. Could be your side… Could be my side…”The captain declared, a sadistic smile appearing on his thin lips.

“Can I kill him, please?”You asked Mando.”I can’t bear his little smile.”

“I got no quarrel with you and your whore, Mandalorian.”

“Mando, please? Can I show him whose the whore?”You whispered.

“Wait. Don’t rush things, Y/N.”

“You and I are a lot alike. Willing to lay our lives down for the right cause. Which this is not. Sounds like you win.”

The captain put his weapon on the ground, and Mando removed his hand from his blaster. You saw the captain pulling a blaster out of his pocket quickly. Instinctively, you threw your lightsaber and pierced the captain’s stomach with the blade, returning after in your hand like nothing happened.

“Good job, Y/N.”

The same villager who wanted to save the prisoners came out of his hiding place to thank you and the Mandalorian, and then he screamed:

“Behind you, Jedi!”

Mando unsheathed his blaster and fired without even looking up.

“Thanks Mando. Looks like we’re even.”

“Hmm. You still owe me explanations, Y/N.”

“You’re right. All in due time.”

You waited for the bounty hunter at the ship. You were cuddling with the Child. You couldn’t say goodbye to him. He was family. How could you even say goodbye to someone you loved.

“I am gonna miss you, little guy. So much.”

The Child cooed in reply.

“I am back. It’s time.”Mando announced himself, taking the Child in his arms and talking to him softly.

“What will we do after, Mando? Without him?”

“I- I didn’t think of that.”

You both remained silent for an instant, trying to consider life without the Child, just both of you. A Mandalorian and an ex-Jedi.

“Mandalorian, you’re like a father to him. And Y/N, you’re like a mother to him. I cannot train him.”Ahsoka Tano stated waiting fro both of you in front of the Razor Crest.

“You made me a promise, and I held up my end.”

“There is one possibility.”Ahsoka began to say, not leaving your gaze.”Go to the planet Tython. You will find the ancient ruins of a temple that has a strong connection to the Force. Place Grogu on the seeing stone at the top of the mountain.”

“Then what?”Mando asked, holding softly the Child.

“Then Grogu may choose his path. If he reaches out through the Force, there’s a chance a Jedi may sense his presence and come searching for him. Then again, there aren’t many Jedi left.”

“Thank you.”The bounty hunter replied.

“May I have a word with Y/N before you go?”

The Mandalorian nodded, and let you talk with Ahsoka, your old friend.

“I suppose you don’t want to stay.”

“I have found a home, Ahsoka.”

“You are right. You’ve grown, Y/N. Master Yoda would be proud. He always expected a lot from you. He trusted you with his life.”

“I don’t deserve his recognition. Not yet.”You murmured to Ahsoka, as to yourself.

“I’ll miss you, Y/N, but you’ve found your own path. All I can say now is be careful with your feelings, don’t fall to the Dark Side. Don’t become like Anakin. Please.”

Listening to Ahsoka talking, you noticed at that moment she was vulnerable. She lost her old master. Anakin Skywalker who became Darth Vader. And in Ahsoka’s heart, that was something that made an indelible scar. She didn’t want to lose another friend to the Dark Side. Not again.

“I’ve succumbed to my feelings, but I realized that isn’t something necessarily bad. But I can promise you one thing, Ahsoka, I won’t fall to the Dark Side.”

Ahsoka fell into your arms, her arms embracing your smaller body. She had grown a lot since you’d last seen her. She wasn’t that reckless Padawan anymore, she was a woman. Not a Jedi, but she chose to do what was best for everyone.

“Thank you Ahsoka.”

“For what, Y/N?”

