#foundling Ahsoka rights

[melinavostokoffkisser]

Archive Warnings Apply

CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze & Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze & CT-7567 | Rex. Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex. Bo-Katan Kryze, Post-Siege of Mandalore (Star Wars), Angst, Post-Order 66 (Star Wars), Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Bo-Katan Kryze Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, CT-7567 | Rex & Ahsoka Tano Friendship, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Platonic Relationships, hug

Summary

The Republic is gone. As well as everything both Ahsoka and Rex once knew. Rex has to make a choice and that choice is to keep Ahsoka safe.

To do so, that means he can't be around.

But he refuses to let her be alone. They don't have many allies, but he knows of one Mandalorian who has developed a soft spot for the young Togruta

Language: English Words: 3,985 Chapters: 2/2 Comments: 1 Kudos: 30 Bookmarks: 6 Hits: 298

[jedi-enthusiasm-blog]

Star Wars Masterpost

Pro Jedi/In Defense Of The Jedi/Jedi Culture

Non-Master/Padawan Jedi Relationships

The Jedi didn't free Shmi and why that's not a slight against them

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage

The Jedi aren't stuck in their ways just because they don't allow marriage (addendun)

Jedi Antis when jedi-enthusiasm-blog likes the Jedi (meme)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory)

Jedi culture tag (derogatory) (meme)

Mace Windu Best Jedi

Collective Jedi Parenting

Obi-Wan Best Jedi

Villains Praising the Jedi (and fandom not getting it)

Sith (derogatory) VS Jedi (affectionate)

Q: Who's the best Jedi? A: Yes

Star Wars History ( @saturnidiot thank you so much)

On the Jedi's limited numbers (+ an anti)

Many Jedi are orphans

My interpretation of the Jedi Code/Meditation Mantra

"Cal and Kanan fix the mistakes of the Order and stop repressing what makes them human" Shut up

Inconsistency in anti-Jedi arguments

"There's being critical and there is slander"

Fandom experience (derogatory)

Age is not an immediate disqualifier

A Jedi's Weapon

Friendly reminder about emotional mindfulness

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

If you're gonna critize the Jedi they have to be wrong

The Jedi's political power: canon vs fanon

Most Jedi don't struggle with attachment

Mace Windu and actively fighting fascism

Gushing about Reva

Jedi Order: broke vs woke

Reva/Vader parallels

If the Jedi have no fans I'm dead

When others are the best versions of themselves

I wouldn't want a romantic relationship if I was a Jedi

Antis stop projecting your religious trauma onto the Jedi, the Sith are right there

Jedi positivity (community)

No, Luke doesn't save his father with attachment

Heart of a Jedi

Multilingual Jedi Babies

Fandom experience (derogatory)

The Jedi made the right decision in using the Clone Army

Anti Mandalorians/Mandalorians Critical

Why Mandalorian Culture and Mando'a don't make sense

Jedi kidnapping (affectionate) VS Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian foundlings (derogatory)

Mandalorian culture and how people fall for fascist rethoric

Anti Sith

The Sith are not oppressed by the Jedi

Darth Vectivus is a bastard (derogatory) and I love him

Peacekeepers vs nazis in a galaxy far far away…

The Sith don't have balance (joke unfortunately not mine)

Obi-Wan roasting the Sith

Sith are nazis

Anti Anakin/Anakin critical

Anakin is not mentally ill

Others

Tag game

Star Wars Lines (Pt.1) (Pt.2) (Pt.3) (Pt.4)

"Be with me" AKA cool tribute to the Jedi I found on YouTube of all places

Opinion on Ahsoka

The Dark is generous and it is patient

Songs from the soul (fic)

Sabine as the successor to Tarre Vizla

Opinion on Rey

Force-sensitivity and being aroace

[nightfall-1409]

I have just realized that this series of events has unintentionally made Bo-Katan the funniest person in this galaxy (at this time).

We know in Mandalorian S2 that Bo-Katan knows Ahsoka's locations, and further, what sounds like her plans. This implies to the audience that she's in general contact with Ahsoka, and given their good terms at the end of TCW it seems like Bo-Katan and her may genuinely be on good terms.

We also know from Rebels that Bo-Katan is well aware of Sabine, and further, got the Darksaber from Sabine. So obviously, (in my head at least,) it's more likely than not if Ahsoka started to train Sabine that Bo-Katan would hear about it, as it sounds like they were all quite involved in the Rebellion and its aftermath.

Except the situation in Mando S2 was Din showing up with puppy dog eyes under his bucket like "please im looking for a jedi master for my foundling do you know where one is?"

So. EITHER.

a) Bo-Katan knows that Ahsoka stopped training Sabine, (in Sabine's words, she walked away from Sabine.) after what sounds like a hot mess wrt the Night of 1000 Tears, the death of Clan Wren, no leads on where Thrawn or Ezra are, its all a wash... and she sees this man and his Yoda looking baby and goes..."ooh you know what"

just sends her a Jedi baby like. You want a baby Jedi and not a Mandalorian, oh well see, I got you a baby Jedi right here for you. Wrapped up in a completely DIFFERENT Mandalorian Problem. So uh. What about that student of yours. Ahsoka. What's going on there. Buddy?

OR

b) Bo-Katan is completely in the dark about the apprenticeship going awry bc of how busy she's been with trying to take on Gideon, (which is why she didn't reach out to Sabine and have her there w/ her to kill the man who murdered her Family) and just set Ahsoka up on this blind playdate with a baby Jedi and his Mandalorian dad bc, well, "You train Mandalorians don't you? Well, why not have another!" and this was just how she ended up Finding Out that actually Ahsoka's no longer taking apprenticeships at this time.

[fulcrum-art-fox]

Thought: Bo-Katan must surely have known that Ahsoka had, at least at one time, been training Sabine Wren as her apprentice, right?Like, Sabine being Ahsoka’s apprentice doesn’t appear to have been kept a secret, and seems to be reasonably well known in those circles that care, and Bo-Katan is definitely one of those circles that cares, seeing as she seems to have kept track of Ahsoka even to knowing her location with accuracy. And especially with Sabine being the daughter of Bo-Katan’s long time friend Ursa Wren, you can’t tell me Bo wasn’t at least aware - like maybe she doesn’t know that they went their separate ways or any details but like. She had to have known that she was sending Mandalorian Din Djarin and his Jedi foundling to the one Jedi who not only has a deep working understanding of Mandalorians but herself has a Mandalorian padawan

[burnwater13]

Fennec Shand and Boba Fett, on Tatooine approaching Jabba's Palace. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 4, The Gathering Storm. Calendar by DateWorks.

Grogu had a lot of empathy for the situation Boba Fett had found himself in. There were people who had thought he was gone and made no effort to find him, help him, or even mourn him. He’d felt that big time when he’d met Ahsoka Tano again and then Luke Skywalker. He cut Luke a bit more slack than he cut Ahsoka. She had been at the Jedi Temple at the same time as Grogu had been there. Luke, well, it wasn’t his fault that Master Yoda never told him to go find Grogu. Apparently Master Yoda hadn’t even bothered to tell Luke that Grogu even existed. 

Of course, Grogu didn’t have to worry about finding a ship or the people who might still hold a grudge. He’d never had a ship, or even a toy to call his own. Just his coverall and his connection to the Force. As for the grudge holders… they just found him wherever he’d been hiding and then he was on the run again. He couldn’t blame his lack of persuasiveness on his coverall. He’d never had armor. He’d just had a thousand or more Jedi who kept an eye on him until they became one with the Force. The only person he could blame was Sheev Palpatine and he was gone, thank the Force. 

Grogu had been surprised that Fennec thought her friend could just walk back into the palace that had once belonged to the Monks of B’Omar and ask for such a great ship back. The Firespray had a lot of excellent features and Grogu wished he’d had a ship like that almost as many times as he’d wished he had a ship like the Razor Crest. The only problem with the Firespray was the rotating viewing system. The seats weren’t made for him and the first time he and his dad and the Daimyo had taken that ship instead of the N-1 to go meet some Sand People on the other side of Tatooine, Grogu slipped out of the seat and whacked the canopy hard enough to see stars, and not the kind that stayed right where they were supposed to be in the sky.  

But then, Grogu reflected, Fennec could get almost anyone to do almost anything for her. He didn’t know if it was her smile, her bright eyes, or the persuasive tone of voice she used, but the vast majority of people did whatever they could to make her happy. His dad had bluntly commented that it was her skills as an assassin that made most folks happy to help her. Either way, Fennec didn’t face the same issues as Boba Fett and Grogu could understand that as well. 

Boba Fett was a Mandalorian and was raised to wear armor, protect foundlings, and take no prisoners, unless they were in binders or carbonite. Clearly Fennec had not been raised like that. But Grogu knew what it was like to be part of a group of people who looked alike, acted alike, and did the same sort of work. Then they were gone. 

Grogu didn’t worry about not having beskar armor. He’d been gifted some by the Mandalorian, his dad, Din Djarin. But he didn’t have a lightsaber and that really set him apart from Luke and Ahsoka, and every other Jedi Knight in the known history of the Jedi. While he didn’t like to admit it, he knew that a lightsaber automatically made people standup a little taller when they spoke with you. They definitely took you more seriously. They sounded more respectful. They understood that it took years of study, testing, and oversight to learn how to use that most civilized of weapons. 

“Buddy, they just don’t want to get cut up with it. No one does. Respecting the weapon is not the same as respecting the person.”

That is of course what Grogu had expected the Mandalorian to say when he was expressing his thoughts on the matter of when he could make his own lightsaber and why wasn’t that right now? It was an interesting take on the situation. He asked his dad a follow up question. 

“Why do people respect Fennec? We’ve been over that. She’s very good at what she does. That thing just happens to be helping people find peace sooner rather than later.”

Find peace? What the heck? Why bother with the soft words? Din Djarin was a Mandalorian warrior and bounty hunter. He’d ended more people than it was possible for Fennec to addressed given the differences in their tactics and strategies. 

“That’s right kid. I only end the people I get paid to end. One at a time. I don’t waste time on the rabble, like your dad here does, but then I’m not a Mandalorian.”

Womp rats! How does she do that?! Grogu hadn’t expected her to pop up right next to him. 

