Chapter Text
“This means - I can go?” Migs asked uncertainly. He looked back and forth between Dune and Mando, raising his eyebrows. Mando jerked his head, indicating to him that he should go. Migs shrugged, took a few steps back before turning and walking away determinedly. This was none of his business after all. He had been picked up from the scrap yard to help get the coordinates and he had done what was asked of him. His role in this apparent rescue mission was over. He had no ties to that child whatsoever, hell he had only been a pet to him mere months ago. Something which he regretted in retrospect. That had been cruel even then.
Each step away from Fett’s ship felt heavier. Just a few steps away from the tree line and freedom he suddenly had the feeling that it would take more strength to pull his feet from the ground than he actually possessed. This was ridiculous. He should just leave – why didn’t he just leave?! He stopped. For a brief moment he closed his eyes, his hands clenched into fists and his breathing slightly panting before he turned and walked back to where Dune and Mando were still standing - hopefully - looking just as determined as he had when he had walked away just seconds before.
Dune watched him sceptically as he approached them. “On second thought – “ he started, not knowing exactly where the sentence was going. He didn’t know himself why he turned around. “I owe the kid. I am not starting my life as a dead man with a dept” He shrugged as if it what he was saying was the most reasonable thing ever and he himself didn’t feel out of his depth. Why didn’t he just leave?! Since when did he care, he could just start over! Also, what dept? Okay, he dropped the kid but that was nothing to keep him up at night. Well, didn’t matter anymore, too late now. Meaning, if they wouldn’t laugh in his face and leave without him. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately for him, they didn’t. Mando looked at him for a few seconds, apparently thinking about it before he made the same movement with his head as when he told him to leave but this time in the direction of Fett’s ship.
Migs unclenched his fist and grinned at the clearly annoyed looking Fennec as he passed her on his way to the ship. He sat down on one of the seats on the wall close to the back. He had no intention of taking part in the planning that was to follow. It was also one of those rare moments when he preferred to be alone. Usually it was too dangerous to spend too much time alone with his own thoughts. Too many ways for this to go wrong. Right now, though? His own thoughts were less scary than the group of people in the front of the ship. He figured they weren't counting on his input anyway. He rested his head on the wall. He would just rest his eyes for a bit.
He woke up when someone touched his shoulder. He could not hold back a flinch and cursed. “Dank farrik, Mando.” Even though he couldn’t see it he could have sworn Mando looked sheepish. “Sorry” Migs straightened up and stood up from his seat. “We there yet?”
Mando nodded, handing him a blaster. “You know Imperial ships, you come with me to find Grogu”
Migs raised an eyebrow. “Grogu, huh? Your choice or is that really his name?” The Mandalorian didn’t answer and Migs just shrugged. “Either way, suits him”
What followed almost went by in a blur. They were joined by two more Mandalorians (for the fact that there were apparently so few of them left, he encountered surprisingly many). When he realised that they, like Fett, also removed their helmets without hesitation, he glanced at Mando. Mando noticed the look, but to his surprise he looked away. A seemingly sore subject, which he had tracked down with the precision of a truffle pig, and which he probably hadn't helped with his little speech in the Rhodonium transporter. That was typical of him.
They boarded the imperial cruiser and split up. Mando followed Migs through the bright corridors of the ship. Migs had never been on a ship like this before and had no more of an idea where to go than Mando. But life had taught him to fake it till you make it, so he just went ahead with a confidence he didn't have. This was ridiculous, he thought, not for the first time since he had decided to join the rescue mission. But Mando didn't seem to notice his incompetence. Perhaps he was too worried. Just as he was about to admit that he didn't know where they were or how to get back, they walked around the corner and through the window of one of the closed doors he could see green pointed ears. He could barely hold back a sigh of relief at not having to admit his failure.
Mando walked quickly past him towards the door, Migs following. There was a small panel next to the door, indicating that a code was required to open it. Clever. Key cards could be stolen, codes were harder to get.
Migs pulled a small device that looked suspiciously innocent like a pocket watch from his pocket and placed it on the control panel. Before Mando could comment the light switched from red to green and the door opened with a hiss.
‘Don’t ask’ Migs winked but Mando didn’t pay him any attention anyway. Without hesitation he entered the room. What followed, Migs could have done without. A trap, it was a trap. Mando shoved the kid – Grogu – into his arms and pushed him out of the door. Before he could react, Moff Gideon had already launched an attack which Mando dodged at the last moment. For a brief second, he actually considered doing what Mando had ordered him to do: take the child to safety. Looking down, he saw the child watching the scene with big, worried eyes.
Migs turned the child around and looked at him sternly. ‘Okay, I am going to put you down here and you stay right where you are, got it? No wandering off, I am just going to help your dad and then we are off, okay?’ Grogu looked at him with wide eyes making Migs wonder if he actually remembered him without giving any indication of whether he understood or not. Deciding that they didn't have time for further explanations, he put the boy on the ground, took off his scarf and basically threw it on the boy to hide in it. Cut him some slack, there was no time for weighing options and thorough planning. Migs turned to the fight in the cell. It seemed that Moff Gideon's surprise attack had given him a distinct advantage. Both didn’t seem to be aware of his presence. Mando had just dodged another attack from the strangely glowing sword, having slightly lost his footing. It became clear that he would not be able to dodge the next attack. Without thinking twice, Migs rammed Gideon from the side with his entire body weight. The force knocked them both to the ground, but Migs quickly picked himself up, drew his blaster and pressed it against the back of Gideon's head.
