Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

When Din woke up alone, he didn’t panic. A few questions ran through his mind, but he didn’t worry. He did wonder how Luke managed to escape the bed without waking him up — he recalled falling asleep tangled up in each other’s arms, nuzzled up against one another and feeling lighter than he had in a long, long time. It felt undeserved, somehow, feeling so satisfied. So warm. He reached a hand up to his chest and rubbed his palm against his sternum, trying to diffuse the buzzing energy building up there.

It almost felt too much. Like it wasn’t meant for him to know, wasn’t meant for him to keep for himself.

But this wasn’t just his — this belonged to Luke, too. Wanting something like this for himself couldn’t be selfish if he shared it with someone else, right?

Could there be room in his life for everything he wanted?

Rolling back over, Din faced the side of the bed where Luke used to be. The sheets smelled like his soap, still felt warm from Luke’s body. Din smiled to himself as he recalled lying in this exact position. He had muttered something to Luke, too tired to form coherent sentences, and Luke laughing as Din slipped under the black of sleep. He could get used to falling asleep to that sound.

Maybe Luke wasn’t here right now, but he’d come back. Din didn’t need to worry. All was right with the world.

A sudden banging from the ceiling of his quarters jolted Din straight out of his reverie. He leapt out of bed and immediately reached for his sword. He could hear the rattling sound as it approached a vent on the other side of the room. Even though he had no cause to think anything would attack him onboard their ship, the last few days proved to Din that he could take nothing for granted. He swallowed. The vent grate flew open.

“Din, it’s me!” Luke shouted from the vent opening.

The tension in Din’s shoulders fell.

“What in the hell are you doing?”

Luke didn’t respond. Din watched as Luke’s fingers wrapped around the edge of the vent opening, then the top of Luke’s head poked out. As graceful as a stalking anooba, Luke’s fingers gripped the edge of the vent’s opening and slowly lowered his whole body through the opening head-first, his body slowly unfurling into an upright position. The way Luke’s muscles strained through his undershirt made Din recall that morning back at the inn on Spira, and he swallowed.

A hell of a way to start the day, Din figured.

Luke landed back on the ground, his bare feet making a soft thud on the floor. When he turned around, Din couldn’t help but laugh at the static still lingering in Luke’s hair from his trip in the ventilation system. He reached over to help Luke smooth down a few errant strays.

“Didn’t mean to scare you!” Luke said at last, brushing off the dust from his shirt. “I wanted to visit Leia and the twins this morning. She woke up super early and I didn’t want her to be alone.”

“Of course. But the vents…?” asked Din.

“Well, I know how much you value your privacy — I already heard some snickering from some of our crew about us switching bunks the other night, and I didn’t want to invite further comment,” Luke explained. “No one needs to know about anything unless you want them to know it. You said as much before, right? ‘A man has a right to his secrets,’ or something to that effect.”

Din moved to the nightstand next to the bed and set the pommel of the Darksaber back down. “You’re eerily observant, anyone ever tell you that?”

“Used to get me in all kinds of trouble,” Luke answered.

“You’re nothing but trouble, Luke Skywalker,” Din shot back. He sat back down on the edge of his bed. “But you know I’m not… ashamed of you, right?”

“Never occurred to me that you might be,” Luke said as he made his way to stand in front of Din, their knees brushing.

Luke reached out to cup Din’s face. Din inhaled sharply at the sensation of Luke’s thumb stroking over a tight strand of muscle running along Din’s jaw. Din couldn’t help but lean into his touch.

“I’m not offering discretion because of shame, or fear,” Luke continued. “You deserve something that’s your own — separate from our mission, separate from Mandalore, separate from the crew. You’ve always given of yourself. Keep something for you.”

“This is… an indulgence?” Din pressed.

Luke pursed his lips, as though he had to taste the word and see if it felt right. “I should probably be flattered that I’m a rare delight, but that’s not what I mean. You’re in control of what others know about you. As a king, you can live two different lives — you can be the thing your people need, and then when you’re done doing that for the day, you can just exist as yourself — maybe that’s just lying in bed, maybe that’s playing with your son, maybe that’s —”

“Having you all to myself?” Din said, reaching a hand up to wrap over the back of Luke’s own, still resting against his cheek.

Luke flushed — Din didn’t need the infrared scanners to pick up on the heat blooming under his skin — and looked away.

“Something like that,” Luke murmured.

Din tugged Luke’s hand and guided him to sit down on the bed next to him. Their thighs still touched, and Din couldn’t help but fall into Luke’s warmth. They sat like that for a moment, a hand reaching out to entangle the other’s fingers in their own, enjoying the silence.

“Remember the night you told me the Force already showed you what I look like?” Din said at last.

“Of course.”

“What if I’d said I didn’t care that you already knew — that I’d still never remove my helmet in front of you? Would you still say the same?” asked Din. “Would you still think I ‘deserve’ my privacy?”

“I would’ve respected your decision,” Luke answered, as though nothing else would’ve ever occurred to him. “I respect you and your beliefs, always. I’d never bring it up again. You get to own your life, no matter what.”

Din hummed. He tightened his grip around Luke’s hand, in a way he hoped conveyed gratitude without having to say it. He still wasn’t sure how to feel about turning his back on his covert’s tenets. Thinking of the endless nights he spent in this very bed, staring up at the ceiling and hoping the answer to his problems would suddenly appear in plain writing across the tiles, Din could never decide if he was brave or stupid for choosing to start removing his helmet.

The more he let others see him, the easier it became to do. Was that such a sin?

“Can I be honest for a moment?” asked Luke, interrupting Din’s thoughts.

“With me? Always.”

“I deeply respect your religion and would never question your beliefs, but I am glad you let me see your face,” Luke confessed. His glance shifted to the ground. “I don’t take the level of vulnerability and trust you’ve given me for granted, either. And I thank you for it.”

“For what?” Din asked.

“I treasure every chance I get to know you as a gift, that’s all,” Luke answered, and he brought Din’s hand up to his mouth to press a gentle kiss across the back of his palm. “You honor me with every moment I see that handsome face of yours — if that makes me a little selfish, then I accept the charge.”

Din pulled back just a little, his face crumpling a little as the weight of Luke’s words hit him. He tried to fight off the furious blush working its way up his neck and onto his cheeks, but he couldn’t do it.

“Was that too much?” asked Luke, looking up from Din’s hand and through his eyelashes, in that painfully endearing way.

Din shook his head. “No, I’m just… you always know how to say the thing I need to hear.”

“Is that so?”

“I… I suppose I wondered much the same,” Din began, “asking myself if choosing this — choosing us — was wrong.”

Luke’s brows furrowed at that.

“Not because I regret this,” Din quickly added. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss into Luke’s soft, down-flecked cheek as an apology. A reassurance. He stayed there, pressing his forehead against Luke’s own. “I could never regret you.”

“You don’t feel like this was meant for you,” Luke supplied.

“I’ve never had anything meant just for me in my life,” Din agreed. “It’s — it’s frightening.”

“I know,” said Luke, and Din knew he meant it. “It’s a lot for me, too.”

“How are you so sure? How do you walk on air all the time?”

“It’s a strange side benefit of being in tune with the Force, I guess,” Luke answered. “Every day, I feel the edge of reality constantly floating through my fingers, the universe whispering in my ear — I can’t be scared of anything when I know that if I run and leap off a cliff, I’m going to land on my feet.”

Din huffed. “I can’t say I know what that’s like. Us mortals don’t feel the divine so easily.”

“Then trust me and take the leap,” Luke said, his voice soft as the dawn. “I’ll be there to catch you.”

Once again, Din felt lost. Could love conquer — entirely subsume — fear?

“You promise?” asked Din.

“Always.”

Din knew he wanted to cup his hands around Luke’s face and pull him in to kiss him breathless, but he wasn’t sure who turned them horizontal — whether it was Din himself leaning back or if Luke pressed forward — but he welcomed it all the same. Much the same way he studied anything, Din memorized the way Luke’s lips fit against his own and the way their chests met with every quickened breath.

It occurred to Din that, as Luke reached a hand underneath the back of his head and weaved his fingers through Din’s curls, he didn’t know what to do. Before last night, he’d never kissed anyone; everything ran on pure instinct and need. As he parted his lips ever so slightly and he felt Luke’s tongue slip between them, Din gasped. Luke reared back and Din felt his heart sink.

However, instead of judgment or disappointment, Din only saw amusement on Luke’s face.

“I’m sorry,” Din rasped.

“Never apologize to me,” Luke said, a smile stretching his wet lips. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too far.”

