#the mandalorian x ofc

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

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THE RAZOR CREST RANCH SEVEN

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

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

Chapter 09 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11

THE CRESTWORLD

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

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

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

Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15

ON TEMPORARY HIATUS

[the-mandawhor1an]

Prey

Alternate universe interlude! Can be read as a standalone one-shot. 

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Pairing: Din Djarin x original female character

Chapter summary: What if a different bounty hunter had taken the contract to bring Maia back to her captors? What if instead of Boba Fett, she meets that one Mandalorian she’d been looking for? Would her life progress any differently? How would their reunion on Nevarro play out? 

Warnings: 18+ content, MDNI! Canon-typical violence; young Din is a menace; evil!Maia also is a piece of work; POV change after time skip; talking about imprisonment and abuse, but nothing graphic; a bit of subtext; 

Words: 3.4k 

A/N: Zaddy and I talked about what could be a possible trigger for Maia to turn “evil”, to justify an enemies to lovers story with the two. So we thought “Hey so if Din would be the bounty hunter to bring her back after her escape attempt, that could trigger enough rage to change the story line.” – I will take some of chapter 5 to transfer onto here, same as stuff from chapter 1, but rest assured I’m trying to make the majority new stuff so it’s not as boring to read.

It can be read as a standalone as it takes place in a different universe. 

I have a few more AU ideas and I will sprinkle them in as interludes every now and then. There’s so many options.

She’d made it. 

Maia, soaked from the rain, cold, and exhausted from running all night, hid away in a small shed. She fell asleep, maybe she even fainted, but the slowly rising sun warmed the building that sheltered her and she felt comfortable enough to let her guard down to allow herself to rest. So far there was no sign of anyone following her. 

They had to send someone after her, right? On the other hand, she was replaceable, she knew that. They had so many other girls left in the facility. 

Despite still being on edge, she fell asleep. Her thoughts raced around how she would make it off of this moon. Maybe one of the people working here knew where the next space port was, or could help her get to one. 

Where would she even go? The only person she knew out here was some Mandalorian. She wondered what he was up to right now. Without thinking about it much, she felt the connection to him establish and soon enough her dream turned into a vision. 

His breath was steady underneath the helmet. There was a sense of certainty in his stride as he passed along some low growing shrubs, following a path that seemed familiar. His eyes scanned every little mark his quarry left. He didn’t think much while he looked at every information that lit up on the display before him, telling him exactly where his quarry had run off to. 

This bounty was different. 

The Empire paid a lot of money to get a runaway experiment back. They didn’t tell him much, but he didn’t bother to ask either. Judging by the size of the boot imprints in the mud, it was either a woman he was following, or a child. Or an alien the size of a smaller human. 

He halted when he suddenly felt a pair of eyes on him. The recent days had been rough for him. Paranoia crept up to him at every waking minute, forcing him to keep on the helmet. Now that same illusion plagued him. No one was around, his scanners showed that, but he felt someone. Close. 

He entered a small settlement, the muddied footsteps slowly vanishing with every further step he took. It had rained all night, the water washing away most of the quarry’s traces. 

Maia opened her eyes as a small ray of sunlight found its way through the half-broken down door and blinded her. She remembered parts of her visions, unsure if it had been a dream or if she had actually seen him. 

Maia exited the shed and carefully scanned her surroundings before she turned the corner. The settlement slowly awoke. People were in the streets, talking, going about their business. Curious looks were plastered onto her as she wandered the streets, her clothes were in obvious disarray, as was her hair. She looked a mess. Not emaciated, the Empire made sure they were well fed, but tired, scratched and bruised. 

This dream. It felt different this time, but this had been the first time she had established their connection in her sleep. Had he felt it? Was there a barrier she didn’t put up while looking for him this time? 

She should stop thinking about this. Her running thoughts make her head throb, exhaustion not only caused by the lack of sleep. She was hungry and it was getting to her, the pain of malnutrition sitting in the back of her neck, causing a stinging sensation every now and then. Her hand grazed over a market stand with fresh produce. She tried to pull one fruit into her sleeve, but the vendor caught her and immediately screamed for her to let go, and that the little thief should better get away. 

That was her downfall. 

The ruckus her unsuccessful theft caused grabbed the attention of a certain bounty hunter that had been looking for her all morning. Over the shoulder of the vendor screaming at her, a silver helmet appeared. Her pupils dilated in an instant. It was him. The dream hadn’t been a dream after all. Suddenly it was clear why his surroundings had looked familiar. He had tracked her for who knows how long. 

Kriff. 

Before she could think of an escape plan she needed to get some distance between them. She turned to run the other direction only to find herself on the ground a mere two steps later. Electricity caused her muscles to spasm and lose control, rendering her unable to move on the cold stone ground. Two electrodes stuck to her shoulder, staying there in case he needed to give her another shock. 

Heavy steps drew closer and she tried to wiggle away from him, to no avail. He grabbed hold of one of her arms, her body kicking into survival mode. She kicked whichever part of his body she could reach, only to make contact with durasteel plate armor multiple times. One particular kick hit his chest, making him audibly huff. 

»Stop resisting,« he ordered, clawing into her arm. Maia winced in pain and stopped kicking. The voice sounded familiar, it definitely was him. So Raymond was wrong. That Mandalorian was no relative, otherwise he’d have recognized her. 

The realization fueled more frustration in her. She pushed him off of her, this time supported by the force. It wasn’t hard, she was exhausted after all, but it was enough to anger him. »I’m not going back there!« Her voice was shrill and unpleasant in her own ears. It was a mixture of panic and anger that made her press her words more than usual. »Do you want me to hurt you?«

She pushed him again, harder this time, and he actually landed on his butt, metal scraping over the stone floor. Hoping to get away from him, she stumbled to her feet and made it all but four steps away, before a metal rope wrapped around her legs and tripped her. She hit the ground for a second time, all of the air pushing out of her lungs upon contact. She tried to get out, but a knee and then a second pushed onto her back. 

»Will you be a good girl now?« he asked. His voice was neutral, which made that question all the more concerning. »I can’t,« she quietly replied. »You can,« he simply stated. But then a few tears rolled down her cheeks, falling to the ground beneath her. 

She knew there was no way out of this. They would make sure she never got the chance to break out again. She feared for what they would do to her, her mind going to the darkest places. They would keep her alive, that was certain, but they would make her suffer every day from now on. »Please kill me.« 

»No.« »Please,« she sobbed. The weight on her back slowly lifted, giving her more room to elaborate. »I know they want me alive so they can do unspeakable things to me. I don’t want to go back there. Please, kill me. Tell them I put up too much of a fight. Or make it look like an accident.« 

While she was certain he wouldn’t let her off the hook like that, part of her wanted to believe. Part of her was ready to die. To never see Raymond again, to never find her family. She had found the stranger that kept appearing in her dreams, and he was just like the rest. Egocentric, arrogant, and cold-hearted. 

»I can’t do that. Contract states you have to come back alive.« She turned around so she could look into the black t-visor that hovered above her. »You’ll be the reason they can continue their abuse.« His helmet dipped, the sun reflecting off of the unpainted metal. »None of my business.« 

For once in her life time, Raymond had been wrong. There she was, a child that clearly needed to be saved, and the Mandalorian before her did nothing. He sealed her fate to die in that facility one day. After endless days of torture and suffering, for sure. Quickly, the pain turned to anger, and then to hatred. All of this would be his fault. Because of his decision to take her back. 

She looked behind the visor, hoping to find the eyes hidden beneath the black transparisteel. »Then I’ll make it your business, bounty hunter.« His shoulders tensed, but ultimately, a scoff escaped his lips. »I’d like to see you try.«

»Oh, you will see.« 

It would take a few years, about thirteen, until Maia had the chance to finally get revenge on him. 

After Gideon was defeated and the child back in his hands, Din made his way back to the Razor Crest. The small green foundling was still quite weak from the attack of the flame trooper earlier in the day. He was groggy and wiggling around in the Mandalorian’s hands, who set him down in the little cot. »Relax. We’re safe. Get some rest.« 

He closed the door and put away his weapons. The rifle and his blaster were placed in their designated spots in his weapon cabinet. All but his knife had storage spots. If there was one thing he’d always have with him, it was his blade. With heavy footsteps he climbed up the ladder. Images of the fight in the city center replayed in his head. There had been a woman next to Gideon. She was in all black, black and red markings on her face, the hilt of a lightsaber reflecting off the sunlight. Her eyes were red and yellow, yet still, that face looked so familiar. She didn’t do much but stay beside the Moff, much like a bodyguard would; or an assassin waiting to be ordered to kill. Her eyes had been on Din for the entire fight, he could feel her eyes on him. 

Who is she? 

Apparently it wouldn’t take long for him to find out, as he was forcefully pushed into the wall behind him. The rumble his Beskar armor made upon impact with the metal hull roared through the entire ship. He was unable to move his body, only his head was free. A slender, gloved hand emerged from the shadow inside his ship and that same woman came closer. 

»Hello, Din. Long time no see, huh?« He knew that voice, it had been long since he heard it, but he remembered it clear as day. And underneath those black and red markings on her skin, there was a face he hadn’t seen in forever. Her eyes had changed color, they used to be a striking, almost beautiful, shade of green. Now all he saw glaring back at him was fiery red and yellow. »You…« He tried to push himself away from the wall, but only the helmet moved. She had gotten stronger, that much was evident. But what had happened to her? 

»Surprised to see me? I’ve been waiting so long for this moment. Some would even say I’ve missed you.« A grin crept up to her lips, dimples forming on her cheeks. It would be a beautiful sight if he wasn’t aware of the situation he found himself in. 

»What do you want?« he asked in a calm voice. It should have been obvious, and it was. Her words were clear when she swore she’d find him again. She pushed him more into the wall, still not touching him. The metal behind his back creaked. She would bend the paneling if she continued to push him. Or he would suffocate. His breaths were labored and heavy. Finally, her hand touched the chest plate of pure Beskar, her face drawing closer. »Come on. Don’t play dumb, Din. You know very well why I’m here. I promised you I’d come back one day. Ni copaani skira.« I want revenge. 

The fact she spoke his language was far more intimidating than the actual words. »You speak Mando’a?« Her hand wandered along his armor, like she was stroking his chest. It was extremely uncomfortable for him. He had trouble breathing, he was practically paralyzed, and she was extremely close to his helmet. And she probably knew taking it off would be worse than just killing him. 

She hummed lowly, looking deeply into that black visor in front of her. »That surprises you? I’ve had years to learn it, and you’re not the first Mandalorian I’m taking my sweet time with. I’ve been obsessed with your little cult ever since you brought me back home. I know everything.« She tapped the helmet with her index finger. It was obvious. The markings on her face even. She had red jaig eyes painted on her forehead. Some of the black lines almost looked like they were imitating the edges on his helmet. Dank Farrik. It was as if everything about her had to do with him. 

»I get it. You’re here because I brought you back and you’re making me responsible for all of the pain they caused you, but –« She cut him short, her slender fingers wrapping around his throat and cutting off his oxygen. »Shhhh, there’s no way you’re talking yourself out of this.« She withdrew her hand after a few seconds, delighted to hear the sharp inhale underneath the bucket. »I’m not trying to. Mandalorians don’t beg for their lives and you wouldn’t listen anyway.« 

»Well, what is it then?« »The child.« She chuckled, her head turning down toward the ladder. The child was surely sleeping, unless he was startled awake by the sound of Din being shoved into the wall. »I don’t care much for a child.« 

Din knew she was lying. Or she was in denial. »There is a reason why I went back to take him from the Imps. He’s force sensitive, just like you are.« She looked back at him. Her brows were furrowed, was she angry or did he have a point? 

»What do you want?« she simply asked. The pressure on his chest decreased a bit and he sighed. »I want to avoid making the same mistake a second time. I don’t want the same thing happening to him.« She scoffed. She didn’t say more, ridiculing even the chance of him feeling guilty about what he had done to her. He continued, »As much as I am to blame for allowing them to continue hurting you, deep down you’re mad at them and not me. I didn’t torture you.« 

»And you want me to just let you go and be a dad for your little Jedi baby?« Her head tilted slightly. Her gaze was burning into him, almost like she could see him underneath the metal. He felt exposed while still fully covered. And she must’ve felt it too. He didn’t know her but he had just looked so deep into her, it was scaring her. 

»All I want is for him to be safe. If I find a Jedi to take care of him, then you can have me.« It was an offer. If she would take him up on it, was on her. Another scoff escaped her lips and a grin crept up to her lips again. »And you want me to believe that? To just trust you? What makes you think I would do that?« 

»What’s your name? You obviously know mine.« That question seemed to short-circuit her, making her features soften for a moment. »414,« she stated. His helmet shook from side to side. »I mean your real name. Do you even know it?« She must’ve been someones daughter before she got captured, so she had to have a name before she was a number. Just like his foundling. »My name’s Maia.« She had hesitated. Judging by her reaction, this wasn’t her name. Maybe a nickname one of the Imps had given her. Perhaps a little nickname Gideon had for his bodyguard. Who knows what the Imperials did to her now that she was an adult. 

»Maia,« his voice softened. His heart was beating fast, it had been all this time, but now that he tried to sound a little more sympathetic, he struggled to keep his voice steady. »I’m sorry for what they did to you. I don’t have a lot of regrets but taking you back to the facility is one of them. Maybe the biggest mistake I’ve made in my life.« 

Maia inhaled sharply. »How touching,« she pressed, trying to hide the pang she felt in her chest but unable to do so. She was taught to be unstable, so keeping herself together was incredibly hard. »It’s been haunting me ever since I turned my back after handing you over. If I could go back in time I –« »Stop it!« She pushed him into the wall again, the back of his helmet hitting the wall and disorienting him for a moment. The concussion he had suffered when the e-blaster blew up wasn’t gone yet and that made it painfully evident. She continued »I don’t want to hear what you would do. It’s the past. You caught me. You dragged me back there. And they made me regret not fighting you until you had to kill me. Every. Damn. Day. They broke everything. My body. My mind. They shattered me into a million pieces to rebuild me only from the shards they liked. You turned your back and you were free. A nice amount of credits in your pockets, I’m sure. All of this is ultimately your fault. And I hoped the guilt would eat you alive, but it’s not enough. I want you to suffer, even if it’s just a fraction of what I’ve had to endure.« 

»Let me go…« 

»Are you stupid?«

»You can pin me to the wall all day. You’re all talk and no act. You’ve not killed me yet and the thought left you as soon as I told you about the child. You care. Or part of you does, at least.« 

She came closer again, one finger stroking along the brim of his helmet, pushing it up. He tilted his head back to avoid part of his face showing. His heart rate picked up and he turned his head to the side, hoping to deter her from taking the helmet off. »I can’t explain it but your presence feels so familiar,« he said more quietly. She could probably hear his voice underneath the helmet now. She was so close, body practically pressed into his. Her face was right in front of his visor. »Maybe your nightmares were never just … nightmares. I’ve visited you before you were sent out to catch me. What made you think I’d stop after you made me hate you.« 

The visor faced her again. He looked into the red eyes. »Then you know I’m not lying about feeling guilty. You have tortured me in my dreams. Made me regret it. Made me suffer. Maybe not in the same way they did. I doubt anyone would be able to. But you know I am deeply sorry and I wish a younger me would’ve acted differently. I could have saved you and I wish I did.«

He couldn’t look into her eyes directly, but he felt the force pushing him into the wall leave. All that was left was her smaller frame resting against his, eyes fixed to the visor, probably looking into her own reflection. 

He barely waited a second, fearing she could potentially change her mind, until he turned around with her and pinned her between him and the wall. 

A small gasp escaped her lips, fogging up the visor. But other than pushing his body against hers, nothing happened. He didn’t attack her. She didn’t struggle to break free. One of his hands was against the wall behind her, the other one rested on her hip, right on the lightsaber hilt. 

»Do we have a deal?« he asked. He felt her heart pound against his armor, her chest rise and fall with every breath, pushing into him. »I will not leave your side until you’ve found your Jedi. If anyone gets to kill you, that will be me. And don’t try to play games.« »I won’t. I promise.« 

Another grin formed on her lips, this one somehow even more mischievous than the ones before. »Maybe you can have me before we find a Jedi.«

[dindjarindiaries]

Security - Chapter 67: The Capture

summary: Conflict arises on Mandalore as Astra, Din, and the rest of the scouting party find themselves running into their worst nightmare.

warnings: canon-typical violence, injuries (incl. blood), references to trauma, angst, strong language

rating: T

word count: 5.546k

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chapter 67: the capture

By the next morning’s daybreak, Astra and Din have already been briefed on the new plan. The Armorer is to take the wounded and weakened survivors to the rest of the fleet on the Gauntlet while the rest, most notably their captain, bring the scouting party to the Great Forge. They’ve just helped the Armorer get the wounded aboard when the captain calls to his brethren.

“Onward, Mandalorians!” he commands. “To the Forge!”

Astra, Din, and Grogu stand alongside Bo-Katan as the glider heads further and further away from where the Gauntlet’s now taking off. There’s an ache trapped between Astra’s chest and the beskar armor that covers it. The ship is getting closer to the fleet, where the rest of the Mandalorians continue to wait for them; Where her daughter waits.

Part of Astra wishes she was on that ship right now, heading back to take Zora in her arms and never let her go.

Then the touch of Din’s hand upon her back grounds Astra to reality again, and she doesn’t regret a single effort spent helping him and his people. After all, they’re her people now, too. Astra turns her head to look up at him and the way his visor tilts at her convinces that everything will be okay. Din touches his helmet to her forehead before he steps away to lead the group back towards the rest of the scouting party.

