Chapter Text
“I’m sorry,” Cara says. “I wouldn’t know anything. I never even met Skywalker. All his friends are New Republic or stars know where.”
Din feels his stomach sink. He leans both arms on the table and feels his head dip, despair gripping every cell in his body. “Maz hasn’t responded,” he whispers. “We have no leads at all.”
Cara looks at him with a sad expression, her gaze flickering between him and Paz.
The common house isn’t at its usual occupancy. A few hunters are lingering around but they’re invested in their own conversations, giving them privacy. Karga is nowhere to be found, which gives them peace to talk.
“Din,” Paz says, his voice low. “We don’t have nothing.”
“Sure looks like it!” Din snaps. “We don’t have coordinates, a planet, a system, I don’t even know what fucking ship he has. Knowing he’s got an academy isn’t enough. We don’t exactly have friends in the New Republic. It’s a dead end.”
“Not exactly,” Cara says. “You said Maz Kanata hasn’t responded. That’s not a no. For all you know, she’s reaching out to Skywalker herself.” She shrugs. “And the kid is both smart and completely devoted to you. He’s not going to let himself just be taken. For all you know, he’s giving Skywalker a hell of a lot of trouble right now.”
Din just digs his fingers into the table. “I’m going to kill him,” he growls. “I’m going to take that stupid lightsaber and shove it up his--”
Paz sighs. “Let’s focus on finding the kid first.”
“Reach out to Maz again,” Cara says. “Or go see her yourself. There must be something to do. He’s somewhere, not disappeared.”
Din takes a deep breath. He looks at Paz, then down at the table and sighs. “Then we’re going to Takodana,” he says. “Damn it. If she doesn’t know, then… there’s nothing.”
“Thank you, Cara,” Paz says. He slides out of the booth and Din follows.
“I wish I had something for you,” Cara says. She slides out of her side of the booth. “I’ll go with you to the ship, at least.”
Din and Paz nod to her. They walk out of the common house together and out into the street. The sun shines down, reflecting off Din’s beskar even if it’s become dirtied from time. They walk side by side.
Cara hasn’t changed much. Her hair is slightly longer, still braided on one side. The armor she wears has been upgraded, newer though the color scheme is the same, and her sleeves are lengthened just enough to hide her tattoo. As much as Din dislikes it, she does well as Karga’s Guild enforcer. She has her own skill at bringing in bounties. Even better skill at keeping the hunters in line.
“You’ll find him,” she says. “Din. You will.”
“I… know,” he says.
“You could sound more confident about it.” Cara gives him an elbow. “Hey. He’s not gone. He’s not dead. Find that school of his and I’d personally help you siege it to get the womp rat back.”
Din manages a snort. “You’d siege the temple of a man who was your commander in the rebellion?”
“Hey, Skywalker never gave me direct orders. Senator Organa, on the other hand…” Cara smiles. “Besides, the tattoo and hatred for Imps is all that’s left of the rebel in me. I’m a damn bounty hunter now.”
“Didn’t have to be a bounty hunter,” Din says.
“What, join you on the Razor Crest? You can’t afford me, Djarin.” Cara smiles. “Besides, you and the kid are either hunting or in the covert. What am I doing when you’re home?”
“You could be with us,” Din says.
Cara rolls her eyes. “This again.”
“It’s a possibility.”
“You’re not converting me to your religion, Djarin, no matter how many times you try. Too many people have seen my face, anyway.”
“Cin vhetin,” Din says. “Whatever you do before the Creed doesn’t matter.”
“You don’t have to be born or raised a Mandalorian,” Paz says. “You’re free to convert and join us.”
“The idea’s cute, boys, but I’ll pass.”
Somehow, the banter makes Din feel a little better.
They approach the Razor Crest. Din reaches for his vambrace, but the door already begins to lower. Ari comes running down the ramp, out of breath, her boots skidding against the metal in an effort to not slip. “Din!” she says. “Maz. It’s Maz. She responded.”
Din freezes. “What did she say?” he demands.
“She says she knows,” Ari says. “Skywalker contacted her. She says she’ll let the two of you meet at her castle if you can stay civil under her roof.”
“Is he bringing the kid?” Din says. “Ask if he’s bringing the kid with him, if he’s giving him back!”
Ari nods and turns, running back up the ramp. Paz puts a hand on Din’s arm, then follows her. Din steps to follow when Cara grabs him by the wrist and he turns to face her.
