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You sit at the bottom of the back ramp of the Razor Crest enjoying the setting sun and warm evening breeze chasing the leaves around you. The water in the lake in front of you laps gently along the grassy shore, lulling you into a state of calm. Moments like this are few and far between so you intend to take every advantage of this and soak it all up before it is time to move on. Today is a day off so you’ve shed your armor and are only wearing your soft bodysuit. This is the middle of nowhere and it’s so quiet you almost forget you are not alone. Soft sounds inside the ship’s hull remind you there is someone inside.
A footstep sounds, and you turn to see an armored boot land next to you with a soft thud. Looking up, you see a familiar silver helmet and dark T shaped visor looking down at you. Not surprisingly, he is the opposite of you, dressed in full armor with his blaster holstered on his hip.
“Din, jat'ca'nara. K’emuuri ibic tra’daab ti ni.” [Din, good timing. Enjoy this sunset with me.] you say, happy to see him.
He sits and you see he is holding an adorable little green child with the longest ears this side of Tatooine. Grogu stretches his little arms and opens his mouth in a wide yawn to reveal his tiny teeth.
“Ad’ika ru gana jate nuhoy. Jii kaysh copaani oya'karir.” [Little one had a good sleep. Now he wants to hunt.] Din replies and the child giggles, which makes you smile.
Hearing the language of your home world echoed back to you feels comforting and puts you at ease. You and Din have taken to speaking it when you are alone, a habit of Mandalorians. It strengthens the bond you two have with every word and inflection. Even Grogu has picked up a few words, albeit his pronunciation is far from perfect! He has picked up a lot of the Mandalorian ways you two have been teaching him. You know he’ll be a verd’ika [little warrior] before long.
“Ret kaysh lise gaanaylir gi bal mhi lise epar.” [Maybe he can catch a fish and we can eat.] you respond.
Din rises and lays a hand on your shoulder. You watch as he carries Grogu down to the lake’s edge. He kneels by the water and puts the child down to see the fish lazily swimming in the water nearby. Grogu is intrigued and tries to stick his hands in the water, but Din holds out a hand to stop him.
“Uh uh uh. Tion Jetii ru ba’juri gar vaabir?” [What did the Jedi teach you to do?] Din chides Grogu gently.
Grogu looks at him questioningly for a moment and then seems to understand. He holds out his hand towards the fish and closes his eyes. You can sense the air thickening just slightly as the breeze blows towards you, an ability you’ve had as long as you can remember.
“Ke sur’a. Gar kotyc ti Jetii’dral.” [Focus. You’re strong with the Force.] Din reminds him encouragingly.
The child concentrates harder, and the water forms a circular ripple, moving outwards, and a large fish rises out of the water. It floats over to Grogu and drops between him and Din, flopping around on the ground.
“Giiiii!” [Fiiiiish!] Grogu squeals happily, clapping his hands.
Din laughs, a sound you don’t hear from him often. “Elek, gi.” [Yes, fish.]
“Ori’jate, Grogu! Mhi gana kai’tome!” [Excellent, Grogu! We have a meal!] Din praises the little one.
He sounds like a proud buir [parent] and gives Grogu a high three (as the little one only has 3 fingers!). You watch them and smile to yourself. For a man who has seen the worst the galaxy has to offer, he has the gentlest disposition when interacting with his adopted son. The three of you don’t get much time alone so it’s rare for you to see him allow himself a little respite from the yust be Mando verd [way of the Mandalorian warrior] he has chosen to walk. Then again, you made the same choice because you knew you would lose him if you didn’t. Nu t’ad’yc mirde [No second thoughts], you tell yourself. Naas yaimpar at. [Nothing to return to.]
A sound pulls you back to the present and you look up. The fish smacks the ground with its tail and Grogu chases after it as it flips away. Din pulls out his vibroblade, stabs the fish with it, and carries it over to you, Grogu skipping along behind him. He stops in front of you and holds out the speared fish, still wiggling and not quite dead. Even while embracing parenthood, he never lets you forget he has lived a nomadic lifestyle and it is ingrained in him as much as the scars he hides under his beskar’gam [beskar armor]. You’ve seen enough of them to know he has not had an easy life. He’s faced death more times than he cares to tell you and killed more than you care to know about.
“Liniba skraan?” [Need food?] Din asks you, as if expecting you to take a bite.
Din tends to treat food as a simple necessity and not make it very appealing, but you don’t find fault with him at all. You know he’s trying to take care of you the only way he knows how.
With a little laugh, you tell him, “Ni n’epa ner skraan vaal ibic oyayc. Solyc, mhi gotal’u tracyn skraanir. Grogu, ke'gaa’taytli ni mar’eyir shaap bevicke.” [I don’t eat my food while it’s alive. First, we build a fire to cook. Grogu, help me find wood sticks.]