“Fennec, leave the boy alone. Grogu. We all feel vulnerable about something. For me it was my armor. Not only because it protects my hide, which I appreciate. But it is also my only connection to my father and his history. When I wear it, people don’t just know that I am Boba Fett, they also know I am Jango Fett’s son. That connects me back to him and there are times that connection has made the biggest difference to me. Do you understand?”

Grogu nodded his head. That’s why he had the control stick knob from the Razor Crest. It connected him to the Mandalorian and he never wanted to give that connection up. He knew that now, having returned from Luke’s Jedi Sleep Away Camp a wiser Jedi and a better son.

[shadowmaat]

username FIC game

Heya, @bluemaskedkarma I see your "choose a song for each letter of your name" and raise you "choose a FIC for each letter of your name." It's still a "get to know me" thing, but with the bonus of boosting other fic writers. SO!

S- Stonebrook by @sl-walker (Bail saves a young Maul from prison and takes him home to Alderaan. Lots of depth to this one. Doesn't shy away from things, though later fics in the series can be funny too.)

H- The House Built on Fresh Snow by @tiend (Jango/Shmi, AU where Shmi is an engineering slave on a ship where Jango is added to the ranks. Neither could predict what happened next. It's interesting to see these two thrown together and how they complement each other.)

A- After the Storm by SpaceWall (post-war AU, everyone is struggling to move on after the war. Cody joins an agricorp mission to Mandalore and tries to cope with putting his General in a coma. Heavy stuff at times, lots of angst, but there's a hopeful ending.)

D- Dawnbreak Accord by AugustArchon (Din/Leia, Leia defends one of the Mandalorian delegates and amid paperwork and political headaches, an unexpected kinship develops. These two really click, and it's wonderful to watch it develop.)

O- Out with Lanterns by Skyebean (AU where Mace is Ahsoka's Master, how that changes things... and what it doesn't. Some fun things, some serious things, and of course O66 still happens. This time Ahsoka is in the middle of it.)

W- Why Not's and How To's by @trixree (unadulterated crack AU where Obi-Wan is a lawyer who sets his sights on emancipating the GAR. Not yet complete. SO much silliness. But also, y'know, someone fighting for Clone Rights, which is always good to see.)

M- Mand'alor Cabur by @nautilicious (slow-burn Bobadin featuring lots of foundlings, growing a family, growing a community, and growing a brain to recognize the clues. Not yet complete. Din is an absolute idiot, but luckily Boba is incredibly, incredibly patient and forgiving.)

A- All Is as the Force Wills It by felurian (Rogue One escapes Scarif by the skin of their teeth and begin the long road to recovery. Distrust and uncertainty lengthen the road, but hope remains. Some good Chirrut/Baze stuff and Bodhi angst. "Everybody lives" doesn't mean things are magically all better.)

A- and your people shall never be destroyed by @bitebackbaby (Palpatine dies. The entire Corrie Guard has disappeared. Cody and some of the other Commanders investigate. One-shot. Cliffhanger. Heavy on the Corrie whump and Commanders guilt. I'm intrigued by the possibilities left out in the open.)

T- The 212th Attack Battalion's Guide to Staging Rescues by antigrav_vector and @quarra (de-aged clones and Obi-Wan get flung into the past to Korda VI and Jaster Mereel's camp. Chaos and mass adoptions ensue. Lots of humor, lots of competence. Gosh dang did I love watching the mini-clones (and Obi-Wan) running around and being amazing.)

This shit's trickier than you think, but anyone who wants to give it a go, consider yourselves tagged!

[wanderingjedi77]

Bo Katan x The Armorer (The Foundling)

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Summary: When a child and her mother are brought to the covert following a routine patrol, the lives of the Armorer and Bo Katan Kryze are forever altered.

It was Paz Vizsla who had found the girl half starved, the mother ill and unresponsive when he was patrolling Navarro. He had almost missed her, but something had made him turn his head, and he saw this small child pleading near his feet. Her mother was lying nearby on a dirty blanket.

His parental instincts had kicked in when the child asked if he had food or medicine and had quickly ordered his squad to take the mother back to the Covert.

"Come with me, child." Paz said softly. "We will help you and your mother."

"T...thank you sir."

"What is your name?"

"Satine." Satine answered quietly, and Paz picked her up like he would Ragnar, his son. Holding the child close and trying not to think about how light she was.

When they made it back to the covert, he had one of their female coverts get Satine a bath, new clothes and some food. The clothes were a little big, and she asked for her mother a few times; only to be told she was sick and needed rest as Paz contacted the Armorer and Bo. He knew they had a Jedi visiting, and wondered if she could help figure out what happened.

When Ahsoka met him outside the common area, Paz looked grim.

"The child was starving Jedi. And her mother is very sick."

Ahsoka flickers her gaze to the child and frowns. "How did you come across her?"

"She approached us." Paz answers. "I couldn't turn her away. She's so small. She needed our help."

"You did the right thing, Paz." Ahsoka answers. "I came here to pass along information, but I'll do what I can for the girl."

"Thank you." Paz answers. "I will go and check on the mother." He leaves, and Ahsoka takes a deep breath before she enters the room.

The girl couldn't be more than ten or eleven. With dark reddish hair and blue eyes that were fixated on the untouched food in front of her.

She was nervous, Ahsoka realised. Looking around like she was afraid someone would take it away at any moment. She curled her arm around the plate and looked up at Ahsoka like she sensed she was there.

"You can have seconds if you want." Ahsoka says gently as she sits across from her, tilting her head. "The covert takes care of all its foundlings." She adds, and the girl relaxes a bit, starting to eat her food. "My name is Ahsoka. You and your mother were brought in by Paz?"

The girl nods and pauses. "Mother is very sick." She looks at Ahsoka, hesitating. "You have a very pretty name. It's a lot better than mine anyway." She hesitates again as Ahsoka nods at her to continue

"My name is Satine."

Ahsoka smiled warmly. "You were named after the Duchess?" She asks, and Satine nods. "Your parents must have high hopes for you."

"I guess so." Satine shrugs. She looks at the doorway to see Paz and swallows nervously. Was something wrong?

"Young one? I need you to come with me." Paz says from the doorway, and Ahsoka is already on her feet.

"Am I in trouble?" Satine asks. She stands up and moves next to Ahsoka.

"No. It's..." Paz straightens up. "Please come with me Satine."

Ahsoka puts a hand on her shoulder. "I will come with you." She offers. Satine looks at her and nods before they follow Paz into the medical wing.

"She must go in by herself." Paz says suddenly. Ahsoka looks down at Satine and squeezes her hand. Trying to bring her comfort. She knows it's about her mother now.

He pauses at the door, and Ahsoka moves to lean against the wall as Satine lets go of her hand. She goes inside to her mother, who's been lying there for three days, and reaches out to hold her hand as Paz comes into the room.

It's cold.

"She's gone." Satine says suddenly. Her face feels hot, and she grips her mother's hand tightly. It takes a moment for Satine to realise that she's crying.

"She is with your Buir now and your ancestors." Paz replies and kneels down next to her. "But do not feel as though you are forgotten small one." He stands up. "I will be back in a moment."

Paz stands up and leaves the room, meeting Ahsoka outside; leaning against the wall. She looks at him, but death hangs in the air through the force, and she knows what Paz is about to say.

"The child's mother has died." Paz says. He looks at Ahsoka. "I will help prepare the rites, but the child must be accepted as a foundling of the tribe. You must speak to the Armorer." He looks back inside the room to Satine, who is crying quietly.

Ahsoka nods and thanks him before moving past Paz to Satine. She kneels down next to her and places a hand in her back. "Paz needs to prepare your mother for her funeral. I need you to come with me Satine."

Satine sobs, but nods; letting Ahsoka help her up. Ahsoka holds her close as they walk back to Paz, and the giant of a man places a gentle hand on Satine's head.

"It will be hard, young one, but you are not alone." Paz offers before moving away. Satine sniffs and wraps both her arms around Ahsoka tightly.

"It's going to be okay, Satine." Ahsoka tells her. She lets Satine hold onto her for as long as she needs until her tears are quiet and take her by the hand. "Come. The Armorer wishes to speak with us."

"Is she the leader around here?" Satine asks, trying to focus on anything else but her mother for a moment.

"She is." Ahsoka says, "But she has a soft spot for foundlings."

Satine nodded and didn't say anything else as they approached the forge. She kept close to Ahsoka when they approached the Armorer and a red-haired woman who had her helmet off. She didn't know Mandalorians could do that.

"This is the foundling?" The Armorer says as she puts down her hammer. She tilts her head as she looks at her, realizing she has been crying. "What has upset you adi'ka?"

"My mother..." Satine shakes her head and rubs tears from her eyes.

"...is gone." Ahsoka says. She looks at Bo, who is staring at Satine sympathetically. "Paz requested she be taken in as a foundling."

"A noble request." The Armorer answers. "You have no one else, child?" The Armorer asks softly.

Satine nodded and looked at the floor. She didn't want to look at anyone. She didn't want them to tell her it was going to be okay. Her mother was dead.

She really did have no one.

"Child, you must look me in the eyes when speaking. When you answer questions. " The Armorer explained. Satine looked at her, eyes unsure and cautious. "Good."

She turned to Bo, who had turned pale; frowning. Trying to figure out where she knew this child from. Why did she look so familiar?

"What is your name child? You're parents names?" The Armorer asked. "I must write it down so you don't forget your history."

Satine swallowed, nervous. "My name is Satine." She looked at Ahsoka, who nodded at her to continue. "My mother was Adalia, and my father was Koregan. But everyone called my buir Korkie. He died in the purge."

"He was Mandalorian?"

Satine nods. "I don't remember him though."

"You were young. It is understandable." The Armorer turned to Bo, who startled badly. She placed a hand on her arm and drew her attention. The Armorer tilted her helmet, so it touched Bo's and squeezed her arm as she pulled away.

"Are you wives?" Satine asked suddenly.

"We are." The Armorer replied, amused.

Satine brightened up. "Oh! That's so wonderful!"

Bo nodded in thanks but still didn't say anything. How could she? Not when the eyes of her late sister stared at them.