“You made me realize I am not a Jedi anymore. I am more than that. More than that title. I’ll be better than the Jedi where they failed before; Better than the Siths. What made Anakin fall to the Dark Side wasn’t love, it was the Jedi Code, if love had been allowed, he wouldn’t have turned to the Dark Side. I know what to do now. The Jedi Order isn’t anymore, and so is their Code. And you know what, I’ll love, I’ll let myself feel while using the Force. It’s who I am, Ahsoka. I don’t know what’ll happen, but I’ll make my own way. I’ll bring my guilt and shame along with me on that path, but I’ll be better than the Jedi and the Siths. That’s my promise to you.”

“I believe you. Take care of Grogu for me, and don’t give up on the Mandalorian. He seems stubborn, deadly and reckless, but he cares for you. He even threatens to kill me if I hurt you.”She admitted, a genuine smile appearing on her lips.

You giggled, and smirked. It was definitely your Mandalorian.

“I’ll try, Ahsoka. But I can’t promise I won’t slice him in two.”You laughed.

“Goodbye my friend.”

Walking towards the Razor Crest, you waved to Ahsoka Tano, your old friend you would probably never see again.

“Y/N. We were waiting for you.”Mando stated, gesturing to your seat near his on the ship.

“I need to tell you, Mando.”

He tilted his helmet in wonder, waiting for your answer.

“I am not a Jedi anymore.”

———

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———

⬇️ Chapter 13 ⬇️

[catfur-and-greenscales]

I wonder why humans are so upset that Bo-Katan isn't nice.

I mean. She is an ex member of radical terrorist group she joined to oppose the new traditions her close family had adopted and embraced. And apparently big part of the citysens of Kalevala.

Bo-Katan was in war against her own sister.

And she only became upset of it when Maul, a foreigner, started to play with the same rules than she had helped to establish in her group. And she was upset that the right to rule was transferred to Maul.

((Wait.. Ahsoka did beat Maul in Mandalore. She's still alive and ... oof. Bo-Katan knows she's alive. Run Ahsoka, run.))

That was the only reason she started to plot against him. She did not really change any of her ways and she just did not like the ways the followers of Maul went to, so she wanted to kick them out and made things suitable for her views.

We don't know what has happened between the end of the Clone Wars, Solo and the Rebels. But Maul has the Dark Sabre in The Rebels. Until they just pick it up and decide to bring it to Bo-Katan.

Who takes it. We don't yet know why excately she takes it from Sabine and could not take it from Mando, but maybe there is a difference in it by the way they accuired it? I mean Sabine just picked it up from somewhere a man who had devoted his life to finding Obi-Wan Kenobi had left it lay around and Sabine was also an outcast to her own family. When this is compared to Din Djarin who won it in a hand to hand combat and is a ... very Mandalorian if we may say there is quite many reasons why Bo-Katan might act differently. But who know. Anyway we'll probably be smarter soonish. Hopefully.

Bo-Katan somehow lost the control of the Darksaber to Gideon. We don't know how but it clearly pisses her off. So maybe she lost her right just to grab it? And she now has to prove that she can carry it?

Enough about the darksaber.

Bo-Katan is a marvelous character. I really do like her. But her attemptions to grab the power in Mandalore seems to get harder and harder.

I am wondering how other mandalorians may see her. By other mandalorians I mean not members of her clan, or clans of her friends. She was a radicalist, terrorist and then she even backstabbed the regime she helped to create. She did fight against the Empire but it does not necessarily make you a good person or someone with noble ideas. It is visible when she despices Boba because he's a clone. Yet I am not sure does she know he's an unaltered clone. But it does not really matter since she is still very unnice to him. She is also rather unnice towards Din. Not openly but her way to see Dins way as a herecy is rather clear, so clear that she feels necessary to draw the difference between them.

She alters the deal between Din and her group. What should not surprise the viewers since we know that she's using all she gots. Like in Clone Wars when she uses or tries to use the memory of Satine, her own sister, to sway Obi-Wan to do what she wants him to do.

Summa summarum she is not nice, but she is still a great character.

[ashen-sky]

Star Wars July prompts

Two years ago (wow has it really been two years) I made 31 prompts for Ace Attorney for the month of July. You can find that here, it’s the first chapter with the prompt list.