'Got you,' he panted. Mando looked down at him and tilted his head to the side. 'Thanks,' he said, and Migs just nodded. A rustling sound drew their attention back to the door where a small black pile peeked around the corner and as soon as he apparently judged it safe, the black pile waddled over to Mando as fast as his little legs would allow. Mando scooped him up from the ground and freed his head from the black scarf.
As Mando leaned his forehead against Grogu's, Migs felt like a voyeur, prying into something he was not meant to see. He turned his head away and concentrated on keeping Gideon on the ground. The sword had slipped from his grasp, the blade gone, lying a few feet away, out of Gideon's reach. Migs took a deep breath, his first since he had been ordered to follow Marshal Dune from the scrap yard. The child was back where he belonged, and if Dune hadn't changed her mind, he was a free man to go where he pleased. Not that he couldn't have just left on Morak, but he didn't want to think about that now. A warm feeling spread through his chest at the thought of having contributed to the kid's rescue. It was true, their last encounter had not been something that should have kept him awake at night, he had done and experienced much worse, but the truth was: it had kept him up at night. Perhaps he could rest better now.
A hand on his shoulder made him aware that Mando was standing right behind him. “Let's get back to the others.” He picked up the sword hilt and hooked it to his belt. “Let me take care of him” Mando dragged Gideon off the ground with a grunt. The boy landed in Migs' arms again. On the one hand it made him feel uncomfortable that Mando seemed to trust him enough to hold the kid again, but on the other hand he couldn't deny the feeling of pride it gave him. But maybe Mando just didn't think he was capable of handling Gideon. Maybe it was not a compliment after all.
Back on the bridge Marshal Dune looked immensely pleased that Moff Gideon was alive and captured. “Maybe he will keep my boss from looking too closely at why I took him” she nodded towards Migs “and not brought him back”
“As if anyone up there cares” Migs muttered so quietly that it was lost on most of the people in the room. Only Mando who was standing right next to him, cradling his son in his arms turned his head towards him tilting it slightly to the side. Migs gave him a sour grin.
Within minutes, an argument broke out over the sword - the dark saber, as it was apparently called - that Gideon had wielded. To Mig's ears it sounded like mambo jumbo that the right to lead a people depended on the possession of a sword, and worse, that the sword could not just be passed on, but had to be won in battle. Sounded very Mandalorian. Just as the argument was about to turn into a real fight under the mocking eyes of Moff Gideon, Migs decided to intervene.
"Why - " all eyes were on him, for no one had expected him to speak. Hell, he hadn't expected to speak either. "Why don't we stop this argument right here, finish this whole mission -" he made a sweeping gesture to sum up the whole drama before his eyes - "and continue this at a later time?"
"You know, as far as I can see, Mando here is not about to crown himself Mando King, and you -" he nodded at Bo Katan "are not far enough along to do so either. So no time pressure, is there? No reason to bang your heads together now."
A few seconds of stunned silence followed his suggestion before Bo Katan tilted her head slightly in agreement. "Agreed, as long as you don't make yourself scarce and just disappear. This is not over, but I am willing to settle this another time."
A small, almost inaudible sigh of relief from Mando who was still standing right next to Migs indicated that he’d made the right call here.
Grogu broke the silence that followed with a small cooing sound. He pointed to a small monitor showing the arrival of a cloaked figure. "Oh come on," Mayfeld groaned. It felt like this day would never end.
The stranger turned out to be a Jedi. Migs had no idea how he had found them, but apparently he was here to take the child to teach him. He could feel Mando's almost physical resistance to handing over the child. He regretted that the whole situation was taking place in a public place, this was a family matter and should be handled as such.
"Why don't we, you know, give them some privacy?" Migs cleared his throat and headed for the door, hoping the others would follow. They did, giving father and son some privacy to say goodbye. Even the stranger followed them into the corridor outside the bridge. Migs leaned against the wall beside the stranger.
"You know, is that really necessary?"
The stranger raised his eyebrows in question. "He has to be trained, it's the only way to keep the child safe."
"Grogu, his name is Grogu," Migs replied, suddenly annoyed that someone who didn't even know his name wanted to take him away.
"Mando is more than capable of keeping the child safe. He is still a child and needs a family. Is it really necessary to take him away now? Can't we wait until he's older?"
The stranger was silent for a moment before answering. "And where do you fit in? What is your role in this? What makes you speak up for them like that?"
The question took Migs by surprise. He could not help the heat that crept up his cheek and down his neck. He cleared his throat again to get rid of the lump in his throat. "I risked a lot to get the K-Grogu back. I want this to end well. Taking the child away, breaking Mando's and Grogu's hearts, is not what I call a good ending."
The stranger looked at him for a moment. His calm state was rather unsettling for Migs. People were usually not that calm around him, he had a way of riling people up. When they became calm, it was usually when he needed to worry.
"He's lucky to have you," the stranger said, and just as Migs opened his mouth to correct an obviously false assumption on the nature of the relationship between Mando and him the door to the bridge opened. Mando stepped out still cradling the kid to his chest. His shoulders were slumped and the hand holding the child trembled slightly. The stranger took a step towards Mando. He placed a hand on Mando's forearm before quickly pulling it away as Mando flinched. He raised his hands defensively before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small round object. It was a small amulet on a leather strap which he placed around the kid's neck.
"Your friend here is right. There is more than one way to protect a child. When he is ready for training, he can reach me with this amulet. I will wait until the time is right," the stranger said, bowing his head slightly. He rested his hand on Grogu's head for a moment and looked deep into his eyes. Then he took a step back, smiled at Mando, raised his hand in greeting and walked back to where he came from.