"I have to go." Bo says suddenly, ignoring the look Ahsoka sends her way. The room is suddenly too hot, too suffocating. How could no one have told her that she had a niece? That she wasn't the last Kryze.

How could they lie to her?

Satine watches as Bo leaves with a furrowed brow, her heart seizing in pain. Was she angry with her? Satine frowned. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No adi'ka. Bo is just having a rough day." The Armorer puts a hand on Satine's shoulder and draws her attention towards her. "Come. I will teach you about our funeral rights and help you through the ceremony tomorrow."

The Armorer looks at Ahsoka as she leaves with Satine, and Ahsoka nods at her. She will go and check on Bo in the meantime.

"Bye, Ahsoka." Satine waves over her shoulder and turns her attention back to the Armorer.

"I'll see you in a bit little one." Ahsoka replies gently. She watches them disapear and then reaches out with the force. Bo is outside? Upset. Angry.

Ahsoka hurries.

By the time Ahsoka finds Bo, she's thrown her helmet to the ground and is pacing. Ahsoka approaches carefully, not wanting to startle Bo but understanding that the anger she feels is coming from a place of hurt.

"Bo?" Ahsoka says, and Bo turns to her, furious.

"Nothing you say can make this better." Bo snaps at her.

"Look. You can be as mad as you want in private. But not in front of Satine." Ahsoka argues back. "She's force sensitive Bo. She knew you were upset."

Bo swallows hard and breathes hard. But the anger still lingers. "Just like Kenobi."

"He never knew about Korkie. Why would your sister tell him he had a son? She wanted him to stay with the Jedi Order." Ahsoka answers. She steps closer to Bo and holds her arm.

"That child..."

"Satine." Ahsoka corrects gently. "Has just lost her mother."

Bo turns away from Ahsoka, trying to calm down. "I won't tell the child yet."

Ahsoka sighs. "Okay."

"I need some time, Ahsoka. Please." Bo pleads with her, red hair falling in her eyes. She clenched her fist and Ahsoka turned away.

"Come inside before it gets too dark, at least." Ahsoka says. "I'll go check on Satine." She walks away, leaving Bo alone with her thoughts.

And with her regrets.

[yamineftis]

I want more gremlin Grogu...

I want some more Gremlin interacting with the dark side Grogu tbh, I want Din to get hurt and Grogu just losing it, and yes it has to be better written than it was in the finale of S3.

I want Grogu with flashbacks of his past looking at his father in danger and just going all in, throwing and chocking people around, levitating and crushing things, and healing wounds. Throwing himself at his father once everything is over, clutching his cape and babbling incontrolably.

I want Din at a loss, worried and scared (also mad at himself for putting Grogu through pain again), and seeking advice either from Ahsoka or preferably Luke.

Luke tells him about his test and Grogu’s choice, Din is surprised (and a bit angry) but Luke explains he could feel Grogu’s love for his father, and denying him the chance to live his childhood as a son would only refuel his past trauma... and leave him more susceptible to the dark side (yes he explains what the dark side is, Din wants to groan at how now there are evil wizards he needs to worry about). “I might be a jedi who grew up with no parents but at least had the love of my uncle and aunt, Grogu feels happy and safe with you, it’s only natural he wants to protect that”.

Din’s head spinning cuz Grogu is having dark tendencies bc of him but he’ll go fully dark if he’s not with him, can’t win with this force bs. Parenting is hard.

Luke’s words do nothing to ease his worries, and he is annoyed at how the jedi doesn’t seem worried. Luke smiles and tells him to trust Grogu “he chose to be a Mandalorian and I’m not surprised. The jedi order fell because they couldn’t deal with a hurt individual’s attachment, so call me crazy but I think the force is guiding us in finding a new answer”.

Din not commenting on the “us”. And wishing space wizards weren’t so vague in their words, oh and wouldn’t it be nice if they didn’t leave their fate to a thing that helps them lift rocks?, but Luke is right in saying Grogu will become a Mandalorian.

I want Din deciding to trust Grogu.

And after some more incidents, Din understanding Grogu’s feelings are no different from his own when he was a scared foundling wanting nothing but to protect his new Mandalorian family.

Din realizing he will not be able to stay long in Grogu’s life...and how the child is actually very aware of that. Grogu doesn’t want their short time together to be cut even shorter. So Din stops treating Grogu’s fears and anger as something bad or dangerous. Instead he starts explaining Mandalorian’s love for family and their defiance of death. How death is never the end for them, how they’ll meet again one day in the Manda. And how he’ll stay with him always through the beskar they share.

I want Grogu learning to let go thanks to Mandalorian culture, he stays a lil gremlin who fiercely protects his father, but the dark side stays away.

I want the force shining and thriving bc of Din and Grogu.

[notgonnaedit]

Beskar and Bone

The Book of Boba Fett: Part 2

Summary: Losing Grogu took a toll on both Mando and Elaine, but the galaxy waits for no one, not even to grieve.

Chapter summary: Mando and Elaine take a trip to see someone.

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, sad Mandad, crying, Ahsoka you can do no wrong but come on!

@thecoffeelorian @dreamsight73 @valeria-lilian

Updates on Fridays. If you want to be tagged LMK

Master list

I don't remember much of this episode, so I'm just kinda going off of my memory 😓 Sorry for any inaccuracies!

Mando  followed the droid, Elaine by his side. He was looking for Grogu and the droid was leading them there. Mando would be lying if he said he wasn't excited, but Elaine was practically bursting at the seams with joy. She hadn't stopped smiling since he told her they were visiting the little guy.

She bounced with each step, along with the Mythosaur pendant he had given her. She had tied it to the tip of one of her horns, opting that it "wouldn't hit her in the face" when she did things.

The R2 droid led them to an open area, lush and green. "Is this where they are?" Mando asked.

But instead of beeping his answer, the astromech locked in place and stopped moving. "Hey. Droid." Mando said. "Hey. Don't shut off. Wake up." But it didn't.

Mando looked and saw another droid working. "Hey, I'm looking for Skywalker." He said. "He had a kid with him."

The droid simply pointed to a wooden slab standing next to him. "Is that a bench?" Mando was at a loss for what was happening. He let out a sigh. "How long will I be waiting? Is anyone here? Anyone alive?"

Mando realized that no one was going to answer him. Resigning, he sat down on the bench. Elaine looked up at him in confusion. "What just happened?"

"I...don't know." Was all Mando said.

It wasn't long before the two realized it would be a long while before anyone would talk to them. Elaine busied herself by playing with blades of grass. She pulled them and twisted them, occasionally adding sticks and pebbles to her collection.

Mando layed down on the bench, staring up at the sky. Drowsiness began to overcome him and eventually, sleep.

                            ~~~~~

"Papi, wake up." Elaine said softly.

Mando sat up instantly, eyes darting around. They finally landed on a grey clad figure leaning against a tree. Ahsoka Tano. 

"You." Mando said as he relaxed. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Ahsoka smiled. "I'm an old friend of the family."

"I thought you weren't going to help train Grogu." Mando said.

The Togruta stepped away from the tree. "I'm not. Master Luke is."

Mando cocked his head to the side. "Then what are you doing here?"

"That's my question for you." Ahsoka said.

Elaine smiled. "We're here to see Grogu."

Ahsoka nodded, a small smile on her face at the sight of the girl. "That's why R2 brought you to me instead."

Mando stood. "What is this place?"

The Jedi looked over to the house being built. "There's nothing now, but will someday be a great school. Grogu will be it's first student."

"I'd like to know how he's doing." Mando said.

"He's doing fine."

"I wanna see him." Mando truly did.

Elaine's smile faded. She sensed a sudden shift in the mood. Her Empathy was stronger when she was in the presence of a Jedi.

Ahsoka let out a sigh. "I know you do. Let's take a walk." She walked into the woods, Mando and Elaine close behind. "I warned you when we met that your attachment to Grogu would be difficult to let go of."

"He was a Mandalorian foundling in my care." Mando explained. "I just wanna make sure he's safe."

"There is no place in the galaxy more safe than here with Luke." Ahsoka countered.

"I don't understand why you're all right with Skywalker's decision to train the kid when you wouldn't." Mando grumbled.

A sharp breath escaped the Jedi. "Because it was his choice. I don't control the wants of others."

"Then, it's my choice to go and see him." Mando said defiantly.

Ahsoka nodded. "Of course. If that is what you wish."  She looked up through the trees, and the clan followed her gaze. There atop the hill sat Grogu, just the same as before.

Mando took a step forward. "All right."

"Are you doing this for Grogu, or are you doing this for yourself?" Ahsoka said abruptly.

Mando and Elaine stopped, the girl confused as to why. Mando reached into his pouch and pulled out a small bundle. "I just... I wanna give him this." He said softly.

"Why?" Ahsoka asked. "So he will remember you?"

"No." Mando said, a little too sharply. He hesitated. "As a Mandalorian foundling, he should have this. It's his right."

Ahsoka tilted her head to the side. "Foundling. Perhaps he is a Padawan now."

Mando didn't like that. "Either way, this armor will protect him."

Ahsoka shrugged. "If you are set on it, then allow me to deliver it."

Elaine looked back and forth between the Jedi and her father. Her brown eyes wide with suspense. She looked up at the hill where Grogu sat. "I wanna see him."

"We came all this way." Mando's voice was raw with emotion. "He's right there."

"Grogu misses you a great deal." Ahsoka said. "If he sees you two, it will only make things more difficult for him."

Mando had never felt so torn in his entire life. His son was right there, not even a stone's throw away. But deep down, he knew Ahsoka was right, no matter how much he hated it. He handed her the cloth bundle. "Make sure he's protected."

Elaine's eyes began to well up. "No." She said softly.

Mando picked her up and walked away before he could hesitate more. Elaine buried her face in his shoulder, silent sobs racking her body.

                               ~~~~~

Mando let out a heavy sigh as he made his way through the palace. Fett had given him and Elaine and room to stay in as long as he needed Mando's help. He reached the door to his room, but when he opened it there was an unexpected sight.

Elaine was sitting on her bed, clutching her doll tightly. Tears ran down her face, prompting Mando to go quickly to her side.

"Hey, what's wrong, Sarad'ika?" He asked, kneeling by her bed.

