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Din leaned back in the pilot’s chair and looked out the cockpit windows at the snow falling in the secluded shipyard of the small outpost nestled in the mountains of Krownest. It was a beautiful sight at sunset, one that the bounty hunter was not in the habit of stopping to take in. He was finding that trying to raise a child had changed his views on so many facets of his life.
“We’ll rest here in the Crest tonight and fly out at first light.” he said turning to Grogu, who was sitting in a jump seat behind the pilot’s chair.
Grogu cooed and held out one hand, his eyes squinting as he concentrated. The silver knob on the dashboard slowly spun and rose off its threading, flying past Din into Grogu's tiny claws. Grogu laughed happily and held up both his hands, a sign he wanted to be picked up.
Din sighed. “You know you’re not supposed to do that. Looks like we’ll both have to find something to do til bedtime, huh?”
He picked up his tiny, green son and took the silver knob back, putting it in his pocket. He made his way down to the hull of the ship and looked around. It had become a bit of a mess with supplies, equipment, and now, things for the child. Grogu certainly demanded his fair share of supplies to keep him happy. Din put the child down on a crate and moved towards the back, putting things away and securing gear to the walls. Grogu ran along hopping across boxes and squealing with delight when Din made a line of boxes for him to jump along. As much as Din tried to raise Grogu as a verd’ika [little warrior], he couldn’t deny that the child delighting in the simple things as a child should brought a little much needed warmth into his heart. Grogu was obviously restless and wouldn’t stop running around Din as he went through his usual routine. Putting the last few loose supplies away, he turned to see the ad’ika standing on the end of the crate watching him. His big, brown eyes lit up when he saw the T shaped visor, hoping to continue the playtime.
“Come on, wanna try a new game?” Din asked, holding out his hands.
Grogu squeaked happily and flew into Din’s arms, grabbing onto the neck of his cloak with a hug.
Din couldn’t help but smiled to himself and patted Grogu on the back gently. Walking back to the front end of the ship, he opened the sleeping compartment and rummaged in a duffle bag with his free hand until he found what he was looking for. Pulling out a deck of sabacc cards in a box, he showed them to Grogu.
“These are sabacc cards. Want to learn how to play?”
Grogu reached out with one hand, touching the box, and chirred curiously. Din walked over to the row of crates, put Grogu down and sat down across from him. He opened the end of the box and tipped it, catching the cards in his other hand. Din spread the cards out face up and showed them to the ad’ika a few at a time.
“You need try to make a hand of cards to beat everyone else. See? Like this…” Din selected certain cards and showed them. “or this.” He put together various combinations and gave them to Grogu, who examined them with keen interest.
“Okay, now I’ll shuffle all the cards and we can play for real. But we need to bet something. How about this?” Din pulled the silver knob out of his pocket and held it up. Grogu’s mouth formed an O at the sight as Din placed the knob on the crate between them. Din then expertly shuffled the deck and dealt the cards. Grogu picked up the ones in front him and stared at them intently.
“Now, you decide if you want to exchange cards.” Din explained.
Grogu put down a card. Before Din could reach for the deck and give him a card, the deck floated up slightly. He sat up in surprise and saw Grogu’s eyes narrow with focus. A card flew out of the middle of the deck and into his waiting hand. He held it up, giggling.
“Grogu.” Din said in as firm a voice as he could muster. “You shouldn’t cheat.”
Grogu dropped the card in his lap. His ears drooped as if he knew he was in trouble, his eyes downcast.
Din sighed and took his tiny hand. “I’m not angry at you, but you need to learn to play by the rules sometimes. There’s a time for doing things your way and this is not one of them. Understand?”
Grogu nodded slowly and held the card out to Din, who accepted it and tipped his chin down.
“Good” Din said, then leaned down and whispered conspiratorially, “But if you can win us a new me’sen [starship] doing it your way, I might let it slide.”
Grogu smiled and they continued playing for a few minutes. The child was a fast learner, and it wasn’t long before the round was done.
“Okay, show me what you got.” Din said.
Grogu showed Din his hand of cards.
“Hey, look at that. You won!” he cheerfully told the ad’ika while subtly tucking his cards back into the deck. He handed Grogu the silver knob and was rewarded with a happy squeal.
“I think it’s time for some skraan [food], don’t you?” Din said. Grogu chirred agreeably. But then he always did when it came to the mention of something to eat.
Din stood up and moved to the alcove on the side where he kept food supplies. He brought out a loaf of bread and some jerky meat, arranging it on a plate. Pouring water from a carafe into two cups, he brought everything to where Grogu was sitting and put it in front of him. Din sat down and watched his son dig in voraciously. After a moment, he felt his own stomach grumble and realized he needed some sustenance as well. He removed his helmet and put it aside to help himself to a bit of the bread and jerky. He gulped down some water as he watched Grogu finish the last of his meal. The ad’ika picked up the cup and drank down all the water, dribbling some on the collar of his little robe. His big eyes started to droop, and he let out a little burp.
