#fennec shand fanfiction

[cissyenthusiast010155]

~𝓕𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓬 𝓢𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 (𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓸𝓵𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓷) & (𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓑𝓸𝓫𝓪 𝓕𝓮𝓽𝓽) 𝓢𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷 1

[flightlessangelwings]

Ktober 2023 Day 20- Toys

Fennec Shand x fem!reader

Word count- 1.1k

Warnings- s.mut (18+ ONLY!), pwp, established relationship, soft dom!Fennec, toys, praise, no use of y/n

Notes- My love for Fennec is undying and she needs more love than she gets here!! Prompt list made by me! Enjoy!

@flightlessangelwings-updates is myupdate blog so please follow that too and turn on post notifs to stay up to date on my new fics!

~

“Look at you,” Fennec purred as she eyed your figure, “So beautiful,” she ghosted her fingers along your bare skin, “So ready for me.”

“Fennec… Please don’t tease me today,” you begged as you bucked your body into her touch.

She gave you a fake pout, “Oh, but it’s so much fun, my dear.”

You looked up at her from where you laid naked on the bed with a pleading expression, “Please…” the word came out as a desperate whine.

Fennec narrowed her eyes as the tone of your voice went right to her pussy. You knew how to tug at her strings, and she was sure you knew her weakness was when you begged like that. She didn’t even have to tie you down; you stayed still on the bed just from her command alone. Fennec had you wrapped around her finger… but you also had her wrapped around yours.

She reached out and caressed your cheek tenderly, “Alright my love,” her tone softened, “What will it be tonight?” Fennec always gave you a choice. Your ability to choose for yourself was important to her, as was your safety. She looked out for you, both in the bedroom and out of it.

“The cock,” your voice strained as you gripped the sheets below you in anticipation, “For both of us.” 

A smirk lit up Fennec’s face, “An excellent choice, my love,” she purred as she reached for the toy.

You wiggled your hips as you readied yourself. From her position between your parted legs, you knew Fennec could see how turned on you were. You could feel your pussy drip as she got the toy ready, and a small whimper escaped your lips before you could stop it.

“Eager, are we?” Fennec asked in a teasing tone.

“Yes, Fennec,” you breathed.

“Good girl,” she cooed as she settled between your legs and eyed your dripping pussy, “You are ready for this already.”

“I told you,” you whispered, “I can’t take the teasing tonight.”

Fennec usually liked to make you beg and plead for her. She loved to play with you, dangle you on the edge for as long as you could stand it until she gave in and gave you what you wanted. She thrived on the expressions and sounds you made as she brought you to the edge before yanking you back again. Fennec spent hours between your legs until you were completely spent before she even thought about her own pleasure. Hell, she even got off herself just on getting you off. But tonight was different. Tonight you needed her and she needed you. 

“Can I watch?” your eyes dropped down to her own pussy as she held the toy close.

Fennec fought to suppress a moan of her own, “Only if you ask nicely,” he smirked, regaining her composure. 

“Please,” you pleaded.

“That’s my good girl,” she purred as she posited one end of the double sided toy at her entrance.

Fennec let out a moan as she slowly pushed one end of the toy inside her, encouraged by the way you watched with sharp eyes. She breathed heavily as she positioned it deep inside her with the other half sticking out and reeled forward to hover over you.

“Fuck,” you breathed.

She smiled down at you as she positioned the other end at your entrance, “Your turn,” her tone was low as she pushed the tip into you.

You cried out as the thick toy slowly stretched you out. Fennec took great care with you, knowing full well she picked a toy with more girth. But, watching you writhe and moan under her almost made her break her composure and she jerked her hips forward until the toy filled you to the brim.

Both of you gasped as Fennec’s hips met yours. She paused for a moment and looked you over to make sure you weren’t hurt. Your eyes had fluttered shut and you let out slow, heavy breaths as you adjusted to the fullness. But, feeling her gaze on you, you opened your eyes and your heart fluttered in your chest when you saw the way Fennec looked at you.

“I’m alright,” you said, knowing what she was thinking, “Please move,” you pleaded.

Fennec grinned as she leaned forward and took your lips with hers. As your lips parted for her, she thrust her hips forward, swallowing the moan you let out. She started a slow you por[ouseful rhythm, pulling the toy almost completely out of you before slamming back into you hard.

You dropped your head down onto the bed and let out a loud cry of pleasure. Wrapping your arms around her, you surrendered yourself to Fennec as she kept her slow yet firm pace. And you let out a whimper when you felt your pussy against yours, your clits rubbing together and creating that much needed friction.

“Fuck… Fennec…”

“You’re so beautiful, my dear,” she cooed as she picked up her pace, fucking you with the toy.

“Please… Fennec…” you didn’t even know exactly what you begged for, you just knew you needed her.

“I’ve got you, love,” she whispered as she thrust the toy into you harder and faster, “Cum for me.”

Skin slapped against skin as Fennec lost control of her pace and rocked into you with abandon. The toy that filled you both and connected you both hit spots that dove you both wild as Fennec found a new angle. Both of you let out loud moans and you lost yourselves in each other. 

Clinging to her, your limbs trembled as your orgasm hit without warning. The warmth spread from your core as Fennec’s toy filled you and her clit rubbed against yours. You let out a loud scream as your climax washed over you.

Fennec was right behind you. Watching you fall apart under her was the last thing she needed to fall apart herself. Feeling your body against hers and hearing you scream her name made her groan, and Fennec leaned forward and bit down on you hard as she came just as hard as you did. She came so hard she saw stars, but the only star that mattered to her was you.

Fully spent, Fennec collapsed down on top of you with a heavy breath. You immediately wrapped your arms and legs around her, holding her close and stroking her back as she came down from ehr high. Fennec never felt anything like this before, and she never had anyone treat her so tenderly as you did. You were special to her, and she never wanted to let you go.

Luckily for Fennec, you were content right where you were. Being under her was the best place in the galaxy to you, where you felt safe and loved and satisfied. Especially when she fucked you like that.

[ghostofskywalker]

A Different Way of Life

Fennec Shand/Fem!Reader

Fictober Day 9 of 31

Words: 1,395

Summary: A princess desperate to get away from the throne you're expected to inherit, you struck a deal with a passing bounty hunter. Originally all you want was to hide away somewhere, but you fall in love with both Fennec and the way she lives.

Flower and Meaning: tulip || royalty and a regal nature

Note: this is my october work for the @yearofcreation2023!

Year of Flowers Masterlist��• Fennec Shand Masterlist

The bag on your shoulder was getting heavier by the second, and you glanced back anxiously at the doors of the palace, desperately hoping that no insomniac cook or servant decided to take a walk through the grounds and gardens.

Looking down at the chronometer on your wrist (that you had swiped from one of the guards), you tried not to freak out. It was three minutes past the time that had been agreed on to pick you up, and there was no one else out here but you. Did she think you wouldn’t have made good on your payment? Did she never intend to show up at all?

Every time you moved, the pouch of credits that rested against your skirt jingled slightly, and your anxiety grew more by the moment. If no one arrived tonight, you would be forced to follow the plan that had been laid out for you since birth, to assume the throne of your planet and spend the rest of your life as a decoration in the palace, someone with no real purpose or duties, expected to smile, wave and dance whenever the government or your family deemed it necessary.

Part of you felt bad for leaving, for abandoning the purpose you had been born for, but there was a clear lineage established and no threat that the throne would fall to dangerous people. You just couldn’t stomach spending the rest of your life as what was essentially a prized show horse, trotted out for special events and ignored the rest of the time. You wanted a life of adventure, and so you desperately sent out communications to people you had met at fancy events, people who you thought might be able to help. One of those people had put you in contact with a bounty hunter named Fennec Shand, who agreed to help you escape your fate.

You had just started to wonder how much longer you should stand out here and wait for something that might not happen when you heard the sound of a ship, and you watched as one descended onto the grassy field in front of you. Among the elation that flooded your brain at the prospect of not having been ignored, you hoped that the sound hadn’t woken anyone up.

The door of the ship opened with a hiss, and you quickly clambered inside, even though your outfit was proving to be slightly troublesome, as the ruffles of your skirt caught on the edge of the doorway. “You’ll definitely need some new clothes,” the woman piloting the ship said, a slight smile on her face as she waited for you to finish stumbling inside.

“That would be very much appreciated,” you said as the doors finally closed and the craft rose back up into the air. You had seen holo images of the woman who was going to be rescuing you before, you knew this was indeed Fennec. And after a few desperate thank yous to the bounty hunter for the important help she was contributing to your life, things had settled down and you were sitting next to her in the cockpit, staring at the blue streaks of hyperspace as they passed you by.

“So, where am I dropping you off?” Fennec’s voice cut into your thoughts, and you turned to look at her with surprise in your eyes.

“I-I don’t know.” For the first time in your life, you had complete control over how you lived, and it had just sunken in at that very moment. However, that freedom also came with the responsibility of keeping yourself alive, something you never really had to worry about before. “Can I just travel with you for a little while?”

It was completely silent for a few moments before you got a response. “I don’t know if the way I live will be that great of a fit for someone like you.”

She had a point there. You had lived most of your life in the lap of luxury, how would you be able to adjust to the ways of someone who cheated, killed, and stole for money? But at the same time, you had nothing lined up for after your escape, which you should have probably thought about before setting all this up in the first place. “I am gifted in negotiations, I can help you in certain situations if needed.”

She paused for a moment before responding. “I don’t exactly do much negotiating, princess.”

You brushed off the negative use of your title, and took a deep breath before you spoke. “I know it may seem useless, but I really don’t have anywhere else to go. I will find something for myself soon, but in the meantime I don’t know if I’ll be able to survive all alone in the galaxy.”

There was something in her eyes that you hoped was mercy, and you were nothing but thankful that you turned about to be right. “Alright,” she said softly. “You can stay with me until we find somewhere you want to be.”

***

As it turned out, you took quite well to a life of adventure. Once you ditched your flouncy floor-length dresses for well-fitting pants, you realized that you were a natural at some of the things Fennec did on the daily basis. Your studies of political negotiation made you a shrewd bargainer, and never once did you fall for the oily smiles of the biggest criminals in the galaxy’s underground network.

Your physical combat abilities took a little more time to develop, and in no way were you as good as the woman you traveled with, but you could hold your own in a fight. The longer you spent on this ship with her, the more you dreaded her finally sitting you down and asking you to leave. There were a couple times where she mentioned something to you offhandedly about leaving, or jokingly said you were going to miss certain aspects of this life when you were gone.

But the truth was, you didn’t want to leave. You had gotten quite attached to Fennec, and you thought that the two of you got along well. Obviously she was not as forthcoming with her emotions as you were, given your vastly different backgrounds, but there was a glimmer of something in her eye that you hoped was the same thing you felt for her.

And one day, it seemed like that fear was going to pass when she sat down across from you in the restaurant she had just had a meeting in, a look in her eyes that you couldn’t quite read. “Can we talk?” she asked.

You nodded, trying not to make it seem like you were at all bothered by the question, when in reality you were mentally freaking out. But that didn’t really work that well, because you blurted out the thing that had been on your mind the most for the last few weeks, just as she responded to your gesture.

“I want to stay here.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

It took a moment for your brain to register her words. “Wait, what?” you asked.

A small smile crossed her face as she responded. “I think it’s time that we figured out what the future is going to look like, and I can tell that you’ve adjusted quite well to the life I live,” she said. “I don’t want to make you feel like you have to leave, and if you want to stay you are more than welcome.”

“I do want to stay,” you said softly, a smile spreading across your face. “This galaxy is a lot bigger than I could have ever imagined, and I really like traveling with you.”

“Then it’s settled,” she said. “We’re officially partners.”

