#this could also be part of the dragon!jedi au if you look at it that way

[bubblew0lf1]

I'm always down for good brothers Xanatos and Feemor. One of my favorite things.

(I took some liberties with Feemors and Xanatos's designs but anyways)

[thicctails]

Scales, Claws, And Other Signs Of Fatherhood

a little while back, i said that i'd like to write a crossover between my SW Dragon Batch AU and Canon, so this is a little test for that! If you like this, and would like to see more, please let me know! I'd love an excuse to write baby 'mega again.

The last soft, orange-tinted rays of dying light were just beginning to dip behind Corruscant's horizon as the members of Clone Force 99 sauntered out of their beloved ship, the Havoc Marauder. The enhanced clones had been invited out to 79's by one of their reg brothers, Commander Cody, a rare treat and one that they were eager to take their ori'vod up on. Tech, especially, was thrilled that he was going to have the opportunity to meet General Anakin Skywalker face to face. According to Cody, the 212th's general had heard about their exploits, and had mentioned them to his former Padawan. Apparently, the man had been very impressed, and had specifically asked to go be introduced the next time they were both planetside.

As they exited the ship hanger, the batch was greeted by the familiar faces of their brothers, Rex and Cody, as well as someone they'd only seen on holos or from a distance.

"General Skywalker," Hunter greeted, extending a hand, "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You must be Hunter. It's nice to meet you too." the Jedi replied with a smile, "Please, just call me Anakin. We're all equals here!"

The two men shook hands, and something in the air shifted.

A full-body shiver wracked Anakin's body, and his face scrunched in confusion as the Force surged with some unknown feeling. Even the clones, who were not in tune with the Force, felt a prickle of unnatural energy rush through them, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end.

"General, what's-!" Rex started, but was cut off by a blinding explosion of light. The air crackled with energy, and all of the men flinched as their ears popped unexpectedly, their bodies becoming overwhelmed by a feeling of pins and needles that infected every muscle, leaving them unable to hold themselves upright.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the feeling dissipated.

Hunter managed to right himself first, groaning as he pushed himself up onto his knees. To his left, he heard something shift, a new heartbeat joining the six he already heard, not counting his own. It was slower than their racing pulses, yet it was slowly getting faster, like someone rousing from a deep sleep. Forcing his eyes open, the clone Sergeant turned his head.

Tech lay on the ground before him, his signature goggles missing from his face. He was dressed in a casual black shirt and dark gray pants, and he had a small, cream-coloured blanket strewn across his shoulder.

Hunter blinked, shook his head slightly, then glanced over his shoulder at the spot where his brother should be.

Tech was stirring from his place on the ground, still clad in his armor with his goggles firmly in place over his eyes.

"Ooough... I think I hit my head. 'm seein' double" Wrecker croaked, running a hand across his face. Hunter stiffened at the realisation that it was not just him that could see the Other Tech. General Skywalker, Cody and Rex were also up now, all three staring at the newcomer with saucer-wide eyes.

"You're not the only one." Crosshair hissed, reaching for his spare blaster.

The Other Tech shifted again, his nose wrinkling in irritation. It was an expression Hunter knew exceedingly well, having seen it time and time again on his batchmate's face.

"Wrecker, Crosshair, if you two wake Omega, I'll skin you both." the Other Tech grumbled sleepily, no real malice to his tired voice.

The sniper and demolition expert gave each other wide-eyed stares, before looking to their leader for some kind of advice or plan. Hunter, for his part, gave them an equally confused face.

"Tech?" he tried carefully.

"Yes?" twin voices replied to his gruff voice, something that caused both clones to become alert at last.

Tech and Other Tech nearly mirrored each other in the way they sat up, eyes wide and filled with equal parts curiosity and caution. Their heads tilted in sync.

"Fascinating." they spoke in perfect harmony, something that made both of them start in surprise.

Other Tech broke the parroting first, squinting at his counterpart first, before letting his gaze flick to the rest of the group, his mouth setting in a tight line. "Hmm, I don't suppose I'm lucky enough that this is all some kind of elaborate dream or hallucination?"

"Uh, no?" Anakin managed out, still recovering from the effect of feeling reality rip itself apart and stitch itself back together all around him.

Other Tech sighed. "I thought not. You're all too young for that to make much sense."

Once those words had been spoken, Hunter realised that Other Tech did look older than his vod'ika. He had the beginnings of a few laugh lines, and there was a look in his eye that spoke of wisdom his counterpart had yet to gain. Questions swirled in his mind, but one stood out among all the rest.

"Who's Omega?"

Other Tech stared at him for a moment, before shaking himself.

"Ah, yes, I had almost forgotten that there had been a time before we had a daughter. I suppose you wouldn't recognise her-"

Hunter's brain had nearly short-circuited at the word daughter, but he quickly pulled himself together as he watched his older-younger brother's face go from sleepy and fond to panic-stricken as he touched the blanket on his shoulder. Instantly, Other Tech was on his feet, whirling around as he searched for something, or, rather, someone that he clearly believed should be there.

"Oh Gods, not again." his voice cracked dangerously, his breath hitching in panic.

Hunter forced his legs to work, his elder batchmate instincts kicking in. He knew the signs that Tech was about to have a panic attack, and it seemed as though time had not changed them. Around him, his vode pulled themselves out of their shock and stood as well, not knowing exactly what they should do in this situation. Tech, especially, seemed lost, mouthing the word 'daughter' to himself in disbelief.

"Hey, vod, breathe. It's okay, we're okay, and you're okay." Hunter soothed, "I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder, is that okay?"

Instead of the jerky nod or head shake he was used to, Other Tech whipped around and snarled at him, his teeth fang-like and wicked sharp as he bared them. His pupils had narrowed into slits, and Hunter could see glittering grey scales beginning to dot his brother's face.

"It is not okay!" he snapped, and Hunter stumbled back a few steps as a pair of wings suddenly formed on the other clone's back, leathery and tipped with ivory claws.

There was real anger in Other Tech's voice, but what Hunter really heard was fear, raw and almost palpable. The sudden turn that this already bizarre situation had taken made Hunter feel afraid too, not that he'd ever admit it.

It must have shown on his face, however, because Other Tech stepped back, his pupils rounding out again as he drew his wings in close to his body.

"I- I apologise. You have no way of understanding the situation I have just come from, but that does not give me the right to bare my teeth at you." he said, sounding genuinely sorry.

"WHAT THE KRIFF ARE THOSE?!" Wrecker shouted, having put himself between Crosshair and Tech, who were, like everyone else, staring at the two new appendages that had just sprouted from the other man's back.

Other Tech blinked at the question, before slowly extending a wing towards the group, one eyebrow raised. "My... wing? Wrecker, are you feeling alright?"

"Why do you have wings?" Cody barked, causing the other to shrink back at his 'I'm so done with this banthashit' tone of voice.

"Why do I- is that meant to be some kind of joke? I'm afraid I'm not the best with humour." Other Tech frowned. "We all have wings, I am not the exception here."

Hunter swallowed hard, stepping towards this strange, otherworldly version of his little brother. "Actually, vod, you are."

Other Tech stared at him, eyes wide.

"You- you're just human? All of you?!"

"Yes?" Hunter replied, becoming more and more convinced he was the one hallucinating by the second.

"What else would we be?" Anakin asked.

Other Tech looked at everyone, eyes searching for some kind of lie, some hint that they were all joking. When he found one, he exhaled hard, pinching the space between his eyes before speaking.

"Dragon shifters. Where I'm from, we're all dragon shifters."

[mwolf0epsilon]

Ok, in hindsight this response wasn't helpful. So here are my three main inspirations for Dogma's Kaiju design in my Superhero AU:

The Canyon Krayt Dragon

For that dragon-like build that some of the more classical Kaiju tend to have. It's a very stocky quadruped creature with a long tongue and a menacing look to it, so it felt perfect to serve as a base for Dogma's Kaiju design while also still fitting in with the world of Star Wars (even if this is a Modern AU), since his theme in this AU is "Small & Weak" to "Gigantic & Destructive". (And yeah I know Kaiju Dogma doesn't LOOK bulky and dragon-like right now, but that's because I have only shown you what he looks like as a 12 year old. His body structure does change considerably once he goes through puberty)

The Blue Glaucus

Aside from the classical Kaiju look, I also wanted Dogma to be related in some way to water (to match with Tup). So I opted to make him semi-aquatic beast, which in his youth makes him look more like a tadpole than a nudibranch, but I promise he will lean more towards the latter when he grows older.

So far the only element of the blue glaucus that IS present in his design are actually his back wing-like fins, which are used to both help him swim more effectively and to communicate via bioluminescence.

The Starweird

To tie off the design with the fact Dogma's Kaiju Form comes from Jango Fett's illicitly stolen powers, I needed a creature that not only could exist in the vacuum of space, be something the Jedi could honestly fear, and have some kind of design element that alluded to the Mandalorians.

Funnily enough, the Starweird has all three of these particular qualities. It can float in the vacuum of space (which is a HUGE part of this AU's Mando Kaijus's abilities prior to them going extinct), the Jedi feared them (for very good reason), and the strange glowing core (?) on their chest reminds me of a Mandalorian's Ka'rta.

Combining all three of these influences, I ended up with this:

It's very apparent that Dogma's Kaiju Form leans more towards the unnaturally thin body-shape of the Starweird in his youth (mostly because he was severely malnourished due to how demanding his transformations were), later becoming more Krayt Dragon-like as he grows older and healthier (I'm working on those doodles now so you'll see what I mean soon!).

I think it's very fitting with where his story arc takes him in this AU.

Going from resenting his new-found powers and even being afraid of them, to the point where he's never quite comfortable in his own skin. To exiling himself to Kaiju Island where he learns to accept his new nature and actually begins to thrive, because he no longer sees himself as the monster Palpatine tried to shape him into.

Why does Dogma in Kaiju form have the most useless looking bug wings I've ever seen?

Those aren't wings.

[nevertheless-moving]

Lost Luke Part Three

Star Wars Time Travel AU #19  (Wholesome Luke Time Travel AU) Part One . . . Part Two

One of the best things to imagine in this au is how the Skywalkers interact with Obi-Wan Kenobi because this is just before/interrupts the incidents that profoundly broke their faith in him but after he earned their unshakeable devotion (that is, to say, after he met them).

Anakin: “So you lived with your Aunt and Uncle but Obi-Wan was the one who actually raised you, right?” Luke, who has barely ever had a conversation with Old Ben: “No, I mean he seemed cool obviously but no. I mean he was around sometimes I guess...” Anakin, nodding knowingly: “Yeah, he totally raised you. He’s stealthy about that sort of thing.” Luke: ...?

Later on, as Luke is learning about the force and stuff, he starts to get a little bit more of a sense of how Ben had in fact been a feature in his life 

(he’s been hired on as civilian mechanic with the 501st. Obviously this should be banned because a) that’s not a thing and b) attachment, but consider: He’s genuinely talented at everything, the Council reluctantly kind-of liked this one, Anakin pulled the slave card right when the council was at peak-slave guilt, Obi-Wan was quietly sure if they said no Anakin would quit, and also when Palpatine first heard about twin brother he went, ‘oh, worm?’ (The whole Luke vs Palpatine is a separate thing))

Pretty much everything he figures out about Ben on Tatooine is just- really sad. Like, he knew the Jedi were gone and Ben was upset about it but the Jedi are clearly Obi-Wan’s entirely family and culture oh my gods he really didn’t have anything did he.

And Luke doesn’t quite share Anakin’s conviction that Obi-Wan was on Tatooine just for him- it is in Hutt space, not a bad spot for avoiding imps. Luke was maybe a coincidence, or a bonus. Why else would he wait so long to actually introduce himself? It’s uncomfortable either way to think about this incredible Jedi Master and General fallen so low, an outcast and a drunk. But living on Tatooine for the sole purpose of being the same vague proximity as his dead friend’s son would be...yikes, pretty tragic.

The more he meditates and learns, the more he feels that something about Obi-Wan’s force-signature is familiar, but he can’t quite make it match up with his hazier pre-training memories. 

It’s not until Obi-Wan is truly miserable- maybe a trooper Obi-Wan tried desperately to save dies in his arms- that Luke goes oh. Because the ozone-heavy-petrichor-aura of Obi-Wan’s grief is a lot more familiar. 

The impression of Obi-Wan’s quiet sadness clung to the incredible hand carved ships Luke found on Shmi’s grave as a child, and ok that explains where those came from. 

A few nights when he was young he tasted the scent on the wind, always when there rumors about Sand People Raids, and that also explained how their homestead sometimes seemed mysteriously protected, even if Owen’s irritation and anger about the fact still didn’t make sense.

One time while racing alone in begger’s canyon he had panicked at the rumble of a Krayt dragon beneath his speeder, only to nearly crash in relief when a mating call from over the ridge redirected it. He had even tried to describe the petrichor smell to his friends but everyone in town acted like he made the whole thing up, because Old Ben had even been seen leaving town around the same time and he didn’t look eaten either.

The time he most vividly remembers the force-impression was just a couple years ago, when he and Biggs were in trouble with some of Jabba goons over a complete misunderstanding- long story. Luke admitted that he might have been a little drunk- again, a total misunderstanding. He and Biggs were hiding under a filthy cantina table when they heard shouting just outside, one of the voices recognizable as a particularly sadistic enforcer. Someone entered the bar and approached the bartender to ask a question; the two tensed up in fear. Footsteps drew closer to their not-very-good hiding spot and a man sat down, inadvertently kicking Luke in the face.

Old Ben peered beneath the table, looking extremely surprised, “Luke? What in the core are you doing under there?”

Biggs shushed the drunk Hermit, desperately whispering, “Please Mr. Kenobi, Jabba’s goons are after this, you can’t let them know we’re under here.”

“Jabba’s goons?” Ben asked, sounding bewildered, “You mean those ruffians who were standing outside?”

Luke and Biggs nodded frantically. 

“Oh, they left, you don’t have to worry about them.” Ben took a sip of his drink, leaning back with a smile. 

The two boys exchanged a look, “Are you- are you sure? They seemed pretty mad.” Luke asked tentatively.

“Oh, yes. Apparently there was a break-in at one of Jabba’s warehouses and he’s extremely displeased at all of his servants for their failure to prevent it. I imagine whatever small quarrel they had with you will be totally forgotten in the fallout.”

The pair dragged themselves up to the bench across from Kenobi, slouching over in relief. 

“Oh my gods- thank the Krayt! Let’s get out of here, Luke. See, I told you things would blow over.” 

Luke punched Biggs in the shoulder, “Yeah, right. We got lucky, bantha brains.” Luke cleared his throat and addressed Old Ben directly, “Thank you- I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t shown up.” 

At the time he had ignored the hair raising on the back of his neck, the surge of foreign mixed emotions, and the strangely familiar smell-that-wasn’t-a-smell he could never quite identify. 

At 17, he was somewhat used to what his Uncle called his ‘damn bleeding heart’ and what Bigs called ‘being weird about other people.' He figured it was kind-of like how deep spacers got twitchy about crowds after spending months with just himself- he spent so much time on the farm that sometimes just being around other people was overwhelming. Plus he was a little drunk at the moment.

Ben cleared his throat, “Oh no, no need to thank me, I’m sure I had nothing to do with it.” 

Biggs rolled his eyes. “...Right. Well, anyway, thanks for letting us know. Come on Luke, let’s beat it!” And they scurried out, not looking back. 

-

Luke hesitantly tells Anakin about the almost-familiar force presence that clung to these memories and Anakin gets frustrated and sad and happy and confused because force why did Obi-Wan have to be so weird about feelings? He appreciates that he was obviously silently protecting his son for 19 years but he seriously couldn’t have talked to him? Luke quietly grieves a man he never really had the chance to know and who he’ll never fully understand while firmly attaching himself to the current Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan: Fucks sake, now they’re both clingy, what did I do to deserve this?

[proxis-shattered-expectations]

OMG, yay! Ever since the Kenobi series came out, my inner geek as been flourishing. Combine that with my love for Darksiders and you get my brain child: Darksiders in Star Wars AU.

Also, forewarning, this is possible going to be a shot-after-shot thing, curse hyperfixation.

So if you are willing, could you do a HC for the Horsemen going into space for the first time? Im sure they’d freak if they went into hyperspace or be stunned if they passed by novas or nebulas or other planets and moons.

Ooof ..... Quite an interesting prospect. Personally I don't think they would be that shocked at seeing space or hyperspace considering the nephilim were traveling the cosmos looking for planets to inhabit. But I am willing to bet other sci fi factors would surprise them. And so I'm gonna headcanons a wide spectrum of their reaction to the star wars universe.

Death

. This guy being the oldest claims nothing surprises him anymore. He has done many things considered impossible in his long life, so his sense of wonderment has been dulled.

. But at the prospect of smaller, weaker beings capable of space travel through means of technology and not magic....consider him impressed. He won't admit it though.

. Knowing him he would probably want to explore the outer rim and whats known as the unknown regions. Civilization and politics never interested him, he is much more invested in exploring worlds with natural life.

. Meeting a Droid would make him uncomfortable. Not in the sense that it scares him, as much as he is used to talking to things that are imbued with magic or a literal soul/undead. Not a A.I. with a circuit board for a brain that is made to convenience living beings.

. He is a necromancer, so a metal being that simulates life without magic or a soul being a part of that puzzles him

. Would he want to take it apart? Not really as he doesn't want to exert effort or show he is interested, but if he were to find the blueprints, or someone teaches him, he would not object to learn how it's done.

. Don't even get him started on the living force.

. I think he out of the four would have a better understanding of the force and it's role in life and death.

. Him being the literal embodiment of Death and Rebirth, would have a distaste for both the Jedi and the Sith.

. Not only do they bear and eerie resemblance to heaven and hell with the dichotomy of good and evil, but that their teachings and beliefs are too extreme.

. He is a strong believer that anything that claims to be of one faction without any sort of balance spells chaos for him. He is a horsemen, so that sense that these two factions act in opposites without compromise is unsettling.

. At the same time he doesn't try to actively seeking them out because he thinks they need to figure that out themselves or better yet waste their time bickering until they destroy each other due to the imbalance.

. I don't think the diversity of Aliens would be surprising to him, I mean he has seen Uglier.

. In all, is intrigued that there is a bigger universe beyond his sense of creation, but really doesn't let that spark his wanderlust too much because he is under the impression that something out there would disappoint him even more.

P.S. let's just say he were part of the Star wars universe, I think he would be similar to the Kage Race

War

. You had him at Aliens.

. I mean technically speaking he would be considered an alien too, seeing as how he is an otherworldly being that is not human.

. But the prospect of worthy opponents and adversaries amongst the stars is his main focus.

. Also he wants to slay a Krayt Dragon, and nothing can sway him from this.

. Space travel may not be new to him, and while the sight of the stars is amazing, I think he would not be a fan of traveling space in a ship of any kind.

. Call it pride, but he would not trust his well-being in a case of metal traveling at light speed. His size plays a big part in this distrust, as he feels he could break something important.

. Besides he much prefers traveling by phantom steed or portal.

. He is slightly impressed that technology is their scientific attempt at achieving flight through the stars, laser guns, medical innovation, prosthetics, and weapons of galactic warfare. But most of all, he would want to see a lightsaber.

. Mind you, he is content with his gigantic flesh cleaver Chaoseater, but hearing about a sword that harnesses a kyber crystal with a laser as it's blade is something he wants to see.

. If not for his desire to see how it would do against his own blade, his interest lies in a test of metal to truly see if it can cut through anything

. Speaking of Technology, don't put him near a Droid. For the Droid's sake, just don't. His gauntlet and sword does not discriminate between automatons that he views as an abomination, no matter the size or function.

. Hell if he didn't have murderous intent towards anything with a mother board, he'd probably just end up breaking it on accident.

. The concept of the force is intriguing to him tho. The idea that depending on the person, they could harness this unseen element and use it like telekinesis. He would find it fascinating.... And thus want to fight them just for the challenge.

. While he does find similarity of belief with the jedi pertaining to justice and order, I think he would understand the passion of a sith. But other than that, he doesn't see any side as true bringers of balance considering the clone wars.

P.S. Side note, if he were from this universe, his race would be Arkanian.

Fury

. New Worlds to explore teeming with otherworldly beasts and new stars. She is interested

. Just don't put her anywhere near or like Coruscant, she would despise the corrupt politics and crowded spaces.

