#womp rat hunting

[beskarfrog]

Din leaned against the door to the school house, his boots muddy from having walked through the streets of Sundari. The door was left open as usual to let cool air and the occasional frog in. It was officially monsoon season on their part of Mandalore and not for the first time, Din wondered why the Jedi couldn’t have built his school on ground that was a little further out of the floodplain.

Inside the little school, the Jedi was sitting on one of his weird little pillow mats with all the children crowded up around him. Grogu was sitting in Ragnar’s lap, Rey and Finn on each of his sides. Paz had been infuriated when Ragnar had first asked to go with the jett’ike for lessons after regular training. He had been won over eventually when the Armorer suggested it would be a good opportunity for Ragnar to learn how to fight against a Force-user.  

“Alright, how about a story for our history lesson today?” the Jedi asked and got a positive reaction from the kids. Din let the soft drone of his voice wash over him as he considered the scene before him.

He hadn’t expected to see the Jedi again after Grogu had come back to him. Much less had he expected the Jedi to show up two months after they’d retaken Mandalore and Din was trying to figure out how to run a planet. He’d arrived in a beat-up pre-Empire ship with a handful of children. They had all been brought before Din and his newly formed council.

“The school was attacked. The New Republic isn’t safe for us anymore. They have…expectations for how the Jedi should benefit them,” the Jedi had explained, his face impassive and cold. The children lingering in the shadow of his dark robes looked both nervous and defiant. Din wondered if that was how the Jedi felt too.

“Why come to us?” Bo-Katan asked, a few chairs down from Din.

“What is that saying you have? A Mandalorian is both hunter and prey. Your people understand what it is like to be hunted for what you are,” the Jedi said, gaining a thoughtful nod from the Armorer. He had looked at Din as he said it and Din knew that there were layers to that statement. Yes, all Mandalorians knew what it was like to be persecuted for their allegiance to a nearly dead Creed, but Din specifically understood what it was to be hunted for having a child with strange powers.

Paz and Bo-Katan had gotten into a rather vicious argument about the situation, but the Armorer had been of the same mind as Din. Children in need were children in need, even if they came with an ominous wizard attached to them. Paz had wanted to kill the Jedi and keep the children, but eventually he had been convinced that the kids would need training for their magic. Din was relieved because he was becoming concerned that, be it Bo-Katan or Paz, his council was about to become one person smaller if the argument dragged on any longer.

In the end, Din had told the Jedi, “We will let you build a school here, but you’ll live as we do. The children will be raised with the other Mandalorian ade. No one will be required to swear the Creed. That is not the Way, but we are trying to rebuild our culture.”

“I understand,” the Jedi had grimaced, “The Jedi used to live in community too. We had a similar sense of culture once from what I am told, but that was before I was born.”

“I…I will do what I can to make sure your children are safe here,” Din had said and that was the end of the matter.

The only person who was completely satisfied with the arrangement was Grogu. Din was shocked to find out how much the kid liked the Jedi - Luke, as he’d introduced himself. He had expected some animosity since Grogu had left, but Luke had been surprisingly happy to see the womp rat again. At first, Din had been reluctant to let the kid join the other little sorcerers in training, but they all seemed to like him. 

That was the real problem. The Jedi and his jett’ike liked everyone, even Paz. Luke was always willing to accept ade or even adults into his weapons training sessions at his little school. He brought homemade uj’alayi  to all the community meetings, complete with little paper wrappers the kids had decorated. His sister and her smuggler husband visited often enough that it was obvious that the Jedi cared about his family. Luke was a better Mandalorian than half the people Din had met on Mandalore and he hadn’t even sworn the Creed.

It made it incredibly hard for other Mandalorians not to like the strange little sorcerers back and there had been a lot of talk about adopting the Jedi and his children into a clan. He was a proficient warrior, good with children, and after the first month, it was clear that he cared about the community they were trying to build. He was the perfect riduur, but it made Din want to grind his teeth any time anyone talked about challenging him for his hand.

It hadn’t taken him long to figure out why. It was made all the worse when the Jedi had started to befriend him in earnest. At first, it was just mutually commiserating about the problems of raising Force-sensitive children, but it slowly became something more. Luke opened up, shedding the persona he seemed to wear like his billowing black cloak. Din caught glimpses of the darkness that lurked within him, the turmoil he went through to fight back against those impulses. Din knew how painful it was to peel off your armor in front of another, even if you wanted them to see you as you really were. 

And Luke let him see. 

So, now Din leaned against the door to the nursery as the children ran out past him to play in the yard. Grogu was too enthralled with the game Ragnar and Rey had started to even notice him in the doorway.

“Here to pick up Grogu?” Luke asked as he rose up from his mat. Din nodded but waved his hand in dismissal as Luke went to call for him.

“He can play. I don’t have anywhere to be for a while,” Din said as Luke walked over to join him in the doorway. “The story you told. It wasn’t very happy.”

“The story of the Jedi has never been a happy one,” Luke said, his smile soft and touched with sadness. His hair had a little extra wave in it due to the humidity. Din wanted to reach out and run his gloved hand through those waves, “But it is full of hope. Foundlings are the future, right?”

“This is the Way,” Din inclined his head, which pulled a more genuine smile out of Luke. Something sharp twisted in Din’s chest and he swallowed, thankful for the millionth time that his helmet obscured his face.

He needed to get this over with, to do what he actually came here to do.

“Do you…Would you want to spar? Not right now, but some time. Maybe tonight?” Din asked, tamping down the impulse to twist his hands together. He was a Mandalorain. He should be bold with his feelings, not the awkward nervous thing that Luke seemed to turn him into.

“Mand’alor,” Luke's smile turned blinding as he pressed his gloved hand to his chest, mockingly scandalized. His blue eyes were sparkling, even in the grey overcast light of the rainy day, “If I didn’t know better that sounds like a date.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Din mumbled, his heart sinking. He knew it was unlikely for Luke to reciprocate his feelings, but the Jedi’s sister had made some comments last time she visited that had given him the courage to at least find out.

“I’d like it to be, Din, if that's alright,” Luke said and gently reached out to catch Din’s hand. He threaded his fingers between Din’s, giving his hand a firm squeeze. Din returned it, a flash of hope rising back up in him. If this went well, he was going to send Senator Organa a whole case of tihaar.

“We’ll have to find someone to babysit, though,” Luke continued, tugging on Din’s hand to pull him a little closer, “You’re my go-to person for watching the kids, but you’ll be busy, obviously.”

“Paz said he would. Ragnar’s been wanting to have everyone sleep over at their house,” Din said, grateful that he’d planned ahead for that problem. 

In the yard, the kids had gotten into a mud fight next to the frog pond. Grogu was practically a brown blob while Finn was doing his best to avoid the mud that Rey and Ragnar were slinging at each other. Din knew he really ought to intervene, but if Paz was watching the kids for the night…

“The Force bless that man,” Luke shook his head, squeezing Din’s hand again.

[dumbbitchenergy17]

Clan of Three - Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Sanctuary

Plot: A Mandalorian, an infant with a history of the jedi, and a teenager with similar powers with an undiscovered lineage. An unlikely group to travel the galaxy together.

Word Count: 7.7K

Pairing: Father Figure!Din Djarin x Platonic!Teen!Reader

Warnings: fighting/violence, injuries, almost character death, some wholesome moments

------

You could describe the past couple of days as the most eventful days of your lifetime. You were kidnapped, hunted by bounty hunters, betrayed and taken by the empire, killed your first person, to then be saved by the man who betrayed you, to end it all with a major gunfight getting shot at before escaping. Yeah, you were open to a boring life after all this.

“Jeez, why are you so heavy-handed!” You shout out in pain as he drags the cloth against the wound. The bullet had only grazed your arm but it is the first and hopefully the only time you were shot so it hurt a lot.

“You’re lucky it only grazed you, what were you thinking joining in the fight?” He says scolding you like you were his child, he sprays the bacta spray making you wince in pain before he wraps a bandage around your arm. He moves from your arm putting a salve along your neck for the bruises.

“It’s not like you were winning, we only got off that planet because of the other Mandalorians.” You retort and he ignores you grabbing your leg your boot already off and looking at your ankle. It was swollen a gross red and purple. He slowly rotates it and you grab the chair to focus on something else and the ship shakes slightly making Mando pause. He wraps the bandages around your ankle before standing up.

“Looks sprained, be grateful you didn’t break it.” He says moving back to the main seat and seeing the child touching buttons making the ship shake more. He grabs him moving him to his lap, “Stop touching things.” He pushes buttons pulling the holomap before a planet appears and you read the name of the planet.

“Sorgan?” You question shifting your weight keeping your foot stretched out returned back in the boot. You hope this planet had no bounty hunters ready to kill you. What you needed are a warm meal and a hot shower.

“Looks like there's no starport, no industrial centers, no population density. Real backwater skug hole. Which means it's perfect for us.” Hearing the description of the planet makes you groan. Guess no hot shower on this planet. “You ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple of months, you little womp rat?” He says looking down at the child and glancing back at you.

“Who you calling womp rat?!” You say and he looks forward to setting the coordinates on the hyperdrive and traveling to the planet. Soon the planet appeared your eyes widened seeing the lush green of trees and grass and wide ponds of water, something you’d never seen before. Flying over them before Mando finds a clearing landing the ship. Turning off the engine he stands up turning to look at the two of you.

“Nobody's gonna find us here. Now listen. I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna look around. It shouldn't take too long. Now, don't touch anything.” He says aiming at the child before looking at you, “And no tampering with the ship.” You raise your hands frowning. It was literally one time and you made it better. “I'll find us some lodging, then I'll come back for you. Just stay there. Don’t move.”

“Okay go already.” You say and he gives you a look before leaving the cockpit and you hear the ramp opening up. You look over at the child understanding the look he was giving. Mando walks down the ramp pausing looking back seeing you and looking down at his foot seeing the child clutching his boot. He sighs looking up at the sky.

“What the hell? Fine..come on.” He says grabbing the child and the three of you make your way. Your eyes are darting everywhere taking it all in. Your hand traces the tall trees feeling the rough bark and the softness of the tall grass as it flows in the wind. You’ve never seen anything so beautiful before.

“Stop dragging what’s got you like this?” Mando calls out looking back and seeing you trailing back a few feet looking at the most captivating flower. You look over at him with a look of awe in your eyes as you hobble over to him still taking in nature.

“I’ve never seen this much green before.” You say and Mando looks down at you. How could he forget, you came from a desert planet and have never traveled the galaxy, this all was new to you, with the planets, the people, everything. Following the wooden path until you reach a large building the smell of meat and spices filling your nose. Sitting at a table Mando situates the child in a children’s chair and a human worker comes over with a friendly smile on her face.

“Welcome, travelers. Can I interest you in anything?” She says,

“Bone broth, for the little one, and a regular broth for the girl.” He says pointing at the child and yourself.

“Oh, well, you're in luck. I just took down a grinjer, so there's plenty.” She nods writing it down, Can I interest you in a porringer of broth as well?”

Mando shakes his head “Just the two.” The woman nods and you look around the common house seeing in the corner a woman, she had black hair styled on one side wearing green armor. You see around her armor some sort of tattoo and it seems like Mando noticed her as well, “That one over there. When did she arrive?” He nods over to the woman and the waitress looks over.

“I've seen her here for the last week or so.” She says and Mando keeps looking, “What's her business here?” 

“Business? Oh, well, there's not much business in Sorgan, so I can't say,” She hesitates to say before Mando pulls out a few extra credits to pay for the food and the information and the woman quickly accepts, “She doesn't strike me as a log runner. I will get that broth to you as soon as possible, and I will throw in a flagon of spotchka just for good measure.” She says stepping back, “I will be right back with that.” She walks away to get your food and you see Mando look back to keep eyeing the woman but she’s long gone. He stands up as the woman comes by with the food and drinks.

“Keep an eye on the kid.” He says to you before disappearing around the corner. You shrug taking a sip of your broth, the warm liquid soothing on your throat settling nicely in your stomach. This was step one in your plan next a nice relaxing shower…or maybe a hot spring. Does this planet do that? A few minutes had passed and you look at where Mando once sat and the other woman. He better not have gotten himself in a fight. Looking at the child you stand up pulling it from its seat still holding its broth.

“Come on let’s go find that idiot.” You say before quickly turning to grab the bottle of spotchka taking a swig of it. You instantly make a face the burn of the liquid making you gag. Maker, how did anyone like this stuff? Following the same way Mando had left you follow the path before you hear the sound of fighting coming from an alley. Turning down you see Mando and this random woman with their blaster pointed at each other both in a stalemate.

“Are you done?” You call out the two adults turning to look at you leaning against the wall and the child beside your feet sipping his broth. Mando sighs looking at the woman, “You want some soup?”

The four of you sat around the table with three bowls of broth in front of you all except Mando and the large bottle of spotchka that makes you shiver remembering the taste. “Saw most of my action mopping up after Endor. Mostly Ex-Imperial Warlords. They wanted it fast and quiet. They'd send us in on the drop ships. No support, just us. Then when the Imps were gone, the politics started. We were peacekeepers, protecting delegates, and suppressing riots. Not what I signed up for.” The woman who said her name was Carasynthia Dune but told you to call here Cara explains. You were surprised she was a part of the rebellion.

“I’ve heard so many stories about the rebellion, did you see the first Death Star blow-up, or was it the second one? Did you fly an X-Wing?! I heard that Luke Skywalker came from Tatooine where I’m from.” You ramble off before Mando gives you a look that has you quieting down and Cara smirks seeing the fascination on your face.

“How'd you end up here?” Mando asks and Cara takes a shot of the spotchka,

“Let's just call it an early retirement. Look, I knew you were Guild.” She says and you freeze hearing the mention of the guild.

“I figured you had a fob on me,” Mando says casually while you were silently panicking expecting this woman to grab you and the child and run off for her reward.

“That's why I came at you so hard.” Cara says and Mando nods “Yeah, that's what I figured.”

Cara finishes her broth before standing up and looking at the three of you, “Well, this has been a real treat, but unless you wanna go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first.” She says leaving through the main door and you look back at Mando to come up with the next plan.

“What do we do now?” You ask as Mando stays silent.

Moths fly over the lamp attracted to the only light source at night. Mando is working on repairing parts of the outside the Razor Crest, you sat beside a fire you created adding sticks every so often to keep the flames alive. The sound of engines grows louder and you look up pausing in your movement as two speeders appear before you. Mando seems to ignore them as two men climb off their bikes giving a nod in your direction as you watch them silently walk toward the bounty hunter.

“Excuse me…excuse me, sir..” One of them calls out to him and he speaks to them with his back to them continuing to fix his ship.

“There something I can help you with?” He asks and one of them nods slowly as Mando turns to face them,

“Uh, yeah. Raiders. We have money.” They say, seeking his service.

“So, you think I’m some kinda mercenary?” He asks and the two men look at him nervous to be around him.

“You are a Mandalorian, right? Or at least wearing Mandalorian armor.” One of them says pointing at his helmet the symbol of his creed, “That is Mandalorian armor, right.” Mando nods and the man turns to the other, “It is. See I told him.”

The other man speaks up, “Sir, I’ve read a lot about your people…tribe. If half of what I read is true…we have money.”

“How much?” He asks and the man looks desperate, “Everything we have, sir. Our whole harvest was stolen. Krill. We're krill farmers. We brew spotchka. Our whole village chipped in.” He holds out a bag filled with whatever credits were inside and it looked like a lot.

“It’s not enough.” He says walking past them and turning towards the fire adding more wood that you collected not liking the look of your fire as you watch the conversation.

“Are you sure? You don't even know what the job is.” The man begs and it seems he’s unwilling shaking his head,

“I know it's not enough. Good luck.” He says waving them off as you look at him surprised he was rejecting the money.

“This is everything we have. We’ll give you more after the next harvest.” They beg but Mando is final in his opinion. They sigh turning away, “Come on. Let's head back.” 

The other man sighs getting onto his speeder bike, “Took us the whole day to get here. Now we have to ride back with no protection to the middle of nowhere.” Those words make Mando pause turning to face them.

“Where do you live?” He asks and the two look at him confused and slightly offended.

“On a farm. Weren't you listening? We're farmers.” One of them says

“In the middle of nowhere?”

“Yes.”

“You have lodging?”

“Yeah. Absolutely.”

Mando nods motioning the two men to the crates, “Good. Come up and help,” The two men hop off their speeders starting to aid having gained their help, “I'm gonna need one more thing. Give me those credits.”

Now joined with Cara you traveled with the humans toward their village. The child was in a bag resting on Mando as you four sat on the back of one of the speeders.

“So, we're basically running off a band of raiders for lunch money?” Cara says looking at the two peasants back to Mando.

“They're quartering us in the middle of nowhere.” He responds, “Last I checked, that's a pretty square deal for somebody in your position. Worst case scenario, you tune up your blaster. Best case, we're a deterrent. I can't imagine there's anything living in these trees that an ex-shock trooper couldn't handle.” He says as your travel to this new village begins. It was morning when you arrived at the village. You had quickly fallen asleep on the speeder and you woke up just before you arrived at the village. Looking at the people watching you all as you arrived at the many areas of the town as they get shouted out, “Everyone, they're here!”

The speeder stops and you all board off Mando gives you a hand so you don’t worsen your leg, “Looks like they’re happy to see us.”

“Looks like.” He nods looking at the people who quickly crowd you all, children younger than you run up looking at the child in interest as he makes some noises at them causing laughter from them.

“Hi. He's so cute.” “Aw!” Some of the children say before some of the older ones that look around your age help unpack the speeder. Looking at the kids your age you watch the way they carry themselves and interact with each other talking and joking with one another. 

You follow Mando with the child into what looks like a barn, parts of it look cleared out probably prepared, a woman enters followed by a child who is clutching onto her hand, “I am Omera I hope this is comfortable for you. Sorry that all we have is the barn.” She says and Mando nods dropping his pack as the child wanders into the barn looking at the large baskets of what looks like krill.

“This will do fine,” Mando says and Omera points over to a corner that has blankets laid out,

“I stacked some blankets over here.” Poking from behind her legs is the small girl who glances at you all before hiding further behind her legs, “This is my daughter, Winta. We don't get a lot of visitors around here. She's not used to strangers. This nice man is going to help protect us from the bad ones.” She says picking up her daughter who mumbles a quiet thank you from her mother's neck. She smiles looking at you three, “Come on, Winta. Let’s give our guests some room.” The two leave as you situate yourself in the room. Mando had set up a sort of cradle for the child while you sat looking at your ankle, it still hurt to put a lot of pressure on it but you were able to walk around. What you needed was a shower or something to clean the dirt, sweat, and blood off you. You probably looked insane walking around like this. You push yourself up after pulling your boot on.

“I’m gonna go look around,” You say to Mando as you get ready to leave.

“Kid,” Mando calls out and you look back at him and you see he’s holding out his knife. You look at the knife and him in surprise, he was giving you his weapon, “Be careful. Don’t go too far out.” He says and you slowly take the blade tucking it in your belt and nodding. He dismisses you and you leave the barn just to see Omera and Winta coming over.

“Ah, we were just coming by to give some food..” She trails off never catching your name which you give. “Are you not going to eat Y/n?”

“I was actually wondering if you had a place to bathe just wanted to freshen up,” You ask and she nods pointing towards a building.

“My home you can use anything that you need, leave your clothes on the small chair and I’ll be sure to wash your clothes and have them ready for you when you are ready.” She says and you give your thanks before making your way toward her home. Entering her home seeing touches of her personality and thing that shows it was lived in especially with a child. You make your way into the room containing a large tub covered by a privacy stand, leaning over and turning the handle water pours begin to fill the room with steam. Thank the maker this planet had warm water. You strip off your clothes placing them on the chair that she must be talking about wrapping yourself in a towel. Peeling off the bandages around your arm and the ones on your face putting them aside. Dipping your hand in the water feeling it warm enough before setting the towel aside and stepping into the bath. The hot water makes you hiss slightly in pain but once you settle in you feel your muscle relax. Leaning back in the water you feel truly calm for once in the past few days. Though you weren’t dumb the knife Mando gave you rests right on the lip of the tub in case someone tries to pull something. After relaxing you dip your head under the water bringing yourself up and starting to clean yourself up. There were some natural soaps and creams you assume are homemade that you use to wash the dirt and grime off you and clean your hair. You’re extra careful around the wound on your arm it was still closing up due to the bacta spray but it had stopped bleeding which was good. The warm water felt nice on your ankle and soon the water began to chill and changed from clear water to cloudy with dirt and excess blood. Draining the water you step out wrapping the towel the smell of the soap is pleasant smelling like the trees and grass. Leaving the privacy curtain seeing your clothes moved now to the table looking clean and dry as well. How long were you in that bath? Getting dressed find a brush to get rid of the knots from your hair before you pull your boots on, tuck the knife into your belt, and leave Omera’s home. Stepping outside seeing the sun long set it now evening and you head towards the village center. Looking around at the people speaking to one another their children playing out in front of them. You spot Omera and Winta who seems to be playing with the child. She notices you as well waving you over, “I see you enjoyed the bath, you look more awake.” She says and you nod you definitely felt more awake and feeling better. You see her gaze move to your arm her eyes widening slightly.

“Your arm!” You look down seeing it bleeding just a bit, guess you were wrong about it healing well. You see her grab something from her bag beside her pulling out a bottle and some cloth. She pours the liquid on your skin and you wince slightly from the sting but you watch the wound bubble clean itself before she wraps the cloth around your arm making sure it is tight and secure. “There it should be better now, do you have any other injuries?” The cut on your cheek and temple had long healed by now with the bacta spray not as serious but other than your arm it was just your ankle.

“Just my ankle it was sprained but I’m keeping off it. Where’s Mando?” You say pointing at the foot that you were keeping your weight off and Omera nods. You couldn’t see the familiar helmet or even Cara.

“Your Mandalorian and that woman went out to gather information on the raiders. For your ankle, I may have something back at my home.” She says and the two of you stand up to head over when you spot Mando and Cara returning. The villagers all gather around ready to hear the news.

“Bad news. You can't live here anymore.” Mando says bluntly shocking them who all voice their disagreements.