You nodded, and the two of you held up your drinks to clink them together before taking a sip. Partners. The word sounded nice as you thought about it. Maybe one day you would be able to tell her that you’d like to be partners in another sense of the word, but for you you were just happy you didn’t have to ever find anywhere else in the galaxy to stay.

You had the life of adventure that you’d always dreamed of right in front of you, and you never wanted to give it up.

- the end -

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[leapingbadger]

Safe

Summary: It’s finally time to return Jax to his family after his ordeal on Tantis and time on Pabu. But as usual, things don’t go to plan.

Read on AO3

Notes: This follows my general head canon.  You don’t have to read any of the other stuff I have written to understand what is going on but Tested ties directly into this story. If interested you can also check out some of my other stories at these links: Hope; Sunrise; Sunset, Goodbye and Tattoo

Word Count: 4697 (sorry, it's a long one)

***

It had taken a while to get to this point, but Hunter was still nervous. Rex had heard from Ventress and Vos and they were ready to get Jax and his family back together. They thought it best that they do this with one kid at a time in an effort to draw less attention.

With his family extracted and at a safe house, Hunter and Omega were tasked with transporting Jax. Crosshair had been less than enthusiastic about missing out on yet another mission, but until he had a permanent prosthetic, he wasn’t capable a wielding a weapon properly. Wrecker also grumbled at the plan, but he stood out way too much for a covert mission.

“And you don’t?” he had barked at Hunter, pointing at his tattoo.

Hunter had been thinking about it for a while but Wrecker’s indignation made him act on it. He had grown a beard as a way to try and hide his most prominent feature. The dark hair covered enough of his tattoo to soften the appearance of the skull’s mouth, leaving the top part of the tattoo passing for a strange birth mark. It was unlikely that the empire was still looking for them, but it didn’t make sense to make things too obvious. His new helmet would also help with that. It lacked the distinctive design he had had since the war, and for this one mission he was thankful for it.

Jax and the other Tantis kids had had a long, sad goodbye. They didn’t have the comfort of knowing they would see each other again. They didn’t know if they’d be able to stay in touch. These siblings, forged in fire and trial may never meet again, and they all knew it, well…maybe except Behrn.

Hunter watched sadly as Jax turned from the farewell party and boarded the ship. He brushed hurriedly at his green cheek and slunk up the ship’s ramp. Omega put her hand to his back in comfort and he nodded appreciatively.

Hunter hung back and said yet another goodbye to his brothers. It was rare for them to take on missions alone, but it seemed to be all he was doing since Pabu had become their permanent home. At this point it was routine, but they still said the same things anyway, it was comforting in a way.

“Comm us if you need us,” Wrecker said after squeezing Hunter into a hug. Hunter nodded obediently.

“Watch out for her. You know what she’s like,” Crosshair said, eyebrow arched, eyes on Omega.

“Yeah, I do.” Hunter said with a sigh, “I will.”

He really hadn’t wanted to take Omega along but there was only so much resistance against their kid’s strong will. She had made some excellent points, pacing the floor in their small common room.

“Jax will need comfort. You know I’m better at that than you, Huntah. He needs me with him.” She had said, foot stomping in place. Hunter was reminded of their first mission together on a desolate moon long ago. She had refused to be left behind then too.

After the third go around, Hunter had relented and as much as he was concerned for her safety, as he always was, he was glad to have the company. She was right, comfort wasn’t his strong suit in most cases.

He waved at his brothers from the ship’s ramp with promises to check in at regular intervals. He took one last deep breath of the salty, sweet, Pabu air and walked onto the ship, the door hissing and closing with a clang behind him.

***

Hunter, Omega and Jax sat in the back of the ship. Echo was on a different mission and none of them, nor their pilot were interested in small talk. Hunter could see the familiar blue swirls of hyperspace from where he sat. Omega was opposite him, Jax asleep with his head on her shoulder. They were taking multiple jumps just in case there were any designs on following them. You never know with the empire.

“You okay?” Hunter asked Omega with a whisper.

She nodded her head and smiled in answer. She wore her old jacket and hat but it didn’t fit her like before, the sleeves were too short and the hat sat at an odd angle because of her ponytail.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been off world,” he said quietly.

She nodded again, gave a concerned look at Jax as he stirred and spoke in a soft voice only after he settled.

“I’m kind of looking forward to it. Pabu’s wonderful, but this was part of my life for so long. It’s nice to be amongst the stars again,”

Hunter smiled and nodded. He felt the same way. He’d spent most of his life flying around the galaxy with his brothers. Being planet bound, no matter how beautiful, felt unnatural in many ways.

The ship rumbled as they came out of hyperspace. Hunter didn’t have much intel on who was meeting them but knew Rex and Vos had arranged for someone to take Jax for the next part of his journey. Hunter wasn’t happy about not seeing him to his final destination, but Rex had assured him it was for Jax and his family’s safety and Hunter was trying to be okay it.

He gave his thanks to their pilot as they exited the ship into a back world space port. Muffled announcements rang overhead as he guided the two kids through various hangers to a cantina on the outskirts.

“We have to go in there?” Jax asked nervously.

“It’ll be okay, I practically grew up in a place like this,” Omega said reassuringly taking his hand.

Hunter led them down the uneven steps into the dark space. Pink and blue neon lights shone and reflected off the shining metal surface of the bar. Music thumped from a juke box in the corner, the beat making the bottles behind the bar rattle.

“Stay close,” Hunter instructed, and he made his way over the bar, taking in his surroundings. The cantina wasn’t full by any means. A Rodian was draped over the bar on his right, head on the metal bar, bottle in hand. A mon calamari couple argued loudly on a booth, something about gambled tickets.

Hunter froze when he saw her. In the far corner booth, boot propped up on the table, black and orange helmet at her side sat Fennec Shand. Hunter instinctively pushed Omega and Jax behind him.

She had spotted him too and raised her fingers lazily in greeting with a lopsided smile on her lips.

Hunter swore under his breath and Omega looked up startled.

“What is it?”

“Shand,” he said quickly. He looked at the entrance they had come in. A large party of patrons had entered after them, blocking the exit.

Shand had sat up straighter now, eyes wide and on Omega.

“Head for the exit, I’ll cover you,” Hunter whispered to Omega. She didn’t hesitate to follow his order. She threw her arm around Jax and led him back the way they had come.

Hunter walked backwards slowly, hand resting on his blaster.

Shand was up now, walking towards him. She left her helmet at the table, her long black hair, braided with thick orange cord trailed over her shoulder. Her hands were up and facing him, not resting on her blaster like he had expected.

She had crossed half the distance between them now, Hunter shifted again, trying to hide Omega and Jax from view as they made it to the stairs.

“It’s been a while, Tracker,” She said in a smooth voice, “Hi, Omega,” she called over his shoulder.

Hunter drew his blaster, aiming it directly between her eyes. She didn’t flinch or move, but a smile crossed her lips, and he didn’t like it.

“Nice to see you too,” She said with grin, “Ventress sent me.” she said calmly.

Hunter paused. His blaster was still raised but he relaxed his stance slightly.

“Didn’t think bounty hunters worked for noble causes,” he growled.

Fennec shrugged, crossed over to the bar and grabbed the bottle out of the now passed out Rodian’s hand, “friendship makes the galaxy go ‘round,” she said, knocking back the last of the bottle and gently placing it back on the bar.

Hunter gave a quick glance at Omega and Jax. They were three steps up the stairs, Jax pulling at Omega’s arm while she crouched, energy bow primed (Echo had come across a few Zygerian’s and had…liberated it). Good girl, Hunter thought.

“I told Ventress you wouldn’t trust me.”

“Why would I?” he said again, his blaster still pointed directly at her. The other patrons hadn’t noticed or simply didn’t care. Most skirted around them to get to the bar. The music thumped loudly in Hunter’s ears.

“I came through with the Intel, didn’t I?”

“You sent a Sith assassin to find us,” said incredulously.

Fennec shrugged again. “Former Sith assassin. And did you or did you not find out that you wanted to know?”

Hunter huffed but didn’t respond. This wasn’t getting them anywhere.

“So, I’m supposed to just give you the kid and trust that you’re taking him where he needs to go?” he finally lowered his blaster and jerking his head to Omega who obediently came over, a nervous looking Jax in tow.

Fennec smiled, “that’s about it, yeah.”

Hunter took off his helmet and cupped it under his left arm. He kept his blaster in his right hand, just in case. He hated talking to bounty hunters. Everything was double talk.

“Omega, look at you,” Fennec said, sounding like a proud aunt. “nice energy bow,” she said with a wink.

Omega glared at her but didn’t speak.

“I’m glad you found you way back to each other.” Fennec said sincerely, turning and walking back to her table.

Hunter and Omega exchanged a confused look and followed. Hunter rested his hand on Jax’ shoulder, “it’s going to be okay. You’re safe,” he said, trying to force himself to believe it. Jax looked up at him and gave what Hunter thought was a half-smile at best. He supposed it was better than nothing.

They slid into the opposite side of the booth, Jax in between Omega and Hunter. He nervously played with the fastener on his jacket.

“I’m not just giving him to you,” Hunter said gruffly, before she could talk.

“Then this is going to be a short visit,” she replied, her eyes narrowed.

“What if we come with you?” Omega interjected leaning over the table looking between Hunter and Fennec.

Fennec paused for a minute looking from Jax to Omega and finally rested on Hunter.

“I suppose that could work,” she said smoothly, “I’m not one for babysitting duty anyway,” she looked at Omega and Hunter scowled at her. He heard his kids trembling voice after her first and second encounters with the bounty hunter. “What do you think, Tracker?” she said calmly, a teasing tone in her voice.

“It’s Hunter,” he said gruffly. He hated nick names. He looked at Omega and then Jax, who looked like he was holding it together by a thread. He couldn’t leave this kid with Fennec Shand, even if this was not the plan. “Fine,” he said finally.

“Great,” Shand said, hopping up from the booth, “let’s get going,”

She shoved her helmet on her head and strode out of the door. Hunter, Omega and Jax followed.

“Do you think we can trust her?” Omega asked Hunter, out of earshot of Jax.

Hunter scowled, “Not sure. Keep your guard up and your weapon ready,”

Omega nodded.

***

Hunter looked up at Fennec Shan’s ship in the hanger, the black and orange paint peeling away. He had told himself last time he would never set foot on this particular ship again but here he was.

Hunter had sent a hastily prepared message to Rex, Crosshair and Wrecker letting them know the change of plans. He hadn’t heard back and didn’t expect to before they took off, but at least they knew who they were with.

Shand lowered the ramp and Hunter hesitated for a second before following her aboard. He heard Omega and Jax’ footsteps behind him and waited at the top of the ramp to usher them onboard. He noticed omega looking wearily at the number of ray shield protected cages as they walked thorough the hold. No doubt thinking of the first time they met Shand and the fact that this is where she would have ended up had they not been able to evade her on Pantora.

“You okay, Kid,” he whispered gently, as they continued to follow Fennec through the massive ship.

“Yeah, just…thinking,” she said introspectively.

Hunter nodded and rested his hand on her shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring way. They climbed a set of steep steps up to the cockpit. Shand disappeared behind the sliding door and Hunter indicated for Jax and Omega to take the seats outside. There were only two, he supposed bounty hunting didn’t lead to friends or the need for extra seats.

Hunter propped himself against the door, still holding his helmet under his arm. He felt the rumble as they took off and blasted out of the planet’s atmosphere. He heard Shand’s chair swivel and braced as he heard her boots on the deck.

The doors slid open with a swoosh. It was tight proximity in the space, so much so that Hunter backed up to the top of the stairs to put a gap between him and Shand.