Din smiled and stood up. “I think it’s bedtime soon for you.” He paused.
“A sol’yc, tion copaani haa’taylir ash’keb kandosii’la?” [But first, Want to see something amazing?]
Grogu tilted his head and looked at Din. “Ooowah?”
Din put on his helmet and held out his hands. “Come on.”
Grogu happily sprung into Din’s arms with a a Force jump and hung onto the neck of his cloak. Din patted the little ad’ika and walked to the back of the ship. He pushed the button to lower the ramp to reveal the snow falling in a stunning white haze, glittering in the floodlights of the Crest. Grogu’s eyes grew huge as he looked around in wonder. Din walked out and knelt down to put Grogu on the snow covered ground. Grogu happily played in the fresh white powder drifts around the ship, his Force powers manifesting in little snow balls forming and dispersing around him like bubbles.
“Hey kid, don’t go too far, okay? Stay where I can see you.” Din called out to him. He followed behind looking over the exterior of the ship as he went. He’d done it so many times, he could go through his checklist in his sleep. Just then he heard a soft thump and a cry. He quickened his bootsteps to where he last saw Grogu and found him covered in snow. It had slid off one of the engines right onto his fuzzy little head. Din quickly brushed it all off and picked Grogu up.
“Tion copaani gotal’ur cin’ciri striil?” [Want to make a snow strill?] Din asked him and Grogu clapped his hands, chirring eagerly.
Din walked over to the flat piece of ground in front of the ramp and put Grogu down. He sat down next to Grogu in the snow and looked down at him.
“Sa ibic.” [Like this.] Din lay back flat and stuck out his arms and legs. Grogu looked at him for a moment than flopped backwards in the snow, imitating his buir [father]. Din moved his arms and legs up and down to leave an impression in the white powder. Grogu squeaked excitedly and wiggled his tiny extremities to do the same. Din sat up and looked over as Grogu sat up also.
“Jate bor, ad’ika! [Good job, little one!] Now we have to sign our work!” Din said with a laugh. He stood up and brushed himself off and stepped over to the side with Grogu skipping behind him. He knelt down on one knee and Grogu stopped next to him. Using his vibroblade, he carved a mudhorn in the snow at their feet. Grogu clapped his hands happily and hugged Din’s knee.
Din leaned over and whispered, “This stays between you and me, okay? I’ve still got a reputation to keep up!” he laughed. “Now, I think it’s really bedtime for you.”
Grogu held up his hands and Din obligingly scooped him up and carried him back inside. The ship’s ramped creaked shut as Din turned down the lights and switched on the ship’s security system. He walked to the sleeping compartment in the back and hit the button to open it. Din looked down to see Grogu’s eyes slowly closing as his head dropped against Din’s shoulder. He started to put the ad’ika into the hammock, but his tiny claws gripped the neck of Din’s cloak and wouldn’t let go, and he sleepily protested when Din tried to pull him off. Din paused for a moment, torn between his mind and his heart. He had tried so hard to keep to the rules, but always found himself letting his little son have his way.
“All right, guess you’re with me tonight.” he murmured.
Din climbed up and walked into the cockpit to see the windows white with snow, making the inside of the ship feel like an isolated room. Lifting off his helmet and placing it on a jump seat, he sat down in the pilot’s chair and stretched out his legs. The quietness of the night made him retreat into his thoughts as he often did when he was alone.
Taking in the sight of the tiny being comfortably nestled against his beskar’gam [beskar armor], he said softly, “Tion’jor gar gaanade solus Mando’ad ti ne yaim? Gar liniba jate’shya buir.” [Why do you choose a lone Mandalorian with no home? You need a better father.]
Din often found himself talking to Grogu when the child was asleep. Things Din didn’t know how to tell him, things he wished he was better at communicating. As he patted his son gently, Grogu grabbed Din’s thumb in his sleep, his little breaths becoming soft and steady again. Din stared at his thumb with the tiny claws wrapped around it, emotions flowing through him, and whispered to the sleeping child.
“Gar bal ni gana birov kebise baj’hibir teh gar’ni. Sha ca’narase, ni mirdi… ni solus bid munit ca’nara, cuyir buir ne par ni, a gar ami ibac.” [You and I have many things to learn from each other. At times, I think… I’ve been alone such a long time, to be a parent isn’t for me, but you change that.] Din paused, then wrapped his fingers around Grogu’s wrist and made a vow, looking intently at Grogu’s peaceful little face. “Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad, Grogu.” [I know your name as my child, Grogu.]
He leaned his head back and let out a long sigh. Grogu stirred and Din looked down to see the ad’ika burrow into his metal chest and sigh as well, holding Din’s thumb in both hands. Din had wanted to say it long ago, and now that he finally had, it was official. Grogu had been adopted by a Mandalorian and was no longer a foundling.