Rules: Can be completed as drawings, comics, writing, ect.- feel free to complete them before hand and queue them for the day of- the prompts should be the focal point of the piece but otherwise do what you want - tag me please!

1. Babies (that’s it, that’s the prompt)

2. “Can I keep it?”

3. Leia’s pregnancy with Ben/Kylo Ren

4.  A droid spa day

5. Daycare AU

6. Anakin using bad pick up lines on Padme

7.  Master Yoda and Padawan Count Dooku

8. Anakin needs sleep

9. Obi-Wan x Satine’s not quite relationship

10. Modern video game night (clones edition)

11. Mando and Grogu go to the market

12. Han X Leia proposal

13. Bounty hunter team up (minimum team of 3)

14. 1 + 1= Window (who do you think about first?)

15. Modern Kylo Ren/ Rey gym date 

16. Beach day (modern or in universe)

17. Luke and Leia raised together

18. Ship of choice aquarium date

19. Modern video game night (Jedi edition)

20. A night at 79s

21. Lux x Ahsoka puppy love

22. Obi-Wan dies on Naboo instead of Qui gon

23. No order 66 AU

24. Character A rants to character B about their crush

25. Luke and Leia are forced to take a break

26. Bad batch & Domino squad babysit Luke and Leia (cause neither are competent enough)

27. Wedding (Leia x Han or Padme x Anakin)

28. Crossover AU*

29. Council tea time

30. “One thing I wish I’d said sooner”

31. Freebie!

Feel free to send questions to my ask box and remember to tag me in your works!

Note for all ship prompts: I stuck with canon/canon adjacent ships, I am aware that not everyone agrees with certain ships for very valid reasons and personal preference so feel free to swap them out or skip them all together.

*While crossovers typically involve characters from different worlds meeting, you can also just pick the star wars characters up and drop them in another universe (I.e the jedi are all marvel heros, ect.)

[something-tofightfor]

Magnetic; Din’s POV - Part 3 (Chapter 4)

Pairing: None… really.

Word Count: 3,884

Rating: This is just kind of angsty, no real warning.

Summary: Din gets to know you a little better as the three of you settle into your new routine - and having a conversation late one night makes him realize the most important thing about you. 

Author’s note:

I apologize for how late this is going up. I got sidetracked and then had to edit. Oops. 

This goes alongside chapter 4 of Magnetic.  As I said with the last chapter - If there are any specific scenes that you’re DYING to know about from his point of view as I move through the story, please feel free to send a message or leave a comment, and I’ll be sure to include them.

It didn’t take long for him to gather his things the following morning. Eyes opening with the sun, Din sat up, noticing that Grogu’s eyes were open, too - the child staring at him from within his floating carriage. “Morning, kid.” Grogu cooed softly, lifting one hand to his mouth, and with a sigh, Din swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Hungry?” He already knew the answer, but before he began putting his armor back on, Din opened one of the packages of food he’d brought, handing it over. “Eat. We’re leaving in a few minutes.” While he wasn’t looking forward to having to constantly worry about your presence on the ship with the two of them, Din was excited to be back in flight, moving through the stars with Grogu in the co-pilot’s seat. I’ll get used to it. And if she can’t hear me… By the time he was fully armored, Grogu was finished eating, and the two of them emerged from the room into the early morning sunlight. Cara and Karga were waiting in the entryway of the inn’s main room, and while they both stayed mostly quiet, it was a relief to see them again. This feels … normal. There was no need to make conversation, even though Cara’s focus was on the kid, and the sound of your voice caught the man off guard, Din’s head swiveling toward the hall where you were. But you didn’t greet him, instead focusing on Grogu, too, the kid’s attention immediately shifting from Cara to you. That’s unexpected. As the six of you made your way from the inn back toward the ship, Din was surprised to hear that you fell into conversation with Karga and Cara easily, although the pilot kept quiet. He could see her glancing at him every now and then, but he ignored it, choosing to keep his helmet facing forward. At least I won’t have to worry about anything like that on the ship. He smiled beneath the beskar, finally turning his head at the sound of your laughter, your comment about Grogu’s reaction to Cara’s words drawing a quick snort from him before he caught himself. Not the time. But even as he stopped himself, he found that his mind was wandering. When’s the last time someone made me laugh like that? 