Din shook his head. “I just… the helmet, y’know?”

Luke nodded in that sagely way that Din found both annoying and stupidly endearing. “Naturally. It’s just something we get to practice, then.”

Chuckling, Din reached out a hand to run soothingly over top of Luke’s thigh. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Luke leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Din’s forehead. “I waited to meet you for ages now — I’m not going anywhere.”

Luke climbed off the bed and away from Din’s supine body. It was only then that Din realized he still didn’t have full control of his breathing. He missed Luke’s warmth already.

“’Not going anywhere,’ huh?”

“Well, I can’t be here forever,” Luke said. “Besides, it’s time to start the day — we’re going to send Leia and Han off soon! I’d like you to meet my brother-in-law, too. He’s a great person and I do hope you’ll get along.”

“If he meets your approval, then I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”

Grabbing a spare chair from across the room, Luke stood on the seat and reached up to grab the edge of the very vent he’d crawled through to get into Din’s room.

“Secrecy?” Din asked.

“You got it,” Luke answered as he effortlessly lifted himself up into the vent opening. His legs quickly disappeared into the vent, and Din finally stood up to see him off.

“Luke?”

Din heard Luke shuffling around in the vent until his head popped back out of the opening. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Isn’t there an easier way to do this that doesn’t require you to navigate the air ducts? Can’t the Force allow you to walk through walls or something?”

Luke chuckled. “Din, that’s… well, that’s something to think about,” he said. “I’ll have to meditate on that.”

“Seriously?”

“I don’t know of any Jedi that could phase through solid objects — except for ghosts, I suppose,” Luke continued. “But just because other Jedi couldn’t do something doesn’t mean I couldn’t try. Much to think about. See you in a bit!”

And Din, once again, found himself alone in his room — hair sticking up every which way but where it should’ve been and breathless. He needed to get ready for the day, and standing there wishing he were still in bed wouldn’t get him in his armor any faster.

“I’m under strict orders from my wife and brother-in-law to be nice. I am here, with my hands far away from any blaster, and I’m being nice. I will continue to be on my best behavior — please do not put me into carbonite, bounty hunter.”

Din stood there, with his hand outstretched in greeting, confused as to what to do next. He knew Luke wanted them to get along — expected it, actually — and now this. He didn’t even have any caf in his system yet.

When he had walked onto the bridge to greet his guests, he expected something friendly. Celebratory. A little tense but surely a better meeting than what happened the day before. He didn’t expect to see Ahsoka Tano and Leia Organa’s whole family on one side of the bridge; with Boba, Fennec, and Cobb on the other side locked into a strange staring contest. Neither side dared move or speak. The EE-3 carbine rifle sitting across Boba’s lap certainly didn’t escape Din’s notice.

Din wanted to do his best to impress the man that Luke treated as a big brother, a near-hero figure, but it felt as though breathing wrong might set off a bomb. All he could think to do was to build a bridge. It was the diplomatic thing to do, after all.

And now he feels like someone crushed an egg on his face.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Din could only respond.

“Han, that’s a king of a planet — shake the man’s hand,” Leia hissed from her seat in the hoverchair. “He also graciously took us in despite the murder attempt. You can be nice.”

“Honey,” the man — Han — said through gritted teeth, “I’m doing my best to be cordial while trying not to die.”

Din dropped his hand. He looked over at Luke, too busy cradling his face in his hands out of shame to intervene. It seemed as though he’d be going it alone on this round.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” asked Din.

“No!” Leia hissed. “I’m sorry for my husband — this is Han Solo, and he’s not normally this much of an ass.”

“General Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon,” Han corrected. “Legendary smuggler who ran the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs.”

Din could almost hear the words coming out of his mouth before he said them, but he couldn’t stop them, even if he tried.

“Parsecs are a measurement of distance, not time,” Din said. “That doesn’t make any sense. Can you walk to a town in two klicks instead of three?”

A smattering of laughter erupted on Din’s other side. Han’s face fell, and Din knew he should at once stop and apologize, but he glanced over to Leia and saw her muffling her own amusement.

“C’mon, guy — everyone knows that the shortest route through the Kessel Run is almost impossible,” Han said, his face contorting into a sneer. “Besides, you bounty hunter types should definitely know me. Your pal over there sure does.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Din saw Boba’s hand clutching around the grip of his rifle.

“Never heard of you.”

“Jabba the Hutt had a half-million credit bounty on my head!” Han shouted. “I was famous in all the scum circles!”

“For what, crimes against mathematics?”

The giggles turned into full-on laughter.

“Han Solo! Guy with the Wookiee first mate!” Han continued, counting on his fingers to make his case. “Ran afoul of the Crimson Dawn, the Hutt Syndicate, and the Galactic Empire, all in one year!”

“I’m very happy for you.”

At that point, even Leia couldn’t stop herself from bursting out into the same sort of high-pitched cackling that Luke found himself in when something truly got to him. Despite not looking anything like one another, Din found the similarities altogether too eerie.

“Or I’m sorry?” Din added. “I don’t know how to respond to dignitaries very well; my scum circles only taught me so much.”

Han sat down in the nearest chair with a loud humph, the only way Din figured he knew how to express his displeasure. Looking back over to Luke, he noticed Luke smiling — but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I apologize,” Din added, sticking his hand out once again. “It’s good to meet you. I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to meet in better circumstances.”

Han looked at Din’s outstretched hand and, very slowly, took Din’s hand in his own.

“Thanks for taking care of Leia while we were out,” Han grumbled.

“Is everyone else alright?” Din asked. As soon as Boba stood up, Din realized he probably shouldn’t have asked that question.

“This is the bastard that knocked me into the Pit of Carkoon,” Boba growled out. The rest of the crew, in a show of solidarity Din had never seen from them before, stood up with him. “I ought to string him up by his little toes and skin him alive.”

Din turned to his crew. “Wait, really?”

Luke spoke up at last. “I told you that story, right?”

That was over a month ago, but Din recalled the story — it was before they arrived on Tatooine. “You did; I’ve slept since then.”

“Man, it was an accident,” Han interrupted. “I was blind — because you put me into carbonite, by the way — and I couldn’t see where I was going. I didn’t even know you were there!”

“Han, I still think it would be kind to apologize,” Luke said.

“Thank you, Skywalker,” Boba growled. “At least one of you’s got some fucking manners.”

“And where’s the apology for Han getting frozen for almost a year?” Leia interjected. “They kept him frozen for so long that they used him as decor in that shitty throne room!”

“Alright, alright,” Din said, trying to smooth things over.

“A contractor’s not responsible for the merchandise once it’s left their hands and into the hands of the contract holder,” Boba continued. “It was up to Jabba’s discretion what they did with the slab.”

“And that just makes it alright?” Leia spat.

“You killed Jabba the Hutt,” said Fennec, moving closer to Boba’s side. “An incredible task, and one that should make anything that happened between you and Lord Fett square.”

Han huffed. “’Lord Fett’ now, is it? What, you take over the old slug’s game? You think you’re going to be any better than the Hutts?”

Cobb raised his hand. “I can speak to that — he abolished the slave trade on Tatooine, and he put the Pyke Syndicate under his heel. My man here’s done a lot of good in the short time he’s closed up the power vacuum.”

“C’mon, everyone,” Luke groaned. “Can we stop with the pissing contest already?”

“That doesn’t erase all the awful shit we went through,” Leia continued. “He put me in a stupid bikini with a chain around me!”

“Sarlacc acid ate off most of my skin,” Boba retorted. “I think you were fine, Princess.”

“The acid did you some favors, clearly,” Han spat back.

Din shot a glance over to a nearby dashboard. The endless switches and buttons called to him, tempted him into triggering an alarm. Anything to get them to shut the hell up for a second. He slowly reached over towards a particularly large, loud-looking button when a wail cut through all the background noise.

The rest of the bridge fell into silence. Everyone’s eyes turned towards Leia, watching as her face melted into a soft and pleading expression while rocking the crying infant. The other child, somehow knowing it wasn’t receiving enough attention, began to cry, as well. Ahsoka, without skipping a beat, picked up the child from its cradle and imitated Leia’s movements. A pang of loneliness struck Din’s own heart as he remembered the first time he held Grogu in his arms — long before he’d ever learned the child’s name, before he even knew what the kid could do — and he held back a sigh.

Looking around the room, Din thought that everyone else lost the wind out of their sails, too.

“I will not make a child fatherless if I can help it,” Boba grumbled at last. “Remember this the next time you run off to do something stupid.”