“We’ll make a couple of jumps, just to be safe,” she said, parroting what their other pilot had told him. He had trusted the clone though, Shand, not so much.

“Where are we going?” he asked

“That’s need to know,”

“I agree,” Hunter said doggedly. Why Rex hadn’t told him to expect a bounty hunter he didn’t know. He should have been aware of their previous run ins with Shand. Even if Echo only mentioned them in passing. Either Rex wasn’t aware, or Ventress was lying to him.

Hunter looked down at Jax, he was huddled in on himself, clearly scared. Perhaps reliving the horror of being stolen from his family those many months, possibly years ago. They really had no idea how long the kids had been kept on Tantis. Hunter nodded to Shand and stepped over the threshold to the cockpit.

She followed quickly, the door closing behind her.

“This kid’s been through a lot. I need to make sure he gets to his family in one piece.” Hunter whispered.

“That’s why I’m here,” Fennec said.

Hunter studied her face. He reached out with his senses as though he was trying to read her mind. Trust was so hard to gain. In this galaxy, everyone was out for themselves.

“How much are they paying you for this job?

“That’s a pretty personal question there, Hunter,” she said slyly.

Hunter sighed, a long, exasperated sigh. “Bounty hunters are only out for themselves. You’ve gotta be making something off this deal to make it worth your while. You’re not altruistic and you’re not above kidnapping children.” He added pointedly.

“Money’s not everything.” she said with a smile, throwing his own words back at him.

“It is to people like you” he growled back.

“The galaxy is a dangerous place. Having a ‘former Sith assassin’ as an ally is priceless as far as I’m concerned.” She stepped closer to Hunter than he was comfortable with and looked up at him, “I’m taking the kid to safety as promised. I’ll make more than enough money on my next bounty to make up for it.”

She reached her hand up to his face, but he caught her wrist and glowered at her. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, “loving the beard.” She said before he let her go. She gave him a look over her shoulder and walked out in the corridor with a whoosh of the door.

What is wrong with these women, Hunter thought. He followed her out and gave Omega a reassuring nod when he returned. Shand had gone down the narrow steps into the bowels of the ship.

“I think she likes you,” Omega said in her usual cheery voice.

“Omega, don’t,” he said warningly.

She smiled up at him, that knowing smile. He ran his hand through his hair. This really was the longest day and it had only just begun.

***

Hunter started as the ship shook. Omega and Jax were both gasping as they awoke to the flickering lights above them and the ship listing to the side.

“what’s going on, Shand?” Hunter called

“Relax, just some rough air,” she called calmly from the cockpit. Hunter raised an eyebrow and went to look for himself.  He heard Omega rise too and let her follow.

They were cutting through the sky of an unremarkable looking planet. There didn’t seem to be any cities to speak of as far as Hunter could see. Clusters of tall, dark green trees swerved in and out of view as Shand moved the ship this way and that. This was not the smooth, if a little eccentric, flying Hunter was used to. Even Phee was a steadier pilot.

She landed on a circle of dirt that looked like it had once been grass. Shand swiveled in her chair and grabbed her helmet from the shelf.

“We better move if we want to make it by nightfall,” she said coolly.

Hunter and Omega followed her out of the cockpit, picking up Jax as they exited the ship. The temperature was cooler than expected. Omega zipped her jacket up to her chin and pulled her hat over her ears. He noticed Jax pull his jacket tighter around him and fished in his backpack for something.

“Here,” he said, handing him a red scarf with thin, white lines. Jax smiled up at him.

“Thanks, Hunter.” He said, quickly wrapping the scarf around his neck.

Hunter adjusted his pack and followed Fennec across the landing pad, as it was, and through the small village. The smell of roasting meat and cooked vegetables wafted out of a tavern on their left. Hunter’s stomach grumbled and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything since they left. He pulled out ration sticks for the kids and smiled as they inhaled them hungrily.

“You kids doing okay?” he asked, dropping slowly behind Shand so she wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.

“Yes,” they both replied in unison.

“Are we almost there?” Jax asked, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his jacket.

“It’s just passed the other side of the village,” Shand called back.

Omega and Jax looked at Hunter who nodded reassuringly. They continued the walk in silence. The wind started to whip up as they left the safety and warmth of the village. They followed a dirt track up a small hill, through a enclave of impossibly tall, green trees. Hunter hadn’t realized how big they were from the air.

Jax started to look nervous again and Hunter noticed Omega instinctively put her arm around his shoulders. He smiled up at her and whispered “thanks, Sis.” Omega smiled back at him.

Hunter noticed Fennec watching the exchange and sank back so she was in lock step with Hunter.

“She’s a pretty remarkable kid,” Fennec said quietly as the kids continued on in front.

Hunter nodded but didn’t engage.

“It takes a special kid to inspire such…loyalty,” she continued.

Hunter stopped and looked at her. She paused too. “You even think about trying to take her again I’ll kill you where you stand,” he said, his voice deep and threatening as it had ever been.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled, “I believe you, but I’m not interested in being a babysitter, remember? I just meant that there’s something about her. She even got to me. Offered me a spot on your squad when we first met,”

Hunter laughed despite himself, “of course she did,” he said, thinking back to that sweet, innocent and hopelessly naive version of Omega they first took off Kamino.

“I have to admit I was a little tempted. She certainly had Nala Se wrapped around her finger too,” she said, glancing up at him.

Hunter stopped again, eyes narrowed, “Nala Se hired you?”

Fennec raised her eyebrows and shrugged, “she called me off, once she realized she was safe with you.”

Hunter looked down, trying to organize these thoughts in his mind.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked. He noticed Omega and Jax had paused ahead, watching their conversation with interest.

“If we’re both working for the path we need to trust each other. I figured this was the quickest way to get there.”  She started walking but turned around to watch him, “besides, what does it matter now that Nala Se is dead and the Kaminoan’s are gone,” She shrugged and caught up with the kids. Hunter jogged to follow.

The path curled around and opened up to a small wooden house. Hunter noticed Jax stop dead, fear in his eyes.

“Jax, it’s okay,” Hunter said gently. Omega took hold of his right hand and led him forward.

“Are you sure it’s them?” he asked Hunter.

“it’s them,” Fennec supplied.

Brown paint was peeling off the door. Hunter reached out with his senses. There was nothing that would indicate a dangerous situation. He kept his hand on his blaster, just in case.

Shand knocked on the door and to Hunter’s surprise, Ventress answered. Her chin length hair was still cut in the same sharp bob at her chin. She nodded in greeting and stepped back to let them in.

The cabin was warm, a stove on the far wall roared to life and to the far left, gathered around an old table was what could only be Jax’ family.

All hesitation in him melted away as he sprinted to the other side of the room and threw his arms around a green skinned women in a blue dress. His mother buried her head into his neck and Hunter knew she was drinking in the scent of him. Sometimes your eyes can lie to you, but your nose never can.

Hunter felt awkward, like he was intruding into a private moment. He noticed Ventress and Fennec sneak out of the door, mumbling quietly to each other. He gently touched Omega’s shoulder and indicated for her to follow him.

He looked back at the family reunion. Jax had now moved on to his father whose arms were wrapped around him, quiet sobs coming from him. Perhaps they didn’t think this moment would come. Jax had a few siblings to work his way through as well. It was best they wait outside.

Omega smiled up at him as he leaned against the exterior of the cabin. Fennec and Ventress had walked further to the tree line. He kept a close eye on them, his enhanced hearing picking up most of their conversation. He was pleased to know there was nothing duplicitous, just two friends catching up.

Ventress noticed them and walked over.

“Omega,” she said with a fond nod, “…Hunter…” she said trepidatiously as if not sure she was correct.

He nodded confirmation and her eyes traveled back to Omega.

“This is an unexpected surprise. Any changes, Omega?” she asked

“No,” Omega said confidently.

“And you?” she asked Hunter. Last time they spoke she implied he might be force sensitive. Hunter just shook his head at her. He had no interest one way or the other.

Fennec crossed to the group, “I told you he wouldn’t trust me,” she said with a smirk.

“Trust is earned,” Hunter retorted.

“And now? Ventress asked, stepping in front of Fennec as though shielding her.

Hunter shrugged, “for now,” he said simply. He wasn’t really comfortable with any of this, but if this was the situation they were in, and it seem like they were part of the path whether they liked it or not, he at least have to be civil.

The latch on the door clanked and Jax wrenched the door open. He was followed by his mother, father, brother and two sisters.

Hunter had never seen him look so joyous, although given the circumstances that wasn’t a huge surprise.

His mother threw herself at Hunter, arms around his neck sobs falling onto his pauldron. “I can’t thank you enough,” she sobbed. Hunter was taken aback. He looked down at Omega who was grinning ear to ear.

“Omega is actually the one who saved him. We just kept him out of trouble until we found you.”

The mother enveloped Omega, a fresh round of sobs rang out. Ventress and Fennec had stepped back to the tree line.

Jax came over and offered the scarf to Hunter. “You keep it,” he said with a smile. Jax nodded and  held out his hand. Hunter took it and pulled the young boy into a hug. “Take care of yourself,” he said ruffling his hair. “we’ll miss you.”

Jax wiped a tear away and moved to where his mother was finally letting Omega go. Hunter looked on with pride as the two former prisoners, hostages, kids, hugged each other for the last time.

“Goodbye, Sis,” Jax said, tears freely streaming down his face. “Thank you for saving me,”

Omega smiled and nodded, silent tears tracing tracks down her cheeks. It took a few more hugs, handshakes and tears before Hunter could extricate them.

Hunter, Omega and Fennec walked back to her ship in relative silence. Ventress stayed behind, just in case any trouble showed up although Hunter couldn’t imagine it would in a place like this.

The ride back to Pabu was uneventful. Fennec dropped them at the space port where she had met them. The ship landed with a jolt.

Fennec spun around in her chair in the cockpit.

“And here we all are. You’re all in one piece, as promised.” She said smugly, “Shame I didn’t get to see you in action with that bow, Kid,” she said to Omega as she stood up.

“Maybe next time,” Omega said with a smile, as she made her way to the narrow staircase and down to the cargo hold below.

“Wait,” Hunter said suddenly, “you have to wipe the navcomputer,”

“Why?” Fennec asked, eyebrow raised.

“what’s the bounty on Jedi these days? Why don’t you humor me?” He stepped closer, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to leave the cockpit, unless she wanted to shoot him of course. This thought tingled in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. This was important.

“Fine,” she said cooly. He watched her delete the data and he nodded, satisfied. Hunter followed Omega down and out of the ship. Fennec trailed after them, Perhaps to make sure they got out, Hunter thought.

Omega waived energetically at the bounty hunter; all concern about her seemingly forgotten. Hunter’s memory wasn’t that short though.

“So, I guess I’ll be seeing you around,” she said to Hunter, “we’re both part of the path after all.

“We’ll see,” he said gruffly.

“Looking forward to it,” she called after him. He didn’t turn around.

He jogged to catch up with Omega who had spotted their ride home.

“I think she likes you, Huntah,” she said with a giggle.

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose, “Omega, she literally tried to kidnap you twice,” he said exasperated.

“Maybe if you have a girlfriend, you wouldn’t spend so much time worrying about the rest of us,”

Hunter rolled his eyes as Omega took his arm and interlocked it with hers.

“I’m pretty sure worrying about you is my life’s purpose, kid.”

She giggled and nudged him with her shoulder, “Then I better not make it too easy for you,” she said.

Hunter laughed as they climbed abroad Rex’s ship. They were all safe and headed home. What more could he ask for.