“Nice bedside manner.” Cara elbows Mando who gives her a look, “You think you can do better.” Cara shakes her head stepping forward, “Can't do much worse. I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options.”

One of the villagers the man you met on the speeder shakes his head, “You took the job.”

“Yeah, that was before we knew about the AT-ST,” Cara says and the villagers look confused even you were. You never heard of anything like that.

“What is that?” Someone calls out, “The armored walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us.” Cara's retorts and the help you thought were simple raiders had become something that involved the empire. Their pleas to help seem to go unanswered the enemy seeming too great for Cara and even Mando. “This is a big planet, just most somewhere else. Trust me I’ve seen smaller.” Cara says and some of the older villagers refused angrily at the two.

“My grandfather seeded these ponds,” One of the framers says, “It took us generations.” Another but in.

“I understand. I do. But there are only two of us.” Mando points out that the difference between fighter and farmer was clear, these people were only civilians they probably never needed to fight in a war before.

“Please give us a chance there’s at least 20 here,” One of the farmers begs and Mando shakes his head, “I mean fighters. Be realistic.”

“We can learn. We can.” One of them says and they all make sounds of agreement, the idea that these people were going to learn how to fight to be raiders that had years of combat experience.

“I've seen that thing take out entire companies of soldiers in a matter of minutes,” Cara says the memories of her time in the rebellion trying to be a warning. Omera steps forward looking at Mando,

“We’re not leaving.”

“You cannot fight that thing!” Cara says pointing out into the forest and looking at Mando who was silent.

“Unless we show them how…you got two problems here,” He says out to the people, “You got the bandits, and you got the mech. We'll handle the AT-ST, but you gotta protect us when they come out of the woods. And I don't have to tell you how dangerous they are. Cara Dune here was a veteran. She was a drop soldier for the Rebellion, and she's gonna lay out a plan for you, so listen carefully.”

Cara steps forward speaking to them all. “Now, there's nothing on this planet that can damage the legs on this thing, so we're gonna build a trap. We're gonna need to dig real deep, right here, so that when it steps in, it drops,” She points out to the ground right in front of their village and the large pond, “The two of us will hit their camp. Provoke them. That'll bring the fight out of the woods and down here to us.” The plan is to lure the raiders out and trap the AT Walker forming.

“I'm gonna need you to cut down trees and build barricades along these edges. I need it high enough so that they can't get over, and strong enough so that it can't break through.” Mando calls out pointing to the large trees from the forest that would build their barricade, “Okay. Who knows how to shoot?” You look around at the crowd of people and only see one hand raise seeing it to be Omera.

The sun is bright the next day the village was very active, some are working on chopping wood to build the barricade, others were with Cara who was teaching them basic hand-to-hand combat with sticks, and Mando was teaching the villagers to shoot. With pots and pans as targets many are missing but you see Omera hit her target. Sitting on a large rock viewing all this you were carving the wooden sticks making them sharp at the ends for fighting. Silently watching while carving when you see Mando saying something to all of them before stepping away. He comes over standing beside the rock you are taller than him sitting on the large boulder.

“How’s it coming along?” He says looking at the pile of sharpened sticks that you’ve been working on for the past hour.

“Just working at it…do you think they can do it, fight against the raiders?” You ask looking at him the villagers practicing shooting and fighting but would these quick lessons be enough? Mando is silent probably thinking about the fight that was ahead of them.

“Come on,” He says holding out a gloved hand and gesturing you to come down. Dropping the stick you were working on into the pile tucking the knife in your belt, and taking his hand he helps you off the rock. You put most of your weight off your bad foot almost falling slightly if it weren’t for Mando’s hold on your hand. He starts walking towards the target practice area as the people working on shooting switches with the people training with Cara. Standing in front of one of the practice targets he pulls his blaster from his holster holding it out to you. He nods his head for you to take it and you grab it with two hands moving to stand in front of the target that is feet away.

“You know what you’re doing?” He asks as you stand silently the gun clutched between your hands. You can only picture the target being the stormtrooper in the room. The bolt hit him right in the chest dead instantly, before you followed suit with the others…and that one bounty hunter, and the man at the Razor Crest. You killed all those people. Would you have to keep doing this until you were home?

“I’ve never killed anyone until Nevarro…” You say out loud the blaster feeling like a weight in your hands. Did they have families? People to go home to? Sure they were a part of the empire and the bounty hunter was trying to kill you but they were still people. Living breathing people. His hand rest on your shoulder a grounding feeling.

“It’s not an easy thing to do…but they would have killed you. Think of that when you have to kill.” He says looking down at you, you probably were living a normal life in Tatooine. You probably had to fight to survive but you didn’t seem like a killer and because of him…because of who you are…you now were. “So stand tall, bring one foot out in front, and keep your weight balanced.” He says his hands grabbing your shoulders making you stand straight as you wipe your face getting rid of the lingering tears that clouded your vision. Looking ahead at the target you listen to his words.

“Keep your knees flexed to absorb the recoil, keep this arm straight the other supporting it,” His hand straightens your dominant arm while fixing the other one, “Make sure your main sight is in focus then move to the fine sight…remember to breathe…” His hands rest over yours before the world around you grows quiet and you can hear each breath you take in and exhale. You can feel the blaster in your hands grounding you, the dirt under your feet the vibrations of the earth. The feeling of Mando’s hands leaving yours, but another feeling. A feeling that covers you like a blanket connecting you to everything. The breeze in the air washed over you, the river flowing into the pond, the sun breathing life into the planet all around you. It connected you to it and you to it…the feeling you felt many years ago, and when you first witness the child.

“And shoot.”

The bolt hits the pan dead center it knocking over as the world grows loud again everything returning to focus as you look forward at the target down. Your hands drop down holding the weapon to your side. Your skin felt on fire a sensation you’ve never experienced before.

“You did well.” Mando says and you look up at him before nodding slightly returning the weapon to him, “Keep that up and you’ll be a sharpshooter.” You can’t ignore the warmth that fills your chest hearing the compliment and noticing the pride that was in his voice. The confident feeling didn’t leave you for the rest of the day.

Dusk arrived and the village had prepared the barricade and set up the weapons prepared and it was up to them to protect their village. Those who weren’t equipped with blasters had sharpened sticks. Mando and Cara were preparing themselves to leave while you also prepared for the battle.

“Kid,” Mando calls out as you finish bringing the children and the child inside the barn turning right outside the door.

“The kids have the child so we can focus on the fight.” You say pointing back at the open door, when he shakes his head a look of confusion was only necessary.

“No, you’re not getting involved in this.” He says and you can’t help but feel frustrated.

“But they need us, they need fighters. I can help!” You say trying to plead your case, why else would he teach you how to shoot, why did Mando give you his knife? You were meant to be out there. But he wasn’t backing down on his decision.

“You need to protect the child, that’s what you can do to help,” He says and you see him pull something out from his pack another blaster, “And if something is to go wrong I want you to take the child and get to the Crest and leave.”

“But what about the village? The people here we can’t just abandon them!” You say you weren’t about to run off and hide if the plan fails.

“What matters is getting you two off this planet away from the fight. If this is to fail you’re safer off somewhere in the galaxy than with those raiders who won’t hesitate to kill you both.” His hands are firm on your shoulders making sure you’re looking right at him and understanding his point. “You leave this planet, understand.” You nod silently biting your lip to not spill out any more words. You take the blaster holding it in one hand and he looks at you once last time before you watch him leave with Cara. He better win this fight.

The night was silently the children hidden in the barn, blankets, and baskets surrounding them as you stand by the door the blaster clutched within your hands waiting. It wasn’t until you hear the rumble of what you assume was the AT-ST that you knew that battle had begun. A loud explosion coming from outside made you jump and slight cries come from the children. The sound of gunfire further away filled the night before you felt a sense of panic fill your lungs and you turn just in time as the laser hit the barn.

The AT-ST shot out into the village hitting the homes of some of the villages until one made Omera scream out panic and pain in her voice, “THE BARN!” Mando felt something in him chill as he viciously killed one of the raiders looking back at where the barn is burning only one thought in his head, the kids.

The fire was hot against your skin as the burning planks of wood of the barely held-together barn were floating up in the air. Your hand was shaking slightly as you held the heavy planks and studs as the children ran out of the barn, “Quickly go now!” You yell out sweat dripping down your face. You’ve never experienced this much power before never trying it against something so heavy, seeing the last child out you threw yourself out rolling on the ground as the barn crumbled the flames burning bright. The rain and darkness wet all out of you as you clutched the blaster in your hands. Mando’s voice rings clear in your head, ‘I want you to take the child and get to the Crest and leave.’ but the children crying out in fear quickly took those thoughts away.

“Come on we gotta move!” You shout out holding your hand out and waving the children to follow you, one of them Winta was holding the child in her arms. Leading them through the rain and darkness hearing the battle raging just a few away. Seeing another large barn you rip the door open, “Everyone inside!” You yell as the children run inside right as you were about to enter something snatches your collar ripping you away from the door and throwing you against the mud.

Looking up seeing one of the raiders with a large blade in hand. A crackle of thunder and lightning fills the air as you roll out of the way. Pushing yourself up as the blade swings down where you once laid. The rain and mud made the ground and view hard to see but the glint of silver have you leaning out of the way of the metal. Kicking your leg out hitting him in the chest pushing him back and you look around for your blaster. Seeing it laying on the ground beside him you were at a disadvantage. Pulling the knife from your belt holding it out dodging his swipes trying to strike out being blocked by his blade. His hand pulls on your hair making you fall on the ground you go to swipe out at him but he kicks your knife out of your hand giving you a cut along your arm. You scramble backward in fear as you watch him raise the blade to deliver the killing blow. You quickly raise your hands up to block yourself when you hear him shout and the sound of him crashing on the ground. Looking up seeing him feet away pushing himself up from the mud. You see the blaster scrambling for it as he runs at you, blade raising a yell coming from him. Your hands wrap around the blaster quickly relaxing your arms and pulling the trigger. It hits him dead center and he falls to the ground. Dropping your blaster falling to your back the rain pours down on you as you catch your breath.

Forcing yourself up you wince in pain in your ankle as you grab the muddy blaster and find your knife holstering it. Looking back at the barn and back to where you see flashes of red and the blaster fire from the AT-ST whipping through the village. You clutch the blaster in your hand before racing toward the fight.

The AT-ST walker hadn’t fallen for the trap leading to Mando and Cara rushing into the pond trying to provoke it as well as fight off the raiders, “It’s not falling for it!” Cara yells out using Mando’s pulse rifle to draw its attention. Mando shoots down a raider coming by Cara punching another that was trying to attack him.

“We gotta get that thing to step forward!” Mando yells the rain beating down on all of them, his mind was torn between two places seeing the barn up in flames hoping you all got out safe and stopping this walker.

“I’m thinking!” Cara yells back, the walker looks down at the two of them bright red lights shining down and the whir of the gun preparing to fire down on them. They couldn’t dodge that in time and even beskar can’t take that large of a blast. A crush of metal fills the air and they see the legs of the walker bend in the wrong way, and the turrets of the guns bend forward to face the walker. Mando looks back, his reaction one of shock hidden behind the beskar helmet. The rain pours down on your covered in mud the flashes of lightning highlighting you. Your hand was held out as your close your fist the metal of the walker crushing more before it falls into the pond.

“It’s now or never!” Cara yells out having seen the AT-ST fall into the pond making Mando look back forward only to see you disappear in the rain. Rushing towards the walker charging a thermal detonator plunging it into the walker’s chassis and blowing it up. The explosion of the walker has the few surviving raiders fleeing back into the woods. The village cheers the battle won as Mando tries calming his beat heart the only thought in his head. What are you?

Weeks had passed since the battle, time to heal and to relax. You had expected a yelling from Mando he saw you during the battle when you were meant to be at the barn, but he hadn’t said anything of the sort patting you on the shoulder. You were showered with thanks from the villagers having protected their children and sort. Healing was a bitch though, you felt absolutely exhausted right after the battle sleeping for hours and during that time Omera had tended to you checking on your ankle you strained more, to the cut you obtained. You probably never slept for that long since being taken from Tatooine. But having decent medicine and not leaving to travel allowed you to heal properly. Soon the cut from the battle and the blaster ray during Nervarro had healed nicely scars as a reminder. Your ankle had gotten better after 2 weeks and you were up and at it taking this free time on this planet exploring. Spending your days joining in on hunts with the adults or traveling with some of the few kids around your age to visit large rolling hills of wildflowers or the large waterfalls that covered your howls and laughter. You felt carefree and happy here something you haven’t felt in the seventeen years of your life.

Mando watches the child playing with some of the kids resting against the support of one of the homes, “He’s very happy here..so is the girl.” Cara says as Mando looks further down the road seeing you with a group of teens your age, a wide smile was on your face as you listen in to one of their stories another was braiding your hair in a style he’s seen some of the women and girls in the village wear.

“So, what happens if you take that thing off? They come after you and kill you?” Cara asks and Mando shakes his head,

“No. You just can't ever put it back on again.” Mando says the rule of his creed is strict, the Mandalorian way of never revealing your face has stuck with him since he was saved by them.

“That's it? So you can slip off the helmet, settle down with that beautiful young widow, and raise your kids sitting here, sipping spotchka?” Cara says clearly seeing the connection the Mandalorian had with the woman of this village. Anyone could see it.

“You know, we raised some hell here a few weeks back. It's too much action for a backwater town like this. Word travels fast. We might wanna cycle the charts and move on.” Mando points out, it wouldn’t be long for some bounty hunter or anyone with an eye for a few extra credits to come looking out here.

“Would not wanna be the one who's gotta tell them,” Cara says, the joy on both of your faces enough to warm her heart, just a few weeks of meeting you three to gain an ally and a friend.

“I'm leaving them here. Traveling with me, that's no life for a kid. I did my job, he's safe and she’s better off here than on some desert planet. Better chance at life.” He says, he felt content leaving they were going to be safe here, but the small twinge in his chest was growing tougher to ignore. No, he couldn’t form an attachment it would never end well.

“Come on. Come on,” Cara sighs looking back at the two children and then at Mando who was walking away, “It's gonna break his little heart and she really looks up to you. You compliment her and she’s glowing the rest of the day.” Mando doesn’t look back and keeps walking.

“They’ll get over it. We all do.”

You had trailed off from the group the sounds of nature were calming around as your hands trace the rough bark, the grass brushing along your legs, it felt like a dream. The number of colors was everywhere unlike the sands of beige and tan on Tatooine. The songs the birds sing as they fly to their nest as you come across a clearing where you see a fawn eating the grass while its doe and buck watch over it protectively. You slowly crouch down watching with fascination unaware of the slow footsteps coming from behind a weapon raised to aim.

A blaster bolt rings clear in the air startling the creatures in the forest and the village right beside it. Mando stiffens Omera jumping in his grasp.

“The children!” Omera yells as they rush off to where the children as looking around in fear with some other adults but when he sees them all alright including the child his head whips to the forest.

Mando rushes through the forest his blaster in his hands when he hears Cara’s voice, coming upon a clearing where she is holding standing over a body and his blood chills maker was it yours? He lets out a breath seeing you stand out of his view and looking down at the body your eyes widen still in shock specks of blue blood from the hunter decorate your face. He holsters his gun and comes over to you grabbing you by the shoulders.

“What were you doing out alone!?” He shouts at you shaking you as your gaze is still glued to the body on the floor, he had come to kill you. You almost died. He shakes you again the shock still glued to you, “Are you listening to me?!” He yells and your eyes snap back to his he was sure you were staring right through his helmet, tears were brimming your eyes. He’s pulled off you by Cara as you turn away from the gruesome look trying to calm your breathing.

“Hey calm down,” Cara says to Mando giving him a look before glancing at you who is trying to calm yourself down. He takes a breath his anger for you fading as he steps toward the bounty seeing a blinking fob. He was right..it was going to happen sooner or later. They knew you and the child were here. You were only lucky somewhere was there before anything could have happened.

The sled was beginning to be loaded as the villagers, Cara and Mando load his supplies to be brought back to the Crest. “Are you sure you don't want an escort?” Cara asks willingly to help as they load the final items.

“I appreciate the offer, but we're gonna bypass the town and head right to the Razor Crest.” He says as Cara nods before holding her hand out,

“Well then, until our paths cross.” Mando accepts her hand both holding on shaking,

“Until our paths cross.”

You look at the small group of friends you had made, hugging them each goodbye before stepping away to Omera who smiles holding a small item wrapped in cloth.

“A salve for if you are to gain any more injuries in your travels.” She says cupping your face and trying to wipe off some of the blood that has dried on your face. You accept her gift wrapping your arms around her she quickly accepts the hug,

“Thank you for everything.” You say before you pull away moving to Cara who pats your arm,

“You look after each other alright?” She says and you nod and she rubs your arm.

“Goodbye Cara.” You get a sad smile as you climb onto the sled the child gets a hug from Winta as you watch Omera speak a few words to Mando before hugging him. He pulls away loading his rifle before climbing on as you watch the village grow smaller the villagers waving goodbye as you leave.

The Razor Crest is silent as the child sits in his cradle playing with his small ball while you were sat in your seat, your hands slowly undoing the braids down in your hair. You were happy there and how quickly it was snatched away from you. “Hey kid,” Mando’s voice calls out and you look up seeing him holding a cloth. Unlike the heavy hand, it’s lighter as it cleans the blood from your face. He pulls away putting the cloth to the side as he takes his seat not moving before he looks back at you, “I’m sorry…for yelling.” You’re staring out the window not looking at him, your hair out of the style of the people you grew to know blocking your face from him.

“Let’s just get off this planet.”

[thefrogdalorian]

From Now Until The End

Summary: After being away from you as part of his job with the New Republic, your partner Din surprises you with a trip to the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine to make up for it. But instead of the fun-filled day he had planned, you are overwhelmed by the many sights, sounds and noises. It leads you to finally share a part of yourself with Din that you had been hiding from him until now.

Rating: General Content Warnings: Descriptions of panic attacks/sensory overload. Word Count: 5446 Link to read on AO3 // Din x ND reader series

Authors note: After my post a few days ago about finding comfort in Din as a neurodivergent person provoked so many thoughful discussions, this fic just sort of landed in my lap today and I was not one to fight the muse. I really hope you enjoy it!

For the first part of your life, you had believed you were somehow cursed, such was the way bad luck was drawn to you like a womp rat to the sands of Tatooine. How did everything seem so simple for others when nothing ever seemed to go right for you? Had you missed out on some kind of crucial meeting that taught everyone else to be a functional human? Or were you just fundamentally broken? Getting a diagnosis of autism thanks to a knowledgeable healer that you had encountered quite by accident, had finally answered some questions for you and helped you to navigate the galaxy in a different way, allowing yourself far more grace and compassion than you ever had before. But it didn’t make all of your problems instantly vanish.

But your fortunes had changed forever on that fateful day when you had first encountered a man hunting imperial remnants for the New Republic in the course of your work in a Cantina, a job you loathed. He had strode in, seeking information that you had been happy to give him.

You were stunned when he had tried to give you some credits for it, it was just the right thing to do. You had always had a strong sense of justice. Sure, your boss probably wouldn’t be too happy if he had caught you fraternising with customers and conspiring to capture Imps with a Mandalorian, rather than doing your job. Which was, to pour flagons of spotchka and keep the peace. But the man in the shiny Beskar had been the first person in a while who had actually treated you like a fellow human being, rather than something to be leered at and ogled while you brought them more alcohol. You felt instantly at ease with him, the conversation flowing from your lips so naturally that you forgot he was a stranger. And you were usually so wary of strangers. To be as open as you were with him so quickly, it was clear that there was something special about this man.

People were usually wary of Mandalorians, they were still such a rarity in the galaxy after The Great Purge. But you realised after just a few minutes of talking to him, that there was something incredibly comforting and warm about the man beneath the armour. When he had left, you had felt so devastated it was almost pathetic. Of course he had left, he was only here in this backwater hellhole for a job, after all. It had been difficult to complete your shift without dissolving into sobs, you felt irritated and on the verge of a meltdown but if you were to try to explain it to anyone, even if you could find the words, it would not make any sense. A stranger had made you feel happier than you had in a long time? How was that normal?

Waking yourself up for your shift the following morning and dragging yourself into to face the most wretched hive of scum and villainy in the galaxy at your place of work had been one of the toughest things you had ever had to do. You loathed that cantina, that was situated right next to the starport on the formerly-Imperial planet in the mid rim. People were fleeting, passing through. It was seedy. There were secrets to be traded in and you knew if you weren't careful, you could pay with your life. But you had to keep going. The boss had taken you in and supported you when you were down on your luck. There was no alternative. 

But the moment when you had caught the familiar glint of that shiny Beskar out of the corner of your eye as you were cleaning glasses had changed everything. At that moment, when Din had strode back into the cantina with that confident gait that you loved so much, it was as though all the misfortune you had endured had meant something. All the suffering you had experienced in your life was all being made up for now, when Din had returned and saved you from a monotonous life on that dead-end planet, working in a job you loathed with a hellish boss. You had left that day and never looked back.

Crossing paths with Din Djarin had been, without a doubt, the most fortunate thing that had ever happened to you. Although you had still been wary of his intimidating presence at first, despite how quickly you felt at ease with him; you had come to learn that despite his hulking, armoured form, there was a heart of gold beneath that cold, hard Beskar. As your relationship had gotten more serious and the two of you had grown closer and closer, your guilt at hiding such a big part of yourself had increased. There was not an easy way to tell people that you were autistic, you had discovered that over and over since you had received your diagnosis. There were often painful consequences once others discovered that there was a hint of difference. You knew it was foolish to think that with Din, he had proven to you time and time again to be a patient, understanding man. Not least because of how he treated you, but also because of how sweet he was to his son, Grogu.

Surprisingly, perhaps because he had spent the first part of your relationship hiding his face from you behind his helmet, you had not felt the need to mask as much as you usually did. There was no pressure to make eye contact and Din was so quiet that small talk was not an issue. He was direct, a man of few words. When he did speak, it was straight to the point. Something that you found immensely comforting from the moment you met him.

You had not wanted to burden him with the secret you were hiding from him though. At first, you had not thought it was important to bring up. People usually ran away or treated you differently. In the past, your honesty had been met with rejection or unkindness. Your heart ached to think of the same thing happening with Din.