Before Din could say a word to him, Boba turned on his heel and headed for the bridge’s main exit. Fennec silently followed after him.

“Remember what?” Han called out.

Boba stopped. “A man who had every reason to shoot you dead cared more about your family than you did,” he said, only bothering to look over his shoulder. “Grow up and act like you have some goddamned sense in your head.”

Without another word, Boba and Fennec both exited the bridge. An uneasy silence fell over the room. Din looked back over to Luke, who could only offer an unsurprised, knowing huff in response. Maybe he and Han had something in common, Din figured — everyone else seemed to know both of their shortcomings without either of them realizing.

“Well, that’s me told,” Han snarked, a smirk on his face. Han’s eyes darted around the room, almost as though he wanted someone to agree with him. No one did.

Din wondered if Han was used to the opposite — if people normally laughed along with him whenever he got in a funny quip or brushed off criticism with a snappy remark. The crumpled expression that replaced Han’s smirk seemed to confirm Din’s suspicion.

Even Luke could barely look him in the eye. Din almost felt sorry for Han.

Almost.

“Fine, I’m sorry!” Han said at last, throwing his hands up in the air. “I give up, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry that shit went sideways and I’m sorry that we’re all still sore over this years later. I’m the one that owed money to Jabba in the first place, so I guess it’s on me. I’m sorry.”

Cobb snorted. Paz could barely contain his laughter.

“What’s it to you?” Han spat.

Leia reached over and poked Han in the thigh from her seat. “That’s the man that delivered your children, you ass. The big one cooked all the food.”

“It’s fine, ma’am,” Cobb answered. “He’s lashing out ‘cause he’s sore. That’s all.”

“Your husband didn’t like hearing about himself, and then apologized to the air. What’s not funny about that?” asked Paz.

“I think Han’s had enough, you guys,” Luke said, standing up and slowly stepping between the two halves of the room. “He’s got a lot to think about — right, Din?”

Din’s head snapped forward. It’d been a while since anyone had acknowledged his presence. He missed that feeling.

“Skywalker’s right,” Din added quickly. “Besides, Solo and Senator Organa are our guests — let’s not be poor hosts.”

Paz stood up from his seat and nodded towards the rest of the room. “Then by our guests’ leave, I’ll go find something better to occupy my time with,” he sniffed. With a curt nod, Paz left the bridge.

“As for me, I’m having a good time watching this play out,” Cobb said, his grin wide as ever. “Unless Mr. General-Captain-Whatsit over there’s got a problem.”

“He doesn’t,” Leia said.

Han moved to stand behind his wife’s hoverchair. “Now that we’ve all met, shook hands, apologized, whatever, can we get going? We need to get this one and the babies to an actual doctor — no offense, Cop Man.”

“None taken,” Cobb said with a wave.

Leia placed her hand on Han’s own, motioning him to slow down. “We’re very grateful for everything,” she said. “Is there anything we can do to support your mission? I can’t guarantee funding, but if there’s any sort of material aid we can provide, please let me know?”

“You’re officially on maternity leave,” Han said. “Please tell me you’re not checking messages or going into the office.”

Leia huffed. “Like that could stop me. Just shoot me a message, Luke? And please stay in touch more — I don’t want to come hunt you down again.”

“I’ll do better,” Luke agreed. “How about I come to the Falcon with you? It’ll be good to see the old girl again. Chewie already out there?”

“He’s doing maintenance checks,” Han said.

Luke nodded. “Auntie, is there anything you need from the ship? I can bring it back here when I return.”

Ahsoka shook her head. “No need — go enjoy your family, Luke. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Din watched as Luke shuffled off the bridge with Leia, Han, and the twins in tow. Out of the corner of his eye, Din saw Luke mouthing a soft ‘thank you’ before turning back to his sister and brother-in-law. Din only smiled back — he didn’t think the thanks were necessary, but he’d take the win.

“It’s a shame,” Ahsoka sniffed. “We could have Fett and Solo fight it out — two men, two knives, no one leaves until the other gives up or dies.”

Cobb shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am; I can’t do that again. We already had a duel on this journey and my heart can’t handle another. I have delicate nerves. Y’all are going to have to talk this out, or don’t come running to me when you need something stitched up.”

Ahsoka turned to Din. “Really?”

“I’ll catch you up later,” Din said.

“Why don’t we catch up now?” Ahsoka said. “Matter of fact, I think we have a lot to discuss. You have a private space somewhere on this ship?”

Din swallowed. He didn’t like that tone when they first met, and he had the distinct feeling that whatever they were going to talk about, he probably wouldn’t like.

“Would you like to discuss this in my quarters?” Din asked. He caught himself. “I don’t mean that in a weird way — I meant— “

“I understood what you meant,” Ahsoka said, a soft, knowing smile already gracing her lips. “Lead the way, won’t you?”

Din opened the door of his quarters and Ahsoka swept into the room, her poncho sweeping out in her wake. Hearing a flutter of wings off to his right, Din turned his head and saw Ibis flying towards him. Din stretched out his forearm, hoping to intercept Ibis on his vambrace instead of having Ibis’ talons dig into the soft meat of his shoulder.

“A convor?” Ahsoka said as Din walked into the room, Ibis perched on his vambrace. “When did you pick him up?”

“Back on Despayre,” Din answered. “Luke found him in an Imperial prison. He’s been with us ever since — he’s very sweet.”

“Convorees are wonderful friends,” Ahsoka agreed. “I know one much like him — we had to part ways, but I miss her all the time.”

Din paused to run a gloved finger over Ibis’ head, ruffling the little feathers there. He trilled and wrapped his prehensile tail around Din’s forearm. Din couldn’t help but chuckle. Ahsoka did, as well.

Waving his other hand towards the seating area, Din motioned for Ahsoka to take a seat. He joined her, taking a seat in the opposite chair from the sofa she sat on.

“He really likes you,” Ahsoka said. “They don’t make friends with a lot of people; you ought to feel honored.”

Din scoffed. “He likes me because I feed him.”

Ahsoka stretched out her hands and Ibis launched himself off Din’s forearm to meet her. She held him in her hands carefully, locking eyes with the convor as he nestled into her hold. Had Din never seen Ahsoka and Grogu look at each other much the same way, he’d guess it was just curiosity.

“Is he saying something to you?” asked Din.

“Not in the same way Grogu might, nothing so complex,” Ahsoka said. “They’re more like images and bits of emotion — brief flashes of the moments he was with you or Luke. Or both.” She paused for a moment, as though lost in thought. “You and Luke share a very strong bond. I see why Master was so keen to make sure you two stayed together through this.”

“By ‘Master’ you mean…?”

“Anakin Skywalker,” Ahsoka supplied. “When I was a Padawan learner, the Jedi Council assigned me to Master Skywalker during the Clone Wars. I fought at his side right up until I chose to leave the Order.”

That information didn’t seem to surprise him, though he wasn’t sure why. “I assume he still talks to you?” asked Din.

“On occasion,” Ahsoka said. “My master was a brother to me, despite, well, everything. It’s why Luke and Leia both call me ‘Auntie’. The Jedi are a family, always.”

Din nodded. Being with the Covert for most of his life, the connection made sense. Paz was as much of a brother to him as any that might’ve come from his biological parents. Perhaps the Jedi had a lot more in common with the Children of the Watch than he knew. Luke might not know much about that, but Ahsoka might.

However, something still bothered him.

“You still claim that asshole as your brother?”

Ahsoka sighed. “Unfortunately, his past can’t erase the love that was there. A rather tragic consequence of loving someone is that you don’t just love one person — we all exist in infinite permutations, a new version of us created fractally with every new moment.”

“Which one was your Anakin, then?” asked Din.

“A fantastic question,” Ahsoka said. “Did I love the brother that took me under his wing and raised me as his own blood? Did I love the general that kept me safe during a galactic war?”

“Did you love Darth Vader,” Din finished. A twinge crossed Ahsoka’s face. Din never left the quiet part unsaid if he could help it.

“Would you be upset with me if I said yes?”

“I’d sooner ask you what is wrong with you, but I suppose you wouldn’t say something like that unless you thought you had a good enough reason.”

“You’ve been around Luke for quite a while now,” Ahsoka said, her smile widening. “You’re right. When I said that you don’t love just one person, I meant it — you love all of them. I understand Anakin’s sins are far greater than you or I could ever comprehend, and much like Luke, I often find it hard to reconcile the Anakin I loved with his Sith turn. The moment I realized what he became, I thought my heart was going to rip itself in two.”

“Did you feel like his choices tainted you, too?”