Elaine sniffed and wiped her fist across her cheek. It was a fruitless effort to dry her face, seeing as the tears kept coming. "I miss Grogu."

"So do I." Mando said softly. Seeing Elaine this upset hurt him more than she would ever know. Or maybe she did. Her Empathy worked in strange ways. Mando wanted to comfort her, but how? That's when it hit him.

Mando lifted his hands, taking off his helmet. Elaine gasped softly. "But..." Was all she said.

Mando smiled sadly at her, something she could see now. "It's okay."

It felt a little strange, not wearing his helmet. But what mattered more? Maintaining something that was no longer required since he was exiled, or comforting his daughter.

Mando pulled Elaine to him, standing up as she held onto him. He sat down on his bed, stroking her hair as she cried. "I miss him too." He said softly.

Elaine sat on his lap, head leaning against his chest. "I'm never gonna see him again." She sniffled.

Mando knew there was no point in telling her otherwise, Elaine was too smart. Instead, he opted to be there for her as she grieved. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and held her tighter.

Elaine's sobs stopped after a while, and Mando figured she must have fallen asleep. But an incoherent mumble from the girl said otherwise.

"What was that?" Mando asked, unsure of what she said.

Elaine shifted, her eyes already closed. "I love you, Papi." Even then, Mando could barely hear it, but it echoed in his mind forever.

He cradled her head in his hand, kissing her head again. "I love you too, my flower."​​​​​​​

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[thehollowprince]

There is no ignorance, There is knowledge

I was on TikTok last night at work and came across a video calling out how many Star Wars "fans" were complaining about the "wokeness" being introduced to the franchise, specifically citing Lizzo's glorified cameo in a single episode. Putting aside that this is a franchise has a wise and powerful character played by a freaking muppet, the TikToker (?) rightfully called out how so many of these fans never seem to actually interact with any Star Wars projects. Their opinions seem to be based entirely on their own perception of clips and images taken from the internet and pop culture.

Hence, the title, because oftentimes, consumption of the source material usually clears up any confusion as to what this franchise has always been about. With Knowledge, we diminish Ignorance

I was reminded of this yet again this morning when I got home and checked my recommendations from Google and was greeted with this monstrosity.

I know I shouldn't get worked up because this is Screenrant, and literally anyone can post anything to it. There doesn't seem to be any vetting process to this website and what it publishes. But I've been seeing more and more Jedi slander over the last few years, and I just can't keep my mouth shut (metaphorically speaking).

So let's just break this piece of garbage down.

Naturally, it's not a complaint against the Jedi unless we call them child abductors, right? Putting aside the fact that I have never seen so many incorrect statements strung together in a row like that (and this is just the first paragraph), it really emphasizes the point I'm trying to make here.

There is no perfect system in any of Star Wars, no matter what faction you're a fan of. The Jedi are no exception to this.

The Order does not kidnap nor indoctrinate children. At least not more than any other religion, political group, revolution, educational system, etc. How the Jedi refill their ranks isn't any different than how the Mandalodians recruit their foundlings or how the Clones were created by the Kaminoans. The Jedi find Force-sensitive children and (with their guardians permission where applicable) and offer them a chance to not only hone abilities that can be dangerous without proper training, but an opportunity to be a part of what is a generally revered organization throughout the galaxy, bringing peace to all those they can.

This has been explained multiple times by multiple people within multiple supplemental entries of Star Wars materiel, but there is a reason that the young are chosen to be trained instead of adults. The entire purpose of the Jedi's order is to teach their students empathy and compassion (despite what this author insinuates, saying the Jedi are "without emotion or passion") so that they don't become tyrants like the Sith or other more militant factions throughout the Galaxy.

In fact, once again in complete contradiction to what this author says, the Jedi once filled their ranks with many adult initiates, but such recruits fell to the Dark Side at a much more commensurate rate. It was because of these constant droves of Dark Jedi that the current practice of only accepting students younger than a certain age or maturity became more pronounced.

But let's move on.

Say it with me now:

"The Jedi never forced any member of its Order to forsake their heritage!"

As a matter of fact, there are multiple examples of Jedi who not only explore their birth heritage but embrace it.

Both Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano, as Togruta, incorporate both a Togruta sash and an akul tooth headdress into their Jedi attire

Shaak Ti actually took her padawans to her home planet for their training

Plo Koon was both a member of the Jedi High Council and the Baran Do Sages, a Force-sensitive order on his home planet

Oppo Rancisis was the son of the Blood Monarch of Thisspias and kept in contact with the royal family

A'Sharad Hett wore the traditional coverings of a Tuskan Raider

Both Luninara Unduli and Barriss Offee bore traditional Mirialan tattoos

Tarre Vizsla, the creator of the Darksaber, wore his Mandalodian armor during his time with the Order

Ki-Adi-Mundi was married!

Depa Billaba wore the marks of the Chalactan Adepts

And numerous other examples!

There has never been a tenet of the Jedi that prohibits their members from either learning of their culture (in fact, it's encouraged to do so) or to seek out their family or people. The only thing the Jedi have ever been pretty strict about in this regard is the formation of attachments. Specifically, the unstable emotions that come with such attachments and how those Jedi will do anything to retain them (i.e. Anakin Skywalker.)

This next one is a real doozy.

I have never read such garbage in my life. That's like saying, "How dare you not teach these children to be racist to their classmates because that's their family's culture!"

Once again, I understand that I shouldn't get upset because this is Screenrant, and they will post whatever click bate bullshit will get you onto their site. Rage-farming is the word, and I'm sorry to admit that I fell for it. It just infuriates me that so many people, or at least the most vocal ones, are so adamant about tarnishing the Jedi. All while usually loving characters like Vadar or Maul or any of the Mandalodians, who canonically do much worse than the Jedi ever did.

Are the Jedi perfect? No. But throughout STAR WARS, they've done the best they can within the confines of a horrific situation that they were forced into. They don't deserve this prolonged smear campaign because they don't meet the ever changing and often unrealistic standards that some people want.

Note: Sorry for the small text, but I wanted people to be able to differentiate between my words and the article.

[cameoamalthea]

The Force, the Jedi, and the power of Choice vs being Chosen

The Force in Star Wars is not like Magic that only Magical People Can do, and Everyone Else can't do. The world of Star Wars is not Jedi are superheroes while everyone else is powerless. It's more that Jedi are like highly talented athletes who have honed their skills as compared to non-athletes. Anyone can learn to swim, but not everyone is as strong a swimmer as Micheal Phelps because he's got a mix of the right genetics and a lot of work.

Everyone has the Force. Anyone can use the force, but not everyone is as strong a force user as Yoda.

For example, Jedi Kanan trained his adoptive daughter the Mandalorian Sabine Wren to use the Dark Saber in the hopes she could use the Saber to unite Mandalorians under her in rebellion against the Empire. Rather than letting her use the Dark Saber to train, he taught her the forms with bokken, despite teaching his own padawan, Ezra, with a live lightsaber. When his partner/Sabine's adoptive mother learns this she confronts him and this leads to Kanan clarifying something about the force.

Kanan: I'm being careful.

Hera: Were you careful with Ezra? I don't remember him fighting with a stick.

Kanan: Well, maybe I'm trying to do things differently this time.

Hera: Or maybe because she doesn't have the Force, you don't believe she can do this?

Kanan: No. The Force resides in all living things. But you have to be open to it. Sabine is blocked. Her mind is conflicted. She's so expressive and yet so tightly wound. She's so...

Hera: Mandalorian.

The Force resides in all living beings. It's not something some people have, and others don't have - everyone has the Force. The Force is not strong with everyone. Like swimming, it's a combination of genetics and practice.

Everyone in the Star Wars universe has Midi-chlorians which are like mitochondria but instead of being the powerhouse of the cell, they allow living beings to tap into the Force. Normal Human levels of 2,500 per cell to the much higher levels of Jedi. (The highest known midi-chlorian count—over 20,000 per cell—belonged to the Jedi Anakin Skywalker).

A Jedi having a high M-count is like a swimmer having long legs and arms, something you are both with that makes you naturally better. However, what you're born with isn't the only factor, it's practice and hard work.

When former Jedi Ahsoka refused to train the foundling Grogu she told his adoptive father, the Mandalorain Din Djarin, that because he is very powerful, but very traumatized and attached to Din, it is "Better to let his abilities fade."

Grogu has a high M count; he's naturally strong with the force, but his abilities will fade with time if he does not train and hone his talent. Just as someone with a good build for swimming won't become a great swimmer without practicing, without training and practice, someone with a high M count will not become a powerful force user.

The inverse is also true, and even if you do not have the innate ability/traits that make you at something, you can still train, practice, and work to get better.

Dave Filoni compared the Force to training in Martial Arts, anyone can train. "Will I be as good as Bruce Lee? No, that's not my talent." But you could still become better at Martial Arts that someone with no training, you can still be good enough to be black belt if you put the time and practice into it.

Sabine could learn to use the force well enough to wield a lightsaber by practicing being mindful of her feelings and open to connecting to the Force without being clouded by her internal conflicts. She thought Bo-Katan to use the Dark Saber. When Din Djarin got it he couldn't use it well it wasn't because he's not a force user, it's because he was fighting the weight of the Dark Saber, which was really the weight of his own feelings and conflicts (he doesn't want it, he's having a religious crisis, he misses his son). Learning to use the force is learning to connect and reach out with your feelings or in the case of the dark side channeling negative emotions towards your goal).

(George Lucus once compared the Force to Yoga, "like yoga ... everybody can do it. If you want to take the time to do it, you can do it; but the ones that really want to do it are the ones who are into that kind of thing." I wonder if the metaphor also says something about the spiritual aspect of the force, as Yoga is a holistic practice that focuses on creating a balance between the mind, body, and spirit.)

So, anyone can be trained to use the force, even if you have an average M count. It takes training and practice and is hard work. It might be harder for some than others. Apparently, Mandalorian Culture does not mesh well with being vulnerable about your feelings and open (their religion is literally wearing physical armor, so that makes sense).

However, the Jedi Order only accepted younglings who were very strong in the force. It was not worth the time to train average people since they were an order of elite warriors.

Huyang, a droid that instructed Younglings in Light Saber building, tells Sabine: I have known many Padawans over the centuries, and I can safely say your aptitude for the Force would fall short of them all.

