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“So, Bo-Katan lives here?” You ask as you look over at Din, his armour glinting in the soft light that surrounded the planet. “Where, the palace is destroyed?”
You kicked a piece of rubble and hide a smile as Din sighs at your antics. He’d asked you to come with him to see how Bo-Katan was coping. It had been almost a month since Din had been redeemed and so had Bo-Katan. She’d stayed for a few days before hopping into her ship and flying back to Kalevala to see what she could recover from the rubble.
“She’s staying on her ship, probably, can’t imagine the Starfighter will be that comfortable.” He replies as he motions you to follow him through the rubble to Bo’s ship. “This is still her home, even if she has another with us now.”
“Right.” You nodded. “There must be so much history under this rubble, I truly hope she manages to save some of her heirlooms.”
Din makes a noise of agreement as you continue to follow him and Grogu. You’d missed Bo before. You’d been off world. Din had instructed you to try and find yourself before you returned to the Clan to take the Creed.
It was rare these days for adults to be take the Creed. More often that not it was children born or adopted into the Creed. You had broken this cycle for the Mandalorians of the Tribe and had been taken in by Din and offered a place in his Clan Mudhorn. You had yet to officially take the Creed, this was to be done when you returned from Kalevala and there you would receive your Armor and your helmet.
He’d come across you working at a bar on Mos Espa when he had been assisting Boba Fett and Fennec Shand and from there you’d grown close. He had taken you under his wing and you had joined him on many adventure across the stars. It was only when you’d asked if his tribe would consider an adult foundling that he had even thought about taking you in as Mandalorian.
Many talks had gone underway with the Armorer that they had agreed to take you in as long as you were sure to be committed to the Creed. You’d travelled the stars, visited worlds, seen the rise of the New Republic on other worlds and heard more tales of Grogu and Din.
By the time you had returned Bo-Katan’s home had been destroyed and it appeared she too had been invited into the Tribe. It was only on the fourth week that Din had grown concerned that Bo-Katan hadn’t answered any of his messages.
So here you were, stood in front of a Gauntlet Starfighter which no longer contained the Mandalorian Princess.
“Do I curtsey when I see her, she’s a Princess after all?” You smirk as Din sighs behind you. “Maybe Bow?”
“I do love it when people kneel for me, so you could try that.” The snarky reply comes from behind you and you turn quickly to see Bo-Katan stood next to Din, you know behind both of their helmets, both of them are smirking at your blushing face.
The Nite Owl armour was clearly old but it was perfect for her. She stood strong. Authoritative. Bo-Katan was made to be a leader, that much you could tell. She was everything Din had told you, everything you’d heard but she wasn’t. She was more than the old stories and jabs from the older members of the Clan.
You didn’t know if you’d ever be able to describe Bo-Katan and she’d only said one sentence to you.
“Princess.” You swallow your embarrassment and dramatically bow to her, you smirk at Din’s groan and watch as Bo cocks her head at your actions. “Honour to meet you.”
“I’m sure.” She drawls. “What are you both doing here and taking in another stray Din, really?”
“This is Y/N Y/LN. “ Din introduces you. “She’s going to take the Creed upon our return.”
“Really?” Bo walks up to you, and walks around you, taking all of you in. “Not common these days for adults to take the creed.”
“I just love being different.” You smile at her laugh. “It’s a honour to be able to take it.”
“Not going to miss the world without a helmet?” She asks as she moves to stand before you again.
“I can take it off when I go to bed.” You shrug and Bo huffs out a laugh. “Or when I eat.”
“I bet a lot of people are going to miss seeing your pretty little face.” You blush and you can feel the smirk widening on Bo-Katan’s face. “Now, what are you both doing here, you never answered?”
“You didn’t reply, I was..concerned.” He shrugs. “I wondered if you needed help.”
“You’re going to help me rebuild brick by brick?” Bo asks sarcastically. “I’m fine, I’m seeing what I can salvage, I’ve set up camp nearby, you’re welcome to join me.”
“We’d like that.” You answer quickly and you can feel Din’s stare burning a hole into the back of your head as you follow Bo to her camp. You smile as Grogu floats next to you, making little noises every now and then.
You soon find yourself in front of an old freighter ship that had seen better days. It clearly wouldn’t last flying anywhere anytime soon but you understood that the older Mandalorian was using it to sleep in, keep warm and likely make food.