. While she would hate to admit it, is impressed with the technology that can do some things that even magic can't. Especially weaponry. Though her tastes don't lie with lightsabers or blasters, more with the other variety of weapons.

. Also would take this to the grave, but secretly loves some of the droids. Not the ones that walk, usually the smaller droids. Ngl, would probably take one for herself.

. Doesn't care for the jedi or sith, seeing their squabble similar to the war between heaven and hell, just taking place on multiple worlds. She thinks it is a waste of time.

. Her wanderlust is much more potent than Death's and would love to travel the Galaxy.

. Would actually appreciate the prospect of Bounty hunting in a galactic scale, that people specifically train to hunt and or kill targets for sport. She would like the thrill more than the financial reward or fame.

. Also like War, wouldn't hesitate to throw hands with big dangerous Aliens to test her strength. Gundark and Rancor are especially a delight.

. In all, could be a galactic terror on those her cross her

P.S. I headcanons her Alien Race to be either Dathomiran Nightsister or Mikkian.

Strife

. So while he is not unfamiliar with space travel, would actually love spaceships. He thinks it is mind-blowing just how much other beings are capable of.

. True to his nature would love to travel, and also collect souvenirs from wherever he visits. From rocks, plants, artifacts, and trinkets from different cultures. You name it, he probably has it or is on the lookout for it. He could probably start a rare items shop with the things he has.

. Hell if he had his way would probably try to adopt all manner of seemingly cute creatures he finds despite his siblings behest.

. As soon as he finds out about blaster and lightsabers, he wants one

. When it comes to droids he finds them hilarious and entertaining. A lil creepy sure, but I think he would be fascinated with how they work. Even to the point of seeing how they tick so he could learn to replicate it.

. He would even talk to them like real people, considering same have an adaptive A.I., and love to test just how advanced they are in processing power.

. Would actively seek out crime to shoot just for fun. Until he finds out about the galactic criminal under world and it's slave+illegal animal business...well now would be on a mission

. If left to his own devices, could wreck havoc on the criminal heiarchy, and cause so much damage/death of leaders and henchmen, he would be akin to a boogeyman of sorts without even knowing it. His reasons would be either he is bored, or the business doesn't sit well with him.

. Bounty hunting is something he definitely has experience in, and so would have no trouble blending in and knowing how it works.

. You know he is the type to go around with a chart. Comparing other aliens ugliness to Demons to see if there really is something uglier than a demon.

. Actually has a harder time understanding what the force is. While eager to learn, can't understand why two opposing factions would take such extremist stands on what is good or bad. While he does agree with some of the Jedi beliefs, would have personal beef with the attachment rule.

. Just like Fury is disgusted by the galactic politics, and is even more verbal about it.

. In all, it's like taking a hyper, Trigger-Happy Cowboy Kid to a candy store with laser guns. Having the time of his life while causing misery to those who never expect a Nephilim sharpshooter in their Galaxy.

P.S. You bet your ass he is a Mandalorian. Dual wielding sharpshooter where the whole get up is helmet and armor with a cool jetpack. There is no question.

Thanx for the ask! And let's not get too crazy with sending a big series of asks, don't wanna burn myself out.🤣😂

[violetjedisylveon]

More 3 a.m. AU Stuff

So I made a post about a Modern Star Wars AU abouy a week ago and I had more thoughts about it so here's part 2! I also realised I left some characters out, I've fixed that here. You can find the first part here.

And I added ghosts and supernatural stuff so I guess it's not exactly a modern AU anymore, more like a super natural modern AU. I think I'm gonna call it Jedi Supernatural Secret Service AU. Or Jsss AU, that's probably easier.

So, Dooku.

Dooku is Qui-gon's older brother and was his mentor in the Jedi secrete service thing.

He did become disillusioned with the Jedi and joined the Sith but only after his brother died. Secretly he was trying to avenge his brother because to heck with Canon/Legends!

Yaddle is Yoda's younger sister, much younger, he's in his late 90s and she's in her early 60s at the time of Anakin's birth. Both Yaddle and Yoda have a genetic disorder that caused their ears to be longer and pointy because.

And for the sake of my own sanity, humans live longer, they generally live to their hundred thiries, some longer.

Yaddle's kids are Oppo Rancisis and Yarrel Poof. She was trained by her brother in the Jedi but eventually said 'Fuck this' and left to start a humanitarian organization. Now she has a lot of children.

Plo Koon and Barriss both volunteered there and Barriss started working for Yaddle after leaving the Jedi.

Barriss was basiacally adopted by the children at Yaddle's orphanage, the kids usually call her big sister and sometimes call her mom, they call Yaddle mom more often.

The Jedi use high tech gunsword things instead of lightsabers.

Boga is Obi-Wan's bearded dragon house guard. In this AU, bearded dragons were specially bred and modified to be bigger, stronger, have more loyalty and generally be a better partner for people like Obi-Wan, so Boga is really big, not as big as cannon but big. Boga is almost always near Korkie to keep him safe.

Yaddle comes over to watch Korkie when Obi and Cody go on dates, she did the same with Obi and Satine before Satine died.

Yoda used to be in charge of the Jedi, even though he was a really old man but when Order 66 happened, he moved to a swamp where he fished and would occasionally come to family reunions but doesn't like them because Yaddle always gives him a hard time about something.

Plo Koon adopted his clones, imedeatly. He brought all of them home once and they just kept going back.

Plo lives if I didn't mention that already.

Obi-Wan's mother died when an assassination attempt caused her to go into premature labor, she and Qui-gon were having another baby, they were a girl. They both died. Obi-Wan was about 6 and a half.

Shmi was an immigrant from a dangerous country. She worked as a waitress and sometimes an extra cook in Dex's Diner.

Qui-gon and Dex were really good friends, Dex was Obi-Wan's godfather and would either go to Qui-gon's house and watch him or let him stick around his dinner, depending on his schedule.

After Qui-gon's wife died, he and Obi-Wan went there for meals because Qui-gon didn't have the motivation to make anything at home. Cooking always reminded him of her since they did that together.

Shmi was usually the one who served them. She always gave them some extra food to take home since she figured something was wrong, she is very good at reading people in this AU. Qui-gon appreciated that since it made everything a little easier and gave Obi-Wan something to look forwards to.

When Qui-gon had to work, Shmi would bring food over for Obi-Wan on her breaks and always gave him little treats she paid for.

She would talk with Obi-Wan when he was dropped off at the diner and keep him company even when she wasn't working. She was almost always there and if he needed someone to talk to, he could just take a walk down to the diner.

Later, Shmi helped Dex and Qui-gon introduce Obi-Wan to Satine(then set up a date when they were older;)

Shmi and Qui-gon became very good friends and Qui-gon began trusting Shmi with Obi-Wan, she would take him to school when there wasn't enough time and Shmi covered for Qui-gon on take your parent to work day(she brought snacks for all the kids).

After enough time, Dex eventually saw what Qui-gon and Shmi didn't and conspired with Dooku, who wasn't 'bad' at this point, to set them up.

They failed.

When Yaddle visited her nephews and grand nephew for the holidays, she saw Shmi and Qui-gon interacting exactly 1 time then asked Qui-gon if he planned on getting married anytime soon or what.

Yaddle doesn't care if she's not appropriate, she does what she wants and doesn't beat around the bush.(I'm picturing her as a kick-ass old lady kinda vibe in this AU, Yaddle doesn't take anybody's shit.)

This is after about three years after Obi-Wan's mom died, Shmi was around before that and had been friends with Mrs. Kenobi(he has his mom's last name, remember).

So Shmi didn't exactly feel like she should take her friends place and didn't want to disrespect her but(since it's October when I'm writing this I've decided spirits are still a thing so it's not a completly normal world, there is some supernatural elements in this AU, and certain people can see the supernatural stuff better and ask for help/manipulate them, hence the Jedi and Sith groups) her spirit came to Shmi and told her it was okay and that she wanted her husband and son to be happy ans that Shmi made them happy.

So Shmi and Qui-gon get married! Yay!

Qui-gon and Obi-Wan both got super nervous and scared when Shmi was pregnant, especially Obi-Wan, he didn't want to loose another mother and sibling.

But Anakin and Shmi survived, it was a good, fairly easy birth.

Happy Secret service family times!

Aka, Qui-gon teaching his whole family how to not die and getting tips from Dooku.

Yes, Dooku has children, mostly adopted/other people's kids who he serves as a fatherly uncle towards. And he's really good with teenagers. He adopted Asajj after her other adopted family got killed, he adopted Keelyvine Reus, (he adoptes Keelyvine first) he helped Tholme with Quinlan and later Aylaa, he sort of adopted Sev'rance Tann, and also the rest of who were the dark acolytes in legends. His biological kids are Rael Averross, his son and oldest bio child, Komari Vosa, his daughter and youngest bio child. They both have their mother's last name, Vosa but Rael changed his.

Dooku also has grandchildren, Rael has two illegitimate children, Nim Pianna with a women named Selbi Pianna, and Lamia. Komari adopted some kids out of a life in criminal gang because she's a good person I decided. Keelyvine adopted Tyzen Xebec after his dad died. Dooku has more grandkids but I don't wanna write them all out here, he loves all his grandchildren equally.

He(&Yaddel) taught Plo the ways of serial adopting and was proud when Plo out serial adopted him. Yaddel taught him how to serial adopt. Plo and Shaak Ti were serial adopting buddies.

Between the four, a lot of otherwise neglected children would have been without someone to talk/go to or any sort of good, supportive adult figure in their life.

So Anakin and Obi-Wan have a lot of first cousins from Dooku and a bunch of other cousins from Yaddel. Qui-gon is drowing in cousins, neices and nephews and is super proud of his big bro.

Plo Koon was a good friend to Obi-Wan and Anakin, like another dad because he exudes a fatherly presence.

Shmi, Satine, Cody and Padmé all had no idea what they were signing up for when they married into this family. A hell of a lot of cousins, crazy family reunions where somehow, everyone can almost always make it in some way, usually about 100 or so people in person and everyone else doing it over the holophone.

As people from small families(except Cody, he's got a shit ton of 'brothers', most aren't actually related to each other, just raised together) this was a big adjustment but a fun one since the big family was generally pleasant to be around as a whole, there were some annoying members but not too many of them.

Shmi loves the big family a whole lot, she thinks it's very fun if tiring to remember everyone's names at times and she really likes to learn about everyone.

Satine is surprised that there aren't major family fights because of stupid disagreements, they have a surprisingly effective mediator, Yaddel, who no one wants to piss off, she likes the relatively calm conversations over disagreements unlike her family who solved things with violence and shouting.

Padmé has heard of the one disagreements that no one is allowed to talk about because of the family war that happened but she can't find out about it because they don't speak of it and it drives her crazy. Other than that minor annoyance, she loves the big crazy family too.

Cody sees the big family and was like; 'Cool, just like home but less violent.' He adjusted to the new family very well.

Most of the family is supportive of Obi-Wan and Cody, others just don't mind it and nobody says anything against it because they are basically asking for death.

The same thing happened with Ahsoka and Kaeden. Everybody loves it when there are babies and no one has to look far for a babysitter.

The whole family goes to weddings, they are all outside weddings because there isn't any indoor place big enough to handle all these crazy people.

Bail and Breha are politicians, Breha is still a queen and she and Padmé are buds. They would have 'diplomatic' meetings every few months where they just chilled and gossiped about stuff.

Alright, this is really long I'm gonna stop it here but this one kinda covered the early life and family of Obi-Wan and Anakin.

I think I gave Dooku too many kids but whatever!

And I still left people out, I'll fix that soon ;)

I am going to start writing out this concept because I think it will be really fun.

Have a good day!

VJS out!

[vanishedangels]

The Red Thread of Fate

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5

Summary: Luke Skywalker, Prince of Tatooine, helps Prince Din Djarin of Mandalore to kill the Greater Krayt Dragon and escape the labyrinth in exchange for a ride to Yavin 4 in order to reunite with his sweetheart. But a red thread will lead him to his true love.

Loosely based on The Myth of Ariadne and Theseus and Ariadne's Story.

Pairing: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker.

Characters: Luke Skywalker, Din Djarin, Anakin Skywalker, Padmè Amidala, Obi Wan Kenobi, Leia Organa, Biggs Darklighter, Sheev Palpatine.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Tatooine slave culture. Slavery.

Tags: Canon Divergence AU, Soulmates AU, Pining, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Protective Din Djarin, Confused Luke Skywalker, Matchmaker Padmè Amidala, Severe King Anakin Skywalker, Strict Father Anakin Skywalker, Sassy Obi Wan Kenobi.

Chapters: 1/5.

Navigation: Next Chapter ->

"Open your eyes Prince, I'd like to look into your pretty eyes when I talk to you." He said laughing, Luke widened his eyes staring into his visor "Deal." Din said. "But I would take you with me even if you didn't help me." He closed the distance between them.

Luke parted his lips and he lowered his gaze "Good, because I need to go to Yavin 4."

Chapter 1: Air

The desert could be so cruel. Tatooine was a dusty planet in the outer rim territories, people used to live their lives in fear, outlaws made the planet their shelter and danger was right around the corner, always. Until a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker, once a slave, became the King of Tatooine at age 22. He ruled with a heavy hand and while the planet prospered under his reign, he was a severe sovereign. He loved his Queen Padmè fiercely and adored their two children, the twins, Prince Luke and Princess Leia.

Prince Luke was idealistic, naïve and stubborn. Princess Leia was realistic, practical and, like her brother, stubborn. But while Luke was all heart, Leia was all brain. They were inseparable while growing up, two sides of the same coin.

King Anakin wasn't satisfied with executing every criminal, including the Hutt Clan, he wanted to destroy any menace to his people, and the Greater Krayt Dragon was the last of his kind and the ultimate menace. "You can't kill him Anakin. He's a mythological creature, it would be a crime." Obi Wan Kenobi said to him, the King nodded and listened carefully to his mentor and friend.

"But I want him secluded. Build a labyrinth around his cave. We will provide him with food." Anakin stared at Obi Wan's face.

"What kind of food Anakin?" His mentor asked sighing.

"Slaves."

Indeed he was severe. And he was also a conqueror. The last planet he colonized, Mandalore, was his favourite victim and once the labyrinth was built he ordered the Mand'alor to send seven young women and seven young men to entertain his Krayt Dragon. He wouldn't say a word to his King, but Master Obi Wan was shocked and he disapproved Anakin's barbaric idea, he was repulsed by the way his friend seemed to enjoy that kind of cruelty.

Luke, the nineteen years old Prince spent his days learning the ways of the force under his Masters' guidance, training as hard as he could. But even when he was fully committed to his training he found time to hang out with his best friend, Biggs Darklighter. They were always together since they were very young until an afternoon when everything changed. Luke was lying on the floor in his room with his head resting on Biggs' lap, he laughed reaching out to caress his friend's face "Biggs?" He asked with wide eyes and he could feel his heart thumping against his ribs. Biggs smiled with loving eyes staring down at him when Anakin's voice startled both of them.

"Luke. Here. Now!" His father walked away and Luke rushed to his side.

"What is it father?" He was swallowing through the lump in his throat.

"What do you think you are doing?" The King towered over him, so tall that his son needed to tilt his head up every time they were face to face.

"I-I was, uh." He blinked at his father.

"You're the Prince of Tatooine and you're going to be the King when I'm gone. You belong to royalty, which means that you can't fool around with a commoner, a pleb." He put a hand on his son's shoulder "You're not doing this on purpose, I know, I can tell. But this ends right now. And that's my last word." Anakin walked away leaving his son trembling behind him. The boy's blue eyes filled with tears as he ran to his chamber, Biggs wasn't there anymore, he closed the door and didn't come out for the rest of the day. The Princess comforted his brother, holding him tight and caressing his back, telling him that Biggs left the planet that same day.

Three days after Biggs' departure Luke received a letter from his friend, he asked Luke if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him and gave him his new location, Yavin 4. "I will wait for you my love." The prince read the last sentence over and over again until the words lost their meaning.

Luke was absentminded that day, he couldn't even focus on the large ship that landed in front of them. His father was standing next to his counsellor, Sheev Palpatine, and next to the Queen. Leia was elbowing him but Luke's mind wasn't there, it was on Yavin 4.

The ramp opened and fourteen mandalorians walked down and they came to a halt in front of the King. Luke found himself frowning, astounded, staring at the visitors, the way they wore their armours and helmets with such an ease was praiseworthy.

"Welcome mandalorians." The King greeted them "I wish you success, tomorrow you will face our Greater Krayt Dragon, if you are lucky enough to kill it, you will receive a prize. The best part is that you choose the prize." Anakin's eyes glistened with a broad and false smile on his face.

The mandalorian in front of him nodded, Luke noticed that he was the only one with a silver armour, he shone under the two suns and he looked intimidating, broad but slim. "Thank you Your Highness. We will win the prize. I will win the prize." The mandalorian in shiny armour said.

The King snorted out a laugh as he crossed his arms in front of his chest "So full of yourself young mandalorian. I like that but you should keep your mouth shut. Show me your face. Now." He demanded.

The mandalorian didn't move. Luke found that amusing. He suppressed a laugh while Leia was kicking his shin.

"I won't show you my face Your Highness, it's against my creed." He finally said.

Anakin narrowed his eyes "Creed? Who the hell are you to deny my request?"

The mandalorian walked closer to the King and leaned his visor to his eyes' level "I'm Din Djarin from the Clan Vizsla. My mother is the Mand'alor. I'm the Prince of Mandalore." Anakin uncrossed his arms. Luke gasped as Leia was smiling pressing her lips together as she tried to not laugh at her father who looked tensed around his shoulders.

"I didn't ask for a Prince." The King resolved.

"This is my people Your Highness, I am one of them and I won't walk away from this challenge. It's my responsibility to be here." Anakin looked back and forth between the Prince of Mandalore and the rest of the mandalorians behind him "And I'd appreciate that you agree on me going first Your Highness, it's all I ask. I will kill the Krayt Dragon and leave this planet with my people and my prize as soon as I finish my task."

Anakin nodded, tongue-tied as Sheev Palpatine whispered something in his ear. "Alright Mandalorian, you're going to your chambers now, my servants are showing you the way. I'll see you tomorrow." He dismissed them as they walked away. Leia took his brother's arm but Luke didn't move, he tilted his head towards the Palace and Leia nodded, she started walking leaving her twin behind her. Twenty-two servants approached the mandalorian party but the Prince Djarin walked pass them and his visor found Luke's eyes and stood in front of him. For a moment they locked eyes without making a move, Luke smiled and he could swear the mandalorian smiled back at him behind his helmet.

"It's not fair." The mandalorian Prince said.

Luke tilted his head frowning but still smiling "What is not fair?"

"You know my name but I don't know yours." He answered. His voice was husky but sweet to Luke's ears and he suddenly felt his chest tightening. "I'm just kidding, I know you are Luke Skywalker, Prince of Tatooine." He chuckled.

Luke's cheeks were pink and the mandalorian lowered his helmet like he was assessing his face. Luke nodded "Nice to meet you, Prince Djarin." He said staring at the slopes of his helmet wondering what he looked like behind it.

Prince Djarin took his hand into his own hands, caressing Luke's knuckles, Luke withdrew his hand and hid it behind his body, he was impossible red now and staring down, avoiding the mandalorian's face. The man chuckled again and Luke felt his heart racing faster and faster. "Nice to meet you too, Prince Luke." A woman in armour touched his arm and the mandalorian nodded at Luke "Excuse me, please." He said as Luke nodded at him. And he was gone.

That night Luke was tossing and turning and he couldn't shake the Prince of Mandalore's words "I will kill the Krayt Dragon and leave this planet with my people and my prize as soon as I finish my task." Luke jumped off the bed and walked down the corridor, he saw a light coming from the library, he sneaked up and peeked into the room only to find his good uncle Obi Wan reading and sipping caf. "Don't think I can't tell you're looking at me Luke." He said chuckling.

"I can't sleep."

"Is that because of Darklighter?" He asked and Luke nodded surprised "Come in and close the door."

Luke confessed to his uncle about Biggs' letter and how desperately he wanted to go to him "My father is wrong, he can't tell me what to do, I'm old enough to choose the way I want to live my life." He frowned staring down.

"Do you love him, son?" His uncle's voice was soft. Luke looked down and didn't answer. "What are you thinking Luke?"

"The Prince, the mandalorian, he's planning on killing the Krayt Dragon and leaving immediately, what if, what if we help him?"

"How can we help him?" Obi Wan rested his back against the couch.