 He gave you five minutes to say goodbye and check your ship once more for stray belongings, and as you turned away, he finally faced Cara and Karga, eyeing the two of them. “Guess this is goodbye, Mando?” The other man spoke, a single nod from Din the only reply. “You know, without you taking things regularly, the bounties have been piling up.” “Good.” Din straightened his shoulders, one hand on his hip. “More work for when I come back.” Karga laughed, leaning forward and waving at Grogu before he turned and walked away, muttering under his breath about the Mandalorian’s cocksure attitude. Cara stood with her arms crossed, head tilted to the side. “What?” “You’re going to have your hands full, Mando.” With the kid? I know. “Do me a favor.” She leaned in, eyes bright. “Give her a chance.” Her? “She cares about the kid. She’s gonna be a huge help to you, and …” “What are you saying?” He glanced at Grogu, watching as the child looked between the two of them. What is she thinking, kid? “You -” “She’s been with him for just as long as you were, Mando. She knows him differently than you do. Let her … talk to her. It can’t hurt.” She’d been just as adamant about Omera, about giving that woman a chance, but there was something new in Cara’s voice as she spoke about you, and the man knew that it was because Grogu was directly involved. But what is … she isn’t wrong. “No promises, Cara.” Din sighed, reaching a gloved hand out. “I’ll see you soon.” She gave him a lopsided smile, shaking his hand quickly before pulling it back and bending down to kiss the top of Grogu’s head. He blinked up at her slowly, raising a hand in a quick wave, but the moment she turned her back, Grogu’s attention was back on Din, the kid’s eyes moving from the man to the ship and back. “Yeah, kid. Let’s go.” Adjusting his bag, Din began to walk for the lowered ramp, Grogu floating close behind. --- 

 He heard you coming before he heard you speak, but Din didn’t turn to greet you, instead waiting for you to take a seat to his left. I’ll - His words melted away before he could even open his mouth at the sight of the kid making his way into your lap, twisting his tiny body to look up at you. What’s going on? “What’s he saying? If he’s -” Din watched the expression on your face shift from confusion to surprise, but it was like a blaster shot to the chest to hear the words you spoke. Of course he’d notice. “It’s not the same ship. I… he wouldn’t have …” Damn.  “Let’s get out of here, and then I’ll explain.” As he began the takeoff process, Din’s mind traveled back to the moment on Tython he’d watched the ship explode, to the time he’d spent sifting through the ashes and rubble, unearthing only a few small pieces of beskar in the spear and the ball. I’ll… I’ll give that to him after I explain. He made it through the retelling of the story of Gideon’s attack without faltering, taking Grogu from you halfway through. I know, pal. It hurts. It hurts to… But it didn’t hurt worse than you telling him that Grogu was apologizing for his part in the destruction, Din’s arms tightening around the small figure and his breath