“Called in a favour, they dropped off this Freighter, has a few sleep quarters in it should you want to stay over before your journey back.” She explains as you enter the old ship, she shows you both to an area with a couch and a table where she appeared to be playing Dejarik. “It’s no palace but it’ll do until I figure out my next more against the imperials who have taken my home from me.”
You watch as Bo sits on an old tattered chair like it was a throne. You wonder briefly if this is what Din meant by finding yourself. Bo-Katan is sure of herself. She knows what she wants. She takes off her helmet and you find yourself swallowing.
Bo-Katan is the most beautiful woman you have ever seen.
A short red bob, piercing green eyes, a cocky self-satisfied smirk.
You were doomed.
“I thought...” You began but were cut off by Bo fairly quickly.
“I appreciated the invite to the Tribe but that is not the way I was raised; it is the way of the more orthodox Mandalorian but it is not my way.” Bo-Katan smiled. “It is the way for some.”
“Oh.” You mutter lamely. “That’s interesting.”
“I suppose so.” Bo looks amused as she watches you sit down, Din by your right. “Surprised you haven’t explained this to her.”
“I’ve been busy.” He looks at Grogu who babbles happily at him and you grin. “She has chosen her way.”
“I suppose she has.” Bo-Katan licks her lips and looks fairly amused as your eyes follow her tongue. “I will miss that pretty little face.”
“Can you not.” Din huffs next to you and you turn to smile at him, patting his chest lightly. “You should come back with us, you shouldn’t be alone.”
“Or you could help me take down the imperial scum that destroyed my home and continue to ravage worlds?” She suggests with a smile on her face, eyes filled with mischief. “We make a hell of a team, I’d even consider asking Boba Fett and Fennec Shand to join.”
“It would be nice to see them again.” You add and grimace as Din turns to look at you and you can feel his glare. “Or we could just go back to the Tribe of course.”
“You know of Boba Fett and Fennec Shand?” She asks, curious of your connection to the clone and his bounty hunter second in command.
“I worked on Mos Espa when I met Din, it was the Daimyo and Fennec that introduced me to him.” You shrug. “Fennec felt I’d be of more use to Din than I would be in a bar.”
“Interesting, maybe they just know Din is good at taking in strays.” She questions and you smile. “Now you find yourself soon to be a Mandalorian.”
“Now I do.” You nod and watch as Bo stares at you and although you know it goes against the Creed, you’re glad to see her without her helmet.
Bo-Katan does most of her talking with her eyes. Emerald Green that seems to shine no matter how much light is in a room. You know her story. Know of her transgressions but something tells you no matter how many people may judge her for her sins, she judges herself more than they ever could.
“What do you say Din, you, me, Y/N, the child, Shand and the clone?” She doesn’t look away from you, staring straight into your eyes. “I’m sure I could find a way to pay for your services.”
“I’d do it for free.” You say suddenly and you once again find yourself grimacing as Din stands up, looking down at you.
“Outside.” He remains calm but you can feel the anger floating from him. “Now.”
You nod and ignore the way Bo smirks at you. Grogu looks up at you in what you assume is sympathy, the child seems to know that your mouth and the fact you seem to have lost all ability to think before you speak has gotten you in trouble.
You love Din. You love him like a brother, you know he returns that love tenfold. You may never say it, he may never, but you both know your family. He has welcomed you into his home, his tribe, his clan.
You found yourself stood outside the room, the metal doors closing after you, leaving Bo and Grogu together. You watched as Din began to pace in front of you. You leant against the wall, waiting for him to begin to speak.
“You are being foolish.” He begins. “You haven’t even got your armour yet and you’re willing to go to war for Bo-Katan.”
“I’m willing to help someone who has lost their home.” You answer. “You and I both know how that feels, the imperials have taken so much from us…”
“This is not about us, it’s about how the moment you saw Bo-Katan something in you changed.” He argues. “This is about the way you look at her, like you’re ready to lay your life down for her take up her throne.”
You don’t deny it. You look away from him for a moment. You’d been so sure when you’d returned from your quest to be sure of your path. You’d been so sure that to never remove your helmet was the way. That, that was the true was of a Mandalorian.
Then you’d met Bo-Katan.
“I was made to be a Mandalorian.” You say firmly as your eyes return to the man in the shining Bescar armour. “I know that to be true, I feel it in my soul, I have much more to learn but that will not stop me taking the creed but I also know that, that woman in there is your friend and she’s asking for your help, not your services, not whatever she is saying right now.”
Din remains silent as he looks at you.