"You built that labyrinth. Be honest. It's difficult?"

"Very. I would say that it's impossible, Luke, the Prince is going to die in there." He rubbed his hands against his thighs.

Luke shook his head "Then we'll do it. We help him."

"But I don't know how." He frowned pursing his lips "We-we could provide him with a lightsaber."

"Yes! That's good, what else?" Luke stood up.

"The man is wearing beskar. That could be enough. But there's the labyrinth, I don't know how to solve that part."

"I'll figure something out." Luke left the room and walked towards the south wing. He stood in front of the door, he knocked, he waited. Prince Djarin opened the door as he startled staring at the smaller boy, he wasn't wearing his armour but the helmet remained covering his face.

Luke was scared and having second thoughts when the mandalorian asked him "Prince Luke can I help you?"

Luke was pressing his lips together then shrugged "This is the deal, I'll help you killing the Krayt Dragon and leaving the labyrinth and you take me out of Tatooine on your ship."

The mandalorian rested his hands on his hips and Luke followed the moves untill he fixed his eyes on the man's waist and he realized he was impossible attractive, sinfully attractive. Luke swallowed closing his eyes.

"Open your eyes Prince, I'd like to look into your pretty eyes when I talk to you." He said laughing, Luke widened his eyes staring into his visor "Deal." Din said. "But I would take you with me even if you didn't help me." He closed the distance between them.

Luke parted his lips and he lowered his gaze "Good, because I need to go to Yavin 4."

The mandalorian froze. He walked a few steps back "Yavin 4?"

"Hush, please, no one should know about it." Luke was looking around and then focused on him again "I'll see you tomorrow." He ran away before the mandalorian could say a word.

But how? How can I lead the mandalorian through the labyrinth? Luke had eight more hours to come out with a plan. Time was running.

[thefanbasewhore]

United As One. || Part 2.

Summary: While Din is trying to convince the reader to marry him, the elders show their distaste while the reader finds out something that can impact her decision.

Warning/Content: 18+ please, fingering, oral (male on female), light smut, body hair (bc it's normal!!!) fighting between characters and angst. Also I don't ever write smut... Please be gentle with me lol this is one of my first times.

Paring: Din Djarin/female reader

Clan Leader Din AU

Part 1. || Master Post. 

Light seeps through the gaps between thin curtains, eyelids flutter as the sun hits her skin, heat creeps up the nape of her neck, warming her forehead. The brightness makes her squeeze her eyes harshly, she uses her hands to try and face the other way but dead weight against her chest makes it impossible.

Thick brown curls rest against her chest, Din's face appreciating the warmth and comfort of her breast, his own chest pressed against her stomach with small, shallow breaths. She can't see his face, he's too low angled downward, facing the wall but it surprises her. Her eyes widen in embrassment, the sudden feeling to run her fingers through the ringlets that he's decided to show her for the first time.

Din has never removed his helmet in front of her, sometimes in the dark but this was different, his skin pressed against her chest, hair she dreamed about tickling her chin is an overwhelming feeling, to add to it the memories of his last words that Din admitted. She's conflicted, It looks more beautiful then what it felt like in the dark between her fingers but what if she wakes him and he demands an answer? Something she's unable to give at the moment.

"Marry me, I've always known you'd be my riduur since the day I met you."

Despite the nervousness fingers softly tug on the tips of hair that reached his collar, silky and well managed despite being in his helmet and the long night sleep. It's a soft sigh that falls from his lips as nails scratch his scalp, sleepily pushing his hips against her.

A breath his held as she feels the hardness against her inner thigh, swallow breaths still falling from Din's chest signaled he was still sleeping but hips unknowing to himself press harder and again wanting the friction.

Fingers stop, heart beating so fast she swears she can hear it in her ears. While they have laid next to each other many nights in the Razor Crest it was never like this. There wasn't enough room, someone would end up bumping into someone which would end up with a sleepy grunt for Din and him finding else where; leaving the bed for her.

Sex was out of the question, Grogu was the number one concern. Between finding a Jedi, keeping the Crest running before it was destroyed, and keeping up with the baby it never left the time too.

It wasn't by choice, there were many nights Din spent longing over her, greedy eyes running over any exposed skin she allowed, they showered together once after the battle against the Kypt Dragon, skin against skin but the lights cut leaving his creed intact.

Even now asleep all Din wanted to do is touch her, with the child's safety secured, and being able to come back to his clan, there was no reason not to.

He's not, heavy and throbbing against her bare thigh, Din's body weight shifting her pajama shorts up further exposing smooth skin. Finally, she takes in a deep breath, eyes shift to the child that lays feet away from them snuggling a pillow, sucking on his fingers for comfort.

"Mmmhmm." It's a soft moan, breath fanning against the swell of breast, that ever so tease him, hips indistinctly pressing further into her until he's sliding against the junction between her thigh and soaking heat. Shame makes her face red, mostly because of how much she wanted him, wants more.

Din's eyes flutter, eyelashes soothing the skin of her breast with a huff. He says for a second, evaluating the situation: his hardness throbbing, pressed between his girls creamy thighs, the worst part of it being he can feel how hot she is, see the wet spot the formed through the thin shorts, feel it.

The room was suddenly hotter, he doesn't dare move, freezes actually, would be absolutely horrified if she woke up finding him pushing against her. Lips gently lay a kiss against her chest, listening to the beats under her chest.

"Good morning cyar'ika." It's whispered against skin, not meant for her current consciousness, it's followed by a few more kisses, her eyes flutter shut at the feeling, breaths slow at a result. Din's hand press against the bed on each side of her, extending his arms to push himself fully up.

"Wait Din, I'm awake!" Her own hands come to cup her eyes as they catch a glimpse of his forehead. Din pauses, he doesn't move just keeps is face angular.

"Why... Why did you say anything?" Din's voice is caught in his own throat as she grinds her hips towards him. A small groan falling from the pressure against his hardness.

"I..." She trails off, Din looks up replacing her hand with his own, the other hand knotting the crown of her head, tangling into the hair with a slight pull that makes her whine. "I wanted to keep feeling you."

Din feels his own heart beat beginning to speed up, her fingers blindly in front pressing against the smooth skin of his throat, first cupping his chin feeling to thick hair there. Then they press against his throat, feeling the pulse thicken herself. Din might have thought it was more sexual then it was intended, truthfully honest she forgets how human he can really be.. the pulse helps remind her he's just as much as her, maybe even more.

"Din.." The whine of his name wanting and feral shoots straight to his aching cock.

Fingers soak the touch of her chin, gripping it just watch lips part with want, chest heaving that makes Din's face red. He's unexperienced, he'll be the first to admit it but it felt so, so right.

"Do you want me?" He doesn't mean to words like that, it makes him seem as if he is the prize when truthfully he's the lucky one to see her spread her legs further in response. "Can I touch you sweet girl?"

"Please, Please." She chants as he moves closer so he's on his knees in-between her legs. There's a few minutes of silence, he uses them commit this memory of her to his brain forever.

"Din." She's impatient as she calls for him, hand following it's own trail to the hem of her short but Din swats it away, tisking under his breath. "You look..." He gulps, "beautiful, so good for me."

Din's lips move agonizingly slow, pressing a piece of love across her neck, hands cupping both of her breast through her shirt feeling nipples react instantly, hard through the thin material of the shirt. "Keep your eyes closed."

"I-I.." Tears of frustration wet eyes, she want to cry, beg for him to touch her but he's to busy enjoying the feel of her, parts he's never been able to explore before. "The kid."

Suddenly Din feels like an idiot, eyes shifting across the bed, thankfully the kid is still sleeping unbothered. "I'll be right back, keep your eyes closed."

Once the child is safely tucked away, comfortable as Din made sure to cover him with blankets in the other room. Nothing could prepare Din for the sight in front of him, smooth bare legs, breast naked on display with soft nipples, his hand slips further down his abdomen to grasp his own arousal, hard and aching. A small moan makes her head raise but eyes stay closed. "Din?"

"I'm here pretty girl." Din finds himself between her legs again, hands stroke the sensative skin of her inner thighs, she managed to take her shorts off the only thing keeping Din from seeing her naked is the cotton underwear. Din cant help but stare, the light colored fabric left little to the imagination, dark hairs shape against it, the wet patching showing just how badly she wants him.

With her eyes closed, it's practically sensory overload. Her skin can feel his touch so much more, the warmness of him, not to mention his smells, musty and warm, it reminds her of old leather. Ears twitch at how horse his voice is, breath against her skin as lips touch her neck. "Do you, I mean, Do you want me to -"

Din's feels his own skin heat at the words, he didn't have much experience besides when he want younger and one of the clan members went down on him but it didn't feel like this. Nothing can make him feel the way the cry that falls from her lips do. "Please, please touch me Din."

Din mades sure to take his time, spreading the wetness around the bare mound with his thumb, his mouth parting with want. If this was the last thing he’s ever seen, he’d die happy watching her skin flush pink, chest heaving with deep breaths, grinding her desperate, needy hips against own hand.

He loves to watch, watching her mouth open to beg for more but he's greedy, he wants hear more. Hear that he is the reason for her wetness. Fingers pinch the most sensative part of her, eyes open in surprise but Din's too fast, covering them with a hiss. "Eyes closed."

She obeys almost instantly at the rough grunt, eyelashes fluttering against his palm. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to."

"Mhmm." He agrees inside his chest, his hand leaves her completely with a protest but it's soon gone and she's flipped onto her stomach, face pressed against the mattress as fingers dig into her hips, dragging them into the air. He found himself so wrapped up in her he didn't care if she saw his face, all that was on his mind was her pleasure, with her eyes against the wall there was no reason to worry.

His length straining against the back of her thigh, heavy. Pressing kisses against shoulder blades and his hand finds its self between them, lowering her down against the mattress with a hand. His other thumb spreading across her clit, whining with the contact. His finger’s hook inside with no warning, filling her completely.

They're large, there's only two of them as they scissor against her walls, coated with her arousal that helps them trust into her again.

When his fingers find that spot that makes her cry, whine his name he can't help but moan, "Stars, Din."

She squeezes around him, hips naturally fighting his own trust of his fingers. "So, so beautiful."

He groans at the tightness, it sends shivers down his skin. Finger’s never lead up, filling and entering as soon as they left, over and over again until she feels the bundle of heat in her stomach, bubbling for a release. 

Din notices as he quickens the pace, chest against her back as he leans to press kisses against her neck, shirt discarded moments ago but neither could remember, lips sucking softly on the skin, huffing in frustration at his own arousal pressing against the back of her thigh for relief.

"Din.." it's a warning that make him suck harder, fingers so good it makes her mewl.

"Cum pretty girl, give it to me."

That's all it takes, from his fingers milking her through, the pretty girls that make her heart leap, his bare chest against her back, something snaps, squeezing against his fingers as a cry falls from them.

Her chest falls and raises quickly against the mattress, Din's fingers don't leave her heat but his head leans against her shoulders with a huff. Blind fingers reach behind her, squeezing his hardness so softly, it's an experimental touch that makes him groan but he pushes her hand away.

"Don't worry about me, I want you to cum again." She wants to protest, wants to say she can't but Din doesn't give her the chance to even catch her breath before fingers are leaving her, the dirty sound of his lips sucking on them making her gasp.

He uses this time to look at her, soaking begging for more under her breath. "Sweet, so sweet."

She couldn't tell if he was talking about her or her the cum on his fingers but eyes didn't miss a beat as legs lazily spread wider for him.

Hands spread across the back of bare thighs, trailing to squeeze a large handful of her cheek. "I always knew you would beautiful like this.. dreamed of it baby."

His arms flexing and expanding against thighs again as fingers curl into the softness of them, anchoring himself as lips closing down around her clit, suckling softly. 

“Din!” it's a whine of surprise as his tongue flickers against the sensative bundle, taking his good time with. His fingers finding her heat once again, sinking into the gaping hole, his finger’s moving faster, pace increasing with every squeal, scream or sound that was made.

His tongue doesn't let up from her clit as his fingers pushed deeper inside, purposely messaging the spot found in the deepest of her pussy, his cock throbbing at the thought of feeling it.

Hips lifting off the bed trying to escape his brutal lips, but he doesn't allow it as his free hand fell to hips, roughly pushing her back down against it the pillows. "Stay." The vibrations make her cry, beg for more.

Finger’s curling in her, collecting any juice they possibly could spreading against her as much as he could as hips jolt once again, a soft mumble against her making her moan.

The familiar feeling of heat building up and bubbling in her lower abdomen spreading warmth through out her whole body as he continued to finger fuck her as fast he could.  The heavenly sound of wetness dripping to his hand, covering his face and into the bed. "Give it to me, please, please sweet girl."

“I'm -." His name is like a prayer on her lips, his only reply is slamming his finger back into as hard as he could, lips puckering against her clit one more time. Eyes rolling back into her head, as her body let's go, Din sucks up anything he could manage. Her body slumps instantly but Din's finger grabbing her hips saves her from falling harshly against the bed. Loving lips press to her shoulder, laying his cheek against the warmth, slowly lowering her to the bed.

She wants to speak, but can't. Her head is still so high up in the clouds, mind so full with the thought of Din, Din, Din.

"Cyar'ika." The soft words make her heart jump, "Think about it.. I know it's not what you expected but I don't expect an answer right away."

Soft fingers trace her hairline as if they would never feel it again. His other arm wraps around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. Very prominent hardness against her back, but he ignores it. Eyelids flutter close, exhaustion taking over even when his lips meet her neck where he barries his head.

The sun once again is brutal, groaning as she blinks the tiredness away. Reaching behind her to feel for the loss of heavy weight but just to realize no one is there. Jumping up, looking for any sign of the green little monster as well but there is none. She moves to quickly, soreness from her legs reminds her of earlier, cheeks red with heat. It's been no long since anyone has touched her, she would feel it for days.

With shaky legs she stands, dressing rather quickly as she leaves the hut to search for them. The day is like any other, faces that aren't covered with helms show their distaste, while she can't see the other's faces she knows theirs match their conrads.

The temple is rather large, tikis of fire trail to the entrance and for some reason she finds herself drawn to it. The long pull over is stretched across her chest as she wraps it closer to herself as she moves towards the deep rasp she knows as Din.

Symbols and drawings are itched against the walls, the low light of the torches wouldn't let her decipher them, she wouldn't be able to anyways they are written in a language she does not understand. The doorway opens to a large room, space large enough to fit hundreds, tables and chairs fill the majority of it. There's a large throne in the center against the wall, followed by smaller ones that sit directly behind.

Throat dries as eyes run over the familiar plates of beskar covered thighs, up to the small green child who plays with a small stuffed toy on the mandalorian's lap. Basker doesn't notice the new eyes in the room, too busy snarling at the wrinkled men and woman in front of him. They all look identical, long cloaks that cover their baldness, charcoal symbols in a perfect line down their faces.

"No." The words fall from the woman who threatened her lips days ago, Din doesn't like the words as he lets out a huff.

"There is nothing against it, it's allowed." He argues, the elders around him show their distaste with a hiss.

"She is not mandalorian, she will bring shame on this clan. You will shame us Din Djarin." Once again she feels unwanted tears of embarrassment sting eyes, she wish they would just go away, that it didn't bother her.

She wants to curl up and disappear when she meets the gaze of sharp basker, the elders follow suit. "What are you doing here?" It's soft, low.

He doesn't like the look she sports, face twisted in anger, in sadness. She tries to hide the tears, faking a smile as she looks up at him. "I was worried... Grogu wasn't there.. you weren't there."

"I'll be done in a second, wait outside for me cyar'ika."

One of the elders hiss, "Do not speak our language to her, she does not deserve it!"

It happens before anyone can react, Din holds the baby close against his chest, the other hand drips the elder's cloak around the neck line, threatening him with rough gasp. "Don't you disrespect her. You may keep order of the clan but I am Mand'lor. I meant it when I said you have to go through me."

Din's eyes flicker to her, she gulps nervously at the display of power. It fit him so... Well. "Outside, take the child I will be out."

The sound of his voice, the authority in his voice has her feet moving before her brain can even process the words. Grogu reaches out for his mother with a giggle as he's notices her, before Din can turn his head in her direction she's gone.

It's not long after that Din is walking from the temple. Even though his emotions are often masked by his helm, anger just radiates from him. Hot, deep inside his veins. If shows with his slow steps roughly dug into the ground beneath him, shoulders high, alert, his trembling fingers at his side.

"Are.." she pauses, eyes meeting his visor as he's only inches away, towering over her. "Are you okay bear?"

The nickname makes him pause, a rare smile lifts his cheeks pressing his forehead against her own. "I'm fine, everything is going to be alright."

His heart pounds in his ears, heart warm with admiration? Love? Honestly, he couldn't quite place his feelings when it came to her but the nickname made him feel warm, happy at the affection. The nickname was a jab at his parenting, papa bear she called him, ever since then it stuck.

Grogu small hands wrap around her neck, breaking them apart in jealousy as his face finds warmth against her neck. Din rolls his eyes with a chuckle, hand slipping into her free one. The act makes her pause, looking for eyes to see but Din tugs her toward, not caring who sees.

The walk back is slow, cool while they enjoy the spoils the planet offers. A few stares but Din keeps her distracted, "There's a celebration tonight. I want you there."

"No." She admits too quickly for his liking, he sighs stopping movement all together. She feels guilty, redness blooming cheeks. "No one wants me there, I'll just spoil their fun."

"I want you there." He admits, fingers find silky strands of hair, playing with the tips with gentleness. "It's my coronation, it's the celebration of me.. there's no one else more deserving to be there."

Din can't help but notice the awkward shift from hip to hip, trying to shift weight to make standing just a little bit easier. "What is it?"

Cheeks are even hotter as she looks down at her feet. Worried hands tip her chin to meet her own reflection in his helmet. "Tell me."

"I'm just sore is all." It's Din's turn to blush, hear claims his cheeks, runs up the nape of his neck.

"Let's go back, get ready. The child needs a bath anyways." The way the petal like ears raise at the mention of a path with a lifting lip makes them both laugh under their breath.

There's laughter in the distance, the smell of fire, roasting meat, chatting among peers when she arrives. She tucks the child closer as she manages to walk past without being detected, her only concern being to find Din.

Tents scatter across the green ground, the largest which she guessed with hold him. Two mandalorians stand out front, as if they are looking for any kind of danger to pass through. The one's helm shift towards her face, looking her up and down before gesturing her entry into the tent.

Din is seated, a blonde woman's fingers pressing white lines along with symbols that have no meaning to her against his basker on his thighs. His head tilts up towards his girl, a small smile forming underneath the mask. Beads lay in layers on his chest, peaks of flowers tangled between them, he's almost covered from head to toe in white clay.

His eyes never leave hers, despite how nervously she stares at the woman who sat between his legs.

"Hi pretty girl." The words pinch her cheeks red as his fingers mention her closer, the woman kneeling in front him remains quiet. Din can sense her irritation so doesn't dare recognize the fact another woman is between his legs. He presses his hand against his lovers back pushing her close to press their foreheads together.

"Hi bear." The nickname makes him smile again, a simple word that makes him feel loved. Leather gloves stroke the petal shaped ears on the child with a soft coo, "Hey buddy, how was the bath?"

The displeasure isn't hidden on Grogu's face but he still climbs over the chair to his father's lap. The blonde woman looks up from her handiwork with a smile as the curious child peers at her. "Hi little guy."

"I'm done here Mand'lor." Din gives a pleased nod, dismissing her silently. The girl gets to her own knees, angling herself to stand between his legs. There's something about her flirty grin, eyes that meet her own with a looking that just screams, 'I know something you don't.'

Even though it makes her narrow her eyes, it really doesn't matter expect when she bares her neck to them. Wrapped around with a thin piece of string is the mud horn signet that exactly resembles Din's.

She tries not to think the worst, but it seems like a claim of some sort. Like she is his. While she silently moves to exit the tent, a long strand of beads run across the whole length of her hair, dark brown in color.

Din's hands try to move her to his lap but the look of confusion etched across her face makes him pause.

"She wears your signet?" Din is caught off guard, bitting his bottom lip under the helm. While it made complete sense to him, how do you explain it to someone how doesn't understand this way of life.

"Yes." He answers truthfully, "I made it for her."

The words make her take a step back, Din's fingers don't allow her as they fight to move her between the V of his legs. He's successful, stronger.

"I will make you one when you're my riduur."

"but why does she have one?" The hurt can't go unnoticed, pale in color, anxiety making her heart thump faster.