Ahsoka nodded. “I felt responsible, almost. Like I deserved to die to make up for the pain he caused. With every new report of his utter depravity, that grief threatened to swallow me whole. If you ask Master Kenobi, he might tell you the same.”

Something clicked for Din. “That’s why they’re not talking.”

“You’re on the right path,” Ahsoka said. She chewed on her bottom lip. “It’s related, but I’ll leave that for you and Luke to discuss. Besides, that’s what I really wanted to talk to you about.”

Din arched an eyebrow. “I talk to Luke every day.”

“I just want you to be prepared for whatever might come for us,” Ahsoka pressed. “This journey’s going to change the both of you. It’s already changed you into something I barely recognize from the man I met back on Corvus.”

“And what’s that?”

“A king.”

Din rolled his shoulders back before he could stop himself.

“Look, you even feel it in your body — you stand straighter than you used to,” Ahsoka said. “Luke is going to change, too. I need you to promise to love him through all of that.”

“How did…?”

Ahsoka tilted her head towards Ibis. “He notices a hell of a lot more than you think. The emotions he relayed to me — goodness, Din.”

Din felt altogether far too vulnerable and embarrassed. Betrayed, even. Heat began to rise from his cowl and up the sides of his jaw. He couldn’t even meet Ahsoka’s eyes.

She held her hand up. “I get it, it’s new. We can pretend we never had this conversation. Just be careful with one another, alright?”

Din let out a breath. “And if Luke somehow shifts into something unrecognizable, like his father did?”

“Then you’re going to have to make a decision,” Ahsoka answered. “I won’t lie and say that I have it figured out. I just know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“It was fear and hatred that killed all my Anakins and made him into Darth Vader, but it was love that brought him back in the end,” said Ahsoka. She gave him one last smile before standing up and heading for the door of Din’s quarters.

“Hey, Ahsoka?” Din asked.

“Yes?”

“Someone told me that the Jedi didn’t allow romantic relationships. Am I hurting Luke for wanting this?”

Ahsoka nodded. “Your source is right — attachment is forbidden. The texts say that attachment is greed, a greed that consumes you and clouds your judgment. It doesn’t explicitly forbid romance, but the Jedi Order usually discouraged such bonds. Besides, those sorts of things got in the way of our missions. Many of our itinerant Jedi went years — decades, even — without seeing another member of our Order.”

“So, I should let whatever this is with Luke go? So he can continue on his path?”

She simply shrugged. “Luke is the new Grandmaster of the Order. He can make whatever new rules he wants.”

“…What?”

“I was never technically made a full Jedi Knight before I left,” Ahsoka answered. “Luke Skywalker is the previous Grandmaster’s final student, and he knighted Luke before he passed. After nearly singlehandedly taking down the Emperor and his second-in-command, not a single Jedi left alive would ever challenge him for the title. Did he not tell you that?”

Din huffed. “He said he was rebuilding the Order. Didn’t say anything about that.”

“I like it,” she said. “It feels right to have a living Master Skywalker in the galaxy again.”

“I think he’d sooner die than have you call him that,” said Din.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Anyway, if you’re asking for my blessing, you have it. I’d like to see an Order that tries something different. Thinks a little bit more critically about our relationship to the material world.”

“Do you think Luke can do it better? That the Jedi were wrong for eschewing attachment?” asked Din.

Ahsoka almost looked offended. “Not remotely close. The first Master Skywalker fell for that trap and everyone else paid the price for it. He tried to have his cake and eat it, too. But you know who could tell you better than I could?”

“Luke?”

“The very man,” Ahsoka agreed. “For what it’s worth, if the Order blows up because you two are just too cute of a couple, well, at least you’ll only have destroyed an Order of two.”

Ahsoka chuckled as Din shooed her out of his quarters at last.

The day after Leia, Han, Chewie, and the twins left Valinor, the crew of the Tantive IV finally left the snow-covered planet for their next location.

Wherever that might be.

Din hoped Luke and Ahsoka had answers. He’d heard them talking in whispers this morning, their back-and-forth putting an unexpected smile on Din’s face. He loved that Luke didn’t have to feel so alone anymore. Maybe between himself and Ahsoka, they could both keep Luke afloat during this journey into pure insanity. It felt strange to even admit that Luke might need support, but after what happened with the Living Force, the uncomfortable realization that Luke was mortal hit Din like a meteor.

It hurt. He never wanted to see Luke so vulnerable and so… human. But if he had to choose between the divine force of nature he’d met at the beginning of this journey or the soft creature in his bed that curled into Din’s body for warmth, he’d choose the latter every time.

That thought put a smile on his face as he stepped through the door leading to the empty storage bay in the belly of the ship. He’d discovered this place after studying the schematics of the ship and, after a little personal reconnaissance mission, decided it would serve well as a practice ring. With everything they’d been through, it seemed impossible to find time to just exist on his own — with an ever-increasing crew size, those chances seemed to disappear.

Now, with things somewhat settled, it seemed as good a time as any to get back into practice. Din figured that once they reached the relative safety of hyperspace, he might finally have some time to himself. It had been too long since he used the muscles he’d earned from a hard life on the proverbial road. At least not since his fight with Paz, which felt like an age ago.

Finding a nearby crate, Din began to slowly take off his armor — meditatively, as his Fightmaster taught him. With every piece he removed, Din thanked it for its relentless service. Unlatching his cuisses, he remembered the vibroknives they deflected from his femoral arteries. Setting his vambraces down next to the cuisses, the heat of Ahsoka’s lightsabers crashing down on him felt as real now as it did then. His pauldrons, cuirass, and flak jacket joined them — along with the stinging sensation of blaster fire hitting the beskar plates, the kinetic energy still pounding into his body despite the plasma dissipating on the plate surface. His gauntlets carried the residual feeling of knocking away throwing knives and striking out at any foe that stood in his way. Finally, he took off his helmet — the very thing that saved his life countless times, the screen that hid him from the rest of the galaxy — and set it down.

With all of his armor set off to the side, Din stood in the middle of the room wearing only his underblacks, his flight suit bottoms, and his boots. It felt good to be free of the armor, even for just a moment. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in a long time, he felt his lungs fill completely without his muscles straining against all his armor and padding, against all of his fears and worries. He felt centered.

Ever since he found the kid, Din never really found the chance to practice his forms. In his previous life, he would run through just about every kata his muscles remembered — bevii’ragir, kad, even gan’akaan in the galley of his ship. Back in his Fighting Corps days, his instructors would have him practice multiple forms until he got them right according to their exacting standards. Fightmaster Kre’vik loved correcting a cadet’s form with a swift crack of his corded rod, a sound Din still can’t hear without wanting to flinch.

Every angle, every strike had to be precise and meaningful. Every breath needed to be in time with its correlated movement. What used to be pain and torment turned into routine, which became security, which became a part of his very being. Getting back into practice wasn’t only good for his body, it felt like a prayer.

Luckily for him, Paz had a rudimentary bokken from his days of training younglings back on Nevarro stashed away in his things. With a bit of jeering, Paz agreed to lend it to him on the provision that Din take his next turn at the cookstation for dinner. That same bokken in hand, Din swung it through the air to test the weight and feel of it. Sure as anything, it felt about the same as any wooden sword he’d ever held in training — but absolutely nothing like holding the Darksaber.

So it was.

Settling into the formal kneeling pose that almost every kata began with, the bokken at his side, Din closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down until he could find a steady rhythm. He tempered his excitement and tried to find the very bottom of his feelings, that bedrock of stability. Fightmaster Orisha, in all of her infinite wisdom, used to say that a kata isn’t just movement for the sake of movement, it’s a way to save your own life. If a warrior found themselves deaf, blind, and pinned down with the enemy on all sides, they could still fight their way through and live another day. The best kata, then, was the one where the warrior felt everything else fall away. Nothing else but the fight in front of you remained.

Din tried to make his mind a complete blank — a skill that became much easier as he grew older. He always imagined a black ocean, endless and vast, with only steady, small waves pulsing across its surface. His ritual, once he found that image, was to allow himself to fully disappear in the water. If he could imagine fighting through water, Orisha said, then he could put all of his weight behind every strike and still feel like he could do more.

He began to fall. He could almost feel the cold, numb sensation going up from the bottoms of his feet to the narrow of his waist. Din allowed himself to sink into the dark sensation, feeling altogether uncomfortable and familiar. However, before he could allow the water to fully overcome him, a bright light cut across his vision and his eyes flew open.

Nothing was there. Din’s heart raced.