“Hey,” she says. “Good luck.” And she pulls him into a tight hug.
Din pauses, then hugs her back. “Thanks,” he says.
Cara steps back and nods. “Let me know when he’s back with you,” she says.
“I will.”
“Din!” Paz calls. “Let’s go!”
Din gives her a nod, then turns and runs onto the Crest as the door beginning to lift behind him.
Kuiil is startled awake by a hand on his shoulder. His eyes open and he sits up quickly, gasping.
Luke is leaning over him and he quickly moves back. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Kuiil stares up at him. He pulls his akk dog in close, squeezing it against his chest. Luke looks okay, but the memory of what he did begins to bubble in his mind and he swallows.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’m sorry.”
Luke frowns for a moment, then he turns it into a small smile. “It’s alright,” he says. “Really. I understand.”
Kuiil swallows. Luke still has terrible bruising under his eyes and above, and he can see that one of his hands is wrapped. He reaches up towards Luke, who takes his hand with a confused expression. Kuiil shakes his head and stands. “I can heal you,” he says softly. “Your face. I can… I can fix.”
Luke stares at him for a moment, then nods. “Okay,” he says. “Show me.”
Kuiil moves forward, then climbs onto Luke’s leg to reach. Luke lets him. He reaches a hand up and carefully, he places it against Luke’s cheek. He’s just human, like buir. Kuiil closes his eyes and dips his head, reaching for the Force. It responds, almost purring at his call.
Heal, he thinks. Fix.
Like he’s done many times before, he feels the Force flow from his hand and into the damaged areas. Luke sucks in a breath. Kuiil takes his own deep breath to hold on, to keep his focus.
It isn’t terrible damage. Feeling tired, he pulls his hand back, then slides off Luke’s leg.
Luke lightly touches a hand beneath his eye, then at his nose. “Incredible,” he says softly. “Your abilities are amazing.”
Kuiil manages a sleepy smile, then reaches for his dog.
“I’m going to take you home,” Luke says.
He pauses, then quickly turns to look at him. Relief and excitement threaten to flood him, and though he’s hesitant to feel it, Luke looks serious.
“We can go whenever you’re ready.”
Kuiil jumps to his feet. “Really? To buir? Really?”
Luke smiles. “Yes, really.”
“Now!”
“Alright, alright. Come here.”
Kuiil lets Luke take him into his arms, then grips his toy and jumps up onto his shoulder. He lands and balances himself, then steadies with his claws. Luke gives him an amused look, then begins to walk.
“To home?” Kuiil asks.
“To Takodana,” Luke says. “We’re going to meet with Maz Kanata. Your buir will meet us there.”
“Okay!” Kuiil says. He’d much prefer to just go right home, but Takodana is okay, too.
They walk out of the temple and into the sun. Kuiil shuts his eyes against it for a moment before he adjusts and can peer around.
Yavin-4 is beautiful. The Force feels so strong here. But it isn’t his home.
Luke walks to a ship. It’s smaller than Kuiil’s seen before, and the cockpit seems so small, at least for someone Luke’s size. But he climbs up the side and steps in, somehow fitting just right, and settles in. He reaches out to grab a helmet, but it isn’t like buir’s. It’s round and white with an orange visor. Kuiil slips off his shoulder and into his lap, looking around at all the buttons and controls.
The dome above lowers, encasing them inside the ship. Kuiil lets himself sit back against Luke, clutching his toy.
“I’m not going to be bad,” he says.
Luke looks down at him. “Hm?”
“I’m not going to be bad,” he repeats. “I’m not going to fall. I don’t want to hurt anyone. So I won’t.”
Luke pauses, then smiles and continues flipping switches. “That’s good,” he says. “That’s very good.”
The ship lifts off the ground, rising into the air. The trees begin to disappear, receding away from blue skies. Kuiil watches as they rise higher. Blue begins to turn dark; it fades into purple, and the stars are visible.
They fly amongst them.
Luke hits buttons and switches, awkward as he has to reach around Kuiil, and Kuiil just leans back against him. He’s warm and comfortable, unlike buir who can be warm but has so much beskar that it’s hard to be comfortable. Luke is soft. He doesn’t wear hard plates of armor. Kuiil likes it.
“I thought you’d be really mean,” he says. “After… after the vision and the ship. I thought you’d hurt me.”