"It's not important."

"It is to me. Why does she have one?" Din doesn't want to talk about it, he wants to enjoy the night, enjoy it with his clan, his son and her.

"She is my breeder." While she doesn't know what it means, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. She's silent, chewing on the fat of her lip. "Sweetheart?" Din looks up, uneasy with the silence.

"Breeder? You mean as in -."

"Have my children." The fear is answered, "It's tradition, the clan needs an heir. If a riduur cannot produce a child, the breeder will be used. It's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? If I marry you and can't have children you will just have them with her?"

He doesn't like it, the way her voice fills with hurt. "Yes but it won't happen, it's just in case."

She's trying to distance herself, Din let's go, he doesn't like the way she struggles from his grasp. "If it does happen what I'm supposed to sit back and watch you two raise a child together?"

"It won't happ -."

"Who picks her?" It's a jab toward him, makes him regret his choice that he made years ago, before he knew her.

"I do but it -." He wants to say it was before her, before he feel in love but watching tears fill her eyes makes him pause, if he had one weakness in this world it would be watching her cry, something he's seen too much over the past week.

"Don't cry." He stands tall placing the child on the chair, with every step towards her she moves further away. Her chest is heavy, heart breaking as tears that slip past eyelids.

"I was never your first choice." Din can see it, the way her eyes show the fear of loving him. Hand pressing against her own chest as if it physically hurts.

"You are, you're my only choice." His words try to reason, hands try to comfort but she presses a hand against his chest to stop him. The wall of the tent is against her back, Din boxes her in.

"It's tradition, I don't want her. I want you."

She shakes her head, tears burn her cheeks. "Your traditions are ugly, I hate it here."

The words make his face drop, heart stuttering in his chest, it hurts. Her defiance, the way she admits those words about his home. He wants it to be her own.

"I can't change them. I can't help them." Her eyes flicker to the beads against his chest, reaching out to feel the hardness of them.

"What were the beads in her hair?"

Din doesn't want to say it but none the less cannot lie. "I don't want to lie to you." It was too much already, it would only bring her more pain.

"Then tell me the truth Din."

"She wears the color of my eyes in her hair."

.."What?"

The amount of time it took Din to even admit the color of his eyes to her was months.. she just walks around parading them and he allows her, he did pick her after all.

"Y-Your eyes?" The words choke up in her throat, bottom lip trembling. "I never got to see your eyes, you said they were brown. The first time I see the color is on another woman. Do the whole clan a favor, take me home and marry her."

"No, No. Stop." His hands grasp her wrist, pulling her close to his chest, the dried clay scratched her cheeks, beads press against her temple. "It was long ago, before I met you. You are my choice."

Tears smear, melting the clay with a cry. She pulls away, "You might want to have her come in and fix that."

Din Djarin is left speechless as he watches her walk away, his own heart breaking inside his chest. Not even a full week home and it's already managed to distance them. Now her own broken heart matching his.

[silvereddaye]

I love you the dragon Au's with Vader and the twins! They just makes me happy! (I hope there are more in the future!)

Here’s a sequel to the previous AU. 

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

Summary: Luke and Leia live with their father, Vader, who has been cursed into the form of a dragon. The family dwells inside a place known as the Vault, which holds mountains of treasures and untold riches. 

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

“Daddy, will you always be a dragon?”

Big round blue eyes stared up into golden yellow eyes with black slits. But no answer was given to the little boy that day. 

Luke’s arms strained from carrying several scrolls and books from the archives back to his room. It was a long trek of long hallways and several flights of stairs. He could have just stayed in the archives or cleaned out one of the dusty learning halls, but there was something comforting about his room. About being close to the only other living beings for miles, to his family, to his sister and father. Solitude was far too easy to find here. 

His room was actually a suite of rooms, and he placed the scrolls and books in the sitting room near a cluttered table. The rest of the room was equally as cluttered with not just books but swords, wooden and steel, and models of boats and horses and tapestries and banners. Some were gifts from his father or sister, a few were things he had found, and a very small few were items his father didn’t approve of but Luke had snuck them into his room anyway.

“Luke? It’s dinner. Go get some water and wine,” his sister called from the hallway. 

Luke sighed. His feet were tired from carrying the scrolls, but he left his room. Leia, whose room was right next to his, was already gone. He made his way down flights of stairs and down hallways lined in firestones that took him deeper into the Vault until he came to the great wine cellar. The room was huge and filled with rows upon rows of racks of wine with dozens of barrels stacked in the very back. 

His father had once tried to explain to his children why wine was considered a treasure. Why it would be kept here. Something about how grape harvests vary from year to year and thus the wine from certain years is better than the others. He really didn’t care and mindlessly selected a random bottle. 

Wine in hand, he headed back up. He paused when he came to a large landing where several hallways met and stairs descended and ascended in several directions. On the floor was a large insignia surrounded by small sunstones. The symbol was of two pairs of wings with a straight line coming out of the middle and a starburst in the line. It was the symbol of the Jedi, the original keepers of the Vault. 

The Jedi . . . 

Luke shook his head as he entered the kitchens. It was a long room with multiple ovens and fireplaces for cooking fires. There were a few large wooden tables lining the center of the room and hooks and shelves filled with pots, pans, spoons, and knives. It was all covered in a fine layer of dust and some cobwebs except for a well-worn path leading through it to the door on the other side. It led to a small room with a well in it. He grabbed one of the many buckets, filled it with water, and this time hurried back across the kitchens.

Luckily the family hall was close. He soon was past the huge double doors and into the large semi-circular room. This place felt more like home than any other spot in the Vault. Their father had provided everything a house should have. A bedroom, dining room, sitting areas, and a play area. This is where Luke had his first memories. He remembered fondly curling up in the bed next to his sister while his father curled up beside the bed. At times he missed it, but he also enjoyed his independence and freedom. 

The bed was long gone, but many of the things were still there like the huge dining table that could a dozen of guests. Leia had just opened the small trunk near the table and pulled up a large, heavy, thick, rolled up table cloth. She placed it on the end of the large table and rolled it out. It covered the full length of the long table. Luke placed the bucket of water at one end and held the bottle of wine. 

Leia walked up to the middle of the table and clapped twice. Instantly, the table was filled with plates, platters, and bowls filled with fresh steaming food. The aroma instantly made his mouth water. He finally placed the wine down as Leia went to fetch the tableware. 

“You’ve been in the archives,” Vader rumbled from his usual spot nearby. 

“How can you tell?” Luke asked taking a corkscrew from his sister. 

“You’re covered in dust,” she said waving a fork at him. 

“You smell,” Vader replied. “The archives have a unique smell, and you reek of it. Be sure to take a bath tonight.” 

Luke turned his back to the large dragon and rolled his eyes. He took a seat across from Leia and the two started to eat. The magic of the tablecloth never ceased to amaze him. It looked so normal, though it was perhaps a bit thick. That was to hide all the small magical stones sewn into it. But he couldn’t help but wonder what runs and formulas had been used to produce food out of thin air. Any time he or Leia had questioned their father about it, he would avoid the topic or say ‘There are no limits to magic.’ 

Did the food come from somewhere? Was this someone else's food the magic had teleported away? Or did the magic cook up all this food in an instant? There were no answers like so many other wondrous items in the Vault. 

“Father,” Leia said about halfway through their meal. 

Vader had been lightly dozing and opened his large yellows eyes. 

“It’s almost our eighteenth birthday,” she stated. “That means we get one request, right?” 

“It does,” their father said slowly. 

Leia took a deep breath. Goosebumps spread down Luke’s arm. What was she going to ask? She hadn’t talked to him about this. 

“Then I would like to go down to the valley and--”

“No!” Vader roared. He jumped up to his feet. “Never!” 

The table shook and the plates trembled. Luke grabbed his wine glass to keep it steady. Leia had jumped up to her feet and was glaring down the darth dragon. 

“Never?” she growled up at him. 

Vader’s eyes had turned into slits and he bared his teeth. 

“You will never leave the Vault,” Vader hissed. 

“So we’re just supposed to rot in here with you?” 

“Leia,” Luke muttered as his eyes darted between his small human sister and his large dragon father. 

Leia ignored him. “So we can’t go out and find love and get married or have children? We have to be locked up in here like . . . like your stupid treasures?” 

Vader’s breathing was loud and he pulled in sharp breaths through his teeth. The silence went on for a few moments until the dragon let out a frustrated growl. He spun away, his tail swinging wide above their heads, and he marched out of the great hall. Luke stared at the large doorway and the hallway beyond waiting to see if their father would return. It did not look like he was. 

“Well, that answers that,” Leia said as slumped down into her chair. 

“Answers what?” Luke demanded.

“Father never plans on letting us leave here.” 

Luke looked down at his half-touched plate. The thought made his heart sink, but it wasn’t that surprising. Part of him always knew that. 

“Unless,” Leia said slowly. She glanced to the hallway to make sure there were no dragons listening. Then she leaned over. “Unless we figure out a way to cure father’s curse.”

Luke groaned. “Not this again, Leia.”

[fanfictasia]

Angstpril Day 20

The Silent Treatment

“Another fine mess we’ve gotten into,” Anakin mutters under his breath once the dust and smoke have begun to settle, and he manages to stop coughing. He ignites his lightsaber to give them some light to see with. This entire mission was a trap from the beginning, and they walked right into it. The Separatist base on this planet was never abandoned. They didn’t have a chance to get any information. The second they’d reached the control room, the entire building had exploded, and now, they’re buried in the rubble, hoping they don’t get killed.

Ahsoka sighs next to him as she sits up. All three of them are mostly uninjured thankfully, but they’re still trapped in here. Frankly, Anakin thinks he would much rather face a furious, hungry Krayt dragon alone than be stuck in here with Obi-Wan. They’ve hardly spoken with one another since the Hardeen incident scarcely a month ago. Anakin is still hurt and angry and he doesn’t want to deal with his former master. So maybe he won’t. He can simply ignore his existence. It’s not as if they have any chance of digging themselves out of here anyhow.

“Well,” Ahsoka declares with far too much cheer in her voice – and Anakin notices that she’s also carefully avoiding looking at Obi-Wan – as she eyes the giant piece of durasteel which is inclined over them, giving them some protection from being crushed. “I guess we’ll have to wait until Rex and the boys can dig us out.”

Anakin huffs, tapping his comm. “Rex, come in,” he calls, but all he hears is static.

“We’re too far underground for them to hear,” Obi-Wan informs him. “Either that, or our comms are being jammed.” He swipes at a cut on his forehead. Anakin pretends not to hear or notice.

“Rex, come in,” he says again, knowing even as he does that Obi-Wan is probably right. “Oh, great, he’s not answering.”

No one says anything to that, and Anakin suddenly realizes how awkward the silence is. It never used to be this way, and he hates it. He hates that he can no longer trust Obi-Wan to protect him the way he used it. He hates that he can only rely on Ahsoka and Rex – and the 501st, of course – to watch his back. But Obi-Wan made his choice, and he didn’t choose Anakin.

“Do you think we could lift something with the Force to try and get out?” Ahsoka queries.

“No,” answers Obi-Wan before Anakin has a chance, “Everything is far too precarious right now. More than likely, it would bring everything crashing down on us, and we’d be buried.”

Anakin can feel the tightly wound coil of anger within him begin to burn brighter. He almost wants to intentionally use the Force, because Obi-Wan just advised against it, but he’s not willing to put Ahsoka at risk. “We could try,” he says instead, looking at his Padawan.

In the dim blue glow, he can see the uncertainty flicker across her face. Deliberately turning away from Obi-Wan, Anakin reaches out with the Force, cautiously testing the structure around them. “Anakin, don’t,” his former master warns.

Still, Anakin ignores him. He knows it’s unkind and petty, but he thinks that his resentment is justifiable. A dark part of him wants Obi-Wan to hurt as much as he’s hurting. It’s not Jedi-like, but he doesn’t know how to stop it. Maybe – Maybe if the situation was different, if he was feeling like this towards someone else, he would go to Obi-Wan for help. But there’s no use wishing. He moves to the pile of rubble closest him, prodding it carefully with his mechanical hand, lightsaber held in his flesh one.

Something shifts, and he jerks back as more debris tumbles down into their space. He flinches at the noise, ducking aside as a chuck of duracrete falls right where his head just was. Well, it’s no use getting them killed down here. With a groan of irritation, Anakin drops down on the dusty ground next to Ahsoka.

“You okay, Snips?”

She coughs and nods. “I’m fine, Master.” Her eyes flick towards Obi-Wan for a moment, but she quickly looks away again. Anakin can almost feel her uncertainty and anger through their bond, and it’s like an echo of his own.

“It won’t take Rex long to find us,” he assures her.

“I know,” she agrees, shifting to find a more comfortable position.

Anakin knows that it’s harsh to give Obi-Wan the silent treatment like this, but he doesn’t know what he’d even say to him. What is there to say anyways?

End Note: This is the beginning of a post-Deception AU one-shot (hopefully). :)

[passable-talent]

the dragon anakin au was so good can we get a part 2 please

AHDKCJSHWE DEADASS???

find Part One here 

“I curse the Force from this place! May its kindness never guide you again!” 

The morning cold had settled in your bones, after spending the night so warm, in Anakin’s arms. Staring into the eyes of a dragon made it no better. His back teeth sparked, and from the mouth of the dragon came the flame, directed in a stream straight to you. 

Its fingers latched onto the wood before you, and wind moved past you as though even the air wanted to escape the flame. It consumed the wood it touched, and consumed the sky from above you, and all you could see was the flame.

But it did not consume you. 

In fact, it did not even touch you. Red and yellow heat surrounded you, stole the air from your lungs, catching and crawling on the wood around you, but not near you. Somehow, surrounding where you kneeled, chained to the platform, no fire crept closer. Astounded, you stared, your breathing laboured as the heat and smoke advanced where the fire did not. You looked forward, wishing you could shield your eyes from the flame, and something caught your eye. 

There was a silhouetted black figure, splitting open the flames as he walked, parting them as though they listened to him. It was Anakin, with his dragon’s cloak, and as he approached he revealed a glistening axe. 

You couldn’t react by the time he had struck down, slicing cleanly between your hands, freeing you from your chains. 

“Come,” he said, and you took his hand. He tugged you to your feet, and within the fire, he wrapped you in his cloak. Together you ran from the flames, escaping from the flame in the chaos of the village, and fled through the streets, to where his forest began. 

You stopped and turned, faced with the destruction of the town. Before you was a wall of flame, like nothing you’d ever seen, the platform and nearby council hall nothing but fuel to a pyre. 

“(Y/N), we have to go!” Anakin shouted, and you tore your eyes away. 

Halfway to his cavern and you stumbled, dropping to your knees in the dirt. At no point had you ever been in any real danger, but the betrayal of Palpatine and the guard hurt you nearly as much. In the exertion of running, the cut on your chin had begun bleeding anew, rolling down your neck and staining your collar. 

“Love,” Anakin said, and that was all, picking you up from the ground with your knees over one arm and your shoulders resting on the other. He carried you the rest of the way. He knew you could’ve made it there yourself, but he also knew you didn’t have to. 

He set you down on one of the couches in the loft of his cavern, and quickly gathered a wet cloth. You were coated in dirt, soot, blood, and he began with gently wiping your face. 

“They were going to sacrifice you,” he said, gaze loving and concerned. 

“I failed to kill you,” you said, closing your eyes. “They said that if you...” What had even been their intention? “I guess they thought that if you ate me, you wouldn’t bother them for a while.” Anakin rubbed his thumb over your cheekbone upon another swipe of the cloth. 

“You’re safe now,” he said, and you shook your head. 

“We aren’t,” you insisted, reaching up to hold onto his hand, catching his eye. “They’ll just send another knight, or worse, and now you have me to look after too, and it’s just-” You looked down in shame. “I’ve made it so much worse for you, Anakin.” 

“No,” he breathed, bringing you close and pressing his forehead to yours. “I’d do anything for you. I’ll keep you safe, no matter what.” You craned your neck up quickly to press a kiss against his lips. It was brief, and you rested back against the couch. Gently he ran his thumb over the cut on your chin, the very one he’d given you a few hours ago. 

“You said they’d take care of this,” he said softly, moving a chest nearby the wall, and digging around within it. When he returned, he scooped a fingerful of salve from the glass container he’d found, and spread it along the length of the cut. 

“I thought they would,” you said, “they would take such good care of me when I returned.” 

“Unless they decide to destroy you,” he added, a dark tone within his voice. “They tried to kill you.” Saddened, you didn’t answer. When he felt you were clean, and taken care of, he straightened up. 

“I’m going to kill them,” Anakin said, his expression hard. 

“Anakin,” you said, surprised by his violence. 

“I’m going to slaughter them like animals.”

“No, no,” you objected, following as he stepped down into the main floor of the cavern, his cloak billowing behind him. “No, the townspeople have nothing to do with this.” Anakin turned to you, and you had never seen him this angry, not even when you attempted his life, all that time ago. 

“Then why’d it happen?” He snarled, and you took a step back, unsure of his intention. 

“It- i-it was Palpatine. He ordered it, but-” Anakin turned, and began to run, opening his cloak like he would open his wings, and began his transformation to dragon form. 

“Anakin, wait!” You called, chasing after him, but he flew from the cave, and over the trees. You skidded to a stop at the stone ledge, glaring at his figure as it disappeared over the forest, no doubt on his way to Coruscant. 

In frustration, you lifted your hands to your forehead, then moving them back over your scalp until you framed your temples with your forearms, hiding your face between your elbows. With angry steps you moved back into the cavern, taking hold of a gold coin and throwing it with as much force as you could muster. You pulled your saber from your belt, igniting it with your incantation, and for a moment just listened to it hum. Your name would be a stain upon the Jedi Order- the knight that couldn’t kill a dragon, that couldn’t stop their own execution. And Anakin was gone, to burn down the village or worse, you wouldn’t know until he returned, and you didn’t know when that would be. 

There were a thousand reasons to rage. So you snuffed your saber and sat at the opening of the cave, looking out over the forest, trying to meditate. 

“There is no emotion, there is peace,” you breathed to yourself, looking out over the calm forest. Anger hadn’t served you in the past, and it wouldn’t know. 

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.” As long as Anakin was a threat to Coruscant, Palpatine would never stop sending knights after him. You needed to figure out a way to settle it all. 

“There is no passion, there is serenity.” But you felt the lie in your heart. You had broken the code of the Order- first, by failing to kill Anakin, and now, letting your passion guide you into a life with him, running from the Order and from Coruscant. Sooner or later, you’d need to come to terms with one of the scariest thoughts to ever cross your mind: you weren’t the Jedi Knight you thought you were.

“There is no chaos, there is harmony.” When this was all over, it would be the way it had been- and you could spend your time with Anakin, without worry of Coruscant. Maybe you could even be a Jedi knight, or a Grey at least, doing service to the kingdom outside of the Order. 

Anakin returned not an hour later. You stood from where you’d been reading near the mouth of the cavern and set down your book, happy to see him. But as he approached, you noticed something. You’d only seen him fly twice before, but something about the way he was flying now looked wrong, off. Like he was unbalanced. You took a step or two closer to the entrance, and when he landed, he barely even slowed his momentum before beginning his change back. 

“Anakin?” You rushed to him as he stumbled forward, and caught him before he fell. Now you could see what had caused the issue- he was torn, bloodied, and bruised. You guided him to a seat and let him lay, trying to take stock of all of the wounds. 

“Anakin, what happened?” You said, panicked, noticing more and more wounds. His legs were sliced in a few places, he had scratches on his shoulders and chest, and a deep, vertical cut over his right eye. It seemed that he had avoided any damage to the eye. 

“I meant to kill Palpatine,” he said, and your eyes widened. You rushed up to the loft to gather the supplies he’d used to clean you up, and returned with them to tend to him. 

“Did you?” You asked, first wiping up his face so that the blood wouldn’t run into his eyes. 

“No,” he said, letting out a breath. “I hesitated just long enough that he could draw his sword and give me this-” he indicated the cut over his eye, “And by then, the guards were there to do the rest.” You paused to cup his face, searching his eyes. 

“You didn’t need to do that,” you said softly, “You didn’t need to put yourself in danger.” He reached up, and as his cloak fell from his arm, it only revealed more blood. 

“I’d do anything for you.” Though he was bleeding, you took a moment to look at him, and appreciate what the force had given you, guided you toward. Master Yoda could have chosen any Jedi to send to Coruscant, but it was you. 