Sabine likely did not have a high enough M-count to be recruited as a youngling even if she were tested (as Mandalorian worlds were not a part of the Republic, it's unlikely she was tested). Kanan immediately sensed how strong Ezra was in the force, but did not sense anything from Sabine. She's average, but can still train in the Jedi ways because "The Force resides in all living things."

Sabine is not one of the chosen few who are strong with the force, but she can still choose to learn the Jedi ways and fight. She may never be a very strong Jedi, but she can still do her best.

[vanishedangels]

As the stars are shining

Summary: Jedi Luke Skywalker's world turns upside down when he comes to the aid of a force-sensitive child only to find that Din Djarin, the only man he has ever loved and pushed out of his life six years earlier on Dagobah, is the kid's guardian.

Blame it on the storm & Castles on the sand sequel

Pairing: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker

Characters: Din Djarin, Luke Skywalker, Grogu, Paz Vizsla, Ahsoka Tano, Greef Karga, R2-D2.

Rating: Mature

Tags: AU, Canon Divergence, Post The Mandalorian Season 2, Getting Back Together, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Tumblr Prompts, POV Alternating, Mostly Luke's POV.

Chapters: 1/3

Navigation: <- Previous Part • Next Chapter ->

Part 3 of Wonderwall series

Excerpt:

The blonde turned around and walked towards his own room fighting against the urge to glance at Din over his shoulder, still he didn't need to look at him to know that the man was still standing in the same spot, and, presumably, staring at him. When he closed the door behind him he rubbed his face hard with his hands, Din was a door away from him and flashes of their nights together started invading his mind. It was torture.

"You're not a kid anymore, come on, Luke." He said staring at himself in the mirror, he huffed "You're a Jedi, get your shit together, man."

Chapter 1: You'll never change what's been and gone

Nevarro's sewers welcomed him like a hundred times before, except this time the air was thinner and everything around him looked darker.

A couple of foundlings passed by his side, springing and giggling inside their mandalorian's helmets, that sight soothed him, making him understand that he made the right decision by staying true to himself, although he couldn't stop thinking that he put the covert before his relationship with Luke since day one and, somehow, he knew that this was coming.

This.

Luke, leaving him. Luke, making the decision for both of them. Luke, breaking his heart.

This.

A new, foreign and unbearable emptiness settled in his chest, threatening to destroy him for good. He frowned behind the helmet walking down a duct, trying to convince himself that at least he knew how love feels, even with the tragic component. Yes, he knew that part as well now.

A year had passed since Luke Skywalker stood still while he was walking away from him, life became colourless since that day, monotonous and even mechanical, he accepted a job, returned to the covert with his pockets full of credits and then he would leave to accept another job as the cycle repeated itself until everything stayed the same and the memory of Luke's eyes started to fade away. Yes, everything became repetitive until something unexpected happened. He overheard a conversation between a bounty hunter and the agent of the Guild, Greef Karga, the two humans were exchanging information, there was no chain code involved and that caught Din's attention. When Karga activated the puck, Din froze, suddenly the memory of those expressive eyes he missed so much regained all its force, the holo image of Luke Skywalker was being projected between the two men seated in front of each other. Din frowned behind his helmet and waited till the man left the cantina, he followed him stealthily, but there was no way to fool a bounty hunter, Din knew it very well, they ended up wrestling in the loneliness of an alley and Din was the one that walked in one piece out of it, he staggered a little, leaning his hand on a wall, dropping the puck to the floor and crushing it against the dusty street with the heel of his boot. He felt relieved, although something started that day, something that made him a prisoner from that moment on. He managed to track and kill five bounty hunters that had the audacity to accept the task of hunting down the man he once held between his arms, even when it meant traveling to distant planets putting his own contracts on hold, and having their blood on his hands.

Paz Vizsla followed him to a common room, Din didn't stop walking ignoring him completely making the other mandalorian feel frustrated, all of a sudden his comrade jostled him and Din's step faltered.

"You're late. Again." Vizsla said through gritted teeth, fixing his visor on Din's.

Din was craning his neck holding his gaze not saying a word.

"What is going on, Djarin? I know pretty boy ditched you. It's obvious. You look miserable." He added still towering over him. "Then what is holding you back now?"

Din frowned behind his helmet "I don't know what you are talking about." He rolled his shoulders back and walked away from him, Vizsla didn't insist, nevertheless he made Din think about it. Was he being selfish by putting his responsibilities aside to protect Luke? Even when he didn't know for sure if he was still alive? That thought made his stomach clench, he shook his head trying to shake that horrible scenery off.

Some nights inside the Razor Crest's cockpit he thought back to the days he spent with Luke, a tremulous smile crossed his face when he remembered the way the blonde looked at him, all the time, with curious eyes, full of tenderness and even love. He curled his hands into fists, he always knew that Luke would be the one ending their relationship, he was so young and impressionable, eventually when he grew up he would realize that Din was only a mandalorian with an aggressive attitude that made him a lethal weapon, nothing more and nothing less, not special at all. He was waiting for the day that beautiful young man would look right at his visor and he would see nothing but disdain in his charming blue eyes. That was the reason why he never told him about the way he felt, and the only time he couldn't hold it back he made sure Luke was almost asleep and even then he told him he loved him in mando'a, knowing that Luke wouldn't understand a single word.

"Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum, cyare."

The words reverberating inside his mind, making him feel lost but not regretting a single thing.

Eventually, The Empire fell and Din hasn't heard about any bounty on Luke's head since then, he didn't know why Skywalker was so important, he assumed that it was because he was a rebel, but as clever as he was, that explanation didn't satisfy him anywise.

Then, the child came into his life and since the moment he decided to rescue him from the imperial remnants they traveled across the galaxy protecting each other. The little creature could do things that Din couldn't explain or even understand, eventually he learned about something called the force, his mission was returning the kid to his own kind, the Jedi. He crossed the galaxy looking for a Jedi, they went through a lot together. The kid, Grogu, was kidnapped before his eyes on Thyton and the Razor Crest was reduced to ashes at the same moment. That day Din lost his only companion and his only home. The feeling of emptiness was consuming his whole being, an emptiness even deeper than the one Luke walking out of his life had caused, this one was terrifying, sending Din to a very dark place.

The suffering, the agony, ended when he held the little child in his arms again, there on that imperial light cruiser, doomed to a certain death at a dark troopers platoon's hands, invincible and lethal combat droids that a hooded mysterious Jedi destroyed in a blink of an eye. And when Din opened the doors to let the Jedi step inside the imperial cruiser bridge his eyes widened behind his visor as the man pulled the hood down revealing his face.

Luke.

He froze.

This is not happening.

~

The sweet warm breeze of the jungle night caressed his dirty blonde hair, he closed his eyes relishing in the calmness surrounding him, soothing his senses. He rested his hands on his knees sitting on the refreshing grass with his legs crossed, everything was quiet, he took in a breath trying to connect with his own feelings. Feelings. He frowned with his eyes still closed, he thought about how he managed to control them since the day he gave his father a proper funeral, all by himself, mourning a man no one else would miss, the entire galaxy was celebrating at the same moment he was saying goodbye to the man he looked up to since he was a little child.

Feelings. Now he was thinking about a different kind of feelings, romantic feelings, those feelings he buried deep inside himself trying to leave Din Djarin behind.

He rose to his feet walking towards the camp he set up earlier that same day, he looked inside the tent, Grogu was sleeping peacefully over a blanket, the sight of the little child using a blanket as a bed brought back memories of halcyon days, when he was full of hope and falling in love for the first time, before life removed his innocence, his dreams, his plans. He blinked remembering waking up next to Din, with his arms around him, he tilted his head trying not to think about it but he failed. He spent the rest of the night gazing at the stars, thinking about Din, he thought back to the many times he held his com device in his hand ready to hit Din's link, and how every time he let it slip from his hand convincing himself that he couldn't give Din what a lover should give. Luke understood the day he faced Darth Vader for the first time that his life didn't belong to him anymore, his master's words were reverberating inside his head every day, every hour since that day, he frowned remembering that he convinced himself that he wasn't Luke Skywalker anymore, no, he was the galaxy's last hope, a means to an end. Not a human, not a man anymore, just an instrument. He really believed that he was carrying the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders, therefore there was nothing to give a lover, there was nothing to give anymore.

~

The weeks went on and Luke spent his days training Grogu and talking with him through the force, the child was growing impatient as the days passed and the mandalorian wasn't showing up, his little heart broke into pieces when a ship crossed the sky finally landing by the recently built temple and the person walking out of it wasn't Din but Ahsoka Tano.

That afternoon Luke was flipping through the pages of an ancient Jedi book inside the temple, he frowned leaning his hands on the table when he heard a noise coming from the entrance, he glanced over his shoulder, he smiled fondly seeing Ahsoka leaning against the doorframe, she crossed her arms over her chest smiling back at him.

Luke was genuinely happy to have his father's friend and Padawan in his life, he felt a deep connection with her even when he didn't know about her until a couple of months ago.

"Studying, young Skywalker?" She asked chuckling.

Luke spun on his heels leaning his backside on the table, resting both hands on the table at both sides of his hips "Thank you for these books." He nodded.

"You're welcome." She said taking a few steps forward "You know, I've just had a curious conversation with the little one." Luke arched his eyebrows focused on her face. "He said that his mandalorian friend is coming to visit him, soon." She stressed the last word with a smirk on her face.

That made Luke looked down in order to avoid her gaze, defensively folding his arms across his chest "Huh?" He asked before leaning forward and turning around, he pretended he was still looking at the open book over the table.

Ahsoka stood still behind him "It's not a good idea, Luke."

He narrowed his eyes, sighing, letting his head hanging down.

"He's too attached to the mandalorian. You gave him your coordinates allowing him to see the child." When Luke didn't say a word she moved to stand a little closer to him "You know this is not the Jedi way."

She went silent forcing Luke to finally turning his head toward her "Well, maybe this is my way." He said under his breath, blinking at her.

"You're not thinking straight. It's okay, I understand, their bound is so strong, I get it. You think that you're keeping a child away from his father, I know you might feel overwhelmed by that, please, let me help you." She said nodding at him.

