Chapter Text
Mando felt a rare drop of sweat run down his back, and the inside of his helmet was like a furnace. Usually he was immune to discomfort but something must be up with his suit’s electronics. This kriffin planet was just too hot. He’d had to take on a job as security to some fancy New Republic Person who was making a political visit to Elom. He needed the credits since he was taking a break from Bounty hunting, fuel and food still cost money. While this was an honorable job, babysitting privileged Core persons was low on his list of things he enjoyed.
He forced back the constant ache of missing his kid. It was better this way, he told himself a thousand times a day. It was safer and Grogu needed to be with his own kind. That didn’t keep him from hanging up the tiny hammock in his new ship, or rolling the silver ball he kept in a pouch on his belt whenever he was…hurting. So he simply went from being the center of someone’s universe to being untethered, with no real purpose, except to stay off of Bo-Katan’s radar. Hence this job.
He was assigned part of the outside group, to escort her to her ship after she spoke to the ruling leaders. They’d positioned him on the roof, and he was envious of his other team members down below in the shade. Idly Mando wondered why the need for such protection since Elom was firmly in Republic hands.
The comm they gave him squawked. “She’s on her way, look sharp.” His eyes swept the area, never resting in one place. The plan was to get her in a convoy to the ship, and he’d follow behind on a speeder waiting below. Her shiny black limo craft was idling and ready in the shimmering heat.
Mando crouched down, not taking his eyes off the courtyard. He saw her retinue of retainers emerge from the main entrance, with a vision wearing a long dramatic white dress standing in the center. He registered the streaks of blaster fire before he heard them and saw all his team taken out together.
Quickly assessing the situation, he looked for a way to get down without using the fire escape he had planned on. Racing to the side edge, he saw a small stair that didn’t quite reach the roof, so he engaged his whipcord to a nearby vent and leapt over the side. He could still hear blasters, and the group at the door had stopped like idiots, frozen in fear.
He thrust his way through them, grabbing the hand of the woman in white. “Get DOWN!” he snapped, roughly pulling her off the red carpet. She turned to look at him, a tiny frisson of emotion crossing her face but she obeyed. Mando saw she was not afraid, but exhilarated which made him mentally consign her to the young and foolish. When people were dying around you, you should be afraid.
He yanked her over to some large decorative potted plants, and gestured to crouch as low as she could. Blaster shots were still flying everywhere and most of her escort group were now laying on the ground, bleeding out or moaning in pain.
Leia knelt down as far as her ridiculous dress would allow, she hoped she wasn’t revealing all her charms since the tension in the shoulder straps were now too loose. The Mandalorian had his hand clamped so tightly on her wrist it hurt but she knew they were in trouble. Even though she was a veteran of being in public life, she felt she had to ask.
“You are part of my team, right? Not the bad guys?” She felt stupid asking but wanted to hear him speak and gauge for herself. She had a highly developed sense of preservation that served her well from her training with her brother.
He had been watching for a break in the firing, and his helmet turned to her slowly.
“You think I’m saving you for fun?” His modulator made his voice deep and husky, but his tone was incredulous.
“Okay, just checking-I mean, you could be trying to kidnap me, get a ransom,” she said lightly, trying to defuse his anger.
He turned back to find a way out, mentally gauging how far to his speeder when a bolt took it down in a gout of flames. They both jumped at the explosion and he quickly turned to formulate a new escape, spotting a rusted speeder about twenty feet away. He looked at her dress, the bottom third encrusted with intricate beading and rhinestones which caught the light and reflected back like a thousand diamonds.
“We’re going to need to cut that off,” he gestured to the dress puddling at her feet. That shocked her. “This dress,” she gritted her teeth, “cost fifty times more than whatever they’re paying you.”
“Well, you can wear it dead or you can let me cut it,” he said shortly. “Those sparkles totally give away your location when it reflects the light.”
She closed her eyes in a ‘Maker help me’ attitude and with a huff spread out the dress for him.
Within seconds she could feel the vibroknife cleanly slicing off up to her knees. He grabbed her calf to reach the back of the dress and even though his glove it felt strangely intimate. She glanced at his helmet but he was all business. ‘Well, if you are going to be saved, it might as well be by an elite emotionless professional.
He was now eyeing her 4 inch heels, and without saying a word, she stared at his helmet and snatched them off.
He humphed quietly then pointed to the speeder. “I’m going to cover us, we are running to the speeder and getting out of here.” She nodded and he went on.
“I’m driving,” in case she got some funny ideas. She rolled her eyes and her body went taut, ready to bolt at his signal.
Mando felt some relief that she wasn’t one of those women who always had some stupid quip or sarcastic remark. She went up one tick in his estimation.
Giving a quick look over her shoulder, he said, “Now!” She was off like a gazelle, not looking back, her fabulous shoes clutched in her hands. Mando was right behind her, firing off blast after blast.
Huffing furiously, they both pitched behind the machine, then Mando ripped off a glove with his teeth to hotwire it.
“On three,” he commanded, and they both leapt on it while he roared the engine to life.
The speeder lurched in response to the demand made on its aging machinery. They managed to get several feet away before a hail of blaster fire indicated they had been spotted.
“Hang on,” he said unnecessarily, and she tightened her grip around his armored midsection. The speeder started zigzagging through back streets, sending passersby squawking with strings of curses aimed at them. The wind whipped through her intricate braids, and Leia found herself caught up in the moment, even with death chasing them she had not felt so alive in years. She can’t help herself and laughed a little, getting Din’s attention. He glanced back and saw that her eyes were sparkling with excitement, and his earlier grudging approval now plummeted. As if she can tell he is exasperated, she gives him a tiny shrug and scales back her expression to something that is not pure enjoyment.