“Anakin? (Y/N)?” Came a voice from outside the cave, and you looked toward the entrance with suspicion before leaving Anakin’s side to investigate. 

It was the old woman who had allowed you to stay in her home, Shmi. But she wasn’t... she certainly didn’t look the same. Her hair, normally pulled into a bun at the back of her head, now fell around curled, black horns. She wore a dragon’s skin cloak.

“Shmi?” You said, in disbelief.

“Mom?” Anakin echoed, having heard her name. You looked back to him in surprise, then to Shmi. 

“You’re his-” you reached down to take her hand, pulling her up and past the ledge, one or two things clicking into place in your mind. 

No wonder she kept insisting that you return to the dragon. No wonder she never said a thing when your ‘wounds’ washed away with a single swipe of a washcloth. 

“Thank you, dear,” she said, giving your shoulder a squeeze before approaching Anakin. “You’re both in danger, you need to hide.”

“Hide?” You said, wondering what could possibly happen that would make today worse. 

“The council of Coruscant has ordered an army of golems. They’re on their way- you need to get as far away from here as you can.” Golems were- well, bad news, first of all. Every village in the kingdom had a collection of statues that could be animated into soldiers, if there were need. The ones surrounding Coruscant were called the Droids, and they were sculpted as archers. 

“We can’t abandon this place,” you said, not wanting to engage in unnecessary battle, but unwilling to leave Anakin’s home. “We can protect it. I can take on the Golems.”

“(Y/N),” Shmi began, but the rumbling began. “(Y/N), be careful,” she insisted, “Councilman Gunray has been sent to ensure that Anakin is killed. If he sees you-” 

“I’ll be careful, I promise,” you said, cutting her off. 

“Wait,” Anakin called, fishing his cloak out from beneath him. As he pulled the cloak from his body, he lost his scales, his horns- his human form became even less dragon than you’d ever seen it. “No arrow can pierce it.” He held the cloak to you, and you fashioned it around your shoulders quickly, then giving him a quick kiss. 

“Stay here,” you told him, “where you’re safe.” Shmi nodded, taking over treating his wounds, and you turned to the entrance of the cave. The rumbling had stopped, which likely meant that the droids were waiting for Anakin to reveal himself. 

You pulled the cloak’s hood over your head and stepped forward, your face hidden in the shadow of the cloak, and your saber hidden within it. 

You threw the cloak open, letting it flare out from your sides, opening your arms and igniting your citrine saber. 

The droids began firing, and you descended upon them. 

If you could avoid the arrows, you could easily get close to them, and with a swing of your saber the magic inside them died, and the pieces of statues would crumble into the dirt. You cut through them, through the masses of them, their heavy feet preventing the agility they’d need to even stand a chance against you, great Jedi Knight, trained in combat by the Masters Yoda and Windu. No droid could stand a chance against you. Only when there was not a single left standing, and broken statues littered the grasslands like fallen soldiers, did you turn toward the trees. 

You were panting, breathing hard, black dust and sand of crumbled stone collecting over your face, cut through with lines of sweat. It took a moment, but you located Councilman Gunray, cowering behind a tree. 

You lifted your saber, so you looked straight down its orange, fiery blade at him. 

“Tell Palpatine,” you roared, “that if he leaves us alone, he will receive no more hostility.” You glared, eyes sparking with the ferocity of a battle won. “But if he tries to rain down fire upon us, he will be flooded with fire and death the likes of which he has never seen!” 

The councilman fled. 

He returned to Coruscant with a harrowing tale. It seemed, in his fear, many of the details of what he has seen were warped and changed, molded to fit what he had expected from the day. He told of the fallen Jedi knight who had stood at the mouth of the dragon’s lair and opened wings, fire sprouting from their hand before descending on the droids, and destroying them all. He told of the fallen Jedi knight who stood before the councilman and threatened him while breathing fire, black scales erupted from their face. 

Your curse had burned Coruscant, the townspeople whispered, and in the fire you’d been reborn as a dragon spirit.

They began to call you Sidious. 

-🦌 Roe

| part 3 | part 4 |

[cutieodonoghue]

the edge of hope (5/9)

summary: canon divergent au; when Din left Sorgan to protect the Child, he left the woman he’d fallen in love with, not knowing he’d also left behind something else. Or, Omera and Winta join Mando and Grogu on their season 2 adventures. Mandomera!

Catch up here: 1, 2, 3, 4

Fifth chapter below the cut or on AO3!

The Siege

The Razor Crest felt full. 

Omera and Winta provided a constant soundtrack to the otherwise relatively quiet ship, talking back and forth about any and all things. Inside Winta’s mind, there seemed to be an endless pool of questions that she could ask about literally anything at all. Her favorite one, regardless of topic, seemed to be, “Why?”

In the past, Din might have gotten annoyed. He might have sequestered himself away from all of the questions and conversation, but instead, he noticed himself becoming more invested in what Winta wondered about.

They sat in the cockpit together while they traveled. Winta liked the chairs because they were “bouncy and fun”, but Din preferred it because it kept the endlessly curious children out of trouble in the cargo hold.

The Child sat in Omera’s lap, as he had for much of the journey already toward Nevarro. While Winta asked another question, Din focused on Omera.

Something had changed. On Trask, they’d become closer, with lingering touches and heart-to-heart discussions murmured in the quiet room at the inn. Now, when he caught her looking at him, there was a feeling in the very pit of his belly that felt like fire.

Part of him wished that they could be alone, so that they could have a few minutes to talk about what would happen after they found the Jedi, but there was a special comfort in sharing time together with the children.

“Din, do you think I could go down into the cargo hold?” Winta wondered. “I think it’s time to stretch my legs.”

Din looked at the girl and nodded. “Just don’t get into anything.”

Winta grinned. She hopped up out of her chair and swiftly made her way out of the cockpit, down the ladder, and into the hold below.

Omera met his gaze. She smiled a little at him. “I’m sorry for the endless questions. Winta’s at an age of wanting to learn about everything she can.”

“It’s okay. We have time to kill.”

She hummed and looked down at the Child in her lap. She took his fingers when he extended them outward to her. Then, looking back up at Din, she asked, “Are you hungry? I can make us something to eat.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can-”

Both of them stood at the same time, practically standing on top of each other. Omera laughed, peering up at him with softness in her gaze.

Din’s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed.

“Uh… I can go make sure Winta doesn’t get into my weapons… if you...”

She nodded minutely. “Okay.”

They continued to stand there, toe-to-toe, unwilling to move. He heard the Child make a noise, but didn’t look at him when Omera did.

“Do you want to help me?” she asked the boy. “When Winta was a baby, I had a piece of fabric I used to swaddle her against me so that I could work.”

Suddenly, he couldn’t get the vision out of his head. Omera and a baby Winta. 

“I have something you can use.” 

Omera smiled and her eyes brightened. “That’s right. You do. I saw it on Tatooine.”

Din nodded. “I’ll go get it. Wait here.”

Swiftly, he made his way out of the cockpit and dropped down to the hold below. Instantly, he saw Winta sitting on the floor with an opened crate, plucking things out and examining them with twisted lips and a curious lifted brow.

“What’s this?” she asked him.

It seemed she’d found his crate of useless odds and ends. Some of it was junk given to him along his travels. Some of it once had a purpose.

Winta held in her hands a glowrod. She flipped it on, the light nearly blinding her. In surprise, she shut it off again.

“It’s a flashlight. You use it when it’s dark.”

She tilted her head as she studied it. “Cool.”

He smiled a little as he went to snag the fabric he used as a sling for the Child. As he stepped back toward the ladder, he said, “Careful. There’s some sharp stuff in there.”

“I’m being careful.”

He sighed softly. “Just making sure.”

With practice, he quickly scaled the ladder and returned to the cockpit. Omera still stood with the Child in her arms, scrunching up her nose as she made faces at him. At Din’s arrival, she turned and grinned at him.

“Did you find it?”

He held out the fabric for her to take. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve done this.” Omera thoughtfully pulled the fabric away from him. 

She carefully wrapped the Child within it before she slipped it on over her head and allowed it to hang over one shoulder, then tied off the excess fabric at her side.

“There we go.” She lifted a hand to the Child’s back and faced Din. “What do you think?”

There were a few things that came to mind right away. A few things that he might be embarrassed to admit thinking about, like the vision he had of Omera with a baby in her wrap that wasn’t the Child or Winta.

“Looks… good.”

Omera laughed at the awkwardness of his answer. She stepped closer to him. “We’ll go make something to eat.”

“The galley is…”

“I’m well acquainted.” Omera teased. Before he could feel stupid for trying to give her directions, she pushed up onto her toes and kissed the cheek of his helmet. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

She shook her head. “You’ve made the journey so far very easy. As hard as it’s been. I just wish… maybe we could spend more time together alone.”

He nodded in agreement. “Not a lot of room to be alone on the Crest.”

“Not with the kids.” Omera smiled. She reached up and soothed one of the Child’s ears between two fingers. “Maybe we’ll have the chance soon.”

His heart skipped a beat even at the thought of spending time alone with her. Maybe then he could ask her about the secret he knew she was keeping from him. Maybe then he could tell her that he wanted them to stay together when this journey was finished.

“I would like that.”

Omera laughed gently and bit down on her lip, lifting her eyebrows. “The last time we were alone…”

Din laughed with her. “Yeah.” 

They stared at one another for a beat. The Child cooed, reminding each of them of the task at hand.

“I should go. I doubt it will take very long.”

Din tilted his head toward the door. “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on Winta.”

Omera smiled at that, lingering for a second like she had something else she wanted to say, but she turned away instead. With Omera in the galley, Din dropped down below once more to see what Winta was up to.

She still sat on the floor, but now more pieces of junk were on the ground at her side as she analyzed each one thoughtfully. He folded his arms to his chest as he slowly approached her.

Winta didn’t look up right away, but when she did, she smiled. “I haven’t hurt myself. I’m being careful.”

“What are you doing with all of that?”

She looked at the junk on the ground. “I’m trying to make a game.”

“A game?”

Winta bobbed her head and went back to searching the crate at her side. “I’m looking for more flat things first.”

Din watched her cautiously, but refused to sit. He didn’t want her to hurt herself by accident.

Over the course of their journey together, he and Winta had become almost friends, if it were possible. He was constantly unsure of how to treat her, but she didn’t seem to care. She knew exactly how to treat him: with kindness, just like her mother did.

After a few minutes of analysis, accompanied by a song hummed beneath her breath, Winta looked up at him again.

“Din, what are these?” She held out in her palm a pair of dice.

He tilted his head. “You’ve never seen dice before?”

Winta shook her head innocently. She looked at the dice in her palm. “What do you do with them?”

Din shrugged. “They’re used in games. Sometimes people bet credits on them.”

The girl considered his words. “Why?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Omera landed on the lower level with the meal she’d prepared in her arm. 

“Anyone hungry?”

The Child, from his perch in the fabric wrapped around her, cooed, and Winta bounced up onto her feet. Quickly, she went to help Omera, abandoning the open crate and the trinkets on the floor.

“What did you make?” Winta asked.

“It’s just broth. Not very many ingredients to get creative.” Omera smiled at her daughter. “But it will fill us up.”

Once the broth was ladled out between all four bowls, Din took the Child to sit opposite Winta and Omera. The bowl was warm in his hands and smelled appetizing, but he wouldn’t drink it yet. He’d wait for them to return to the cockpit before indulging his hunger.

Sitting like they were, gathered together for a meal, he couldn’t help thinking about the future again. It was a comforting thought to have that they might get to share many more meals together.

“What have you been doing down here?” Omera asked. She looked down at the floor, where Winta had discarded the game she’d made.

“I was playing a game.” Winta smiled. “Din told me about dice.” She held the pair of dice up for Omera to see. “He said people bet credits on them sometimes.”

Omera hummed in confirmation. “We don’t gamble in our village. It might be fun if you had nothing better to do, but I’ve never been brave enough.” She gestured for Winta’s bowl. “Drink up. Din can’t eat if we keep talking so much.”

Winta sipped her broth just briefly. Her eyes twinkled. “I can’t wait until we get home. I’ll have so many stories to tell my friends. Like about the dragon on Tatooine, or the Frog Lady…”

“I’m sure your friends will love to hear all about our adventures.” Omera smiled fondly. “But-”

“But I need to drink my broth first.” Winta sighed. “I know…”

Omera laughed while the girl smiled into her bowl of broth. Beside Din, the Child giggled. He wasn’t sure if it was because Omera and Winta were laughing, or if it was because he found what Winta said to be funny.

“Din, do you have any stories about your adventures?” Winta asked, cocking her head to the side.

He couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s ferocious appetite for conversation. “Erm… I don’t know…”

“Aww...” Winta pouted. “But you have to have good stories to tell. That’s the number one rule for being a dad.”

Omera just about choked on her broth, her eyes growing wide. “Winta.”

Winta shrugged her shoulders playfully. “What will he tell the Child when he’s older?”

Sighing softly, Omera shook her head. “I’m sure when the Child is older, Din will have plenty of stories.”

For a moment, mother and daughter stared at one another. Winta quirked an eyebrow and bit down on her lower lip. Omera glared back at her, skilled at keeping the girl’s mouth shut with just one look.

“Mama has something to tell you,” Winta blurted out. She giggled and turned to Din. Her eyes were bright with a secret untold. 

Din cocked his head to the side as his stomach flipped in surprise. He knew she did. But hearing Winta say so surprised him. 

“She does?”

Winta bobbed her head. She hopped up onto her feet and rushed away, fleeing the scene and Omera’s mildly frustrated glare in lieu of going back up to the cockpit.

Din looked down at his bowl of broth, then at the Child, who hadn’t touched his broth either. 

With a wry smirk, Din finally looked at Omera. “Do you really have something to tell me, or was Winta just saying so to get out of having to drink her broth?”

Omera laughed through her nose. She hesitated for a moment with her thoughts, her smile softening substantially, then nodded.

“I do have something to tell you, but I don’t think right now is the best time.”

His eyes narrowed. Was she talking about the secret he’d seen hiding in her eyes? Or something different? Did it have something to do with what Winta had been crying about the other night?

“When would be the best time?”

She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “I don’t know.”

Din nodded. “We should be arriving to Nevarro soon. Once we get everything squared away with the ship, maybe we can ask someone to watch the kids. We could spend some time alone. Maybe… you could tell me then?”

Omera didn’t respond right away, clearly made nervous by the idea, but smiled at him anyway. 

“Okay.”

With a frown, Din lamented how unsure she seemed. Was it about him? Maybe she was sick, or dying. Maybe she had moved on with someone else, and being here with him on the Crest was her way of trying to close out their chapter in her life. Maybe it was simpler than that: maybe she did love him.

The thoughts were enough to drive him up a wall, so he stuffed them away. 

Omera stood and left without another word, leaving him with the Child and a full bowl of broth.

Turning to the boy, he lifted his bowl upwards. The Child echoed the movement. 

Curious, he tilted his helmet up slightly, just enough to eat, and swallowed a sip of the broth. The Child did the same, peering up at him with those big eyes of his.

Din laughed through his nose. Seemed like the kid just wanted to play with him. He didn’t mind. As long as he wasn’t fully exposing his face, he still kept his creed. 

A deep fondness for the Child washed over him as he lowered the bowl away, having just enjoyed another taste of the broth. The kid’s ears quirked and he stared back at him: curious, happy.

A forbidden thought entered his mind not for the first time since starting on this journey. Maybe it would be best for the Child to stay with him. Maybe they would be a clan of two and he could raise him in the Way. Maybe he didn’t have to become a Jedi.

Sorrow followed the thought, dampening the way his heart soared with warmth at the companionship he shared with the small boy.

He was his father, and he always would be. That would have to be enough.

-

When the Razor Crest landed on the planet of Nevarro, it was with some difficulty. The ship had been patched together, but only just, and it struggled to make the landing as smooth as it had in the past. 

The ramp they used to step off of the ship and down onto the planet’s surface deployed only halfway. Winta giggled when the ramp wouldn’t lower any further. Omera held her hand, following after Din and the Child.

“It’s really broken, Mama.”

Omera smiled. “I don’t think the Mandalorian would appreciate you laughing about his ship being broken.”

Din glanced over his shoulder at them. “I can hear every word you’re saying.”

Winta winced and recoiled, curling into Omera just slightly. “Sorry!”

Omera couldn’t help but laugh when Din gave a responding chuckle. She squeezed on her daughter's hand.

“He’s teasing us, my love.” 

Winta relaxed instantly with a relieved sigh.

Just ahead of them on the ground stood one familiar face and an unfamiliar one. It was a surprise to see Cara Dune, the former shock trooper, with her tattoos and tough exterior, who had helped liberate their village from the raiders.

They’d spent a fair amount of time together on Sorgan, over cups of spotchka in the evenings and stories exchanged about their lives long ago. 

The man standing beside Cara spoke to Din, “Looks like someone could use some repairs.”

Din got to the edge of the fully outward extended ramp and dropped down on it to slide off. Once on the ground, he stood waiting for them to reach him.

Winta went first, jumping into Din’s open arms with Omera’s help. He grunted at the brunt of her weight, a little dramatically so that Winta would laugh again, and Omera waited to take his hand on her way down.

His hands were warm and strong, two things she’d come to define Din as, and she thanked him with a smile once she stood on flat earth.

Finally on the ground, the party of four approached the duo that Din appeared to be friendly with. He approached the man and offered him a handshake.

“How’s my credit around here?”

The man, whose beard was a white-gray, shrugged, glancing over at Cara. “I think something could be arranged. Isn’t that right, Marshal?”

“I’m sure we can work somethin’ out.” Cara looked from Din to Omera and Winta. A smile spread on her face quickly. 

“I’ll get my best people on it.” The man turned to a couple of repairmen working nearby. “Hey, fellas! Let’s fix this man’s ship! I want it as good as new.”

Looking at them again, the man finally seemed to take notice of Omera and Winta.

“Where are my manners? Greef Karga. Magistrate of Nevarro. And this is-”

“We’ve met,” Cara cut him off. “On Sorgan. Couple of months back. It’s good to see you again, Omera. Winta, too.”

“Sorgan,” Greef repeated, lifting an eyebrow in surprise. “How’d you end up on the Razor Crest with the Mandalorian?”

Omera glanced up at Din, trying to decide how much to share. She wasn’t sure what he’d told his friends about her, or about what he was on a mission to do.

“She’s helping me on my path to find a Jedi,” Din explained. 

“Ah.” Greef nodded. “And how is the little one?” He stepped toward Din and pulled the Child from his arms as if they were old friends. He chuckled when the Child grinned at the man. “Has Mando been taking good care of you, huh?”

The Child babbled and Greef beamed from ear-to-ear. “Yeah? Yeah! He said ‘yeah!’ Oh, yeah.”

Omera held back laughter at the sight of the man, who had once seemed somewhat intimidating, having turned himself into a grandfather-figure for the boy. 

Din walked on ahead with Winta bouncing and bubbly at his side, following the Magistrate to an undiscussed location. The Mandalorian and Winta had very quickly become close. Omera was glad that her daughter had taken a liking to Din, but part of her worried that if things between she and Din didn’t end favorably, Winta might be just as hurt as Omera would be.

Things wouldn’t end poorly, though. She had faith they would make this work. If she could just be bold enough to tell him about the baby, they could decide what their next steps would be from there.

Staying behind the rest of the group, Omera lingered back with Cara. 

“It’s been a while. How are you?”

Cara smiled at her, lifting a teasing brow. “I could ask you the same thing. You and Mando… what’s going on there? Somehow I doubt you’re actually just traveling buddies.”

Omera felt her cheeks get hot. She laughed under her breath, embarrassed, and shook her head as she gazed after Din. He held onto Winta’s hand as he chatted with her, gesturing outward to the town’s landscape.

She felt content with the fact that they were traveling together just because they wanted to. It hadn’t been a mistake to join Din on this journey. In fact, they’d grown closer because of it.

If nothing else would come of this journey, she and Winta would have plenty of stories of adventure to tell for years to come.

“He came to Sorgan and asked if we would come with him. I agreed.” She met Cara’s gaze. “I thought Winta would like the adventure, and she has. So far.”

Cara eyed her briefly, a smirk resting on her lips. For a second, Omera wondered if Cara had figured the whole thing out without needing a second glance. 

“And does he know about your pregnancy?”

Her eyes widened in surprise and she felt herself reach to cover her middle, as if it would do her any good at all. “How did you-?”