Closing his eyes once more, Din tried to get back to his black ocean and found it grey, the white foam spreading out in strange patterns. He shook his head, confused.

“Din? Is this your mind?”

“Luke?” Din thought, barely stopping himself from responding aloud. “How…?”

“I don’t know,” Luke answered. Din couldn’t see Luke in his mind’s eye, but he could feel his presence and hear his voice as clear as if he were standing right next to him. “The Force truly does work in strange ways. Is Ibis with you?”

“No,” Din said. “Is this because of him, you think?”

“Perhaps. Do you meditate often?”

“I don’t meditate, I focus. I’m no Jedi.”

“It takes many years for a Jedi to create such vivid images they can alter at will. But we’ll play it your way.”

“How did you get here, anyway?”

“Unlike you, I was meditating.”

“Smartass.”

“Do you often imagine the ocean at night, Din?”

Din had never thought about it too hard. It was a fall back, a reliable image to create the right headspace. It wasn’t something he lingered on.

“Just when I’m practicing. How do you practice your swordfighting forms?”

“Much in the same way you do — but I don’t imagine oceans.”

“What do you think about?”

“Do you want to see?”

Before Din could answer either way, he suddenly found himself not on the edge of a beach at night, but in the middle of a vast, empty desert, the sky bluer than blue. The sand shifted underneath his feet and the skin on the back of his neck felt hot already. Above him, two suns bore down on him like an invisible hand crushing him into the sand below.

Tatooine.

Shuffling his feet, Din turned around to find Luke standing on a distant dune, dressed all in white — a simple tunic and pants. His lightsaber ignited, Luke looked out towards the distance and waited. Din slowly made his way towards Luke’s position. As he took to the dune’s slopes, his boots fought for traction with every step. He hated this damn planet. It almost felt as though no matter how hard he tried to climb the dune, Luke never seemed to get any closer. Frustrated, Din took off running and hoped that his momentum would finally get him up the slope.

Finally getting to the top of the dune’s ridge, Din stopped to take a breath. He looked out in the direction of Luke’s stare, and he felt his blood run cold. Beyond Luke, a massive wall of sand hurtled towards them — the sheer size of it blocked out the horizon for miles in either direction. He couldn’t feel the wind that carried the sand, but he knew that the moment the storm bore down on them both, it would suck the breath right from his lungs. Din fell to his knees.

“Luke!”

He blinked, and Din found himself back at the shore of his ocean.

“I’m sorry if that was too much,” Luke said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

Din felt his shoulders collapse. “Is this what it’s like for you all the time?”

“Just about. Is that… is that too much?”

Something different swelled up inside him. “Not at all. I want to know the man who can face down a storm and not flinch.”

He could hear Luke laugh in the distance. “You already know me, Din.”

“I meant to know as in to fight,” Din said, shouting up into the grey of his own sky. “Come spar with me. Can you do that here? Do you need to come down here in person?”

Din turned and found Luke standing on his beach, the waves lapping at their bare feet. Luke didn’t have a weapon in his hand, but Din didn’t mind. He also knew better than to underestimate him — even though Din stood a couple inches taller than Luke and had a bit more heft to his upper body, Luke had a lower center of gravity and plenty of muscle of his own. Even beyond his abilities, Luke could easily be a challenge on his own.

Was it the thrill of the chase? Was it the unknown entity of a challenge — the kind of challenge he was, for all intents and purposes, trained to fight his entire life? Was there something wrong with him, only recognizing affinity and affection in someone who could commit as much violence as him? Did he just love danger? Was he addicted to fear?

Was he afraid of Luke? Was he just trying to find a way to overcome it?

He couldn’t put his finger on it, so he slid into a simple boxing stance and waited for Luke to approach him. Luke, however, didn’t move.

“Are you sure about this?”

“If I said it, I meant it.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Luke said. “We could try training with the Darksaber, instead. If you just want to stretch your muscles, surely we could do something easier.”

Din sniffed. “I’m not fragile. Hit me with everything you have.”

The grey sky above him suddenly broke into that same bluer-than-blue of Tatooine. The tide of the ocean — the very ocean Din thought he could control — ebbed away from the shore and receded gradually. Din could do nothing but stare at the disappearing shoreline and the swelling ocean. His feet wouldn’t move.

“Do you understand now? The difference between us? You don’t want to do this, Din.”

Din felt slighted. “Fight me like you mean it! Show me who you are, Jedi!”

“So, that’s how it’s to be,” said Luke. “Then brace yourself, Mandalorian.”

“Come.”

Luke didn’t answer, acknowledging him with only a nod. Luke’s form — Din wasn’t sure if this was Luke’s spirit, or just an image of Luke in his imagination — began to move towards him. Din braced himself, putting his forearms up in front of his chest to guard against whatever attack Luke might bring.

The moment Luke reached the inside of Din’s striking distance, Din decided not to wait and struck out with a left jab — both to put Luke off-guard and test Luke’s own striking distance. Luke, however, didn’t take the bait. Instead, Luke moved just slightly to the inside of Din’s outstretched arm and placed a well-aimed punch square in Din’s solar plexus. As Din hunched over, struggling to get the air back into his lungs, he wondered if Luke was always that fast or if Din was simply too slow.

Luke reached out for Din, but Din batted him away and staggered backwards. His ass landed in the sand and the impact of his body on the ground made it even harder for Din to catch his breath. Luke, however, knelt down next to him and took Din’s hand in his own.

“Look at me and breathe in, count to four,” Luke said, his voice low and soothing. “Hold that in for seven, release until you count to eight.”

Din did as he was told. The first few breaths still hurt, but during the third cycle, it no longer felt like a massive struggle. Luke still didn’t let go of his hand.

“I don’t remember the last time I got hit there,” Din said, letting his body relax. “Did you have to punch me so hard?”

“Only when my lover asks me not to hold back,” Luke answered. He pressed a kiss to the back of Din’s hand. “When you’re done in the storage bay, come up to the galley for dinner. Ahsoka and I plan to brief everyone there on where we’re going next.”

When Din blinked, Luke was gone — but the wave that Luke created finally reached the shore and loomed over Din’s supine body, ready to crash into him and carry him out to sea. Din shook his head and woke up.

Nothing changed in the storage bay except his perspective — the bay’s fluorescent lights threatened to burn holes into his eyes and his legs felt numb from the strange way they remained tucked underneath his body. As he slowly lifted himself up from his position on the ground, Din rubbed at the sore spot underneath his ribcage and felt himself fall a little harder in love.

He had so much more to learn, and so little time to do it.

“Since we picked up Ahsoka ahead of schedule, we’re adjusting the plan,” Luke began. “We’re now heading towards an uncharted planet called Tanalorr.”

Din hardly reacted as he tucked into the savory meat and vegetable stew Ahsoka made (well, directed — she’d somehow recruited both Cobb and Boba to peel potatoes and carrots enough to fill the biggest bowls in the galley). They served it inside small, hollowed-out loaves of bread, which Din found both useful and efficient.

“Did you hear us, Your Majesty?” Ahsoka asked.

Din looked up from his food. “I do not have an emotional reaction to a place I’ve never heard of, if I’m honest. Wherever you want to go is fine. Hopefully whoever we’re going to find there doesn’t intend to kill us.”

Luke chuckled. “I know we’ve been dragging everyone over Hell’s half-parsec, but this is the last stop before Mandalore. Besides, I’d wager you hadn’t heard about this planet because it’s completely hidden.”

“Where’s it hidden?” Fennec prodded. “If it’s in the Outer Rim, I would’ve heard of it.”

“It’s in the Koboh region, located inside a nebula,” answered Luke.

Din recognized the name during his travels; Koboh served as a bit of a waypoint for bounty hunters, but he’d never had a reason to stop there, personally. He’d also heard rumors that the Empire ran a small operation out there, but that wasn’t uncommon in the Outer Rim. At their height, almost every habitable planet had some garrison or outpost on it.

“I’ve been to Koboh before,” said Boba. “And I remember an abyss in the local area. Hunted a bounty there. It wasn’t too much work. Someone else got to her first…” he trailed off, lost in a memory.

“Something the matter?” asked Paz.

“It was a young Jedi that did all the hard work, as I recall,” Boba continued. “Ran into him back almost eighteen years ago, so long before you and I crossed paths, Skywalker. If he were still alive, he’d be in his forties. Maybe about my age.”

Luke and Ahsoka looked at each other before looking back at Boba. “Do you remember his name?”

“Never got a name,” Boba said. “He wasn’t a target, he was just some young upstart that got caught in the Haxion Brood’s crosshairs. Lucky for him, the woman he fought that day was worth more to my employer than he was.”