catching. “I’m just glad we weren’t on it.” At that, he saw your reaction, a visible stiffening of your body, but Din didn’t focus on it, instead reaching into his pouch for the beskar sphere. Grogu’s reaction was immediate, his arms rising to reach for it, nearly snatching it from the Mandalorian’s hands. Knew you’d be happy to see that. He was smiling again, focused on Grogu as he turned to show you his prize, but again Din’s breath hitched at your revelation that he’d shown you the ball and other memories through dreams. She can see dreams? I… Moving Grogu from his lap and back onto the empty seat, Din waited for your reply, hands resting in his lap. This could be dangerous. He didn’t know what he expected from you, but a simple explanation - you easily equating the way you used your ability to what he did with his skills - was not it. Grogu made his way back into the man’s lap without much delay, but Din was focused on you instead, hanging onto your words. I’ve never had the Force explained like this before. He had questions for you - a ton of them - but kept it to simple ones, relevant to only the current conversation. We’re not … I can’t ask things like that. We don’t know each other. But the dreams, that… and Grogu? As he listened to you explain the Force and your apparent ability to listen in on the dreams of other powerful Force users, Din found himself wondering just how strong you were. Does … is she like Ahsoka? Like Skywalker? Is she more powerful than Grogu? Can she… But it wasn’t until you mentioned the mudhorn that Din’s attention snapped back to your face, watching as you eyed the signet on his pauldron. She’s smart. He questioned your abilities without thinking, the words falling from his lips before he could stop them, and the man winced as you froze. That’s not … not something she likes talking about. There was an undercurrent to your words, to the explanation that you wouldn’t even try to move objects or suspend them, and Din decided  to move on, even though you gave him a little more information. She doesn’t owe me, and she’s still trying to explain. He saw your tears and for the first time in many months, felt conflicted about causing someone distress. I’m not interrogating her, I shouldn’t have asked. Especially since she says she hurt someone. He frowned, watching as you glanced down at the child, pausing before you wiped beneath your eyes. She doesn’t want me to see her like this. Or maybe she doesn’t want the kid to. It was something to think about, and Din filed away the information for later, deciding to change the subject - though he never got the chance. “So, Mando. It looks like you don’t have to worry about me in your head or in your dreams.” About that. His admission - and your reply - again stunned him, and Din felt the confusion within him strengthening. So the beskar keeps my thoughts private, but it might not matter when it comes to dreams because she can only see the kid’s because he… projects them.  It was a lot to take in, and so Din switched his focus to something that he was much more comfortable with: outlining the bounty itinerary. 