“Relax,” Cara kept her voice low, “it’s not exactly obvious, but… you’re glowing. You have a little bump. You’re traveling with that hunk of a man. I took a chance.” She paused. “He doesn’t know?”

Omera shook her head. “If he did, I don’t think we would be here.”

Cara hummed thoughtfully. She looked on ahead, at the Mandalorian’s figure. “Look at him. He’s got the whole dad thing down already.”

“You assume it’s his,” Omera retorted, quirking an eyebrow in defense.

Her companion shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah, well, the timeline adds up. I saw the way you were together on Sorgan. I get it. Tough to picture him taking any of that off, but… hey, I won’t judge.”

Omera rolled her eyes, her cheeks now fully inflamed. She watched the Mandalorian with her daughter. Winta giggled at something Din must have said and swung his hand back and forth.

“I need to tell him. I just haven’t found the right moment.”

“Trust me, Omera. Just tell him. Doesn’t matter when, or how. He’ll find his way through. Might shock him, but he won’t have a complete meltdown. Not who he is.”

Nodding, Omera smiled in thanks. “I haven’t had anyone to talk to about this other than Winta, so… thank you. It’s nice to hear another perspective.”

“No problem.” Cara offered her a grin. “Congratulations. I’m sure you’re excited.”

Omera’s heart lifted. It felt so good to share her news with someone- a friend- who genuinely cared. It was different with Winta. Winta was eager to be a big sister, and could have cared less about nuances.

“I am.” She felt herself grinning wider. “I keep thinking it’s a dream… I never thought I’d have a second.” 

“And with Mando, no less. How’s that part of this going?”

Omera laughed and gave her head a shake. “We’ve hardly had any time together on our own. I almost wish we’d have the chance to leave the children somewhere safe for a little while so we could have a few minutes without worrying about them.”

Din turned, looking over his shoulder. He seemed to be begging for her help with Winta without needing to say or do a thing. Omera nodded at him in understanding.

“We should probably catch up with them before they think we’re up to something.”

When Omera and Cara caught up with the rest of the group, it was just in time for them to slow to a stop in front of a sealed door. Greef punched a code into the keypad. He still held the Child, whose ears were floppy as he tilted his head.

“I’m surprised to see this place is still standing,” Din said. “Are we sure we should be bringing the children into a bar?”

Greef shook his head. “Just wait till you see inside.”

Stepping in from the heat of the dry Nevarro desert, Omera’s eyes briefly needed to adjust to the lighting indoors. Soon, she realized that it was a school.

A protocol droid stood at the head of the class while rows of young children occupied desks, listening as best they could to the lesson. 

Omera couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Growing up, she’d been taught in schools just like this. Her heart yearned for Winta to be allowed to sit in a classroom and learn, even if she did love her school back home in the village. 

“A school?” Din kept his voice low.

“Things have changed a lot around here,” Cara replied coolly.

“We’ll leave the young ones here so we can talk business,” Greef said, nodding toward Winta at Din’s side. 

The Magistrate still held the Child in his hands, so he needed only to walk away, into the classroom with him in order to have his way. 

It made Omera a little wary that they’d leave the children in a school to talk business. Would there be any chance for she and Din to share time together at all?

Winta looked at Omera, silently asking what she should do. 

Omera nodded back at her. “Stay. Try to learn something new.”

Her daughter smiled and followed after Greef.

“Wait.” Din tried to stop the Magistrate. There was worry in his voice unmistakable, “Wherever I go, he goes.”

“Mando, please. Where we’re going, you don’t wanna take a child. Trust me.” 

Greef placed the Child into Winta’s arms at the only empty desk in the classroom. Winta settled in easily, smiling over at the children around her while she swung her feet just above the floor.

“They’ll both be fine here,” Cara said, addressing both Din and Omera. “You have my word.”

Din sighed, relenting to whatever it was that his friends wanted from him. As they walked out of the school and back into the sun, he said, “Winta, keep an eye on him.”

Winta bobbed her head and waved at them, content with the chance to sit and learn for a little while. Omera waved back, smiling at her daughter with excitement.

She walked alongside Din as Cara and Greef guided them along to a nearby building, away from the school. 

The Mandalorian gave out a sigh, one only audible to Omera. Very gently, she reached for his hand at his side, giving it a squeeze before she released him.

He snapped his focus onto her like she’d surprised him.

“He’ll be okay.”

Din sighed again. He tilted his head toward Greef, who remained within earshot. “I’m not worried about the kid.”

They were led into a building off of the main road of the Nevarro town, an unspoken plan for the Mandalorian guiding the pair’s deliberate actions. Whatever it was that Greef Karga wanted, she had the feeling that Din would now have no reason to decline. 

The office was small, with a pair of desks that were covered in equipment. Against the back wall, there were lockers and crates.

“I believe you two have met.” The Magistrate gestured to a Mythrol sitting at a desk in front of the door with eyes set on Din.

Almost instantly at the sight of the Mandalorian, the Mythrol expelled a blue mist from his head that settled like grains of sand on everything around him. 

“I’m surprised to see you here.” Din settled his hands over his belt in a way Omera thought was meant to be intimidating.

“Right back at ya.”

“Mythrol here’s taken care of my books since he was a pollywog,” Greef Karga explained. “But then he disappeared one day after a bit of ‘creative accounting.’”

“Magistrate Karga was generous enough to let me work off my debt.”

“Well, if he runs off on you again, let me know.” The Mandalorian sounded more than willing to round this particular individual up over and over again.

“Can we talk business?” Cara interrupted, walking over to a desk on the opposing wall.

Din shook his head in confusion. He glimpsed over at Omera. “We’re only here for repairs.”

“Which’ll take a while,” Greef said. “Means you’ll have free time on your hands, right? And we could really use your help.” 

Cara glanced between Omera and Din. “Both of you.”

“Help how?” the Mandalorian asked on their behalf.

Cara flipped a switch, powering on a holo map of the planet. “This is Nevarro. We’re here. This entire area’s a green zone. Completely safe." The map revealed a red area, far enough from the green zone to not interfere with day-to-day life. "But over on this side is the problem.”

“It’s an old Imperial base,” Greef supplied.

“It’s where all those troops came from when we defeated Moff Gideon,” Cara added. 

It occurred to Omera then that Moff Gideon must have been part of the fight that Din had encountered on Nevarro. He’d said he’d almost died at the hands of stormtroopers on this very planet. She wondered how it felt for him to be back again.

“This base has been here since the Imperial expansion,” Cara continued. “It’s got a skeleton crew, but for some reason, it hasn’t been abandoned.”

“There’s a lot o’ heavy weaponry in that place the black market would love to dismantle and get their hands on.”

“And you wanna mop up the last of the Imperial force before they do,” Din finished for his companions.

“Mando, I just want them off my planet,” Greef said, sounding a little irritated. “If we could take out that one last base, Nevarro would be completely safe. We could be a trade anchor for the entire sector.”

“And the planet would finally be free,” Cara added with a hint of optimism.

Cara seemed to have straightened out her priorities since the last time they saw one another. Last Omera knew, she was fighting for pay in a bar on Sorgan.

For just a few seconds as he contemplated the problem his friends faced, Din looked at Omera. 

“What do you think?”

Omera met Cara’s eyes from across the desk. They exchanged knowing smiles. “What’s our plan?”

-

The journey to the Imperial base was made in the Mythrol’s landspeeder. Din sat at her side behind Cara and Greef, and for the most part, they all kept to themselves.

She knew it was a bit reckless to go into a potentially dangerous situation like this one, but from what they’d said, the base had been mostly abandoned. With four of them armed and capable, it should be a breeze to get the job done.

There was something exciting about the idea that she was on an adventure with the Mandalorian, not having to worry about the children. She knew they worked well together. This would be another opportunity to see just how well they complemented each other.

As the Imperial base loomed closer, Omera felt Din’s fingers over her knee. Her attention turned to him and she smiled softly as she enclosed her hand over his.

She knew that he would only need a word from her to know that the situation was uncomfortable. He would take her into his arms and bring her to safety if she asked.

“Alright. Door coming up,” Cara announced. “Let’s just get in and get this done.”

Once the landspeeder slowed to a stop at the door, they all climbed out. Cara took the lead to the controls that would open the door. She groaned almost instantly.

“They’re melted. Imperial trash.”

“Probably not rated for lava,” Greef remarked, shaking his head. “I think there’s a flange cutter in the landspeeder. We could try using that.”

“Hold tight.” Din’s focus was on a landing platform just above. He took off with his jetpack and they heard the sounds of gunfire before a stormtrooper fell to the ground in front of them.

Omera looked up as the door beeped and slid open. On the landing, Din stood, waving at her. She laughed softly to herself and waved back at him.

“Well, that solved it,” Cara muttered under her breath. She gestured for Omera to follow. 

Soon, they were all in a turbolift going up, coming to a stop on the same level Din had flown up to. Omera gripped her gun a little tighter when she realized he hadn’t just had to take out one stormtrooper, but three.

“Empty base, huh?” Din asked, his voice a little tight.

They now stood on what appeared to be a landing pad for Imperial craft that led into their base. A few vehicles and crates sat covered and waiting, but there were no enemies remaining.

“The reactor should be set in the heat shaft,” Greef explained. “If we drain the cooling lines, this whole base will go up in a matter of minutes.”

Cara paused to look at one of the vehicles, half covered in a tarp, parked at the edge of the landing pad. 

“A Trexler Marauder. Might come in handy if we need to make a quick getaway.”

“It’s gonna get vaporized like the rest of this base,” Din said. He tipped his head toward the nearby entrance to the base. “Let’s go.”

They were careful, standing in pairs on each side of the blast door that led into the base. When it opened, there were no enemies standing by. They hadn’t been alerted of their arrival. It was a good sign. Maybe this would be a simple task after all.

The command room was one of the first they encountered, where one Imperial officer sat manning a security station. Cara took the lead, moving quietly toward the Imperial from behind as he tried to communicate with the shuttle bay.

Swiftly, Cara took out the officer with just one arm around his neck, dragging his unconscious body to the floor with a thud. After her, the Mandalorian went to search the security station while Greef leaned in over the body. He pulled something off of him and held it up.

“A code cylinder. This will be useful getting us into that heat shaft.”

Omera noticed Din shutting off the security camera feeds to buy their intrepid team some time as they made their way through the base to blow it up. 

Turning to them, Din said, “I found the heat shaft. Let’s go.”

All of them kept their guns drawn and their eyes and ears open as they followed Din’s lead through the corridors of the Imperial base. 

They encountered a pair of stormtroopers crossing a parallel hallway on their way to answer a call, but remained undetected when they ducked back behind the wall beyond the opening that otherwise would have revealed their crew.

“So much for getting some time alone,” Din told Omera quietly.

She lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. I kind of like this.”

As a unit, they snuck through the opening that led to the parallel corridor and toward a locked door that laid just beyond.

They were able to enter via the code cylinder plucked off of the security officer, and once they stepped past one final door, there was the heat shaft. Beneath grated flooring, hot, smoldering lava sat fiery and untamed at the bottom. 

Omera turned to Greef once she spotted the reactor controls. They were built into a tower with a thin walkway that wrapped around it. 

“I’ll drain the cooling lines. Give me the cylinder.”

Greef didn’t argue, rather seeming impressed instead as he settled the tool into her hand. 

She used caution to maneuver around the walkway. The space was tight. Her belly flipped with anxiety when she glanced down at the lava below, but she grit her teeth and made it work on behalf of the team.

“Mando, where did you find this one?” Greef asked. The trio standing by the door kept watch, and Din was the most careful, standing in the doorway with his gun at the ready. “Not only is she beautiful, but she’s absolutely fearless.”

“She’s spoken for, too, so why don’t you keep the compliments to yourself?” Cara asked, clearly teasing everyone in the lava chamber. “Isn’t that right, Mando?”

Din made a noise, something between an annoyed sigh and a scoff, completely non-committal in the face of everything his friends teased him about. 

Omera inserted the code cylinder then and focused her attention on getting the cooling lines drained.

“Well, if you’re not interested...” Greef jabbed. 

“You should’ve seen him on Sorgan. I’m pretty sure he is.”

Greef clicked his tongue against his cheek and laughed. “Oh, does Mando have a crush?”

“I’d say so,” Cara replied. “Look at him. He’s so defensive.”

“I’m not defensive…”

Even though they were still on guard, both of his friends chuckled at the awkward nature of his voice. 

Omera glanced at them briefly, unable to help from smiling just a little. The Mandalorian’s attention was on the hallway ahead of him, clearly trying to avoid the conversation. 

As quickly as she could, she finished her task at the console and removed the cylinder. She made her way back to the group on the landing and nodded at them.

“I’ll let you know if the Mandalorian decides to seal the deal, but for now… the base is set to explode, so we need to get out of here.”

Greef Karga laughed once. “Cool under pressure, too. Kriff, Mando. You better lock it in.”

Din shot Greef a deeply annoyed glare noticeable even without seeing his eyes. 

Omera rejoined them in the entrance to the shaft and they took off, rushing toward the main corridor once more to try and find their way out in under ten minutes.

An alarm blared as the base alerted the Imperials of its impending destruction, and when they found an opening to take, Din peered around it, slowing with his fist in the air to get the rest of them to stop.

She could hear stormtroopers. It seemed they were on the lookout for trespassers. Her belly flipped anxiously. Time was limited and she very much wanted to get off of the base in one piece.

Din turned around, gesturing instead to the hall behind them. Omera nodded and followed his lead. When they rounded a corner, they discovered two Imperials standing behind a console.

The men drew guns when they noticed their arrival, seeming flustered, shooting both at them and at the console itself.

Omera acted quickly, firing her weapon with the rest of the group. She shot at the Imperial to the left and he keeled over instantly. Din shot at the Imperial to the right and he suffered a similar fate.

“Okay, now you’re both just rubbing it in,” Karga joked lightly.

Omera smirked in Din’s direction, proud to have been of some help, but his focus had already turned to the wall ahead of the officers, to a series of figures in cylindrical tubes full of liquid.

“I thought you said this was a forward operating base,” Cara said to Greef.

“I thought it was.” Greef’s tone had shifted significantly. 

Worry settled over the group and Omera took a step toward the console, gentle to remove the body of a fallen Imperial so she could see what they had been working on. Much of the console had been destroyed in the gunfire, but she was able to bypass some of the damage.

“No, this isn’t a military operation,” Cara said thoughtfully. “This is a lab.”

Omera uncovered a transmission, the last to be sent from the terminal, and switched it on. The holo of an unfamiliar man in white appeared on the top of the console. 

“Unfortunately, we have exhausted our initial supply of blood. The Child is small, and I was only able to harvest a limited amount without killing him.” 

Omera met Din’s gaze. These were the ones who had been searching for the Child, and it seemed they had done something to him. 

“If these experiments are to continue as requested, we would again require access to the donor. I will not disappoint you again, Moff Gideon.”

There was that name again. Gideon. Omera knew nothing of him, but nothing but dread filled her hearing his name.

“This must be an old transmission.” Din shook his head in denial. “Moff Gideon is dead.” 

“No.” Omera frowned worriedly. “This recording is three days old.” 

“If Gideon’s alive then…”

Suddenly, the sound of enemy stormtrooper footsteps came to the open door they’d entered from. A few stormtroopers with guns pointed in on them gathered and Omera sprung to action with the rest of her companions.

Swiftly, they brought them down, but Omera knew there were more in the waiting. They really needed to get out before the base blew up.

“I need to get the kid.” Din’s voice was laden with worry. 

If Moff Gideon was after the Child, any lingering stay would put a greater target on him. That much she could understand.

Omera’s heart ached. They’d barely been able to find the location of a Jedi. Now, the Mandalorian would have to stave off the Empire while he tried to deliver the Child to one of his kind.

“Jet back,” Cara told Din. “You’re faster that way. We’ll head to the speeder and meet you in town.”

Din hesitated, turning his attention to Omera. 

She smiled and nodded at him. She didn’t want him to worry about her. “I’ll be fine. Just go get the kids.”

Even still, the Mandalorian stared at her silently. It was like he was frozen, wanting to keep her safe while also knowing he needed to be there for his son.

Omera put one hand against his helmet and gave him a firm nod. “It’s okay. Go. We’ll make it.”

“Come on!” Karga called out from behind. “Let’s go!”

With one final nod to each other, she and Din took off in opposite directions.

Soon, Omera found herself in a gunfight with several stormtroopers on the landing dock. Hiding behind a couple of crates, she, Cara, and Greef fired back at the troopers, but the main concern was getting the hell off of the base in time to escape the explosion.

Omera caught Cara looking over at the Trexler Marauder she’d noticed before. Omera nodded at her. “Go get it. We’ll cover you.”

Focused solely on the task at hand, Omera heard Karga beside her chuckle. “I'm glad Mando wanted to bring you along.”

“We’re not out of this yet.” Omera glanced over her shoulder when the Marauder pulled in beside them, the door open. “Get in. I’ll keep cover.”

She shot at a stormtrooper, knocking him onto his back, and carefully maneuvered herself into the vehicle. As soon as she was inside, she closed the door and climbed into the seat beside Cara while Greef lingered back.

“Go, now.”

Cara had her sight set on a door directly ahead, wide open and just big enough to fit them through, but just as soon as they reached the entrance, it sealed shut. 

On a growl, Cara reversed the craft, swinging them around again. Omera couldn’t help but get dizzy, her stomach lurching as a wave of nausea found her. 

Before she could ask Cara what she was doing, they were sent careening off the side of the landing pad. They all screamed for their lives until they crashed directly on top of the Mythrol’s landspeeder, crushing it entirely.

The Marauder bounced violently, jolting each passenger as it settled on the ground. 

“Sorry about that, Omera,” Cara apologized, shifting the Marauder into gear.

Omera shook her head. “I’m just glad we’re off of the base.”

They were off, quickly putting distance between them and the base, as the Imperials sent waves of speeder bikes after them.

“Man the guns, Karga,” Cara called over her shoulder.

“Already on it.”

Omera’s eyes were wide as she watched out the windows, trying her hardest to see what danger might lie ahead.

The blast of the cannon attached to the vessel deployed as Greef set his sights on the enemy at their back.

“One down.”

She heard two bikes on them, both coming alongside them on each side of the vessel. The Imperial at Cara’s immediate right fired in on them. Without ceremony, Cara slammed the Marauder into the canyon wall, crushing the enemy in a fiery explosion.

“There’s one more,” Omera warned. She listened out, realizing that he must’ve climbed on top of them. “Spin around. He’s on top of us.”

Doing as he was told, Greef pivoted and instantly blasted the enemy. He laughed. “Whoo! Now that’s some good tactical work.”

Moments later, from far beyond, the entire base exploded, a blast so loud that it was unmistakable. They all laughed in celebration. They’d accomplished their goal and escaped with their lives.

Omera smiled wide at Cara. “We did it.”

Cara nodded her head. Looking briefly over her shoulder at Greef, she said, “Headed home, boss.”

The Marauder picked up speed as a few tie fighters began flying overhead, firing on them in an attempt to pick them off from the sky where they would be less equipped to fight back.

Omera’s heart dropped. They were officially outgunned.

-

When Din landed in town, his mind felt clouded. 

Moff Gideon hadn’t died. Moff Gideon was alive and would be after the kid. It was only a matter of time before they found him again.

On top of his fears for the Child, he found himself even more fearful for Omera. He’d left her with two capable fighters, and she was quite capable herself, but they hadn’t exactly gone into a friendly fight. He’d seen what the Imperials could do.

There was really only one choice: he needed to get the kids, get back to the Crest, and do what he could to help. He just really hoped she would make it out of that base in time.

He entered the school through the side door. The instant the seal opened, he saw Winta and the Child right where he’d left them. 

“Winta.”

She turned, her eyes bright. “Is it time to go?”

Din nodded his head. He came up to the children and took the Child into his arms. Winta had accumulated a few things while he’d been away. A packet of cookies and a flat piece of metal scrap sat on her desk.

“Come on. Gotta hurry, kid.”

Winta understood. She gathered everything as quickly as she could. As he led the girl out of the school, he heard her say, “Bye!”

“Bye Winta!”

Apparently, Winta had made fast friends of the kids in the school. Once they were outside, he took her by the hand and guided her toward the Razor Crest.

“Where’s Mama?”

Din wasn’t sure how to answer Winta’s question. He kept his focus on getting them to the ship.