But unfortunately, hiding that part of you was no longer an option. As you sat there, cowering in a cave that you had found away from all the noise that was characteristic of the Boonta Eve Classic, you wondered how on earth you were going to explain it to Din. This wasn’t how you wanted it to happen. You wanted to drop it in conversation, nonchalantly, as though it wasn’t a big deal – because why should it be? Instead, your hand had rather been forced by how upset the accumulation of events that happened to you throughout the day had left you.

Din had taken a lot of jobs recently and the two of you had spent a considerable amount of time apart. But you didn’t spend your days alone, pining for him; he had secured a job for you with his friend, High Magistrate Greef Karga on the planet where you shared a cabin with him and Grogu. It was a beautiful tract of land, just past the lava flats. You felt extremely grateful that Din had wanted to invite you into the quiet life he had built for himself Grogu. So while Din was away, you had found yourself working in the Nevarrian archives and making sure everything was up to date and in order. For a detail-orientated person who loved order, it was a perfect job for you. Even better, it came with minimal human interaction, a parsec away both literally and metaphorically from that hateful Cantina. What’s more, you had an incredibly good-natured – not to mention handsome – man for a partner and his charming son, whom you had quickly come to adore. With those big brown eyes and ears that could melt your heart when they drooped downwards, there was no way you could do anything other than love Grogu. 

But with so much time apart recently, Din had wanted to do something special to make it up to you. He had arranged to take you to the Boonta Eve Classic, an infamous event the entire galaxy over which took place annually on Tatooine. He had a friend who could babysit Grogu and it would be the perfect opportunity for the two of you to spend some quality time together. Din had told you about the time he had visited Tatooine on the day of it a couple of cycles ago but was unable to stay due to commitments elsewhere. You could see how excited he was to finally experience Boonta Eve and you would be lying if you weren’t excited too. It was definitely something on your bucket list, that you had wanted to experience for a while. You would be lying if you said you weren’t a little daunted by it though, all the noise and people were sure to push you out of your comfort zone.

The heat of Tatooine was the first thing that stood out to you. Nevarro could be hot, but this was something else. It was repressive; you sweated just standing still. You wished you had dressed in something lighter, some cotton perhaps, rather than the shirt that seemed to cling to you. The bright, harsh light of the twin suns was also making your head buzz. You had felt a little shaky as you and Din climbed off the ship that had brought you here and headed for the hangar to meet Din’s friend who would take care of Grogu.

Din had introduced you to a few of his acquaintances since the two of you had gotten together and usually, you could understand why they were friends. You were about to meet the exception to that rule, though, in the form of a curly-haired, eccentric mechanic called Peli Motto. You had barely had a chance to catch your breath on this planet, which seemed determined to boil you to death, when you entered the hangar and met perhaps the most extroverted woman you had ever met in your entire life.

When you walked in, she had been conversing with some Jawas, her brown curly hair bobbing up and down furiously. Your understanding of the language was minimal at best, but it seemed to be a pretty heated discussion. Din shifted awkwardly next to you, Grogu in his arms. He cleared his throat and at once she spun around.

“Mando!” Peli exclaimed, throwing her arms up in delight. “Good to see ya, always a pleasure!”

“You too.” Din nodded in response.

“No ship today?” Peli asked, with a shrug. “Shame, I would’ve given her the ol’ once over for ya. For a good price, of course.”

“No, there wasn’t enough room. I’m here with my partner, you see.” Din said, nodding towards you, his hand coming to rest on the small of your back to show that you were, in fact, an item.

“Well look at you! Isn’t Mando punching above his weight? You’re stunning.” Peli said with a grin, her hands coming to rest on her toolbelt. Although, judging by the amount of droids she employed, it didn’t look as though she did much work herself. “You know, if things don’t work out between the two of you, you give me a call. Alright?”

“Uh… alright?” You laughed apprehensively, taken aback by how brazen she was.

Din sensed your unease and swiftly moved the conversation on, removing his hand from your back and taking a few steps towards Peli, handing Grogu to her. Grogu cooed at being passed to the woman, who greeted him enthusiastically. You just stood there awkwardly, your arms felt heavy and you suddenly felt incredibly out of place, even though you were with your boys. You just wanted to leave this place behind and finally spend some quality time with Din. That was the entire point of your trip, after all.

After Din had reminded Grogu several times to mind his manners and not eat all of Peli’s food, the two of you left the hangar behind and walked hand-in-hand as you made your way towards the area where the Boonta Eve Classic was taking place. Din had splurged on grandstand seats for the two of you and, although you had expected it would be busy, as you got closer and closer, you were blown away by the capacity of the main stand. It seemed as though it could hold hundreds of thousands of people. Din must have sensed your unease since the whole interaction with Peli, as he checked in with you.

“You okay?” Din asked, looking at you. But all that greeted you was the harsh blackness of his visor, rather than the warm, comforting brown eyes that you loved so much. “Sorry about Peli, I should’ve given you a heads-up. She’s completely harmless, but I know she can be a lot, sometimes.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s okay.” You laughed nervously. “It’s just a lot busier than I was expecting.”

“It’s Boonta Eve!” Din shook his head as though it should be obvious, which only made you feel worse, somehow. “Biggest event of the year. There are a lot of people, though.”

“Yeah.” You said quietly.

“Let’s get some food. It was a long journey, you must be hungry.” Din said as he pointed towards a stall with a considerable throng of people surrounding it. “Look, I think those stalls sell Bantha cheese hoagies, We can get a refreshing glass of blue milk too.”

“Okay.” You agreed. It was true, you would probably feel better with some proper food in your system. It had taken the better part of a day to travel here from Nevarro, on one of the ships that had been specially chartered to take people to the event. 

But the food had not helped. Nor had been crammed onto the bleachers alongside thousands of others without the comfort of Din’s face to ground you. Every time you looked at him, you were met with the unmoving gaze of his helmet, rather than his warm brown eyes that you loved so much. You had tried to maintain your composure throughout the afternoon through the many races and into the evenings, Din seemed to be enjoying himself and you didn’t want to ruin that from him. Much less could you even begin to get into why you were so upset, why you were struggling so much. He probably wouldn’t understand, he’d think you were strange. So you resolved to keep it together. It would all be over soon. You shut your eyes and took deep breaths as the final race began, knowing that you just had to make it through a few more minutes before you and Din would head back to the lodgings he had booked for the night – at great personal expense, if you had to guess.

But when the pod races had ended, after much cheering and ear-splittingly loud commentary coming from the speakers, there had been no reprieve. Instead, a fireworks display had started up, replacing one loud noise with another. If there was one thing you abhorred, it was sudden loud noises. They made you physically jump, completely terrifying you. It had been the thing that had tipped you over the edge into meltdown territory. You were trying your best to keep it together, to at least make it somewhere more private before you came apart. So you abruptly stood up, clapping your hands to your ears.

“Din… I need to leave.” You managed to squeak out before you were pushing your way along the row of bleachers and hurtling down the steps to somewhere quieter.

As you reached the bottom of the grandstand, your mind raced. Where could you go? You were somewhere completely alien to you. Plus, when you had made your way here, everything had been light. But now the suns had set and darkness had crept in. You were grateful that the harsh sun was no longer beating down furiously on you, but the lack of light disorientated you. Your vision started to blur as the tears began to fall, you were trembling, twisting your head furiously in desperate search of somewhere quiet you could get some privacy as you broke into pieces.

Mercifully, behind one of the vendors that were beginning to pack their wares up for the night, was an entrance to a cave. It was the perfect place for you to get some quiet away from the fireworks, which were still exploding all around you. Without a second thought – for your safety, for Din’s whereabouts – you darted inside the cave and found some peace. You sat there, arms around your knees, rocking back and forth as the meltdown that you had felt building pace for hours was finally crashing down with all its might on top of you. 

The sound of footsteps outside the cave did nothing to reach you, such was the distress you found yourself in. It could have been anyone with nefarious intentions, you weren’t in a position to care. You weren’t in a position to take anything in, really. But, mercifully, it was the familiar sight of the Mandalorian who owned your heart. Din had found you; of course, he had, he was not once known as the best bounty hunter in the parsec for no reason. 

“Cyar’ika? What’s wrong?” Din asked, voice full of concern as he closed the distance towards you.

He took a seat on the cold, firm floor of the cave in front of where you were currently sitting in a state of distress, unreachable as you felt the world was ending. 

“What happened?” Din asked, again. But his voice sounded slightly different this time and, as you opened your eyes and looked at him through your tears, you realised why. You could finally see the face of the man that you loved so much, the face you had been aching to see all day.

“Di- Din?” You sniffled. You respected his devotion to the Creed entirely – although he had chosen to walk a different path to the Way he was raised, he still only removed his helmet around you and Grogu.

“I’m here, cyar’ika. I’m not leaving you.” Din said, reaching out to pat your knee awkwardly, clearly scared that he was going to upset you more.

You took some deep breaths, attempting to compose yourself so you could speak to him and let him know the truth, about what had caused your sudden loss of composure and subsequent meltdown. To an outsider, you knew they looked inexplicable but inside your head, they made complete sense.

“Was it something I did? Was it the fireworks?” Din questioned, although the cave was almost entirely in darkness, you could still see the concern on his face. “I’m so sorry, I thought you knew they were part of Boonta Eve.”

“I didn’t…” You struggled for breath, “...know.”

“I’m so sorry. Were they too loud? Din asked you, you were grateful that he was keeping it to questions that could be answered with a yes or no. They were far easier to reply to in your current state.

“Yes.” You nodded your head furiously.

“Okay, okay. I think I get it.” Din said, continuing to stroke your knee gingerly. The warm pressure and presence of his hand was a welcome addition. It soothed you, rather than repulsed you as could sometimes happen when you were in a state of meltdown. “Take your time, get your breath back.”

You weren’t sure for how many minutes you sat there, trying to compose yourself so you could speak to Din and let him in. Let him know what had caused your distress. You knew what it was, but this could change everything. For a second, that made you cry harder. But then you comforted yourself with all the times Din had been understanding before, when you had returned from work upset or when he had been kind and patient to Grogu, the little boy with an immense gift.

Eventually, though, you were composed enough to initiate a conversation with the man who was so concerned about you, who you knew wanted to help you and understand what had upset you so much. You couldn’t bear the thought of him believing that it was his fault, if nothing else, you had to let him know that there was nothing he could have done to prevent this.

“Sorry for running off.” You said sincerely, struggling to meet Din’s gaze as you sat there in the cave together. “It wasn’t your fault, Din.”

“Do you want to talk about what caused it, now?” Din asked. “No pressure to but if I know, perhaps I can help you in future.”

You could have launched into a detailed history of your life, about how you knew from an early age that you were different. That, despite your human parents, you had repeatedly questioned whether you were, in fact, an alien who had been adopted, somehow. How things had not made sense until the day that healer looked into your eyes and told you those words: You are autistic. The way, even after that, things still did not make sense. How you thought that logically, having a diagnosis should make things easier to understand, that often you felt as though you understood yourself even less now.

But you didn’t. You could tell Din those things another time. For now, there was only one thing that Din needed to know. You closed your eyes and uttered the three words that could change everything for you, that could rip this man and the life you were building together away from you:

“Din… I’m autistic.” You said, shutting your eyes as though you were anticipating some kind of violence in response to the admission of your diagnosis.

When you opened them, though, there was no pain to be rained down on you. Only love and acceptance. Before you, the man you had grown so close to sat there cross-legged, his warm brown eyes widened in shock, as he nodded slowly in understanding. 

“Okay,” Din said with another firm nod, making sure that he was looking directly at you. “What can I do to help you?”

“You’ve been so understanding and accepting of me already. I just sometimes struggle to put into words how I’m feeling. It’s as though I don’t know how bad I’m feeling until I’m reduced to a blubbering mess, like just know.” You admitted. “That’s why, eventually, things were too much and I just ran off.”

“What caused it today?” Din asked, curiously. You saw no trace of judgement or a desire to pry in those eyes.

“Well, I tend to struggle with social situations, meeting new people and new environments. And also, sensory overload, when things are too bright and noisy… it makes me panic.” You admitted, fiddling nervously with the hem of the shirt that you had dressed in that had failed miserably at keeping you cool. “It was just… everything today. And I didn’t know how to say it or make you aware because you didn’t know and you might think I was ungrateful. I know how much you were looking forward to this, how much you spent on giving me the best experience. I wanted to have a good time but I just… I couldn’t…”

“Oh, cyar’ika. I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been struggling. I can see how a busy, noisy pod race with all the sounds and people would be awful for you. Plus the fireworks display you had no idea about… Boonta Eve was probably not the best place to bring you. Nor was it wise to introduce you to someone new, especially someone as loud as Peli.” Din said, shaking his head although he was upset for himself. “And all that, somewhere unfamiliar… on a planet you’ve never been to. It’s amazing, really, that you coped as well as you did, for so long today. I'm proud of you.”

“Thank you, Din. But please don’t feel bad, you didn’t know. I should’ve told you sooner… but I was scared to.” You admitted sheepishly.

“Scared?” Din questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I just….” You took a deep breath. It was difficult for you to talk about the unfortunate reactions you had been exposed to in the past. “There have been plenty of people who have not accepted my diagnosis, told me I didn’t look autistic or that it can’t be that bad. People just… they don’t understand. I was scared you’d think I was weird, that you wouldn’t love me anymore.”

“Oh, cyar’ika.” Din said, shuffling to sit next to you so he could wrap his arm around your shoulder and bring you into him protectively. “I would never think that of you. I can’t imagine how much it would hurt to feel so misunderstood and struggle with so many things that others find easy. I must admit, I don’t always notice lights and noises like others do, behind my helmet. It sort of creates a barrier between me and the rest of the galaxy. If I had to face the world in the same way you do, bearing my face… I would probably struggle too.”

“You would?” You questioned in amazement. Usually, you doubted how much people could understand, but with Din, there was utter sincerity there. He was noble and always true to his word, sometimes to the point of putting himself in precarious positions, you did not doubt him for a second.

“I would,” Din nodded. “Plus, as for the weird thing. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when you met me I told you I was part of a Creed that meant I could never show you my face. Not only that, but I had adopted a son who was older than me. So, you know, I’m also surprised you didn’t leave me. I’m not exactly the most normal person in the galaxy.”

You laughed at that, so hard that your sides were hurting. Din soon joined you and the cave was soon filled with something other than tortured sobs. It was a welcome change for your body to be hurting rather than something other than pain and terror, for there to be warmth spreading once again in your chest.

“Good point,” You admitted. “You are pretty weird.”

“But seriously, if you ever feel yourself struggling like that again, please tell me,” Din said, suddenly looking at you seriously. “You know, if there’s anything I can do, I’ll help you. Now that I know, I can look for things that might cause you distress. I promise I’ll never put you through anything you don’t want to do. You said that today must have cost a lot and that’s true, but you know credits don’t matter as much as you do. Your happiness is my only priority… along with Grogu’s, of course.”

“Thank you, Din.” You whispered, voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”

The truth was, you would never be able to thank him with words. To have someone so understanding of you… it was a debt you felt that you would never be able to repay. But Din would never ask you to repay anything.

“Just continue being yourself, cyar’ika.” Din said, squeezing you to him. “I fell in love with you because you are who you are, this changes nothing. In fact, it makes me admire you and love you even more.”

"Really?" You asked.

"Really. From now until the end... I'm by your side." Din said, solemnly.

You sat there stunned, letting his words wash over you. They were a balm to your soul, the exact thing you needed to hear. You wondered how you had ever doubted Din's faithfulness and honourability. It seemed stupid now, that you could ever believe this man would want nothing but your absolute happiness. 

"Ready to head to the lodgings?" Din asked after a few more minutes had passed.

"Let's go." You nodded, accepting Din's hand as he pulled you to your feet.

As you made your way to the lodgings Din had arranged for you that night, your hand in his, you felt as though an incredible weight had been lifted from your shoulders. He had finally learnt the truth about you and the reasons why you struggled sometimes, there was nothing to hide anymore. And he had not responded with judgement or dismissiveness, nor had he doubted how much you had struggled. He had listened, allowed you to explain and vowed to help you through it in the future.

Din's helmet was back on now, but you felt a new respect for him. To know that he found it comforting, that he liked wearing it... most people would think it was an intense personal sacrifice to wear something so restrictive, but now that you knew that Din actually found solace in his helmet, with its tinted visor and the way it made noises quieter… perhaps you would think about the steps it took to become Mandalorian.

But all those questions could be answered later. For now, it was just you and the man you loved most in the galaxy, a man who knew everything about you and still loved you as much as he had before.

You weren’t sure what you had ever done to deserve such a kind, good man... but you weren’t about to question the way the galaxy had brought you together. You were just happy that your paths had crossed at all.

*

A few days later, back at your cabin on Nevarro, you awoke in the middle of the night to find that the side of the cot normally occupied by your favourite Mandalorian was empty. You momentarily panicked when you sat up with a start and saw that Din was nowhere to be found. You placed your hand on the sheets on his side of the cot and discovered they were still faintly warm. He couldn’t have gone far. Perhaps he was with Grogu, the little boy might have had a nightmare. But as you made your way into the hallway of the small cabin, you noticed a faint light coming from the main living area of the cabin.

As you crept down the corridor, not wanting to disturb Din, you noticed that he was sitting at the small desk in the living area. Illuminated by the warm glow of the lamp, you could see his curly dark hair resting on the desk. You worried for a moment until you heard the comfortingly familiar sound of his shallow, even breaths which indicated that he had fallen asleep. As you looked even closer, you noticed that there was something open on the desk. Your curiosity got the better of you as you wandered over there to see what he had been up to before he had fallen asleep with a lamp still on. A lamp that you turned off and shut the book that was sitting just above his hand, his hand resting next to it. And then you noticed the golden writing on the red cover and your heart skipped a beat.

It read, in Aurebesh: How to Support Your Autistic Loved One

You felt a lump in your throat and tears pool in your eyes. Before you could react further, Din stirred. The sound of the book shutting with a thud had caused him to stir, his brown eyes fluttered open and he turned to look up at you.

“Hi, sleepyhead.” You said, teasingly.

“Hi,” Din said, wiping his eyes. 

“Doing some late-night reading?” You asked with a smirk, nodding at the book.

“Oh…” Din said, turning his head to look down at the book too. “I got it from the archives here. I just wanted to know how to help you.”

“You’re so sweet, Din.” You smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, cyar’ika.” Din smiled at you, his eyes looking at you adoringly. “Let’s head back to our cot.”

As you fell asleep, your cheek resting on the warm, firm expanse of Din’s broad chest, you felt certain that you were the luckiest person in the entire galaxy. There was no one that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. You had not travelled far, but you knew that you could travel the galaxy many times and never meet another person as understanding as Din Djarin.

Thankfully, you didn’t have to… because he was all yours. From now until the end.

[astralisbelle]

Dead Man's Hand 1 - Peli's Apprentice

Dead Man's Hand Masterlist tags: tags: engineer!reader, gambler!reader, loose canon timeline, eventual smut, fluff, action, casino aesthetics, touch starved reader, touch starved din, reader and din get on each other’s nerves, also they’re idiots, defrosting ice king din, cinderella vibes, everybody loves grogu

chapter summary: Mando meets Peli's new apprentice

The Razor Crest lands with a lurch and a drop far too close for comfort, but at least he made it.

He spots the mechanic marching up to his ship, ready for a lecture that he knows is coming. With a sigh, he pulls the levers to park the ship. “Well,” he says to his little green companion. “Let’s get this over with.”

The Mandalorian steps out, holding Grogu against his hip with one arm. Peli stands with her arms crossed as the small droids scatter in the presence of the man. “What did you do to it?!” she scolds.

“Bounty hunting isn’t exactly a safe profession,” he says. Grogu coos as if he agrees. Peli can be as cross as she likes with the Mandalorian, but she softens immediately at the sight of Grogu’s black, beady eyes. Her tight frown loosens to a smile.

“Alright. Thankfully, you’re in luck. I’ve got just the person to help me out with this one.” Peli sticks two fingers in her mouth and gives a loud whistle. “Hey, Rookie, you’re up!”

“Coming!” a distant, feminine voice calls out. Emerging from the office, lugging a large box of tools in her arms is a young woman in a similar mechanic’s uniform. Dust and grime peppers her face and clothes, giving her a plain appearance. She sets down the tool box and as she straightens her back, her eyes meet his visor. “Whoa… don't tell me. You must be the Mandalorian.” She seems star-struck for a moment.

Peli pats her shoulder. “That's right! This is my best customer. And this little womp rat is Grogu!”

The girl makes eye contact with the child who raises a clawed hand in an attempt to wave. She laughs and waves back before extending her hand to Din, telling him her name. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He does not take her hand.

Peli gently pulls her back. “Don’t mind him. It’s not a personal thing. Why don’t you round up the droids and get started on the ship?”

“A-Ah. Sure.” She clears her throat and drops her hand to the side.

“I wanted you to look at the ship,” he tells Peli. “Not some kid.”

The girl puts her hands on her hips. “Now just wait a second.” She straightens her back, but even then, he eclipses her in height. “Who are you calling a kid? Do I look like I still go to school?”

“Alright, alright.” Peli pats her shoulder again. “Save your energy for the repairs. Get started.” The apprentice raises a brow, waiting for him to interject again. When he remains silent, she huffs and takes her tools.

“C’mon, guys!” she says to the droids. “Looks like we got our work cut out for us.” She storms off with the droids and once she is out of earshot, Peli gestures for him to follow her.

“I know, I know. Got more fire than the twin suns combined, but she’s brilliant.”

Din had figured with all the droids and her own intellect, Peli didn’t need the help. He sets Grogu down to give him a chance to stretch his little legs and leans against the wall, watching the apprentice as she scales the ship, connecting cables and directing the droids.

“Where’d you pick her up?”

“Wanna hear the story, Grogu?” He lifts his ears, giving a sound of affirmation. “Went to the cantina for a drink and this young woman is sitting in a corner booth with a deck of cards. She was playing with some others for spare parts and credits. But then, she gets caught cheating, is my guess. Gets about three blasters in her face, ready to fire before I step in.”

“And why’d you do that?”