Luke makes a hum. “It makes sense for you to think that,” he says. “Your vision of me was scary. I didn’t do things the way I should’ve.”
“I had another,” Kuiil says.
Luke pauses. “Another vision?”
Kuiil nods. “It was scarier. It was… I was bad. Really bad. I hurt the covert. I… I think I turned bad.” He frowns. “I saw jetii. In a big place, and there were—there were Mandalorians, but they weren’t Mando’ade. They wore white like… like troopers.”
“Clones,” Luke says softly. His grip tightens on the controls.
Kuiil shrugs. “They were fighting the jetii. They died. Then… I saw buir. I think he was holding… me. When I was smaller. He was killing troopers, I—I think it was when he took me back.”
Luke is quiet for a moment. Kuiil feels him take a breath. “That was certainly a vision,” he says. “You saw the past. I think you saw the purge of the jedi. When the clone troopers turned on the jedi and killed them.”
Kuiil swallows. “The… the covert. Was that… the future?”
“I don’t know.” Luke hits more buttons, then a final switch, and he puts a hand on Kuiil’s shoulder to keep him steady as they jump into hyperspace.
The stars go shooting past. Kuiil watches.
“How do I know?” he whispers.
“There isn’t a way to find out. Not unless it comes to pass.” Luke looks at the navigation map. “I’m sorry. I wish I knew a way to help you. But Force visions aren’t absolute and they can be misleading. I’ve had my own and been fooled by them.”
Kuiil frowns. “It’s not going to happen,” he says softly. “I won’t let it.”
“You’re a smart boy, Kuiil. You may not be a jedi, but perhaps you don’t need to be.” Luke looks ahead. “You have people who love you. Who want the best for you. That love might be all you need to stay in the light.”
“Am I still going to train with Maz?” Kuiil asks.
Luke smiles slightly. “We’ll talk to your father about that,” he says.
Kuiil nods and looks up at the streaking stars.
“Hey,” Luke says. “How do you say ‘peace’ in your language?”
Kuiil pauses. “Naak,” he says. “Why?”
When they walk towards the castle, it feels… lonely. Only once has Din come here without the kid and that was a painful memory. This manages to feel just as painful when there’s no Kuiil hanging on his hip or shoulder. Paz and Ari are with him, but it’s lonely nonetheless.
They pull open a door and Din has to stop. He stares into the empty bar, so expectant of a loud crowd that the silence is jarring. His hand drifts to his blaster as he takes a step inside.
“Maz?” he calls.
There’s a beat of silence before there’s a soft clatter and Maz calls back. “Come in!”
Din relaxes and walks further in. Ari follows, then Paz, each lowering their weapons. Maz appears from around a table.
“Come in, come in,” she says. “Skywalker hasn’t arrived yet.”
Din’s jaw tightens. “You said he’s coming.”
“He is,” Maz says. “He reached out to me, Djarin, about wanting to return the child to you. He’ll be here.”
Din doesn’t respond. Maz rolls her eyes, then turns and walks to a round table near the center of the bar. The Mandalorians follow.
Ari elbows Din’s arm. He looks at her. “You told her your name?” she whispers.
“She’s trustworthy,” Din says.
Ari’s helmet hides her expression and she doesn’t respond.
“Where is everyone?” Paz asks, an edge of suspicion in his voice as they approach the table.
“Calm down, Vizla, I closed for the day,” Maz says. “Best if we don’t have a million eyes witness a jedi meeting a Mandalorian to exchange a child, hm?”
“We’re not exchanging anything,” Din says. “He doesn’t get anything for returning what he stole.”
“But you are,” Maz says. “He’d drop the boy off at my door if he didn’t want anything in return.”
Din makes fists at his sides, seething. Paz clears his throat. “What does he want?” he asks.
“To be shot, apparently,” Din snaps.
“Din,” Paz says.
“What, like he gets to make dema--”
“He wants your consideration,” Maz says, her stern voice breaking through. “He will return Kuiil to you but wants your undivided attention about his concerns.”
“Okay,” Ari says. “We get Kuiil back and all we have to do is listen. That’s easy.”
“Ari,” Din snaps.
“Din,” she says.
“We shouldn’t have to--”
“Din!” Paz growls. “You want him back and you’re angry that he was ever taken. We all are. But it’s not a ransom. His concerns might be something we actually want to hear, for the kid’s sake.”
Din stares at him.
“Put the claws away, Din,” Paz says. “Just sit down and keep your mouth shut if you’re only going to be hostile.”