Luke frowned not breaking eye contact with her.

"I'm gonna stay here until his arrival, to persuade him."

Luke's heart skipped a beat. Was she implying what he was thinking? "Persuade him?" He asked gingerly.

She nodded again "To go away."

He closed his eyes swallowing through the lump in his throat opening his eyes slowly as he finally faced her "I admire you and I respect you, but this is my Padawan, and this is my call. Not yours."

She leaned back staring at his eyes "This is a mistake."

"Let it be my mistake, then."

~

The child was meditating sitting across from him on the beautiful grass when something brought Luke out of his thoughts, a roaring engine sound made him look up to the sky only to find a shining royal Naboo N-1 starfighter flying above their heads. He parted his lips letting out a sigh as his heart leapt in his chest, something that he hasn't felt in a long time.

Grogu stared at him asking for his permission through the force, Luke nodded and the child rose to his little feet walking towards the temple as fast as he could and Luke followed him, trying to stay behind his Padawan, coming to a halt every two steps. When they were getting close to the building he could hear Din's voice at the distance "Hello friend, I'm looking for Skywalker." Luke's stomach clenched realizing that Din was calling him by his last name, it sounded so distant and wrong, even when he used to love when Din called him Skywalker when he was teasing him. He frowned staring down, stopping in his tracks, letting Grogu get ahead. Ahsoka was right, this was, indeed, a bad idea, but for different reasons. With a heavy heart Luke recognized that he was still affected by Din's presence, but not in the way he used to, but more in a way that he could only feel remorse. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't that man anymore, that free man that could live his life the way he wanted, free enough to allow himself to feel.

"I came to see the kid. Grogu?" He could see Din now as clear as the suns in the Tatooine sky, the mandalorian was arguing with Artoo now, the little droid decided to just ignore the man in beskar while Din was resting both hands on his hips leaning forward to stare at him a little closer "Artoo cut it out. It's me, Din." Luke chuckled, what a lovely view.

His expression went serious the moment he saw the way Din reacted when he finally spotted the child next to him, the kid used the force to jump right into his mandalorian friend's arms, and the man received him with a tender sigh, holding him tight in his arms. Luke turned around and sat down on the floor, leaning his back against a tree surrounding the temple, he breathed in, just staring at the horizon, close enough to listen to what was happening between the unlikely duo, finally reunited after two months. Luke frowned, on the one side he was relieved, since he started to believe that Din wouldn't come over and visit the child. On the other side he was now worried, knowing that he was encouraging his Padawan to keep seeing the man that he was extremely attached to, going against his better judgment. He sighed brushing his fingers across his forehead, trying to convince himself that everything would work out for the best.

~

Finally he emerged from behind the Temple, his eyes trying to find the mandalorian's visor, as black and mysterious as he remembered it, a polite smile appearing on his face when the mandalorian looked at him, hidden behind his helmet. Luke blinked closing the space between them, finally coming to a halt in front of the mandalorian and the child, folding his arms in front of his body, he closed his eyes and bowed his head, he opened his eyes again pointedly staring at the visor "Welcome-" He swallowed thickly realizing that he didn't know how to address Din after so long and after everything that happened between them. In a cowardly way, he switched his gaze from Din to Grogu, leaning forward and smiling at the kid "I can see that you're happy, Grogu. I hope you're enjoying your time together." He said staring back at Din now.

To Luke's surprise, Din nodded at him holding the kid close to his chest and his soft modulated voice soothed him by saying so quietly "Hello, Luke." And Luke's heart skipped a beat.

"Hi, Din." He replied absentmindedly under his breath, taken aback by Din's easiness. "Welcome, Din." He said finally finding the right words.

The sun was setting, bathing Din's beskar in orange light, making him look so warm and soft, but at the same time so brutally masculine and imposing.

"I'm leaving you guys, please, enjoy yourselves. I see you by dinner time." He looked at Din like trying to assess his mood.

"Thank you." He nodded again and Luke walked away from them, trying to process that Din Djarin was there, probably staring at him while he was walking into the Temple and he grimaced thinking about the day he let Din walk away from him and the decisions he made after that moment. Feeling his chest going tight as the air felt thick and his hands started sweating, he shook his head, trying to shrug his feeling of guilt away.

~

They sat down around a campfire, Luke was sitting with his back against Din, the mandalorian was feeding Grogu, the blonde Jedi smiled fondly every time he heard the kid making happy noises while Din was scolding him every two minutes.

He breathed deeply, letting the night air fill his lungs, the smell of nature blending in with the smoke and their spicy stew making him feel at ease, at home.

He was staring at the stars above his head when Din's voice took him out of his mind "He's fast asleep."

"Hmm?" Luke hummed not turning around.

"Maybe I should take him to his bedroom." The mandalorian said standing up and suddenly appearing before Luke's eyes, the blonde craned his neck to stare at him, he blinked a few times realizing that Din looked exactly the way he remembered him and something warm squirmed in his belly. "Luke?"

Fuck, I didn't remember how much I love the way you say my name.

Easy, Luke.

"Skywalker?" Din insisted now saying his last name and breaking Luke's reverie.

"Yes, let me walk you there." He finally said, getting to his feet.

He watched the mandalorian while he was carefully placing the baby in the bed and tucking him in, and he managed to sport a blank expression while a warmth feeling invaded him completely. Din was still a protector, it was obvious, always taking care of the ones he loved, Luke's heartbeat sped up when he realized Din had been staring at him for a while, the mandalorian was immobile, standing by the little one's bed.

The Jedi cleared his throat "Let me show you to your room, Din." He tried to hide how touched he was by the way Din was taking care of the baby, it was curious but he never thought about the possibility of Din being a father, and now it was the only thing that he could think about.

He didn't wait for Din to join him, he walked down the corridor as fast as he could and then he stood in front of a door, Din came to a halt, they were keeping a prudential distance between them. Luke gestured towards the door and Din opened it, peeking inside, the room looked cozy, since Luke spent the evening arranging it for Din.

"Looks really nice." The mandalorian said, but his visor was fixed on Luke's face now.

"What happened with the Razor Crest?" He asked without even thinking and when he noticed the way Din's shoulders tensed up he hated himself for even bringing it up.

"The imps blew it up after they kidnapped Grogu." He said still staring at Luke's face.

Shit.

Another reason to be mortified. He thought back to Din's words on the imperial light cruiser.

"I've been looking for a Jedi for so long, I put the child in danger looking for your people, we've lost everything."

"I'm sorry." He managed to say, and Din shrugged one arm at him, but Luke was really apologizing to him by saying those words, he knew that he was responsible for that too, since he hid his true nature from Din.

Silence settled between them for a while until Din swayed slightly on his feet "You look-" He tilted his head "Different." He finally said eliciting a chuckle from Luke.

"Yeah, I know." His blue eyes sparkling, then his smile died on his lips, thinking that while Din looked exactly the same he couldn't help but wonder how he looked behind his handsome helmet, a sliver of shame tormenting him, knowing that he once relished in Din's gorgeous face and his lovely brown eyes through the visions he couldn't control, in secret, another thing he hid from Din, and he couldn't help but try to imagine how he would look like after six years. Was his gorgeous dark hair painted in salt and pepper now? Were his warm expressive eyes graced with wrinkles at their corners? What about his freckles? What about his scars? Did life add new ones on his soft tanned skin? He blinked realizing he was lost in thought when Din leaned forward and his heart gave an extra beat.

"Your skin is paler now, and your hair looks darker, it's shorter, not messy anymore. And your eyes-" Din trailed off.

"My eyes?" Luke asked tilting his head.

"They look sad." He added in a lower voice making Luke's heart clench. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just, you look different."

Trying to escape the situation Luke chuckled again "It's okay. Well, it's been ten years since we met."

"Actually it's been nine." Din retorted and Luke froze.

He nodded pressing his lips against each other, cracking a small smile "You're right." Of course he knew that they met nine years ago but he didn't have Din down as someone who might care about details, he always seemed so practical that it never crossed his mind. "Yeah, nine years." He added trying to play down the conversation.

"It's okay if you don't remember that, maybe it was more important to me than it was to you." Din deadpanned not breaking eye contact with him and the blonde felt a shiver running down his spine.

"What was more important to you?" He managed to ask under his breath.

Din drew his hand up resting it on the doorframe "Meeting you."

Luke's eyebrows drew together as his mouth set in a hard line, he was shocked, realizing that, maybe, Din hadn't moved on and his heart broke into pieces, he needed to soothe Din, he needed to be clear. "Well, I think I deserve it. Although you know it's not true." He finally said as he could feel his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

Din tilted his head like doubting him and Luke couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh come on, Din! You know I was crazy about you! I'm sure you noticed the way I shivered every time I saw you, staring at you with puppy eyes and a goofy smile on my face." He heaved a sigh, feeling vulnerable and naked before Din's eyes, still he didn't regret it.

Din hummed but didn't say a word. Indeed, Luke was exposing himself here, a little too much to suit him. He tried to compose himself but he wanted to be honest with Din. No more lies, no more lies.

"Look Din..." He said staring down, he sighed resting his hands on his hips, then he looked at Din again "I'm a Jedi Master now and I'm training your-" He trailed off.

"My foundling." Din said withdrawing his hand from the doorframe and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Luke took note of Din's uneasiness, thinking that maybe he was struggling with his feelings towards the child, he nodded staring at Din's visor "So please, don't make this even harder." He added wearing his heart on his sleeve for the first time in a while. Din flinched slightly by hearing him said it. Luke clicked his tongue shifting his gaze from Din to the wall.

"Luke, I need you to be honest." Din said trying to catch his eyes and he succeeded, the blonde was looking into his visor again as his blue eyes burned with sadness. "I met this Jedi, Ahsoka Tano." Luke nodded. "And she refused to take the child in because she said he has formed a strong attachment to me. What am I doing here?" He asked and Luke could swear he heard his voice breaking a little.

The blonde frowned looking at him sideways and finally avoiding his visor.

"Are you doing this because it's me?" He asked moving closer to Luke making his pulse run wild, as his chest heaved. "I mean, I know I shouldn't see him, shouldn't keep in touch with him. Tell me then, would you let Grogu see his guardian if it wasn't me? If it were someone else?"