“What did he look like?” asked Cobb.

Boba sighed, dropping his spoon down into his stew. “I think… he had bright red hair. That’s right. Red hair and a scar across his nose.”

Din stood up so fast that his chair clattered and skidded behind him. The rest of the table turned towards Din.

“You think that’s the same guy?” Bo-Katan asked. “Sounds almost too good to be true.”

“That’s how the Force works, right?” Din demanded, looking right at Luke. “It’s leading us back to my kid.”

Luke only gave him a big, brilliant smile in return. Something inside Din’s chest felt lighter than it had in ages.

Paz coughed. “I missed something here. Someone mind explaining?”

“When we confronted Moff Gideon and his crew of Dark Troopers on the Imperial Star Destroyer, some Jedi in a weird luxury yacht ship pulled up and saved all of our asses from getting melted into nothing,” Fennec supplied. “He had a couple of people helping him, but they hung back while the Jedi met us in the cockpit and took the kid to train him. We didn’t get a name at the time, but he had red hair and a scar. He gave Din a comm code for the ship, but when we tried it a few days later, we couldn’t get through.”

“If they were hiding in a nebula, guess that explains it,” added Cobb. “Nebulas interfere with radio waves.”

“It has to be him,” Din said. “How do we get to Tanalorr?”

“Lucky for us, I got a hold of some very interesting information during my travels,” Ahsoka said, pulling a datastick from her belt. “These are the coordinates and codes I got from a member of the Hidden Path. I think this is going to be a very useful expedition for many reasons.”

“The Hidden Path?” asked Luke. “Ah, I see. That is interesting.”

Ahsoka patted Luke’s shoulder. “You have nothing to worry about — I think you’ll find yourself very popular.”

“I’m getting real tired of being the one asking for clarification here,” Paz interjected.

“I gotcha, big man,” Cobb said. “The Hidden Path is the secret organization that got the Jedi that managed to escape the Empire out of harm’s way, bouncing them to random places all over the Galaxy to get them to a place where no one could ever find them. Over time, their mission expanded to the poor souls that were born with Jedi powers, or whatever it is y’all call ‘em. I forget what they called themselves, but they used to have people in the Empire that hunted down anyone even suspected of being a Jedi. Hell, the bounty hunters in our company ought to recall how much the Empire was willing to pay for little guys like your youngin’, Din.”

A hush fell over the room.

“You’re more well-informed than I would’ve expected from a small-town marshal, Cobb Vanth,” Ahsoka said. “You’re very much correct. They called the Jedi hunters the ‘Inquisitorius’ — former Jedi or Jedi students forced to hunt their former allies and family.”

Cobb nodded. “A long time ago, before I’d escaped my own situation, we’d heard about a group of people that were smuggling people off-planet. Near about the time you’re talking about, Boba? Heard there were a bunch of those Inquisitor people out in Anchorhead. They found a Jedi, killed him, and strung him up as a warning. Shit was serious business.”

Luke sighed. “That spooked my folks really bad when it happened. I never knew why until… well.”

Din noticed a shadow cross Luke’s face. He knew exactly what Luke meant.

“So, this planet is supposed to be the end of the Hidden Path?” Din asked, trying to shift the conversation. “Is it really that safe? Do you know what it’s like?”

Ahsoka nodded. “Not only is it beyond reach of the ships without a code, they say that the planet itself is imbued with the Force. It’s practically a haven for Force-sensitives. If we’re supposed to be meeting your red-haired Jedi that has Grogu, then I know he’s been perfectly happy there.”

“Not to rain on your festival, but we’re going to be showing up unannounced on a heavily protected planet with a population of highly traumatized warriors that may or may not know that the Empire’s defeated. Do you think that’s going to go well?” asked Bo-Katan. “Is there any way to contact them aside from your… abilities?”

Din shot her a look of exhaustion, but Ahsoka shrugged.

“It’s not a bad point,” Ahsoka said. “But no, aside from the codes, we don’t have a way of proving our identity. But, seeing as how several ships have made their way through the Abyss before, I don’t see how we’ll be treated any differently. Besides, we have Master Skywalker here — right?” Ahsoka wrapped her arm around Luke and pulled him in close as though to show him off. “They can’t hate us if we have him!”

Luke and Ahsoka laughed, but Din could tell there was something uneasy in the way Luke looked — as though Luke was unsure of something. He’d have to ask him later.

“We’ll do it your way,” Bo-Katan acquiesced. “But if they start firing on us, I’m raining hellfire on them; I don’t care if they’re precious Jedi or whatever.”

“Glad we’re in this luxury diplomat vehicle, then,” Fennec said. “Hate to see you in an actual Mandalorian war vehicle if that’s your route to diplomacy, Princess.”

Bo-Katan stood up from the table, her bread already gone and nary a drop of stew left behind. “I’m not rising to your challenge, Fennec — see, I’m improving.” She picked up her plate and cup, swanning out of the room without another word.

Din pointed at Fennec, then in the general direction of Bo-Katan, and then back at Fennec. Fennec only mouthed something that Din recognized to be, “I’ll kill you”, so he dropped his hand and turned his attention back to Luke.

“The navcomputer says we’ll arrive at Koboh in less than a day, so please get your rest and I’ll see you at the beginning of day cycle,” Luke said. “Thank you for your time!”

As the rest of the crew filtered out elsewhere — some remaining in the mess hall, others going towards the berthing to turn in for the night — Din managed to catch Luke’s eye and motioned for Luke to join him elsewhere. Luke nodded and led them both to the captain’s quarters. Din wordlessly followed.

Once inside, Luke pressed a hand to the sore spot under Din’s cuirass; Din hissed as the pressure made the pain radiate outwards. It distracted him from what he wanted to talk about with Luke in the first place.

“I thought so, but I didn’t think it was possible,” Luke muttered as he stared at Din’s midsection. “I didn’t think I would’ve actually hurt you in that state. I’m so sorry, Din. I think I was a little too excited.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Luke,” Din said, tipping Luke’s chin up and guiding him to meet Din’s eyes. “I’m fine. I’ve been through much worse.”

“Still, it doesn’t excuse anything,” Luke continued, undeterred. “It isn’t exactly a loving relationship where one person injures the other.”

“You know, in traditional Mandalorian sects, a courtship begins with a duel,” Din said. “A partner should be strong and battle-tested. I never saw a marriage in the covert that didn’t begin with a little bloodshed. The last one required a tourniquet.”

Luke looked as though he wasn’t sure how to respond.

“If it makes you feel better, I asked for it. Besides, I… I think I enjoyed it.”

Luke only stared at him for a moment, looking utterly bewildered, before bursting out in a loud laugh. “What? You enjoyed the pain, the fear? What was it?”

“Not quite,” Din said. He shook his head. He wasn’t sure how to articulate it, but he knew how he felt, anyway. “I liked… the feeling of the fight with someone I can’t ever beat, but even more than that, I liked the feeling that that same person cares for me. There’s a wall between me and the rest of the galaxy, a storm that I’m in the eye of.”

“You mean that even though I threw you around like a ragdoll and took over your mindscape that you still felt… protected?” asked Luke, unsure.

“You’ve never scared me, Luke,” Din confirmed. He reached his hand towards Luke’s and took hold of it. “If anything, I admire you more. A man that can face what you face every time you close your eyes and still care more about a little bruise than himself? That’s the man I love.”

Luke beamed. “You always know just what to say, don’t you?”

Before Din could tell Luke that he meant every single word of what he said or that it was easy to love a man like him, Luke pulled Din in for another mind-searing kiss. His diaphragm hurt from the sudden change in breathing, but Din pushed it aside. Din put his hand against the wall above their heads to keep himself steady as Luke deepened the kiss. This time, Din didn’t pull back or show any hesitation — he simply let Luke take the lead.

When Luke finally broke them apart, Din felt just a little bit dizzy — from the lack of air or from the blood rushing elsewhere, he wasn’t sure. From their proximity, he could hardly see the irises of Luke’s eyes, he could feel Luke’s shuddering breath against his skin. It felt harder to breathe. When he’d realized his feelings for Luke, he’d never even considered getting close enough to ever kiss him, much less what might occur if they wanted to…

Gods above, he couldn’t even think about sleeping with Luke without wanting to pass out. Maybe he was getting too old for this shit.