“She’s fine. We just… got into a little trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Winta sounded nervous.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re gonna help. Okay? When we get on the Crest, both of you need to buckle in while I start flight prep.”

“Okay.”

Luckily, Winta had no further questions for him as they approached the ship. He wasn’t sure how much had been repaired while they’d been away, but at the very least, the ramp was extended fully.

Once he had the kids in the cockpit, Din let his next biggest concern overwhelm him: Omera.

“You guys strapped in?” he asked without looking over his shoulder.

“Yep!”

“Might get a little scary. Don’t know what to expect. Just trust me. It’s gonna be okay.”

They took off and he brought the Razor Crest around, going toward the base. In the distance, he could see smoke, which meant they’d succeeded in blowing the base. But, he also saw three TIE fighters on the tail of a speeding Trexler Marauder.

Cara, Greef, and Omera must’ve used it to get off of the base. 

The fighters fired on the Marauder. It was three to one, and it seemed the Marauder had lost its guns.

Din clenched his teeth. Omera was on board that vehicle. He knew she was.

They hadn’t had the time they needed to be alone. He knew she wanted to tell him something, but he now desperately realized that he needed to tell her something as well: that he wanted them to stay together.

He wouldn’t get the opportunity to do anything if the fighters were able to fire upon the Marauder much more.

As soon as the Crest was close enough, he fired upon one of the fighters. It exploded with a satisfying cloud of flame and smoke. There were just two left now.

“Hang on back there.”

He brought the Crest higher and with the increase in altitude, he heard both the Child and Winta giggling excitedly.

He fired on the fighter ahead of him. Another down. One left.

Turning around to face off against the final TIE, Winta and the Child both laughed, full-bellied. Din smiled to himself with a small shake of his head.

The fighter was far enough away that he engaged the engines, then rolled the ship as they dove toward it. 

Behind him, Winta screamed with surprise and delight. “Whoa!”

“You okay?”

“Yeah!”

He set his sights on the final fighter as it fired at them. Took the shot. It exploded. It was almost child's play.

Finally, he felt as if he could breathe again. Omera would be alright. Greef and Cara had got what they wanted. Turning to check on the kids, he looked first at the Child.

“Not too bad, huh, kid?”

The Child, who gripped one of the blue cookies he must've procured in class, spit up over the front of his clothes.

“Eww!” Winta giggled.

“Oh, boy.” Din reached back to dab at the throw up with his cape, careful as he brought the Crest back toward town. 

“Where’s Mama, Din?”

He glanced over his shoulder at Winta. “We’ll go get her now.”

-

Safe on the ground outside of town, Omera waited alongside Cara and Greef while the Razor Crest made its descent back to the ground again. 

Watching him fight off the fighters with his ship had been nothing short of impressive, and she had the feeling that the children must’ve had the time of their lives just being along for the ride.

The ship seemed to have been repaired well enough to perform above average, so instinct said that Din would want to be off and on their way as quickly as they could, especially knowing that Moff Gideon was still alive, hunting for the Child.

“Omera,” Greef said her name with a smile, “you are welcome back to Nevarro anytime. Mando is lucky to have you.”

She couldn’t help but blush, laughing as she shook his extended hand. “Thank you.” 

Pausing, she turned at the sound of the ramp of the Crest lowering. The Mandalorian climbed down alone. 

“That was some pretty impressive flying, Mando. What do I owe ya?”

Din joined them where they stood gathered together at the base of the Crest. Almost naturally drawn in close, he found her side. 

“With the repairs, let’s call it even.”

Greef looked between them. “Can I at least buy you a drink? Perhaps you could stay the night at my finest inn, in one of my finest suites.”

“Sorry. I have some onboard maintenance I gotta take care of.” Din gestured up toward the interior of the ship with his head. “Then we gotta hit the road before Gideon catches wise.”

“Well, it was good to see you again, old friend.” Greef presented Din a hand to shake. He took it, gripping his forearm.

Omera took a moment to give Cara a smile. The Marshal of Nevarro smirked back at her. “You kicked some serious ass today, Omera. Could use some help rounding up mercs around here.”

She nodded, her gaze going to Din again. “Maybe once his mission is seen through, we’ll come back.”

Cara bowed her head, pleased with her reaction. “Good luck. Stay safe out there.”

“You too.”

The Mandalorian turned away from Greef, looking at her instead. “You ready to go?”

Omera smiled at him. “Yes.”

They climbed up into the Razor Crest together, and once they stood in the privacy of the cargo hold with the ramp sealed shut, Omera was surprised by the feeling of his hand on her wrist, turning her towards him.

Instantly, he lowered the crown of his head to hers. A feeling of warmth spread within her and she smiled. Settling her fingers over his helmet, she listened to the sound of his breathing. 

The intensity of the embrace reminded her of the night on Sorgan, a desperation in the way they touched like it could be the last chance they’d have.

“You okay?” Omera asked quietly.

“Just… glad you are,” Din replied. “Could’ve lost you out there.”

She shook her head, still pressed to Din’s. “We had it handled. You did the right thing, going back for him.”

When he finally pulled away, his hand slid down her wrist to meet her fingers. It was so natural that it almost felt like they’d always held hands like this. 

It was so natural that it almost felt like they’d always been together like this.

“After we find the Jedi, we should talk about settling down somewhere safe.”

Omera’s heart jumped and she narrowed her eyes slightly as a smile spread across her face. She was cautious to feel joy at the words he’d spoken, too nervous that it would be taken from her.

“You want to stay together?”

Din nodded. “We never had the chance to be alone today, and I wanted to talk to you about it then.” He paused for a moment. “I don’t really have any idea how this is supposed to work, but I know I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. Do you…?”

She laughed, breathless, and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to stumble slightly as he settled his arms around her middle. 

“Yes. Of course I want us to stay together.”

Omera pulled away slightly, enough to press her forehead into his, and shut her eyes as tightly as she could. Breathing in deeply, she had only one thing on her mind: telling him the secret that had plagued her for months now.

“Din, I was going to tell you something.”

Her fingers found his chest and she took a step away from him, his hands lingering on her lower back. He studied her, silent, and she wished for the strength she needed.

“What is it?” He sounded a little nervous. 

Omera stared at him, her chest heaving for breath as tears found her eyes. It was overwhelming to think that this secret, this private thing she’d held onto for so long, would finally be shared with the one who her heart trusted the most.

She shook her head, smiling to keep him from worrying. “I…”

“Mama!” Winta’s voice interrupted, breaking them apart. “We did flips and the Child threw up and it was so fun!”

She smiled at her daughter, kneeling so that she could wrap her arms around her tightly in a warm embrace. “How was school?”

“Good.” Winta bobbed her head. She pulled away from the hug. “I learned about some new planets and I made friends. The teacher said I did a good job.”

Omera smiled, pleased that she’d had at least a little fun while she could. “I’m glad you had a good time in school.”

Suddenly, Winta hurried off, going to the little cubby where Din told them he usually slept while on long space journeys. The girl plucked up a piece of flat metal and brought it to Omera. She held it up, pointing to a series of figures she’d etched into the scrap.

“I made all of us.” Winta beamed. “Din, the Child, you, and me!”

Omera couldn’t help but smile back at the effort she’d put in crafting the picture of the four of them, all standing in a line holding hands. 

“It’s beautiful, my love.” 

Winta smiled kindly and peered up at Din. “I made it for you, Din.”

Din knelt beside Omera to look at the obscure artwork. He chuckled. “I love it. Thank you, Winta.”

“Maybe one day… I can add more to it.” Winta teased with a little shrug.

Omera shot her a dry look, silently insisting that she keep her mouth shut about their new addition. It had been a close call before as they shared broth. A second attempt was just asking for trouble.

“What kinds of things would you add?” Din asked, genuinely curious.

“Maybe… a baby?”

Din scoffed. He stood, taking the picture with him. “Do you even know where babies come from?”

Omera slowly rose to her own feet and watched Din carefully.

“Yes,” Winta said, trying to sound like she did. “They come from mothers.”

The Mandalorian huffed. “Babies need fathers, too. Human ones, at least.”

Winta hummed thoughtfully. She made direct, purposeful eye contact with Omera, as if trying to figure out right then and there how Omera had been given the child that grew within her. 

“Mama, is that true?” 

Winta knew this already. Of course she did. Children in the village had fathers. She herself had a father, one she’d been told about time and again in stories spoken in whispers at bedtime. She even knew that her unborn sibling had a father. 

This was just her daughter trying to get an answer out of her that she wasn’t going to give her just yet. Once Din knew about the baby, Omera would feel right enough to tell Winta. Until then, the father of her child would remain private.

“Yes, Winta. It’s true.”

It was getting harder to keep this a secret, wasn’t it? She’d almost been able to tell him, but now with Winta in the room it seemed she would never have the opportunity to tell him in the way he needed to hear it.

Din put Winta’s picture in the little sleeping nook again. Turning around, he cocked his head to the side. 

“If this is about wondering where the Child comes from… I don’t have any idea.”

Winta met Omera’s eyes. She smirked at her as if she were ready to say something incriminating. 

“Go get strapped in, please. We’re getting ready to leave.” Omera said before her daughter could manage to spoil this for everyone.

Winta bobbed her head and spun on her heel, moving swiftly up to the cockpit. Omera waited for the door to seal before she turned her attention to Din.

Swallowing at the lump that had formed in the back of her throat, Omera closed the space between her and Din slowly.

“We should go. To Corvus.”

Din nodded in agreement. “Did you have something you wanted to tell me?”

Omera took a deep breath. Yes. But it wasn’t the time. Not anymore. “I’ll tell you when we find the Jedi. We need to keep moving. You said it yourself… Gideon’s still out there. I don’t know what he did, but I have to believe he means harm to your boy after what we saw on the transmission.”

He hesitated for a second. “Omera… if Gideon is still after the kid, I can’t guarantee you’ll be safe with me. He’s the reason I almost died on Nevarro.”

Omera’s heart plunged into her belly. She knew there was a reason she didn’t feel right about Gideon. If he had been nearly strong enough to take out the Mandalorian, he was capable of a lot worse.

She frowned. “Do you think he knows where you are?”

“There’s no way of knowing. He could have eyes anywhere.” He sighed. “What do you want to do?”

Omera tilted her head, considering him. It would be so easy to walk away now, but after everything they’d seen and been through together, she wanted to see it through to the end. She could handle herself and protect their children, should the fight come to them.

“We’ve come this far,” she replied. “I think it would be a shame to walk away before the end of your mission.”

The Mandalorian nodded. “Corvus is under the radar enough. We should be fine if we keep moving.”

Omera put her hand on his arm when he tried to step past her toward the ladder up to the cockpit. 

Their gazes locked. She felt her stomach flip.

“What I have to tell you isn’t bad.”

Din gently touched her hand on his arm. “Tell me when you’re ready.”

How had she gotten so lucky to find him? He was so patient with her that it almost felt unfair. What she needed to tell him was something so impatient. There was very little time left for her to tell him without difficult consequences.

“Din…”

He nodded his head at her. “We have time. Right?”

Her heart leapt. They’d decided to stay together. 

It was already a bad idea in retrospect. She shouldn’t have allowed him to suggest it, not without all of the information he needed to make that decision. It was nice to think they could stay together, but if he didn’t want to raise the baby with her, that would change things.

Omera nodded back at him. “Right.”

The Mandalorian stepped past her to go up to the cockpit, leaving her down below with the weight of a dozen boulders on her shoulders. She sighed heavily and lowered a hand to cover her middle.

“Omera?” Din called from up above.

She turned around. “Yes?”

“The kid, uh... got a little messy. Think you can grab a wet cloth for me?”

Omera smiled to herself. She stepped toward the privy just behind the ladder and found a cloth she could wet in the sink. “Of course.”

When she climbed up to join the rest of the crew in the cockpit, she found Din crouched on the ground in front of the chair where the Child sat, his clothes covered in blue spit up.

“Uh oh…” Omera teased. She knelt on the floor beside Din. “Did you have too much fun today?”

“He had a snack.” Din held a package of blue cookies in his hand.

Omera hummed. She reached up with the cloth to wipe at the fabric of the Child’s shirt. She’d dealt with this many times with Winta as a baby. Soon, she’d have to do it all over again with a new baby.

"He got them with his special powers,” Winta shared. “They went ziiiip right into his hand.”

Omera glanced over at her daughter, then looked at the boy. He seemed so innocent, canting his head to the side while she rubbed his shirt clean. “Well, I think he enjoyed them.”

“A little too much,” Din agreed.

Both she and Winta laughed. Finally finished cleaning up the mess, Omera lowered the cloth into her lap.

“There we go.” She smiled. “All clean.”

Looking over at Din, she found his attention on her already. “Thanks.”

“No problem at all.”

It was then, sitting on the floor of the cockpit with the Mandalorian and his boy, that she made up her mind. For better or worse, whether she had the words or not, she would tell Din her secret as soon as they found the Jedi.

[captaingondolin]

tagged by @wrennette here, thank you!

RULES: It’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works. 

[podfic of] Untranslatable by 13th_blackbird | Star Wars: Thrawn | Thrawn/Eli Vanto

trying to do Thrawn’s deep voice destroyed my throat but it was extremely worth it (also my Italian ass did Eli’s accent and I deserve some cookies for this). also the fic is hot as all hells. even if you don’t listen to the podfic, go read the fic, because it’s good stuff

stole our new lives | Saint Seiya | Dragon Shiryu/Pegasus Seiya 

absolutely no one is going to care about this Saint Seiya Omega (not that Omega, this one is... the power of love? i guess?)/Knights of the Zodiac ficled but by the gods i love it to bits. the heroes who were 13 and 14 (like all good shonen manga heroes) in the original series are now pushing 40, and a little bitter and sad. (did i mention that StS dug up my love for angst like whoa? or maybe it was 2020, who knows)

[podvid] ‘like’ it or not by shortcrust | The Witcher | Geralt/Jaskier

first of all this is a multivoice and everyone in it was amazing, and I had no part whatsoever in the editing. i read Jaskier’s part with (hopefully) suitable enthusiasm. modern au, twitter fic, hilarity.

[fic & podfic] If the Heavens Ever Did Speak | Historical RPF | William Shakespeare/Christopher Marlowe

look. look. this fic. this damned fic had been in my drafts for literal YEARS.  and now i’m freeeee. also there’s an amazing podfic of it by TheLordOfLaMancha/fishchipsandvinegar, which you can find here.

“I could kiss the lips that uttered my verses so perfectly,” he whispered, “Who is this new stage wonder?" William bowed with a flourish and took off his feathered hat. "William Shakespeare, at your service." The man looked him up and down. "Is that so?"

[podfic of] war stories by TheAceApples/aces-to-apples | Star Wars: Clone Wars | Fives, Rex, others

a snapchat fic in which the 501st, the 212th and their jedi get up to Shenanigans.

the only way we know we’re alive | Star Wars: X-Wing series | Iella Wessiri/Elscol Loro

i wrote femslash!! and i straight up made up the pairing (or, well, maybe someone in the 90s put a fic about them in a zine, but unfortunately i can’t know these juicy stories). i am proud of the fact that i went and wrote it, even if it’s short and very niche. i met these characters, vibed with them and did a thing! without postponing it to a nebulous future moment!

tagging: @fishandchipsandvinegar @glimmerglanger @kd-heart @reena-jenkins @aces-to-apples @trickytricky1 @madluluwriting @spectral-musette @rrrainbo @crispyjenkins @bureau-pinery and i could tag so many more of you amazing, talented people, and more yet aren’t even on tumblr (or i don’t know your handles), but a heartfelt thank you to every fan creator for getting me through 2020 <3

(also i never know who likes these games and who doesn’t. sorry for bothering you, if it’s not your thing!)

[mightydragoon]

Prince Luke fanfic Recs

@silvereddaye you know the drill

For all your Prince Luke Skywalker/ Amidala/Organa etc needs.  Also ft a lot of Leia Skywalker along with that. 

1. The Prince and the Bodyguard  Toomanyfandoms99

Bail is unsure why he’s being told this, but he is intrigued. “Where is the boy now?”

“Here,” Mon smiles, “on this base, being cared for by Shara Bey and Kes Dameron.”

Bail nods upon recognizing the names. Shara is their best pilot, and Kes is their best combat leader.

“However,” Mon states, “they cannot care for the boy full-time. There is something...unique about him. Something you are more equipped to handle.”

Bail narrows his eyes. “What?”

“Ezra Bridger is Force-sensitive,” Mon reveals.

Bail leans back in his chair and blinks once. “I see…”

“If your son is anything like his true parents,” Mon says, “he will soon require guidance. This boy also requires that guidance.”

“So,” Bail says, “you want me to shield them both from the Empire. Get them a...teacher.”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22633573/chapters/54092221

2.First Impressions   Idhren15

Mara Jade attended the rich party on Coruscant for one purpose: to kidnap the Alderaan heir, Prince Luke Organa.

She didn't expect any of these complications.

 https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740592

3. Crowned Usurper  planningconquest

Princess Leia managed to capture the elusive rebel Jedi. She finds someone she never expected.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17663147/chapters/41657678

4.  The kidnappings of a Sith Lord  maedre13

How a certain Sith Lord may or may not kidnap his rebel son. One-shots. Strongly inspired by sparklight´s “Where Our Intrepid Hero Doesn´t Get Away”.

Current chapter: In which the prince of the Sith gets a new bodyguard (3/3)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10606992/chapters/23453241

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10606992/chapters/52681459 (Part 1)

(Note* Fic is episodic often not connecting, sometimes is, so there is a good variety of stories, some involving Prince Luke others not) 

5. Sparks  SpellCleaver

Vader had every intention of ignoring that petty—if notorious—burglar on Coruscant, until evidence suggested that this "Angel" had Rebel ties.

Meanwhile, Luke never expected his father to actively hunt him down, and he doesn't like it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20031373/chapters/47433331

6. No Distance Far Enough   KaelinaLovesLomaris

Imperial Prince Luke Skywalker is kidnapped by the Rebellion. His father is not happy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17549516

7. Hostage  Slx99

AU in which Luke grows up as the Prince of Alderaan and Bail and Breha Organa’s son. When Luke is sixteen Bail becomes too outspoken against the Emperor, who sends Lord Vader to take the young prince as a hostage and cow his father into submission. Held captive aboard Vader’s ship, Luke is faced with the unpleasant reality of being the pawn in this power play under his captor’s watchful eyes; until they both realize a thing or two…

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9707774/chapters/21902741

8. Hostage Interludes  Slx99

Interlude pieces of the ‘Hostage’ universe from my ongoing long-fic that don't fit into the main story, but which I still wanted to share. Some will be more fun, others more serious. They have no influence on the main story.

Basic premise of the main story: Luke grew up with Bail and Breha Organa as the Prince of Alderaan. When Bail becomes too outspoken against Palpatine he orders Vader to take the young prince as a Hostage. Luke now lives aboard the Executor. He finds out rather soon that Vader is his father and the story goes from there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15148811/chapters/35129507

9.  Hostage

https://archiveofourown.org/series/1063433

10. Runaway   SilverDaye

Imperial Prince Luke runs away from home to escape his overprotective father Emperor Vader. Jumping from planet to planet he finds himself creditless on Tatooine. While working for more money to leave the planet, Luke meets an old man named Ben Kenobi. But Luke knows he can't stay in one place for long for surely his father is hunting him down.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14630196/chapters/33813027

11.A Song of Dragon's Fire & Slaves Blood   Fan0fFIM17

A Slave is finally truly made Free.

Lost in a strange primitive Land, he takes advantage of his circumstances to rise to the position of King. A Slave, a Jedi Knight, a Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, Father, Son, all this and more. Read as he Fights for the Iron-Throne!

Winter Is Coming!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15400920/chapters/35743227

12. My sister has it    jedileia (cptnwintersoldier)

"You want me to fight my dad? Kill him? How could you think I would be capable on any of that, after what I just heard? Have I been training just so I could kill my father? Is that what this Jedi training was about? If so then i deeply regret the evening I went to look for parts for my speeder and ended up at Obi-Wan's yard."