Luke stared into his visor with an unusual intensity "No." He said flatly. "I wouldn't do this if it were someone else." He narrowed his eyes.

No more lies. No more lies.

Din leaned back still staring at him "Why?"

He frowned and looked down "You told me once that we shouldn't overthink things. So please, just trust me. Grogu will learn about balance, I'll see to it, it's my commitment." He nodded and raised his eyebrows "I won't put the child in danger or expose him to something that would lead him down the wrong path. Ever." He shook his head. "I hope it helps."

"It does." The mandalorian replied.

Luke was feeling relieved, therefore he tried to let the subject behind them "My bedroom's over there." He said pointing at the next door "Don't worry, this place is extremely safe and Grogu will be fine in his own room." He smiled politely "Well, you must be tired, see you tomorrow. Good night, Din." The blonde turned around and walked towards his own room fighting against the urge to glance at Din over his shoulder, still he didn't need to look at him to know that the man was still standing in the same spot, and, presumably, staring at him. When he closed the door behind him he rubbed his face hard with his hands, not believing everything that happened that night. Din was a door away from him and flashes of their nights together started invading his mind. It was torture.

"You're not a kid anymore, come on, Luke." He said staring at himself in the mirror, he huffed "You're a Jedi, get your shit together, man."

He shrugged off his black robes and peeled off his undershirt, placing them on a chair, he caressed the skin of his stomach, he arched one eyebrow. Seeing Din again ignited something inside him, it definitely brought something back. He has been considering his own body as a device, a way to canalize the force, for a long time now, it wasn't a source of pleasure in the strict sense of the word anymore. Anyway. He frowned thinking that it belonged to the past now, to feel the need to give himself to someone else. He tried to remember when was the last time that someone touched him tenderly, reverently, lovingly, and he sighed deeply realizing that that someone was none other than Din. He twitched his lips sitting on the bed and taking his boots off, finally lying on the mattress, resting his forearm against his forehead, staring at the ceiling. What was Din thinking at that right moment? He was curious. Din didn't seem to hate him, still his hostility towards Luke was there, waiting to express itself. He groaned covering his face with the pillow, knowing that this would be a long night.

~

The morning came and Luke walked out of his room only to find that Grogu and Din weren't inside the Temple. He left the building concerned, his heart in his throat until he found them playing by a creek, near the Temple, R2-D2 was unceasingly beeping at him, sliding around him in circles, trying to explain him that the child and the mandalorian were just having a bonding time by the creek.

"It's alright Artoo, I heard you the three first times, don't worry." He chuckled patting the little droid's head. He straightened out his back staring at Din, the mandalorian nodded at him scooping the baby up and Luke's smile went impossible wide.

While the kid was playing with Artoo, Din stood beside Luke. The two men staring at the little child and the droid enjoying themselves. Luke was smiling until Din tilted his head "I'm going to Mandalore." Luke frowned snapping his head towards him.

"Is it because the saber that's hanging from your utility belt?" The Jedi asked looking down at Din's waist.

"This?" Din asked curling his fingers around the hilt. "Partially." He added. "What do you know about this?" He asked turning towards Luke.

"Not enough, I'm afraid." He sighed "Grogu showed me some memories through the force. Is that true?" He asked as his forehead creased "That winning that saber in combat makes you The Mand'alor?"

Din shrugged one shoulder watching at the child and the droid "Yes."

Luke sighed "So you're the King of Mandalore." He said under his breath.

"I don't care about that." Din deadpanned.

Luke faced him "Then why are you going to Mandalore?"

The mandalorian took his time to answer "To redeem myself." Luke stared at him frowning. "I'm a mandalorian no more."

Luke froze and then he stared at Din holding his breath.

"I took my helmet off to rescue the child." He nodded.

Luke's heart skipped a beat, he parted his lips as horror crossed his features "What?"

"I'm not longer a mandalorian, Luke."

Luke stumbled a little and Din tried to catch him but it wasn't necessary since Luke leaned himself against a tree.

"Luke?" He asked trying to look at his eyes. But Luke was staring down, feeling like the air has been punched out of his lungs.

It couldn't be.

Din didn't lie when he said they've lost everything, he lost his home and his creed and he was now an outcast, while Grogu went through unspeakable torture and Luke was to blame.

"Luke?" Din asked again hesitating touching Luke's arm.

"I'm sorry." Luke whispered "It's on me, I'm sorry, I should have told you I was a force-user." His chest raising and falling fast.

Din tilted his helmet "I'm telling you this because I'm planning on coming back as soon as I redeem myself. This is the way." He nodded as his visor was fixed on Luke's face.

"Alright." Luke was leaning forward trying to catch his breath.

"I'm leaving around afternoon." Din said taking a few steps back, Luke looked at him confused. "I'm coming back as soon as I can. Is that okay?" He asked melting Luke's heart.

How could this man be so respectful? So perfect? So thoughtful? Luke shook his head not believing it, almost believing he didn't deserve his attention, not even in the past. "No?" Din sheepishly asked tilting his head down.

"What? No. Of course you can!" Luke straightened his dark robes "We'll be here, he'll be here waiting to see you again, Din."

"And what about you?" The mandalorian asked taking Luke's breath away.

"What?" Luke came close to him, staring up at his visor.

"Are you okay with me coming back? Is it right?" He bored into Luke's eyes, making the Jedi scowl.

Something was telling Luke that Din wasn't talking about the Jedi ways.

"You know I'm okay with that." He whispered.

Din nodded "Alright then." He looked back at Grogu "Can I spend the rest of the morning with him?" He looked at Luke again "Just the two of us."

The blonde nodded smiling sightly "Yes, Din."

"Thank you, Luke." Din looked at his own ship for a moment and then stared at Luke "I brought something for the kid, is a hovering pram, I-I think you'd find it useful. Would you accept it?"

Luke swallowed hard, he couldn't help but think that Din was seeing him as a monster with a cold heart, and it didn't sit well with him at all. "It would be very useful indeed, Din." The corner of his lips curled up but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Thank you again, Luke." Din said and then he walked away to join the child and Luke felt like his heart was ripping in two. How could his decisions bring so much pain? He couldn't wrap his head around it staring at his once-lover walking away from him, just like that time on Dagobah and his stomach flipped. Was it worth it, Luke? Was it worth it?

~

The kid looked extremely downhearted that evening, Luke handed him a bowl of soup and the kid didn't even lean forward to shove his spoon inside the bowl as usual. Luke patted his little arm "Don't worry Grogu, he's coming back soon." Grogu looked at him and babbled a little "You can miss him and still have a wholesome relationship with him." Luke said trying to convince himself more than reassuring the child. Yes, they could make it work.

Grogu chirped drawing his tiny hand up to grab the spoon, Luke nodded smiling when, all of a sudden, a vision reached him through the force. He parted his lips staring at the child, he narrowed his eyes as he put both hands on the table, glimpses of Din groaning in pain while he was encased in a narrow cage popping up in his mind, he could even feel Din's agony. He stood up abruptly. Grogu tilted his little head to stare at him with curious eyes.

"There's no time Grogu." The Jedi said scooping the baby up "The mandalorian needs us." The child whimpered concerned gripping onto Luke's forearm as he strode down the corridor. Luke opened the Temple's door with a wave of his free hand, his eyes flickered with determination, knowing that they were Din Djarin's only hope.

[andro-inherdreamworld]

Hello there,

this is the first time I am posting something. I have many ideas that I want to write, from many fandoms

But I think I like this one the best so far:

It's a modern/university au with Star Wars characters, with a big cosplay war going on...

So... It would be a huge cosplay war between university students. With Comic Con or something like that coming up, everyone is busy making their costumes and getting their teams together. But just like within the Star Wars universe, there are problems. Everyone is trying to protect their favorite character and make the best cosplay to prove their character/team/theme is the best. Because whoever wins this bet gets the right to be the official cosplayer of the Star Wars company at these events, and the losers have to stop representing their character at events, college clubs, etc...

So it all started because of a rude bet and since then the whole community, friends and couples have been torn apart because of their views. Of course, no one wants to lose or admit they were wrong anymore.

It's affecting everyone in and around the university. But maybe that's what helps everyone realize what's really important.

They must survive university, the growing tension, sudden bursts of emotion, and win a bet while everyone is just a huge star wars nerd

But to get to the specifics:

Groups, characters:

- Anakin, Obi Wan, Ahsoka, Padme, Rex, Cody, Dooku, Ventress, Palpatine, Maul, so pretty much the Jedi Council and most of the clones.... They would be the team who live and die for the Clone Wars and the times around, prequel

- Mandalorians who follow the Way: Din, Paz, The Armorer, and those who live in the cover, foundlings, and those who later became friends of Din, e.g. Cara, IG-11, Luke, Grogu....

- And of course the Night Owls, led by Bo-Katan and the rest of the Mandalorians who served her

- Maybe from the Original and the Rebels, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, Ezra, Sabine, Hera...

How it works:

There are a lot of characters and relationships that need to be developed, and of course because it's an AU, minor major shaping is needed to fit the Star Wars world into the story.

So the main change would be how they know about their characters. I imagine that there are movies and series, but since I'm mainly informed about them, comic books/video games unfortunately wont be featuring now. And since the characters will be playing their own movie/series characters, they will never be named, which explains why they're called the same name.

For example, Anakin watched the Clone Wars and decided to be the character who is the General of the 501 and a Jedi knight with his own padawan, but he will never say that "I am Anakin Skywalker from the Clone Wars!" And since everyone here takes character role-playing very seriously, everyone knows their own or rival gang's character inside out, so you never have to introduce yourself.

How are they related:

- Since I want Anakin and Padme to be in the same time as Luka/Leia, they will probably be Anakin's cousins, but they are close enough, they are not in college yet

- I love the idea of Obi Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka being adopted siblings

- Also the whole Fett clan is some sort of brother/cousin relationship, I haven't decided who with who yet, butfor sure Echo and Fives are the Chaos Twins

- The foundlings will be little cousins, or brothers in some cases

Pairs/ships:

Mainly

- Anakin and Padme, together since Anakin's first year

- Obi Wan and Cody, chill boyfriends who look after their friends/siblings

- Paz and Axe bc im the kind of person who sees two characters fighting each other and go for enemis to lovers trope

Also

- Luke and Din bc they are Grogu's dads for me

- Leia and Han

- Bly and Aayla

- Fox and Rio Chuchi (not sure)

- maybe some Boba x Cal too

I may add more, but if there is something you would like to see I look forward to your suggestions

When and how?