“She knew her parts and components. I thought with a little refinement, she’d make a good assistant. So I sweet talked the players, offered her a job where she’s less likely to get shot at, and I have more free time! It’s a win-win.”

Din chuckles at Peli’s ever present ability to make opportunities for herself. He watches the girl act swiftly, as if she had worked on the Razor Crest a dozen times before. She is like him, he concludes, that each were scouted for their innate talent towards different abilities, taken in by people not of their blood.

“I’ll be the judge of her work.”

Peli beams, a sense of pride in her voice. “You won’t be disappointed.”

[the-mandawhor1an]

The present

Chapter 7 – Guided by the stars, connected by the force

Masterlist

⇐ Previous chapter | Next chapter ⇒

Pairing: Din Djarin x original female character

Chapter summary: Having to deal with a Dragon is hard as is. Dealing with feelings at the same time makes things more complicated for Maia and Din. Who is the real monster? 

Warnings: 18+ content, MDNI! Steamy thoughts; a little awkward talk about relationships; touch-starved Din; violence (more graphic than canon, sowwy); new character introduction; A little heartbreak;  

Words: 7k 

A/N: Switching the Mando'a translations to be in text rather than by the end of the whole chapter.

Due to last night’s occurrences, their night had been cut short, especially so as they were to get up at sunrise. Luckily, Maia fell asleep fairly fast after she had listened to her companion’s even breathing and Grogu’s sleep-babbles for a while. It was peaceful despite the situation they had found themselves in, out in the open and dangerously close to a giant creature. Mando must have groaned or made some kind of noise while sleeping, possibly due to having to sleep in his full set of armor. It couldn't be comfortable to sleep while having metal poke you constantly.

How she came to the conclusion that he made some kind of noise? Well, her brain, fueled by all kinds of chemicals after that kiss, registered his whines and blessed her with some very pleasant dreams, perhaps even visions, about them taking things further. 

She felt his rough hands discover every part of her body, gently caressing her skin. His lips would ghost over her neck, her shoulders, her chest, to land on her lips. They’d kiss greedily, his groans guttural and primal. She couldn’t see him, but stars, it felt so real, especially when he’d whisper sweet nothings into her ear, that she felt so soft and warm underneath him, caged by his body – submissive but safe, protected. His fingers were buried in her hips, hard enough to probably leave bruises, holding onto her while taking her like it was the last thing he’d ever do. When she woke up she swore she could feel him everywhere. 

Maia’s head slowly rose from the tented blanket, blushing and hoping she didn’t make any noise in her sleep that would tell Mando what they had done in her dreams. She glanced over to find both him and Grogu still soundly asleep, gently snoring in unison. Part of her wished she could just cuddle up against that wide frame of his and pretend she was cold, but she needed some fresh air and distance. The memories of him clouded her mind and the last thing she now needed was him asking questions. She stood up, making as little noise as possible, and left the tent some time before sunrise. She felt surprisingly fine for getting so little sleep, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep much longer anyway. They had to leave soon and all of her thoughts raced around him. 

Some of the camp was also awake already. As Maia didn’t have any means of communication, she opted to spend some time with the children. Just outside of the camp, they waited with her. Waited for? While the shadows of the tents were still over the red sand, small creatures scooted around on the lookout for water or small insects. The Tusken children showed Maia how to hunt womp rats. While the first attempt to catch one was futile and caused a fit of laughter with the young ones, the second rat met its unfortunate fate when Maia subtly waved her hand at it, causing some confusion so she could grab the rodent. Now with the small creature on her arm, calm and allowing the kids to pet it, one of the kids tried to tell her something. »I’m sorry I don’t understand,« she said. They kept making one sign over and over, growing more frustrated with every time. Finally, one grabbed her free hand and led her back inside the camp. To Mando. 

When faced with the Beskar clad bounty hunter again, it felt a little awkward at first. »I guess we have a pet now,« she said with a smile and pet the womp rat on her arm. Grogu, who had seemed a little sleepdrunk upon her arrival, locked eyes with the animal and was suddenly very wide awake. Insatiable little booger. »Be careful,« Mando said. His voice was a little deeper and raspier than usual, surely from just waking up. A pain surged through her body as she was reminded of her dream, where his voice sounded just like that. »They have sharp teeth and claws.« The animal was calm, almost asleep on her arm. It wouldn’t hurt her. »The children taught me some hunting. I can take on the dragon now,« she joked a little awkwardly, hoping he didn’t register her change in behavior, or the fact that she shifted her weight from one leg to the other nervously. 

Maia, why do you have to make things so awkward? she asked herself. But he didn’t pick up on the awkwardness, it seemed. »In that case I’ll kick my feet up, relax and watch you.« His helmet dipped just a tiny bit. That familiar sting appeared in her neck and she cleared her throat. »The children kept making this sign,« and as best as she could, she imitated the movements with one hand, all while the rat rested on her other arm. 

»Yeah, well, um,« he stammered and shifted his weight to one foot, bending one knee slightly. »They think I’m your husband because they saw us sleep in the same tent.« Maia instantly regretted asking him, as she was certain she started blushing again. 

MY HUSBAND? 

One of the children approached them again and signed something to him. All he signed back was his index, pointed upwards as he moved it in front of his visor. It looked to her like it could mean ‘that’s my secret’ or something in that sense. She wondered what the kid asked, as it chuckled and left them to join the other children. She let her eyes follow the child in hopes this distraction would make her blush disappear. »That explains their laughter, at least.« It was awkward, more so because he was clearly embarrassed as well. It sounded like a perfect opportunity for a corny joke. 

»I must’ve missed something yesterday,« she said with a smirk. »I don’t remember being proposed to.« And as much as she wanted the joke to land, his response choked her for just a second. »Mandalorian proposals aren’t super romantic,« he stated with a shrug. Wait. That just came out wrong, right? They didn’t… what? 

»How did you sleep?« he asked her when he picked up on the return of the awkwardness. Needing a second to take a breather, Maia sat down the small rat and bit her lips when her face was out of sight. »It was okay,« she replied while she slowly rose to her feet, watching the little rat regain its senses and running to hide behind the next small dune. »I’m just … plan M anyway. You won’t want me to interfere and in the end I will do it anyway.« She turned back to face him. 

»I don’t like the sound of that,« he said and leaned his helmet to the side, as she would sometimes do. He wanted to protect her, of course he didn’t like the thought of her stepping in and possibly getting hurt. She felt the dragon after all, it was massive. »I can take care of myself. I’ll be careful, don’t worry,« she reassured him. Slowly, she bent over to stretch out her back, her spine cracking in the process. »And how did you sleep?« 

»Fine. But I’m not the one with the cracking bones,« Mando’s gaze practically burned into her skin as she bent down. When she straightened out her back again, Vanth stood beside them. »I never thought I’d sleep in a Tusken camp, to be honest. Wasn’t as bad as I thought.« A sudden bout of nausea rolled over her when she thought about what Vanth could see when he approached them: Her bent over. 

She exhaled and closed her eyes for a second. This was not the right time to freak out. »We should get moving,« Mando insisted after Vanth shot him a grin. Men… 

»I’m curious what you’ve planned,« Maia explained while they were walking towards the speeders. »The Tusken children are quite the hunters… when it comes to womp rats.« The same, broken down, rusty speeder greeted them and she was hit with the realization, that she’d have to cuddle up to Din again. 

She sat behind him and exchanged a look with Grogu back in his carrier bag. The little one was excited for the new day ahead. With a soft smile on her lips she turned around and held on to her companion. 

»They are great hunters, but the dragon is a different story. It’s big and hard to hunt due to it being under the sand,« Mando explained when they dashed across the dunes. While one hand held onto him by his waist, Maia’s other hand snaked up to the shoulder that was hidden from Vanth’s view. With every time Vanth would shoot her looks, she’d squeeze Din’s shoulder softly. Deep down she wondered, and she was a bit embarrassed by her own thoughts, what it would feel like to touch him without all the fabric separating them. If his skin felt as warm and soft as she imagined. 

Maia was unsure of how she would call whatever she shared with Din. She obviously liked him, but his point of view was completely unclear. He kissed her, but did that mean something to him? Seeing the two like this made it easy for the Tuskens to mistake them for husband and wife. They shared a tent, she was practically glued to his back, and the Mandalorian seemed extremely comfortable with the closeness. And at least from what they could tell by the little sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him, there must’ve been something. 

She wasn’t opposed to the thought of being with him. As a partner, not necessarily as his wife. 

They reached the den after a short trip. A large tunnel led deep into a mountain, pitch black on the inside. Din, Vanth, a few Tuskens and Maia sat behind a rock, watching the tunnel entrance with binoculars. Vanth scanned the tunnel and scoffed. »This is where it’s supposed to be?« and without thinking, Maia practically blurted out, »It’s sleeping.« A low rumble echoed from the tunnel if one paid attention to it. The dragon’s breath. 

»The Tusken said it lives in an abandoned sarlacc pit,« Mando explained. Vanth lowered the binoculars and handed them over to him. »Ridiculous, there are no abandoned sarlacc pits on Tatooine.« Mando shrugged. »They’re empty when you eat the sarlacc.«

A Tusken approached the cave with a bantha in tow. They shouted into the cave, the scream echoed for quite a while until the low hum of the dragon’s breath stopped and a low growl emerged. The beast made its way forward and instead of eating the bantha as intended, it went for the Tusken and ate them in one bite. »They usually sacrifice banthas to make the dragon sleep for longer. They’ve studied it for generations,« Mando explained after the failed attempt. Vanth scoffed »Well, that worked just as planned, huh?« He crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

Mando straightened his back and sighed. »Maybe they’re open to new ideas.«

They assembled around a replica of the scene before them, bones representing the dragon and pebbles to symbolize the men that they had to work this out. Maia watched from a distance, Grogu on her arm. She didn’t want to interfere with the actual plotting, so she stepped back. 

Vanth tilted his head and seemed to calculate something in his mind. »The scaling is off,« he commented. Maia wasn’t sure she agreed, the dragon was gigantic. Din exchanged a few signs and grunts with a Tusken before speaking to the marshal. »The scaling is right. What we’ve seen is just the head.« While they debated whether or not the dragon was in fact this big, Grogu extended one of his hands, maybe to force-pull one of the bones towards him. Maia shielded the small green hand with hers and softly whispered to the child »not now.« He sighed and turned to look her into the eyes, pleading with her to allow him to nibble on the sun-bleached bones. 

»Maybe we should retreat, then,« Vanth proposed. Maia looked down at the hand full of pebbles and commented »Maybe we should, we’re not enough, especially if bantha is off the dragon’s menu.« After a short exchange between Mando and the Tusken, more pebbles fell from the hunter’s hand and plop into the sand. Vanth appeared delighted. »That looks a lot better. What did you say?« »I told them your people will help us.« Maia looked over to Vanth, then back to Mando. She was certain the marshal would not agree with that plan at all. And as expected, he was far from delighted. 

»They attacked us less than a year ago. Killed half a dozen of us by the mining camp. I'd say I took down about twice as many Tuskens,« Vanth spoke with a clear irritation in his voice. As expected, kind of. But Mando wouldn’t give up so fast. »All of you want the dragon gone. You killed some of their people, they killed some of your people. This can put an end to the fighting, once and for all. Talk to the settlers. They listen to you.« 

Vanth wrinkled his forehead, but ultimately saw that was the only way. If he could actually convince his people, that is. »Guess that means: back to Mos Pelgo.«

The next few hours were a blur to Maia. The men handled the convincing, the plotting, and ultimately managed the travel back to the cave. The young brunette could not put her finger on it, but something felt uneasy to her. Maybe she was just anxious because of the sheer size of the beast. Maybe she held onto Din a little tighter when they returned to the cave. 

Maybe she was overthinking the feelings that emerged when she felt Din’s lips on hers. Maybe she warmed up to the realization that Raymond might have been right about ‘the stranger’ after all. This connection she felt meant something. She couldn’t quite put a name to it yet, but the suspicion she had made her heart jump whenever she thought about it. 

Din overlooked the Tuskens and Settlers as they dug out trenches in the sand to hide the explosives they had collected in Mos Pelgo. The plan sounded easy enough, although not foolproof. Lure the dragon out and then blow it up. 

Maia busied herself with Grogu, hiding from the glaring suns beside the speeder bike. Every now and then, though, she caught herself staring at the Mandalorian, thinking back to what she had said about plan M. There was some mutual sympathy no one could deny, but with that the fear grew. The fear he'd do something stupid to save her. 

Grogu could sense her inner turmoil and made a questioning noise. That snapped Maia back into reality and she gently pat his head. »Let's hope their plan is good enough for a 200 ton dragon.« Grogu agreed with a coo. She smiled at the child. The little troublemaker had really grown on her, she liked spending time with the child. From her peripheral, Maia could see Din approach them and her eyes rested on the black visor. 

»Maia. If anything happens to me,« he sighed and extended his hand to rest it on her shoulder, thumb caressing over the fabric of her cloak. Din was worried about this dragon and while he hoped to come out of this unscathed, he had to make sure some matters were taken care of. »Will you take care of Grogu for me and help him find a Jedi? I trust you.« Maia turned her head to watch his hand, until she gently laid a hand of hers on his glove, turned back to face him and nodded.

»I promise to look after Grogu until he’s in safe hands.« A smile formed on her lips as she felt his fingers squeeze her shoulder gently. »Please don’t risk your life to kill the dragon, though. No one wants you to play hero just because you know that someone can take care of Grogu. I know I don’t.« 

»I won’t play hero if you don’t implement plan M,« Din retorted, a smile audible in his voice. »It’s – just in case. Ret’lini.« »Ret’lini,« she repeated, the word rolling off of her tongue surprisingly easy. She glanced over to both of their hands, her thumb smoothing over the worn leather of his glove. Despite being out in the open, this little gesture felt so intimate – so significant. Touching him felt good. It felt natural, despite this being the first time they touched like that. 

The urgency he suggested with his approach just now made her worry. Was is in the realm of possibility that he would meet his fate today? There was a chance, and if he wanted to make sure his matters were addressed, maybe she had to talk about something as well. Ret’lini. 

»Let’s hope it all turns out alright. It’s obvious that I don’t want you to die and I doubt you want to die, either. But there is a slim chance it happens and I …« I won’t let you die. »Something has changed. I’m not sure what it is yet, but what I do know is that I like you, Din. I like you and I would like to repeat what happened yesterday. and maybe more. Some day.« 

It was like he was frozen. His hand twitched ever so slightly under her fingers, but it took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. »That… would be nice,« was all he could muster up at first. She felt his eyes burn on her skin as he found the right words. »You’re right. Something has changed. I like you too, mesh’la.« 

Mesh’la? What did it mean? She knew it was something in Mando’a and not a name-slip, and she felt heat rush to her cheeks. He liked her. Din’s hand slowly let go off her, something both seemed to dread. »We’re almost ready,« he announced. 

Positioned behind the speeders, Vanth, Mando and the two non-jedi watched as the dragon did not run into the trap they had set up. While the head came out of the cave and the detonations hit something, presumably its throat, it was not enough to fatally wound the beast. Instead, they angered it. It didn’t hesitate to let its anger known, spitting acid over the settlers and Tuskens that were unfortunate enough to stand too close. They screamed as their bodies dissolved into the sand, all while the dragon retreated back into the cave and vanished. While the first attack had been short, the casualties were high and they knew: it wasn’t over. 

Maia felt the giant creature burrow underneath the sand and working its way through the mountain before them. If it managed to break out somewhere at the top and spit acid again, they would lose more people, too many to make it worth all of this. One thing was certain: she was only person that could save them right then and there. If she didn’t interfere, they would die. Despite her agreement with Din to not make haste decisions, she had to act: That calls for plan M. She jumped over the speeder and sprinted forward, faster than Din could even register what was going on. Fast enough so he couldn’t stop her. 

She felt his gaze burn into her as she stumbled across the sand, more jumping than actually running. Surely enough, the dragon emerged from the rock and rained more acid over the people in the valley, without any chance of evading their certain end. Maia raised her hands to shield the others from the acid with a force barrier, which Vanth and Mando took as an opportunity to attack the creature from the air. It got annoyed enough by the shots that it burrowed in the mountain once more, allowing her to catch her breath. Using the force was exhausting, causing her to sink into the sand beneath her. 

Child of the force, I can feel you

a voice echoed in her mind. She looked around, no one was around that this voice could have belonged to. What was going on? Both Vanth and Din landed back in the sand a little away from her, but the dragon was still under them, still alive, still very angry. She couldn’t make out what the men said, but suddenly Vanth flew a few meters away from Din, plopped down into the sand. All the marshal and Maia could do was watch the Mandalorian grab the Bantha with the remaining explosives and get swallowed whole by the dragon. 

She stared into the pit in the sand with utter disbelief. That was it? »Din, please don’t do this to me,« she whispered as tears formed in her eyes. She felt a pain form in her heart, when suddenly the dragon re-emerged from the sand, blue flickers of light shining through its skin. A scream disrupted the grieving silence as Din flew out the opened mouth of the beast. The remote for the explosives still in his hand, he activated them and the dragon blew up into pieces. the shockwave knocked all over who were too close, including Maia and Vanth. A cloud of sand got kicked up and obstructed their view for a moment. Mando landed a few seconds after the detonation, covered in saliva and other gunk from the creature’s mouth. 

He landed close to Vanth and helped him back to his feet. They exchanged a few words, Vanth nodding her way, until the helmet turned to her and the sting returned. »Maia…« his voice was soft when he saw the dark trails the tears had left on her sand-stained face. His right arm flexed and she saw his fingers bend. He wanted to touch her, she could tell. »It’s okay. The dragon is dead, we can leave.« The green goop on his armor could have been more of the acid, but the urge to embrace her was palpable. He was so tense, frozen in place unsure what to do. She felt the same way, and when she stood up onto unstable legs, before he could approach her to steady her, sand got thrown his way. A lot of sand, hitting him with enough of an impact to almost push him over. The sand stuck to every last bit of moisture on his suit, practically drying him in an instant and rendering any bit of acid not dangerous to the fabric on his or her frame. 

As mad as she was about his actions, the relief she felt when she saw he was unscathed made her forget that she almost lost him so fast after finding him. With wobbly steps, she ran towards him and crashed into his chest and hugged him tight enough that it hurt her. For a moment she feared he’d push her away, until one of his arms carefully wrapped around her. A display of mutual feelings, of what they had talked about before this went down. Maia felt conflicted: She liked him, it was obvious. And he liked her. But as quickly as they found each other, they could lose another just as fast. 

The voice still lingered in the back of her mind. 

I can feel the dichotomy in your heart. Let me help you. 

She lifted her face to look into that visor. A small glare lingered in her eyes when she warned him »don’t you ever do that again.« She wiped her face with her sleeve, not cleaning it but drying the tears. He just stared at her. At least that what it felt like when the helmet didn’t move, he just breathed, his chest armor pushing into her. Maybe she crossed a line when she hugged him. Maybe he didn’t want her to display her feelings so publicly. 

Reluctantly, she let go off him, sighed and walked over to the speeder to check on Grogu. The child looked at her with confusion. He felt her conflicted emotions, and also the feelings that plagued his bodyguard. As a child not much made sense to him yet, the adults behaved weird in his opinion. 

It didn’t take long for Din to follow and Vanth also approached the speeder to hand over the armor. Din had taken a part of the dragon’s flesh as payment. »Thank you for your help, Mando,« the marshal addressed him first, before turning his head to the brunette. »Thank you for protecting my people. I’m sure they’re glad you risked your life for them.« Not one word fell about her powers. Perhaps he knew it was better not to mention it. 

»Let’s go back to Mos Eisley,« Mando said to his companion with a nod. He and Vanth shook hands, as men did. The silver-haired only winked at the young woman, earning a warm smile in return. This time Maia sat down in front of the speeder. She didn’t want to be close to the other armor nor to the chunk of still warm meat. 

Din sat behind her, holding onto her waist with one arm when she revved the engine. As soon as they were out of sight, she felt his arm tighten around her body. It’s as if he wanted to hug her, again, for longer this time, now that no one could see them. She relaxed and practically melted against his chest. His thumb stroked along the curve of her waist. Part of her wished he could take that helmet off to kiss her neck. She couldn’t see him, neither could Grogu. 

She lowered the speed of their vehicle to release one of her hands from the handlebar. Her fingers grazed over his biceps, feeling the muscles flex under her touch. »You really scared me,« she complained, but softly. She squeezed him gently, earning a grunt from underneath the helmet. »I’m sorry,« he replied. »I had no time to explain.« 

The speeder was now slow enough that no one had to fear falling off, gliding over the sand like it was an undisturbed water surface. Soft, almost like a caress. She leaned the side of her head against his helmet and closed her eyes just for a moment. »I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t utilize plan M either. I know, you rescued a lot of people but now they know.« She opened her eyes but looked straight ahead. Her hand wandered upwards into the back of his neck. Her fingers dipped underneath his helmet to run through his hair. »Can’t say I’m not impressed but both of us risked a lot today,« he whispered. The sudden sensation of her finger in his hair made him whimper softly. He scooted closer to her, his body molding to hers to be as close as possible. 

»I couldn’t let them die. There was only one person that was capable to save them: Me. They won’t tell anyone.« His second arm moved so he could place a hand on her thigh. He squeezed her gently and rested his helmet against her head and shoulder. »Where are we going next?« she asked. »I don’t know yet. We have to find another clue.« Din most definitely was distracted by her touch, so she pulled back. They needed to be back in Mos Eisley by dawn.  

Maia accelerated, the dunes flying past them and a cloud of sand following them. Slowly, the terrain changed, more and more rocks surfaced through the sand like islands in an endless ocean of red sand. The suns were slowly setting, their shadows turned longer and longer. As much as she would’ve enjoyed watching another sunset with Din, they needed to be in Mos Eisley by night. 

While they looked similar, the canyons they transversed were not the same ones when they encountered the Tuskens first. Smaller lizards hid in the crevices as they zoomed past, disturbed in their basking ritual. 

But lizards were far from the only living beings they would encounter on their way back. In a particular rock formation, bandits had set up a trap and Maia was running right into it. When the speeder was close, they lifted a steel wire to trip the bike, sending all passengers and the cargo flying through the air. 