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

AO3 Link Main Master List

THE RAZOR CREST RANCH SEVEN

Chapter 01 | Chapter 02 | Chapter 03 | Chapter 04 |

Chapter 05 | Chapter 06 | Chapter 07 | Chapter 08 |

Chapter 09 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

THE CRESTWORLD

Chapter 01 | Chapter 02 | Chapter 03 | Chapter 04 |

Chapter 05 | Chapter 06 | Chapter 07 | Chapter 08 |

Chapter 09 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |

Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15

ON TEMPORARY HIATUS

[webtrinsic1122]

Knowing Ventress and Fennec know each-other has me so gay.

[oonajaeadira]

LOSING MY RELIGION: CHAPTER 13: THE EXCHANGE

Rating: Mature for series, lighter for this chapter.

Pairing: Post Season 2 Din Djarin x force sensitive reader (fem, post-Order 66 Jedi). Soft, slow burn on both sides, internal struggles and feels. Alternating POV.

Warnings: A little bit of angst, culture shock/differences, Din pushing authority a bit, jealousy, and a whole lot of private feelings burning hot in a public place. A/N: If you’re still reading, thank you so much for your patience. I had to do a little soul searching and make the decision to let Din and Little Bird follow the path that the story calls for. It took me a while to let canon go, but this chapter hit me very unexpectedly. There are beats in this story that weren’t there when I first mapped it out and surprised the hell out of me when I realized where it was leading. The road ahead is a little twisty for Din and LB, but the story always goes where it needs to, when it needs to.

Senaar’ika = Little bird.

There’s more Mando’a spoken, but the translation is eventually given in the storytelling.

Summary: You and Din broker a very important exchange.

TAGLIST: you can always request to be on the taglist for this or any of my work. If you’d like to be on taglists for upcoming fic, please sign up at my MASTERLIST

←-Previous Chapter 12: The Camp

________________

PART 1: DIN DJARIN

Your helmet stands out among the others down below and Din tracks your path through the Tusken camp from his perch on an outcropping of a cliff face above. You’re not going to like this, but it’s the best solution he’s got.

“We’re on a mission here to acquire some resources and take someone into custody,” he explains to his comrade. “The negotiations aren’t something I can hurry along. How much time can you give us.”

Fennec sits with one knee popped up and stares into the distance out over the dunes, her eyes squinting more in calculation than from the bright suns on the sand. She’s a warrior he’s come to respect–a renegade turned team-player--even beyond her capabilities that could land her easily among the best of Mandalorian soldiers and make her a queen among bounty hunters, she’s evolved beyond her need for the Empire. Her ready repayment for a life saved, her loyalty to Boba Fett–and, by extension, himself–is noble in a way he can truly admire. “I can hail at first light tomorrow.”

“The whole day? That’s generous.”

With a half chuckle, the ex-assassin absently tosses away a stone she’s been rolling between her fingers, letting it clack over the clifftop. “What can I say? One of my many qualities.”

Even as his mind works, Din’s absent focus stays on you in the shadow of the rock face, sitting with the child he assumes is the force-sensitive. For some reason, he thought the child would be smaller, but he looks to be halfway to adulthood by his height. Definitely not gonna fit on the speeder with both of you. “The mechanic. Peli Motto. She’s unharmed?”

“Fine for now. They’re keeping her under lockdown but they’re not torturing her.”

“Good,” he huffs with a sardonic laugh. If Peli has guards set on her, then they’re the ones who are probably begging for release right about now. Tapping a few buttons on his vambrace and checking his nav for coordinates and distances, he calculates the time it will take to pack up, get to the drop off, and arrive at the Palace. Of course there will be a pit stop to refuel the speeder, get in a midday meal, exchange pleasantries, ask for favors….

“This would be a whole lot easier if she’d come out to us.”

“Wouldn’t it though. No dice, Mando. Boss hailed back–Bo won’t open herself up to attack. Insists on meeting at the Palace.” Her black eyes glitter behind the open slice of her helmet. “If you want to get in some target practice, we could stash your partner and the quarry somewhere in town and take down the garrison, grab the ship and go. Avoid her completely. Could be fun.”

“It’s only dragging this scenario out. She’s not going to let this go. She’ll just follow us somewhere else; somewhere I don’t have options.”

“I suppose the boss wouldn’t like me disobeying an order either. Ah well,” she sighs back onto her elbows, “buys your friend a little vacation, hm?”

Dank farrik. You’re not going to like this.

To be honest, he doesn’t either.

“You didn’t catch the name of her companion? And it’s not Koska?”

Laying back onto the sun-warmed rock and closing her eyes as her head lands in the cradle of her hands, Fennec hums in thought. “No, it sounds like Koska might be leading the garrison at the docking bay. The Mando that came with Bo Katan definitely isn’t her.”

“Hmm. First light then. I appreciate your help.”

Stretching out like a cat, content to take in the morning suns after a cold evening in the desert, Fennec has nowhere to go and nothing to do as long as Din isn’t following her back to the Palace. “Patience is a virtue. Bo Katan can use the lesson.”

________________

PART 2: YOU

“That’s good, Uli-ah. Now can you do both stones at once? Try to swap their positions.”

Taking refuge in the shadows by the cliff face and sitting in the sand across from the Tusken foundling, you watch as two pieces of desert shale lift from their positions by the boy’s knees, come together in the air and bump only a little awkwardly before passing at nose level. One of them drops and breaks while the other makes its way to its new spot.

It’s hard.

“Yes, it is, and you almost did it. That’s actually very very good. You must practice often.”

No. I’m not allowed. It frightens the mothers. I make things dance for the other kids sometimes if the mothers can’t see.

“You keep bringing up ‘the mothers.’ Is one of them yours?”

They all are.

“The children are raised by the clan.”

Drawing his knees up and under his chin, Uli-ah hugs himself in tight, burying his face, becoming a little desert-colored ball. It’s not that he goes silent as much as he shows you ideas, images, emotions, everything you need to understand that he is not assigned to one family like the other children are. Uli-ah does not answer to one set of parents or any one mother or father in particular. He is protected by everyone but advocated for by nobody. He learns as part of a group, but is never given wisdom as passed down from parent to child.

He is alone in a crowd.

It’s a wonder that the child hasn’t grown to be dispondend or wild, surprising that he’s quiet and respectful. But it isn’t that he’s neglected or uncared for. Din’s words from the night before begin to stir. The Tuskens aren’t like Mandalorians. He’ll never be paired and never asked to join the fire. He will never truly be one of them.

“How old are you, Uli-ah? How long have you lived among the clan?”

He doesn’t lift his head, his fingers only dig into the cloth of his leg coverings.

Five years I think. There have been five water cycles.

Only five? This tall, gangly, capable child? The answer slams into you and before you can control your surprise it rebounds on him, his hands balling up in fists as yet another adult finds him strange and unusual.

“Hey, hey, hey, friend,” reaching over to his shaking shoulder and laying a warm hand upon it, “it’s okay. That’s a good answer. You’ve learned so much in your young life, I’m only surprised you’re not a little older. You’re very smart and talented for your age.”

The touch, your tone, your praise causes him to bring his head slowly up, his helmet shielding his expression, but his sinking shoulders telling you all you need to know.

“I know some other younglings like you, with abilities like yours. They go to a school for people like us. I could take you to them if that’s what you’d like. But you’d have to leave your home behind. Everything will be new. It’s a long way from here.”

I don’t know what a school is.

“It’s a place where you learn. A training place where someone teaches you how to master your skills. Would you like that?”

Stillness. You can sense a little turmoil, all his thoughts tumbling around without a good tried-and-true way to organize them. This is why the Jedi used to take them as babies; it’s a lot to ask any child. Too young in their development and they’re bonded to their family. Old enough to make the decision and it may be too late to hone their abilities. Five though. Five is so young for such a big decision.

I...would like that. Except….

Uli-ah’s helmet spans slowly, taking in the camp, the sands, the wavering heat at the horizon…

Is it…hotter there? It’s so hot here. Sometimes I can’t breathe.

Is that what he’s worried about? “It’s warm there, but there’s water. Green things. Trees. I suppose you’ve never seen trees. They’re hard to explain–”

I remember trees.

Something about this violently shifts your heart. To be so young and still have fleeting memories of a different place, perhaps a home he once knew….and you find yourself putting your arms around the young force-sensitive, taking no offense to the fact that he does not have any experience of how to embrace you back. ________________

“Well? What did you find out, Captain?”

The midday Tusken meal is taken in the privacy of their tents and that means bringing two bowls of black melon gruel back to your campsite. Din’s made a makeshift lean-to out of your blankets and the speeder–a place to have a little shelter from the high suns and to remove your helmets for the meal–and you hand the bowls off under a flap so that you can crouch and crawl through to the snug space, taking a seat knee to knee with him in the cooler patch of shaded desert.

The surprise is that his helmet already rests in the sand by his hip. His jaw is set, his eye determined. He holds the bowls patiently, waiting as you remove your own bucket.

Something tells you you’re not going to like what he has to say.

“Bo Katan Kryze is here on Tatooine. She’s holed up in the local tradelord’s palace with some of her followers and she has others posted at our docking bay with the Crest in custody.”

“Peli–” you start, but he shakes his head, handing your bowl over.

“She’s okay. They’re just not letting her leave the terminal.”

Suddenly, you couldn’t be less hungry. “Why is Kryze here? For you?”

“Mmyeah,” he says, smacking his lips and squinting after a sip of the bitter broth. “Technically, she’s probably here for the Darksaber. Been tracking us for a while.”

“I thought you told her you weren’t going to fight her.”

“I’m not. But I have to go. She’s causing trouble until I get there. I’m not going to inconvenience my friends over this. I’ve got to go and deal with it.”

There a quick spike of bitterness in your gut from something other than the melon gruel. But you don’t need to feel anything from him to sense his irritation as a valley forms between his eyebrows and he downs more of the broth.

Joining him in your silent meal, watching him as he keeps his eyes on the bowl, you know him too well. There’s something he’s not telling you; it’s best to just keep sipping until he gains the courage. It takes longer than you expect and it’s not until he puts down the empty bowl that he meets your eyes. “You’re not coming with me.”

“What? You’re just going to leave me here? Din, the Darksaber–”

“No,” is what he says, but what he means is Quiet. Let me speak. “The kid you’re talking to. Tell me what’s happening there first.”

Damn. You can sense your Mandalorian is begging you with his whole being to cooperate, and the last thing you want is a fight. “You’re right. He’ll never be one of them. They’ve adopted him into their numbers but not into a family. He’s got an astounding amount of ability and talent for his age...and that’s another thing. He says he’s only five.”

“What?” Shock washes over him in a mirror of your own. “Huh. So. Not human then.”

“No. Being so tall, I thought maybe Kaminoan, but too many fingers. Maybe Weequay. Possibly Wookiee, but I can’t imagine living under all that covering and fur besides. Although he did say it was too hot here…” Stay on topic. “He’s open to going to Luke’s school.”

He sighs. His eyes close and squeeze. The news is expected, but not favored.

“That means we’re back on the clock,” he grumbles as he locks his gaze to yours again. “So it’s my job to make sure you’re both safe. I’m not leaving you here with the Tuskens and I’m not bringing the kid into a palace crawling with power hungry Mandalorians. We’re taking a detour to a mining settlement. I have a friend there. Maybe he can give you two a place to stay for a night or more.”

“Din, why–”

“Speeder won’t carry us all, so Fennec’s gonna help us out. We head out at first light. I’ve already spoken to the elders about that pearl–”

“Wait. You need me with you. That saber–”

“Senaar’ika.” Din doesn’t speak Mando’a often. His whisper stills your tongue. “I’ve spoken to the elders about the pearl. They have an imperfect one they’re prepared to trade if you’re willing to build a saber for them.” When you blink incredulously he explains, “I showed them the Darksaber and what it can do. They can use it for cutting. For defense. It makes glass from the sand and lights fires. It would be a valuable tool for them. I know…” he swallows, “I know it’s an insult to your order. To make a lightsaber for…base reasons…”

It’s risky, putting such a powerful weapon in the hands of those not trained to use it. They could badly harm someone. Or wield it to embolden an attack on innocents. But perhaps you could temper it, shorten the blade, make sure it can’t be used to cause too much harm….