Ari and Maz have taken their seats. Din sets his jaw, then slides into a seat. Paz watches him for a second, then follows.
“Don’t tell me you’re sympathetic to Skywalker,” Din says.
“Not at all,” Paz says. “But he has the kid. We play nice until we have him.”
Din scowls. He looks Maz. “You trust him?” he asks. “That he’ll have the kid at all?”
“I do trust him,” Maz says. “Calm yourself.”
“He has my son—“
The front door begins to creak, then opens. The Mandalorians are on their feet in an instant, hands straying to their weapons. Din feels his heart stop, eyes searching, as his finger curls around his blaster.
Luke Skywalker steps through the door, the child held on his hip. His eyes flicker over the Mandalorians but he appears unfazed as he walks towards the table.
Kuiil turns. He looks over his shoulder, pressed against Luke’s, then perks up as he spots Din. “Buir!” he shrieks. “Buir!”
Skywalker pauses, then puts him down on the floor. Din kicks the chair away as he makes a break for the kid, and Kuiil only makes a few steps before he’s swept into Din’s arms. Din pulls him to his chest, falling on his knees, and the kid lets out a whimper as he burrows against Din’s cowl. They grip each other with desperation, like it’s been years rather than a day.
“Buir,” Kuiil whimpers. “Buir…”
“I have you,” Din says back, taking a deep breath. “I have you.”
Their minds clash. Kuiil shoves against him so hard that it’s almost overwhelming, hit all at once by waves of relief and love and misery. Din squeezes him tighter. They press together. Din lets out a breath as Kuiil’s presence floods his mind. It’s comforting. It’s normal.
Their foreheads lean together. Kuiil’s claws are tangled in the folds of his cowl, tears in his eyes even as he smiles. Din watches him, breathless, his grip on the kid tight. He feels him for injuries, but there’s nothing obvious. No flinching, no pain.
“Kadala?” he whispers. “Shupur’yc?”
The kid sniffles and shakes his head. “Fine,” he whispers back.
“He didn’t do anything to you?”
Another head shake.
He’s so, so relieved. Never in his life has he felt this much joy at holding his son.
Only when a chair scrapes against the floor are they brought back to the present, and Din stands. Skywalker has taken a seat across from the Mandalorians and Din returns to his own, this time with Kuiil firm against his chest. The kid just holds onto him, his breath steady.
“I wish things had gone differently,” Skywalker says.
Din looks at him. His jaw is tight. “Somehow we’re back exactly where we were.”
“Not exactly.” Skywalker takes a deep breath. “We should get certain things out of the way. I’m not going to take the child from you. He belongs with you and with his family, that’s clear.”
“Thanks,” Din snaps, “I know.”
Skywalker looks at him but doesn’t rise to it. His facial expression, though, has regret. “I was rash and presumptive,” he says. “I… felt the boy’s capabilities and assumed only the worst of them. Of you and your people. That wasn’t fair. I’ve realized that I’ve done more damage than the good I thought I was doing.”
Din pauses, staring at him.
“I haven’t had good experiences with Mandalorians. Boba Fett was hired to turn in my friend to the Hutts during the rebellion.” Skywalker pauses. “It may have given me more bias against you. I apologize.”
Din doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know what to say. He was far more prepared for a fight than an apology. His blood is still simmering hot. Skywalker gives away no lie indicators, no tells, if he’s lying than he’s good at it. Din only sits still and instead reaches for Kuiil’s presence, where he’s happily curled in his mind.
Do you think he’s honest? He asks.
Kuiil’s presence shifts beside his consciousness. Yes, comes the response. I don’t think he’s lying.
When Din makes no response, Paz leans forward. “Boba Fett is no Mandalorian,” he says. “He wears our symbols and our style but does not follow our code and his armor is pathetic durasteel. He’s not at all indicative of our people.”
Skywalker nods in understanding. He glances towards Maz, then back at Din. “We have to talk about Kuiil,” he says. “About… certain influences he’s had. I have concerns.”
Kuiil’s claws dig in deeper. His breathing shifts. Din frowns, then holds Kuiil tighter. Are you okay?
I did a… bad thing.
“Has he ever used the Force to hurt somebody before? To choke them?”
Din freezes at that. Kuiil stiffens. Then Din looks at Paz, who meets his gaze.