The four of them are on the upper deck looking out at the Mandalorians gathered below when Grogu comes to Astra’s side. She turns her gaze towards him and watches the wrinkles on his tiny forehead multiply. Grogu coos, a question Astra doesn’t need to translate to answer.

Astra just smiles the best she can. Grogu closes his eyes and no later does Astra earn a strong sensation of relieving warmth in her chest. It’s too overpowering to have been caused by Grogu’s energy alone. Astra’s smile becomes more genuine when Grogu reopens his eyes and gives her a hopeful glance. She takes one of his little hands in hers and brushes her thumb over it.

“Thank you,” Astra whispers to him. She lifts her hand to brush her fingers along his ear. Grogu coos as his big brown eyes light up at her.

Astra’s almost surprised by Din taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. She turns her head towards him and finds comfort in the dark void of his visor. Din’s voice is low when he speaks to her. “I felt it, too.”

Astra smiles before her gaze falls to her feet. She hears Din’s armor rustle as he steps even closer to her side and waits patiently for her. Astra tries to piece together what she wants to say in her mind, but each one comes with an apology.

Din’s free hand presses underneath Astra’s chin to urge her to lift her head once again and face him. He keeps his gloved fingers there, encouraging her to seek refuge in him. Astra’s more than grateful to oblige. “It’s okay.” Din’s voice is so soft it crackles through his modulator. He adds a reassuring nod. “I’ve been worrying about her, too.”

Astra sighs and lets her vulnerability show for only just a moment. “Will it always be this way?”

“It will.” Din huffs with amusement and gives her hand another squeeze. “Who are we if not worriers over our loved ones?”

Astra laughs with him and closes her eyes, steadying herself with a breath. “You’re right.” She meets Din’s visor again. “She’s okay.”

“And she’ll continue to be.” Din nods once more before he lowers his hands from her and stands where he was before.

It’s not long before they’re pulled aside by Bo-Katan to discuss the Great Forge in more depth, as well as strategy for multiple contingencies. Grogu has since gone to join the other Mandalorians as they watch Paz and Axe play a board game. Astra checks up on him over her shoulder every once in a while, but what grabs everyone’s attention isn’t from Astra’s own observation. It’s from the heightened volume of Paz’s and Axe’s voices.

Din shares a look with their small group before he stands and makes his way over to the railing. Bo-Katan and Astra follow, and Astra’s close enough to Din to hear the sigh he lets out at the sight of Paz standing with his vibroblade drawn. Astra’s eyes widen as she looks up at Din, who returns her glance with a reassuring tilt of his helmet.

Astra furrows her brow at her husband. “Shouldn’t we do something about this?” she whispers to him.

Din sets a hand on her back and gestures with his helmet to the brewing fight. “Let’s wait and see.”

Astra’s attention snaps back to Paz just in time to watch Axe lunge towards him. The two go back-and-forth with pushes that quickly turn to punches. Astra’s brought back to the duel she witnessed between Din and Paz, though thankfully, the stakes are much lower for her in this one.

Once the fight has gone on longer than expected, Din exhales and lowers his hand from Astra’s back. He swings his helmet towards Bo-Katan. His voice is low when he speaks to her. “Should I step in?”

Bo-Katan shakes her head at him. “Neither side can step in.” She raises her brow at the sight in front of them. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Din shifts his weight between his feet and doesn’t respond. Astra crosses her arms over her cuirass and moves herself closer to his side. Her gaze watches him rather than the fight, but when she follows where his visor is looking, she discovers the real reason for his strong unease. Right near the heart of the fight is Grogu, who wears an expression of distress within IG-12 as he watches the two Mandalorians fight.

Astra’s about to make a move to take Grogu away from the chaos when he takes the initiative of stepping directly towards it. She has to hold back a gasp when he steps between two swinging vibroblades held by the fierce warriors. She’s only a moment from activating her jetpack to make her way down to Grogu when IG-12’s arms push Paz and Axe away from each other.

Grogu’s tiny finger begins to spam the “no” button. “No. No. No. No. No.” A worried stitch sits between his enlarged and pleading eyes.

The tension leaves Astra only when Grogu’s actions get the two warriors to successfully stand down. The shame is clear on both their faces at the fact a child had to step in between them. Paz and Axe share an almost apologetic look before they walk away from each other once and for all.

With the threat to Grogu now eliminated, Astra lets herself smile in pride of their son. She glances up at Din just as he sets a gloved hand on her shoulder, the tilt of his helmet a hint to the smile that’s also shining underneath his beskar.

Her attention is drawn to Bo-Katan when the heiress speaks to them. “You taught your apprentice well.”

Din shrugs and gestures to Astra. “He didn’t learn that from me.”

Astra scoffs and nudges his armored shoulder with her own. “That’s simply not true.” She nods at Bo-Katan. “He taught Grogu very well.”

Din swings his helmet in his shyness. Astra chuckles and watches as he nods in Grogu’s direction. She turns her head and sees Grogu nodding back at him.

Astra grins at Grogu and looks up at her husband once again. “He’s ready to be an apprentice.”

Din tilts his helmet at her. “This adventure’s not over yet, rid’ika.” He softens when he glances at Grogu again. “But I agree with you.”

Astra’s about to say more when a whistle stops her from doing so. “There!” one of the survivors calls out from above them. “On the starboard bow!”

All the Mandalorians on the deck below them rise to approach the starboard bow. Concerned chatter makes its way around the ship while Astra rests her hands on the railing in front of them to get a better view. Din sets a careful hand on her back as he steps alongside her to do the same thing.

That’s when they all see the rock structures in the distance moving. The jagged rocks reveal themselves to be spikes on the back of what’s shaping up to be a massive, and no doubt dangerous, creature.

The Mandalorians prepare for battle and Din wastes no time at Astra’s side in making his way down to the lower deck. She follows him closely, her eyes widening in horror as the horizon disappears and crumbles into crashing rock. The creature emerges from it with a roar that makes the entire vessel shake.

Everyone races to take defensive positions while the survivors attempt to steer the ship away from the massive creature. Their efforts are in vain when the creature rocks the ship so hard that the Mandalorians get knocked from their feet. Din grabs Astra’s waist just in time to cushion her fall however he can.

“Abandon ship!” the survivors’ captain calls out.

Astra and Din make it back onto their feet while the others start to jetpack away, but there’s only one thought screaming in her mind. “Grogu!” she cries out in panic.

Din tries to clear a path for both of them through the masses to get to Grogu, but before they can even get close, both Paz and Axe work together to lift Grogu off the ship. Astra doesn’t have time for relief. Din takes her by the hand to lead her off the ship with him just before the creature’s tail destroys the ship in one blow. Without a helmet, Astra’s face gets hit with small pieces of the debris, causing her to lift her free arm to guard herself the best she can.

They follow the others towards the mouth of a cave. Din and Astra land just outside as the others do, but rather than going right inside, Din quickly turns to Astra and holds her face. “Find Grogu!” he urges her, raising his voice above the commotion.

Astra nods and doesn’t hesitate to comply. The warmth in her chest at the way he stays to help those behind them is overshadowed by her panic as she hops inside the cave and looks for IG-12’s tall figure. Astra doesn’t hold back her deep exhale of relief when she sees him flanked by Paz and Axe just a few paces away. She approaches him and takes IG-12 by the shoulders. “Are you okay?” she asks him.

Grogu coos in the affirmative, yet wrinkles his brow as he points at her face. Astra takes a moment to wipe her gloved fingers over a stinging part of her face and finds a small streak of blood left behind.

“I’m all right,” Astra assures her son. “It’s just from the debris.”

It’s not long before Din makes it over to them. He sets a hand on each of their shoulders. “You good?” he asks, looking between them. They both nod, but Din’s helmet tilts with dismay as he lifts a hand to the side of her head. “Your face is bleeding.”

“Just a couple of scratches.” Astra sets a hand over his. “I’m fine.”

The creature’s roar rocks the cave around them, causing everyone to brace themselves. “We’re not far,” the captain raises his voice to inform the group. “We need to go further down.”

The Mandalorians begin to follow his orders. The captain remains where he is to make sure everyone’s made it ahead. Din, Astra, and Grogu stay together as a unit while they follow the others, making their way deeper into the cave. The further they get inside, the more the rumbling subsides, promising safety in a way that makes Astra’s chest loosen just a bit more.

The twisting tunnels eventually open up into a massive clearing. The group, propped up on a tall ledge, slows as they look out at the wide-open structures in the rock. Grogu coos with curiosity behind Din and Astra as they continue to keep him shielded. Some of the Mandalorians remove their helmets as they stride ahead and observe the space around them. Astra looks up and her jaw drops open at the complexity of the structures that rise tall above their heads.

Din takes a quick glance at Paz, who’s since taken his place alongside them. “Where are we?” Din questions.

Axe becomes the one to answer. “This is what’s left of the Great Forge.” His voice is tense as he goes on. “This was once the heart of our civilization.” He pauses, and Astra exchanges a look with Din. He keeps himself close enough to her side for it to brush against his own. “But the fires have been extinguished since the bombings.”

“You lived here?” Paz asks.

“We all did,” Koska responds.

“We never left,” the captain adds. Astra watches the way he regards the space with such reverence and appreciation. “Survived by migrating along the surface until the war ended. Some tried to explore below, but none survived.”

Silence blankets the area for a moment, but it’s quickly broken by a distant whooshing. Din takes a step forward as his visor rises. “Jetpacks?”

Every head turns at Din’s words. Astra’s eyes start to widen as she spots the group of approaching fighters. “More survivors?” Axe suggests.

When they get closer, his question is answered. “Those aren’t Mandalorians,” Bo-Katan warns, setting her helmet back over her head. The group follows suit and draws their weapons. Astra’s blaster is in her hand and firing without a single moment to waste.

The armored fighters fire without hesitation at the Mandalorians, causing both Din and Astra to continue shielding Grogu with their own armor. Once they’re closer, their white armor becomes apparent, causing the group to fall upon a horrifying conclusion. “They’re Imperials!” Axe says the truth for all of them.

Din turns to Grogu and urges him behind one of the rock structures. “Take cover!” he instructs their son, who obeys without question. Astra and Din continue to remain in front of him as they counter the Imperial attack.

“How did we not run into them our first time here?” Astra asks Din, raising her voice over the firefight.

“We got lucky,” Din remarks. “It makes sense that those TIE interceptors found us on Kalevala, though.”

Their conversation is interrupted by Axe giving a warning to them all. “They’re wearing beskar armor!”

Astra watches Din’s demeanor change even more at those words. His body tenses with volatile anger that Astra doesn’t dare try to control. Wearing beskar without bathing in the Living Waters or taking the Creed is a violation Din takes very seriously. His first meeting with Cobb Vanth proved that.

But this truth also creates a dangerous problem: These Imperials won’t be taken down nearly as easily as the typical stormtrooper.

“We’re pinned down,” Din calls out. “We need backup.”

“I can make a run for the fleet and get us reinforcements,” Axe volunteers.

“No, it’s too far,” Bo-Katan insists.

“I can make it,” Axe assures her. “It’s our only shot at taking the planet back.”

And staying alive, Astra holds her tongue.

“There’s a split in the ceiling there,” Paz observes. “I’ll lay down cover.”

Din and Astra provide extra support as Axe makes his run. He successfully flies his way out of the cave, providing Astra with a moment of relief. It turns to thick dread when a realization falls upon her. “How will he communicate with the fleet?” Astra asks Din. “The atmosphere’s still cutting us off.”

Din tilts his helmet. “Then he’ll fly through it.”

Astra’s brow lifts in disbelief. “Will he make it?”

Din dodges a blaster bolt and reciprocates the blast. “We’ll find out.”

Astra takes a glance around to see more and more Mandalorians falling at the endless rain of blaster fire. The Imperials still have the high ground and the advantage of moving around more easily. Some of them even start to land on the cliff the Mandalorians are pinned to, overpowering them in a way that makes fear claw at Astra’s chest for the first time in too long.

One Imperial tries to fly directly at Din, Astra, and Grogu, but Din doesn’t hesitate to approach him first. He uses a single arm to tackle the trooper to the ground before blasting him over and over again. It’s only when the trooper’s motionless that Din returns to Astra’s side.

“This isn’t a sustainable position,” Astra tells him, her voice strained with worry. “We’re way too exposed here. They’ll pick us off way before backup arrives.”

“I know,” Din agrees. “But…”

He pauses when a shocking shift starts to turn in the tide of the firefight. The Imperials start to fall back, sprinting away from the Forge and the attacking Mandalorians. “They’re retreating!” Paz confirms the sight Astra still can’t bring herself to believe.

“Advance!” Bo-Katan commands the group. She leads the way into the tunnel the Imperial troopers have started to escape through.

“For Mandalore!” some of the group starts to call out while they file behind Bo-Katan.

Din turns around to face Grogu. “Okay, kid,” he’s gentle yet urgent with his words. “You’ve gotta keep up.”

Grogu nods, and the three of them take off without another word. Astra stays at Din’s side with Grogu close behind them, following the lead of the rest of the group. The more they go on, the more Astra notices Din preparing to advance to the front. As badly as she wants to join him, she forces herself to listen to her motherly instincts. “Din,” she calls for him, earning his attention even as they continue to run. “Go ahead to the front. I’ll stay back with Grogu.”

Din gives her a quick glance. “Are you sure?”

Astra offers him a nod and the best smile she can manage. “I’m sure. That’s where you’re needed.” She takes his free hand and gives it a quick squeeze. “Be careful.”

“You too.” Din lifts their entwined hands to his cuirass. “Ni kar’tayl—.”

“—Gar darasuum.” Astra finishes with a fond nod of her head. Din releases her hand and sprints his way to the front, causing Astra to steady herself with a breath as she glances at Grogu. “You’re doing great, ad’ika! Stay with me, okay?”

Grogu nods and keeps IG-12 in stride with her. The tunnel transforms from a cutout in the rock structure to an Imperial-reinforced walkway. The structures alongside them remind Astra all too well of Star Destroyers and light cruisers, like the one she’d once been imprisoned on. She keeps Grogu close at her side and buries her worries in favor of shooting at any of the lingering Imperials. Astra doesn’t have much work to do with Din plowing through them at the front, using his body as a shield. She’s struck with the conflicting feelings of admiration for his strength and worry.

It’s not long before the tunnel at last opens up into an expansive space where the Imperials start to take flight with their jetpacks once again. The group continues to shoot after them, but stops with nowhere left to go. Astra struggles to see from where she stands in the group, but when the group stops shooting in favor of looking around, her stomach drops with dread. All she really needs to see is the collection of TIE fighters docked above their heads to understand what’s happening.

“It’s a trap,” Astra breathes to herself in disbelief.

“What is this place?” Bo-Katan asks aloud.

A hiss from behind them confirms that a blast door’s just locked them inside. Astra’s body finally catches up to her mind as she starts trying to fight her way to the front. “It’s a trap!” she exclaims. Her blood turns to ice when she notices where the threshold of the next blast door is.

And Din’s standing on the other side of it.

“Din!” Astra cries out. “It’s a trap!”

Din whips his head around to face her, but it’s too late. Astra gets to the blast door just as it falls, causing her to run right into it. Her body shakes with a mixture of anger and fear so intense that it consumes her. There’s no way for her to get to him. “It’s an ambush!” Din says the words that only make Astra’s heart fall even more. Now, she’s forced to watch as the Imperials descend upon Din and the other three Mandalorians he’s trapped with.

They’re outnumbered, with no cover and no way for the rest of the group to get to them. “No,” Astra chokes the word out, looking away from the sight only to search the walls for a control panel. “Is there a panel?” She’s in denial the more she goes on. “There has to be a way.”

Astra’s attention is drawn from the things around her when the light of the flames from Din’s gauntlet light up the small space. He’s fighting for his life, and she’s being forced to watch in the cruelest way. The other Mandalorians alongside him have already fallen in defeat, leaving just Din with at least eight Imperials advancing on him.

Astra bangs her fist on the transparisteel of the blast door. “Din!” she calls out. She doesn’t know what else to do or to say. Her body’s in fight or flight and it only intensifies the closer the Imperials get to her husband. The others are still joining Astra in her efforts to take down the blast door somehow, but it’s an impossible task.

One of the Imperials catches Din’s wrist with a fibercord whip. He tries to shoot them down, but there’s too many other troopers to worry about. Astra hits the transparisteel with both her fists, now, the adrenaline masking the ache her desperate actions create. She hits it with all her strength, watching as another fibercord whip catches Din by his neck and pulls him back.

“Din!” Astra’s well aware of the fact her calls for him won’t do anything, but she can’t stop herself. She pulls her fist back to give the transparisteel a full-powered punch, repeating the action over and over again until the skin of her knuckles even underneath her glove goes raw.

Din’s flamethrower stops when his second wrist is caught, leaving him defenseless once and for all. He doesn’t stop fighting even as the Imperials cross over each other to pin Din’s arms against his chest. Astra can only see red when they start forcing Din to his knees, and she’s quick to reach for her vibroblade. She brings her arm back with the intention of hitting the weapon hard enough against the transparisteel to break it, but the motion’s stopped by someone’s grip behind her. Astra fights it until they start to speak to her.

“No,” IG-12’s voice pleads with her. Astra turns her head to face their son, whose expression is just as devastated as Astra’s own. “No.” Grogu lets out a desperate coo, as if he’s begging for her to stop.