“I’ll do it.” It’s a rough trade, but it will do. And you’re glad to see that he nods, relieved, quick to take up your offer. “Depending on the size of the pearl, a shard of it could power many lightsabers. And I’m happy to make something that’s useful to them.”

“Good. Then while you’re doing that, I’ll negotiate for the child.” He holds up a hand when you open your mouth to protest. “I know. But the women of this clan don’t have final say and you’re not allowed to talk with the men. Trust me. I know what they need to hear.”

If the burn in your cheeks didn’t signal frustration as he takes the lead away from you, then your frown most certainly does. But he’s right. He’s right about everything. Except…

“I don’t want you to leave me behind in the mining settlement. I know you can wield that saber, Din, but my being with you will boost your power with it. It feeds so highly on your emotions. Having someone you love nearby can only help…”

“I understand,” he says, softly. He’s already replacing his helmet, readying himself to go retrieve the pearl so you can get to work. “But you don’t have to be standing next to me to be the one thing I can’t stop thinking about, Little Bird.”

And he slips out of the makeshift shelter, leaving you with cold broth and a pounding heart. ________________

The pearl is about the size of Din’s fist, definitely from a young krayt, and it takes you a little time to figure out how to fracture it without wasting any. Your own lightsaber is up to the task to hew a sliver of it away and you’re able to ascertain that even this small portion holds enough force energy to power a short blade. It will be more unstable than your own kyber, but less mercurial than the Darksaber; a fine beginner’s blade if not a tad loud.

The new utility saber is a good tool, sturdy, powerful. You’re adjusting the final resonance when Din rounds the speeder bike. He’s been gone a good part of the day and the suns sit on his shoulders, winking off his armor, causing you to squint up at him even through your visor to ask, “Well? How’d it go?”

Settling into one hip, his hands come up to rest on his belt and he juts the chin of his helmet at the weapon in your hand. “You got enough to make another one?”

“That’s their offer?”

“That’s their offer.”

Now it’s your turn to sigh as you lock in the final calibrations, your neck and shoulders aching from working half the afternoon on a blanket in the baking sands. “Yeah. More than enough parts. Time though, that’s another issue. I just,” one last twist of the mico-spanner, a click as the final panel fits into place, you toss the finished hilt to him, “I can’t believe that a little boy is worth the same amount to them as a dragon’s gut rock.”

Din catches the piece, ignites the blade, turns it, twists it through the air to hear its low feral howling, then hits the power switch, dimming its vibrating emerald light. “Well, not even as much. Pearl cost us one of these and the rest of our water.” When you make a face he adds, “We should be fine until we reach Mos Pelgo. We can get more there.”

“The water’s not the detail I’m unhappy about.”

Taking a quiet assessment of the mess in front of you–the scattered scrap metal and bits of pearl, the wires and tools and sand, always so much sand–the realization that you’ll have to start all over again and work into the evening is suddenly exhausting.

Even if he's not a force-user, you can see that Din picks up on this and you close your eyes as he moves around and takes a seat on the blanket behind you. After removing your pauldrons, his gloved fingers work into your shoulders and neck, deliciously limbering you, stretching out all the constriction, smoothing down all the coils. Even if it is more military restoration than it is gentle relaxation, it’s what he knows, his way of giving care.

A water bladder lands in your lap. “You haven’t been drinking.”

He’s right. And you take a long draw as his hands pull and prod your muscles, untangling the mess you’ve made of them, letting him heal you and do his bit to protect you from as much hurt as he can.

It isn’t the touch you truly long for–his gloves and your flight suit keep his fingertips from gliding over your skin, your helmets prevent his lips from kissing the back of your neck, beskar and leather cover the chest you so badly would like to sink back into. The way he has twisted your fingers in his own, or dragged his nose behind your ear, or leveraged your thigh with one of his own… It seems a sin that you are being given the gift of his touch and his care and yet, greedy and selfish, you would wish for more.

But perhaps you’re not the only selfish one here. His hands finally flatten out, firm kneading becomes gentle soothing, palms eventually sliding down to cradle your elbows as the ting of his helmet meets the back of your own, and you feel the broad frame behind you slowly fill with air and expel it in a fashion that, had it carried sound, may have been a soft whine.

How gracefully your hearts dance together. How far you’ve both traveled to meet here in this place.

“You should take a break; get up and move around.” Flaying himself from you, Din stands and holds out a gentle hand, beckoning. “Come on. I’d like to meet the kid.”

________________

Uli-ah works with a few of the other children, almost completely swallowed in bantha fur as they hold up one of the beast’s feet while a herder inspects it. Once that foot has been deemed healthy, the children race to the next foot, jostling and braying laughter as they vie for space to help pick up the next paw while the bantha merely shifts its weight and chews its cud.

Din sits by your side in the hot sand, waiting quietly while the children and the herder finish their task, and then Uli-ah runs your way, ending in a skid on his knees as he comes to a stop almost in your lap.

The elders say I’m going away with you.

“That’s right. We will be leaving at first light tomorrow. Are you ready for an adventure?”

The child bounces on his knees, braying his own kind of laughter, not quite Tusken, but certainly not human.

“I guess that’s a yes,” you laugh, then point to Din. “This is our Captain. He’ll be with us. He flies the ship and protects us.”

The bouncing stops then, and Uli-ah makes a half move, as if he’s going to hide from the Mandalorian behind you, except that Din’s hands cut through the air as he speaks.

“I’ll make sure. You’re safe.”

There’s a slow, renewed interest from Uli-ah as he realizes that he can communicate with this stranger and he raises his own hands into gesture.

You can speak with your hands.

Din chuckles, signs back. “Yes. I’ve talked with your people. For a long time.”

There’s a wave of relief that comes over the boy, some kind of calm knowledge that “his people” are changing, that you and Din will be his people soon.

Then his hands clap and flutter excitedly–

I’m going to go to school!!!!

–before he tosses himself backward onto the sand in a moment of youthful glee.

You don’t know what lifts your heart more, this display of joy, or the sound of Din’s quiet laughter–light and welcoming and calm–coming through the comm.

In the morning every mother in the clan will touch the child’s head as they pass by him in a line. All the men will gather in a group and shout a message of farewell before turning back to their herd. But on the back of the speeder, it is you that Uli-ah will hold tightly. And even before that, it is Din who will help him get situated on the seat, check him over to make sure he’s secure, pat him kindly on the back, and tell him there’s nothing to fear.

Your Mandalorian’s come to understand that there are some who can see through the beskar to the good man underneath. And you can see he’s starting to believe it himself.

Some beliefs, it seems, can take a long time to crack. But belief can also nourish a man in the desert and show a warrior that his milder moments can house another form of strength.

Ahsoka really did choose well for you. And the Darksaber chose well for itself.

________________

It’s taking all of your concentration to keep the speeder bike at a steady velocity as you whip through the canyon. What you wouldn’t do for a cup of caf.

The second saber build had gone smoother than the first since you had duplicates of many of the same pieces and were able to put something together more easily, but you’d still worked past twilight and then there was packing up the speeder and joining the group for evening meal….

After that, you’d lain awake, curled into Din, listening to his shallow breathing, trying to come up with a valid argument for going with him, each excuse a play more desperate than the one before it. You actually entertained the thought of removing the kyber from the Darksaber while he slept--your most clever plan yet. Except for the fact that the weapon was entirely sealed and getting into it would cause more damage than your honor would let you make.

He’s the Mand’alor. The High Leader. Whether he likes it or not, if he won’t fight or let anyone best him, then he must take up the mantle. If the Mandalorians are gathering, he can’t fail to steer their ship. There’s so much he has to learn about the weapon. Also so much he has to learn about asking for assistance. You think there has to be someone who can tell him this, make him understand how much his level head and moral compass and loyalty to his people are needed. Someone who can teach him to wield the instrument of his leadership….

But your hour of denial is over. Because there is someone.

It’s you.

But who are you to him? You are not his advisor. Not a member of his sect. Not even his…for lack of a better word…queen….

“Used the wrong word. Called you my queen instead of woman. I tried to correct myself and they asked me who you ruled over.”

“Ah. And you said, ‘just me.’”

“Yep.’”

“What did I say about burning out the repulsors, Little Bird?” Din’s voice cuts through your thoughts into your earpiece, bringing your focus back to the task at hand, and you ease off on the throttle so Fennec’s speeder can catch up to yours.

From the moment the suns broke the horizon, Uli-ah has been attached to you–literally refusing to loosen his clutch of your flight suit–the realization sinking in that he’s leaving behind everything he’s ever known and keeping close to the best constant he has. So it only made sense that he’d ride with you, and Din would pair with Fennec.

She’s an intimidating one, Fennec Shand. Din mentioned that she’d been an assassin for hire in the Imperial days, that he’s never known anyone who can beat her skill or match her tenacity. And you believe him; she has eyes like a lothcat and a body like a loaded pulse rifle, always watching, seemingly always ready to strike. But there’s a sparkle to her too, an allure that draws you in like bait for the snare.

He’s known her longer than you. The bond between them is strong. A bond between friends, between warriors. You can sense his high regard for her. He’s holding onto her waist so nonchalantly…

Well this is a new feeling. You shake it off and find a constructive distraction.

“How are you doing back there, padawan?”

This is fun! It goes so fast! What’s a padawan?

“It’s an old word. It means you are in training to be a master of the powers you have. The old word for those powers was ‘force,’ and they called the masters Jedi.”

You are Jedi?

“Well. Something like that.” Leaning the speeder around a curve in the canyon, you similarly bend the subject. “You’re going to join other kids like you. I can’t wait for you to meet Shiari and Grogu. They’re gonna be so happy to have a new friend.”

It would be easy to miss it over the whine of the speeder bike–a soft sigh. You keep forgetting that the comm is open. And any mention of Grogu is always bittersweet for Din.

He misses the little one so much. It’s evident that he’s happy that Grogu’s safe and learning, that he’s where things are best for him. But it still twists your heart. Din went from being alone to being a father at hyper warp–taking to it like a Gungan to water–and something about that makes you smile.

Grogu’s ability to charm the mighty warrior. Din’s sleeping heart opening for him, blooming like a hundred-year codaflower in Grogu’s warm spring. Except for the danger of his lifestyle, Din makes a good father. Any kid would be lucky to have him. Even beyond your feelings for him, his devotion makes it an honor to be serving the mission with him.

“Little Bird.”

Oops. “Sorry. Just wanna get there, I guess,” your excuse is accompanied  by the return to a manageable speed. Again.

“We’ll be hitting Mos Pelgo soon. Don’t tear up the town on your way in.”

“Telling me what not to do only tests my willful streak, Your Highness.”

“I’m aware.” There’s a low warning in his voice, but also a smirk. “I’m willing to make it an order if that’s the motivation you need.”

Slowly swiveling your visor in his direction, you watch as he does the same to you. A playful tease.

“You. Wouldn’t. Dare.”

And without turning away, you punch the throttle, defiantly taking the lead, Uli-ah roaring in excitement behind you even as he holds on for dear life. ________________

Mos Pelgo is a quiet settlement, barely big enough to be called anything other than an outpost. Moisture farms flicker in and out of the distance through the waves of heat in a constellation surrounding a one-street center, a short line of earthen structures topped in domes and rods, connected by a boardwalk lifted off the dusty path. The few dust-coated people out and about stop and stare as you coast by, involuntarily shrinking back away from the path. Not that you can blame them. They seem peaceful and it’s not surprising that they might be startled by a band of armored strangers coming in, a Tusken in their mix. Din mentioned that the townsfolk might be wary of Tuskens, but assured that his friend Cobb would vouch for the kid.