While Din could catch his fall with the jetpack, Grogu and Maia were less fortunate. The child landed somewhere off to the side and the brunette hit the sand and tumbled, at least one of her bones making a cracking noise in the process. There was no time to be in pain, they were under attack and Maia’s first instinct said that these were bounty hunters. Either tasked to grab Grogu – or her. Whatever the case, the child couldn’t protect himself, as opposed to the two adults. She unhooked one of her lightsabers from her belt and activated the lavender-colored blade. 

Her eyes scanned the area to look for the foundling and when she saw one of the bandits draw close, she pushed forward. All regards for Din were forgotten in this moment, as he was capable to fight alone.  

You’re treading on a fine line. A dance on a tightrope above an endless abyss.

With one effortless swipe of her blade she felled the first bandit while sprinting over to Grogu, a second bandit approaching. With a force-push, she threw the attacker against a rock, not caring if she had knocked him unconscious or killed him in an instant. There must’ve been at least 4, maybe 5 of them, as Din was fighting with one as well. When Maia had almost reached Grogu, a shock went through her body. »Jedi!« one of them barked. She had been tased once again, the shock making her muscles spasm and forcing her to the ground. Her saber deactivated as she let go, but the hilt now laid in the sand next to her, up to grab by anyone. 

She curled up into a ball, crying out in pain as the memories of her capture resurfaced. It drove her mad.

Don’t let the darkness enter your heart.

The bandit that had shot her with the taser picked up Grogu and retreated, allowing the one she had previously thrown to get up and approach her. His eyes darted to the metal hilt in the sand right next to her. It would be easy to kill her with that, one swipe and her pretty head would lay in the sand.

As right as the unfamiliar voice in her head was, she saw no other way in this moment but to let go. Even if it was just for a moment, she needed to keep them safe. For that she had to be alive.

So she let go.

If you lose yourself, you’ll lose him too.

She flexed the muscles in her lower arm as best she could, curling her fingers in an attempt to form a fist. Neither her ears nor her brain registered she was screaming in agony, as was the bandit, as his ribs gave in to the pressure, one after another. Maias eyes were closed, welling up with tears as she gave into the pull. 

You have to learn to control yourself.

The bandit collapsed next to her and in his fall hit the cables of the taser, pulling the electrodes from her shoulder. Disoriented and on the verge of throwing up, Maia toppled over on all fours and took a few breaths, heaving once, but nothing came out. Everything around her was like a blur, but the noises of fighting had stopped. In fact, it was dead silent. 

I will help you. Wait for me. 

Maia sat back onto her knees and grabbed her saber, taking in a few deeper breaths as her vision cleared up. She was now so aware of the voice and she should have been concerned, but all that she felt was an undeniable aura of good. It radiated empathy, for her situation, for her inner conflict. The brunette looked up to see Grogu back on Din’s arm, safe and visibly unharmed. Still, her heart felt heavy as Din didn’t dare to take a step closer to her. 

You will hurt them sooner or later. 

»Are you alright?« she asked Din as she carefully got back to her feet. She knew she messed up, showing Din a glimpse of what she would’ve preferred to keep from him forever. For a second time today, she felt the urge to run over to him and hug him, but the stiffness in his body suggested he would not accept it this time. Running wasn’t possible anyway, as the leg that had been affected more by the shocks felt numb, similar to the numbness she felt on Nevarro. The dull thumping in her chest didn’t mean anything good, either. »We’re fine,« Din replied. Finally he came closer, but he approached her carefully. 

Maia gathered the last bit of strength she had to not start crying. His trust was gone, it was clear with the way he approached her like she was a wild animal. »You’re hurt,« he continued. »Can you walk? We have to walk the rest, the speeder is broken and come nightfall things will get ugly out here.« As if things weren’t ugly already. 

»It’s not as bad as it looks,« she lied, unconvincingly as she let out a whine when hooking her saber back onto her belt sent a sharp pain through her ribcage. One of her ribs must have broken when she landed in the sand earlier. But she was very much alive and not on the brink of death like last time. Who knows what consequences her outburst would lead up to. 

Taking as much of the cargo as possible, they made their way back to Mos Eisley on foot. Din carried most of the heavy stuff, the armor, the meat, the second jet pack; while Maia carried Grogu and some of the smaller items. It wasn’t much and she felt bad for having him carry so much, but she didn’t dare to say anything. Neither said anything. The emotion that radiated off of the Mandalorian was hard to decipher for the young woman. She knew a bit of disappointment was in there, but the exhaustion after the fight and her injuries made reading him all the more difficult. It hurt her deeply, knowing she had let him down after he had lowered his guard around her. It hurt worse than her physical wounds. Grogu was mostly asleep while they walked, lulled to slumber from the exhaustion and the rhythmic, gentle sway of his carrier bag around Maia’s body. 

I’m so sorry for disappointing you, Din. I hope you can forgive me until we meet again. 

Back in the city, it didn’t take long to find Peli. Basically, all they had to do was follow the noise. The mechanic ushered them back to the hangar, where she could prepare the dragon meat and maybe help Mando with some intel. Grogu watched as the meat was slowly roasted by the droids, the two self-declared bodyguards stood close to each other, but not as close as Maia had wished. »Don’t get too close,« Mando warned Grogu as the small green paws dared to reach out to the flames. The helmet turned towards his brunette companion, and suddenly the air got heavy. 

»Maia, we have to talk,« he announced and they both retreated further away from the droids, Grogu and Peli. His tone was firm and pained, like he forced himself to do this now despite feeling resentful that it had to be done. Peli complained about her speeder bike in the background, but the noise was easy to blur out when one’s heart was racing. 

»You lost control,« he stated. Instantly, Maia wanted to say something, defend her actions, but he lifted his glove. Din wasn’t done and sighed heavily. The tears that welled in the beautiful green eyes opposite of him didn’t make this any easier. »Don’t think that I’m scared of you. Because I’m not. It’s … I …« he stammered and sighed again, rested his hands against his hips in frustration. »I’ve considered taking the helmet off. The kiss occupies my mind ever since it happened and I want to kiss you again.« 

It was hard. Hard not to show much his words hurt. Yes, she was on the verge of crying, but hearing that made it so much realer. This was a farewell, she knew it. »You make me consider bending rules I never thought about breaking before. Maybe we should go our separate ways.«

There it was, the truth. His codex was important to him, she understood; more important than some feelings he had for a woman he’d known for barely three days. But the words he spoke sounded familiar. She had heard these before, but where? 

»I understand,« she replied and bit her lower lip. Her voice was quivering and she felt pathetic for being so weak in this moment, but maybe he had to witness what he did to her, what pain he caused. Crying only made it worse for the both of them. »I don’t want to hurt you or Grogu just because I can’t control myself. We’re … not good for each other. As much as I want to promise you that I can better myself, this is nothing I can do while being with you. It’s for the better if our journey ends here.« She blinked a few times, hoping it would make the tears disappear without pushing them down her face. 

»Someone or something calls for me. I’m not sure it’s not a trap, but it feels like it’s someone that genuinely wants to help me. I will answer that call and see where it leads. Whatever happens to me, I don’t want to be responsible for you losing your ways.«

As soon as these words left her lips, she remembered why his sounded so familiar. The vision they had shared when she healed her wound, in the cargo hold of his ship. Did that also mean, the last vision she had seen, that couple embraced in a kiss, was also them? Some time in the future? 

Din nodded. Again she wished she could see his face, only to see if this affected him as much as it did her. But that was the main issue. She made him want to take the helmet off. She wanted him to take it off. »I’m forever grateful for your help,« he said, his voice slowly warming up again, getting softer. »Our paths might separate here, but maybe we’ll meet again.« 

Part of her wanted to tell him. Maybe he knew, deep down, even if he couldn’t remember the visions. She smiled softly, as best as she could with still fairly tear-filled eyes. »I hope our paths lead us to a better place. I hope there are some valuable lessons waiting for me, to make me a better person. Perhaps there will be revelations in your future as well. If you realize that you need me, I won’t be far away, I promise. As long as my heart beats,« she laid her hand on her chest, right on top of her heart. »You and Grogu won’t be alone in this galaxy. It’s your choice if you want to call me or not.« 

It was hard to beat the Jedi allegations when she spoke like that. But maybe she was sick of trying so vehemently to not be something that was… her. 

»Be careful, mesh’la,« he spoke with a heavy heart. Again, he called her mesh’la. She could’ve asked him what it meant. She should have asked him what it meant, but maybe she liked to be in emotional limbo, not sure if she should feel flustered or insulted. Her instinct told her it was positive, in fact, it made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. »Try not to ‘Plan M’ your way around the galaxy.« 

»I’ll try. I’ll tell you about it when our paths cross again. I’m sure they will, when we’re ready.« She was certain they would meet again, but when and under which circumstances hadn’t yet revealed itself to her. »Take good care of Grogu and yourself, Din.« This might have been the last time that she spoke his name for a while. She looked into that visor, resisting the urge to touch the helmet, to pull him into a hug, to get any kind of last contact, because she knew, it would hurt more to let go. She turned on her heel, and every fiber of her being screamed at her to not do it. Please don’t let me leave like that, she begged him in her mind. 

As if he had heard her silent plea, he grabbed her hand. »Wait.« He pulled her back, turned her in the same movement and gently leaned his helmet forward. She knew the gesture and inched closer, until her forehead felt the cold metal of his helmet. It wasn’t the kiss she had wished for, but it was a display of affection nonetheless. »Ret’urcye mhi,« Din mumbled. There was no need for a translation. The way he said it told her enough. A single sob escaped her as she closed her eyes. »May the force be with you.«

They could have hugged, let the touch linger for longer than necessary, but Maia pulled back fairly quickly. It was inevitable and waiting it out helped no one. She left the hangar, telling Peli goodbye in passing. 

The last she heard from the hangar was the mechanic’s shrill voice, asking Mando what he had done to chase the girl off.

[itsjuststardust]

Heaven in Hiding - Chapter 5: In the Woods Somewhere

Heaven in Hiding Masterlist

Chapter Summary: The Mandalorian and his new companions, Alaina and Grogu, make it to Sorgan. The three set out to explore their new planet, and the Mandalorian gets to learn a little about Alaina’s mysterious beskar serpent dagger. The two try to navigate their tentative truce. Or is there too much damage done between them?

Word Count: 11,529

Author Notes/Chapter Warnings: This chapter is a little bit of a beast. Some dialogue and descriptions are taken from Chapter 4: Sanctuary. You'll know it when you see it, but the rest is all mine. Chapter title and 🎵soundtrack🎵 for this chapter is Hozier's In the Woods Somewhere. Chapter warnings for this chapter are probably just canon typical violence, alcohol use, and descriptions of blood. And angst. A lot of angst 😈 MINORS - DO NOT INTERACT - 18+ ONLY

Chapter 5: In the Woods Somewhere

Alaina stepped out of the fresher, and Mando stopped playing with the kid to check on her, earning him a disgruntled spitting noise from the green womp rat once he realized the Mandalorian’s sole focus was no longer directed at him.

“Do you know that no matter what direction you turn the dial in the shower, the water stays cold?” Alaina asked with a frown.

He smirked, “Yeah, the heating coil went out a couple of years ago." Mando had forgotten about that. He never bothered to fix it because he was never in there long enough to let it bother him. Besides, after a long hunt, the cold water was refreshing. Alaina appeared less than impressed by that fact. He eyed her for another minute before asking, "What do you think?”

Alaina gave him an unimpressed glower. “I think that after five years of torture, it’s not too much to ask for a hot shower,” she snarked. “And I want to wash my hair,” she pouted, pulling her braid of honey-golden hair over her shoulder to pick at the frayed ends.

“No one is stopping you from washing your hair,” he pointed out. “I told you that you could use anything in there.”

Green eyes looked up from her braid to give him an annoyed glare.

“What?” he questioned.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Grogu going for the bag of pastries he brought back from town with him. Mando grabbed the paper sack before the bottomless pit could eat anymore and placed it on top of the crate he was sitting up against, out of the toddler’s reach. Grogu squealed that the treats were now out of his reach and attempted to climb over the Mandalorian to get to the sweets.

“Stop it,” Mando warned him, pushing the kid's hand down when he tried to reach for the bag again. “You’ve had three already.”

The kid grumbled but fell on his bottom on top of his thighs, seemingly declaring defeat. For now.

A sweet giggle pulled his attention from the kid, and Mando turned his helmet just in time to see Alaina school her features. The ghost of a smile let him know she was amused by his interactions with the kid.

After landing on Sorgan, it was like Alaina let a layer of her armor fall away. One moment, her green eyes were hardened steel orbs; the next, they reflected the green trees visible from the viewport. Both Alaina and the kid’s eyes shined with wonder at the forest around the ship.

Mando had landed the Razor Crest in a well-concealed area in the forest a click away from one of the higher populated towns. He figured that would at least give them a slight variation of options that the smaller villages wouldn’t.

After he deemed their immediate surroundings clear, he lowered the ramp to give his two passengers a chance to get out to stretch their legs. It had been a stressful couple of days of travel for everyone, and he knew the fresh air would do everyone, including himself, some good.

The kid all but ran down the ramp into the forest.

Alaina… Alaina was… Alaina. She was guarded and reserved. The initial wonderment was gone, replaced with cold, calculating eyes. One green eye was trained on him, and the other on their new environment.

He didn’t know what to expect from the woman at this point. Nothing would take away her pain from the last five years, and she had certainly made it clear about her feelings toward him.

A memory floated to the front of his mind, one that tended to surface more than others. The two of them were down in the hold. The ballerina had just challenged him to a fight. He shook his head, remembering how naive he’d been about her abilities. Magic powers notwithstanding. Just the way she could move. How she expertly twirled around him. How her green eyes sparked with life and excitement, and she smiled. He remembered their brief chase through the hold and how she could elegantly evade him… it was a work of art.

He wanted her to be able to do that again.

He’d heard the colloquialism: time heals all wounds… He wasn’t sure he completely believed that, but maybe with time and a safe place to heal, Alaina could find a piece of her old self again.

Mando leaned against the ship and watched Grogu play. The kid dug through the pine needles and chased a lizard. His delighted giggles were a welcome sound after the last couple of days.

Alaina elected to observe from inside the ship at first. Mando let her explore on her own terms. He wanted her to feel comfortable, and there was no rush for their first day.

Two days in hyperdrive and all Mando could hear when he tried to close his eyes for even a moment was Alaina’s cries after she sobbed into his neck or her screams before he had woken her from her nightmare. Those were enough of a burden on their own... but it was her words that would haunt him the most.

“Just know that I’ll never forgive you.”

Yellow came into his periphery as he relived her words again, and he watched from a distance as Alaina cautiously tip-toed down the ramp. Her green eyes looked at him as if she were asking for permission, and Mando nodded his helmet for her to continue.

He pretended not to watch her. His focus was on Grogu, so it was easy enough to look like he wasn't paying her any mind. Of course, that’s where the three-sixty-degree vision on his helmet came in handy. It allowed him to watch the kid but still make sure Alaina wasn't wandering off too far or be prepared for any intruders attempting to sneak up on them.

It didn’t take too long for the kid to notice Alaina had finally made it out of the ship, and he came running for her. Well, whatever constituted running for the squat green womp rat, anyway. It didn’t change the fact that the kid was eager to see that Alaina had finally decided to join him, making it slightly difficult for Mando to continue to pretend he was ignoring the blonde. 

The kid darted around in the soft vegetation, and Alaina smiled as she watched him, giggling a little when he slipped on a damp pile of leaves and fell.

Eventually, the tortured woman took a cautious step off the ramp, and her giggles intensified once her bare feet touched the soft forest floor. She didn’t even care that he was watching from his spot. She just smiled, grabbed the kid with her good arm, and spun him around, causing him to squeal with delight.

When she finally stopped spinning, it was in a beam of sunlight. 

From his position back at the ship, the patch of sunlight made her golden honey hair glow, giving her a slightly ethereal look in the morning light.

Mando couldn’t even think of the last time he’d used the word ethereal, much less actually called someone that. And if that wasn’t difficult enough for him to comprehend, she turned to smile at him. An actual smile, like the one she had five years ago—

“Mando?”

He blinked and was back on the Crest’s floor, with the kid in his lap and Alaina staring at him with curious green eyes.

“Mando? Hello?” she waved and frowned at him. “You have that helmet on all the time,” she grumbled. “Did you fall asleep?”

“No,” he recovered quickly, and Alaina looked at him skeptically. “You can still wash your hair, though. I said you could use anything in there,” he finished, remembering what they were talking about before he had slipped into his daydream.

The skeptical stare only intensified.

“Is it your shoulder?” Oh, he was stupid. Of course, it was her shoulder. She probably hadn’t regained much mobility yet and couldn’t lift her injured arm high enough. “I could—um—well, if you wanted to, I could help you?”

Her eyebrows rose high into her forehead, “You don’t have much experience with women, do you?”

He choked at the question, causing the kid to give him an alarmed look from his lap.

“I’ll take that as a no,” she deadpanned, and all Mando could do was rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “Because if you did, you would know that we generally require more than a single bar of soap to wash our hair. Especially when you have this much hair,” she finished waving the braid around before she tossed it back over her shoulder.

“Noted,” Mando nodded, placing the kid on the ground to walk closer to Alaina. It was easy to forget how short the woman was until he towered over her. Alaina’s green eyes quickly darted down to break eye contact when he approached her. He wanted to sigh at the submissive act but didn't want to make it worse. He'd just have to hope that his actions now would eventually speak louder than the ones from five years ago, and the woman would eventually start to trust him. “What do you think about the clothes? They fit okay?” he asked, changing the subject.

It was the first thing he did once they finished their time outside. He couldn’t stand seeing her in that flimsy hospital gown for another minute. So, he left her to watch the kid on the ship under the guise of ‘checking out’ the settlement they landed close to. 

Not that he didn’t do some reconnaissance while he was out, but he was on a different mission.

Besides, Alaina seemed slightly relieved to have some time to herself, so Mando decided he wouldn't rush his mini-expedition.

The settlement wasn't very large. It had most of the staples of every other small town he'd visited. There was a cantina that appeared to be popular, even in the morning hours. There was a small inn that he made a mental note to remember. Maybe a hot meal and shower would help sway Alaina slightly. There was a street with various vendor carts selling an assortment of products. One of the carts had fresh pastries out that smelled so delicious he decided he would get some for them all for breakfast to give them a break from the ration packs. At the end of the market street, he found a stall owned by a tailor and an assortment of pre-made clothes on display.

The man who owned the shop didn't seem the least bit nervous that his stall was being visited by a Mandalorian and greeted Mando with a friendly smile. Honestly, the man reminded him a bit of Kuiil. Calm and grandfatherly. The owner listened when Mando gave him a list of specifications for the outfit—it needed to be durable and able to adapt to various weather conditions because who knew where they would end up. The owner just nodded as he walked around his booth and helped him pick an outfit suitable for someone of Alaina’s smaller stature. The business owner was even kind enough not to comment when Mando became embarrassed about picking out undergarments after the older asked if his companion would need any.

He eyed the completed ensemble on the petite blonde woman.

It was practical. A pair of dark grey tactical pants with extra pockets ran along the side. She had the tan leather utility belt he purchased looped through the pants to help keep them on. The belt had attachments available to hold a few smaller weapons if needed.

The tailor had originally picked out a white linen shirt, but Mando stopped him when he spotted a dark green top that reminded him of the forest and her eyes, so he purchased that one instead.

“Surprisingly, yes,” Alaina confirmed with a shrug. She went to spread her arms out to show him but winced when she tried to stretch out her right shoulder.

Mando shook his head and turned to get the new sling he had made for her after cutting up his old cloak while she had been in the shower.

“You don’t have to ruin your wardrobe just for me,” she muttered when he returned and helped fit her arm into the sling before slipping it over her neck. “Besides, you don’t look nearly as intimidating without your cloak. I don’t know how you’re going to scare people without it,” she snarked with a whisp of a smile.

Mando smirked, tilting his helmet slightly at her. “Careful,” he warned, “that almost sounded like a joke.” 

Alaina gave him the smallest smirk but bowed her head to hide it from him. 

He would take their newfound gentle repartee as a small victory. Another small crack in her armor.

He turned to head to one of the crates in the back. The kid grabbed his boot as he walked by him and clung to him while he crossed the hold. The kid giggled at his overexaggerated steps and tugged excitedly on his boot for Mando to do it again. “Hang on, kid. We’ll go exploring in a minute,” he told Grogu while he riffled through the crate until he found what he was looking for.

With a dramatic flourish, he whipped out a new cloak for Alaina to see. “I have backups,” he shrugged. "They don’t tend to have a long shelf life with me,” he explained while he wrapped the dark grey fabric around his neck. Come on, I’ll help you with your boots. The kid might spontaneously combust if we don’t head out soon.”

Alaina smiled at the kid who was still clinging to his boot and nodded.

Alaina let out a soft gasp when Mando grabbed her by her waist and lifted her up to sit on the crate without a second thought. Before he did anything else, he passed her the bag of pastries he’d placed out of reach of the kid. Alaina fingered the brown bag nervously, and he nodded to her to go ahead.

“It’s okay,” she shook her head and pushed the bag back to him. “You and Grogu eat, I’ll have what’s left.”

“That is all that’s left,” he countered, shoving the bag back to her. “I had one on the way back. I let the kid have some and turned away for a second, and the little womp rat had already three. I had to keep the kid from eating the last one while you were in the shower.”

He started fumbling with a pair of thick socks to put on her, but he paused when he saw her scarred, misshapen toes.

“It's okay. I don’t mind those scars,” she told him nervously, fiddling with the paper bag. “That’s what twenty-something years of dancing on stress fractures looks like,” she shrugged.

Mando blinked but didn’t say anything as he continued to put on her socks and boots. He fiddled with the boots to ensure they weren’t too big for her before lacing them up and buckling the ankle straps.

“Oh—My—Stars,” Alaina moaned, surprising him as he finished the last boot. He looked up to see her with her eyes closed and a mouth full of the pastries he had brought back for them. “Oh, Maker, I forgot what sugar tasted like,” she said with her mouth full.

Mando smirked and stood to watch her close her eyes as she savored another bite.

“No, but seriously, did you have one of these?” she asked, holding up the sugary, jam-filled pastry in front of his helmet.

