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It really hadn’t been that long since Boba dropped everyone off, but so much had changed.
“Is the child safe?” Boba asked as Fennec dropped into the co-pilot seat. That was, afterall, the whole point of all this. The fact that she didn’t look victorious made him worried that his end of the deal wasn’t over quite yet. He had things to do after this.
“Well…” She took in a deep breath like it was going to be a long story.
In the end, it was a win for them. No one died, karma bit Bo-Katan in the ass, and the child was safe. Boba couldn’t help but wonder what trouble would come from Din having the right to claim the Mandalorian throne. From when they previously talked, it seemed that Din wasn’t quite aware about how Mandalorian culture operated away from his covert. It was probably going to send the galaxy into another annoying little civil spat.
Boba didn’t care much that the Child had ended up with a Jedi. If the child was safe, that’s all that mattered. However, he found himself surprised when his thoughts lingered on how Din was doing. Fennec said he had taken the goodbye pretty hard.
Maybe he cared about what Din was going through because it was a pain Boba could understand; a father and a son being torn apart. While Din would most likely be able to see the Child again, he knew the pain must’ve ran deep. Goodbyes were never easy.
In a weird way, Boba had grown somewhat fond of Din. He was a honorable man, and fiercely compassionate for others in a way Boba didn’t see in a lot of Mandalorians. He was also a lot more likely to learn and grow rather than be set and stubborn. It made him easy to get along with.
“I’m going to go speak with him,” Boba said, letting Fennec take control of the ship. They likely wouldn’t be under attack any time soon. The remnants of the empire would be scrambling after the large blow they’ve been dealt with.
“Let your footsteps fall loudly,” Fennec advised, which only served to baffle Boba. He didn’t question her on it, though.
He quickly realized why she said it though, frozen in spot as he stared at the man before him. It was Din, but in his hands he held his helmet.
Fennec had wanted to give Din a chance to hear Boba put it back on before the other man got to him.
For a moment, Boba took in Din’s features. His curly brown hair, his soft but sad eyes, and stubble on his face. He could only imagine how lovely Din must look when more alive.
Din glanced up at Boba, but didn’t say anything. His body seemed to deflate further, staring at the blank face of his helmet.
Boba wasn’t sure what to say either. To be polite, he slipped off his own helmet and took seat next to the other man. It was so calm and peaceful after everything that had happened, the soft rumble of the engines filling the silence, and yet there was still a tense air.
“Th-” Din’s voice slightly cracked and he cleared his throat. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
It was strange hearing his voice without the helmet’s filter. Somehow he sounded more hollow.
“I was just holding up my end of the deal,” Boba said honestly. “And it never hurts to strike back at people who’ve wronged me in the past.”
Din let out a soft sigh, finally looking up at Boba. “You really didn’t have to. We never agreed to anything.” His eyes seemed so tired, like he was half expecting something else to go wrong. Not exactly like he was distrustful of Boba, but still unwilling to completely believe he was safe. Maybe it was curiosity as to why Boba stuck around. “I hadn’t agreed to give you your armor back. You could’ve just left.”
“I could’ve,” Boba agreed, “and I might have actually done so in my younger years.” He couldn’t say that the thought of leaving hadn’t crossed his mind at least for a brief moment. “I’d like to be an honorable man. You never agreed to give me the armor, that is true, and I had taken it anyways. It was only right for me to stay true to the deal I had offered.”
Din dropped his gaze, staring back at his helmet. “Thank you,” he said again. “I wouldn’t have been able to save the kid without you. I thought I had lost him forever.”
They fell back into silence. Boba could practically feel Din’s racing thoughts. Poor man must have a lot on his mind after everything that happened. At his waist was the darksaber, and Boba could only imagine the troubles that it’d bring Din. While he wanted to ask if Din would claim the Mandalorian throne, he decided that he had enough on his mind. Right now, his thoughts were likely preoccupied on his son.
“I once told Cara that if I took off this helmet, I could never put it back on again and be a Mandalorian,” Din started to say, slowly as if still trying to put together his own thoughts. “I had… I had taken it off once before back on Morak.” It was said quietly, as if it were a confession. “Mayfeld had seen my face, as well as many of the imps at that base. I had to do it to get into the system. I did it for Grogu.”
Boba briefly had no idea who Grogu was before realizing it was likely the child. For whatever reason, Boba had never asked for a name, and everyone just called the child just that.
“So, what do you think,” Boba said, “are you still a Mandalorian or not?”
Din shook his head slightly. “I… I don’t know.”
“You said before that you wouldn’t put the helmet back on, but you did,” Boba reminded him. “What made you put it back on?”
“I took it off because I had to. I once made the mistake of choosing my beskar over the foundling, and I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. I felt as though I could still call myself a Mandalorian if it were for the sake of a foundling.”
“Then you can still call yourself Mandalorian if you so wish,” Boba said sternly, but not unkindly. “Mandalorian culture has so much diversity. There is no right way to be a Mandalorian. I’m sure to you it was a shock when you met Bo-Katan and her underlings. Do you think they’re Mandalorian?”
Din hesitated for a moment, but nodded. “I do.”
“If I were to say I was a Mandalorian, would you accept that?”
Din nodded again, with less hesitation. “I would.”
“Then are you going to put your helmet back on?” Boba asked.
Din didn’t answer immediately, and he stared back down at helmet. After a moment, his eyes closed and he let out a heavy breath.
He nodded once more.
“I know the pain you must feel from being separated from your child, and you’re going to be dealing with a lot of struggles going forward, but your identity should not be one of them.” Boba could care less what his covert had told Din growing up, the rigid rules they must’ve imposed on him. Din was a fine man, and he didn’t want him to think otherwise.
Din let out an unamused chuckle. “I’m not looking forward to all those struggles." He leaned back in his seat, finally allowing his body to relax. “I’m going to need to find myself a ship. I can probably find a guild and get some on-planet work, should get me enough credits to buy a decent enough ship to hold me over.”
“I can get you a ship,” Boba offered. Once they got to Tatooine and dealt with some people, getting one should be no problem.
“I can’t ask you to do that,” Din shook his head. “You’ve done more than enough.”
Boba slightly huffed. “Good thing you didn’t ask then.” He rose to his feet, helmet in hand. “You’re as good as dead with no money or transportation, and my protection goes for you too, not just the child. I’ll have you get up so you can go on your own way.” He didn’t leave it open for debate.
Din looked like he wanted to protest, emotions loud and clear on his face without a helmet to hide them. Instead, he relented. “I- thank you.”
“You should probably get some sleep. It’ll be a while before we get to Tatooine.” Slipping his helmet back on, Boba decided to head back up to the cockpit. After hesitating a moment, he added on, “And, Din? You did the right thing. I’m sure your foundling is proud to have you as a father. Your paths will cross again.”
For a second, it looked like Din was going to tear up. He swallowed hard and dipped his head. “Thank you,” he said again, voice slightly wavering. Boba could tell he wasn’t saying thank you just to be polite, but was genuinely grateful. His voice even sounded a touch more warm as compared to the earlier hollowness.
As Boba left, part of him hoped that his path would cross with Din’s again as well.