The kid’s hand tightens. Din stares at Cara as she claws for breath, eyes wide. “Dune!” Paz says, jumping up from his seat.
“What—“ Din mutters, when he sees the kid. His blood freezes but he lunges forward, grabbing him. “Hey, hey, stop! Stop! Cara is a friend!”
The kid stares at him with a confused expression as Cara gasps for air. He turns to look at Paz, who stares back with the same shock, before he turns and checks on Cara.
“He… did,” Din says. “Once. He was still a baby.”
Luke nods, his expression grave. “Using the Force to harm is associated with the dark side,” he says. “But for a child to use it--violence is learned, not inherent. I doubt you could possibly know what’s happened to him between his birth and your discovery of him, it’s 50 years worth of experience and he may not remember it.” He glances at Kuiil. “But he could have internalized what he saw. Unless he remembers, that’s a very dangerous thing. Especially when he’s already tasted the dark side.”
Din stares at him. Kuiil squirms, his presence turning frightened and upset and guilty. It’s okay, Din thinks. It’s okay. It will be okay.
“The dark side,” he says.
“You said Moff Gideon is the one searching for him,” Skywalker says.
“He ordered a bounty put on the kid,” Din says. “That’s… how I found him.”
“... Right,” Skywalker says. “I heard about that… story.”
Din looks down at the kid. Guilt. He makes a mental note to ask later.
“I’m guessing that Gideon had him before,” Skywalker says. “He would’ve been in the Empire’s custody. He could’ve seen any number of things—I don’t know if Gideon is Force-sensitive or not, but Darth Vader was known for using Force chokes.” He shifts uncomfortably. “Somehow, he ended up wherever you found him.”
Kuiil squirms. His breath is uneven, almost panicky. Din looks down at him and straightens. “Ari,” he says. “Step out with him.”
The kid squeaks. Letting go is the last thing Din wants to do but he doesn’t want to talk about this in front of him. And they have to talk about this. Kuiil digs his claws in as deep as he can and whimpers.
“Buir, no,” he pleads. “No!”
“Not for long,” Din says. He sighs—he doesn’t have the energy to fight with him about it. “Kuiil—“
“I saw Gideon! I saw him! I heard him!”
Din freezes. “You… what? When?”
Kuiil then stops. He twists to look at Skywalker, who gives him a nod. “Tell them,” he says. “Only what you’re comfortable with.”
Kuiil looks up at Din, then, and there’s a beat of silence. “I… had another vision,” he says. “It—It was scary. But…” He takes a deep breath.
“It’s okay,” Din murmurs. “Take a second. Say what you mean.”
He does. He is quiet for a moment, then shifts in Din’s arms and looks up, this time with his expression more determined. “I… I think it was Gideon,” he says. “It… I saw a lot. A lot of stuff. But there was one… It was somewhere different. There were stormtroopers. There was someone in black, and he--he said I did a good job. He called me ‘pet’.”
Din is silent. Someone calling his ad’ika ‘pet’ makes his skin crawl.
“And I saw… you. With me. I was a baby and you were holding me and killing stormtroopers.”
That’s enough for Din’s arms to tighten around him.
“I heard a voice, talking. Saying that—he said your name. That you were trying to hide the… the asset from him. What’s an asset?”
“It’s…” Din frowns. “It’s like a bounty. Something important. Y...You were the asset.”
Kuiil looks at Paz, who looks back at him. “He said he was going to destroy the covert,” he whispers. “With the… a… it was something. Saber. But not a lightsaber. It was… dah.” He looks at Din. “The… Darksaber?”
They fall into silence. None of the Mandalorians move, frozen as statues.
“The Darksaber,” Paz whispers. “Gideon has the Darksaber?”
Din doesn’t speak. He takes long, deep breaths to keep himself calm. Kuiil stares up at him with nervous eyes before pressing close. “Buir?” he says.
“What is the Darksaber?” Skywalker asks.
“A Mandalorian relic,” Paz says. “It’s sacred to us.”
“It’s a symbol of our leader,” Ari says. “It should… it should’ve been wielded by Bo-Katan Kryze. But…”
“The Purge,” Paz growls. “Gideon would’ve taken it after the Purge.”
Din stares at the table. “I should’ve checked,” he says, his voice dropping to a low hiss. “I should’ve looked. I should’ve made sure he was dead. We would already have the Darksaber back and we wouldn’t still be hiding from the fucking Imp—“
Kuiil squeaks.