Astra nods at him, the action as numb as the sheathing of her vibroblade. She turns back to the sight of Din through the door, who’s now been fully forced to the ground. Bo-Katan sets a hand on Astra’s shoulder, but she can barely sense it. Her attention’s been drawn to someone who’s just landed a few paces away from Din, dressed head-to-toe in black beskar. Their helmet is decorated with red accents and sparse black spikes.

“Disarm him,” their modulated voice demands.

Din struggles against the two Imperials at his sides as they pull whatever weaponry they can away from him. His jetpack and blaster get thrown aside, along with his vibroblade and all of his whistling birds. Astra hasn’t felt this helpless since she watched the cyborg do the very same thing to him.

She should’ve listened to Din’s warning about returning to Mandalore.

The figure in black approaches Din in a sinister stride. Astra’s gloved hands curl up into fists, with one stinging from all of her desperate punches. Once they stop, they tear their helmet from their head, revealing their identity and making Astra’s heart sink into the depths of her being.

Moff Gideon. Moff fucking Gideon.

Astra tries to make another move for the transparisteel, but both Bo-Katan and IG-12 hold her back. Her chest is heaving from anger, desperation, and trauma. She hasn’t seen this man ever since he tried to kill both her and Grogu, and now, he’s taking her husband. Even the blast door between them doesn’t hide Din’s own growl as he’s forced to look up at Gideon.

“Thank you for gathering the Mandalorians into one place,” Gideon begins. Bo-Katan’s hand lowers from Astra as she stares him down through her visor. “You were a talented people, but your time has passed. However, as you can see,” Gideon lifts his arms to show off his armor, “Mandalore will live on in me.”

Astra can’t look away from Din, who once again tries to fight the Imperials’ group on him. They keep him pinned down.

“Thanks to your planet’s rich resources,” Gideon goes on, “I have created the next generation Dark Trooper suit forged from beskar alloy.”

He walks even closer to Din, until he’s standing right in front of him. Astra has to fight her hardest not to try to break through the door once again. Gideon looks at Din as he continues. 

“And the most impressive improvement is that it has me in it. You see, every society has something to offer.” Gideon looks up at Bo-Katan through the transparisteel. “The cloners. The Jedi.” Grogu coos in sadness behind Astra. “And even the Mandalorians.”

The group starts to rustle with unrest and volatile anger at Gideon’s vile words.

“By aggregating the best of each, I will create an army that will bring order to the galaxy.” Astra sees Din trembling with the same fury as herself. “Why don’t we take your fleet off the board while we still have the element of surprise?”

Just when Astra thought it couldn’t get any worse, her own breath goes sour in her lungs. Zora. Din must fall upon the same realization, because now, he won’t stop fighting to free himself.

“Activate the interceptors and bombers,” Gideon orders.

“No!” Bo-Katan gasps in panic.

The Imperials are quick in preparing themselves to get to their ships. Gideon smirks in pure delight and victory. “In but a few moments,” he states, “the Purge of Mandalore will be complete.”

Astra stumbles back a step, her mind now plagued with thoughts she can’t begin to process. Zora was supposed to be safe with the fleet. We thought this through so many times. Astra’s caught by IG-12, and she turns to look at Grogu again. Despite the horrors at hand, Grogu offers her a reassuring look, as if he’s trying to convince her that Zora will be okay. Astra maintains her strength for him and focuses back on Gideon and Din, her anger once again taking precedence.

“It looks like I’m not the only one with new armor,” Gideon says, his gaze now meeting Astra’s own. “Did they give you that after what happened when we last met, Princess?”

Astra sneers at him. “Fuck you.”

Gideon raises his brow, amused. “What a vulgar thing for someone of your rank to say.” Gideon’s gaze falls to Din. “Is that the mouth you kiss?”

“Proudly,” Din doesn’t hesitate to answer.

Gideon begins to smirk at him. “Makes sense with how quickly your family’s grown.”

Din’s voice is a growl more hostile than Astra’s ever heard him before. “Don’t you fucking dare talk about my family.”

“Trust me, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about them.” Gideon nods at the Imperials at Din’s sides. “Take him to the debriefing room.”

The Imperials close in on Din to lift him from the ground and drag him away. Din doesn’t stop fighting even once. Astra wants to do the same, but she also doesn’t want to give Gideon the satisfaction. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in a lame attempt to calm the wave of rage that crashes against her over and over again.

“I should have killed you when I had the chance,” Bo-Katan speaks up.

Gideon turns from where he’s been watching over Din’s removal to meet Bo’s visor. “Bo-Katan.” His voice is light with amusement as he goes on. “We have to stop meeting like this.”

Bo-Katan takes a threatening step closer to the blast door. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Gideon smiles. “Let’s stop the pleasantries, shall we?” His smile drops as he starts to approach the door. “I believe this is the part where you return the Darksaber to its rightful owner.”

Gideon stops and stares Bo-Katan down. She lifts the Darksaber in her hand as if she’s teasing him.

“Now, surrender the Darksaber, and tell these people that this planet is mine.”

Bo-Katan looks over at Astra. She nods at their ally, her patience just as worn as the Mandalorian leader’s. Bo then nods at Paz, who speaks on their behalf. “This is the Way.”

Astra stays at Paz’s side when he leads the group in firing their weapons. She extends her blaster and fires while Bo-Katan makes her way to the door behind them and starts to cut a way out with the Darksaber. “Open the blast doors,” Gideon orders. “Kill them.”

Gideon sets his helmet over his head and flies away just as the blast door opens. Astra watches him and raises her voice loud enough over the firefight for him to hear her. “Coward!” She focuses on protecting Grogu while also making a vicious attack on any Imperial she can reach, using a fluid rotation of her blaster, her vibroblade, and her fibercord whip.

There’s a trail of at least three Imperial troopers at Astra’s feet by the time Bo-Katan gives her command. “Move out!”

“Move out!” the Mandalorians echo.

“Fall back!” Paz insists. “I’ll cover the rear!”

Astra’s tempted to keep killing as many Imperials as she can grab, but for Grogu’s sake, she takes him by the arm and urges them towards Bo-Katan. “Go, go, go!” the Mandalorians continue to call out. They climb out of the circular hole Bo’s carved one-by-one, reentering the tunnel. Astra urges Grogu out before herself.

While they wait for Bo-Katan and Paz, Astra pulls Grogu aside and holds IG-12 by the shoulders. “Grogu, ad’ika,” she says, her voice breathless but certain, “your father and your sister need our help. We need to be at our best for them. Okay?”

Grogu nods, cooing to agree with her. He closes his eyes for a moment before he points towards the direction in which they took Din.

“Can you sense where your father is?” Grogu nods once again. Astra sighs in determination and nods. “Good. Very good.” She starts to deflate and glances over her shoulder at the thought of her daughter.

Bo-Katan’s approach keeps Astra from going on. “Come on,” Bo urges the two of them. “We have to go.”

Astra wrinkles her brow, but obeys the command. “Where’s Paz?”

Bo-Katan’s helmet stiffens. “He’s not coming.”

Astra grabs Bo-Katan by the arm. “What do you mean, he’s not coming?”

Bo-Katan holsters one of her blasters to take a gentle grasp on Astra’s wrist. “He’s sacrificing himself for us. I tried to convince him not to.”

Astra’s gaze falls to the floor. She swallows hard and can barely speak past the lump in her throat. “So many losses.”

“I concur.” Bo-Katan and Astra move forward with Grogu at their side. Bo continues to glance over at Astra. “If you two want to go after Din, you should do it now.”

Astra wants to fall apart just at the sound of his name, but she keeps herself strong. “But, Zora…” Astra can’t make it past her name. The look she gives Bo-Katan is nothing short of desperate.

“We’ll take care of the fleet, including your daughter,” Bo assures her with a firm hand upon her armored shoulder. “Go get your husband.”

Astra takes a deep breath and nods. “Thank you, Bo-Katan.”

Bo returns the gesture. “This is the Way.”

Astra somehow manages to smile at her. “This is the Way.” She wastes no time as she focuses her attention on her son. “Are you ready, Grogu?”

Grogu nods, his brow now etched with pure determination. Astra offers him the smile she’d shown Bo-Katan and lifts her blaster.

“Lead the way.”

Grogu closes his eyes and does what she says, his IG-12 suit using an impressive amount of speed as he takes Astra to wherever Din’s being held. All she can do is focus on him and pray to the stars that they’re not too late.

previous ⟸ masterlist ⟹ next

[celartzee]

Happy Valentines Days, folks!💖

📍Naboo

(those are millaflowers)

[amiedala]

SOMETHING HOLY MASTERLIST

— MAIN MASTERLIST | AO3

SUMMARY: “Mine,” Din is saying like a prayer, “you’re mine.”

There’s a desperation to it, an undercurrent, and Nova unhinges her mouth as Din watches, hard and desperate pressed against her, so desperate that it burns through their clothes. A hymnal, he’s singing, with nothing but the same syllables. It’s desperate, pleading. More than piety. Like a zealot, for her, only for her. Like Novalise is something holy.

— Mandalorians. Jedi. Rebels. The conclusion to the epic love story across the stars—with desecration and divinity in equal measure.

Something Holy is in-progress. Updates release on Saturdays (as frequently as possible) at 7:30 pm EST.

CHAPTER 1: Start at the Beginning

CHAPTER 2: Fault Line

CHAPTER 3: Dangerous Things

CHAPTER 4: Wreckage

CHAPTER 5: The Ghost

CHAPTER 6: Pulse

CHAPTER 7: No Mercy

[hunnythebee]

Stow Away

Chapter 3: Hiding in Plain Sight

A tense day on Nevarro followed by an evening with a different kind of tension. Is she crossing a line or is he?

Warnings: NSFW, NSFT, mentions of trauma, PTSD, crying, cursing, voyeurism, masturbation

Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Masterlist

A/N: So I changed up a few things in this chapter. First, it explores third person omniscient territory, giving us a glimpse into our Mando's thoughts as well as the MC. From here on out I intend to include more glimpses into his mind and emotions as well.

Second, finally diving into some smut. I'm excited for that, but I am also a complete plot-whore so it's definitely going to be plot with porn.

And last but not least, I have officially given the MC a name. I hadn't intended on naming her, but I couldn't help it, it just kind of happened.

Hope you enjoy and I look for to seeing you all next week for chapter 4!

It had been awhile since he left. He took the kid with him so she has the whole ship to herself. She searched around for a good hiding spot, which there really weren’t any. Then she had a brilliant idea. She rooted around in her sack and pulled out her hooded cowl and engineer goggles.

Perfect.

She removed a panel on the outside of the Crest and began to do idle busy work. She tucked her hair completely into the hood and pulled the mask up, with the goggles covering the remaining exposed portion of her face no distinguishable features were left visible. She was deep in the panel when two bounty hunters approached the ship.

“What’re you doing here?” The taller one asked, resting a hand on his blaster.

“Workin',” she kept her words short. “You?”

He laughed gruffly, “Workin’”

The two men boarded the Crest. Her hand was violently shaking, but she hid it by throwing them back into work. The two reappeared a minute later, with the carbonite slabs floating gracefully between them. 

“Enjoy your 'work' little lady,” the other said, his voice making her skin crawl.

She swallowed hard and nodded to them. The nod made a small strand of hair peek out from the hood. Her hair was truly her most recognizable feature, it was colored to look like a nabooian sunset, a gradient from purple to orange. The small strand was a blaring siren, begging to be noticed, but lucky for her they’re backs were already turned to her. She quickly tucked the strand back in and shoved her head into the ship compartment. Once their gravelly footsteps receded, she hustled back onto the ship and closed the ramp behind her. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she crumpled to the cold floor, allowing her emotions to pour out. A sob echoed through the quiet hull. She let her tears flow. Mando didn’t remind her of him. But those men, those hunters did. After the tears slowed she took a few deep breaths. Just in time too, because the gangplank lowered, and the Mandalorian boarded the ship. She wiped away at her eyes, hoping her breakdown wasn’t too apparent on her face.

It was.

Mando noticed immediately. Her nose was pink, her eyes were swollen and red. Her cheeks still had faint tear stains on them. He felt a protectiveness come over him. He wanted to ask who had done this to her. He wanted to make them pay. More than anything he wanted to pull her in and make her feel okay. All of this ran through his head as he simply stood there, staring at her.

She can never know. He warned himself.

“H–How’d it go?” She asked, wanting to break the silence.

“The usual.” His voice sounded so distant. Realistically, he was just lost in thought.

“The…usual?” she questioned.

“Got my payment. Got more bounties.”

“Ah. The usual. Got it.” She began to walk towards her cot, but he stopped her in her tracks with his next words.

“I brought food.”

“You… brought food?” She echoed.

He silently held up a satchel, burstin with assorted produce and meats.

“You brought food.” She said once more, feeling a sense of safety nudge at her heart.

He handed her the satchel, and she examined it closely.

“Hmm… I know exactly what to make from this,” and she left for the galley. He remained cemented to the spot. Silently swearing to himself to learn why she had been crying and to never let it happen again.

A few hours later, they were in orbit of Nevarro and she was putting the finishing touches on a roast. They hadn’t spoken since he had given her the food, she had plunged herself into cooking. It was mostly an attempt to recover from the flashbacks of earlier, and it mostly worked. 

She shouted out of the galley up at the cockpit, “Food’s ready! Come get it while it’s hot!” 

She fixed the three of them plates, and set one plate down at the spot he usually sat in. She and Grogu took the seat that they had been in before, their backs to the seat he would take. Grogu was already finished by the time she heard Mando’s boots hit the floor. She had, unwittingly, waited for him to start eating. She heard his helmet depressurize and she started to eat her meal with him. She nearly choked when she heard a sound from where the Mandalorian sat. He had taken a bite and moaned. He kriffing moaned, and it made her freeze completely. She couldn’t see it, but he had frozen too. Shocked by his own involuntary noise. He knew she had heard it, because he heard her gag on her food. Heat crossed his face and he was never more thankful for the Creed than in that moment.

They ate the remainder of the food in complete silence. He collected the plates when they were finished, and she put the now sleeping child to bed. She was closing the crib when he reappeared. His visor was fixed on her and it sent a shiver through her body.

“I liked it.” He spoke abruptly.

“Hmm?” She asked as she slumped back down into her seat.

“The food. I liked it.”

“I bet.” The tease slipped out before she could process what she was saying. Her whole body tensed.

“What was that?” He asked, taking a step toward her.

She stood and moved backward, “N–nothing. I’m glad you liked it.” The nerves caused her voice to quiver slightly.

He stalked closer. “That’s not what you said.”

She tried to turn, wanting to hide in the 'fresher, but his hand snatched her wrist and pulled her to the wall. Pinning her between him and the cool durasteel. Her heart was thundering in her ears. She should have felt scared but this was different. Less threatening. Probably because he wasn’t holding a blaster to her this time.

“What. Did. You. Say.” He was impossibly close now. He smelled like her blanket.

No… she thought, the blanket smells like him.

She steadied herself for a moment and committed to the teasing.

“I said, ‘I bet.’ As in I bet you liked my cooking. At least it sure sounded like you were enjoying it.”

He hovered for a moment. He was contemplating something. She assumed he was debating whether to smack her for taunting him or not. In reality he was contemplating her. Her body. Her face. How good she would feel when he– 

Stop!

His internal voice screamed. And he finally released her, quickly leaving for his bunk. The door hissed shut behind him before she even had a chance to move. She slid to the floor. She was dazed and confused by the bizarre interaction that had just occured between her and the Mandalorian. He didn't seem angry. In fact he had seemed... Excited. A heat settled low in her body, which she elected to ignore.

That's absurd. No way was that what had been happening.

She shook the thoughts out of her head and finally stood up from the floor. She still wanted to shower before bed. The scent of ash and smoke was clinging to her hair and she craved the scent of the soap. She didn't take long, focusing mainly on her hair. She stepped out into the hull and the quiet was deafening. All she could hear was the soft breathing of the child on the other side and... She froze.

She heard a moan. Before tonight she wouldn't have been able to place it but now she knew exactly what she was hearing. She was planted to the spot. Not moving. Not breathing.

Another moan ripped through the quiet.

Her eyes found his door, lit dimly by the light of the refresher. The warmth she had felt earlier returned, this time it was less bearable. Her body moved without her willing it to, and she found herself in front of his door. She wasn't sure what she was doing there. This was a private moment. An intimate moment she wasn't supposed to bear witness to, yet she couldn't keep herself from listening. She chewed her lip for a moment and wrestled with herself internally.

After a moment of contemplation, she pressed her ear to the door. She wanted to hear more. His moans were hot and it had been so long since she had been a part of anyone's pleasure, so she indulged.

The moaning was expected, as were the whispered curses. What she hadn't expected was what he groaned out as his orgasm slammed into him.

"Jomira..."

She stumbled back. That was her name. He was moaning her name. Her heart raced as she rushed back to her cot and quickly climbed under the covers. His voice echoed in her mind.

Impossible. I just imagined it. That's all. Still...

She pressed her thighs together. Her arousal had reached a fever pitch and it was becoming a problem. She reached over and shut the child's crib. Then she slipped her hand below her waist band. She was soaked. Her pussy. Her thighs. Imagined or not, he had an effect on her that she could not deny.

She pressed her middle finger to her swollen bundle, working it in slow, precise circles. She whimpered quietly and covered her mouth quickly with her free hand. She continued working herself closer to release. She could feel it, she was on the precipice. Just as it poured over her the door to the Mandalorian's bunk slid open. She jumped, throwing the hand that had been covering her mouth over her eyes, burying her face in her elbow. The hand that had been working so desperately for her release was trapped between her legs. Her orgasm made her throb against her fingers, the ruined release causing her cunt to clench and spasm.