 There was no reason for him to announce his plans to you, but he did it anyway, explaining the order that he’d chosen out loud while still thinking about the conversation you’d just had. It was nice to have the additional connection between himself and the kid, though it would  take some getting used to. But she’s here to help. And she might … she might be the thing that keeps him with me. You kept quiet as he spoke, Din’s eyes on you though he kept the helmet facing forward… and Cara’s words echoing in his mind. Give her a chance. 

 --- 

 It took a few days to settle in, but the three of you made the most of being on the ship and the limited amount of space you had. Din was used to it, but he could tell that you weren’t, often finding you pacing in the small sleeping quarters that he’d given to you, or aimlessly organizing and sorting through supplies while he and Grogu did other things. You never complained, though, and Din was surprised at that.

He was even more surprised at how vigilant you were - it hadn’t been specified that you’d be responsible for teaching Grogu, or caring for him while the man piloted the ship, but you did both without question. It wasn’t uncommon for the man to find you and the child in the cargo hold, working on different skills. He watched the kid pass items to you, find things that you’d hidden, open doors and drawers, and even levitate his entire body a few inches off of the floor for a few minutes at a time. He couldn’t do those things before. Not like this. He was content to watch - the two of you clearly had a routine, but Grogu didn’t let him sit on the sidelines for long, pulling him into whatever he was doing with coos and wide smiles. Din couldn’t turn him down, especially when there wasn’t much else to do on the way to the first bounty, and so he allowed himself to relax slightly, getting used to being around the kid again. It was strange to him after a year apart to hear the kid’s vocalizations throughout the ship, or to see him climbing around, but Din didn’t take a single second for granted, keeping his eyes on the kid whenever possible, never hesitating to speak to him or reach for him. The first bounty was difficult, but he knew that it wouldn’t give him trouble, and so he felt confident in letting his attention wander, mostly when he was sitting in the pilot’s chair and watching the endless expanse of space. You were in hyperspace, sure, and the man had filtered the glass to make it less bright, even through the visor, but he could still see the streaks of light ahead of him. The view from the cockpit had always calmed the Mandalorian, and it was no different with the kid sleeping beside or behind him, the hours stretching on. But there was more for Din to consider than the kid or the bounties, and he found his thoughts returning to you more often than he’d expected. When he’d given you the tour of the Razor II, you’d listened quietly as he’d explained what the different areas of the ship were, what the weapons in the locker could do. You’d asked questions, but they weren’t invasive - instead, he realized that you were just collecting the information necessary to make the following weeks bearable. He found himself speaking to you more than he’d intended, going into the history of some of the weapons, outlining the reason that he’d wanted to give you the sleeping quarters instead of keeping them for himself, even though the cot on the bottom level of the ship was much too small to be truly comfortable for someone his size. But it means being able to take my helmet off with the kid. He’d never traveled long term with a woman before, so everything was new to Din, but you took the information without challenging him, thanking him and smiling. You gave the two of them the space he’d hoped for, but despite your overall friendly demeanor and welcoming tone, he noticed you pulling away slightly between the first and second bounties, took stock of the fact that you spoke less and less to him as the days passed unless you were directly spoken to. But why? It distracted him slightly; giving him pause as he tracked the bounty on Cadevine, wondering how you could switch between being around the kid all the time to distancing yourself, how you could go from being surrounded by people at the Academy that you could read to essentially being alone in a ship with only Grogu to listen to. It has to be hard for her. The tracking fob’s blinking became more frantic and Din’s thoughts shifted, moving from you and back to the task at hand. I’ll talk to her about it.. I’ll … make it better for her. 

 It was unlike him - to speak so much and so openly with someone that he barely knew - but as a way to ease into it, Din asked you more questions about Grogu and the Academy, trying to find a way to get you talking. Why? Why do I want to do that so much? He wasn’t certain of the answer to that question, but he would have been lying to himself if he’d said that he didn’t enjoy listening to you speak, hearing Grogu’s thoughts out loud for a change right alongside yours. Your life had been much different than his, and your habits were still much different than his, but listening to you was a chance for the Mandalaorian to relax, something that he wouldn’t ever take for granted. Halfway between the third and fourth bounties, something shifted between the two of you. He’d been dozing in the cockpit when he heard you climbing the ladder, pausing outside of the doorway. If I don’t move, she’ll just go into her room. Instead of letting that happen, Din invited you in, unsure of what he wanted to say to you until you made your suggestion of taking a break. It wasn’t a surprise to him - stopping for a day or two had been on his mind, too, but hearing you say it out loud convinced him that it was the right call. But she can’t just … You seemed surprised at his questioning of where you’d be if the two of them had a chance to spend more time together, and again he couldn’t stop himself from reminding you that you weren’t there to simply stick to the background. 