“Any one of us should have checked,” Paz says. “Damn it! Of course blowing him out of the sky wasn’t enough. As if we’re that lucky.”
Din holds Kuiil tightly.
“We have to take it back,” Ari says. Din and Paz look at her. “... What? Like there’s another choice? The Darksaber belongs to Mandalorians. If Gideon has it, we have to take it.”
“We have to tell the matriarch,” Din mutters.
“We have to tell the whole tribe,” Paz says. “... It changes things. There’s no being cautious and defensive, not when that bastard has the Darksaber. Everyone will want to go after it.”
Maz clears her throat. “Mandalorians,” she says. “That’s a matter for your tribe to discuss. We need to focus on Kuiil for now. If there’s a chance that he has repressed memories of being influenced by the dark side, those are risks we have to deal with for his sake.”
Din takes a deep breath. “Repressed memories,” he says. “If those are things he can’t remember—it’s 50 years we don’t know about. What is there to do about it?”
Skywalker looks at him, his expression thoughtful. “There’s methods of using the Force to access memories,” he says. “Methods that… I’ll admit I’m not too familiar with yet. But with meditation, he and I both could work to access them.”
Din frowns. “You want to go searching around in his mind.”
“With his help.”
“It’s still his mind!”
“It’s not to do damage,” Skywalker says. “It may not work. But if there’s a chance we can understand what’s been done to him--it would help in keeping him safe from influence by knowing what he may be susceptible to. It could give both of you peace of mind about his past.”
“No,” Din says. “No. I’m not giving him to you so you can do whatever you want to him.”
“It’s not so I can hurt him,” Skywalker says. “He’s a child, I wouldn’t--this would only help.”
“Why should I trust that?”
“I--Look, I regret my approach. It was… more than misguided. But I didn’t harm him and returned him of my own choosing. Asking to trust me is a great--”
“Trust you?” Paz demands. “You took a foundling.”
Skywalker pauses. “I don’t know what a foundling--”
“Mandalorians value their children as much as their weapons.” Maz jumps in with a sense of urgency. “Kuiil is a foundling. It is why I insisted you come here with the boy. It’s the only reason you’re alive to talk about this--they would have simply killed you otherwise.”
Skywalker is tense, but he takes the words with surprising calm. “... I see,” he says. “I’m… afraid there’s not as much information on your people as there should be.”
Din doesn’t answer.
“Mando,” Maz says, eyes turning to Din. “The dark side is not something to take chances with. Not when you want to protect him. I know what you’re feeling and the anger is more than justified after what’s happened. But your honor and pride shouldn’t be in the way of protecting Kuiil.”
Din sets his jaw, scowling beneath the helmet. “I don’t see why we need him,” he says. “Gideon has the Darksaber. If we go after him and kill him--Kuiil will be safe.”
“But Gideon isn’t the dark side,” Skywalker says. “If Gideon’s dead, Kuiil is only physically safe. The forces of darkness don’t rest. There can also be another, as much as I’m trying to keep that from happening.” He looks at Kuiil, a hesitant expression on his face. “And if he fell…”
“He’d be dangerous,” Ari completes. “He’d be really dangerous.”
Kuiil buries against Din as tightly as he can.
“Let’s take a break,” Maz says, cutting through the tension. “This is all quite gloom. We can eat and discuss this again when emotions have calmed, yes?”
There’s a mumble of agreement. Ari is quick to get up to stretch, while Paz stares down at his hands--Din knows that only the Darksaber is on his mind now. Din cradles Kuiil, whose presence is nothing short of distressed in his mind.
Would you let him do that to you? he asks. Let him look for memories?
He won’t hurt me, Kuiil responds.
Din takes a deep breath. He looks up at Skywalker, who’s begun speaking with Maz in low tones. He watches him for a moment, then looks to Paz. “Take him,” he says.
Paz looks over. Kuiil makes a whine, but this time when Din moves him away, he doesn’t cry out or cling. Paz takes Kuiil into his arms, a soft “Vod’ad” being murmured before Kuiil jumps to grab onto him, just as tight.
“Skywalker,” Din says. He stands up.
The jedi looks over.
“Outside.”
Skywalker frowns, but after a moment, stands up as well. Maz gives Din a warning expression, then nods to Skywalker. Both start walking for the door.
“Vod’ika,” Paz says, reaching out to grab Din’s arm. “Narudar.”
“I know,” Din mutters.
