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Though the Mandalorian was a skilled bounty hunter, very confident and qualified in his work, he was not skilled in the art of mechanics.
That was why he had made a trip back to Tatooine, where Peli Motto, the most reliable mechanic he knew, would take care of a few things that needed fixing on his ship, the Razor Crest.
“You sure are hard on this old hunk of metal. Aren’t ya, Mando?” The mechanic remarked after taking a good look at the needed repairs.
“How much will it be?“ The Mandalorian asked, ignoring the comment.
"Well, depends. Will I be gettin’ extra for taking care of the little guy again?” She nodded with a smile towards the little green creature who stood clutching the Mandalorian’s lower leg.
“No… You won’t be needing to this time,” he answered a bit defensively.
He crouched to lift Grogu, fixing the baby’s onesie and positioning him in the crook of his arm. He carefully tucked a hand underneath Grogu’s bottom for maximum security.
"Okay, whatever you say, Mando,” Peli said, lifting both hands in front of her.
Moving her face close to the Child, she cooed. “Hey there, Bright Eyes! How’s Mando been treatin’ ya? A bit overprotective, seems like, huh?“
Grogu made a bubbly sound with his mouth and Peli chuckled, "Well, have a fun day with your daddy. Seems like he needs a day of rest, huh?” She lifted a finger and brushed the soft peach fuzz inside the baby’s ear.
Din cleared his throat, clearly agitated.
“We’ll be going now. I’ll be back at sundown expecting a progress report on my ship.”
Peli snorted, her tangled mess of curls seeming to shift with her every movement.
“Alright. Me and my droids’ll get started right away then,“ she said with a smirk.
The Mandalorian nodded and turned to exit the repair facility, relieved to be leaving the presence of the exasperating woman.
He emerged into the dusty hotness that was Mos Eisley, but not before carefully placing the kid in his satchel.
The port city was bustling with all different species, with street vendors and hagglers. It all coalesced into a continuous hum, all of which the Mandalorian tuned out as he pulled Grogu closer to his hip on instinct. This was hardly a place for a child, he thought.
As the Mandalorian walked, the baby let out little sounds of curiosity at his surroundings as his long floppy ears moved with each sound he heard.
Soon, Grogu’s excited chatter was accompanied by full-on grabby hands as he leaned out of his satchel. He wanted something, and Din stopped in his tracks to see what all the fuss was about.
"What is it, kid?” he asked as Grogu looked up at him and began to whine.
Din knew that stubborn squel, and he also knew that it wasnt going to stop unless the kid got what he wanted. What am I doing here? He asked himself as he pulled the kid into his arms and held him snugly against his shiny beskar.
The child continued to whine and grab at something, desperately trying to wiggle and squirm out of the Mandalorian’s hold.
He followed the direction Grogu was looking to, spotting a street vendor who was selling a neon blue drink that, upon closer inspection, seemed to contain brown circular globs of something that had sunk to the bottom.
Now that he paid more attention, the bounty hunter realized that nearly every person around him had one of the beverages in their hand, consuming it through a long glass tube.
“You want that?” he asked, and Grogu let out an excited laugh as Din approached the woman selling the stuff.
“What's in that stuff?” Mando asked her, pointing to the clear canister that held the blue drink.
“That,” the woman said with a thick accent, “is a special drink that has been passed down in my family for generations. For that reason, I cannot tell you everything it contains. But I can tell you that Salakberries— which are hard to come across here on Tatooine— are what gives the drink it’s color. And I can assure you, sir, that it will be the most refreshing and flavorsome drink you and your son will ever taste.”
She finished with a smile, and the kid watched patiently as the Mandalorian weighed the risk in his mind. In his time as a bounty hunter, he had learned not to trust easily.
But surely, he thought, it should be safe, if so many others are consuming it without worry.
He looked down at Grogu’s eager eyes, and he knew the kid had won.
“Fine,” the Mandalorian said with an annoyed sigh.
“Would you like two? Or… are you planning on sharing?” the woman asked with a warm smile, glancing down at Grogu.
“Just one, for the kid. I have no interest in the drink,” Din said flatly.
And even if he did want to try it (which he definitely didn’t), he didn't even know if he enough credits on him for more than one.
No. Just one for the kid.
A few minutes later, the woman began handing him the drink. But as the Mandalorian went to take it, she stopped him short with a movement of her hand.
“One thing. If you’re planning on feeding this to your little one, you may want to consider taking a seat first. You see, the Pearls, we call them," she tapped on the side of the flask, referring to the brown globs from before, "sometimes aren’t easily swallowed by younglings. The jostle of walking won’t make it any easier.”
Din nodded. “Ah, I understand. Thank you, I’ll… be sure to find a place.“
The woman smiled again and finished handing it to him as the Mandalorian paid her the amount due.
He turned around, hands full of kid as they made their way back into the crowd.
Grogu reached for the clear flask in Din’s other hand, wiggling and whining with impatience.
“Patients, kid. I’m trying to find somewhere to sit so you don’t choke on those pearl things.”
Thankfully, he soon found a small shaded place near the Mos Eisley cantina he had been to on his previous journey to the port city.
The Mandalorian sat at the empty table, placing the drink down on the slab of stone.
He positioned Grogu in his lap, wrapping an arm around the baby’s small body.
“Okay, kid. Drink up,” he said, gently patting Grogu’s tummy.
The baby squealed with excitement as he grasped the tube in his little hands, bringing it to his mouth. He slurped loudly while making satisfied sounds, kicking his legs happily in the Mandalorian’s hold.
Watching the baby enjoy something so deeply made Din feel an unfamiliar way inside; a warmth spread through his chest at the baby’s reaction to finally getting what he wanted.
Grogu continued slurping quickly, and the Mandalorian let out a breathy laugh.
“Slow down buddy, you’ll give yourself an upset stomach,” he warned, wiping the side of Grogu’s mouth with his cape.
The baby didn’t slow down in the least, and was finished in record time, cooing at the comfort of a full stomach.
A few minutes later, the kid’s breathing evened, and he was fast asleep in the Mandalorian’s arms.