You pick yourself up and walk down off the ramp, feeling the grass and soft earth under your feet which makes you realize you forgot to put your boots on once again. It feels good so you keep walking. Grogu follows along behind you, eager to go exploring. Walking along the tree line behind the Crest, you pick up sizable branches and pile them up on your arm. Grogu toddles along behind you, picking up small twigs and a bunch of leaves, laughing and baby talking as he goes. Satisfied with what you have collected, you walk back to the bottom of the ramp where Din has made a circle of rocks for a fire. While you make a pyramid with the wood, Din selects a large, sturdy stick and neatly skewers the fish on it. Grogu drops the leaves on the pile of wood and smiles at you, pleased that he has “helped”.
You can’t help but smile back. “Vor’e, ad’ika.” [Thanks, little one.]
Picking up Grogu and moving a safe distance away, you sit down on the ramp.
“Ke'nau’u tracyn.” [Light the fire.] you tell Din.
He nods and holds out his right arm in a fist towards the wood, then you hear a click and a whoosh. A flame shoots out of his vambrace and licks the top of the pile of wood. Flames rise, crackling and dancing. Grogu’s eyes shine with wonderment and his little mouth opens with an “Oooh”. Just as Din is about to put the fish over the open flames, you reach into the duffle bag sitting near you and pull out a small jar.
“Ke'pare. Bic liniba paak.” [Wait. It needs salt.] you remind him.
As Din obligingly holds the fish towards you, you sprinkle the salt over it and rub it in well. While you clean your hands with some water, Din holds the skewered fish over the fire, turning it this way and that, so the flames touch it evenly on all sides. Before long, the pleasant smell of grilled fish reaches your nose. Grogu looks on eagerly, clearly hungry for a bite.
Din turns to you. “Ke'hiibi gaide dayn teh cuun tayat.” [Take plates out from our storage.]
You nod and stand up, bare feet moving across the cool metal of the Crest as you head to an alcove on the side. Grabbing some metal plates, utensils, and a loaf of bread, you return to Din and the sizzling fish. By now, your stomach is grumbling and the fish smells amazing. Sitting down beside him, you hold out a large plate, and he carefully fillets the fish meat onto it, cooked to a white color that looks savory and delicious. You put together a small plate of meat and bread, blowing on the fish to cool it off. Grogu reaches out with his small hands, his tiny tummy surely needing the meal. You place it in front of him and he eats voraciously, grabbing the fish with his fingers and stuffing it in his mouth. You make yourself a plate and dig into the meal with a fork. After a few bites, you notice Din quietly watching you two. He hasn’t removed his helmet to eat, but you know he must be hungry. You only arrived last night and have not had time to eat a proper meal til now. Putting down your now empty plate, you tilt your head and look at him.
“Tion copaani epar, Din? Shi mhi olar.” [Want to eat, Din? It’s only us here.] you say this because you know he is not used to taking off his helmet. His creed prevents him from doing so, and he’s never broken his vow except for Grogu. You’ve asked before, but he’s always refused. Reaching out, you touch the indented cheek of his helmet.
Leaning forward, you whisper in his ear earnestly, “Ke’duumi ni haa’taylir gar troan. Gedet’ye.” [Allow me to see your face. Please.]
You sit back and gaze into his visor, searching for his reaction. Din looks at you silently, as if thinking it over. After a moment, he reaches up with both hands and lifts his helmet off his head and places it carefully beside him. His dark eyes blink and focus on you, and his lips part slightly, as if posing a question but he says nothing. From his dark, messy hair to his rough chin, it’s a face you etch into your memory. You know he’s not big on affections, so you simply kiss him on the cheek and hand him a plate of food. He pulls off his gloves and accepts it, digging in hungrily. While Din eats, you pour yourself a cup of water and Grogu waves his hand, so you pour him one too. As the two of you drink, Din pours himself a cup and throws it back in one gulp. Relaxed from food and drink, you lean your head against his shoulder, feeling the hard beskar of his pauldron. Grogu climbs into Din’s lap and snuggles against his chest plate, satiated after a full meal.
The last streaks of light dance across the water and die away. It turns to night and stars start to twinkle in the evening sky. Suddenly, bright streaks shoot across the dark void over your heads. Startled, you all look skyward at the stunning sight.
“Tra’ruus pitat.” [Meteor shower.] Din tells you, his voice husky but clear, without his helmet to muffle it. “Bic bana solus ca anay raysh’olan simire olar. Mhi jate’kara haa’taylir.” [It happens one night every 500 years here. We are lucky to see.]