“I… I think we should end it here before we get a little too far into whatever we’re doing,” Luke whispered. Their faces still lingered right next to each other, their lips still almost touching. “It’s just… with everyone else running around and all — “

“You don’t have to explain,” Din said, his voice a little more gravelly than he intended. “Besides, it seems rather uncouth to jump right into bed with each other. I’m an old-fashioned man.”

Luke chuckled. “Oh yeah? How else are you old-fashioned?”

Din pulled back just a bit before reaching into his belt and pulling out a vibroblade, still in its sheath. At first glance, it wasn’t anything special — but Din knew better. He’d had this knife special-ordered at a weapons maker in Nal Hutta with a blood groove in its blade and an attachment to slide onto a blaster rifle to use as a bayonet. Out of all of his weapons, it was one of Din’s favorites. It also cost nearly a whole bounty’s worth of credits.

“It’s customary for a Mandalorian to present his beloved with a weapon out of their personal armory,” Din explained. “This is my best vibroblade. The sheath can be attached to either a belt or tucked inside a boot. It’s now yours.”

Luke looked genuinely surprised as he accepted the blade in his hands. “You know, Mandalorians the galaxy over would’ve torn each other to shreds to receive such a favor from the Mand’alor himself.”

“Then they can all fight you for it,” Din said. “I think I’d like to see them try.”

“You honor me, Din,” Luke said, returning the gesture with a soft kiss to Din’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll keep it safe.”

“You deserve more, but it’s what I have after the loss of my ship,” Din said, nuzzling his nose against Luke’s cheek in return. “Should I find an Armorer, I’ll also get you something made of beskar. A mythosaur pendant? Maybe something with a Mudhorn on it? I think you’d look lovely in armor of some kind.”

It was Luke’s turn to pull away. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a little more interested in this formal courtship idea than you let on.”

Din hadn’t thought that hard about it, but the moment the idea left Luke’s lips, he already knew he loved the idea — it’s what Luke himself said earlier in the day, after all. Din wanted to find as many ways to show Luke that he loved him, but if they could keep it just between themselves, then all the better. It seemed almost too good to be true.

“Would that be wrong?”

“I feel like I’ve been issued a challenge somehow,” Luke said as he turned the blade over, inspecting its craftsmanship. “Prepare yourself, Din Djarin — if you want an old-fashioned Mandalorian courtship, then that is what we’ll do. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our mission, then we’ll play this game.”

“Do your books tell you what Mandalorian courtship means?” asked Din. “Is that… are you alright with that?”

“What do you mean?” asked Luke.

“You’re so young and you could do so much better – “

“I am twenty-eight,” Luke retorted. “Only eight years younger than you. I won’t dignify your other point with a response.”

Groaning, Din shook his head. “This is so new, so soon.”

“For you, maybe,” Luke said.

“I’m a simple man, Luke – I don’t do subtleties,” said Din. “Are you sure about this?”

Din searched Luke’s face for any sort of hesitation. He found none.

“Are you?” Luke retorted.

Din leaned back in to kiss Luke once again, this time with all the feeling he could muster.

“I can’t imagine a world where I’d want anyone else,” Din said.

“Not even a more worthy Mandalor— “

Din cut him off with another kiss. “If I said it, I meant it.”

Luke only nodded in return. “Milord.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Only if you tell me what you were going to tell me earlier,” said Luke.

Din sighed, stepping away from Luke and giving the both of them room to breathe. He almost didn’t want to broach the topic — Luke had an uncanny ability to find the worst times to change the subject — but Din only had himself to blame here.

“I wanted to talk to you about how you reacted to hearing that we’re going to meet the people that the Hidden Path saved.”

“You’re very perceptive,” Luke said, his face falling just a little.

“Talk to me.”

Luke sighed. “Truth be told, I don’t know if I can rightfully face all those people and declare that I’m bringing back the Jedi Order — especially with my last name. Who am I to give these people hope? What if they don’t believe in the Order anymore?”

“I think if anyone should understand that you’re not your father, it should be other Jedi,” Din said. “Besides, if I have to stand up in front of my people as a leader while being a non-royal, unaffiliated Mandalorian foundling, I think you can stand proudly in front of yours despite the weight of your name. If they don’t like the Order, they don’t have to follow. Wasn’t it the same with the old Order?”

“It’s not fair when you’re right,” said Luke. “I can’t pretend that I’m walking into completely friendly territory, but maybe it won’t be so bad.”

“You’ll have all of us there,” Din said. “Besides, Ahsoka Tano believes in your ability to lead. She told me herself. You didn’t mention you were Grandmaster, by the way — surely your people should respect that.”

“Ah,” Luke said as he turned away. “That’s so grandiose. I don’t even have a Council. I’m the king of a nation of one.”

“It’s not about being modest, it’s about accepting the trust you’ve inherited,” Din said as he closed the distance between them and placed a small kiss on Luke’s forehead. “I think you’ve said as much to me.”

“It’s also not fair when you use my words and sentiments against me,” Luke said.

Din smiled. “You’re going to have so many people rallying around you, you won’t know what to do with them all,” he said. “Besides, if it all goes pear-shaped, we’ll beat up the red-haired Jedi and take the kid before going to Mandalore.”

Luke laughed in turn. “If you say so. Go to bed, already — we have a long day tomorrow.”

“Good night, cyare,” Din said, testing out the Mando’a on his tongue. It wasn’t common for him to use anymore, nor had he ever used that term for anyone else. It felt right, though — maybe it wasn’t common in his day-to-day parlance, but that’s what made it special.

“Jate ca, ner cyare,” Luke replied as Din walked back out of Luke’s quarters.

It took too long for Din to remember that Luke had wished him a good night. He made a mental note to borrow some of Luke’s books on Mando’a to brush up on his own language skills. He kicked himself for remembering more Tusken signs and vocalizations than words from his own culture.

But that was a problem for another time. Tomorrow, he’d get to see his kid and that meant more than any stupid mission.

Beyond that, he had Luke’s promise to think about — if Luke genuinely understood what Din meant, that had far greater consequences to this little affair of theirs, and Din’s mind spun with the possibilities.

The future seemed altogether so frightening and thrilling, and come tomorrow, he’d face whatever it would bring.

It was hard for Din to fall asleep, but when the next day came, he felt about as awake as ever. Today was the day, and he felt ready to crawl out of his skin with excitement.

He’d made it to the galley and made caf for the entire crew, long before anyone else even managed to crawl out of bed. By the time Cobb and Boba — the two earliest risers aside from Luke — made it to the mess room, Din had already set an assortment of pastries and rolls out on the main table.

Through the thin door of the galley, Din could hear Cobb asking Boba what was going on.

“Let him have this,” Boba said, his voice low. “He’s excited. Besides, His Majesty made us food — not every day a king makes you coffee.”

“I hope it’s better than the muck he made back when we were out in the Wastes hunting that krayt,” Cobb muttered.

Din felt a little wounded. He’d brewed the caf with black melon water that day, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances.

“I’m sure it’s fine. But if it isn’t, you can always put enough cream that it won’t matter.” said Boba.

Cobb and Boba broke out into laughter just as Din entered the mess hall with his final plate of pancakes and a carafe of jogan fruit juice. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to feel offended or not.

“Thanks much, Din,” Cobb said as he took a mug from a nearby cabinet. “This is a real nice spread you’ve got here.”

“It’s very appreciated,” Boba agreed.

Din reached for the cream on the table and placed it in front of Boba. “Just in case you need it,” Din huffed.

Cobb and Boba began laughing so loud that it sounded more like cackling to his ears. He didn’t have to listen to any of this, he realized. He took a cup of his own, poured himself some caf, and grabbed a pastry. He took off for the bridge to enjoy his breakfast in silence.

He swore never to do such a gesture again. He tried not to curse himself out for scorching his tongue on his too-hot caf.

It was going to be a long day.

When the navcomputer alarm went off, the entire crew scrambled from the various areas around the ship to meet on the bridge. Fennec took her usual spot at the weapons station, while Bo-Katan and Boba took the helm as co-pilots. Din sat in a navigator’s chair, which gave him ample opportunity to observe the two of them working together. He remembered when they first met — how tense the air was, how deep their enmity ran — and wondered where those versions of them went.

Paz and Cobb took over the comms suite and the operations panels. Ahsoka stood behind them, ready to take the lead whenever they made contact. Luke took the captain’s chair in the center of the bridge, keeping an eye on the screens in front of him. Din felt grateful that Luke had control of the ship — while Din loved piloting much smaller ships, learning to operate something of this size held no real interest for him.