“She’s your friend, no matter how she presents, she’s a proud woman.” You explain. “Who needs our help and yes, she’s beautiful, you’d be blind not to notice and I may…may feel something towards her but right now, that’s not important, what’s important is that you consider that Bo-Katan of house Kryze is asking for your help.”
He sighs and places his hand on your shoulder, you move your hand to place it on his.
“We help her.” You say softly. “If I’m wrong and this ends up being a terrible idea, I’ll let you feed me to Fett’s Rancor.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He grumbles as he shakes his head, removing his hand from yours, he presses to open the door only to find Grogu alone.
You both watch as Grogu points to the door of the cockpit. You look at Din and smile.
“You find something to eat in the kitchen, wherever that may be and I’ll go check on the Princess.” He stands still for a moment before nodding and leaving the room to find the kitchen.
You stand staring at the door before Grogu babbles up at you and you look down at the small child. You smile and place a soft kiss to the top of his head, laughing as the little guy squeals.
“I bet you think I’m crazy too.” You hum as Grogu seems to agree with you. “I knew it, Din will be back soon with some food for you, I’ll check on Bo, behave and don’t break anything.”
You knock on the cockpit door, hearing no answer you open it and find Bo Katan lazing back in the Pilot’s chair. You sit in the co-pilots chair and stare out across the land, the rubble of what had once been the home of house Kryze.
“Din’s agreed to help, no money needed.” You say, holding back a smile as Bo turns, a look of surprise on her face. “I will go back and take part in the ceremony and then we will return to you and be of service, I will send word to Fennec and see if they would be willing to help with this little endeavour.”
“Thank you.” A sentence you know that Bo-Katan of house Kryze wouldn’t often say. “Your help is much appreciated.”
“You mean Din, Fennec, Boba and Grogu’s.” You grin as Bo laughs. “I’m not much help as of yet, but I will be.”
“What do you do, before bar tending, don’t lie to me either, you must be a skilled fighter for Din to consider taking you into the creed.” Bo asks curiously, as you continue to stare out across the land.
“I was a Rebel Pilot.” You explain as you continue to look out across the land. “I fought against the empire only to see the rise of the Imperials again.”
“You lost hope?” Bo cocks her head as she considers you but you continue to look out of the window. “You left the Rebellion.”
“I don’t think you ever truly leave the Rebellion.” You finally turn to face her. “It will always be part of me, I will always support them but it became more about politics and I’m not interested in that.”
“Politics, wouldn’t know anything about that.” She remarks dryly and you let out a laugh and enjoy the way her eyes sparkle. “Sounds dreadful.”
“Oh, it was, I’ll have to explain politics to you sometime.” You watch as she smiles wildly at you, enjoying the banter. “You have the most beautiful smile.”
“You have no filter.” She states but the smile never leaves her lips. “It’s going to be such a shame to no longer see your eyes and smile.”
“Why do I feel like meeting you is going to change my entire life, like meeting Din and Grogu did?” You ask and her eyes soften. “Why do I feel like everything I thought I knew is going to change?”
“Maybe it will, would that be such a bad thing, Cyar’ika?” She asks and you bite your lip.
“No, I don’t think it will be.” Somewhere deep inside, you know this to be true. “I think I’m going to change your life too.”
She smiles at you. You see it there in her eyes for the first time since you’d been in her company. Something Din had told her she was devoid of at the moment.
Hope.
She hoped you would.
You hear the knock on the door and can’t help but melt a little at Bo’s firm answer of enter. You find yourself leaning back to watch as Din walks back in, Grogu floating behind him.
“I found the kitchen, you barely have anything edible.” You hide a laugh behind your hand as Bo rolls her eyes. “When we return, we will be bringing food.”
“You are such a buir.” You watch with mirth as the two Mandalorians seem to have a stand-off. “Fine, you can bring food.”
“It was never a question.” Din replies almost straight away and you watch as Bo barges past him towards whatever food he’d managed to put together. “You’re welcome.”
You get up and follow Din to the table where he’d set out food. You watch as the two Mandalorian’s continue to bicker and Grogu begins to float some of the food off of the table before himself. Your eyes meet Bo as she delivers a particularly biting comment and you laugh as she sticks her tongue out. A rare sight of a more childish side of the Princess of Mandalore.
You find yourself wanting more and if everything you know is to change you find yourself terrified.
But with a smile from Bo, you decide that, that’s okay too.
You’re to find yourself after all, you’re to become a Mandalorian and who better to help you than Din, Grogu and Bo-Katan.