Neither she nor Mando moved. She took a deep, slow breath, feigning sleep. She prayed to the Maker that he hadn't seen her, that he would just assume she was asleep and leave. After another beat, she heard his boots move. They ascended the ladder, followed by the cockpit door hissing open and then shut.

She let out a sigh and removed her arm from her eyes and her hand from her pants. Her heart rate slowed finally, and her eyes began to feel heavy. Sleep fell heavy onto her body and she knocked out quickly. She dreamt of him that night.

Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Masterlist

[wild-karrde]

Hi! I saw your fandom rec post and wanted to submit a thing. This is a self rec, by the way! So it's on Ao3, under the pseud Star Princess, and it's a 7 part fanfic series for The Mandalorian. It does feature my own oc as a main character and inserts her into the main plot of the show (plus includes my own plotline in the seventh part). The link isn't working, so the series is called The Mandalorian and the Alkavarian (I'll DM the link to you).

I wrote this series into existence for over a year, and it made me really happy. It also inspired me to watch other Star Wars shows (Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch) and now I'm planning fics for those shows too! The Mandalorian and this fic series essentially made me into a big old Star Wars nerd, and I really want to share the story with other people. If it's easier, I have a masterpost pinned on my blog page!

It's not NSFW but does include mentions of more mature themes (a glance at the tags will probably give you an idea?)

Anyway, I think this is a really cool thing you're doing, and I'm excited to see the other recs you get.

Heck yeah! I love everything about this! We don't always get a lot of Mando fics on FF, so I am HYPED that you've sent your series in! Vasara's past seems so heartbreaking, but I love the thought of seeing how she fits in with Din and Grogu. And I'm so glad that you got inspired to watch other shows (I say this as someone that writes for a LOT of TCW/TBB characters). Thanks so much for sending this in!

Link

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)

[totallywizard]

Lucky Stars (2)

Here's the second chapter of this story (because I've found new motivation to keep writing it).

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what direction this is going in story-wise, I mainly just have a lot of ideas that I need to pick and choose from in a way that makes sense. I guess we'll see where this road leads!

This chapter takes place sometime during early season two (except for a brief part at the end, after the page break).

Warnings: Nothing to worry about (I think).

CHAPTER II: Crossed Paths

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Believe it or not, Canto Bight had a library.

And why in the galaxy would a city like Canto Bight, a playground for the wealthy, have something as tame and mediocre as a library?

Well, not all of the city’s buildings could be casinos, ractracks, cantinas, clubs, resorts, and hotels.

Nova, understandably, was shocked to learn such a thing. In fact, she’d refused to believe that this library actually existed until she was standing right outside its ornate glass doors. It was there, alright---and just like everything else in that chaotic city, it was way too extravagant.

It was without a doubt the fanciest library she’d ever seen. The place was so lavish that it didn’t even look like a library from the outside. She’d of course prefer this place’s extensive archives to some one-room, run-down old shop, but still…the whole thing was ridiculous. She was surprised that there wasn’t a sabacc table to be seen in the whole building.

She’d decided to revisit a different approach to her “finding my brother” problem. Instead of finding a solution through the Force and other means, which hadn’t been working so far, perhaps there was a solution to be found in lore and scientific facts? If she learned all she could about purrgil and hyperspace travel, then maybe she’d get closer to figuring out where he could be. At the very least she might figure out, conceivably, how far into space it was possible to go in those very specific conditions.

A part of her was afraid of what she would find. But she had to look.

And why a library on Catonica, of all places? Well…it had been the closest system at the time. She wasn’t sure she had the patience to go all the way to Coruscant for this, and even if she did, she’d already been to more archives there than she could count.

At the moment, Nova was walking through a wide, busy street in search of an inn. After spending nearly all day in Canto Bight’s library staring at datapads and monitors, she was more than ready for a good night’s rest. She’d actually remained here longer than she’d originally intended, hence the need to find suitable lodging for the night—something cheap, but still with a decent bunk to collapse into.

Even in a heavily crowded city such as this, Nova wasn’t too concerned with there being no available rooms---at least, not at the small inns. The majority of beings that came here were elite and wealthy in at least some capacity, and so would flock to the fancy hotels and resorts that were on every street corner. That left the smaller, not-so-grand inns more accessible to those with fewer credits (like her).

But since there were so many expensive hotels around, local inns were a bit few and far between. The problem wasn't a lack of places to stay, but in actually finding a cheap one.

Nova was trying to navigate through the mess of neon signs that littered every wall and building. She read each one, trying to find a place labeling itself as anything resembling an inn. Staring at such bright lights after staring at screens and holos all day practically guaranteed that she’d get a headache later, but what choice did she have?

The signs seemed to go on forever, and the same words were repeated too many times to count. Shop… Shop… Club… Fortune teller… Club… Br--- Yikes, that was definitely not a family-friendly place… Another shop… Speeder vendor…

“Outta the way!”

The outcry was loud enough to be clearly heard over the buzz of chatter filling the busy street, and therefore drew most of the attention. Nova stopped walking and turned toward where it had emanated (and was honestly glad for any reason to stop staring at those stupid neon signs). She was mildly surprised to see a blue-ish Rodian shoving his way through the people in the street, clearly running from something. He didn’t look completely terrified of whatever he was running from, but he did have a sort of cocky demeanor about him. Seeing others being shoved out of his way, people began to move from his path.

“Too quick for you, bounty hunter!” he shouted behind him as he ran.

Yeah, definitely cocky.

A bounty being chased through the streets of Canto Bight was nothing new. As Nova understood it, it actually happened quite often. Bounties probably thought they could get lost in a city like this, making it really hard for their enemies to find them.

The bounty hunter the Rodian had been jeering at was quick to appear around the same corner he’d come from. When Nova caught sight of him, she immediately did a double-take.

It was that shiny Mandalorian! The one from Alun.

Well, it was possible it was someone else---but what other Mandalorian had she ever met with beskar armor that shiny and new? His presence felt familiar, too.

Nova found herself glad to see him. If he was here, then his little green Yoda-child couldn’t be far behind, right? The possibility of seeing the child again made her lips quirk upward.

The Mandalorian, taller and bigger than the scrawny Rodian he chased, was quickly closing in on his quarry. Nova found herself intently watching it unfold, on the edge of her imaginary seat. Once the crowds had cleared enough and the space between them was clear, the Mandalorian threw out his arm. A whipcord shot out of his vambrace, heading right for the Rodian’s legs.

Nova thought the Rodian was done for, but apparently he was ready for it. Just as the whipcord was about to wrap around his legs, the Rodian pushed a button on his wrist cuff. Immediately, small boosters activated on his boots--rocket boots, apparently--and he was launched up into the air. The whipcord wrapped around open air, and the Rodian laughed from where he was hovering several feet off the ground.

“Hah!” he laughed. “Missed me!”

What Nova ended up doing next was purely an act of instinct. With a subtle wave of her hand at her side, she used the pull of the Force to grab hold of one of the boosters of the Rodian’s rocket boots. A small flick of her wrist, and the thing was crushed.

The booster immediately died, and the mechanism began sparking. With only one boot working now, it was more of a hindrance than an asset, and the Rodian was quickly thrown off balance. He went lurching to the left, crying out as the one booster propelled him sideways in the air. He made to land as soon as he could, although it was difficult with the one working boot constantly tripping him up.

By the time he’d managed to touch the ground again--collapsing more than landing--the Mandalorian was waiting for him. He quickly grabbed and detained the Rodian, successfully capturing his bounty. Some enthusiastic onlookers even applauded him.

It all happened so fast. Nova had reacted before her mind could catch up with what she was doing. She’d just…felt this overwhelming instinct to help, and the Force took over. It certainly wasn’t the first time it had happened, and would no-doubt not be the last.

Still, Nova didn’t wish to draw any attention. As much as a part of her wanted to speak to the shiny Mandalorian again–as visiting with him might mean she’d get to see the little green guy–she knew it would be safest if she just left unseen. Nobody had noticed her use of the Force, or any connection between her and the Rodian’s sudden bad luck. She wanted to keep it that way. The Empire’s remnants were on her scent. In a heavily populated world such as this, who knew how many informants they might have? You never knew where they could be nowadays. Plus, according to her intel, there was that new organization that’d recently formed that put up the front of being a science research group but in reality had been commissioned by a Moff and didn’t want anybody to know it so that the Empire could secretly operate through them---

Yeah, time to go.

So as the Mandalorian handled his quarry–he seemed to be handing him off to the local authorities, perhaps they’d offered a reward to hunt the Rodian down–Nova turned and quietly slipped away before she could be noticed.

Or, well…she tried to.

Nova only made it a few steps toward the next bright neon sign when she heard a very familiar coo. Even though the ambient crowded-street noise was slowly returning, she could still make out that little sound. Turning, she looked down and saw none other than the green wrinkly Yoda-child waddling over to her as fast as his little feet could carry him. She sensed recognition and excitement from him, and it did well to warm her heart. Despite being noticed before she could slip away, she had to smile as she saw the child again.

Oh well, she thought, conceding. “Hey, green bean!” she enthusiastically greeted him. 

As soon as she knelt down to his level, he came barreling into her outstretched hands. He was all too happy to be swept up into her arms again, cooing and giggling as she dramatically hoisted him upward when she stood. She could clearly feel the joy coming off of him in waves.

“Have to admit, I hoped I’d get to see you again,” she admitted to the child.

The green child let out a small cry, as if agreeing with her.

Nova chuckled. “You ran off from your Mandalorian again, bug,” she told him, stating a fact rather than scolding. “You know you’re not supposed to do that.”

Just like the first time, the Yoda-esque child seemed pretty unbothered by it. As she finished speaking, Nova looked up to find the Mandalorian in question. She spotted him and his shiny armor just in time to see him frantically swinging his helmeted head around, searching for his missing kid. Nova had to hold back an amused snort at the funny sight. She stayed put, and he quickly found them where she stood on the side of the street. Immediately, he made a beeline toward them.

“Oh look, here he comes,” Nova announced to the green child staring up at her. “Somebody’s in trouble, and I know it’s not me.”

The child merely blinked, tilting his head. Still very unconcerned.

She was struck with deja vu as the Mandalorian purposefully strode over to her, though it wasn’t quite the angry stomping it had been during their first encounter. The colorful lights from the neon signs hanging around reflected off of his incredibly shiny beskar, making him look like some sort of deadly disco ball. A floating pram hovered closely behind him, which Nova could only guess belonged to the green child in her arms.

Nova offered the Mandalorian a friendly smile as he halted in front of her, even though she was already reluctant to let go of the wrinkly child she’d just picked up. “Hi,” she greeted him. “You probably don’t remember me—”

“I do,” the Mandalorian interrupted, nodding his head once.

Nova blinked. She was pleasantly surprised that he recognized her, despite only meeting each other once before. She didn’t consider herself to be all that memorable—unless of course, she had her lightsaber out. That usually stuck in people’s memories pretty well.

“Your little one must have remembered me, too,” she stated, smiling down at the wide-eyed child in her arms. “Ran right up to me just like the first time.”

He sensed me is more like it, she thought to herself.

“He climbed out of his pram,” the Mandalorian guessed, sounding only a little annoyed. Nova guessed that he’d probably already gotten onto the child for doing so multiple times. “He knows he’s not supposed to do that.”

She chuckled. “Kids will listen only until their priorities change.”

The child let out an absentminded coo, staring up at Nova with those incredibly innocent eyes of his. It was definitely a face you couldn’t stay mad at for long, no matter what crime he’d committed.

“Well,” Nova conceded, turning her gaze back to the Mandalorian, “you’re probably busy, so I’ll just let you two be on your way.” As much as she wanted to keep holding the green Yoda-child forever, she knew that he belonged with his guardian.

Nova began to hand him over, but it seemed the child had other ideas. Immediately, he latched his tiny claws onto her arm and started to make little indignant noises of protest. It seemed as though she wasn’t the only one reluctant to part again.

“Come on, green bean,” Nova chided. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

The pointy-eared child still fussed, refusing to let go. The Mandalorian reached out to try and pry him from her arms, but that only made it worse. The child latched on harder, and his protestful noises turned into sobs.

“Dank farrik,” the Mandalorian cursed. “He’s never fussed this much.”

Nova was just as confused as he was. Well, maybe she had a little more information. The child and her had both connected through the Force the first time they met, and that connection felt even stronger now that they were reunited. But she was still unclear as to why the child didn’t want to leave her arms so badly. Did he just want to be near a kindred spirit? Did he sense something in her?

“I have no idea why,” was what Nova said. She struggled to pry the green child off her arm so the Mandalorian could take him, but the kid was just too clingy and slippery.

As the child continued to loudly fuss, more and more random passersby stopped to stare at them. Eventually, the Mandalorian grew tired of it all and let go of the child, taking a step back. “Alright, alright.”

When the Mandalorian gave up trying to grab his child and Nova stopped trying to hand him over, he immediately calmed down. He smiled up at Nova and happily cooed, abruptly shifting from upset to content. He still gripped onto her arms.

“You’re a stubborn one,” Nova stated, smiling despite herself. She met the Mandalorian’s helmeted gaze, feeling guilty for unintentionally causing this problem. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he liked me that much.”

The Mandalorian sighed. “Not your fault.” His dark visor was pointed at his little green charge. Nova couldn’t see his face, but she was almost sure he was glaring.

“Maybe you can lure him away with food,” Nova suggested, only half joking. She studied herself, looking down at her belt and its pockets. “I think I have a ration bar stowed away somewhere…”

Nova had already shifted the child into one arm and had begun rifling through her pockets before the Mandalorian spoke again. “I was going to take him to get some dinner. He won’t be letting me take him from you anytime soon, so…” He paused. He seemed hesitant, almost. Shy? No, Mandalorians weren’t shy. “You could…come with us?”

Nova was surprised by his offer—but pleasantly so. Getting to hang out with a Mandalorian and his adorable, green, wrinkly child? Nova had been on her own for so long now that secretly she was itching for companionship. After all, she’d never really been alone her whole life. Technically she never was really alone, but traveling by herself for a year now made her realize that this was the longest she’d ever been on her own.

Her first instinct was to say yes, but of course her polite side urged her to make sure it was really okay. “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose---”

“You’re not.” The Mandalorian was quick in his reply. Perhaps too quick? He seemed to make himself backtrack a little. “I mean…the cantina’s right over there…and the womp rat really does need to eat soon or he’ll get crankier than he already is…”

Nova looked down to meet the green child’s gaze as he spoke. He gazed up at her with those giant, dark eyes, seemingly pleading and just way too darn adorable for her to refuse.

“Okay,” she agreed, trying to keep her voice level but struggling to contain her excitement. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

The Mandalorian nodded. He paused for a moment then stepped back, wordlessly turned, and began walking off. Nova took the cue and immediately followed him, the little one still safely tucked in her arms. He had this big close-mouthed grin on his face, happy that he was getting his way. He cooed up at her, and she shook her head, more amused than anything.

This certainly wasn’t what she’d been expecting to happen tonight. Just minutes earlier, all she’d wanted was to find a quiet room to herself and a bunk to collapse into. Now the fatigue previously creeping into her bones had been forgotten, replaced with excited anticipation for a dinner with…

What exactly could she call the Mandalorian and his little green ward? Her acquaintances? Peers? …Friends? No.

Well, good company at any rate.

The Mandalorian seemed to know his way around the bustling Canto Bight streets far better than Nova did (which only made sense—she’d never been here before). She was happy to be able to turn off her mental navigation for a while and allow him to lead her to wherever they were going. Eventually, they turned down a quieter street and he stopped in front of a rather friendly-looking establishment. Friendly for Canto Bight, anyway.

Before Nova knew it, the Mandalorian had led her inside and was making their way to a booth in the back corner, where there was a little more privacy. Nova soon understood why: as they entered, tons of eyes had turned toward the shiny, intimidating, armored figure entering the cantina. The poor guy probably had people staring at him wherever he went. No wonder he wanted a secluded spot to sit.

He seemed otherwise unbothered by it. It was hard to tell with the helmet on.

This whole thing sounded like the beginning of a funny joke. A Mandalorian and a Jedi walk into a cantina… Nova bit back a smile at the thought.

Nova sat down at the table her newfound acquaintance had chosen, the child still tucked in her arms. The Mandalorian sat down across from them, and the empty pram remained floating at his side. Almost immediately after sitting down, a droid wheeled up to them.

“Welcome!” it cheerfully greeted. “What may I get you this evening?”

Nova hadn’t had any time to do more than glance at the rather expansive menu hanging above the bar nearby. Before she could politely ask the droid for some time to peruse her options, the Mandalorian spoke up first.

“Two bone broths,” he stated.

“Right away.” The droid wheeled away, as quickly as it had arrived.

The Mandalorian turned his attention back to her, his helmet tilting. “I, uh…hope that’s okay,” he said in a much less sure tone.

Nova smiled to ease his doubts, shaking her head. “That’ll be just fine.” Honestly, she was a little relieved he’d ordered for her. The cantina’s menu was huge, chock-full of things she’d never heard of, and she was only just realizing how hungry she was. Certainly too hungry to waste several minutes trying to decide what she wanted to eat.

A thought struck her, and she frowned. “Wait, you only ordered two,” she pointed out.

He nodded to confirm. “One for the kid, one for you.”

“You’re not eating?” Nova couldn’t understand. Why would he invite her to dine with them, but then order nothing for himself? “Come on, you must be starving after chasing down that Rodian for Maker-knows-how-long.” It wasn’t fair if he wouldn’t even get to eat.

“It’s okay,” the Mandalorian assured her. He seemed very okay with the prospect of not eating dinner. As if he were…used to it? “I’m not hungry.”