He nodded at her, smiling at the excitement that was in her voice.

"I don't blame you for trying to eat the whole bag, little one," Alaina said, smiling down at Grogu as she finished the pastry. Now that she was looking down, she moved her feet from side to side to inspect her boots while she licked her fingers clean. “These are heavy,” she commented, swinging her feet and letting them bang against the crate to prove her point.

“They’re durable,” he countered practically. “You can’t run around barefoot, and your slippers wouldn’t last a day hiking through the forest,” he finished, nodding to her dancing slippers hanging by their ribbons off a bolt on the wall behind them.

Alaina frowned and kicked her legs out again, trying to hold them up in the air before dropping them dramatically. “I’m kind of surprised you figured out my sizes. Even I had a hard time finding clothes that fit me back—well, back when I used to pick out my wardrobe. The shirt is a little big, but the pants actually fit great,” she commented, pulling at the hem of her pants around her waist.

Mando smirked and helped her off the crate. “I just told the tailor I needed clothes for a twelve-year-old boy,” he teased.

The smile fell off Alaina’s face and was replaced with an incredulous look before dissolving into a snort. “You’re an ass!” she scoffed, weakly shoving at his chest with her good arm.

Mando’s smirk turned into a full-blown grin, and he chuckled at Alaina’s incredulous look.

He turned away from her to grab the finishing touches for her wardrobe. His grin refused to leave his face when Alaina’s scoffs turned into laughter that echoed around the hold.

“Did you hear that, Grogu?” she asked the kid. “Mando thinks he’s funny,” she snarked.

When he turned back to join his two new companions, something warm settled in his chest at the sight of Alaina kneeling on the ground, reaching out to tickle the kid’s sides to make him giggle.

“Yeah, he thinks he’s funny, but I’ll let you in on a little secret, Grogu,” Alaina whispered and stopped tickling the kid to lean in to fake whisper in his large ear. “I can remember a time when the big, scary Mandalorian told me that he thought I was beauti—"

He tilted his helmet when she abruptly stopped her story. He studied Alaina, who stared at him with huge eyes as she saw what was in his arms.

“Is—Is that my cloak?” she stuttered, pointing to the green velvet cloak he had draped over his arm.

Mando nodded.

He’d kept all her belongings. He’d even managed to get the blood from her head wound out of the cloak, but the cloak and her satchel of belongings had just gathered dust in one of his storage closets for the last five years. Well… All of her belongings except for her dagger, which he had appropriated for himself.

But it was time to return that to its rightful owner, too.

Alaina slowly stood up and stared at the green cloak with her green doe eyes. She pursed her lips and looked up from the garment to his helmet. Her emerald eyes studied him intently for a moment before dropping to look back at the cloak quickly as if she were worried it would disappear if she didn’t look at it.

“You kept it?”

He nodded again.

Her eyes somehow met his behind his helmet, “Why?”

Mando walked forward and shook out the cloak. He didn’t have an answer for her, not one that would make sense anyway.

He draped her cloak around her shoulders. Alaina’s eyes stayed locked on his while he continued to fit the cloak around her.

“You’re filled with regret,” she whispered, scrunching her face together as if she didn’t believe what she just said.

A sigh left him, and he nodded at her after he finished tying the strings of the cloak at the bottom of her neck, securing it so it wouldn’t fall off.

Alaina looked down, breaking eye contact with him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She grabbed the green velvet in her hand, and her thumb ran along the gold thread that outlined the trim.

Mando tilted his helmet, confused. Sorry? Why would she be… Oh. Oh.

“Can you read minds?” he asked, trying to keep his nerves out of his voice.

Alaina looked back at him with a frown. “Does that make you nervous?” she asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.

“Don’t we all have things we want to keep to ourselves?”

The accusatory look fell off Alaina’s face and was replaced with one of understanding.

“No,” she shook her head. "Despite Pershing’s best efforts, I can’t read minds—not in the way you think. I can read feelings and emotions, though,” she informed him.

“He is… He is a man of his word.”

Alaina nervously wrung the cloak between her hands, “It’s not something I can turn off. I’m sorry.”

He nodded.

“I have to really focus on someone, though, to read them accurately. Otherwise, it’s kind of like background noise,” she explained, tapping her head. Alaina frowned, “I didn’t think—I should have told you.”

“It’s okay,” he told her.

“I promise not to do that to you all the time.”

“Thank you,” he nodded, appreciative that she’d even told him that much in the first place. Maybe she was trying to figure out how to trust him after all.

The hold was silent as green eyes and silver beskar stared at one another. He could tell that she had more questions, and Mando waited patiently for Alaina to try to find her words. She was quiet while she studied him, and he could tell by the nervous way she chewed on her bottom lip that she was working up the courage to say something else.

“Can I ask you something?” Alaina’s voice came out quiet, barely above a whisper.

He nodded for her to continue and braced himself for whatever question she had. Her eyes were his normal indicator of her emotions. Unfortunately, with the elevated emotions over the last couple of days since their escape, he’d learned they weren’t quite the best barometer for gauging her feelings at any given moment.

“Why hang on to my things… My shoes, my cloak, my dagger,” she finished, pointing to the beskar blade that he had tucked into his belt while they were escaping the Imp’s holdout on Nevarro. “I was just a job…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “I don’t understand why you have that much regret for me.”

Mando stared at her momentarily before taking a step closer to her. He reached for the oversized hood and pulled it up to cover her head. The hood would be good to hide her recognizably bright hair and protect her pale skin from the bright afternoon sun.

“We should get moving if we want to check out the town and find a place to stay for the night,” he said quietly, evading her question for the time being. “Maybe even someplace with hot water so you can wash your hair.”

Alaina nodded, giving him a small, understanding smile when she realized she wouldn’t get her answer.

Before she could turn away from him, Mando grabbed her dagger from his hip. 

“I think it’s time you had this back.”

Alaina watched his hands as Mando shifted her cloak around to tuck the weapon into her belt. She fidgeted with the hilt, and he watched her grab the dagger to practice taking it in and out of her belt with her left hand a few times.

Satisfied that she could grab it if she needed, Mando nodded. He bent over to grab the kid off the floor and looked between his companions.

“Ready?”

 Alaina kept her head down, watching her feet as they hiked the dirt path through the woods of Sorgan to whatever settlement was nearby.

The boots he picked out for her were heavy, and she had to consciously put one foot in front of the other for fear that she would trip over herself. She wasn’t used to such heavy footwear. Even before, she wore lightweight shoes because they made getting around and dancing easier. Then, after her life drastically changed, her captors learned it was best to keep her as stripped down as possible. After her second escape attempt, they finally took her shoes away. At that point, Alaina had seen enough of the Nevarro landscape between shuttle rides from the smaller compound in the city to the larger base with the main lab to know that her feet would never survive the lava flats. Even if she did, where would she go?

“Where did you get it?”

The Mandalorian’s question broke the silence that had settled around them. His deep baritone, digitized voice sharply contrasted with the soft natural sounds of the woods and startled her out of her inner thoughts. 

Alaina snapped her head to look up at the Mandalorian, and she felt her hood fall away, allowing the sunlight peeking through the trees to warm her face. They hadn’t spoken a word to one another since they left the Mandalorian’s ship, and even Grogu seemed content to watch the scenery pass by them in silence from his spot tucked away in the other man’s arms. 

Mando’s helmet nodded to the dagger in her hand when she continued to look at him, confused by the question. 

After fifteen minutes of walking through the forest in silence, she’d unsheathed the dagger from her belt and had taken to running her fingers over the hilt to pass the time. She inspected the scales along the winding body and the tiny emeralds that made the eyes. Alaina used the quiet moment to reacquaint herself with the serpent dagger Alaina was convinced she had lost five years ago while running from the Mandalorian. 

It was easier for her to fidget with her dagger than to think about the Mandalorian's confusing, kind actions. 

He’d come back for her because he said it was the right thing to do. He hadn’t done anything to punish her or scare her. In fact, he’d done the opposite. He tended to her dislocated shoulder. He held her and helped her through her panic attack. He came to check on her when he heard her screaming from her nightmare. Hell, he went and used his own credits to buy her real clothes. The Mandalorian had even joked with her.

And that was just her interactions with him. That didn’t include watching him interact with Grogu. He was gentle with the toddler. He played with the Child, for kriff’s sake… The Mandalorian was huge, armored, and intimidating. By all accounts, he should be the antithesis of someone you should feel safe with. Alaina knew that better than anyone. But walking next to him while he carried the Child in his arms, she couldn’t think of a safer place to be.

She wanted to trust him. For the moment, she didn’t have any other options. She couldn’t forgive him for turning her into Pershing and the Empire… But the regret she’d felt coming from the man. There was no pretending or faking that. The Mandalorian was genuine in his feeling… Which just made everything so much more confusing.

The man was a confusing puzzle.

When Grogu turned to smile at her, she realized that she’d been staring at the Mandalorian for longer than what was considered polite.

“It was my mom’s,” she replied quickly, ducking her head to look down at the dagger in her hands. “It’s a fanned rawl. They are native to Naboo, which is where my mom was from,” she explained, resting the dagger in her splayed hands so she could show him. “I can’t remember ever not seeing her with it.”

“And your mother never mentioned it was made of beskar?”

Alaina shook her head and studied the dagger a little closer. The tiny emerald eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun. The Mandalorian had obviously kept it polished and well-maintained over the last five years because the entire weapon gleamed like Mando’s armor. She scrunched her head curiously and turned to hold the dagger up against Mando’s shoulder paldron, noting how the two different pieces were almost the same color. Her dagger was maybe a shade or two brighter than the Mandalorian’s armor, but you could only see that up close. She had no idea the dagger was beskar. She didn’t even know what beskar was until the Empire brought in that camtono to tempt the Mandalorian for payment.

Kind of like how she didn’t know what a Mandalorian was before it was too late.

“Is that a bad thing?” she asked him, pulling the small weapon away from his shoulder.

“No,” he answered quickly, shaking his head. “Just surprising. Beskar is an uncommon metal mined on Mandalore. It is rare to come across it by someone who isn't Mandalorian. Most people who aren't Mandalorian taut or brag that they possess even an ounce of beskar, especially after the Empire destroyed Mandalore.”

Alaina listened to Mando as he spoke, interested in gleaning any information about her mother’s weapon that she could. Her mother loved that dagger, and Alaina regretted not asking more questions while she was alive. Her mother had spoken a little bit about it on her deathbed, but there was so much else to discuss in those final days that the dagger seemed inconsequential at the time.

“Do you know how your mother came across it?” he asked, shifting Grogu around a little when the kid started squirming.

A butterfly with blue wings fluttered by them, and Alaina smiled as she watched Grogu attempt to grab the insect from the air. However, Grogu was out of reach of the butterfly from his spot tucked away in Mando’s arms.

“Why are you so curious about a dagger? It looks to me as if you’ve got plenty of weapons of your own,” she commented, eyeing the rifle that was strapped to the man’s back.

Mando shrugged, but she could tell he was trying to pick his words out carefully. “Just trying to pass the time,” he eventually said, and Alaina didn’t quite believe him but wasn’t going to push him.

Silence stretched between the two of them again. 

Alaina looked down to watch her feet clunk in the dirt. Clunky was not a word she was used to being associated with her before, and she didn’t like it.

Her eyes slid to the Mandalorian, who picked them out for her and sighed. 

He was making an effort. He bought her clothes and pastries… She supposed she could meet him halfway if he wanted to make polite conversation to pass the time.

“My mom was actually really talented with it,” Alaina told him, flipping the dagger up in the air, easily catching it by the hilt when it landed back in her palm. 

Alaina didn’t miss how the Mandalorian’s helmet tilted slightly to indicate he was listening. He even slowed his pace to match hers when she voluntarily continued the conversation.

“Sometimes,” she paused to laugh at the memories running through her mind. “Sometimes, she used to take me to the cantina around the corner from our home for dinner. The back corner was set up with a board for knife-throwing. My mom…” Alaina stopped to smile, remembering her mother when she was healthy. “My mother was beautiful,” she whispered. “She had blonde hair and green eyes like me, but her hair was perfect. Spiral ringlets that were never out of place. It drove me crazy. Anyway, she was beautiful, and it never took long for her to attract some poor soul’s eye. She would goad some poor man into a contest with the agreement that the loser paid the winner’s tab for the evening,” she paused to smile and saw Mando looking at her. “Well, I’ll just say that my mom never paid for anyone’s tabs. Ever.”

“I’m sorry you lost her,” Mando murmured. “She sounds like she was a strong woman.”

Alaina nodded, “She was,” she whispered, trying not to tear up.

She was tired of crying. Even if they were happy tears.

Mando paused their walk and tilted his helmet to look at her. “What about you?” he asked.

“Me?” Alaina asked him, surprised by the question. “I think you and I both know I am not a strong woman.”

He sighed and shook his head at her, which only confused Alaina more. Then he pointed to the dagger in her hands, “You can’t tell me your mother didn’t try and pass that skill on to you?”

Alaina snorted and nodded, “Oh, she tried. I was a bit of a space cadet. Didn’t have the patience to stay still and really learn that skill,” Alaina told him, shrugging her shoulders. “Although I think that was when she got so tired of me running around everywhere that she enrolled me in dance classes, so I think that worked out okay. We never really came back around to it. The older I got, the more involved I got in dancing, and it was just kind of a skill that faded away.”

She was used to the Mandalorian giving her the silent treatment, but as his helmet stayed glued to her face, Alaina felt oddly self-conscious under the intense scrutiny.

Mando’s stride slowed to a stop in the middle of the woods, his helmet still locked on her, “Would you like to learn?”

The question took her by surprise, and Alaina felt her mouth fall open. Was he offering to help teach her how to wield the dagger properly?

“If you’re going to carry it, you should at least know how to use it,” he said in practical response to her shocked silence.

Alaina looked down at the dagger in question. It was an incredibly kind offer, and the thought of proving to her mom she wasn’t letting her memory fade brought a smile to her.

“Yes,” the answer left her lips quickly. She looked back up at the Mandalorian’s helmet and gave him a nod. “That would be nice.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d talked about her mother. It felt nice being able to share a little bit of the dagger’s true owner’s story. Alaina was not expecting the offer to train her to use it properly… The man was most definitely a puzzle.

“We can start with your throwing skills,” Mando told her without any preamble. He grabbed her by her forearm and guided her slightly off the path until they stopped several steps away from a large tree.

Alaina frowned and tried to look at the man towering over her, but he grabbed her head to force her to look forward.

“Now?” she asked him nervously when he moved behind her and began to position her body.

“Why not?”

“Well, for starters, I’m right-handed, and that arm is currently out of commission,” she reminded him, nodding to her arm, which was still in a sling tucked under her cloak.

“A skilled knife thrower is ambidextrous,” Mando told her, setting Grogu on the ground. The baby instantly spotted a lizard and started chasing it, leaving her alone in the clearing with the Mandalorian. “Come on,” Mando encouraged her. “Just a couple of throws.”

He sounded like her mother. Kriff, what had she gotten herself into?

“Fine,” she acquiesced with a sigh, hoping she covered her nerves by sounding indifferent.

Mando went back to positioning her like a doll. His hands came to her waist and twisted her while he used his boot to kick her left leg in front of her right. She tried to keep her nerves settled. Between his hands touching her and the studying tilt of his helmet… Alaina was just thankful that she wasn’t visibly shaking.

Seemingly satisfied with her position, he stepped away from her and took the dagger from her hands. “It’s not all about strength,” he started, flipping the dagger until he caught it by the blade. “Subtle things like your wrist or elbow movements are enough to derail everything,” he continued his lecture.

Mando moved just enough ahead of her that she could observe his technique. Alaina watched as he moved his feet into the same position as hers, and he placed the blade between the fingers of his left hand.

“This dagger, in particular, will be a little more difficult just because the hilt is a little heavier, but that just means you’ll have to put a little more force behind it. We might consider finding you some smaller ones while you’re starting out.”

Alaina raised her eyebrows up, a little surprised at all the thought he was already putting behind his haphazard decision to teach her how to throw knives in the middle of the woods.

He didn’t seem to pay her any mind as he went silent to study the tree in the distance. Alaina watched how his shoulders relaxed. Next, his wrist flexed, followed by his elbow extending…

Alaina watched her mother’s dagger spin through the air until the tip of the blade embedded itself into the trunk of the tree Mando had been aiming for. The man looked as if he’d barely even tried. Lazy even.

He turned back to look at her, and she gave him a well-deserved impressed nod. 

A small, shocked squeal startled both of them, and they simultaneously looked down to find Grogu at the bottom of the tree, staring at the dagger Mando had just thrown. When he turned back around, Alaina grimaced. The kid had managed to catch the poor lizard he’d been chasing earlier, and the creature's hind feet and tail were hanging out of his mouth.

“Hey! Spit that out!” Mando scolded Grogu, marching for him, but it was too late, and the kid sucked down the rest of the lizard.

“Gross,” Alaina frowned, scrunching her face in disgust.

The strange green baby was unphased by the adults' obvious displeasure and tried to give Mando an innocent coo when the armored man reached him.

Mando sighed and bent over to pick the kid up and grabbed the dagger by its serpent hilt to yank it out of the tree.

“Don’t eat lizards, Grogu,” Alaina reprimanded the baby, shaking her head at him when he got closer. “What if that was poisonous?”

“The kid’s stomach is an iron-clad bottomless pit,” Mando grumbled, passing her the dagger to take. “We can get a few throws in, and then we’ll find lunch. It’s only another five minutes to the town.

Alaina took the dagger from him, trying to hold the blade as he had done earlier. Mando repositioned Grogu to his shoulder so he could correct her hold. 

She smiled brightly when Grogu squealed, obviously excited about his new elevated position perched on the Mandalorian’s shoulder.

“You’re good with him, ya know?” she said, moving her eyes to the silver helmet Grogu was banging a hand against. “He really likes you.”

Mando focused on her and worked on positioning her arm and upper body where he thought they should be.

“He just likes being up high so he can find his next unsuspecting meal,” he commented, but Alaina could tell that the feeling was mutual under the facade of indifference. “Ready?”

Alaina sucked in a deep breath and blew it out quickly. She aimed her hand up at the same tree Mando had thrown at.

“When you’re ready to throw, move your weight from your back to your front foot. As you extend your arm, try to unfold it in a straight line; don’t let it move around a lot,” he instructed.

Alaina nodded, keeping her sight on the tree. A picture of her mother standing calm and composed, eyeing her target, floated to the front of her mind. Alaina attempted to shift her body to mimic her stance while not moving too much from the Mandalorian’s original positioning. 

She took in another deep breath while she lined up her target. As she exhaled, she followed Mando’s directions, extending her arm until she finally released the blade. Alaina cringed and held her breath while she watched the dagger weakly spin through the hair.

The blade barely made it to the tree, and when it did make contact, it was hilt first. The fanned rawl bounced feebly off the side of the tree before falling to the ground.

Grogu made a sputtering noise, and Alaina pouted.

Mando patted her back. “It’s okay. It takes practice,” he tried to console her. He grabbed the kid off his shoulder and carried him across the small clearing to grab the dagger off the forest floor.

Still, Alaina was bummed that she didn’t have a more successful first toss. Her mother was probably rolling in her grave at her daughter's lack of skill.

“Don’t kick yourself too hard,” Mando continued on his way back to her. Apparently, she did not hide her dejected look very well. 

“Like I said, this isn’t the easiest dagger for a beginner. Not to mention, you threw with your non-dominant hand,” he shrugged and held the dagger out for her to take again. “Actually, you should feel pretty good about that being a first throw. Heavy dagger, nondominant hand, and you at least managed to make it to the tree.”

Alaina blushed and ducked her head at the compliment.

“Come on, give it another go,” he encouraged her, wiggling the dagger by the blade, tempting her to take it.

Alaina nodded and went to reach for the blade again.

“I’m kinda surprised you didn’t use your magic, witchy powers to just move the dagger where you wanted it to go,” he commented offhandedly as she wrapped her hand around the serpentine hilt.

The comment felt like he might as well have stabbed her with her mother’s dagger.

She blanched and took a step away, leaving a confused Mandalorian holding a dagger in one hand and Grogu in the other.

“Alaina? What’s wrong?”

Alaina shook her head and turned away from him, not wanting him to see her fall apart.

Not again.

The morning had gone so well… but he didn’t know. He couldn’t know. 

“Just give me a second,” she muttered as she tried to get her emotions under control. 

She was so tired of being angry.

She was tired of crying.

She was tired of being weak. 

Alaina thought she had put it behind her years ago, but hearing the offhand lackadaisical comment brought everything back to the surface. It probably didn’t help that she was already a little on the emotional side after talking about her mother. She shouldn’t have indulged in conversation with the Mandalorian or let him try and teach her to throw knives… He was the reason she couldn’t… No, that was fair. He wasn’t the reason. But his actions were directly responsible for what happened to her. He deserved to know. She just needed a minute to calm down, and then she would rationally explain everything to the Mandalorian.

With her eyes closed, her clunky boots tripped over one another, causing her to fall, but she never hit the ground. Strong arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her from hitting the dirt.

“Hey,” came Mando's calm voice, and Alaina screwed her eyes shut, hating the compassion that laced his words. “Talk to me. What happened? What’s wrong?” Mando questioned, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder once he had her standing upright again.

“Don’t touch me!” Alaina seethed, moving away from his hand.

“Okay, okay… I’m sorry. Did I do something—”

“You did everything!” she screamed, spinning around to snarl at him.

“Alaina—” the Mandalorian tried to start, but she didn’t want to hear his words.

“I lost them,” Alaina rasped. Her throat was dry and choked as her anger increased.

“Lost what?” he asked, trying to figure out what she was talking about.

Her face hardened, and her green eyes clouded with tears. “My witchy powers that let me move things,” she seethed and hissed at him.

His entire body went rigid at her words. “You—you lost them?” he asked slowly, still trying to figure out what she was saying, or maybe even not believing it.

“You sold me to the Empire, and they did exactly what I thought they would do me. They treated me like a lab rat. They wanted to know what made me tick. Pershing went poking around in my brain, trying to make me do things I told them I couldn’t do—” Her own pained sob cut her off, and Alaina slammed her eyes closed. “Pershing wanted to know if I could unlock new abilities, and in the process, they inadvertently took away the one thing that made me special… The one thing that connected me to my mom! And now I’m just broken, and it's all your fault!”