What he didn’t tell you is that once they saw his armor, they would lift their hands in a friendly wave. It seems they know him here.

Pulling up outside a cantina, the four of you peel yourselves from your seats with varying degrees of stretching and sighing, your spine aching to be upright and your feet thankful for a chance to be on solid ground. Din and Fennec head up the stairs and you start to follow, but there’s a tug at your elbow.

Is this the school?

“Not yet. We have to travel a long long way, but the Captain has to do a job first and he can’t protect us for the next couple of days. We’re going to stay here with a friend where it’s safe.”

If a Tusken mask can look baleful, Uli-ah achieves it with a long, slow look up and down the settlement path.

“Hey. I promised you a school and you’re going to get one. We might not get there for a while, but you’ll be with me the whole way and guess what.”

You’ll teach me?

“You bet I will. I told you you were smart. You wanna go inside and see if our new friend is there?”

Yes.

Steps are a new concept and Uli-ah takes a cautious step up, and up again, bringing one foot up to meet the other before continuing onto the next. At the top, he considers the short flight of two whole stairs, then steps back down and down. Then he takes the steps one at a time, up and down. Once he runs up a third time you catch him around the shoulders before he can give it another go and give him a playful jostle, guiding him inside as he squeezes his fists in victorious joy.

After the glare of the desert, it’s comparatively dark in the cantina, so you instinctively pull off your helmet.

This is your first mistake.

And sets off a chain of events.

Uli-ah, not accustomed to your helmetless face, stops behind you in the entryway.

Mother, you’re–

He shrieks.

It’s unsafe, mother!

Before you can course correct–calm him or apologize for shifting culture so quickly or even take the time to correct his default of name for you–the Weequay behind the counter reacts fiercely to the the child, pointing and shouting–

“Out! We don’t want trouble here! We have a pact! Out!”

“No, wait–” Din turns sharply to the barkeep, but the damage has been done and the child bolts awkwardly from the cantina out into the light, smashing his shoulder against the port frame as he goes and wailing his way down the boardwalk.

You make a quick gesture to Din as you follow–it’s okay, I’ll get him–and leave your Mandalorian to locating his friend.

By the time you get eyes on him, Uli-ah’s a couple of buildings away–poor boy must be so confused right now–when a tall, old man steps out from one of them, seemingly summoned by the commotion, and the two collide, the boy falling off the boardwalk into the dust, then trying to scramble backward, all heels and palms and elbows.

The man’s good natured, going after the boy and trying to help him up, but it only scares him more. “Whoa there. Hey. Hey there, kid, it’s alright. I’m not tryin’ to hurt you.” Once he gets the boy up and starts dusting him off, Uli-ah struggles to break free, but the man easily holds him, kneeling down to the kid’s level to keep from being a threat. “Hey hey hey. It’s okay. You lost son? Where’s your tribe?”

“I’m so sorry. He’s under my care.” As you converge with them and take Uli-ah’s hand, the child turns and slams into you, hiding his face in your side, holding on with shaking hands. “It’s okay, padawan. Nothing’s gonna happen to you if you stick with me, okay?”

Your second mistake was assuming the man is elderly on account of his grey hair and beard, but when you hold a hand out to help him up, you’re greeted by lively dark eyes and a particularly wry and charming grin. Oh yes, he takes your hand, but puts no weight on it as he stands, only holds it firmly, a handshake that is warm but…unending.

“Ma’am,” he says respectfully, but with a rather rakish sparkle to it, and you catch sight of the stripes on his belt. A Republic Ranger. A welcome sight out here for you, but might cause problems for Din. “You and your friend are new faces around here. I’m the marshal. How can I assist you?”

“I’m, ah, I’m,” stars, that’s some smile. ”I’m here with my partner and his associate. We’re looking for a friend of his. There was a misunderstanding at the cantina and my charge here got a little scared.”

“Well, let’s go see if we can sort this out. If I might escort you…” Instead of releasing your hand, he draws it smoothly under and around his forearm, and in your shock–a little bemused, a little offended–your final mistake is allowing it. And so in this manner, you arrive back at the Cantina, arm in arm with the marshal, pulling Uli-ah along by the hand.

“There he is,” the Weequay nods to your trio as two helmets turn.

“Heard there was a misunderstanding in here with this pretty lady and the young one, is that the way of things, Weequay?”

“Yes, Marshal, my misunderstanding. Won’t happen again.”

The marshal, nodding, turns his attention to Din and Fennec. “Welcome back, Mando. These two belong to you?”

Ah. So you’ve run into the man Din was looking for. All should be well, but something feels off. Din stands still, squared to the three of you, feet in a wide, stable stance. His answer is taking a long time to come. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was in confrontation mode, as if he was going to have to make a tactical move at any second. It’s easy to assume for a moment that perhaps these two aren’t as friendly as you were led to believe.

But the assumption and the tension break as the Mandalorian steps forward to the marshal, each clasping the others’ forearm in a brotherly handshake, “Vanth” and “Mando” exchanged with nods, and a bonus smile on Cobb’s part. Friends indeed then.

Stretching out with your feelings though, there’s an anomaly rolling around in Din, something faintly protective. Something that’s bitten off by his terse, “Yes. These two are mine.”

When the marshal drops your hand and swaggers loose and lanky over to a nearby table, it’s only then that Din’s muscles relax, that he shifts slowly to one hip, that his hand leaves off the habitual hover near his blaster and hooks itself into his belt.

It’s all you can do not to gape.

You’ve never seen Din jealous before.

But that seems to be melting swiftly as he takes a seat by his friend. Cobb Vanth orders a full round from the proprietor, and leans forward over the table, grinning a whole galaxy full of teeth in the mirror of Din’s visor and declares, “Sure would like to know what skugbunny you followed to find yourself all the way out here again.”

________________

Fennec stands in the light, her svelte figure like a knife stuck in the sand, finding less commotion outside where she can send a communique to her boss. You can hardly blame her; Cobb is a loud talker and Uli-ah has found distraction in a pair of sabacc dice which he throws over and over, clattering across the table as he plays a game he’s making up on the spot, cheating against himself every once in a while with a subtle force push of a die, although you’re the only one who notices.

After his economical explanation to Cobb, Din passes his glass to you, something he does often now in public places, allowing you to drink what he cannot. “What I’m looking for is shelter for my partner and her charge here. Refills on supplies. Fuel. I’m willing to pay.”

“So what’s the favor then?” The marshal squints, taking a swig of his spotchka.

“I want no harm to come to these two,” Din says, tilting his helmet in your direction. “I’m bound to protect them, but I need to go take care of something. Should be back within a day.”

“So you’re looking for a security detail,” he says, finishing the cup. “You got it. No problem. I’ll look after them personally.” A cheeky wink punctuates the offer.

That odd twinge rises in Din again, like smoke from a too hot fire, and you lay a hand on his knee under the table. “Uli-ah and I won’t cause you any trouble, marshal. This seems like a peaceful place you keep here. We should be able to manage alright.”

Cobb misinterprets your polite decline of babysitting as an act of humble courtesy. “It’s no trouble at all, ma’am. We don’t have any public lodgings here in Freetown, but I’ve got a room. It’s yours. Nowhere safer.”

There’s nothing to say that wouldn’t seem rude.

“That’s…very generous. The boy and I are grateful for a place to stay.”

“Right then,” Cobb slaps his hand on the table, using it to push him up off his chair. “I’ll go scare up some water reserves for your journey.”

There’s silence at the table when he leaves, broken only by the rattle of dice on its surface as Uli-ah tries over and over again to break his top score. Din stares off after the marshal, but hesitates to follow. Something’s on his mind.

You wager a guess.

“Din. We’ll be okay. There’s nothing to be jealous of.”

“I’m not…jealous.”

You squeeze his knee. “This could all be avoided if you let us come with you–”

“No.” He finally draws in a long breath, exhales, and turns the visor to you. “I want you safe. You’ll stay here. That’s an order.”

“An…order?”

“We’re on the job and I call the shots when it comes to your safety.”

“Yes, but–”

There’s movement outside at the speeders, a woody thud and scrape as a water camtono is deposited and then picked up from the boardwalk.

He doesn’t let you finish, standing and holding out a hand to help you up. “I’ve got to get the supplies packed in.”

Something’s turned off in him. The courtesy’s there, but he’s doing his best to control his emotions....

To hide them from you.

“Come on, Uli-ah. We’ll see the Captain off and then we’re going to stay with Marshal Vanth for a couple of days, okay?” By the time you tear the youngling away from his new toys, the corner of Din’s cape is disappearing out the door.

Kriff. This is bad. Something’s wrong and he can’t leave like this. He can’t take this uncertainty with him.

Taking a seat on a crate while they prep Fennec’s speeder, you just stay out of the way and observe. Cobb chatters cheerfully at the assassin, bringing out supplies from the storehouse, exchanging old tarps for new, handing over a fuel hose. But Din keeps out of the conversation, silently busies himself with a last minute tune up of the vehicle.

He’s removed his packs from Fennec’s bike–both to facilitate a more strategic repack and to access a panel behind one of the side compartments–and they sit propped up against the boardwalk nearby.

That’s it.

There’s something you need to do.

Sidling over to his packs and reaching out with your feelings, you search for the thrum of kyber. There it is. It’s easy to locate the Darksaber and extract it from the pack. You place it in your lap, covering it with the end of your tunic.

Uli-ah’s found some whomp rats living under the boardwalk and you watch as he plays with them, running to one side when they do, and trying to beat them to the other side when they change course.

After a short while, Din closes up the hatches and reattaches the spanner to its flank seating. Then he makes his way over to you, silently retrieves his packs, and returns to the speeder, taking a long time tying them down.

It’s only when everything’s ready to go and there’s nothing more to keep him away, he comes back and lays a hand on your cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Leaning into his hand and trapping it with one of your own, you hold up the Darksaber with the other. “You need to concentrate, Din.” His short, frustrated sigh only pushes your resolve further. “You’re not the only one with a duty of care, mister. This blade is tricky and you need all the help you can get.”

“I’ll be okay, Little Bird.”

“Not if you leave in the state you’re in. I know you’re not angry at me, but you’re uncomfortable leaving me here and you can’t leave like that. This weapon,” you whisper urgently, pressing the hilt into his palm, “won't listen to you unless your feelings are sharp. You’ll need its emotional boost to tap its whole potential and gain mastery over it. I can’t send you off like this. I won’t. I need you to know you have nothing to worry about.”

He’s silent for a moment, choosing his words. “I’m not worried. Not about you.”

He means it, you can hear it, but he’s still not content with leaving you. It’s not just another man finding you attractive, there’s something in him that’s warring. Not quite fear, something closer to insecurity, confusion…

...and you realize that he hasn’t grappled with feelings like this before.

Then it’s time. Set him up for success.

You’ll do anything to help him, to protect him.

To ensure he uses this weapon with love.

This won’t be difficult.

On the contrary, it’s the easiest decision you’ve ever made.

Placing one hand over his on the saber, and the other on his breastplate right above his heart, you look him calm in the eye and pour all your confidence and affection into the words–

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.”

________________

PART 3: DIN

The way you bravely face challenges. How you deftly handle your weapon. The way you inject a sense of playfulness into his orbit, your entry into his world a lively ignition to what feels like a whole new epoch in his life.

Life before your arrival, and life after. Not many have affected him like this. Changed his mind and heart like this. He can only think of one other.