Leia, a farm girl from Tatoiine, learns that she is force sensitive and the daughter of the evil Darth Vader, once known as Anakin Skywalker. She begins her Jedi training, meets her twin brother Luke Organa and confronts his father.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6537682/chapters/14957098

13. what is lost in the darkness.....hanorganaas

Starkiller is destroyed, the great Jedi Hero who saved the Galaxy Leia Skywalker Solo and her husband Han are presumed dead, and Luke mourns. But he isn't alone in his grief

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7668604

14. our eyes; they were pointed at the sky (looking for answers) pieandsouffle

The last few weeks have been a nightmare: Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are dead and gone, the farm is skeletal and dead, she found out her father was a Jedi, brutally murdered by a traitorous friend, and now she's going to die because Han Solo is an incompetent nerf-herder who is apparently completely incapable of opening a krething door.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11159772/chapters/24904917

15.  Possibilities of If May Be - Valerie_Vancollie

Co-authored by Selinthia Avenchesca.

What if two different Star Wars realities started to merge?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12946578

16.  Skywalker Swap -  stitchy

https://archiveofourown.org/series/930435

(Note Series is a mixture of a fancomic and a fanfic and it is glorious) 

17. There Is Another  stitchy

A comicbook retelling of Episode IV in the spirit of the old Star Wars Infinities!

Luke and Leia are placed in opposite homes after the fall of the Republic. Young Leia Skywalker is called to adventure when she meets two droids that belong to the strange witch, Old Kah.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597686/chapters/23428284

(Note* Seriously this comic retelling is fantastic ) 

18 Here Among The Clouds   stitchy

In a universe where Leia Skywalker joins the Rebel Alliance of her long lost brother Prince Luke Organa, the Millenium Falcon and her crew arrive to Cloud City with a fully functioning hyperdrive. In the weeks following the Battle of Hoth, Lando Calrissian becomes entangled in their their quest to defeat the evil Empire. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13507038

19. A Farm girl, a Twink, and an Uber driver-  Daniellecluck

This is literally just a collection of drabbles of a New Hope rescue scene various original trilogy scenes but gayer and Luke and Leia swapped places.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13345347/chapters/30553272

20. The Adventures of Leia Skywalker, Episode One: The New Hope   MaraWinchester

Nineteen-year-old Leia Skywalker lives with her Aunt and Uncle on the remote desert planet Tatooine, where there’s something ready to kill you behind every corner. Three moons make the nights bitterly cold, and the two suns makes the days unbearably hot. When a droid bought by her uncle contains a message by a prince, asking for help from a legendary Jedi Knight, Leia senses her ticket off world. Little does she know that her journey will take her right and center to a galaxy torn apart by war, involve smugglers of ill repute, and possibly shed more information on her father that she could possibly imagine...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/8122483/chapters/18619693

21.  Another Kind of Hope  Skyrissian (ErinacchiLove)

In a period of a galactic civil war, the brave Rebel Alliance has won their first victory against the Galactic Empire and stolen the plans of the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star.

When the starship of Prince Luke Organa, who is transporting the plans, falls under the Empire's attack, the future of the galaxy depends on two droids carrying the secret plans and their new owner, a farm girl named Leia Skywalker.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18705637

22 The Princess, the Smuggler and the Sith Lord's Son  Sassaphrass

Han Solo was trying to rescue her Royal Annoyingness from the Death Star when he runs smack into Vader's kid. Naturally he does the logical thing and takes him hostage. This is where the story starts. OR

Luke just wanted to get some snacks when he ran into a Wookie, a Princess and a Space Pirate. The day's pretty much downhill from there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5751661/chapters/13252696

23. At Least the War is Over  Sassaphrass

The only thing Luke and Leia have in common are those nine months they spent in the womb and that time they brought down the Empire.

It's hard to build a new family when the last one got blown to smithereens with the entire planet, but Leia's never thought anything worthwhile would be easy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12663834

24. His Imperial Highness Luke Amidala -  Sassaphrass 

https://archiveofourown.org/series/744999

25.  Chiaroscuro  SpellCleaver

A series of oneshots focusing on Luke and Vader's relationship, with other characters occasionally thrown into the mix. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16363772/chapters/38293637

26. Prince Luke Organa: A New Hope   -lightningbisexual

An AU where Leia was sent to Tatooine with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru and Luke was sent to Alderaan as the prince. It begins from where Luke is captured by the Empire in A New Hope. I follow more his story than Leia's because we all know she's going to be a badass on her own and I really want to see Luke grow up and learn to face his fears.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19024390/chapters/45181531

(Note* see sequel below Leia centric) 

27.  Leia Skywalker: The Empire Strikes Back  lightningbisexual

A continuation of my twin swap fic. Leia Skywalker is being sought by the Dark Side and the Light, who both hope to use her power for their own agendas. However, her ferocity and anger make it difficult for her to train as a Jedi. Han Solo is also developing feelings for Prince Luke Organa and has no goddamn clue how to deal with it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20533487/chapters/48737117

28. Between the Light and Shadows: Luke & Vader One-Shots  SilverDaye

One-shot collection focused on Luke and Vader. All AU.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15128117/chapters/48583628

29. How the Other Half Lives -aradian_nights

(Note* How can I talk about Prince Luke fics without mentioning them cause WOW. 10/10.  I  highly recommend even if you aren’t a fan of the Prince Luke trope cause wow. It is something.  Warning: Angst . )

https://archiveofourown.org/series/609151. 

Trial and Error - https://archiveofourown.org/works/8417668

Layers of Dust  -  https://archiveofourown.org/works/8900971

For Love of a Queen - https://archiveofourown.org/works/9342596/chapters/21167591

Deep Doubt-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/10361913

Vision Void-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/10628475/chapters/23511120

Fate Defied- https://archiveofourown.org/works/10947714

When Destinies Split -  https://archiveofourown.org/works/11017986/chapters/24552093

Risk and Chance - https://archiveofourown.org/works/11506092/chapters/25817655

A Shout in the  Dark -  https://archiveofourown.org/works/11699232/chapters/26341971

Walking the Line Between - https://archiveofourown.org/works/13172817/chapters/30129249

AO3 Tag

https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Prince%20Luke/works

[science-lings]

Hey I saw you were asking for prompts/AUs, so I thought I'd send one in! Could you write an Irondad Foster Kid Peter and Foster Parent Tony AU? Lots of hurt/comfort or fluff?

There were few things that motivated Tony more than the need to become better. Better than he was, better than he was treated, good enough to deserve the praise that he was given so freely. Normally he wouldn’t even consider becoming a father. He felt as though he was doomed to repeat his own father’s sins. His heart always sunk when someone told him how similar he was to his late father. There was no one he hated being compared to more. Well, that wasn’t quite true, he also hated being compared to Captain America when he was a kid. Still, Tony’s father wasn’t exactly his hero. 

It started when he began to visit orphanages when he couldn’t sleep, restricting himself to rocking babies, and occasionally when he was left alone with them, he sang lullabies. He liked the feeling of helping someone, a very small someone who didn’t know who he was or that he was important. He liked it when they fell asleep in his arms. 

That expanded to him telling stories to older kids on days that he had time. He found himself buying hundreds of picture books to read to them, starting out slightly awkward and flippant but turning more animated and dramatic as he discovered which voices made the kids laugh. 

When he ran out of books to read and songs to sing, he created his own. Making up stories of heroes and bad guys, the kids loved those ones. Full of epic battles and cameos from the other avengers, when he wanted to switch it up he told the stories in different settings. He portrayed himself as a golden king with a dragon, fighting monsters with his knight friends for his kingdom, as a zombie killing ninja trying to find a cure for the zombie plague, and when requested, he was a Jedi knight fighting Darth Vader. 

Sometimes the kids asked dumb questions about the story, and sometimes they’d ask very smart questions phrased only in the strange way that only a child can. 

Over the years, Tony got closer to the kids, but one in particular really piqued his interest. The boy was one of the oldest there, almost fourteen. He was very quiet and almost crazy smart. Tony didn’t know how smart a junior high student was supposed to be but it was nowhere near this kid was. He loved science books and any high tech Tony brought near him. There were almost visible stars in his eyes when he got to see the Iron Man suit up close. 

Tony never wanted to be a father but this nerdy kid, Peter, was really tugging at his heartstrings in a way that he had never really experienced. Not many kids could sit through his purposefully complicated explanation of the arc reactor but Peter did so with such enthusiasm that he couldn’t help but dig the old one out of storage to show it off. 

He learned about Peter, that his parents died when he was six and he was taken in by his uncle and aunt, who also died a few years after. That he used to wear glasses but had grown out of them, that he had always wanted to be a hero like Iron Man. Tony made sure to mention to the kid that being a hero is not as great as it looks on TV and Peter just looked at him and whispered that he knew. Tony had a weird feeling when he said that. It was too understanding.

Pepper had suggested it, after hearing him talk about the kid for weeks and seeing him look pensive at the sight of alcohol and become more responsible instead of pretending to be a larger than life celebrity that the world saw him as. She could tell that he was ready. 

It took a lot of paperwork and time but eventually Tony was able to become a foster parent for Peter. Tony wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to go as far as to adopt the kid, he knew that there would be someone better for him out there that knew more about actual parenting but at least he was extremely well off and had the stability that would be very helpful for a genius child. The closest he had to a parenting guide was a mental list of Howard's behaviors and a promise to himself that he would do the exact opposite. 

The adjustment period was weird, neither of them really knew how to act but after enough movie nights and long periods of time in Tony’s lab, they got used to their new normal. They just fit together like perfectly placed gears, they understood each other so well. Sure, Tony wasn’t the perfect dad-figure, but he tried so hard and cared so much. He did his best and he truly knew Peter like he was his own kid. 

This was why he knew exactly when something was wrong. Peter came home bruised, he would try to start a conversation as if it were something important then chicken out after bringing it up. He would sneak into the lab when he knew Tony was busy and spend whole afternoons after school “with friends” even though Tony was fully aware that there was only one of those. 

At first Tony thought that Peter was getting bullied. But the pieces didn’t quite fit, so he decided to confront Peter about it. 

It was late, Peter had tried to hide a limp when he got to the penthouse like he had twisted his ankle and was treating it as gently as possible. Tony was waiting for him. Peter looked at him nervously before trying to shuffle to his room. 

“You know kid, I’m trying to give you your privacy and all but I’m really starting to get worried about you.” Tony held out Twix bar like an olive branch. An offering of sorts. 

“I’m fine... is this about P.E.? You know I’m trying to get my grade up...” Peter took the candy bar and sat down carefully next to his foster father, still trying to hide whatever was hurting him. 

“No, no. I’m not worried about school for you, You’re probably as smart as I was at your age and you actually care about your education. No, I’m worried about you. I want to know what’s going on with you. Are you being bullied? Is someone hurting you? Did you try to kick a steel pillar? What?” Peter seemed to go a little pale and he was quiet for a minute. Tony just waited for any sort of reply. 

“I uh...” Peter started after a long pause, “Can you promise that you won’t be mad.” Tony thought for a moment of his own father's outbursts of rage when he wasn’t perfect when he didn’t live up to Howard's astronomical expectations. 

“I don’t think I could ever truly be mad at you Pete. You could probably kill someone and I trust you enough to realize that they deserved it somehow and take you to therapy or something. Being angry never really helps anyone, I mean aside from Bruce Banner, he has some benefits from being angry once in a while.” He saw Peter sigh in relief. 

“I... I’ve been lying to you. I’m not who you think I am.” He said quietly. 

“What, are you like a jock or something. Do you play basketball and want to audition for a musical? I think you would be pretty good in a musical.” This caused Peter to crack a little smile but normally he would laugh at a joke like that. Tony realized that this might actually be serious. 

“No, I’m not Troy Bolton, I... something happened to me a while ago. I know it sounds crazy but I-got-superpowers-from a-radioactive-spider-and-I-kinda-became-a-small-time-vigilante-that-thwarts-like-bank-thieves-and-creepy-dudes-that-stalk-women.” He said the last part quickly like if he said it fast enough Tony wouldn’t completely process the information or not hear it completely. Tony did in fact hear all of the information. 

“You know... that’s not what I thought you’d say but I’d be lying if I said that I was completely surprised by the fact that when you gained superpowers you immediately turned to helping people,” Tony said after a few seconds of processing what had been revealed. “I do think you need to reevaluate my standards for crazy because I work with spies and a Norse god and a guy that survived being frozen and patriotic for seventy years and that isn’t even it. Out of weirdness standards, spider super-kids are not even in the top five. I mean we had an alien invasion not too long ago this world is full of weird shit. Don’t tell Pepper that I said a bad word in front of you...” 

“Yeah and I think I broke my leg.”

“WHAT!” 

[propheticfire]

Magic

(Viren & Soren & Claudia, modern AU) A Dragon Prince fic:

Traipsing through Disney isn’t exactly how Viren had planned to spend his birthday, but between work and school, this week was the only one that had fit into his and the kids’ schedules. It’s been a year since the divorce, and the kids are adjusting as best they can, but he’d wanted to do something to help take their minds off it. He’s tried so hard to enjoy himself too, but every part of him not covered by clothing has been sunburned more than once. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get the chlorine smell from the resort pool out of his hair. Parts of his body ache that he didn’t even know existed. His voice is hoarse, his head hurts, there are blisters on his heels, and if he has to hear “It’s A Small World” one more time he might just throw himself into the moat around Tom Sawyer island and let the riverboat run him over.

But the kids…

It’s day five, and somehow they still have just as much energy as day one. The joy that lights up their faces every morning as they enter the park has been worth every sore muscle and sleepless night. Soren has not stopped talking about Pirates of the Caribbean, running around their hotel room with his plastic sword and feathered hat, forcing Viren to hold Claudia “captive” so he can duel him to save her. “But I don’t have a sword,” Viren protested, the first time. And Soren came back with, “Pretend you’re a dark wizard, Dad! Use magic! You’re an evil pirate wizard!” Claudia, for her part, has insisted she’s capable of saving herself, and has assembled and disassembled her Haunted Mansion attic diorama kit twelve times already since yesterday, in varying ways. They’re a little disappointed they won’t get to go on Space Mountain again before they leave, but only a little. Because today…

…is Star Wars day.

If Viren had backpacks with leashes on them, he would have used them, because the kids are already trying to take off in different directions as they enter this part of the park.

“Dad! Lightsabers! I wanna get a lightsaber!”

“Look Daddy it’s Rey!”

“Dad I wanna fly the Millennium Falcon!”

“Daddy can we get some blue milk? Or some green milk? I want blue and green milk! Does that make turquoise milk? Do they have purple milk?”

As tired as he is, Viren can’t help but smile at their enthusiasm. “Questions, so many questions! Yes, we can look at the lightsabers. No, you are not gong to build your own. I will try to take you to meet Rey. Yes, Smuggler’s Run is on our to-do list. Yes, we will get some colored milk. I don’t think they have purple. Just don’t get too far ahead of me. There’s a lot to do and I want to make sure you stay close so we don’t waste time.”

Claudia is too excited about the milk, so that’s the first place they head, even though it’s on the opposite end of Star Wars land from where they are. Ah well. Viren can modify their itinerary a bit. They’ll just work their way back down to this end instead.

Or at least, that’s the first place they would have headed if both Soren and Claudia hadn’t gotten distracted by toys.

“Dad look! There’s the lightsabers! Can we see them? Please can we see them?”

“Is that a bantha? And a porg! And…I don’t know what that warty-looking one is but I want to pet it!”

They’re both tugging at his hands, so with a sigh he lets them lead him into the toy shop. Immediately they pull out of his grasp, Soren toward the lightsabers and blasters, and Claudia toward the stuffed creatures. He tries to grab their hands again, but they’re too fast.

“Kids! Wait! Stay togeth— Come back— Oh for goodness’ sake, Soren! Claudia don’t go too far!”

The shop isn’t that large, though, and he can just make out Claudia’s form on the other side of a kiosk, so he opts to trail after Soren. He’s the more likely one to run off or accidentally break something anyway.

After exploring the shop a bit, Soren runs up to him, a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other. “Dad! Dad look! Now I can be a smuggler Jedi!” He brandishes them both with enthusiasm. “Can I get them?”

Viren tries to catch his son’s flailing arms. “You can be a smuggler or a Jedi. Not both. You have to pick one.”

Soren considers, then finally thrusts the lightsaber at his father. “This one.”

“Very good. Now go put the other one back and find your sister. I’m getting in line.”

The store had started filling with people as they shopped, and the checkout line is getting lengthy. He’ll have to hurry if they want to stay on schedule. He steps into the queue as Soren scampers off.

Soren reappears once with a stuffed warty toad-like creature. “Claudia wants this. We’re gonna go look at the blasters again, okay?”

“Okay, but you can still only get one—”

Soren is gone before he can finish the sentence.

“—thing.”

Eventually, he reaches the front of the line. He pays for the items—how are these things that expensive?—and weaves through the people back to the lightsabers and blasters.

“Soren?”

He doesn’t see his son. Or his daughter. He looks around the area again. They’re not there. Okay maybe they went back over by the stuffed animals.

They’re not there.

Maybe they went up to the register to find him.

They’re not there.

Maybe they’re somewhere else in the shop.

Not there.

Maybe they went outside to wait?

Not there.

They’re not there.

Where are his kids?

He takes a deep, slow breath, trying to quell the cold dread that’s quickly building in his stomach. They can’t have gone far. They obviously did. There’s only so many places they could be. They could be anywhere. Maybe they went to find an employee to help them. Maybe someone took them.

There are a couple other shops adjacent to the toy one. Viren walks through those. Checks every corner, every hiding place around and behind every kiosk and clothes rack. There’s still no sign of them.

Where are his kids?

Maybe they did go to the milk stand after all. Soren had asked for a map of the park, presumably to tape it up on his wall when they got home. Maybe Claudia had insisted and they’d gone on ahead. But if he goes there, and his kids come back to the toy shop, then he’ll miss them. But he can’t stand here and do nothing. He walks one last time through all the shops he’d checked. Still no sign of them.

Having made his decision, he takes a breath, and heads for the milk stand.

They’re not there either. And he hasn’t seen them on the streets, or in the line for Smuggler’s Run. That cold panic constricts his chest, weighs down his limbs. This is the last thing he needs. Four days at Disney and he’s held it together, and on the final day he loses his kids. How could this happen? How could he let this happen? He should have never let them out of his sight, he should have designated a meeting place for them here, he should have gotten the backpacks with leashes, he should just never have come—

“Excuse me, are you Lord Viren?”

He snaps his head around. The speaker is…an employee, he thinks. They’re dressed very Star Wars-y, but they have a nametag and an earpiece. “My name is Viren, yes.”

“Could you follow me, please?” the employee says. “Your children are waiting for you.”

Oh thank goodness.

“What? Where? You found them?”

The employee nods, and says something into the earpiece, then beckons him to follow. They lead him back through the Star Wars attraction, all the way back to almost where he’d first entered. There, talking happily with the actor playing Rey, are his kids. He nearly collapses with relief. They’re okay. They’re safe and they’re okay.

“Dad!”

Soren notices him and waves. It’s all he can do to not run over and gather his son in his arms. Claudia sees him too, and tugs on Rey’s outfit. She crouches down so Claudia can whisper something in her ear, and smiles.

The employee who had led him here stops before them and announces, “Young Master Soren and Padawan Claudia, we have located the dark wizard Lord Viren, as you requested.”

Soren and Claudia clap. A few more employees gather closer. Something tugs at the back of Viren’s mind. It feels like there’s more going on here than it seems.

Rey stands up and approaches Viren, his kids in tow. “These very bold and thoughtful younglings sought me out to tell me that today is their father’s birthday. They love their father very much, and they wanted to surprise him with something nice.” She nudges the kids, and they run to the edge of the little half circle that’s formed around them, taking some things from the employees standing there. When they come back, Claudia is holding out a piece of chocolate cake, and Soren is holding up a shirt with Darth Vader’s silhouette on it, that reads “BEST DAD IN THE GALAXY”.

“A little Disney magic, from our family to yours,” Rey says, and then she nods at Claudia.

Claudia immediately bursts out into song. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!” The gathering crowd quickly catches on. The third line is a garbled mess between “Lord Viren” and “Dad” and “Daddy”, but by the end, Viren is blushing hard and there are tears in his eyes. He kneels down and envelops his children in a hug.

“Please don’t ever run off like that again,” he says quietly, “I was so worried. But thank you.”

“We love you Daddy,” Claudia says.

“Yeah Dad,” Soren echoes. “We love you.”

“And I love you. Now, who’s ready for Smuggler’s Run? I think it’s almost our turn.”

“Yaaaaaay!”

The kids run back to Rey to say their goodbyes, and the actor hugs them both, before nodding in his direction, a genuinely delighted smile on her face.

“I do believe these younglings are safe in your care. Happy birthday, Lord Viren.”

(Also available on AO3)