Alaina stood there, teeth clenched and chest heaving, staring down the Mandalorian, silently daring him to say anything to send her off the rails again. When it was clear the Mandalorian was too shocked to say anything, Alaina grabbed her hood and yanked it back over her head to hide her face from him.

“Can we just go?” she asked bitterly. “The town is this way, right?” she asked, pointing at the path they had been walking.

Alaina didn’t wait for his answer and started walking for the small trail, taking large, angry stomps in the dirt. 

It didn’t take long for the Mandalorian to catch up with her. With her hood on, she could only see Mando’s boots walking in step next to her. She was thankful for the large hood blocking the questioning helmet or the large eyes she knew were staring at her.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she spat angrily.

“Okay,” he agreed quietly.

“Actually, I don’t want to talk at all.”

Blessed silence answered her, and Alaina closed her eyes to try and gather herself. When she opened them, she stared at the ground and frowned.

Around them, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and she could hear the gentle breeze rustle the tops of the trees.

And there was Mando, still walking side by side with her as they followed the dirt path. It didn’t matter what speed Alaina went. If she slowed, he slowed; if she sped up, he took larger steps.

He was just there.

A few tears ran down her face, and she watched them fall to the forest floor one by one, leaving a trail of wet spots with their footprints.

Mando eyed the brawl from a distance, noting the people milling around the cantina, placing bets on the two opponents going after one another in the back corner.

He placed a hand on Alaina’s back and guided her to a table on the outskirts of the commotion. There was a hissing noise, and he had to turn back to grab the kid before he got eaten by a Tooka cat that looked like it had seen better days. The kid looked around the small cantina wide-eyed, taking everything in. When his eyes landed on Alaina, sitting at the table with her hood on, refusing to look up, the kid visibly deflated.

“It’s gonna be okay, kid,” he whispered, patting the kid’s back. Grogu looked at him with a look on his face that told Mando the kid didn’t quite believe him. Honestly, Mando wasn’t sure he entirely believed his own words, but he had to hope the woman would, in fact, be okay. He leaned his helmet to the kid’s head to whisper in his ear, “Go easy on her. She has every right to be angry with me.”

When they reached the table, he placed Grogu on Alaina’s lap and moved to take the chair next to her. The kid looked up into her hood and smiled at his friend. Alaina responded by raising her hands to rub the kid’s ears, making the kid sag contentedly against her.

“Welcome, travelers,” one of the waitresses greeted them, stopping at their table. “Can I interest you three in anything?”

Mando nodded, “Bone broth for them.” He pointed to Alaina and Grogu sitting beside him and slid a couple of credits across the table.

“Oh, well, you’re in luck. I just took down a grinjer, so there’s plenty,” the waitress smiled. “Can I interest you in a porringer of broth as well?”

Mando shook his head, “Just the two,” he confirmed.

The woman nodded and pocketed his credits as she left to prepare their order.

“Why didn’t you get anything?” Alaina’s question surprised him, and he turned to see her remove her hood. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and he hated that he had made her cry. Again. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat,” she frowned.

It was on the tip of his tongue to begin to explain his creed, but his mind pushed him to apologize to the woman while she was speaking to him.

“Alaina—” he began but stopped to look at the top of the table. How did one even begin to make amends for ruining someone's life? “Alaina, I’m—”

“Sorry. You’re sorry, I know,” she interrupted, dropping her head to look at the kid nestled comfortably in her lap. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered.

Mando nodded, nervously tapping his knuckles on top of the table. With nothing better to do, his eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of possible trouble. His helmet landed on a woman sitting by herself in the corner. Black hair, drop trooper tattoo banded around her bicep, and dressed for combat. Everything about the mystery woman screamed mercenary, and Mando sincerely hoped he was wrong.

“Why don’t you think Mando wants to eat with us, little one?” Alaina asked the kid in her lap. 

Mando returned his attention to his two companions while still trying to observe the potential threat inconspicuously. 

Alaina watched over the kid, staring up at her with overly large eyes. She rubbed his ear again, and a little smirk appeared on her face. “Maybe he’s actually a droid,” she whispered conspiratorially to the Child.

He tilted his helmet unamused at her. He was glad she was at least speaking again, but he wasn’t going to let the droid comment slide.

Mando leaned a little closer to look directly at her. “I think you and I both know that’s not true,” he whispered. When Alaina looked up at him, he moved to lean back in his seat casually. “You would know, considering you’ve seen more of me than anyone else has since I was a child.” 

He recalled that night five years ago when she removed his gloves. She only saw his hands, but he definitely saw and touched more of Alaina that evening. A lot more. 

He saw the moment Alaina realized what he was talking about and smirked in victory when her cheeks flushed scarlet. She ducked her head again in embarrassment. 

“Careful,” she whispered, her green eyes sliding up to peer at him. “That almost sounded like a joke.”

Mando smiled at her, repeating his words from earlier on the Crest back to him. 

Alaina looked up from the kid and gave him a small, sad smile. It was an olive branch—maybe a very small branch, but one nonetheless. Before he could say anything, the waitress returned to the table, placing two cups of bone broth on the table. 

When she stood up, Mando made eye contact with the woman at the other end of the cantina. She was drinking out of her own mug, but he could see she was also spying on him through her hair.

When the waitress turned to step away, Mando raised his hand to stop her. “That one over there,” he asked her, inconspicuously nodding his head in the direction of his target. “When did she arrive?”

The waitress frowned, and he tossed a couple of more credits onto the table. He could see Alaina frown at his question, and when she started to turn to look behind her, Mando reached under the table to squeeze her thigh to stop her. Alaina jumped, obviously startled by the contact, but at least got the hint and stayed looking forward.

“Oh, a few days or so,” the waitress answered, unfortunately confirming his suspicions.

“What’s her business here?”

The waitress snorted. “Business?” she questioned skeptically. “Well, there’s not much business to be had on Sorgan,” she stopped to lean over the table to whisper, “but she doesn’t strike me as a log runner.”

Osik. He tossed the waitress another credit for her information.

“Well, thank you, sir! You know what? I’ll bring you guys a flagon of spotchka,” she told them with a smile before turning to head back to the bar.

“Spotchka?” Alaina asked with a frown.

Mando looked back at the mystery woman—or, more accurately, at where the woman was—and clenched his hands when he realized she seemed to have disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Alaina asked him nervously and covered his hand with her own.

It was then that he realized he hadn’t let go of Alaina’s thigh once he grabbed it to prevent her from turning around. He quickly let go of her with a mumbled apology.

“Stay here,” he instructed quietly, standing up from the table.

“Hey, no, where are you going?” Alaina asked, grabbing his hand to stop him. “Is this about that woman you were asking the waitress about? You don’t think she’s here for us, do you?”

Mando squeezed her hand, “I’m just going to check things out. I’m sure everything is going to be fine. Stay here with the kid.”

Alaina dropped his hand and gave him an annoyed look.

“I mean it, Alaina. Stay. Here.” He pointed at her cup of bone broth that Grogu was already eyeing. “Drink before the kid downs yours, too,” he ordered before walking around the table for the exit.

He caught their waitress’ attention and tossed her another couple of credits on his way out, “Keep an eye on them.”

“Yes, sir,” she answered, nodding her head.

His blaster was in his hand the second he walked out the door.

Mando’s head swiveled in every direction, trying to locate the woman as he began his search around the cantina. When he turned the corner, he pressed his vambrace to switch his HUD to tracking mode, and red footprints were immediately illuminated as he went down the alley.

He slowly followed the tracks until they doubled back. They doubled back, but there was no other set of tracks leaving the alley… which meant—

The mystery drop trooper from the cantina came swinging down from her hiding spot to ambush him. Mando stumbled but recovered quickly, rushing the woman.

She screamed and landed a kick on his solar plexus, sending him backward into a building.

Maker, she was strong.

Riding her victory, the woman came at him with a series of punches, taking him off guard until he stumbled to the ground. Mando was dazed, and his head rung from the force of the woman’s punches. She struck his beskar helmet with bare hands as if it were nothing.

He saw her feet charging at him again, and Mando scrambled on the ground before activating his flame thrower. She growled and dodged the flames until she came to stomp on his forearm, preventing him from burning her.

He growled as he struggled to free his arm from under her boot. Enough was enough of this. Alaina and the kid were counting on him. He couldn’t let them down, and he couldn’t let her down—not again.

The soldier came down to choke him, but he struck his hand out, grasping her neck tightly as he swung out with his leg, knocking the brute of a woman onto her back. Oh, but she was good. She was ready for him and kicked up with her legs, flipping Mando over her and onto his back. He lashed out, grabbing the woman’s forearm, refusing to let her go.

The woman took them rolling down the dirty alley a couple of times until they came to a draw with him on his back and her on her stomach, with their blasters pointed at one another.

They stared each other down; their heavy breaths could be heard echoing down the alley.

Mando waited for her to bring the axe down. Waited for her to tell him she was here for the girl and the kid, but her words never came.

Slurp.

Mando blinked at the noise, and the woman shared a frown with him. Their heads simultaneously turned to look down the alley to find his two companions watching them from a few meters away. 

He was going to have to have a talk with both of them about following directions.

Alaina held her mug in one hand, and the Kid leaned against her legs while he held his mug with both hands. They watched him with curious faces, and then, as if they’d planned it, they both took another sip from their mugs.

The woman turned to give him a confused look. Mando instantly relaxed. She wasn't after them. That was not the look of a bounty hunter after their quarry. 

“I think I like spotchka,” Alaina commented happily, looking into her mug.

At the amused raise of the drop troopers eyebrow, Mando let out an annoyed sigh and let his arms fall to the ground.

“Do you want some soup?”

 “Saw most of my action mopping up after Endor. Mostly ex-imperial warlords. They wanted it quiet and fast. They’d send us in on drop ships. No support, just us,” their new guest, former drop trooper Cara Dune, paused her story to give them a little smile.

“Then, when the Imps were gone, that’s when the politics started,” Dune shook her head as she took a sip from her mug. “We were turned into peacekeepers protecting delegates, suppressing riots,” she shrugged. “That wasn’t what I signed up for.”

Mando nodded, understanding the soldier’s reasoning.

“Enough about me, though. What I want to know is what a Mandalorian is doing traveling with…” Dune tapered to look at Alaina, who was slouched over the table, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at the newcomer. “Not to sound too forward, but you’re just cute as a button.”

Alaina blushed and looked away from the woman.

Mando cocked his head at the forwardness of the drop trooper, unimpressed by her flirtations towards his… towards Alaina.

He looked to Alaina sitting next to him and sighed at the almost empty mug of spotchka. He grabbed the mug from her and placed it on the empty table behind him. He then grabbed the kid’s third cup of bone broth and put it in front of Alaina.

Both Alaina and the kid sputtered their objections, but he ignored them.

“How’d you end up here?” he asked Dune, trying to divert her attention from Alaina.

Dune rolled her head to look back at him with a knowing smirk, which made him shift uncomfortably in his seat.

“Let’s just call it an early retirement,” she replied, leaning back in her seat to stare him down. Dune crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders. “Look, I knew you were guild. I thought you had a fob on me. That’s why I came at you so hard.”

“Yeah, I figured,” he nodded.

Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Alaina frowning at the cup of bone broth in front of her, and he pushed it closer to her.

The kid grunted something nonsensical and rolled out of his lap. Mando sighed and bent down to grab the little womp rat before he got too far away and got himself eaten by a Tooka cat. When he sat back up, it was just in time to see Dune toss a little wink to Alaina. He turned to look at Alaina and watched her finally take a sip of her bone broth. Her green eyes blinked at him over the rim of the glass as if to say, see.

“Well, this has been a real treat,” Dune started, bringing his attention back to her. “But unless you wanna go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first.”

A dejected sigh escaped him.

So much for Sorgan.

The drop trooper, Cara, gave him a large, mocking grin before turning to share a smile with Alaina. “Ya know, Mando, if your hands are full, I’d be happy to take this one off your hands.”

“I like her,” Alaina smiled, resting her chin on her hand. “She lets me have spotchka if I want spotchka.” 

Mando didn’t miss the slight slur at the end of Alaina's words and directed his helmet to glare at Cara. Dune smirked at him and showed Alaina's cup in her hand, which was still full of bone broth. It didn’t take long for him to figure out that the drop trooper traded their cups when he had to grab Grogu off the floor. 

He shook his head, grabbed the kid in one arm, and grabbed Alaina by her elbow to pull her up with him.

“Wh—where are we going?” Alaina slurred and stumbled slightly as she got up from the table.

“Leaving. Looks like this planet’s taken.”

Dune raised the cup of bone broth, soluting them as they walked around her.

“Bye, it was nice to meet you,” Alaina called cheerfully behind her as he pulled her from the cantina. “Why are we in such a hurry?” she grumbled at him when he tugged a little harder on her arm.

“Because it’s at least a twenty-minute walk when you’re not drunk," Mando started. "And now you’re drunk, it’s dark, and I need to find a new hideout,” he grumbled, pulling Alaina toward the woods they had come from.

“I liked her,” Alaina smiled, swaying slightly as they walked. “She doesn’t regret me.”

Mando sighed but kept his grip on Alaina’s elbow as they entered the start of the path.

Their hike back started quiet, like the hike out here. Not wanting to be caught off guard in the dark, Mando tried to keep a quicker pace, but the third time Alaina tripped over her boots, he finally decided to slow down. It wouldn't do him any favors if Alaina tripped and broke something in her drunken stupor. Something else she could blame him for.

At least the moon shone bright enough to illuminate the path, so he didn’t need to turn his light on.

Alaina giggled from his side, “I haven’t had any alcohol for five years.”

“I can tell,” he deadpanned.

“You’re funny,” she slurred. “Did you know you’re funny? You wouldn’t think you’d be funny, but you are!”

Mando sighed and focused on escorting his wards through the moonlit woods. He was going to make her drink an entire canteen of water and then lock her in the bunk to sleep it off.

“I used to be really good at this,” she sighed nostalgically. “I was a great drunk.”

“I’m sure you were,” came his patronizing reply.

“Do you want to know what the secret is?” she asked, leaning into his arm. “It’s to not stop dancing. Once you stop dancing, that’s when it all catches up with you.” She yanked her arm from his hand and attempted what he thought was a demonstration of a spin or something, but her boots got in the way.

Mando nodded and wrapped his arm around Alaina’s waist before she fell to the ground.

When he pulled her back to him, he left his arm on her waist to prevent her from showing off her dancing skills again and was surprised when Alaina sighed and actually nuzzled her head into his side. Oh, she was going to regret drinking in the morning. The thought of tormenting her about her hangover was just the light at the end of the tunnel he needed.

“I wouldn’t have gone with her, ya know,” she whispered, leaning heavily into his side.

Mando stayed silent. Maybe he should have let her stay with the drop trooper. There was too much history between them. Maybe once he sobered Alaina up, he should give her the option. He did tell her she had a choice after all. Cara Dune was obviously strong enough to protect her if it came to that. Not to mention, it may be easier to split her and Grogu up. That way, if something happened, and one was found by the Empire, maybe the other would have a chance at a normal life.

"You're wrong," Alaina mumbled, and Mando frowned.

Had the alcohol lowered her mental walls or whatever she used to keep herself from reading his thoughts?

Alaina stumbled, and he gripped her waist to keep her from falling.

“Oh, no,” she mumbled.

“Come on,” he sighed. He would have to ask her once she sobered up in the morning if she read him. "As soon as we make it back to the Crest, you can drink some water and sleep for as long as you want.”

Alaina shoved him away from her and stumbled over her boots as she tried to walk further into the woods.

Mando shared a look with Grogu before he shook his head and took off after their drunken companion. If she was going to puke, at least she had the forethought not to do it all over his armor.

Alaina hissed and grabbed her head. “No, no, no,” she murmured.

Was she fighting her being sick, or was something wrong? “Alaina?”

Fear gripped him as he watched her fall to her knees in the dirt. Alaina held her head tightly between her hands and started rocking back and forth on the ground.

He ran for her, “Alaina!”

He kneeled beside her and put a tentative hand on her shoulder, “Alaina?”

Alaina stopped rocking and let himself relax until she stiffly straightened her back. His went back on high alert when she sharply twisted her upper body in an unnatural manner. Even in the silver moonlight, he could see that her eyes were unfocused and vacant as she looked at him. And when Mando said looked at him, he meant looked at him. He didn’t know how she managed to make eye contact with him in her condition, with his helmet covering his face, but it was almost eerie how she could easily find his eyes.

Something was wrong. Something inside of him told him that Alaina wasn’t there anymore.

“He’s coming,” she whispered, staring at him vacant and unblinking.

What in the karking hell was going on?

“Who’s coming?” he whispered back.

“He’s coming for the sunlight,” she whispered. Mando watched as a trickle of blood trailed out of her nose. “He’s coming to take the sunlight away and rip it apart limb by limb.”

He looked to Grogu, but the kid looked just as scared of Alaina as he felt.

“Alaina?” he whispered, too afraid to touch her.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and her body sagged from her stiff pose. Mando reached out to catch her unconscious body just before she hit the ground face-first.

Mando shifted his body and placed the kid on the ground while he sat down. He pulled Alaina to cradle her head in his lap, doing his best to examine her and try to figure out what was going on.

He flicked the light on his helmet, and his heart started pounding quickly when he saw that the previous small trickle of blood was now flowing freely from both nostrils.

The kid had moved to the other side of her and cried at the sight of his unconscious friend. Grogu’s large, pleading black eyes looked up at his helmet, and Mando could tell he was asking him to help Alaina.

Mando ripped one of his gloves off and pressed two fingers to her neck, nodding in relief when he felt her pulse under them. It was fast and thready, but it was there. The other thing he noticed without his gloves was how warm she was. He pressed his palm over her forehead and frowned. She wasn’t warm. She was burning up.

He pushed some of her hair, which was already sweat-drenched off her forehead. 

He didn’t know what to do. She was alive… but beyond that… he had no idea how to help her. 

Mando shared another concerned look with Grogu before looking down at the unconscious blonde woman in his arms. He grabbed his cloak and tried to wipe the blood off her face. Alaina was already naturally pale, but in the night, under the bright light from his helmet, her skin almost looked ashen against the bright red stream of blood that dripped from her nose.

He adjusted her slightly, pulling her tighter against his body so that her head rested over the center of his chest plate. 

A small whimper escaped Alaina when her head made contact with his armor, but she still didn’t stir.

“Alaina?” Mando whispered. He brought his hand up to press her head into his armor, hoping that the cool metal felt good against her burning skin.

“Alaina?”

Heaven in Hiding Masterlist

Next chapter in series - Chapter 6: The Hallucination

[rainbowsprinkledpirate]

To The Sound of Beskar

Pairing: The Mandalorian/Din Djarin x Older!Male!Reader

Summary: When dropping off your latest bounty, you have the vague feeling that you will see the Mythrol, Mirialan, and Zygerrian again someday. Until you end up with more pressing matters to worry about. Like how Greef Karga immediately sends you after a new bounty when you step foot in the bounty hunter guild's cantina.

AN: If you can't tell, I suck at writing fight scenes, and The Mandalorian series contains a lot. So, here's to a long ride and lots of research on my end on how to write it! 😃👍

Chapter II: Strengthen Those Beside You

It was easy to get lost in thought when traveling through space.

The swirl of color drew you into a sense of peace unlike anything else you've ever experienced, allowing you to let go for a moment. You got lost in thought more often than you'd like to admit when flying.

Currently, you were thinking about the training Din had gone through.

Was he able to learn everything you had?

When Concordia was attacked, you were both still very young. From what you recall, you were still going through training even then. And you were able to be on your own a few weeks after the tribe had settled on Nevarro.

The younger kids, like Din and Paz, had their training pushed back. Yet you doubt the older Mandalorians let them skip for long.

Din had to have finished his training, or the other Mandalorians wouldn't let him keep sneaking away to join you on dangerous bounty-hunting missions without speaking with you about it.

Right?

"...ey. Hey, are you alright?" A hand shaking your shoulder pulls you from your thoughts. Din doesn't let go even when you crane your neck to look up at him.

You examine him, feeling a stupid smile crawl across your lips before noticing the beep from the navigator in front of you two. Damn, you had to start doing something to avoid wasting fuel by zoning out between jumps.

Pressing the right buttons to exit hyperspeed, you manually take over to fly back to Nevarro.

"Yeah, I was just lost in thought." You mutter before tightening your grip on the Crest's steering wheel. Din's fingers squeeze your shoulder before he lets go.

"You should just let me fly. I don't think you've been getting enough sleep lately."

He was one to talk.

Wait.

Was it just you, or did Din sound oddly grown up suddenly?

Ting.

Din chuckles after the bolt bounces off the top of your helmet. You turn to glare silently after him as he exits the cockpit.

He lazily tosses over his shoulder before completely disappearing from sight, "I think I'm a better flyer anyways."

No, he hasn't grown up at all. That womp rat.

Sighing heavily, you fly the Crest to an open space close to the city. You maneuver it between a freighter and a quadjumper. Checking that there was enough space for Greef's guys to get the quarries out.

Stepping out of the cockpit after powering down the Crest, you head down the ladder leading into the belly of the ship.

Din waits for you by the open ramp. From your place by the ladder, you watch how his lazy demeanor shifts back to that of the cold Mandalorian. Shoulders squared and back straight.

You can't stop the ache stinging your heart as you stride past him.

If you could choose for him to have a different life, you would. One where he was still on Aq Vetina learning whatever from his parents. One where he didn't have to put up a shield between himself and everyone else.

"Hey! Watch it, Mando." The words are spat at you like poison when you accidentally bump into a rough-looking Trandoshan. You say nothing and stare him down from behind your helmet until he sidesteps you with a sneer and continues on his way.

This was the life Din was born into. One where he had to learn from the world around him. One where he was safe behind the mask because it protected him from those who wished him harm.

This wasn't a life you would willingly choose for anyone. But it gave some a second chance.

You make your way through the bustle of the city, and the crowd parts around you. Din follows behind silently as you head to the bounty hunter's guild.