But this connection is different from the bond he shares with Grogu. This one is unique, it comforts and calms him, makes him feel worthy as a man and a Mandalorian, meets him as an equal and captures his wonder in ways he wouldn’t have anticipated.

You never cease to amaze him. Even now.

He has witnessed Mandalorian courtships out of the periphery of his everyday life, seemingly never taking much notice, believing it was never meant for him.

But he did take note. Secretly. Resigned. He noticed those who grew up together and took their time. He noticed couples that seemed to range from rivals to friends to bonded in the matter of days. There didn’t seem to be a pattern, no guidelines on the right way to find your partner, or how long it might take to declare a joining.

With you… he doesn’t know what you might expect from him. Din doesn’t quite understand your old creed–the rejection of attachments–how tightly you hold it and how much of it you’ve already broken for him.

Because he loves you. In a way that’s perplexing. Your love came to him, and his to you, meeting in the middle of the battlefield. But there was no skirmish, no treaties, just a foregoing of pretense, and open arms.

Simple. Beautiful. Like everything you do.

Perhaps he felt like he was betraying that simplicity–that openness, that trust–when Vanth rounded the doorway wearing you and your new foundling on his arm. It wasn’t as simple as jealousy and a twist of the heart, but the hot flash of possession that flamed behind the beskar, growling from deep within him.

Attachment.

Mine.

While he was grateful and happy to claim you as his own as far as you gave yourself, to protect you and serve you, to meet your affection with his own, he had no right to chain you to him, to claim you so thoroughly that you could not be free in order to flourish. He would never ask you to form an attachment that would fracture your faith.

He didn’t and doesn’t think for a moment that you have any interest in Vanth. Or anyone but himself.

But the flash of emotion was dangerous. Selfish. Not the kind of love you deserve.

And yet, you still accept it. You perceive it because you know him. And you accept it.

And now you’re speaking words that are not only true…they’ve been true from the beginning of this whole damn venture.

“Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde.” You repeat the words, only a little worry sneaking into your voice now because he hasn’t answered you, hasn’t spoken…dank farrik, how long has he been standing here in shock?

How long has he believed he would never receive those words?

All that’s necessary is a repetition.

It’s only words.

But it’s everything.

Which is what he’s always wanted to give you.

So he makes the exchange. Quietly. Simply. Sincerely.

"We are one when together, we are one when parted, we will share all, we will raise warriors."

And he can feel it. He can feel the love and concern you have for him. He can feel your trust. It pushes into him like a warm wave, flowing through all the way back to the beginning. The throughline of that first night he walked you home–I’ll be your armor–to the moment when he outfitted you with some of your own, to now as you use your whole self to send him off with armor more resilient than beskar and a reminder when he wields the saber just who gave him that gift.

Clutching your hand at his chest, he squeezes tightly as the wave washes back through him, gritting his teeth behind the visor, the emotions silently taking their toll.

To everyone else, the armor says he is a stoic warrior, his silence is his strength.

But standing here, now, in front of you, he might as well be unmasked, might as well be naked and screaming; he knows your heart can sense the riot in his, even if you can’t see his face.

There’s quiet on the street. Uli-ah’s stopped playing with the womp rats and stands staring from a distance. Fennec and Vanth are waiting for him at the speeder. And yet, he can’t seem to move, can’t seem to leave you.

So you lay hands on his helmet and pull him closer, gently tapping your forehead against the cold metal. “Go. The sooner you go, the sooner you come back to me.” ________________

They’ve lost a little time, but by the position of the suns, they should still make the palace by nightfall.

“So Fett’s taken over the crime syndicate?”

“Not quite,” Fennec shouts over the roar of her speeder and the rush of the wind. “Boba’s interested in striking a deal with Madame Garza in Mos Espa. Going to set up protections. Territories. Wants to undo some wrongs he’s made in the past.”

That’s noble. He’s an odd man, Fett. Unpredictable. But there’s no reason Din can see for saying it out loud, and so he reserves his words, focuses instead on the shifting sands.

“That was a tense parting with your partner back there,” Fennec pokes, taking advantage of the silence.

“Yeah. Riduurok.”

“Is that serious?”

“From what I’ve been told, it can be.”

Fennec deftly maneuvers the speeder around a small minefield of rocky outcroppings before turning her head over her shoulder and side-eyeing him curiously through the slit in her helmet, “From what you’ve been told–?”

“I don’t know,” Din says, his vocoder barely audible over the slur of the world going by, not caring much who hears it other than himself, “I’ve never heard anyone else actually speak those words. There aren’t usually witnesses at a Mandalorian wedding.” ________________

To be continued.

[kaijusplotch]

...had a thought! Story time below!

Fennec early on in her business partnership with Boba, just can't stop staring at the left side of his bald head, where the scars are most visible. She's seen his face before...not exactly the same but the scars, the heavy body, the bald head shaved clean...it's all too familiar and she is picking through every face she has ever seen to find out why.

Boba knows she is staring and it's annoying but he is doing his best not to snap at her. He needs her help after all. After two hours as they are resting in the cool desert night, though...? Even a hunter's patience wears thin.

"what?" He growls, snapping his head to her and glaring at the sniper, pinning her with his eyes.

Fennec isn't perturbed. She simply tilts her head and wracks her brain. No ... Wrecks...! That's it!

"Ive seen someone who looked a lot like you before."

Boba's face fell and he rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'm a clone. You've seen my face a million times before no doubt. Jango Fett was the base for the Grand Army of the Republic. The Clone army." He pokes at the embers, a little angrily. He isn't sure how he feels about the clones of his father. There's none left, as far as he knows.

"no, not your face exactly, I know you're a clone. I've seen Fett clones before in the Empire." Fennec said waving her hand in dismissal.

"they're not Fetts." Boba muttered, but even he couldn't believe that. The Tuskens had brought him in as family, and he remembered early days wanting to play with the other boys who looked like him, wanting brothers. Hearing the clones call each other brother.

"not sure they would have wanted to be. But that isn't the point. I remember who it was. Technically they were clones of your father, but different. Could have passed for normal people. Cousins maybe. His name was Wrecker." Fennec chuckled. "Giant of a guy. Strong as a Rancor too. Didn't know he was an explosive expert at first but second time around he was useful." She drank some water and smiled at Boba. "Honestly you remind me more of him than the other two."

Boba just stared into the fire and wondered who exactly was the clone named Wrecker. It would bother him the rest of the night.

[cissyenthusiast010155]

Fennec Shand Masterlist

Mommy… Master List

Approach at your own risk… smut =* extra smutty =**

One Shots

Fennec Shand Appearance Appreciation

Innocence Kink with Fennec Shand

Oh and I take Requests, so hit me up with your ideas 😉 Requests & Prompt-List

[ghostofskywalker]

Too Easily Read

Fennec Shand/Fem!Reader

Fictober Day 23 of 31

Words: 857

Summary: Looking for information, the Bad Batch pay a visit to an old contact. They may not know exactly what is going on in Fennec's life, but some things (like the way she kept glancing over at you) were pretty obvious.

Fennec Shand Masterlist

Hunter could tell that Fennec’s focus wasn’t on their conversation from the moment it started, and his eyes scanned the cantina to catch a glimpse at what might be distracting her. 

To the bounty hunter’s credit, she was hiding her emotions well enough that it didn’t seem to catch the attention of his brothers, but the way her gaze flicked around was obvious enough for the leader of the squad to tell that something was up. After his and Wrecker’s previous interaction with her, the trust he put in her information and abilities was strengthened enough for them to keep in touch, and the alliance had proved useful for both parties on occasions since then.

“You know I don’t part with information for cheap,” Fennec said, turning her attention fully back to Echo, who had laid out the plans they were looking for. “You’ll have to do something for me.” 

“You should know that we’re amenable to that,” Hunter responded, hoping the bounty hunter hadn’t noticed any of his shifting gazes before. “All you have to do is start the negotiation process.”

“It seems like there’s something on your mind,” Crosshair entered the conversation, and it was clear that he had noticed Fennec’s lack of focus as well. “Perhaps we can make a deal right now.” 

It was the momentary expression of shock on Fennec’s face and the way her eyes darted over once again that finally clued Hunter in to what, or rather who, she had been staring at. He didn’t recognize your face or truly understand why Fennec’s gaze would be so fixed on you, but he had a guess. 

You were sitting at the bar with a drink on the table in front of you as you spoke to Wrecker (who was supposed to be getting everyone another round of drinks), and smiles were lighting up both of your faces. This wasn’t really a surprise, Wrecker was always the friendliest of the group, and it seemed that you two were similar in personality. Hunter turned back to Fennec, a small smile on his face. “What’s the story with her?” he asked, gesturing over to where you were taking another sip of your drink. 

Crosshair and Echo exchanged glances, finally following suit in observation. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fennec said, sitting up straighter as her tone sharpened.

Crosshair rolled his eyes. “You may be good, but you’re not that good,” he responded. “You’ve been glancing over at her more than you’ve looked us in the eye.” 

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” The conversation, which had started out with Fennec undoubtedly holding the upper hand, was shifting now that they had stumbled upon a clear sore subject for the woman in front of them. 

Not wanting to sour the deal before they had information in hand, Hunter tried to mediate. “If she’s your girlfriend, I can promise that Wrecker probably offers more protection by simply being there than-” 

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Fennec snapped, the glare in her eyes getting closer to lethal with every word. If looks could kill, they should have already collapsed unmoving on the dingy floor of the establishment.

Crosshair had no issue pressing on. “She’s clearly not a stranger, so what was it? Are you enemies or exes?” 

Fennec was silent, and Hunter was ready to react at any moment if she drew a weapon on his brother. Crosshair was still new to this way of life, and Hunter just hoped that he didn’t cost them this (very valuable) contact. 

“If you want my help with your little mission, you drop the subject,” Fennec said aggressively. For a single moment, there was a flash of melancholy on her face that clued Hunter (and presumably Crosshair) into the truth, that it was the latter of the two suggestions. 

Hunter nodded, seamlessly moving the interaction back to where it had began: as a business discussion. “You still haven’t named a price for the information we want.” 

Fennec sighed. “How about you just get out of my resting spot and agree to never show up without warning me first?” 

That was certainly a deal that tipped the scales in their favor, so it was quickly accepted, the coordinates they were looking for sent to Echo’s datapad as Hunter walked over to the bar to pay for their drinks. As he walked up to Wrecker, you smiled politely in greeting. “We’re going to head out,” he told his brother as he passed credits over to the bartender. 

Once Wrecker had moved towards the door, Hunter turned to you for a quick moment. “Fennec, huh?” he asked, taking note of the way your expression shifted. No words left your lips, but he knew. “She misses you.” 

He was gone before you could respond, already halfway across the cantina and catching up with his brothers, but he turned around just in time to catch you send a small smile across the room in Fennec’s direction.

If this actually worked, maybe Fennec could consider it part of their payment for the information, even if he would never dream of suggesting that to her.

- the end -

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

[what-i-meant-to-say]

sweetheart 1

because

you

hold your

words. because you

have no words. because you

moan my groans. because you shoulder my silence.

sweetheart 2

promise you'll go, girl, ere you're asudden gone.

can't survive a third alone.

I will, but

then I'll

bury

me.

...and I'm not a poems person!!! Really! I'm not! 🤣

[genericficerblog]

The Bad Batch Appreciation Week Prompt 1.

The first fanfic of my @tbb-appreciation-week series of fanfics is live on ff.net and AO3.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/58667755

(The link to AO3 is not showing up properly for some reason, so I will leave it like this for now)

[kleyamarki]

here i present to you some soft lesbians

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Pairing: Garsa Fwip/Fennec Shand

Preview: Her eyes flutter closed without her meaning to, the soft bed, soft touches, soft kisses make her feel light and repeated long days make her bone-weary even if she would never admit it.