 Your explanation shocked him, but Din let you speak, making note of the mention of your friend Bari, along with your assessment of your place on the ship and in Grogu’s life. She shouldn’t feel like that. He was happy to have the kid back - happier than he’d been in months, but didn’t like that it was at your expense. I have to find a way to change that.  He’d been just as surprised at the joke he’d made as you were, and Din was quick to clear his throat, moving the conversation along. Unexpectedly, the conversation shifted to your understanding of Grogu’s species, something else Din had wondered extensively about. In all his time bounty hunting, there’d never been another encounter with anything like him, and with the information you had, it confirmed to the man that the kid was just as special as he’d assumed him to be. And that’s why it was important to go. One of a kind? He needed to be with people like him. Din hadn’t planned on asking you questions about Grogu’s past, but once he began, he couldn’t stop. You didn’t have the answers, but at the flash of emotion passing through your eyes as you admitted that you’d tried to figure it out, he stiffened and then forced himself to relax, thinking. If they asked her to try, that must mean… they must be … He didn’t have much time to contemplate your closeness with the child, instead feeling an overwhelming concern for you - and for Grogu - as you admitted that Grogu had attacked you using his power in order to keep you from digging deeply through his mind. The way you spoke about it casually was concerning to him, and for the first time, Din wondered just how much you were willing to ignore and accept for the kid’s sake. The way I would. The way I did. “You care about him. Even after -” You justified Grogu’s behavior, writing it off as a traumatized child that had suffered instead of blaming him for it, and despite the fact that he couldn’t read your thoughts, he realized in that moment that there was something different about you. She … it’s real. Everything she’s saying. They aren’t lines, it’s not … The realization scared him, but it also made him much more aware of you, too. You weren’t just a teacher or a caretaker - you were just as much family to Grogu as Din himself was. And that means that this is … hard for her. He hadn’t considered that before, because he’d been so focused on what having the kid back meant to him, but even though it was still early on in the trip, he knew that things had to change. I need to … need to give her a real chance. Need to … let her in, to help her understand. “Why haven’t you asked more about me? About the bounties, about my past, about my armor… or Mandalore?” It was a risk - he knew it - but it was worth it to the man. This is … this changes everything. But you were still timid with what you asked him, and though there were slight challenges in your words and tone, Din wasn’t uncomfortable with the things that you did question - or what you said about him. It was a welcome change to hear someone freely speak to him, to call him out and make assumptions based on what little they knew. And she isn’t wrong about much. He smiled to himself before he answered, admitting that he had hesitated when it came to letting Grogu go in the end, but that didn’t phase you. And she’s… using Mando’a. You weren’t fluent, but still, hearing the word for family come from your mouth sent a chill through his body. He’d heard it once, via transmission, but watching you speak the word with no pause was a different story, his eyes focused on the way it looked and sounded leaving your mouth. I should speak it more around her. Teach her more if I can. It’ll help Grogu, too. That loosened him up a little more, and Din felt bold enough to ask you to keep going. Your honesty was refreshing, and while you were analyzing him, Din wasn’t surprised when you turned the conversation to yourself and your own motivation - even though he was surprised by the contents of your admission. She stayed for him? Could have gone anywhere, but she … He knew how easily Grogu had won him over, but again this made Din question your behavior. If that’s true, why is she so willing to sit back and just let me be with him? You wanted what was best for the kid, that much was clear to him, and without pausing to think his words through, Din asked you another question, heart pounding in his chest as he waited for the answer. She calls him that because of me. Calls him … oh, Maker. He felt his mind wandering, even though he was still listening. I learned more tonight than in months. I … this is more. He hated asking you to be the middleman between him and Grogu, but Din didn’t know what else to do. There is no one else. She’s… she’s just as important to him as I am. At the movement of your hand, Din’s attention snapped back to you, but you stopped before you touched him, drawing your hand back. She stopped herself. She … He stood, armor clinking together quietly. Anyone else would have just … Cara and Terys and other women.

His hand was on your shoulder, grip tightening as he spoke - and then tightening further at your reply. Father. I’m his … he calls me... There was no specific word for father in Mando’a; it was interchangeable with mother, but as your answer settled in his mind, he realized that he’d considered himself Grogu’s buir for a long time. And this … this means he still thinks that. With one final squeeze to your shoulder, Din turned and left the cockpit to keep from making the sound that threatened to leave his throat. Father. And she just… kept it going. The night hadn’t been what he’d expected, and neither had the conversation, but as Din climbed down the ladder with shaking hands, he realized that it had been exactly what he’d needed. Now I know. Now she knows that I know. He knew you wouldn’t come after him, and so after a few minutes of pacing in a small circle in front of the cot - and the cubby where the kid was sleeping, swaddled in blankets - Din turned the lights off and began the ritual of removing his armor for the night. What else can I do?

 He used the fresher, splashing water on his face, and then returned to his cot, sliding in beneath the blanket and staring up into the darkness. You’d given him a lot to think about when it came to Grogu and his relationship with the kid, but you’d told him just as much about yourself, too. That night, the last thing Din thought of before he went to sleep was you, and the honest expression that had filled your eyes the entire time you’d spoken. 

 --- 

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