Nova sensed that was a lie, but let it be. “If you’re sure,” she replied. If he didn’t want to partake in a meal for reasons of his own, then it was no business of hers. Even though it bugged her.

So, he…wouldn’t be taking his helmet off, then. Strangely, Nova found herself just the slightest bit disappointed. She’d been mildly curious about what this mysterious lone Mandalorian looked like beneath his shiny beskar helm. Then again, if he didn’t want to expose his face in a heavily crowded cantina in a seedy city like Canto Bight, then she couldn’t blame him one bit.

She was just too used to Mandalorians removing their helmets all the time, apparently.

Nova and the Mandalorian found themselves in the midst of a slightly awkward silence then. It would take time for their food to arrive. Nova figured she could occupy herself by making faces at the green child in her arms, but at the same time she didn’t want to just sit in silence until the food arrived. So, as she listened to the child’s cooing and pretended to understand what he was saying, she also wracked her brain for a conversation starter. Mostly because the Mandalorian sitting in front of her didn’t seem like the type to initiate conversation. At all.

“You’re a funny little boy,” Nova told the child as he motioned around with his hands. “I hope you’re not always this mischievous for your Mandalorian.” She half-directed the comment at said Mandalorian in the hopes that it would get him to speak.

After a brief moment, she found that her efforts were successful. “He behaves, from time to time,” the Mandalorian admitted. “When he feels like it.”

Nova smiled. “Not when I’m around, apparently.”

The conversation could’ve naturally ended there, short and sweet. She was happy she’d even got the Mandalorian to respond at all. Just because they were dining together didn’t mean that she expected him to chat with her the whole time. But he didn’t seem to mind…and she had to admit, she was curious about more than a few things.

She decided to try and press her luck a little. She turned her head to better face the Mandalorian, her hands still occupying the child as she did. “So…how did you two end up together, anyway?”

The Mandalorian didn’t answer right away. The longer the silence stretched on, the more Nova began to worry that she’d overstepped. He deserved his privacy, she didn’t want to pry…

Eventually, he replied, “It’s complicated.”

“I guessed as much,” she said. Quickly, she added, “You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to.” She felt a little bad for putting him on the spot, so she elected to go back to playing with the little green child. If he wanted to answer her, that was his decision. If not, then Nova would just have to ignore her curiosity.

She estimated that it was a full three minutes before the Mandalorian chose to speak again. When he did, she turned her attention back to him, attempting to mask her pleasant surprise.

“He was a bounty,” the Mandalorian revealed. His words made Nova immediately stop what she was doing. “I…rescued him.”

Nova’s mouth gaped open a little bit, and she shut it as soon as she was aware. Glancing back down at the child, she was met with his large, dark, innocent eyes and gap-toothed grin. This child was a bounty?

She scowled. “What slimy piece of worm-ridden filth would put a bounty on a sweet child like this?”

The unspoken question: Why?

The Mandalorian folded his arms over his chest. “He’s…special.”

That made Nova freeze a little. Did… Did he know? Did he know about the child’s…abilities? She’d assumed that since he was Mandalorian (and a very traditional one, from what she knew of him thus far), there was no way he’d allow a Force-sensitive child to travel with him. But…then again, she knew quite a few Mandalorians who didn’t hate Jedi. In fact, her best friend was a Mandalorian. Could this Mandalorian know that the child was Force-sensitive and…be perfectly okay with it?

It was possible. That certainly was what Nova hoped was the case. But…if somehow he didn’t know, then she didn’t want to be the one to reveal it to him. As before, she had no intention of ruining the good thing this child had going for him.

Nova changed the subject before the silence became awkward. She asked another question that came to mind. “Is he your foundling?”

“...Yes.” The Mandalorian seemed a little caught off guard. “You…know about foundlings?”

She grinned at him. “Believe it or not, I actually know quite a bit about Mandalorian culture.”

The Mandalorian seemed to accept this. “My creed says that until I can return him to his own kind, I am…his father.”

Nova could hear the emotion accompanying his voice. She could tell he felt a little daunted by the role, but…definitely not opposed. His visor tilted downward toward his little green charge. The child seemed to sense the eyes on him, and met the Mandalorian’s gaze. He cooed at him, and Nova thought she heard a faint chuckle emerge from the helmeted head. 

The sight warmed her heart. “He seems to like you very much,” she observed, sending a warm smile the Mandalorian’s way. “I think you’re doing a good job.”

The dark visor settled on her again. Without seeing his eyes, it was hard to tell what he was thinking at the moment. Unable to maintain contact with his helmet’s gaze, she turned her attention back to the child. He was still looking at his Mandalorian, so maybe while he was occupied she could…

She ever so slowly tried setting him down on the table so that the Mandalorian might be able to pick him up. But alas, as soon as he realized what she was doing he let out an indignant coo, latching back onto her arm and fussing until she stopped.

“Nope, okay, still don’t want to be put down.” Nova sighed. It’d been worth a shot, right? The child stared up at her with those…infuriatingly innocent eyes of his. “Maybe when your food gets here,” she mused. She was still supportive of her theory that only food would get him to move at this point.

As the child settled back into her arms, Nova glanced around the crowded cantina. It was busy here tonight. No wonder their food was taking so long. 

The Mandalorian sat silently across from her, stoic as ever. She mentally debated with herself. Should she try to talk with him more, or just leave him be?

Her want for socialization eventually won out. “Well,” she began, “since I interrogated you, feel free to ask me something. If you want.”

She mentally facepalmed. Eloquent, as always. Why was she acting so awkward? She was usually much more put-together. Maybe the apparent strong Force connection to the child was throwing her off.

“What, uh…”

Nova was startled by the sudden speech from the Mandalorian, having not really expected him to actually find something to ask her. As soon as she focused her attention on him again, he found the words to speak.

“What...brings you to a planet like this?” was the question he came up with.

For some reason, it made Nova chuckle. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat. “I definitely don’t seem like the type, right?” she confirmed. “I’m not. Honestly, I considered buying some fancier clothes for myself just so that I wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb.” She chuckled again, a bit more composed this time. Then she paused, contemplating. He’d been honest with her so far (she could sense that) so the least she could do was be honest with him. Even if bringing up the subject would only make her unhappy again… “I came to visit their holo library. I…” Come on. Spit it out. Remember not to mention his name. “I’m searching for my brother.”

She didn’t have to be Force-sensitive to see that those words had grabbed the Mandalorian’s attention more effectively than anything else she’d said to him that night. “Your brother?” he pressed.

“Mm-hmm,” Nova said with a brief nod. Keep the story simple, girl. “My older brother. He…disappeared…years ago. I have no idea where he went or if he’s even still there, but…” She sighed. “I do know that I’ll never stop looking until I find him.”

The Mandalorian didn’t respond at first. Nova was glad. It gave her a chance to shove her creeping sadness away and focus on the present. She’d grown a whole lot better at that over the many years since her brother had vanished.

And then, the Mandalorian responded. “How do you know that he’s—?”

“I know.” She cut him off before he had a chance to finish.

Nova hadn’t meant to be snappy, but she couldn’t help it. She was so tired of being met with any sort of doubt and opposition about her brother still being alive after all these years. They couldn’t understand it, but she knew. She could feel it. The Force hadn’t lied to her thus far, and she had no reason to believe that it was lying to her about this. Anytime somebody tried to question it, she wouldn’t hear it.

She still felt bad about the way she’d responded. It’d created an awkward silence between her and the Mandalorian, worse than when they’d first sat down. Ashamed, she looked away from the face of his helmet, wishing for a way to dispel the suddenly tense atmosphere.

Luckily, the Force decided to grant her wish as the droid waiter from before zoomed up to them. It set down two steaming bowls of bone broth in the center of the table, not spilling a drop.

“Here you go!” the droid cheerfully announced. “Enjoy!”

As the waiter droid left them alone again, Nova swiftly took the opportunity to change the subject. She held up the child in her arm, tugging one of the bowls toward him with her free hand. “Hey look, bug! Food’s here.”

The sight and smell of hot food was what finally did it. The wrinkly green child eagerly clambered out of her arms and onto the table, all but attacking the bowl of bone broth.

“Aha!” Nova exclaimed in triumph, watching the child eat with a grin. “I knew food would do the trick.”

The child spared a brief moment to let out a happy coo before diving back into the depths of the bowl. It made Nova laugh.

Inevitably, the Mandalorian spoke up again. “Hey, I didn’t mean to…upset you,” he uttered. It wasn’t an insensitive comment by any means; it merely sounded like he was having trouble finding the right words.

Nova sighed, giving him a small smile she hoped was reassuring. “It’s okay,” she urged. “You didn’t upset me. You were just curious.” She shrugged in spite of herself. “Trust me, I’ve had plenty of doubts and plenty of time to sulk and think about it. I can’t explain it, I’m just…really, really sure.”

The Mandalorian nodded at her reply, and they left it at that. He gently nudged the remaining bowl of broth in her direction, reminding her it was there. She’d honestly forgotten all about it until now. She shot him a thankful grin, tugging the bowl to her. One sniff of its contents and her stomach let her know how hungry she actually was.

Nova didn’t eat her bone broth quite as fast as the child, but she still felt like she was downing it pretty quickly. As with the fried gorg from their first meeting, the child was practically inhaling his meal. She had to pause every once in a while to let a smile break loose at the sight of it.

She let out a relieved sigh once her bowl was empty, feeling satisfied. “I think I needed that,” she softly admitted.

The child sat back on his haunches, his bowl practically licked clean. He let out a small belch that frankly was more cute than repulsive.

“I think he did, too,” the Mandalorian added, amusement in his tone.

Nova grinned at the unexpected comment.

Their rather attentive droid waiter chose that moment to come wheeling back to their table, this time with the check. As it read off the total, Nova immediately went digging in her pack that sat on the floor next to her.

“I’ve got it,” she announced.

But as she moved to pay, the Mandalorian was moving, too. “No, you don’t need to do that,” he insisted, reaching into his belt. “I’ll—”

Nova shook her head. “Really, it’s no big deal—”

“Let me—”

“I can—”

They both stopped, realizing that they were now talking over each other. Nova saw how ridiculous their bickering was, and chuckled at how things had escalated. She couldn’t be sure, but as she was laughing she thought she saw the Mandalorian’s shoulders briefly shake, as if he were laughing, too.

Finally, Nova proposed, “We’ll split it.”

The Mandalorian nodded his assent.

Both Nova and the Mandalorian handed the droid equal amounts of credits. As it wheeled away for the third time, the Mandalorian took the chance to swiftly pluck his foundling off the table and bring him into his arms, lest the whole issue that started it all happen again. Thankfully now that he’d eaten, the child was growing sleepy. His blinks were getting slower and his long ears were drooping, so this time he didn’t put up a fight as the Mandalorian grabbed him and set him down in his pram.

Before Nova knew it, they were leaving the cantina and walking back out into the glowing neon night. She turned to face the Mandalorian, lingering for a moment as she thought of something to say.

“Well…” she began. “Thank you. I’ve been on my own for a while now, and…” She trailed off, knowing he’d probably be uninterested. “That was nice.”

The Mandalorian nodded. “Thanks for…putting up with him,” he replied, gesturing down to his drowsy foundling.

Nova smiled down at the wrinkly green child, who was very desperately trying to keep his eyes open. “He’s just too kriffing cute. I can’t resist.”

There was a beat in the conversation. Nova tried to decide whether to let it end or find something else to say.

“It was…good to see you again,” came out of her mouth, mildly surprising herself.

The Mandalorian was quiet for a moment, then responded with a nod. “You too.”

Short response. Nova took the hint, knowing that he probably wanted to get off this crazy planet. She did, too—as soon as she finally got some sleep.

“You probably want to get going,” she said with a smile. “You two take care. Perhaps I’ll run into you again sometime?”

The Mandalorian’s reply, again, was brief. “Perhaps.”

Nova cleared her throat. Don’t overstay your welcome, she mentally scolded herself. “Alright, well…” Being very eloquent once again. “Have a good night. May the Force be with you.”

And before she could blabber out any more fluff or nonsense, she spun on her heel and, with one last friendly wave back at the unlikely duo, walked off in the direction she’d been heading before.