“Prepare for deceleration in five, four, three, two — “

As the blinding streaks of light faded away from view, the Koboh system at once appeared through the viewport. To their left, Din saw the planet of Koboh — an average, mid-sized habitable planet. To their right, he noticed what appeared to him to be a shattered satellite — a moon or an asteroid, he couldn’t tell. The thing that worried him the most, however, was the massive nebula in front of them. That must be the Koboh Abyss, he figured.

“Alright, patch me in,” Ahsoka said, handing over the datastick for Paz to plug into the comms dashboard. A few movements and buttons later, a voice crackled over the bridge’s loudspeaker.

“We acknowledge receipt of the correct access codes,” the voice announced. “State your ship name, purpose of visit, and your crew manifest.”

“This is the Tantive IV, a New Republic vessel,” Luke responded. “We’re here on business with a certain red-haired man that rescued a Mandalorian youngling a number of months ago. We have eight crewmembers on board right now.”

“We’re going to need more information, Captain,” the voice said. “I need a manifest of names, starting with yours. We also need to know how many Force-sensitives you have on board.”

“This is Luke Skywalker, Grandmaster of the Jedi Order,” he began. Din smiled underneath his helmet. “I can give you the rundown of the rest of the crew, but I think you’re stalling for time. If I need to speak to someone higher up your chain of command, I suggest you get them now.”

The other side’s mic remained hot, letting the crew listen in on their hurried whispers and shuffling of chairs. A hiss of static came over the intercom once more.

“Hey, how do I know this is the Luke Skywalker?” a new voice demanded. “Is this really the man that blew up two Death Stars?”

“I can give you my chain code, but if you want to turn on your holoprojector, that will also work,” Luke said. “Besides, I only blew up one. My friends blew up the other one after I’d taken out the Emperor and Darth Vader. So, are we authorized to enter Tanalorr space?”

Din knew that was only mostly true, but he wasn’t going to out Luke for padding the legend a little. Besides, who else would call him a liar? As far as he knew, the only other people that might know the truth only exist out in the Force.

That, and Din had to admit that he found Luke’s confidence attractive. Authority looked good on him.

“Ha!” the voice shouted. “Come on through. Even if you’re lying, I gotta meet you. What business do you have with the red-haired Jedi, by the way?”

“He saved the King of Mandalore and his child, Grogu,” Luke said. “That king is back to see them both.”

“You have Grogu’s dad there?!” the voice shouted, nearly blaring the speaker out. “You should’ve said so sooner! We’ll send you the coordinates for the landing pad; be careful on the way in. It’s a little bumpy, but you’ll be fine. Fly fast!”

The comms cut out after that. Suddenly, as though a switch flipped, multiple beams of light erupted from various points across Koboh and its shattered satellite and converged onto the Abyss in front of them. After a few moments, the pure, concentrated energy opened up a perfectly crafted wormhole that ran straight into the nebula. Through the portal, Din could already see intense amounts of space debris and electrical discharge firing off. He suddenly understood what the man meant.

“Whenever you’re ready, Helm,” Luke said. “Everyone else, brace yourselves — I think this might suck a little.”

Bo-Katan bore down on the engine power, propelling the ship forward into the portal. The moment they crossed the threshold, shades of blue and purple dust overtook the viewport, obscuring much of the path forward. Lightning flashed at random intervals — he figured the dust created so much static that it had to discharge somewhere. Unfortunately, somewhere was right in front of them. Din braced himself on the nearest panel.

“Fuck these asteroids,” Fennec muttered. “Permission to fire on incoming debris, Captain?”

“Granted,” Luke said. “Low power fire, short bursts — just enough to break them apart, not enough to hit the other side of the portal.”

“Aye-aye,” Fennec responded. “Laying down cover fire now.”

Short bursts of laser fire emerged from a cannon somewhere underneath the bridge. Din felt useless just sitting there.

“I’m heading to the ball turret gun,” Din said. “I can cover anything from our rear.”

“Please don’t,” Luke said. “I can’t risk you getting struck with any debris on the underside. Can you calculate the amount of time we have before we get to the end of the wormhole?”

Din nodded. He turned to his panel, which fed him an endless stream of information — only a few numbers that seemed relevant. He calculated their current distance from the readout on the screen that told them their relative distance from the entrance of the wormhole and the visual estimates of the reading. Doing some quick math in his head, and controlling for the amount of debris in the area, he had a good guess.

“If we can make it in a straight line? We can cross in about two minutes from now,” Din announced. “If we keep having to dodge debris, closer to five. I don’t know how long the tunnel will remain stable, so we might need to move faster than that.”

“Try making it closer to two as much as you can,” said Paz. “The shields are holding, but it’s not great.”

“Din, take the console,” Luke said, standing up from the command chair. “I’m going to try something stupid.”

“Stupid is what we trade in,” Din said, moving quickly to take the chair. “Do what you must.”

“Just try not to get us killed, Skywalker?” Boba bit out as he pulled the yoke on the controls up hard and the ship pitched upwards. A brilliant flash of light sparked hard across the viewport, narrowly missing the bridge.

“I’ll do my best,” Luke said as he approached the helm.

Closing his eyes, Luke stretched out one hand ahead of him while clutching onto the back of Bo-Katan’s chair. He took a deep breath. Din held onto the arms of the chair and waited.

At first, it looked as though the asteroids and hunks of debris simply floated away. Then, as he watched one float close to the viewport, Din saw a large rock bounce away from the bow. If Din had to guess, he’d say that Luke created a shield around the ship.

He wasn’t sure how that worked, but then again, he watched Luke close a tear in space-time and walk through the air as though it were made of rock. Trying to figure out anything that Luke did was like flying into the center of a star — impossible and foolish to attempt.

“Full speed ahead!” Din ordered. “Shift all power to the engines if necessary!”

Bo-Katan threw the engine power throttle all the way forward, and Din felt himself get thrown back into his chair a little. Luke, however, remained eerily still. Distantly, he could hear the whine of the jet propulsion system as they screamed through the tunnel. The final portal was only moments away.

“Hold onto your asses,” Bo-Katan said. “Prepare yourselves for whatever’s on the other side.”

Suddenly, they found themselves in calmer space, the silence and the stillness almost unsettling. The wormhole collapsed behind them, leaving just a scar of light in the void. Din noticed Luke dropping his arm down and taking a deep sigh. The rest of the crew joined him in pure relief.

Ahead, the planet in front of them looked like a gem suspended in a sea of clouds, the water a dark blue and the land masses a violet so pale and unsaturated it was nearer a grey. Din couldn’t think of another place he’d ever been that looked quite like this — it felt magical, almost. Even if the planet hadn’t been hidden behind a nebula, Din understood what attracted the Jedi to Tanalorr.

The Tantive IV entered the atmosphere without incident. The navcomputer, using the coordinates provided, led them straight to an unnamed settlement. Surprisingly, the crew didn’t exchange a single word — perhaps out of anticipation for some new complication, perhaps out of sheer wonder. Through the viewport, Din could see the sheer beauty of the planet — the large, light-bleached mountains, the rolling hills of endless white grass, and the trees that glowed with that soft violet light that he recognized all the way from space. The creeks and ponds seemed to be made of crystal, even from their distance. It seemed to Din as though this was a constructed reality rather than a real place. He almost wondered if they died in that wormhole, and this was the afterlife.

The settlement itself surprised Din — he expected a few low-lying buildings, maybe a ship caravan. The giant temple that appeared around the crest of a ridgeline looked like someone plucked it off of Coruscant and placed it right in the middle of the mountains. Beautifully carved out of the same white stone, it loomed over the valley, regal and silent. Din knew nothing of Jedi culture, but it seemed like only people that walked with the power of gods could make such a thing.

Reaching a platform, Bo-Katan and Boba worked to set the ship down as gently as possible. Hardly waiting for anyone to catch up with him, Din left the bridge and practically raced towards the main portal of the ship. Someone with more mental presence activated the bay door and the gangplank for him before he even reached it. He could hear Luke, Ahsoka, and Fennec behind him but Din couldn’t wait.

He had waited for so long. It was time.

Walking down the gangplank, Din watched as a number of people filed out of the temple’s doors. From their disposition, they seemed friendly — at least, no one seemed too pissed off about their presence yet. At the front of the group, Din spotted him: the red-haired Jedi with the scar on his nose. He held a little pile of something in his arms.

“Welcome to Tanalorr!” the man shouted, his stride unbroken as he made his way to the landing pad. “Glad to see you made it in one piece! The little guy was worried about you!”

The little pile in the Jedi’s arms moved. A familiar pair of ears peeked out of the folds, and Din felt something in his chest snap right back into place.

“Patu!”