Shaking his head at her antics, Mando quickly tried to find someplace to park for a second and get their bearings but he was unfamiliar with the area and he could hear their pursuers getting closer.
“Turn left at the next stop, then a hard right then left,” he heard her low voice breathe near his ear. Trusting her, he did as she said and found themselves in a small courtyard of dusty garages. Leaning back his helmet, “But this is a dead end,” he called out.
Leia said nothing, just jumped off and hit a code into the panel and silently a door went up.
“Hurry, in here.”
Mando thrust the speeder inside and she again smashed the panel to close the door. Breathing erratically, they both listened to see if they were followed to this particular alley. Hearing revved up speeders going past, they both relaxed. Looking at her, Mando saw her eyes were wide with the adrenaline high and she seemed to be…reveling in their situation.
She caught his helmet gazing at her, and she said unapologetically, “That was not an unusual occurrence for me.” She was smiling a bit.
“How did you know this place,” he asked, wondering what kind of life this woman led.
She shook her head. “I’m always briefed on a safe house wherever I go,” she informed him. Leia finally got a good look at her savior. She saw a Mandalorian with a lot of beskar, much taller than her, but everyone was, she was a petite woman. He filled out the armor nicely and she consigned him to some kind of merc status that was hired for her visit. As a member of a famous royal family in politics, she had literally met hundreds of people that worked for her in some capacity. She knew well how to speak to employees and make them feel comfortable.
“I don’t see many Mandalorians, even in my job,” she spoke calmly, totally at ease in their plight even though wearing a torn up ballgown and bare feet.
“And what job would that be,” he said continuing his quick security assessment of their room.
“Oh, I’m a Senator on Chandrila. Our family have always been public servants, and I make visits all over the galaxy. Not all are this, perilous I guess you could say.”
She started to a room in the back.
“There should be a communications center here, and then we can wait for pickup. And my name is Leia, Leia Organa.” She cocked her head at him for a response.
The Mandalorian was a little impressed with her composure. No hysterics, no tears, just a stout heart in the face of real danger. She has Mandokarla in spades, he thought, and perhaps his earlier judgement was completely wrong.
Stiffly, he nodded at her. “You may call me Mando.” A giggle almost bubbled up in her as he made no acknowledgement of who she was. It was refreshing.
Instead of arguing or digging deeper for a real name, she smiled. “Thanks for saving me, Mando.”
Leia felt like she had calmed down the Mando properly enough to get to business. She hit a button and a communications array popped up. She went through the motions of getting a secure signal out, Mando behind her just watching.
She sat back with a weary little sigh, the only thing she had shown so far that betrayed any fatigue. She watched as he prowled this new area, he couldn’t seem to settle.
“Our back up will come down for us once it gets dark.”
Din merely nodded, but inside he thought about the hours of waiting until then.
“Come on, sit,” Leia ordered, pushing a chair out with a slim foot. Din eyed it like it was going to attack him but at her rolled eyes, he finally sat with a small clank of armour.
It was silent for a bit then Leia broke it.
“You know, my brother is training a… child who was rescued by a Mandalorian. Funny how I’d never seen one for years, and between us recently we have seen two.” She missed the hard swerve of the man’s helmet but the tension suddenly radiating off of him was palpable.
The stare she felt in the Force could have melted durasteel. “Your- brother- is a Jedi?” he said harshly.
That made Leia sit up and take notice. They didn’t always advertise their relationship, but a total stranger wouldn’t have known that. She was also quick as a whip. “You’re the Mando who left Grogu?” she looked at him in astonishment.
She could almost hear him grit his teeth. “I didn’t just save him, I adopted him. He’s— my son. Is he, is he okay?”
Things clicked in her mind, and she realized instantly that her brother had misread the entire situation. Taking in Mando’s still frozen body language, she knew she was going to be kicking some Jedi ass in the near future.
“Mando, I apologize for my brother. He thought you had just rescued him on the Moff’s ship and was not completely aware of the strength of your bond.” She watched him unclench by the tiniest bit.
“As soon as we’re off planet, I will contact him to give his coordinates so you can visit. And yes, Grogu is fine, his training is going well.”
Din listened with pain in his chest, and thought about Ahsoka’s warning. “Won’t that be…detrimental to his training? Seeing me again?” He watched her behind his visor, his eyes tracking her response.
To his surprise, she laughed out loud, her hand covering her mouth in her merriment. “My brother? Not have attachments?” She calmed herself down, still chuckling. “He has me and my husband, and Chewie and Lando…Luke would know better than to not let us be part of his life.” She sobered up a bit still smiling, then got serious.
“I trained with him for a while,” she said softly. “The old Jedi Order did have concerns over attachments but it wasn’t literal. Just to be wary of any relationship that would take precedence over the greater good. Her eyes hardened for a millisecond, Din would have missed it if he hadn’t been staring at her so hard.
She looked at him gently. “You will see him again, soon. I promise.”
Din watched her for any sign of lying but she seemed very sure of herself. She certainly seemed like someone who kept their word but he had been fooled countless times before.
He nodded. “Alright.”
Leia looked him over like she was reading him, which was strange. “Alright,” she echoed. “Now let’s see if there’s any edible foodstuffs here that’s not five cycles past expiration.”