She could only hope that a cheap inn still had a vacancy.

~~~~~

Din halted in the doorway of the magistrate’s office, releasing a deep sigh.

This wasn’t where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be hurtling through hyperspace to a planet called Tython, not back here on Nevarro.

After finally locating and meeting a Jedi, a woman called Ahsoka Tano, Din had finally been on the right track to getting the kid--Grogu, he reminded himself with an upward twitch of his lips--back to his own kind. She could not train Grogu herself, but she’d been able to point them in the right direction. On a planet called Tython, Grogu would be able to--apparently--get in contact with other Jedi. Somehow.

Din didn’t quite fully understand it all, but he knew all that he needed to know. He knew where to bring Grogu, knew the right path to take. Which is why he should be landing on Tython right now.

Unfortunately, with all the traveling and planet-hopping they’d been doing lately, credits were running dangerously low. Din needed money for fuel, rations---essentials that made travel impossible if you didn’t have them. He’d done the math, and he was loath to admit that they wouldn’t be getting very far at all if he didn’t get some more credits. He really didn’t want to take the time for it, but it was probably the smart thing to do. Who knows where his journey to find Grogu’s people would take them next after Tython?

And so, he was here on Nevarro. Begrudgingly.

“Mando!”

The joyful voice of Greef Karga greeted Din as he stepped inside the office. He strode out from the back room, his arms spread wide in a welcoming manner.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” Karga remarked with a grin.

“I’m in need of a quick bounty,” Din curtly informed him.

Karga moved his hands to rest on his hips, giving Din a knowing look. “Low on funds, huh?” He paused to give Din a chance to respond, but seemed unsurprised when it didn’t happen. “No problem! I’ve got plenty of bounties on the board, and you’ve got your pick of them.”

He began to lead Din further into the office, but then halted as he seemed to remember something. He turned back to him, holding up a finger.

“Actually,” Karga interjected, “I have something special. A high-profile bounty popped up a couple weeks ago, and it’s quickly reached the top of every guild’s list. I’ve been saving it just for you.” He began to head for his desk again. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Din held in another sigh as he followed him. “I said I needed something quick.” He really didn’t have the time to spend a long week tracking down a dangerous, highly elusive bounty. He only wanted to spare a day or two, maybe three, catching an easy quarry with a decent enough reward.

“Ah, I think you’ll change your mind once I show you the price tag,” Karga assured him.

Din knew that he wasn’t going to deter Karga from wasting time showing him this supposed “special bounty,” so he decided that it was best to just humor the man and get it over with. Perhaps if Din wasn’t currently in the process of trying to reunite Grogu with the Jedi, then he’d be more interested.

The two sat across from each other at Karga’s desk. Karga opened the top drawer on his side and pulled out a bounty puck. He held it up for Din to see before setting it down on the table. After a dramatic pause, he tapped the face of the puck. The blue bounty hologram sprang to life, featuring a name, a reward amount, and a face.

A familiar face.

Din froze, going rigid in his seat. The face of the bounty stared at him, and the sight of it overcame him with mild shock. It was a face he’d only seen a couple times, but it was one he couldn’t forget if he tried, thanks in no small part to his foundling. Despite not really knowing the person the face belonged to all that well, it was someone he’d never imagined would appear on a bounty puck.

So what in Maker's name was she doing on a bounty puck?

Karga was completely oblivious to Din’s grim reaction, smirking like he was presenting the Mandalorian with a generous gift.

“Her name is Nova,” he introduced. “Nova Bridger.”

[singsenochian]

The Jedi & The Mandalorian

Oh snap, so I started working on this for freaking ever ago, back when Season 3 had yet to come out and we were a year or so away from it. And I realised today that I had a 39th chapter sitting on my hard drive. So, surprise to my readers!

And if you're a new reader, welcome to my special hell that lives rent free in my skull. Have a safe and happy trip!

[djarins-cyare]

I’m really enjoying this fic! Well-written with a likeable OC, a compelling plot, and an innovative spin on Canon events that references plenty of wider SWU lore. If you don’t already have an AO3 account, it’s worth applying for one just to read this!

My Mandalorian romance fic 🪐Beyond Beskar🪐 is ready to be read! I'm so excited to share it now, I hope you like it, I've put my heart into it 🥹 I will release a new chapter each Saturday, the fic is locked, so you can only read it when you’re logged into AO3!

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Once Upon a Time on the Razor Crest

Summary: First steps to friendship

A/N: Hello lovelies,

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

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

Love oo

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

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

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THE CRESTWORLD

CHAPTER NINE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Assery?”

“That’s not even a word.”

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

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

“Oh, um … yeah, I guess…”

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

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

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

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

“No. You can’t” he smiled.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[the-mandawhor1an]

Revelations pt. I

Chapter 8 – Guided by the stars, connected by the force

Masterlist

⇐ Previous chapter | Next chapter ⇒

Chapter summary: Maia meets yet another stranger that the force has led her towards. She begins her training, learning more about herself, the force and also a little about what has been plaguing her mind for years: What was so special about Din?

Warnings: 18+ content, MDNI! mentions of captivity; mentions of unethical experiments (you know her past by now); a little yearning; a little angst; a little hurt, little to no comfort (we’re saving that for later); a little bit of body image issues

Words: 8,5k 

A/N: There it is, the “what Maia did while she was away” aka “the training montage” aka “character development speedrun” aka “Din would be furious if he saw Luke touching his girl”. I'm sorry that it's a little long, the next chapter will probably be even longer.

I'm going to take my time I have all the time in the world to make you mine It is written in the stars above The gods decree You'll be right here by my side Right next to me You can run but you cannot hide

There she was, in the middle of Peli’s hangar, close to Din, yet he was so far away, out of reach. She opened her eyes and looked into that cold, black visor. She wished nothing more than to see if it pained him as much as it did her, but all she could see was the hurt expression her own face was contorted into. What color were his eyes? Were the soft lips that grazed hers last night pulled into a frown? Was his face expressionless, because he had made his peace with her leaving way before they had reached the city? This had to happen, she couldn’t trust herself in this state and the last thing she could risk was hurting them. It didn’t matter if he would miss her. She didn’t want to cause harm to either of them. 

She turned and walked away from him, pressing her lips together to not start crying. Not even a sniffle escaped her while she was still in earshot of Din. As she stormed past Peli, the mechanic must have assumed the bounty hunter had angered her, causing the brunette to storm off in the middle of the night. Her shriek echoed in the hangar. »What have you done now, Mando?« a chuckle escaped Maia’s lips, but a sob slipped out simultaneously. She pressed her eyes shut, pushing a tear down her cheek. What would he even reply if he even bothered to say anything? They parted ways, nothing more, nothing less. 

The pain in her heart only grew as she left the lively city behind and the silence of the desert made it painfully clear that she was – once again – alone. Leaving Mos Eisley with the hood pulled up, hanging deep into her face, she reached out for the voice, hoping to find out why she was so drawn to it. Was it a trap after all and she would now walk straight into her doom? 

Where are you?

There is an abandoned farm in the outskirts of the city. Follow the brightest star in the night sky, you can’t miss it.

She knew where to go. Her head turned back one last time, just in the right moment to see the Razor Crest ascend from the hangar. She stood there, watching as the ship went further and further away, until it vanished somewhere in the darkness of the universe. He was gone, and it felt like he had taken a part of her with him. »Have an eye on him for me, little one,« she whispered into the night sky, wiping her face as new tears welled in her eyes and subsequently fell on her skin. 

With her cloak tightly wrapped around her body to combat the cold desert air and one of her sabers in her hand – ret’lini, just in case – she marched onward until she inched closer to a building. That must be the farm the voice had referred to. It was desolate for sure, no other buildings she could make out in the vicinity. The moons were barely lit, three crescents hanging high above her and lighting the area just enough that shadows were present, but almost impossible to distinguish from the dark of night. The structure before her was made from light stone with a domed roof and a little entrance – a staircase leading down into the farm. Part of the structure was open, an atrium visible from where she stood, several stories down, burrowed in the sand. The architecture on Tatooine was, for the most part, simple. She thought the small huts in Mos Pelgo or the slave quarters in Mos Eisley had an odd charm. Even the hangar kind of fit into the bigger picture, a ring-like structure but no complex geometry besides that. This here, a house practically hidden in the sand and away from the hot dry air, was ingenious. With her weapon still in her hand, she ventured downward into the farm.

As soon as she was in the staircase, she activated her saber to use as a light source, the lavender blade making for a decent torch in a pitch black environment. The place was chaotic, probably ransacked by bandits – or Jawas – multiple times to make sure everything of value had been taken. Not a scrap of metal was left behind, only pieces of fabric, wood, ceramics, and so much sand. A lot of dust settled on the furniture, surely carried into the building by countless sandstorms that occurred within a year. How long ago must it have been since this farm last saw life? She walked across the atrium. Broken pots that once held plants now only had dirt and dry weeds inside of them. What were they even farming out here in the desert? It must have been water.

Maia settled down into what she assumed to be the dining room overlooking the open area, although it was hard to tell where the table, now in pieces, had been placed back when this farm was inhabited. She sat down and crossed her legs. While she waited she could very well meditate, try to ground herself after that very unpleasant encounter with herself, as well as the pain that radiated from her chest. While she deactivated the saber to not make her presence too obvious, the hilt never left her grip.

A few hours later, as the first of the two suns slowly crept over the horizon, painting the sky in warm colors, Maia reopened her eyes. She got up and ascended the steps, only to find a cloaked figure about to enter the farm. She tensed and had the thumb on the saber’s activator, when the stranger pulled down his hood to reveal a blonde man. He looked young, probably around her age, with a warm smile on his lips. His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. 

»There’s no need for the saber. Thank you for waiting, it took a little longer than anticipated,« he greeted, his smile never leaving his lips. It was almost a little unsettling, the youthful face but at the same time the feeling that this man was wise beyond his years. His voice, so soft yet full of hope, sounded exactly like the voice she had heard in her mind. »Who are you?« was all Maia asked. The question if he was a Jedi laid on the tip of her tongue, yet she figured that’s why he was here. It would explain why he could contact her in the first place. »My name is Luke Skywalker,« the blonde introduced himself. »And yes, I am a Jedi.« Did he read her mind, or was that a coincidence? 

She slowly released the tension in her shoulders, her thumb sliding away from the activator button. »I’m Maia. How did you even find me out here?« she asked, still unsure what to make of the man. He radiated such a strong aura of balance and inner peace. She felt safe, but her guard wasn’t completely down yet. Luke didn’t seem to be offended by her caution and explained, »I was close and felt a strong presence, or … disturbance in the force. You caused that disturbance.« 

»I… fought a dragon. Kind of, at least,« she explained, leaving out a lot of the details. Technically this was the truth, the first time she heard his voice was right when she sank to her knees after revealing her powers to way too many people.  

»I also felt the darkness attempting to take you over, enticing you with its power.« The expression on his face changed, lines on his forehead forming as his brows drew closer together. Maia sighed deeply, letting her guard fall completely. »I know. It was a weak moment and I felt there was no other way than to give in. There is –« She stopped justifying herself when she saw his gloved hand rise. »No need to explain, I can feel a lot more than you realize. You’re lucky I was close, because I can help you. I want to help you. Fighting off the darkness is easy at first, but the more you give into, the more it consumes you. You need guidance. A master if you want that.« 

»I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t want your help,« Maia responded to Luke. He extended his gloved hand towards her. »Then come with me.« She grabbed his hand, shocked by the sensation of a bionic hand underneath the glove, cold, hard metal taking hold of her hand. Luke squeezed her hand gently. »Let’s go, this place makes me sentimental,« he added. She walked out with him, looking back into the staircase leading down. 

»Did you know the owners?« Maia asked him, turning her head back to Skywalker. He nodded with a deep sigh. He wouldn't have even had to explain further, the tone of his sigh was all too familiar to her. »I did. I grew up here, this farm belonged to my aunt and uncle. One day when I returned from a small adventure of my own, I found their corpses in front of the homestead. The Empire killed them.« 

»I’m so sorry,« she quickly apologized. In a way she could relate to losing her family, although she didn’t know for sure that they were dead. It felt like they were. Plus, she saw them kill Raymond who was as close to a father as can be without being blood-related. Skywalker let go of her hand, leading the way away from the farm. His face turned to her, scanning over her features. The pain must’ve shown in her face, as his next question was »you also had your run-in with the Empire, right?« 

Maia gulped. She didn’t know how much he knew about her, but he could probably feel all the pent up rage inside of her, and maybe even saw her past. I can feel a lot more than you realize. She didn’t know how much a proper Jedi could see of someone who didn’t put up any walls. Could she even put up walls, was that a thing? The panic must’ve been visible in her face when Luke continued, »you don’t have to tell me, it’s alright. If you want to, you can, whenever you’re ready. I imagine it’s been unpleasant, given my own experiences with them,« he reassured her and gently squeezed her hand. 

Her training began as soon as they had left the homestead, not wanting to waste any time. After they had made it off of Tatooine, Luke brought her back to his very own sanctuary, a small uninhabited moon, mostly overgrown by forest. At first Luke did most of the talking, teaching her about the Jedi, the Order that was now in ruins, the remnants of it scattered across the galaxy. Parts of what he told her about the codex of the Jedi matched with what Raymond had told her. It was a tactic to ease Maia into his presence, to help her get used to being around another Jedi. It helped. They talked about Raymond, about her past and everything she had been through with the Empire. Luke didn’t press for any information, Maia gave these willingly, which impressed him, regardless of how many details she spared. Bit by bit more came out, a sign of her growing trust in her master. Opening up was part of her healing, Luke had told her. 

However, a certain bounty hunter was not mentioned by her at this point, nor the fact that part of her regretted leaving him to come with Skywalker. Maia wasn’t comfortable enough with her master to mention a possibly forbidden relationship, yet. They were separated after all, so did it matter? 

She was willing to be taught in the way of the Jedi, completing five trials that apprentices had to pass to be knighted in the pre-Imperial times. It became obvious relatively quickly that unbeknownst to her, she had passed some of these trials already. How would she have known? None of the scientists had bothered to train their little experiments like Jedi.

»The trial of courage…« Luke explained while both of them sat at a campfire a few days after they landed, watching the flames dance around one another. The sight reminded Maia of when she sat with Din by the fire on Tatooine, just the two of them. Thinking about the kiss made her body tingle, remembering how gentle he was when he leaned in, placing his lips on hers. How intimate it felt despite being out in the open. He had allowed her to lean against him, not protesting when she dared to place another kiss on his shoulder armor. She missed the Beskar-clan man, despite knowing she shouldn’t. 

It was easy to not drown in the feeling of yearning when Luke had the infallible talent to pull her back whenever her mind started to wander. »Courage is an important attribute of Jedi. Not fearing to step in, even in the eye of death. The true power of a Jedi lies within facing their fears and overcoming them.« The brunette faced him, his features bathing in the warm, dancing light. He returned her gaze. »Like when I stepped in to save the Tuskens from the dragon on Tatooine?« 

Luke nodded. Specifically this. She had risked her life to save a lot of people in that moment, and she had no regard for her own safety at the time. Playing hero, as she herself had labeled it at the time; as had Din, who himself risked his life a mere minutes later. It had made sense in the moment, as she had discussed with her companion, and her efforts had been so great that Luke was able to feel them as a disturbance in the force. Usually a Jedi would face a Sith or a dangerous enemy in this trial, but a Krayt dragon was a big enough threat that it could be considered. This left her with four more trials. 

For her next test she had to tirelessly train, wielding a lightsaber only became easier with practice. Practice she desperately needed. For people that hadn’t fought Jedi before, the presence of the saber alone instilled enough fear, but she had to be certain she could also fight other saber-wielders, should the occasion ever arise. One day, after hours upon hours of training, Maia practically collapsed, fell to her knees and complained about feeling so overworked and drained. Her muscles were tense, her hands shaking and once again tears blurred her vision. It could surely not be in the Jedi’s interest to work their padawans down to the bone. She fell forward and rested on her hands and knees and deactivated her blade, sweat running down her back and from her forehead down her face, neck and chest. She was nauseous and part of her begged for her body to throw up to get the dizziness out of her system. The small drone that kept firing blaster shots at her deactivated when her saber did, hovering in the air idly while her master approached. Luke knelt beside her, picking up the hilt of the saber, rolling it in his gloved hand. 

»Jedi must overcome hardship in their training. Usually apprentices are forced to endure immense pain or the loss of a limb. It’s called the trial of the flesh. I'm not sure I want to put you through that. It seems to me like you already deal with enough pain and physical trauma.« 

His features softened and he took the saber into his other hand. Once again Luke offered his help by reaching the gloved hand towards her which she willingly took to pull herself back to her feet. This had become kind of a routine for them. They never touched skin to skin, it was always his prosthetic he offered. Maybe he didn’t want to touch her, maybe he felt that she was a little hesitant to be touched. Maia wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt. Thank the stars no one besides her master could see her like this. »I know it's none of my business,but I've been wondering what happened to your arm.«

»I lost my hand in a fight with Vader,« Luke explained. They started walking away from the training square, a large enough clearing in the bamboo forest to allow for saber wielding without any collateral. 

»You fought Vader?« she asked. The Sith Lord was no stranger to her, unfortunately. »I did. He tried to turn me to the dark side, I of course refused. We fought multiple times. When we fought on Bespin I lost my hand. This was also when he revealed that he was my father. Losing my hand was my trial.« It seemed like her training session for today was finished, as Luke walked the familiar path that led to their accommodations, tents in a different area of the small moon, close to water they used for cooking and cleaning. »Did it hurt? Losing your hand, I mean.« A dry laugh escaped his lungs. »Of course it did. Luckily light saber wounds don’t bleed too much. Also, I was on edge from fighting that I barely felt it in the moment. The shock of Vader not being the one responsible for the death of my father surely also added to that. When my body started processing everything was when it started hurting. I sometimes get phantom pain in the missing hand.« He flexed the bionic hand instinctively, the quiet sounds of the machinery barely audible over their voices and the soft wind that rustled the leaves around them

»So you thought Vader had killed your father, but he was your father?« Maia was confused. »My old master told me Vader killed my father. I guess that was true in a way, but I took this literally rather than metaphorically. Some Jedi speak in riddles.« 

Maia chuckled. »So I’ve been told. So…« She looked down at her hands, the ridges of her light saber hilt etched into her skin and open blisters on her palm from the incessant training. »I haven’t lost a limb, lucky me. I endured a lot of pain in my life, though. And I almost died once.« »How so?« 