Din lays back against the ramp and you do the same next to him, looking up at the meteor shower as it displays a stunning show across the night sky. Grogu leans back to see and falls over against Din’s shoulder and Din catches him with his hand, holding him steady. The child looks up at the sky in awe and lets out a “Waaahh” while holding up his tiny hands as if trying to catch one. You slide your hand under Din’s arm and tuck your hand in his. He reacts by opening his hand and your fingers intertwine. You feel the warmth of his bare hand, scarred from years of fighting and rough work. The three of you lie there watching the sky for a few minutes.
You’re lost in thought when Din speaks, breaking the quiet reverie. “Mhi enteyo ba’slana nakar’tuur par cuun projor aka.” [We must leave tomorrow for our next mission.]
“Tion mhi dar’tome?” [Will we be separated?] you ask.
“Ne kar’tayli. Ret.”[I don’t know. Maybe.] he says, with a note of sadness. “Bal ni ven haa’tayli gar’ni tug’yc. Haat’miit.” [But we’ll see each other again. Promise.]
You sigh. “Mhi ru’gaanade kemir ibic olar.” [We chose to walk this life.]
Din turns and looks at you. “Ni copaani tionir gar tionas ru mhi ba’slana. Shi haat.” [I want to ask you a question before we leave. Only truth.]
“Ke'tioni ni mayen.” [Ask me anything.] you tell him.
You never keep secrets from each other. Shi haat acyk mhi [Only truth between us] - a promise you made to each other from the beginning. He always says it when he wants an honest answer out of you, though you know you would never respond with anything else.
“Tion gar ven gaanade riduurok ti ni? Jiila?” [Will you choose riduurok with me? Right now?] Din asks you.
You sit up, staring at him, stunned. “Tion meg gar ori’copaani?” [Is it what you really want?]
He pushes himself up beside you and looks directly in your eyes. “Ori’shya mayen.” [More than anything.]
“Elek. Ni gaanade gar, Din Djarin.”[Yes, I choose you, Din Djarin.] you tell him without hesitation.
Din stands up, pulling you with him. He leads you down to the edge of the water, carrying Grogu in one arm. Placing the child by his feet, he faces you, his hand finding its way around your back. Grogu clings to Din’s leg and watches you two curiously. Din pulls you close, and you lean into him, very aware of how fast your heart beats. You lay your hands on his chest plate, feeling the cool beskar under your fingers.
“Mhi jorhaa’i solus.” [We speak as one.] he says softly, his eyes focused on you and yours on him. He places his other hand on his chest, covering both of yours.
You nod, a little bit nervous about saying the words. The happiness you sense in Din’s eyes calm you and the two of you say them together.
“Mhi solus tome. Mhi solus dar’tome. Mhi me’dinui an. Mhi ba’juri verde.” [We are one together. We are one apart. We share all. We raise warriors.]
The words bind you to each other as one. You share a long kiss, your first as a couple bound to each other by the Mandalorian vow of riduurok. His lips press against yours and you feel his arms around you tight. You feel the rush all the way to your fingertips and down to your toes. Arms around his neck, you press against him. When your lips finally part, you stare into each other’s eyes, breathing hard.
“Ni kar’tayli gar darasuum. Ke'tayli ni olar gayiyla gar slana.” [I love you. Keep me here everywhere you go.] you say softly to him and touch the center of his chest plate where there is an elongated hexagon shape over his heart.
“Ni kar’tayli gar darasuum ori’shya.” [I love you more.] Din says softly.
He leans in again, his lips finding yours. You kiss him again, your hand tracing the contours of his face and resting on his chin. You feel the roughness of his cheek, reminding you he’s never quite clean shaven. It doesn’t bother you, in fact, you like him that way.
“Boo-eee!” Grogu squeaks and reaches his tiny hands up. You know he’s asking for his buir [father], so you lean down to pick him up and place him in Din’s arm. Grogu wraps his little hands around Din’s neck, and you watch a father embrace his son.
“Tion mhi aliit jii?” [Are we family now?] you ask Din, taking his hand.
Din pulls you close to him, and your foreheads touch together. You breathe in at the same time and close your eyes briefly.
“Elek. Ni ven cabuo ner aliit ‘kay ner kyr’yc haal.” [Yes. I will protect my family til my last breath.] he says solemnly.
“Bal ni ven nari aras.” [And I will do the same.] you reply.
“Ni aala sa ni ru kar’tayli gar par ta’raysholan simire.” [I feel like I’ve known you for a thousand years.] he tells you, his voice emotional.
“Bal ven cuy ta’raysholan ru gar sirbu ori’mesh’la miite tug’yc.” [And it will be a thousand years before you say such beautiful words again.] you tease him, knowing how rare it is for him to express his deepest feelings.
You lean your head on Din’s shoulder and feel him embrace you as more streaks of light pass over your heads. Grogu snuggles in between you two with happy chirring as you rub his little back. You relish this special evening, and it renews your shereshoy because you know what you’ll fight for tomorrow. Aliit.