Author’s note: Fennec Shand can be soft because I said so <3

[movietimegirl]

Since we won't be seeing Din and Grogu for a while, I decided to come up with fanfiction prompts all about their new home on Navarro that you guys can use. Bring on the fluff!

House Mudhorn Prompts

Din and Grogu's first night sleeping in the cabin, it's something to get used to.

Din and Grogu shop for furniture for their home.

Din attempts to cook dinner for Grogu.

Din reflects on the future with Grogu.

Grogu draws on the wall.

Grogu has his first bath at the home.

Din and Grogu go stargazing

Din and Grogu play in the water at their home.

Grogu has a fun time playing outside.

Din and Grogu have a housewarming party (Boba, Fennec, Bo-Katan, etc)

Grogu uses force around the house.

Grogu has a nightmare about Moff Gideon, Din comforts him.

Din thinks about his father, he talks to Grogu about him.

Grog says his first word.

Din and Grogu walk around town.

Din and Grogu relax after their first mission.

Din shows his face to Grogu again, it's been so long.

Din reflect on the events on Mandolore.

Bo Katan comes over to visit the clan of two, they catch up.

Din is debating if he should send Grogu to school or not.

Din and Grogu get an unexpected visitor.

Grogu plants a plant.

Din and Grogu stays in the cabin as it thunderstorm outside.

Grogu draws Din a picture.

Grogu and Din read mail from friends.

Din gets toys for Grogu's room.

Din and Grogu have their first breakfast at their home.

Grogu makes a mess.

Grogu tries to get Din out of bed.

Greef spoils Grogu with things.

Luke visits the clan of two.

Din acknowledges Grogu's armor.

Grogu see force ghost at their home.

Grogu has a growth spurt.

Din is debating if he should get Grogu a bed or a crib.

Din has a nightmare, Grogu comforts him.

Grogu and Din take a nap after the final.

Grogu reflects on the past and the upcoming future.

Din teaches Grogu life lessons.

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

Summary: First steps to friendship

A/N: Hello lovelies,

I hope everyone had a good week. I just want to put this out there as someone who works in the medical field, please be kind to doctors, nurses, technicians, receptions, and cleaning crews.

Just be kind in general. I had a rough week with a very rude patient. It might not seem like much but after a while it takes a toll. So to everyone and anyone who needs to hear this, thank you for all the hard work you do.

Love oo

Due to the past history of the OC there will be discussions alluding to past domestic abuse, please note that as it could be a trigger for some.

Warnings: discussions of lunch, trying to avoid isolation, mentions of past trauma (blink and you'll miss it), discussions of being dirty (physically), possible mud (use your imagination). If I miss any warnings, please let me know.

AO3 Link |   Words: 909 |   Previous -> Next

Main Master List   |  Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

THE CRESTWORLD

CHAPTER NINE

As we watched Taika and Misty munching away, it made me remember we needed to eat too, “Din, what do you want for lunch? There’s some leftovers from last night’s dinner or I could make us a sandwich and salad …”

“You know…” he cut her off, realizing he needed to make more of an effort with her. 

Sure she was his employee, but he was also the only person she knew out here. Cobb and Fennec were always busy in town and the surrounding areas,  and Fennec had even less time than Cobb, being Boba’s right hand. Then there was Grogu, and as fun and enjoyable he was for a little kid, it wasn’t the same as having someone around her own age to hang out with. 

He nodded to himself, resolving he needed to do better, “You did a really good job today, Ann. Looking after Bessie, milking her, noticing there was something off about her. You could’ve easily brushed it off, or not even bothered to tell me about it. But you did, and because you did, I can tell you there will be a new addition to the ranch. Nerfs have a faster gestation than most quadrupeds. We should have a new addition in a month or two depending on if it’s a bull or calf. Not to mention you fed the nunas and collected the eggs, even though I know it freaks you out a little. I even noticed that you stamped the eggs with the date, and put them away. Cleaned out the pens as best you could … before I got here.” He smirked.

I tilted my head to look at him, resting my head on my arms that were propped on the railing of the corral. I didn’t say much, simply looking at him as I narrowed my eyes at Din, “I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me, or if you’re being genuine”

He chuckled, as he glanced over to her, shaking his head. “Genuine, I’m being genuine,” he turned back to look at Taika and Misty, “plus, I owe you for this morning.” 

I smirked, focusing back on the horses, “So … does this mean, I’ll get a pay bump?”

“Ha! No.” He stood stretching, “However, I do believe, your good work today, and for my …”

“Assery?”

“That’s not even a word.”

“Words aren’t words, until you start using them more often”

Din shook his head laughing, “Anyway, I do believe this entitles you to lunch on me. How about we go into town for lunch? I know a good restaurant.”

“Oh, um … yeah, I guess…”

He hadn’t expected that reaction, “Do you not want to?” Din glanced over to her.

A thousand scenarios ran through my mind, my biggest concern was bringing danger to this small town, but … Fennec went through a lot to cover my tracks so I could make it here. I couldn’t keep hiding on the ranch like I was. I needed to stop letting my ex dictate terms. I needed to start living again. 

I closed my eyes, and reminded myself, I wasn’t that same weak girl, he initially married.

 “No. No.” I focused on the landscape before, taking in the beautiful mountains, the crisp air. I was far away from him. “I’m up for going into town. After all, I need to see more of this area, get to know the town and people. As beautiful as this ranch is, I can’t exactly be holed up here forever.”

“No. You can’t” he smiled.

 I smirked, as my eyes glanced down, looking over my dirty outfit, “Maybe I should change? Take a shower at least?” My hand subconsciously went to my forehead and hair, wiping away some of the sweat and dirt.

Din shrugged, “You can if you want to but there’s no need, we’re going to a diner, not some fancy five-star high-end Coruscant restaurant. Plus this is a farming town, we’re all used to being a little dirty.”

“Hmmm … Well, I guess, if you’re going like that” I motioned to his shirt, “then I guess I can go like this” I motioned to my less than stellar outfit.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” He looked down, sure there was dirt, hay, dust, some grass strains, and something … he hoped but wasn’t entirely sure was mud. The more he thought about it, the more he changed his opinion, “You know, now that you mention it, maybe a change of shirt wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

I chuckled, nodding in agreement, as he tried to flick a nondescript dark matter off his shirt towards me. I squealed, flinching away from him, increasing the distance between us. “Hey …” I held up my finger as I moved further away, “I’ll have you know, I have enough of my own questionable dark matter on me, I don’t need to take on yours, too.” I shouted over to him, when I was far enough away and headed back into the house.  

Din watched as she headed back to the house, slipping off her boots before she went in. 

He stood in the open glancing over to the pens, the horses grazing, and Bessie chewing away as she stood there looking at him, and he couldn’t remember a time he felt this content from cleaning the pens and grooming Taika and Misty. He shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside as he headed into the house to change.

AO3 Link |   Words: 909 |   Previous -> Next

Main Master List   |  Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

@littlemisspascal @sprout-fics @liadamerondjarin @badbatch-simp24 @spicymcnuggies @lady-ren @firstofficerwiggles @darkangel4121 @discofern @kavecika @monako-jinn-stories @ladykatakuri @avathebestx @theroguesully @furyhellfire66 @carodealmeida @ciramaris @twinkofthedink @dindjarin-mandalorian @tortor-mcgee @sarcasmismyonlydefense24 @chiyo13

[corellianhounds]

I don’t want to have to write all the context and justification for the idea I have right now so I’ll just put this on the WIP stack (story of my life), but consider a Temporal Chalice storyline à la TAZ Balance. An artifact so powerful it holds command over time itself, confronting the cupbearer with their deepest fears, desires, flaws, and mistakes, and the ability to act on a crucial moment in the trajectory of their life, whether they realized it was crucial or not.

The chalice lies before them on a raised pedestal. The offer can only be accepted by one of them, and it comes with two caveats: All of time, from the moment they choose to change and after, will be altered.

And secondly: After they change fate, all of their present memories will be gone. History will be rewritten, and they will never be able to tell in which ways it changes or stays the same.

The Mandalorian is shown a fork in the road. A young family in red is suspended in time: to their right is the city street leading to an underground cellar, for the moment empty. To the left, the street continues, and beyond it he spies a previously unseen underground shelter reinforced with cinder blocks and steel. He is being offered the chance to save his parents’ lives.

“… If my own parents don’t die, somebody else will,” Din says quietly. “I know what it’s like to lose them. I can’t wish that on the loved ones of somebody else.”

Boba Fett is shown the back of a Jedi approaching his father from behind in the arena stands. He is ten years old, and he has a gun in his hands.

“… My father was not a perfect man,” Boba said, his voice carefully devoid of emotion. “My path to this point in life would have been harsh either way. I don’t need a second lifetime of hardship to remember.”

“Disgraced magistrate Greef Karga” echoes at the back of his mind as he watches the scene unfold from a third person point of view. He is given the chance to exonerate himself of what he did before being stripped of his title and run offworld before arriving on Nevarro. He has time to escape and absolve himself of any wrongdoing.

There’s a long moment of consideration before Karga speaks, the veteran showman smile nowhere to be found. “I wouldn’t have become a better man if I hadn’t been caught,” he says grimly. “I would have continued doing what I did because I got away with it. The only reason I changed is because I was held accountable.”

Luke sees Dagobah, and an X-Wing. There are two figures outlined in the gloom, one corporeal and small, the other ethereal and old. If he chooses not to go to Cloud City and stays to finish his training, he will have the strength and knowledge needed to end the war sooner, potentially saving untold thousands of lives at the cost of those dear to him.

“… I don’t think I could make the choice any differently, even knowing what I do now,” Luke says softly. “My masters were training me to have the strength to kill my father. I don’t think I would have had the mercy to spare him long enough for him to redeem himself, and I would have lost what little time I did have with him.”

But what about those who may not be able to accept the present as it is? The ones who would have the knowledge and opportunity to right the wrongs of the galaxy and save innocent lives? To undo past mistakes?

Cobb Vanth is fifteen and has just arrived in the next settlement to pick up supplies. If he immediately returns to the orphanage his mother runs instead of staying the night, as he once did, he’ll be able to put out the fire and save a dozen young lives, and his mother won’t be forced to live with the survivor’s guilt for the following week before she ultimately makes the choice that will leave him an orphan too.

There’s a long arena with targets lined up at one end. Her sister, laughing, stands tall and confident in front of the back wall, hands on her hips with an apple balanced on her head. She is alive, and the girl not yet called Fennec Shand stands at the opposite end, her crossbow still pointed low as she squares her feet. She isn’t yet the marksman she’ll become, and she has the chance to avoid the biggest mistake of her life.

Cara Dune sees an office she’s never been in before, a high-rise view of Coruscant from the windows. There is a covey of New Republic officers poring over data showing the plot to frame and kill her entire crew for the crime they didn’t commit, and the evidence to frame her for it when she runs.

Ahsoka sees herself as a child, looking up at a young Jedi Knight with a scar bisecting one eyebrow. She knows this scene, has had it etched upon her memory for decades. She could decline his offer and divert her life’s course entirely.

Leia is shown the first time she ever met Vader at age fourteen. She is standing beside the man who raised her as his own, the two of them across from the figure in black. Captain Antilles is next to her and he has a gun in his holster.

Grogu, a child, is given perhaps the most difficult choice of all: The ability to prove Palpatine’s treachery to his masters and prevent Order 66 from happening at all, perhaps preventing the entire war. The tradeoff is that he will grow up in the temple, and he will never meet the man who would become the Mandalorian.

Han Solo is shown the future. His hand is on the door. Leia and Ben are behind him.