She sighed. »A droid self-destructed, I was too close and a metal shrapnel punctured me. I almost bled out.« »Why were you close to a droid while it self-destructed? Were you in a fight?« Maia shrugged. Why else would a droid self-destruct, realistically? They might be machines but they still had a sense of survival-instinct in their programming. »I was in a fight, although not specifically targeted. I was on a mission to find someone and I did find them. That someone got ambushed by remnants of the Empire, so I interfered. I got injured in the cross-fire. To summarize: I wasn’t accounted for and at the wrong place at the wrong time.« »You obviously survived.« 

She sighed, one hand grazing over her lower abdomen, where the new scar would forever remind her of that encounter. »I did. The one I tried to protect, or help, or whatever I wanted to accomplish, he saved me. I didn’t know if he would let me die, or at least kill me to end my suffering. I approached him and hoped he would not see a threat in me.« »How did he save you? You said you were bleeding out.« »I healed myself with his help. With his life force.« 

Luke wiped over the lower half of his face with his gloved hand. His brows furrowed, making Maia wonder if she had angered him in some way. »Siths transfer life force. I’ve never heard of anyone actually using it who wasn’t.« »I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t realize, I was on the verge of dying.« »How did you even know of that? Of what to do?« His voice changed, curiosity in every word, but also concern. Was this so out of the ordinary? »The Empire did. I’m not sure if it was Vader himself who knew, but he’s visited the facility a few times. He was one of the few people trained in lightsaber fighting that could confidently track the progress of the girls. Safe to say he was never satisfied with us.« A few of her scars stemmed from the fights with Vader. While he never really used his saber against them, he seemed to have fun throwing them around. They were significantly smaller than him. »They overworked us. Thankfully we were well-fed and kept physically healthy for the most part. I was one of the few that were a little more in tune with the force, so they taught me more than just throwing objects. I knew how to heal, but this time… I saw no other choice in that moment. I would’ve died otherwise.« »How did it feel?« 

»Do you mean the life-force transfer? Or do you mean how it feels to almost die?« Luke didn’t have to think for long. »Dying.« Maia pondered for a moment, trying to remember what it felt like. Running into Din for the first time. Realizing she was critically wounded and having to rely on the good heart of a stranger. A stranger she had known for years. She vividly remembered the absolute hopelessness she had heard in his voice when she was close to dying. 

»Peaceful for the most part. Blood loss makes you tired. It starts off painful and the panic sets in, realizing you are fatally wounded feels like someone punches you in the gut, pushing all the air out of your lungs and pulls the ground from beneath you. But with every passing minute the pain lessens. It starts off cold, you're shivering, your limbs get heavy, numb, exhaustion takes over. Your senses dull. It’s like you feel death approaching, coming closer. Every breath could be your last, yet there is so much left to say, so much left to do. You are scared at first, but when you realize death is a warm embrace, an escape from the pain, you feel at peace. Like all your worries have an end. I wasn’t ready to die.« Maia bit her lip, images of what she would’ve missed flashing in her mind. There was still so much unfinished business. She had to find out why she was drawn to Din like this. She still didn’t know. Would she ever find out? »But I accepted it in the moment. If death would have wanted to take me, I would have accepted it. Making my peace with my unfinished business felt so easy. When I think about it now, it makes me emotional. But back then it felt just right.« 

»That person you talked about. The one you wanted to find. He ended up helping you heal?« As soon as the words had left her master’s lips, the pained expression left her features and a soft smile crept up to her lips. »He did. It might have been because he thought I was important. Of use for him. I wasn’t, but I owe my life to him.« 

They reached the tents, where Luke was about to drop her off to return to overseeing the droids working on a more permanent housing option. He handed over her saber, yet remained quiet when he turned his back to leave. Not sure if Maia’s little change of heart had angered him, she reached out  »Luke?« He stopped and looked over his shoulder. »Did I pass the trial of flesh or do I have to lose a limb?« 

The lines on his forehead disappeared, softening the overall look in his face. »You passed. The pain you’ve endured is enough. But we have to talk about the pain that still heavies your heart in due time.« That stung. Maia missed Din but she tried her hardest to not let it show. »Yes, master.«

She trained day in day out with the drones until even multiples of the hovering droids weren’t much of an inconvenience any more. She shut off all thoughts about anything besides fighting and her trials.

Instead of considering the training over, however, Luke became her new opponent. It was impressive how Skywalker could overpower her despite only having one saber against her split saber. As this was a completely new style of fighting, Maia had to start back from zero. First she trained with one saber, then with two, and finally with them combined to make a saber staff. She also became more comfortable with her master’s presence as they spent almost every waking minute with one another. On the day of her trial – the trial of skill – Luke played a little dirty. 

As they fought, he kept throwing anything he could find her way. Trees, rocks, sometimes even sand. Maia fought well, so he resorted to other means to distract her. He kept taunting her, hitting exactly where it hurt. Talking about Raymond. About how she failed saving her father. Anything he considered to be one of her repressed trigger points. While some of the things he said genuinely hurt, she concentrated more on the blade being swung her way than the words that were thrown. 

Her trial took longer than both expected, ending the fight when Luke had the tip of her blade dangerously close to his throat. Both were out of breath and part of the forest around them was destroyed. They remained in their positions for a second, before smiles crept up to both sets of lips. »I think that’s enough. I can tell you’ve fought Vader before, you parry the powerful attacks quite well,« Luke said with delight. Maia deactivated her blade and took a step back. »I had a great teacher,« she replied. For a brief moment there was a sparkle in her eyes, she was genuinely happy with how quickly she was improving. 

The physical trials were finally over and had taken a toll on her body. Luke made sure she was cared for, but she couldn’t help but feel the changes her body went through. The robes Din had gotten her on Tatooine fit a little tighter around her, especially so on her arms and shoulders. Her pants hugged her thighs and hips a little more snugly than they used to, causing a little self-consciousness to grow within her. She trained so much, it was reasonable that her body would react in such a way, building muscle where there wasn’t enough before, especially if the right nutrition was available, something that hadn’t always been the case for her. While she hid away from everyone, lurking in the shadows to avoid the Empire, she hadn’t been as lucky. She even told Luke that she felt weird about it, but he tried his best to make her feel okay with the change. Her body adapted to a new environment. She was stronger, she could feel it. It wasn’t for nothing. But still, she felt that part of her figure had left. Then again, this wasn’t a matter of beauty, this was survival. 

With the trial of skill also fulfilled, only two trials remained. She had forgotten how many days it had been since she left Tatooine, how many days since she last spoke to Din. She didn’t want to be stuck in thought with the Mandalorian so often, but then again: She couldn’t help it. When she laid in bed at night, her thoughts raced around the sensation of his lips on hers. How the stubble of his beard had felt on her skin and underneath her finger tips. The soft gasp he let out when she touched his face. His scent she could only smell for a moment. She hugged her pillow every night, wishing she could stop feeling so lonely. 

The trial of insight wasn’t too hard for Maia, although her concentration was better on some days than others. Her perception had been trained well in the past years, especially so when she was on the run, hiding, avoiding being found by the Imperials that might have been on the lookout for runaway experiments. Every person she had to talk to, she tried to read, to find out their intentions, if they were aware of who she was. 

She meditated a lot. Tried to find her middle while Luke paced around her, guiding her meditations in preparation for the last trial. The hardest of them all, the trial of the Spirit. It took a little time for her to finish the other trials, but with every day that passed, her talents refined little by little and Skywalker was, for the most part, very pleased with her improvements. »I know it’s probably painful, but to overcome the darkness in your heart, you have to face your past. All the pain you have suffered that made you resentful. All the hate you feel for the Empire, for what they did to you.« She steadied her breath, focusing on the sensation of Luke pacing around her, the grass underneath her, the wind. 

His voice was soft, half of a whisper in her ears. »Think about what you would consider the worst moment of your life. The reason doesn’t matter. Where are you right now?« It wasn’t hard for Maia to find her worst moment. The one she was the least proud of. »In the facility.« »What does it feel like?« »The light is blinding me, I can hear the buzz of the fluorescent lights. I’m in pain, my head is spinning. My nose might be broken. I am so terribly tired, it’s the middle of the night. I’m crying.« »Why are you crying?« 

Maia sighed. While she could hear Luke, it was like she projected into her younger self, only halfway aware that her current self was safe. »They’ve captured me and my father.« »He wasn’t your father.« And that struck a nerve. »He was the closest to a father I had.« 

»And yet he was one of them.« »That doesn’t matter. Raymond was different. He never abused me. Raymond took care of me and he helped me escape before they could do even worse damage to me. He saved my life.« »Why do you think that is?« »He loved me.« »Such a noble reason to sacrifice yourself to save the one you love, don’t you think?« »Yes, master.« »Would you do it?« »What do you mean?« »Die for love?« »I–«  She opened her eyes, facing her master who kept pacing around her. »Maybe I would. Can’t say I love someone this much.« »You’ve never been as hesitant to kill for love.« She closed her eyes again, feeling Luke sit down next to her, placing his prosthetic on her shoulder. »I know it’s painful.« 

»You have no idea about pain,« she hissed. »You’re right. I don’t know about your pain, but you’re closing off whenever I try to talk to you about it. I know they wanted to turn you into an inquisitor of sorts.« It was so much worse. »I don’t know what an Inquisitor's task was, but the mothers… we were supposed to be assassins… and as the name suggests you can imagine why we were only girls. Find Jedi, seduce them, kill them, return with offspring to produce more of us.« Another sting. The thought of having to do what they wanted her to made her nauseous. She was barely an adult when they wanted to ‘activate’ her. 

»How many of you were there?« »Too many. And I probably killed all of them.« »But that is in it’s most fundamental statement, kind of what you were made for, right?« This thought offended Maia so much that she practically recoiled. »The other girls didn’t deserve it.« »Neither did the Jedi you were supposed to hunt. How many of them were like you?« »What do you mean? All of them were like me.« 

Luke reconsidered, his question had been a little unspecific. »You’re stubborn.« Maia scoffed but he continued »That made you rebellious, resistant to their torture and manipulation attempts. How many of them were obedient?« »Most of them were. I was to an extent.« Luke let go of her shoulder, walking away, but not before he gave her one more task for the day. 

»Meditate, think about what you could have done wrong. You feel remorse for killing a hand full of innocents. Find out what you could have done differently to know for next time, and make your peace with the fact you can’t change the past. You killed Imperials, you killed innocent women and children. You killed bandits on Tatooine. You will continue killing.« »Don’t you want to tell me that there is always an option to spare a life? That killing isn't necessary?« 

Luke shook his head. A darkness shimmered in the light blue eyes. »We’re no pacifists, we are Jedi. Meditate, find out where you went wrong. And then tell me about it. I'll be gone for the day. I have to prepare something for your last trial.«

The sun set when her master returned to the small moon. Maia had done what she was told. She thought about it long, shed a few tears, took the time that Luke was away to miss Din more openly. While she now would handle things differently, she was a child back when she destroyed the facility. A child made to be instable, it was going to happen to one of the girls and it just happened to be her that broke first. She told her master when he returned, prepared to argue with him, but ultimately, he just nodded. Maia felt more at peace with herself, especially when she realized that there was only one way this couldn’t have happened. If she had escaped Boba Fett in her first escape attempt. But then, ultimately, there might have been more of her in existence now. On the lookout for her, perhaps. 

They sat by a fire as they did most evenings, when Luke brandished  scissors, the cold metal blades glistening in the light of the flames.

Her heart sank for just a moment, thinking she had to hurt someone, or possibly herself with the blade. »What do you want me to do?« she asked and furrowed her brows. Luke wouldn’t force her to shed blood, would he? »I’ve watched you for a long time now. Your hair, it’s a safety blanket for you.« Her hair? 

»What?« she blurted out. Luke didn’t hesitate to explain. »You play with it when you’re nervous. Your demeanor changes when you braid it. It has sentimental value, I understand.« And just as he had said, one of her hands wandered to the braid, caressing it like it was a stuffed animal or a pet. »Raymond used to braid my hair. I … like to think back to when the things were simpler.« Not that living in captivity really was simpler. She didn’t have to think about so many things at once. It didn’t feel like the weight of the universe was on her shoulders. Her heart didn’t feel incomplete. 

»It’s impractical,« Luke stated. »I know,« she sighed in response. She knew it was, she kept it braided or even put up at every opportunity given. It tangled so fast at this length and she didn’t enjoy accidentally sitting on it either, yanking her head backwards and almost breaking her neck. »I think you should cut it off. You’ve had it long in captivity, right?« Ever since she could remember she had. When she first arrived at the facility she had it relatively short, but she was a young child and long hair needed so much care. Maybe her parents didn’t want to bother with it. 

»It has been like this for most of the time, yes.« »Is it in the way?« Maia nodded. There was no need to lie about it, he had probably seen her struggle every time she had it down.  »Often.« »What concerns you, then? You’re hesitant.« She shrugged, trying to find the reason within herself. Was she opposed to change? Did she want to hold onto something that soothed her? »When it’s gone… I … what if I don’t like the short hair?« Or what if anyone else hated it on her? What if … Din didn’t like it because it didn’t look her her any more. 

 Luke laughed, not out of ridicule, rather he was surprised by the honesty. It didn’t offend her, she joined the laughter, although hers was a little more reserved. The blonde regained his composure, offering advice as a master would. »It’s just hair, Maia. It grows back. It might take a while to grow back to the length it is at now, but you can always let it grow and see where you can deal with it best.. I’m sure you will feel a lot better when it’s off. You’re not the girl they held captive any more. As much as it reminds you of Raymond, it weighs you down. You’re out here, a strong woman. You made it out of there and landed in an unforgiving, dangerous universe. For your safety, you should at least shorten it significantly. It’s too easy to grab.« He made good points. She took the scissors from his hand, watching her face in the reflection of the blade. »You’re right.« 

Luke placed his prosthetic on her shoulder »You passed your trials. While I can’t offer an official ceremony, you can consider yourself a Jedi knight. Usually a Padawan has a braid to symbolize their apprentice status, which is cut off when they are knighted. Maybe this makes it a little easier for you.« 

She retreated to her hut for a few minutes. While she could have gone for a still long but more manageable cut, she cut her hair off just below her jaw. It would grow back, she reminded herself. Long strands of her hair fell to the floor, a look into the small mirror she had helped her make the cut somewhat even. It felt so soft, the ends of her hair were so much healthier now that she cut most of it off. There was a slight bounce in the brown locks, not weighed down by their own mass any more. She looked… cute, in a way. 

She came back to the fire a few minutes later, when Luke was cooking dinner for them. Some kind of stew, as they had most days. She didn’t complain too much. Skywalker was doing everything he could to make sure she was taken care of and she appreciated his efforts immensely. Her master gave her new haircut a long, good look, before he nodded. »See, that wasn’t so bad, right? In my opinion this looks a lot better than the long, unruly hair. No offense. While I was away I went to get you some new robes, just in case you want them. They should fit a little better and look a bit more coherent than,« he motioned to her outfit, making her scoff. He didn’t mean it in an insulting way, it was just that she looked more like a merchant from Mos Eisley rather than a Jedi. It wasn’t like the man that got here these clothes was all too much into fashion, wearing the same armor and suit every day. But he looked good in it, that she couldn’t deny. 

A few more days had passed and she had gotten used not only to the now very practical and bouncy hair, but also the black robes Luke had given her as part of her ‘graduation gift’. It looked a little like how the older girls were dressed, the ones that were sent out on missions, to never be seen again. Sometimes Maia wondered how many of them got lost before the facility got torn down.

Another day had passed and Maia was asleep, wrapped in a relatively soft blanket, but during the night she started tossing and turning, plagued by a nightmare about Din. All she saw was him, alone. He had the silver ball in his gloved hand, played around with the metal sphere. Grogu was nowhere to be seen and grief surrounded the man like a thick fog. When the dark room around him materialized in her vision, his head lifted, as if he had heard something. 

»Maia?« his voice was a mere whisper, yet she could hear the pain in his words. Her presence must have registered somehow, and she whispered back »I’m here.« His shoulders slumped in a defeated sigh, his helmet dipping forward. »I failed. I lost him.« His fist closed around the metal ball, his hand shaking from the tension he put on his tendons. An shaky breath rustled underneath the helmet, causing the modulator to glitch out for a moment. She placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the cold Beskar underneath her finger tips. His muscles twitched underneath as he continued. » We found an old stone that was supposed to guide a Jedi to us, but the Empire found us before that. Now Gideon has him, I couldn’t keep him safe.« He pressed more air out, let his helmet fall forward into his hands. »I hope you’re more successful than I am, that you found who was looking for you, because right now it feels like I have lost everything. Grogu, my ship, you. I – I miss you.« He stifled a sob and she woke up.  

Immediately after opening her eyes, she sat upright and rested one hand on her chest. Her heart was racing, as did her thoughts. She pressed her eyes shut, not wanting to let the tears out. She was almost certain he was crying and it was unbearable for her. He might not cry just because of her, losing Grogu and his ship must’ve been devastating for him, but telling her made the pain so much realer. I miss you. She missed him too, wanted nothing more to be with him at this moment. While the yearning had become less during her time with Luke, her heart and mind busy with her training, right now it was killing her. All she wanted was to crash into the Beskar covered chest and hold him. 

The door to her hut opened when Luke entered, possibly awoken by her emotional turmoil. It was a blessing and a curse when there barely was other living beings in the vicinity. He could read her so easily. »A nightmare?« he asked her, sitting down on the mattress next to her. His voice was soft, a little raspy from having slept. Maia ran her fingers through her hair, smoothing out the tangle that had formed in the back of her head from the frantic head movements. »A vision. He’s lost and broken hearted.« Worry grew on Luke’s face. They had spent enough time together that she could read his expressions most times. »Are you sure it’s not just a nightmare? I know you miss him. The mind is powerful, especially the mind of a Jedi.« 

Maia nodded, »I’m certain. I can feel him. I can feel his pain and how empty he feels.« Luke extended his hand and laid it onto her head, his palm touching her forehead. Both closed their eyes and he saw what she had just seen. While she felt guilty for still being hung up on Din this much, part of her accepted that this was how it was from now on. Ever since she had felt his hands on her skin, his lips on hers. 

She was attached. 

»So he can sense you too... Are you sure you’re not related to him?« Luke removed his warm hand from her. Although she didn’t want it to happen, Maia felt her cheeks warm up because of his question. »I hope not. But, I think I would know that. Would that explain the connection?« The blonde nodded. »My twin sister and I share a similar bond, although this feels different. I would almost say… stronger.« 

Maia wondered if Luke maybe had answers to the one question that circled in her mind ever since she first felt Din. »I don’t understand it. I’ve only ever been able to find him. Watch him. If I concentrate enough I can feel him, but he senses me in a way.« »And you could do this before you’ve ever met him?« She nodded, »If I remember correctly, yes. It’s been about fifteen years since I first found him while meditating. He felt me back then as well. Now he’s aware it’s me, though.« 

»It only ever worked with him?« Luke prodded. Maybe Skywalker actually had an inkling what this could be. Hopefully Din and her weren’t related like her master had first guessed. »Apart from the telepathic communication with other Jedi, yes. He’s the only one I can … project to.« 