He and Skywalker walk to the front door of the castle. Din opens the door and gestures him through. Skywalker gives him a side look before stepping through, out onto the stone half-circle before the stairs. Din follows and shuts the door behind him. He steps forward to be on the same line as Skywalker, which seems to put the jetii at more ease.
Overhead, the flags flutter in the breeze.
“I understand why you don’t want me anywhere near Kuiil’s mind,” Skywalker starts. “I couldn’t expect anything less, not when--”
Din slams his fist into Skywalker’s cheek.
The jedi stumbles in surprise, a slight misstep sending him down the stairs. It’s a short but painful fall and Skywalker catches himself at the bottom, snapping around in an instant to face Din.
His hand reaches for his lightsaber on his belt, gripping it.
Din doesn’t move, standing at the top of the steps.
They stare at each other.
Skywalker slowly releases the saber and begins to get up.
Din watches. He flexes his hand. “You took my kid,” he growls. “You left me for dead and ran across the galaxy with him. I don’t give a damn about your apology--if our matriarch hadn’t ordered otherwise and we were anywhere else, I’d have killed you already.”
Skywalker stares at him, then brushes off the dust from his robes. “Which I’m glad for,” he says. “I am.”
They fall silent. Din stares at him.
“You think he can become a… dark jedi,” he says.
“A sith,” Skywalker says. “A sith lord.”
“Do you have any actual faith in this memory idea?”
“I’ve never had reason to do it. It would be a learning process.” Skywalker touches his cheek. “But that, with meditation—it would be less teaching, more exploratory. Seeing what’s already there, not trying to add or remove anything.”
Din frowns. “Why can’t Maz do it?”
“Maz is powerful in her own right. She could probably teach me things I haven’t thought of. But this would require more than a few days every once in a while. It could take stretches of time close together before we could make progress.”
“You want to have him for long term.”
“For those stretches, yes.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
Skywalker sighs. “We have to figure something out, Mando.”
“Something that doesn’t mean me giving up my son to someone who’s already kidnapped him once.”
Skywalker frowns. “Fine. How much are you willing to allow?”
Din looks at him. He looks up at the flags, waving in the breeze, and at the statue of Maz in the center. The walls of the castle feel even taller as they surround them.
“Here,” he says. “If you’re going to train him, you do it here.”
Skywalker looks up at the castle. “I have a temple, on--”
“I don’t care. Here,” Din says. “Maz is here. You seem to respect her. It’s only a few hours from our covert. And Kuiil is familiar with this place.”
Skywalker is quiet. “I can’t just leave my students for--”
“I don’t care. You asked what I’d allow. This is it.”
For a moment, they only look at each other.
“You train him here,” Din continues. “We can stay here for periods of time. We’re already used to it.”
“We,” Skywalker repeats. “I… just need the child.”
“We. I’m not leaving him here alone. That’s not an option. Maz would train me as well, when we stayed.”
“... Train you.” Skywalker stares at him. “Are… you--I didn’t think you were--”
“--No,” Din says quickly. “I’m not… sensitive. But the kid made a… Force bond with me when he was a baby. He was getting in my head. Maz trained me to make shields to keep him out.”
“You have shields,” Skywalker says. “That… explains it. Resisting the mind trick.”
They only look at each other for a moment.
“I’m not negotiating for the kid,” Din says. “He’s not a thing to negotiate. I’ll bring him here to train when you need, out of concern for him and this… influence. But no more than that.” He makes fists at his sides. “Kuiil trusts you. I don’t know why.”
Skywalker nods.
“Step a damn toe out of line with this and I’ll put a bolt through your skull,” Din says. “No questions asked.”
“Understood,” Skywalker says.
Behind Din, the door creaks open. He doesn’t turn, a small “Ba’vodu?” enough for him to know it’s Ari.
“What?” he asks.
“Just… checking,” she says. “They were a bit… concerned. That you might’ve killed him.”
“No,” Din says. “Just coming to an understanding.”
He turns and walks to the door. Ari steps back for him. They step back inside, and Skywalker follows from behind as they approach the table.
Paz is standing with Kuiil in his arms, both murmuring in quiet Mando’a until they approach. Paz’s helmet tracks them, his grip on Kuiil tight, but Kuiil coos and reaches for Din. “Buir!”
“I’m here,” Din says. He takes the kid into his arms. “I’m here.”
Kuiil snuggles in against him. Ari steps up to them, the four Mandalorians forming a tight group.