I have no idea, because it takes a lot of planning, because there are a lot of characters and stories, but I'm trying.

I will post it on Ao3 as soon as its ready

Warnings:

- I'm not familiar with the American university system, not even with the university, since I'm not there yet and I'm from another country, so I'll try to rely on what I know and since this is my fic, there will be some changes from reality obviously

- since I live in a completely different country than America, I won't be able to give you exact descriptions of places and things, but I'll try

- also my spelling, as it's not my first language and I often use a translator, it can be a bit weird, but feel free to correct me

- I don't think I will write any detailed smut, but anything is possible

Well, thanks for reading, I'm really curious to know what you think about all this and if you have any suggestions...

I hope to update the news soon, may the Force be with you!

[hotgirly6969]

hot (?) take about the mandalorian

[mild spoilers for season 3]

i feel like grogu's return is genuinely dragging the show down

i don't think this is that much of a hot take really, theres already been backlash from when book of boba fett came out and while i did feel it was justified, i was willing to see what they had in store with grogu for season 3 of mando.

more than halfway into season 3 i can safely say that no, they do not.

grogu has no valid (storytelling) reason to be in the show, and while i did like him in the first two seasons, right now none of the scenes hes in add anything substantial to the plot. worse yet, if they did it would be an insult to the viewers; alluding to grogu becoming a jedi STILL after he actively refused to stay with luke and ahsoka is actual wasted screen time, and if they have him return to them by the end of this season it will just leave me wondering what the point of coming back was in the first place. I thought they were at least going to have a subplot about him growing as a mandalorian foundling, but i guess that was just for one episode, i dont know how likely it is they're gonna bring that up until next season considering they're already setting up subplots about moff gideon's return and something about distrust between the mandalorians and the new republic.

Grogu's arc would have to be introduced, expanded and resolved all within 3 episodes WHILE all this other stuff is going on

so please disney, just execute order 66

[agentem]

Some thoughts on Grogu After I took an Edible.

You know how you block out memories that are traumatic? I think that is what Ahsoka means when she says Grogu's memory is "dark." He was being passed off from person-to-person like a football, never knowing if he was safe from Order 66, the Jedi Inquisitors, anyone who wanted him for cloning reasons or information about his species (possibly to be used again Yoda?). He tries not to get attached to these people anymore, like maybe he did for Kelleran Beq, Jar Jar Binks, Queen Apailana, whatever rebel, whoever locked him up in that dark pram with lots of guards defending him--they all die after awhile. So it's best not to get attached. (He's been on the run for like 30 years, right?)

But then he has Din Djarin. He likes Din Djarin. He's a good fighter. And Grogu can read minds so he knows who alike their stories are. Din was rescued by the Mandalorians and became a fervent supporter of this religion. He's not a secular Mandalorian. He deeply believes in the keep your helmet on all the day creed.

He sees Grogu for what he is--just a scared boy who needs rescuing. Sure, he might have magic powers but some people really get upset when you use your magic powers so you shouldn't or you'll get caught. (This is part of the reason Grogu doesn't like using the Force. It leads to exposure and makes him vulnerable.)

-- It is nice that the Armorer gives Grogu his rondell in "The Foundling" when he is having his PTSD flashbacks. He just exposed himself by using the Force against Ragnar and he worries about that. She says it is to keep him safe and reminding him he is part of this community now. She is reassuring him he will be safe.

Luke sees who he doesn't want to be which is actually a cool thing. He was like, "Hey do you want to be a Jedi or a Mandalorian, check only one box." Grogu wants both. As Luke says, a short time for him is an entire lifetime to someone else. If he stays with Luke, then he will lose the opportunity to have a Dad. Luke fully expects his school to work. There will be more Jedi to train Grogu after Din Djarin dies.

I also rewatched the first Season Finale to observe Grogu's reactions to Moff Gideon. (He definitely hears Daddy and Cara talking about going back to the Client and is like "no no no, they will kill you I will drive this spaceship away... oh you grabbed me. damnit. I am thwarted. I hate being small.")

He also trusts both Din and Greef Karga. We see him use the Force to heal Karga even before Karga is on their side. I'm not sure how much Grogu can actually understand of the thoughts and feelings he senses in others. I don't think he knows Greef was planning on betraying Din and did this to sway him. But I do think he likes that both Din and Greef are realists. They will do what they have to do to protect what they care about (for Greef it is his planet and for Din it is Grogu). Grogu gets that. He's just out in the galaxy trying to stay alive, feed himself (I don't' think he got fed a lot at the facility he was at when Din found him), and not get caught. He doesn't have room for higher ideals like religion or government and he probably doesn't fully understand them either. He is a child even if he's not as much of a "baby" as some people think.

(It's very weird and out of character when he lashes out at Cara Dune. I know Grogu thinks she is actually fighting Din, so he is trying to protect his Dad. But it's possible he isn't a big fan of the Rebellion either. Like maybe some of the people who "protected" him were trying to use him for their ends? Just a thought.)

ANYWAY. I didn't see any particular reactions from Grogu to Moff Gideon. But I was reminded that Din says he hasn't heard the name "Din Djarin" spoken aloud for years until Moff Gideon says it. He doesn't have a clan. He is only Mando, a Mandalorian.

So that got me thinking about the Armorer. Because in this episode, the season 1 finale, she also calls him Din Djarin--meaning she knew his name all this time and was waiting to see if Din would ever claim it. Then she tells him he is "as" Grogu's father, which Grogu seems to really like. He's all, "I get to keep him?"

It's interesting that the Armorer doesn't call him, "Grogu of Clan Mudhorn" at the end of Season 3 because I think that would be name if going by solely Mandalorian Creed. But she is also acknowledging familial bonds. She names him Din Grogu, presumably knowing the naming convention of Din's home planet that Din himself doesn't remember.

Maybe she knows the trauma of what happened to his family still influences Din (his hatred of droids and the Empire all come from that original family) and being Mandalorian isn't his only identity, no matter how much he wishes for that to be so early on.

I guess this is why Mandalore is always having factions and infighting. They are literally "clannish" because they have clans and families that matter to them. The bug Bo Katan speaks of is actually a feature.

[burnwater13]

When Grogu first met Bo-Katan, he wasn’t sure if he liked her or not. Then, as he got to know her, he decided that he really didn’t like her. But then, as the galaxy would have it, he got to know her more, and he finally decided that under certain specific circumstances he actually kind of like her. But those circumstances were very specific.

First, he had to be in trouble. Well, not him. Din Djarin, his Mandalorian, had to be in trouble. Then the trouble had to be the kind that Grogu couldn’t fix on his own. Finally, the ‘Princess’ had to trust Grogu to do the right thing. She couldn’t just go running off on her own like she was the boss of everyone. She wasn’t his boss. She was just his friend, when it worked out well for both of them and not at any other time. 

As Grogu heard himself think that, he shook his head and knew he was being kind of unfair. Not everyone you met was going to be your new best friend. Sure, Din Djarin made a lot of friends. Grogu appreciated that and he’s talked, written, thought about it all before. But Grogu had learned to be picky about his friends. 

When the Imps wanted you for your blood, you couldn’t trust just anyone. You had to think about who they were and what motivated them and if your needs and their needs were in conflict. Sometimes they might coincide but other times they might be opposed. That was the problem with Bo-Katan. Grogu felt like she enjoyed being the person other people opposed. She liked to fight. 

Grogu did not like to fight. He liked peace. Not necessarily with quiet because peace was nice all on its own. He didn’t see Bo-Katan enjoying peace at all. When they found her sitting on that throne in Kalevala, she hadn’t been peaceful. She’d been pouting. He sensed that she wanted to fight but also seemed bored with fighting. He didn’t like that. Do or don’t do, but pouting was not tolerated in the Jedi Temple. 

Plus, why was she just sitting there? She had a ship. She had skills. She knew people. She could have helped Luke and Ahsoka. She could have checked on the other Mandalorian planets to see if they needed help. She could have just gone back to Mandalore herself and checked the place out to see if what she had been told was even remotely true. But she didn’t. 

Grogu didn’t know why pouting was part of her way. Before she had seemed really bossy and a bit of a know it all. But she hadn’t known everything so why pretend? He didn’t understand that either. If Din Djarin faces a set back he just figured out a different way to solve the problem. If the first way didn’t work he tried a second way and a third way and which ever way would work for him. 

Grogu wondered if it was the princess thing. Maybe people had given her whatever she wanted because she was a Princess and when she wasn’t a princess anymore it stopped working. He’s met people like that at the Jedi Temple. They just had to have their way and if anyone said no, they had a temper tantrum. He won’t name names but he’d bet you’d know who he was thinking about.

Well, things had changed and being a princess wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and now Bo-Katan had to figure out who she was and what she believed in. Which meant that everyone who knew back then was in for a surprise, as were the people who met her later and the ones who had met her a few minutes ago. 

Maybe that was the problem with having her as a friend… too many surprises. Would she help? Would she change the rules in the middle of the game? Would she be all huffy about the things you didn’t know about Mandalorian culture? Would she pretend that Mandalorians only had one culture?

It was clear to Grogu that there were as many Mandalorian cultures and creeds and ways as there were Mandalorians and maybe that was the problem Bo-Katan struggled with. She didn’t know who she was any more because who she had been hadn’t worked out the way she hoped it would. 

Din Djarin would always be a foundling, but he would also always be a Mandalorian. He saw no conflict between the two. He made space for the differences between the people he knew once he understood them. It probably wasn’t easy on him. But he didn’t complain to Grogu about it. Grogu didn’t even know if all those times that he wore his helmet and things hadn’t gone his way, if Din had been pouting or not. Din just said “This is the Way” and carried on. 

Maybe that’s what Bo-Katan needed to do. Accept the reality in front of her, chart a new course and say “This is the Way” and then make it so. How hard could that be? At least she had friends who would help her no matter who she was on any given day. That was a good thing. Right?