Skywalker wiped over his face, staring into the darkness of her room. »You might be a dyad.« He said it like she should have known what that meant. Had she forgotten one of the countless lessons on the old Jedi legends? »A dyad?« No, she had never heard that before. »Of the force. Two pieces that belong together to make one. Soulmates, basically. Your connection does feel different. It would also explain why you could heal your wounds with him. It’s not exactly like the Sith do it, as they don’t need a willing participant; I doubt you could just do it without being taken by the dark side. If he is part of the dyad, and you are his counterpart, that would make sense. Parts of a dyad have impressive healing powers. I’ve heard that one part of the dyad could resurrect the other at the expense of their own life.« Maia thought about it for a second. Din, her soulmate? Destined to cross paths with her and connected to her in a way they couldn’t withstand? A bond no one could break? 

»That sounds fitting. Shouldn’t he be force-sensitive then?« Luke shook his head »Not necessarily. You don’t need two halves to get something whole. Maybe he is but he never trained it. Maybe he is just intuitive, able to feel you but not able to use the force like us. You’ll have to find that out.« Maia nodded. »But do you think I belong with him? What about the rules? What if I turn because I’m afraid of…« letting go. Losing him. Being so open towards her master felt a little weird, she felt so vulnerable, but if this was something bigger, was it still bad to have these feelings? If the universe intended for them both to feel that way? 

»You’re here, aren’t you?« Luke turned to her. »Yes,« she replied in confusion. She was here. She went here willingly, albeit a little defeated when Din practically sent her away because of his creed. Because she was putting his creed in danger. »Despite the pain? Despite not knowing if and when you would see him again?« Again, Luke prodded. Maybe he was just curious, it sounded like dyads were rare. »I suppose so, but I know I will see him again. I saw it in a vision.«

Luke sighed. Skywalker feared he would regret his next words in due time, but this was something bigger than all of them. He would have to talk with his masters about this. »You know how to let go. You’ve done it before. You’ve dealt with the pain; I know, you still suffer, it’s obvious, but I don’t think it’s necessary for you to avoid him completely. Quite honestly: I’m not sure you could. You should explore the connection. It’s rare and it might be impossible for you two to avoid one another anyway. The force has plans for the two of you.« 

Her heart jumped, but then dropped. »But the rules. What of the order and your school?« He rested his hand on her thigh, the blanket separating their skin from one another. »I want to be honest, I could really need a capable Jedi by my side to support me. As much as I would want you to, you are an adult and it’s your choice to stay; or not. I won’t judge you for choosing to stay with him if you prefer that. I would struggle with the choice too. If you listen deep within your self you will know what your heart wants. And his. You’ve made up your mind about it before you even met me.« 

Maia’s head tilted to the side. Luke was hinting at something and it was like she only now realized. »Will you look after Grogu? After we find him, that is.« »Do you want me to train him? You’ve seen what it takes to become a Jedi.« She did something she hadn’t done before. She rested her hand on his. »He needs a master and I’m not capable, please.« Luke let it happen, not pulling his hand away. He started smiling, stroking her hand with his thumb. 

»Not yet. You will be in the future.« The smile on his lips reminded her of how Raymond used to look at her at times. The proud expression of a father, despite her and Luke being about the same age. »I will train him, but you have to keep in mind that he is different from you. It’s very likely that he will be here for longer. You said he barely has any powers at the moment. You have been trained before, albeit by Imperials.« 

»He will be offered the same choice, right? When he’s not a danger to himself.« Another nod, but Luke’s smile vanished. »His race ages a lot slower than us humans do. One of my masters, he was of his species, and just shy of 900 years old when he passed away. It might take more than a life time to train him. More than our lives have left. More than your Mandalorian has left.«

Luke was probably right. Maia sighed deeply. She missed the child as well, although the yearning for Din was a lot stronger given their relationship. »I understand.« »It’ll be his choice to return to his protector just as it was yours. If he does choose to, I hope you’ll be close to have an eye on him.« With these words it was settled. Maia would leave, now a little more herself and balanced, and she had found someone who could look after Grogu adequately. 

Luke rose from the bed and stretched, his hand squeezing his own shoulder while he rolled his head back. The night was still young, they both should return to sleeping. »Luke?« she stopped him before he could leave. »Yes?« 

Maia bit her lip. Now that it was practically out that there were feelings involved, she wondered »how did I give myself away?« She gathered her blanket in between her fingers, squeezing into the fabric. Skywalker gave a soft smile when he responded »it’s in your eyes when you think about him.«

[rayna-djarin-of-mandalore]

Chapter 2 Remember My Name

Din Djarin X OFC

The winds howled a deathly growl.

Sand blasted from every directed, causing her vision to blur in the sweltering sun.

The deadly suns of Tatooine reflected a dark almost crimson like sunray from her armor.

She could feel the pools of sweat lapping underneath her flight suit, as each breath she took became a task.

Her throat felt raw, she could taste the sands of the desert grinding into her teeth each time she took a sip of water from her skins.

She hated Tatooine, the damn planet was covered in nothing but sand and more sand, and she felt sand in places she never wanted to feel sand.

Damn, she really needed a shower.

But most importantly she really missed the comfort of her ship.

She hated the heat and hated the sand.

But she had a job.

And she was never one to turn away from killing those who did wrong.

With a heavy sigh, the Hunter readjusted her thigh holster, gripping her blaster a little tighter.

But the Hunter didn’t budge.

Wiping a sweaty palm across her brow, she refocused her attention across the Dune Sands that laid before her.

Her target was close.

The informant had been clear on the whereabouts of recent raiders attacks that left villages and townspeople with little to nothing but the clothes on their back.

The Hunter was ready to kill.

Pulling the black cowl from around her neck over her face as the gust of wind grew harsher; pulling sand and dirt into the sky and made her way deeper into the desert.

-

“Welcome traveler!” The Cantina owner, an older gentlemen stood inside the bar, cleaning a glass as the Hunter made her way in.

The Cantina was small, mostly empty, save for a few; the informant had told her the raiders took over the Cantina, the owner was at a gun point most nights.

The Hunter took notice of the owner’s stance; he was stiff in the shoulders, tense, his eyes were wide with fear, but his smile did not reach; forced.

He was a hostage in his own home.

Most of the patrons in the Cantina had taken interest in The Hunter; once loud spoken conversations were now whispers as their eyes lingered on her beautiful form.

She made her way to the counter, pulling the cowl from her face brushing strays of dark crimson hair from her eyes.

She smiled brightly at the owner, “Hi handsome, I was just passing through. Could I bother you for a drink of some water? My speeder is broken down some ways back and it’s going to be awhile before someone can come pick me up?”

“Sure dear,” he poured a glass of cold water, handing her the glass.

“Thank you,” she took a long refreshing drink, eyeing the bar owner.

The water felt cool to the touch, as if she could just dive right in.

She felt the creeping presence lingering in the back of her mind before he even stood.

“What’s a pretty girl like you, doing out here all by yourself?” A voice spoke out from behind her.

She didn’t respond.

She took another long gulp.

The Bar Owner was growing frantic; she could see his eyes growing wide as the sound of chairs scrapping across wood echoed.

“Look Miss, you need to leave,” The Bar Owner pleaded, fearful for the young woman.

“Oh no she doesn’t,” the same voice answered, growing closer, “You see, it’s been so long since we have seen such a beauty like this, I think we might just keep her here for ourselves, and teach her a lesson.”

She finished the glass, “Could you refill this for me handsome? This will only take a moment.”

She turned around eyeing the group of men, leaning against the counter.

“So, what’s this I hear you’re going to teach me a lesson?” She pushed herself off the counter.

“You- “

His words were cut short as she withdrew her blasters from their holsters. The sounds of gunfire echoed loud inside the Cantina; the screams of The Raiders rang heavily on deaf ears as each one fell.

Minutes passed in agonizing silence as she surveyed the damaged.

Most of the Raiders didn’t have a chance to reach for their weapon, and most of the damage she could pay for.

“Please don’t kill me,” a whimper whispered in the mist of bodies.

“Seems I missed one,” she walked over the bleeding bodies, eyeing the man with the mouth from before. She recalled words from her Informants that he was a murderer, a rapist, a lowlife who stole from those who worked for their livings.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you? Tell me why I shouldn’t enjoy listening to you chock on your own blood?” Her blaster was raised, pointed at his head, the smell of blood and iron was heavy around her.

The thrill of the kill.

“Because you’re a Bounty Hunter! You don’t have a puck for me! I made sure to pay off the hunters who had a puck, no one will come looking for me! So why even bother when you won’t get a credit for me?”

She eyed the Raider; feeling the weight of his words seem meaningless to her, she didn’t care who or what they were, she didn’t care what species they were, or how many credits filled her pouch, all she wanted was justice for the lives of those he took.

“But you don’t have anything on me! You think you’ll get far little girl? I’ve got men everywhere, who will tear you to pieces!” He tried to defend himself.

The woman laughed; a deep belly laughed.

The Raider thought she had gone crazy, moving slightly to relive some pressure from the open wound bleeding freely from his belly, only for more blood to pool beneath him.

“You have no idea, do you? Do you honestly think, I’m a Bounty Hunter… Oh no, you see I’m something far worse… I’m the one people look for to take out the trash… To kill the monsters that lurk beneath beds.” She smiled, wide; her teeth gleaming from ear to ear.

Each word dripped with malice.

Poison laced.

“You are a murderer! You rape, murder, steal, and live off those who fight to survive… And you think you have a right to live? Have you ever heard of the stories of The Ice Queen?”

The Raider went silent.

“A Pirate Captain turned slave who killed her owner; who flies across the galaxy seeking vengeance for the wrong done to her? During her time, she kills those who have done wrong to others.”

“You can’t be her? The Stories said she was killed.” He backed away slowly, flinching as the wound opened more, slipping on the blood pooling deep on the floor.

She stepped forward, putting her blaster back; withdrawing her viroblade, it shimmered brightly in the cantina light, “How rude of me,” she kneeled in the pool of blood, eyeing the dying man as a look of pure chaos filled her two different colored eyes, “Where are my manners? You see in those stories, they call me Ghost, I was once the fearless Pirate Queen who sailed across the galaxy killing scumbags like you… and now it’s time for my payment.”

“Your payment?” He coughed up a blob of blood, struggling to breathe.

“Your death.”

-

Ghost wiped the blood on her cape.

“What a mess,” she huffed.

Turning towards the Cantina owner, she was met with a stunned silence.

“Sorry about the mess,” she reached into her bag strapped across her body, tossing several credits on the counter, “This should cover the damage, right?”

The owner looked down at the credits, with his mouth dropped open, Ghost got to work dragging the dead bodies outside burning them in a dug-out pit.

“Who are you?” The owner stepped outside the Cantina as Ghost finished setting the bodies ablaze.

Ghost turned to the old man, giving him a sad smile, she began walking towards the way she started, “No one, I’m just a simple traveler.”

-

Nevarro

She stood there.

Eyeing the entrance from a distance, as she spotted the Stormtroopers guarding Nevarro City.

Odd.

What happened in all those years? Ghost knew she couldn’t simply walk up to them and through the streets. She had become a wanted criminal against The Empire, a target; a pirate seeking out prey. Not that it truly mattered anymore anyways. She just hoped in the years since the accident, that the Covert still managed to survive.

Racing back to the small ship she landed just outside the city limits; she gathered a change of clothes and weapons. She would wait till nightfall. Stealth had always been on her side. Ghost was slim, wiry, and flexible. She moved with grace and ease through the shadows undetected by the remaining guard Stormtroopers, as if she never existed. She entered the long since abandoned tunnels that had once been filled with her fellow Mandalorians and foundlings, the air was thick with a musty stale smell of old water and in the distance, she could smell the lava rivers fumes flowing deep into the channels of darkness. It was as if they up and left.

“Shit,” she whispered under her breath, she didn’t like this. Though, she had lived in recent years in silence… She craved the voice of another, the sound of children’s laughter… The weapons of her Creed being forged; anything. She moved through the tunnels out of memory, her hands grazing over stone walls, keeping count of each step she took, having traveled these halls hundreds of times. With him… She shook her head of the memory, the lingering taste of it haunting her for years.

But this was no time to dwell in sorrow… She needed to find people who had seen him, she needed answers. As she moved deeper into the tunnels, the darkness began to fill her vision and she suddenly missed her helmet more than anything; a source of light would be nice right about now.

“Whoever lingers in the shadows,” a voice called out into the darkness.

She knew that voice. Stopping in her tracks, she could feel her heart beating in her chest, her blood was on fire, and suddenly she felt so exposed. The Armorer was their Leader, a person they followed in every sense; a guardian in their darkest of times, a guide for each foundling to follow into the Creed.

But many years had passed since Ghost had stepped foot inside these walls. And she was a different person now. And her armor; maker her lifeline, her connection to her religion. Her armor was on her ship off world for safe keeping.

And her helmet…the one thing she had been sworn to never take off in front of another; was taken off by force after she was betrayed.

After she was left for dead. People had seen her face. For her to wear her armor again she would have had to kill those people.

But those people who had found her after she had escaped the clutches of death were women and children. And though her hands were dripping in blood. She would never raise a blaster to a child. So, she kept her armor off.

“If you wish for death, come closer…” The voice went on, as a soft crimson light danced in the faint distance.

“I am not an enemy,” Ghost spoke, “It’s me,” she walked further down the tunnel until the crimson light became a bright guide. She stepped into the room, coming face to face with the golden armored Mandalorian.

“How is this possible?”

The Armorer sat across from her.

“I was betrayed,” Ghost looked down at her hands, tugging on the sleeve of her duster, scratching at the indention mark on her left finger.

“Who betrayed you? Tell me everything, start from the beginning, so that I can understand what happened… These past few years have not kind to you, I can see memories of years past haunt you...”

“I was sent out on a hunt with members of the guild, and as well as one of our own… Gray had requested to join us. I knew how much he wanted to be a Hunter like…”

“Your Riduur and yourself,” she whispered. Ghost sighed nodding slightly, taking a sharp breath, she willed herself to remain calm… There was so much at stake, she needed to find him… She couldn’t break.

Not yet.

“What happened?”

“We were sent out to Nal Hutta for a Bounty, when we arrived, we were surrounded by members of a group of Raiders, they call themselves Adenn A’den. The leader of their group claimed to be a former Mandalorian, though I’m not for certain if I believe him or not, but he was bloodthirsty and vengeful. Apparently Gray and other members of the Guild had been sending him messages, and sold me out… They wanted my beskar, they wanted my weapons and access to my ship; I spent over a year living in a cage… I watched as they burned down villages, raping, killing and slaughtering men, women, and children… It wasn’t until his second in command made a grave mistake, that he let me out of my cage and told me I was to prove my worth… So, I killed in his name in order to survive… I was his second in command for the better part of a year before I finally found his weakness and waited for him to let his guard down… There was a group of mercenaries he was working with, who had brought in a group of girls. They were beaten, broken and when I watched as the scumbag tried to force himself onto a young woman, I couldn’t take it anymore… So, I killed every single bastard that dared to enter those chambers…” She told her story to The Armorer, as much as she could remember.

The bodies she left in her wake of monsters and madness.

How the story that built around her went from a soft whisper to a loud roar.

How she became known as The Pirate Captain Ghost.

The Armorer was silent as she listened to each, and every word Ghost said. “I had heard whispers of a rouge Pirate who flew through the galaxy leaving destruction in her wake, never once seeking coin from the misfortunate… Your payment was justice, and you laid waste the vial that walk this galaxy.”

“I do not claim that my actions were always just. When I was finally able to escape, and had made a name for myself, I never truly realized just how far from home I truly was… I didn’t even know where I was, no one I had crossed had even heard of Mandalorians, or even Nevarro… So, I traveled, and did what I could to survive, but every single day I tried to get word out to the Covert… to him, and prayed that by some chance, I may see him again, and when I finally found myself back within familiar territory… I had created such a name for myself and these stories about myself were so unjust and filled with such fantasies, I had to lay low, I couldn’t bring that kind of trouble to him… so when I arrived on Nevarro just a few years ago and he was right there, I ran…like a fucking coward, I couldn’t even face my own husband…”

The Golden Armored Mandalorian sighed heavily, feeling the weight of her words weigh heavily between them, “By Creed I have seen your face… By Creed, you should kill me…”

Ghost shook her head, “I just want to find my husband…”

“But I swore an oath to them, to keep you safe…” her voice was barely a whisper, as if she hadn’t heard Ghost.

Ghost gave The Armorer a look, but she went on; she had lingered too long, she had put herself and The Armorer in danger by being here. “I know I have no right to be here, by right I am no longer a Mandalorian. I have tried reaching out to him, but I can’t find him, and I fear the worst… People have seen my face, but those people were women and child, and they were what saved my life, I do not regret putting down my armor, but now I am asking for your help… please.”

“I understand.”

“You…” Her heart clenched as she watched the Armorer gather materials, bringing them towards the blue flame.

“I will craft you an armor that shall protect you in the days to come… Though by Creed you are no longer a Mandalorian, this was not your doing…”

“Thank you.”

“While I build your armor, replenish your supplies… There is trouble in the path ahead, it will not be an easy task, so take what you can and do not falter.”

“What happened here?” Ghost filled her bag with ammunition.

“Din Djarin happened.”

[frannyzooey]

This was a fucking ride and I loved every second of it

When he said this, I FUCKING GRINNED like I was the one who conned him out of his money:

“S-sixty. Yes. Whatever. Just—just take your fucking pants off.”

Your characterization of him was amazing — his dialogue was absolutely perfect, and your details and descriptions absolutely blew me away. The pace of this was so rapid, I was sucked in immediately and am GIDDY there is more 😍

GOD this was good — I am still reeling from that ending 😅

Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!!

NO REFUNDS

Words: 5.1k :))

Rating: E, baby

Warnings: Smut (surprise surprise), bad words :0, masturbation, a biiiit of praise kink, face fucking, cumplay? let me know on the comments, etc. etc. 

a/n: Happy Star Wars day!! The first few lines of this are an attempt at dumb comedy, but humor me a little and you’ll get a reward (smut) along the yellow-brick road

Finally, the lanky kid behind the counter stops air drumming with two chicken bones gnawed dry and trails his dopey eyes from the gloved fist on the table, up a bracer, and along a flexed arm, until they settle on the Mandalorian helmet staring him down and waiting for an answer. The employee removes the music bandeau from around his ears and settles it down, its noise so loud Mando can hear it from where it lays. The kid scratches the whiskers of facial hair growing patchy on his cheeks and thoughtfully nibbles on one of the bones, trying to figure out what one does when a client shows up.

“Uh, what?”

“I need to speak to the owner,” the Mandalorian repeats slowly.

“Oh, uh.” Mouth gaping like a fish too stupid to know it should fear hooks, the kid calmly turns his attention to the four walls of the hardware store, searching for guidance in the fluorescent signs hanging around the room and dictating the store’s rules like they’re ancient scriptures:

NO CHILDREN

WILL BUY STOLEN GOODS FOR LOWER PRICE

NO IMPS

NO REPUBLIC OFFICIALS

NO REFUNDS

NO APPOINTMENT, NO MEETING

“You, uh,” the kid continues, lingering on that last stanza and flicking open a dusty agenda that probably hasn’t been touched since the war ended, “you got an appointment, uh, sir?” He drags a greasy finger down the planner, squinting at nothing and pretending to read the page that Mando can clearly see is empty.

Keep reading

[puchosdementa]

[wild-karrde]

#Fandom Friday 💖

I want to mention my dear Kathi @june-girl-86

For more than two years now she puts time and effort into her series "The Burden of Responsibility" (Din Djarin x fem! OC)

In (up to now) 53 chapters she describes Din Djarin's way to being the ruler of Mandalore. And no matter if it's a canonical character like Ashoka, Bo-Katan or well yes Din, or the many many OC she invented... Kathi brings them to life in a magical way.

BTW for those who are interested... I am sure she's willing to share the story in German too. Am I right? 😏

OOOOOOOOH I LOVE FICS THAT EXPLORE THIS PART OF DIN'S LIFE. (Which is admittedly why I wrote one haha). But I've always thought that after giving up Grogu, there were so many different directions his character can go. And this seems like such a wonderful direction to take it. LET THE MAN FALL IN LOVE. LET HIM GO ON ADVENTURES WITH HIS LOVE INTEREST. I'm all about it hehe. Thanks for the rec!

Participate in Fandom Friday to show your favorite creators from this week some love! :)