When your shadow darkens the guild's entrance, Greef Karga rises from his table further in the cantina.

"Mando! Glad to see you back. Good job on those last bounties." Karga tilts his glass at you with a smile. "Come, come! I believe I have something that will help secure your spot in the guild." He beckons you over.

You ignore the glares and whispers rising from the other bounty hunters as you and Din move to sit in front of Karga. Said man completely ignores them and focuses solely on you.

He jovially states with a flourish of a bounty puck, "This bounty is one of the most important ones I have gotten as of late. But I trust you can handle it, Mando."

He slides the puck your way, humming, "You're headed to Gamorr. This particular bounty is a slaver wanted in many parsecs. Goes by the name Bhoa Myoduza. She should be easy to find, considering she's likely the only Rodian on Gamorr."

You snag the puck before standing up.

Staring down at Karga, you question him with vauge curiosity, "Any idea which part of the planet she's on?"

"That planet is ravaged by war. Surely there is one quiet place that would stand out." Din speaks up after Karga shakes his head at your question. For a moment, his looks as if he's about to shake his head again when his face lights up.

"Now that you mention it, I believe there is one place you could check first. Ah, but it requires one of the locals to take you there."

Din sighs beside you before standing to follow you.

That wasn't going to be easy.

The Gamorreans were too focused on fighting each other to worry about helping a Mandalorian looking for a bounty. But it wasn't like you needed their help. You would figure it out yourself. With Din, things would be easier. Strengthen those beside you. That's what Din was good at. And you were glad he was born into this life with you.

Next Chapter -> tbd

Here <- Previous Chapter

Star Wars Masterlist

[theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction]

Imagine Mando confessing that he sent you away…

“Where’s the little one?” Peli inquired when she noticed the lack of a green shadow. She had really hoped to see the little womp rat.

“I returned him to his own kind.” Din informed, his heart heavy with each word.

Peli berated him for sending the child away. She then wondered about another major person in the Mandalorian’s life.

“What about Y/n?“

Mando fell silent.

“Don’t tell me you left them with their kind too.”

“No, we-” he paused and realised that his phrasing was off. “I had a disagreement with them. So I sent Y/n away.”

Saying the words out loud felt like a relief but it was fleeting when the hollow feeling settled in the Mandalorian’s stomach. His chest aches at the thought of your face when he spoke words that he couldn’t take back.

Peli blinked at the beskar-plated man. Then her hand sprang up to slap his arm. “Have you lost your bounty-hunting mind? Y/n is the best thing to happen to you and you let them go because of a disagreement?”

The bounty Hunter didn’t know what to say. She was right. His anger in that moment was unchecked and he let it take control which cost him greatly.

“If I had an argument with each of my droids, I’d be nowhere.” She told him.

Grabbing a wrench, she approach his new transport and shook the metal at him. “When I fix this up, you’re going in a straight line to find Y/n. Am I clear?”

“How? The universe is a big place. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Jakku.” Peli seemed to have a reply for everything today. She couldn’t see it but Din had a frown on his face under the helmet trying to piece together why you would have landed there.

“What would Y/n be doing on a backwater planet like Jakku?”

“I don’t know, getting married.” The mechanic snapped but when she noticed her guest stilling in the reflection panel, she turned around and smacked him once more. “They’re not getting married you big lunk of metal.” She chided.

Din let his shoulders relax a little at the confirmation. He took Peli’s comment to assume that you were working a job on Jakku. You were very skilled so he wasn’t surprised that you found work easily.

“I’m guessing you let the womp rat go for his own benefit. Can’t say I understand or agree with that but Y/n - you need to get them back for both your sakes.” Peli tightened a bolt and then pointed behind her guest. “See that piece of Alderaan timber?”

Din turned to see some shiny metal leaning against the wall. It looked like it was collecting dust. “Yes.”

“When I’m done here, take it with you. You’re going to need some extra layers of protection when Y/n’s through with you for being such a bantha-brain.”

A/n: Happy Mandalorian Season 3 Day x

~ More imagines here ~

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

A Fresh Start [sneak peek]

This week I’m trying to focus more on my original work. Plus my goal for chapter 16 of ‘AFS’ is for it to be stupid long (y’all asked for long, y’all are getting long) so it’ll probs be out either this weekend or early next week!

As a treat tho, I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek of chapter 16 ;)

The sound of your fading footsteps made him heave a sigh of relief. Din let the ice water run over him for a moment more before shutting it off and reaching for a towel. Dank farrik. Din quickly pulled on his shirt and a pair of sweatpants before using the towel to dry his hair best he could. It’d be nice to dry it entirely before putting his helmet on, but that meant spending more time in the bathroom. Din scratched the scruff at his jawline and his stupid brain wondered if you’d prefer a clean shaven guy. He muttered a string of curses under his breath in annoyance at himself before shoving his helmet onto his head.

When he stepped out, he noticed Grogu waiting for him at the end of the hall in the arch that led into the kitchen. The little boy giggled while bouncing in place. Din tilted his head. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into, ad’ika?”

“Where did⏤” Your voice drifted toward him. “Grogu, did you eat your buir’s sandwich??”

Grogu giggled again. Din chuckled and pointed at him, “Come here, you little womp rat.” Grogu squealed in excitement and rushed away. Din chased after his son who ran and jumped to avoid him. You laughed from your spot leaning against the kitchen counter. Din paused as he watched Grogu leap into your arms. He set his hands on his hips, “You think your ma can keep you from me, ad’ika?”

Din took a step around the counter, but stopped again when he noticed you mirrored his step with a smirk⏤ maintaining the same distance between the two of you. He tilted his head, lips curling into a grin under his helmet. You shrugged. “I promised to take care of Grogu and if that means protecting him from a Mandalorian…”

“I can respect that.” Din took another slow step in your direction and you stumbled back. Grogu began to pat on your shoulder as a warning. His son knew that if you really wanted to escape you’d need to start moving right now⏤ not that that would really stop him. “You know, you have a bad habit of challenging Mandalorians.”

The last time you had challenged him, while lying in bed with Grogu, Din ended up on top of you. That was the kind of situation he’d be more than happy to repeat. Grogu whined for you to run and Din found it amusing that his son was aware of any warning signs Din might have. You seemed to think you were still in a position of power when the exact opposite was true. 

“Mmm, not Mandalorians. Just you.” You smirked. Din felt feral. Combining the idea of an adrenaline filled hunt and his desire for you was an addicting prospect. He liked it way, way more than he should. “What’re you gonna do about it, Djarin?”

Din slipped his hands into his sweatpants pockets, the picture of casual nonchalance, and grinned in excitement under his helmet. “I can bring you in warm,” He didn't bother hiding the amusement in his voice, “or I can bring you in cold.”

@aheadfullofsteverogers​ @yyiikes​ @kneelforloki​ @c-ms1ut​ @sgt-morgan​ @luthienaliceisilra​ @fawn-kitten @missbabyjay​ @coldlamaspersonspy​ @dilfsaremyfavourite​ @jamesbuckybarnes @yorkeylover​ @teawrites01 @emily-roberts​ @djarinxore​ @impala1967666​ @shelbyteller @faithrenner​ @dindjarindude​ @dankfarrick29​ @rh1nestonecowg1rl @garbo-lesbo​ @anythingforattention @tearfulsolace​ @onceinamando​ @catharinaroxastova​ @uwu-i-purple-you​ @modiddys-blog​ @harriedandharassed​

I went back and forth on whether I should add the tag list? B/c it’s technically not a chapter and I don’t wanna disappoint anybody by seeing a notification and thinking it is, but I did it anyways. Sorry. I panicked.

[constellation-skirmishes]

relistening to like. my favorite podcast ever and im. really.. really getting ideas for hick luke. like. hehe.

old gods of appalachia is so fucking good.... ough....

just thinking abt folk magick and something something the force also being utilized and treated as such. just different perspectives on life.

luke knows it as the desert whispers and cries in his soul and the flow of blood through a writhing corpse. wheras obi-wan knows it as the steady drip of water through a stream; a leak in the stone where the earth weeps. he knows it as the air he breathes and how it constrictive it is to be limited to a creation that can kill and use you-

this is all to say. nail jars. at the border of the homestead.

beru teaching luke the ways of truly listening. of knowing when the next sandstorm is bound to roll in. of how to heal. luke being beru's successor.

beru and luke are so important to me.

(so is owen, but hes like, takin the backburner on this one. )

beru teaching luke the family recipies. of how to shoot to make sure what they hunt passes painlessly. of how to use all that is given and not take anything more.

she has a little necklace made from the teeth of his first womp rat.

they have brooms and bells at their doors.

[burnwater13]

Greef Karga could be a very silly man. Just because Grogu had a mouthful of beautiful, shiny, pointy teeth, the gigantic human thought Grogu, Grogu mind you, who barely didn’t even come up to the tall man’s knee, or even half way up, truth be told, would try to eat him! It was laughable. 

At least that made Grogu giggle. The Mandalorian and the other people who had survived the Reptavian attack had laughed. Of course they stopped laughing as soon as Grogu actually healed the leader of the Nevarro chapter of the Intra-Galactic Bounty Hunters Guild, LLC. Unfortunately for those people they didn’t last long enough to laugh with or at Grogu or Greef Karga about anything else. 

But getting back to the whole eating things that are a lot bigger than you and many things were a lot bigger than Grogu, you really had to have a plan. You had to have time. You needed the right tools and equipment. And, you have to have a place to store it all. This was critical when you considered how big Greef Karga was and how small Grogu is. Or if you replaced Greef Karga with a big critter like a Reptavian or even an actual Womp rat. 

Grogu had none of the tools and equipment. He didn’t have a storage space that was adequate. He didn’t even have the time to perform a task like that. Sure, he’d made a plan. He always had a plan. When you spend so much time on the run from the Empire, you get pretty good at planning. He was surprised that Greef Karga and his friends weren’t better at it. 

Sure the Mandalorian seemed like a loner and very focused on just one thing, but that was actually Karga projecting his thoughts on the other bounty hunter. Greef must have figured that to be as good at bounty hunting as Din Djarin actually was, the Mandalorian must be just like him, only more so. Nothing could be farther from the truth. 

Din Djarin made friends everywhere he went. He didn’t just collect bounties for the credits that he would hand over to the Foundlings’ Fund. Nope. He also cared about the ethics of what the people he collected had exhibited. He gave them a chance to be honest. To enjoy their freedom. To be honorable. If they couldn’t manage to do that… well, then he brought them in cold. Living, but cold. Grogu wasn’t sure that he could manage that moral tight rope, but he knew that his dad could. 

Now of course the Mandalorian didn’t take foolish risks. He was thoughtful and had plans. Oh so many plans. He could have been called the Planalorian, which Grogu found quite funny. And even when Din Djarin’s plans didn’t work out, he just moved on to the next plan in his pocket. He didn’t sit on Nevarro and whine that a little tiny person like Grogu was going to eat him just because he’d had the misfortune to get injured during his own nefarious plot to trick the Mandalorian into giving Grogu back to the Imps. 

The first time Grogu had tried to heal his dad, the Mandalorian had just put him back in his pram and continued to try to close the wounds he had with that strange electric thing. Now that thing had looked like an eating utensil and not a device for healing wounds, but the Mandalorian hadn’t accused him of trying to eat him. Far from it. 

Well, Grogu hoped that one day Greef Karga would learn all the lessons he had obviously missed during his education. You had to make friends in order for your plans to work. You had to be honorable to have your friends cover your ‘6’, whatever that was. You had to care about something more than credits to gain both satisfaction and contentment in life.  And you had to find your family. Wherever they were and protect them like your life depended on it, because sometimes it did. 

It was good for Greef Karga that Grogu found him silly. The next thing you knew he’d be asking Grogu to do ‘the magic hand thing’ again and Grogu only liked doing that when it made a difference, which is why he preferred eating frogs. They were a lot less trouble. 

[mwolf0epsilon]

While Obi-wan is still stuck pondering about breaching his ex-commander's trust by telling Alpha-17 about the Krayt Dragon Incident, things carry on relatively normally for Cody.

He's pretty happy in his newfound routine since it gives his life some much needed structure:

Tending to Abuela's Fruit Stall in Anchorhead, from dawn to midday;

Having a late lunch with Abuela after closing up shop and cleaning everything up;

Passing by the Owen Farmstead to have tea with Beru;

Returning to his cave to take a two hour nap;

Continuing the Massiff Squad's training;

Going out to hunt for dinner with Little Rex;

Checking up on Obi-wan and Alpha-17 and then having dinner with them;

Retiring for the night after preparing for the next day.

Cody is, in many ways, satisfied. He's got a job, a social life and even a hobby of sorts. It's not the life of a soldier, but it at least feels a little more normal than what he thought he'd get after he'd been experimented on. Or rather, it makes HIM feel normal. And he wants that more than anything else in the galaxy. Wants things to make sense again.

Being the Empire's size-shifting lab rat shook him enough that he'd rather pretend everything is fine and dandy, so long as he has a means to maintain the illusion. So long as no one else finds out.

But life sure ain't fair, and neither are Tatooine's bustling population of womp rats... The massiff squad keeps them away from Cody's cave, but not even they can handle all those sneaky rodents.

One bite is all it really takes to ruin someone's day.

[captainfreelance1]

Star Wars Art

While not the biggest Star Wars fan, I would still love to show y'all some pieces I made for Star Wars Day on DeviantArt for both May The 4th this year and last year.

DeviantArt Description- Star Wars Landspeeder

'I've decided to do something a little different in honor of Star Wars Day. The Landspeeder a form of personnel transportation most commonly found on Tatooine. I made this little beauty out of cardboard, construction paper and cut up a plastic bottle for the windshield.

Although it doesn't look like exactly the one from the movie I'm sure someone in the Star Wars Universe owns one like this.'

DeviantArt Description- The Great Chommell Womp Rat Hunt

'In 4 ABY the tide of the Imperial–Alliance War had began to turn in favour of the Rebellion; Here we see the X-Wingfighters from Orange Squadron fended off the few remaining Imperial Tie Fighters. Assigned to the defence of the recently captured planet Karlinus Orange Squardron soon proved their effectiveness, as they destoryed several Imperial Starships in the empire's failed last ditch bid to retake the planet.'

I hope everyone enjoyed this trip down memory lane, I had a lot of fun making these pieces.

[mlobsters]

supernatural s7e9 how to win friends and influence monsters (w. ben edlund)

this whole electricity to the house they're squatting in situation, i commented on it was weird how they were squatting in houses with power here recently but i can't find the post(s) womp womp.

DEAN Weeks, guys. Weeks. We've been living with cold showers, cold Hot Pockets, cold freaking everything. I mean, this is the bottom that we're living in. You guys get that, right?

like. thawed but not microwaved hot pockets?? not good food safety right there, friend 😂

DEAN That's just great. This is stupid. Our quality of life is crap. We got Purgatory's least wanted everywhere, and we're on our third "The World's Screwed" issue in, what, three years? We've steered the bus away from the cliff twice already. SAM Someone's got to do it. DEAN What if the bus wants to go over the cliff? SAM You think the world wants to end?

team free will!

haha jersey devil, goofy ass og xfiles episode about it.

attack of the Pass Word again. are they going to kinkos to make color printouts of webpages, while also off the grid. gnawing on frozen hot pockets.

BRANDON Sidewinder soup and salad combo goes to Big Bird. TDK slammer to Ken Doll. And a little heart-smart for creepy uncle.

i have no idea what's happening. but ken doll dean. getting the turducken whammy?

DEAN You used to take us hunting. Remember? Dad had a case, he'd just dump us on you. Shoot, you must have taught us most of the outdoor tracking we know. BOBBY Yeah, what I could get to stick. I never could get you little grubs to pull a trigger on a single deer.

more morsels of backstory, thank you

"man, i liked rick" with bonus chopsurveillance

this is very xfiles bogus alien autopsy. very slimy

DEAN That's funny, right? I could give two shakes of a rat's ass. Is that right? Do rats shake their ass, or is it something else? Eh.

i guess this was out of character enough to make them realize something's up :P this oozing sandwich is beyond, BEYOND dumb.

LOL wait is this the plot of serenity? drugging the masses to keep them calm but then a few of them turned into reavers/hyperaggressive cannibals oops?

SAM Yeah, I kind of mean more like, uh... more like ever since my head broke... and we lost Cas. I mean, you ever feel like he's -- he's going through the same motions but he's not the same Dean, you know? BOBBY How could he be? SAM Right, yeah, but what if -- BOBBY What if what, Sam? You know, you worry about him. All he does is worry about you. Who's left to live their own life here? The two of you -- aren't you full up just playing Snuffleupagus with the Devil all the live long? SAM I don't know, Bobby. Seeing Lucifer's fine with me. BOBBY Come again? SAM Look, I'm not saying it's fun. I mean, to be honest with you, I-I kind of see it as the best-case scenario. I mean... SAM presses the hand he injured in 7.01 Meet the New Boss. SAM ...at least all my crazy's under one umbrella, you know? I kind of know what I'm dealing with. A lot of people got it worse.

thank you ben edlund for these conversations

BOBBY I've seen a lot of hunters live and die. You're starting to talk like one of the dead ones, Dean. DEAN No, I'm talking the way a person talks when they've had it, when they can't figure out why they used to think all this mattered.

one thing that's always really hurt to watch about dean is how burnt out and overwhelmed and ready to die/self destructive he gets. i think the feeling is too relatable and all the more painful.

BOBBY Come on, now. You tried to hang it up and be a person with Lisa and Ben. And now here you are with a mean old coot and a van full of guns. That ain't person behavior, son. You're a hunter, meaning you're whatever the job you're doing today. Now, you get a case of the Anne Sextons, something's gonna come up behind you and rip your fool head off. Now, you find your reasons to get back in the game. I don't care if it's love or spite or a ten-dollar bet. I've been to enough funerals. I mean it. You die before me, and I'll kill you.

bobby doesn't get a punch in the face for bringing up lisa and ben i guess. and i mean, is it not love for sam that's what's always keeping his head in the game?

🤦

these photoshopped roman pictures are terrible...

EXCUSE ME 😂 other two are bad but this is just. egregious! did they change who they use for graphics or something i wonder

well, bobby. shot in the head and all that mushy talk and extra screentime. doesn't bode well. i knew he didn't make it intact but also know he's around in some incarnation at points after. don't have to worry about dean dying first now, when he might have otherwise, right?

i'm sure dean would handle bobby's death well.

[errantindy]

Luke grew up on a marginally surviving moisture farm on a desert death world. Aunt Beru gathered mushrooms that grew up around the vaporators, and Owen and Luke hunted womp rats for meat. They ABSOLUTELY ate bugs, whatever bugs wouldn't kill them to eat or try too hard to kill eat them in the hunt.

Remember a few years back and how everyone made fun of Anakin for eating bugs in The Clone Wars? Well, here is the latest sequel starring his own son. Yes - Luke Skywalker eats bugs.

[tabbyrp]

Day 14

@goodlawman

The twin suns of Tatooine had dipped below the horizon, the bitter shadow of night stealing all the warmth from Freetown. Tabby sat on the roof of the small, sand-blasted building she called home, her eyes scanning the endless dunes. The outpost was used to being on alert. Whether krayt dragons, Tusken raiders, or the occasional womp rat tripping the sensors when sneaking in for scraps.

This was different. Tabby had felt it for weeks. A slow, creeping sensation gnawing at her bones.

She’d tried to explain it to Cobb, and while he listened, there was only a ruffle of her hair while he tried to offer reassurance. “Tabs, this planet is a tough enough place for anything to survive. There ain’t going to be anything out there we don’t know how to deal with.”

But Tabby had still felt eyes on her as she slept. Watched. Hunted. It crawled through her dreams, waiting. Ageless and immense, reminiscent of the dark voids of space she had once endlessly traveled through. There had been stories back then. The crew liked to make new arrivals shiver with tales of monsters born from dead stars, living where light couldn’t touch, feasting on ships that went off course, or just the sacrifices shoved out of airlocks.

Pulling her blaster from her belt, she jumped down from the roof and made her way through the silent street, her boots kicking up little clouds of sand. Her hand tightened on the grip of her weapon as she stopped just shy at the edge of town, where the beams of lights from Freetown stopped in a hazy circle’s edge and the dunes took over in an endless sea of black.

Then it came. A sound so low, she wasn’t sure she’d heard it at all. The whistle of a sandstorm resonated through the ground, growing evermore shrill until Tabby winced with the urge to cover her ears.

The sound stopped and with it, the creature erupted from the dune. A massive, shapeless thing made of smoke and shifting obsidian bone, it moved with unnatural speed. Amid the swirling darkness, a skeletal face with burning eyes glared at her.

Tabby barely had time to dive behind a beacon before it struck. The metal cylinder ripped in half as the beast lashed out with a long, clawed limb, the sand rattling with the force of its blows. Scrambling back, Tabby fired her blaster wildly. The bolts sizzled into the creature’s form, but then vanished into the darkness.

She yelled for help, but the hurricane roar of the monster drowned out her voice. She rolled to the side just as its claws slashed where she’d been a second before. Panic surged through her. Freetown’s defenses wouldn’t stop it, and her blaster was useless.

They were all going to die.

Then, a bright flash exploded in the corner of her vision, and the creature let out a high-pitched screech, swirling its attention to where Cobb stood at the end of the street, a double-barrelled rifle in his hands “Tabs, stay down,” he yelled, firing another shot.

The blast of energy hit the creature square in one gleaming red eye, and for the first time, it recoiled. Smoke rose from where the shot had landed, and the monster writhed in pain. Cobb fired again, hitting the second eye with deadly precision. The creature let out a final, desperate wail before disintegrating into the sand.

Tabby collapsed to her back, breathless. She was grateful to still be able to see the stars overhead before Cobb came over, pulling her to her feet. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Told you there was something out there.”

Cobb draped an apologetic arm over her shoulder as he glanced toward the dunes. “Yeah, you did. And do you happen to know... was that the only one of ‘em?”

Tabby’s gaze followed his, the desert stretching out into the same endless darkness that deep space could be. She listened but it was silent once more. “I hope so.”

It was when Cobb went to bed after settling Tabby in hers, and dreamed of two sets of fire-red eyes, that he learned they were about to need so much more than hope.