#reminder that covid is real masks work and trans people are human and deserve rights

[ooops-i-arted]

Every time Gina Carano does something stupid, it’s like a bat signal to me to make more Cara Dune content because I REFUSE to lose a badass character just because the actress is a conspiracy theory-peddling moron.  So in honor of her finally getting banned from Twitter, have a flashback scene from the Caradin fic I’m working on, right after the finale of season 2.  (No romance here in this scene though, it’s canon-compliant if that’s your thing.)

-

Din watched the turbolift door shut, a final wall between him and Grogu, so he could finally let his face fall where his son couldn’t see.  His son… he had just given away his son… what if it wasn’t right?  What if this Jedi wasn’t a good teacher, wouldn’t take care of Grogu the way he needed to be taken care of, he hadn’t even remembered to give Grogu back his favorite ball…

“Hey,” said a voice, and he blinked to try and clear his eyes and turned around.  But Cara was carefully staring at the ground, his helmet lifted in front so she couldn’t see his face.  He took it and put it back on, now self-conscious.  Bo-Katan, Koska, Fennec, and even Gideon were all staring right at him.  He hated it, all he wanted right now was to hide and cry.  He felt like a little boy again, after leaving Aq Vetina with the Mandalorians and realizing his life would never be the same.

“Mando?” Cara asked softly.

He tried to speak.  He didn’t even know what to say and all that came out was a choked sound.

“You know who that was, right?” Cara asked.

“Jedi,” he managed to say.  An enemy sorcerer.  A man I don’t even know, and I just gave him my child.  Grogu wanted to go, but he’s just a kid, he doesn’t know…

“That’s Luke Skywalker,” Cara said.  “He was one of the leaders of the Rebellion, back in the day.  Never met him personally, but he was a hero.  He’s the one who destroyed the Death Star.  That thing that -”  For a split second her face twisted in grief and pain but then it smoothed back out.  “It was what destroyed Alderaan.  And he fired the shot that took it out.  Three years later he killed Darth Vader and the Emperor.  He’s a hero, and on top of that I never heard a bad word about him.  Everyone who fought alongside him said he was loyal and kind and never left a man behind.  I know he will take good care of your kid.  I promise he’s safe.”

Safe.  Din nodded.  Cara wouldn’t lie, not to him, and not about Alderaan.  Hadn’t he just seen himself the Jedi was a formidable warrior?  He could keep Grogu safe…

Boba’s voice crackled over the comm.  “So did you all leave on the X-wing or do you need picked up?”

“It’s all clear.  You can land,” Fennec answered.

“We’re taking this ship,” Bo-Katan said immediately, glaring at Din as if to challenge him.

He couldn’t give a fuck.  His chest hurt as he thought of the Razor Crest, something else lost to this damn quest.  “I don’t care.”

“You leaving with us?” Fennec asked him.  “Dune, what about you?”

“I’m calling for the New Republic,” Cara said.  “I’m going to need help getting this one to Coruscant.”

“He should be killed,” snapped Bo-Katan, looking right at Din.  “He razed Mandalore!  He killed our people!”

“He’s wanted alive,” he told Bo-Katan tiredly.  Cara nodded her thanks and dragged Gideon to his feet.

“I’m claiming this ship!” Bo-Katan declared, looking around as if she expected a protest.

Din didn’t have the energy to give one even if he cared.  “Fine.  We’re leaving.”

Cara dragged Gideon along; Fennec walked alongside them with her blaster ready and Din trailed behind, knowing he was in no state to be helping Cara guard Gideon.  At least Grogu was far away from the Grand Moff, even if Gideon tried anything.

Before he knew it they were in the hangar, Boba standing before Slave 1.  “Oh, that one’s going to fund us for a good long time,” Boba said, sounding pleased.

“I need to rendezvous with New Republic forces on Nevarro so I can arrange transport to Coruscant,” Cara said.  “The payout can be split between all of us there, too.”

“I hope a portion is sent to the survivors of Alderaan,” Gideon said silkily.  “Let them know it’s in my name, will you?”

Cara’s face twisted horribly, and Din quickly asked, “Boba, do you have carboniting equipment?”

“Funny you should ask, I recently added a carboniting unit.  Seemed less maintenance than using the wall cells,” Boba said; his face was behind the helmet but his wolfish grin saturated his voice.  “I’ve been wanting to try it out.”

Gideon hissed in fury, but Din grabbed one arm and Cara the other, and together they shoved him into the unit and Boba activated it, and Gideon was quickly silenced.

“I like him better this way,” muttered Cara.

“Let’s go,” said Fennec, shutting the ship’s ramp and following Boba up to the cockpit.  Din stood there, the noise of the ship ringing through his ears.  He realized the Darksaber was still in his hand.  It felt so heavy.

“Din?”

He blinked and looked up at Cara.  “Huh?”

“I asked what you were going to do now,” Cara asked.

He stared at her, then at the Darksaber, but all he could really see was Grogu.  “I don’t know.”

“Gideon is going to keep me busy… plenty of reports and bullshit paperwork and that’s if I don’t have to report in personally anywhere.  You could come to Nevarro,” Cara offered.

Nevarro.  His old home, but the enclave was burned out now.  He couldn’t ask the Armorer for her counsel this time, or even talk to Paz about the Mandalorian history he loved to study.  Greef had made the place legit; were there even Guild jobs for him to lose himself in anymore?  Maybe he should have stayed in the first place.  Grogu could learn in that little school and he would go back and pick him up and take him home, make him dinner for the evening like he used to do, find some holostory to listen to together…

He almost jumped as suddenly arms wrapped around him and squeezed briefly before letting up.  “Sorry…” said Cara.  “You just looked like you needed it.”

He wrapped his arms back around her and she hugged back, and at least for one moment, he felt anchored again in the world.

-

If you’re curious, the fic will be based off this post I made a while ago.  It takes place after Din and Cara have an established relationship, but Book of Boba Fett inspired me to use flashbacks of how their relationship built over the years.  I’ve been keeping it on the down low because I’m still totally writer’s blocked on Hunter and the Hunted and I plan to finish this one before I start posting to avoid that again because I still feel REALLY bad about it.  😬