“When do we tell the aliit?” she asks.
“We’ll send a message from the Crest,” Paz says. “So the matriarch knows. We’ll discuss it as a group when we return.”
“Discuss?” Ari frowns. “You mean discuss how we’re going to get it back?”
“We can’t rush in on an Imperial base,” Paz says.
“We have the coordinates. Karga gave them.”
“But we don’t exactly have the firepower,” Din says.
“We pushed Gideon out of Nevarro!” Ari says.
“14 able-bodied, trained fighters are good when we have the element of surprise and already know the turf,” Din says. “This is different. This is attacking a location we don’t know inside and out.”
“So we recon,” Ari says. “I’d go. Scope the place out. Dune would help us. It’s not like we haven’t earned friends!”
“It’s not for us to decide,” Paz says. “It’s a clan decision.”
“We’d need to bulk up more,” Din says. “We’d need more firepower than what we have. Only so many fighters--we need more numbers.”
Paz’s head jerks to the side. Ari and Din look at him. “How about a jetii?”
Din follows his gaze to Skywalker, who has sat down again. Din watches him for a moment.
“Hey,” he calls out. “You want to protect the kid?”
Skywalker looks up at him, brows furrowed.
“Help us take down Gideon, and we’ll call it even.”
Maz sends the Mandalorians out with a container of food each, insisting that it not go to waste. Their growling stomachs won’t complain.
“Thank you,” Din says to her. Kuiil is balanced on his pauldron, exactly where he should be. “For everything you’ve ever done for us.”
“Thank you for not making a mess when he walked through the door,” Maz says. She looks at Kuiil. “... I’m glad you’re willing to try the memory retrieval.”
Din turns and looks at where Ari and Paz stand near the fountain, waiting. He looks back at her. “I don’t trust him,” he says. “I’d still rather see a bolt straight through his face than let him come near us.”
“Hmph,” Maz says, amused. “It would be deserved.”
“Buir,” Kuiil mumbles, a hand pulling at his cape.
Din reaches up and puts a hand on Kuiil’s back, then nods to Maz. “We’ll be planning this for some time,” he says.
Maz nods. “Reach out when you want to meet with Skywalker,” she says. “Sooner, the better.”
“You trust him?” he asks.
“His intentions? Yes,” she says. “That one has seen many things. His eyes tell quite a tale. He is young and not entirely experienced in these matters--I think he understands now the errors he has made.”
Din frowns. “I don’t have to like him.”
Maz smiles. “I don’t imagine you would. Farewell, Clan Djarin.”
Din nods and turns, walking down the stairs. Paz and Ari look over, then begin walking with him out of the castle’s courtyard. They step out and into the open air; into view comes Skywalker’s X-wing, the man himself leaning against it as he waits.
He looks up as the Mandalorians approach, then stands. Paz gives Din an elbow. “Where’d that bruise on his face come from?” he mutters, accusatory. Din makes a noise in his throat but doesn’t answer.
They stop several paces away. “We have to discuss things with our people first,” Din says. “We’ll contact you through Maz to let you know what’s decided.”
Skywalker nods. “And the training, too?”
“Right. However it all works out.”
Skywalker nods again, then his eyes shift to Kuiil and he smiles. “Goodbye,” he says.
“Bye!” Kuiil says. Then he perks up. “Ret’urcye mhi! That’s goodbye.”
Skywalker smiles. “We’ll add it to the list,” he says.
“Can you--can you say goodbye to Yoda for me?” he asks. “And--and Ob… Obi…”
“Obi-Wan,” Skywalker supplies, grinning. “Yes, I’ll tell them you said so.”
The jedi gives them a nod and turns to his ship. The Mandalorians turn and begin walking towards the Crest’s spot. Din glances towards Kuiil. “Who were you saying bye to?”
Kuiil smiles. “They’re jedi,” he says. “They’re ghosts!”
“I--” Din stops himself. Some things aren’t to be questioned. He just reaches up and pulls Kuiil down into his arms, earning a squeak from the boy. “You’re not a jedi.”
Kuiil giggles and presses against Din’s cuirass. “No,” he says. “I’m a Mando.”
They continue on. The Razor Crest comes into sight. Din taps on his controls, ordering the hatch to lower, and Kuiil shifts to get comfortable in his arms.
Paz breaks the silence with disbelief.
“Were you teaching him Mando’a?”