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The smell of freshly brewed caf and the hum of loud conversations and laughter fills the air as Din steps into the small cantina. It hasn't been a good day. His bounty, a notorious Twi'lek pirate, slipped through his fingers after weeks of tracking and planning. After traveling to the far-flung mining asteroid the Ring of Kafrene and wasting valuable fuel. After all of that work...and he failed. Now, he desperately needs a cup of caf to combat the exhaustion that threatens to overcome him. With Grogu in his arms, he glances around the room for an empty table.
As Din weaves his way through the dimly lit room to a booth near a grimy window, his eyes are drawn to a holo picture on the wall. The face on the poster was unmistakable—the hero of the Rebellion, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, the legend who destroyed the Empire's superweapon, turned the tide of the war. In the picture, Luke is standing by his X-Wing, dressed in an orange flight suit, smiling brightly. His long blond hair is tousled, his blue eyes sparkling. The text on the bottom of the screen reads: "Missing in action. The New Republic offers a 1,000,000 credit reward for information."
One million credits. Din stares at the poster in wonder. The price has gone up to an almost ridiculous level, no doubt the doing of Senator Leia Organa. She's desperate to find her brother, even though he most likely died during the Battle of Endor, blown to pieces like the second Death Star.
But...one million credits. That would be enough for Din to retire in some fancy suite in the upper level of Coruscant. Enough for he and Grogu to settle down and never worry about bounty hunting again.
Seating himself at the window booth, Din carefully sets Grogu down next to him on the bench.
"Welcome." A Dathomiran walks over to their table. "What would you like today?"
"A cup of caf and a blue milk biscuit for me," Din says. He looks down at Grogu. "He'll have poached eggs."
The Dathomirian types their orders onto his datapad and gives them a small bow before hurrying off to the kitchen.
Din's eyes once again drift to the holopic. As he gazes at Luke's smiling face, he can't help but think how handsome the Jedi is. He can get lost in those dazzling eyes...
Before his thoughts got out of hand, Din notices Grogu staring up at him, the child’s head titled to the side.
"What do you think?" Din says. "Do you think he's still out there?"
Din suddenly realizes that Grogu won't be alone if Luke is still alive. That Grogu could have a chance at finding belonging with his own people. And leaving him.
Din takes a sip of caf and savors the rich, bitter flavor.
***
After bidding farewell to the cantina, Din and Grogu head back to the spaceport, journeying through the labyrinthine sprawl of mismatched metal shacks and gleaming skyscrapers, ready to embark on their next adventure. Wherever that is. Din feels a strange sense of boredom as he tucks Grogu into his compartment in the starship. When he jumps into the cockpit and gets ready to take flight, he wonders how much longer he can do this.
It must be his exhaustion talking. Burnout. Perhaps he should visit Boba and Fennec again. Yes, that's a good idea.
"Alright, Grogu. We're going to Tatooine," he says.
***
Din is no stranger to Tatooine's harsh climate and treacherous terrain. The windswept, scorching planet is a nightmare to those unused to it. But he's been here so many times before (including once where he faced a Krayt Dragon) that it barely phases him. This time is no different. As he plunges through the atmosphere and soars over the vast desert , he doesn't expect to be accosted by pirates.
"Hold on back there," Din says as he jerks the controls of the fighter and tries to shake them off his tail.
They're persistent. He doesn't want to start a dogfight right over Mos Espa, so he speeds up, taking the chase out into the desert. Surely they'll give up.
Unbeknownst to him, a powerful sandstorm is stirring on the horizon, ready to unleash its fury upon anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path. The storm kicks up abruptly, seemingly out of nowhere.
One moment Din's ship is slicing through the desert winds, soaring above the golden dunes and the next it's engulfed in a swirling cloud of sand that tosses it to and fro.
Heart pounding wildly, Din attempts to evade the storm's grasp, but it's too late. Violent gusts of wind buffet the ship, causing it to lose control and spiral uncontrollably toward the unforgiving desert floor.
In the midst of the chaos, Din fights against the powerful gusts, desperately trying to regain control. The deafening roar of the storm drowns out his shouts for Grogu to brace, and sand particles lash against the window, obscuring his vision completely.
As the ship hurtles toward the ground, Din is able to regain control for a moment and slow their momentum. With bone rattling force, the ship crash lands into the sand, its hull groaning under the strain. Smoke billows from damaged systems as the controls spark and sputter.
Din shrugs off his pain and pushes through the broken cockpit, his only thought to check on Grogu. Din pries open Grogu's compartment to find the child is unharmed, but terrified. He quickly pulls him out and holds him close.
With their ship now unsalvageable, Din knows they need to find shelter. But where? Battling against the howling winds and stinging sand, he tries to look around but visibility is minimal. He uses his cape to keep Grogu's body shielded from the sand as he stumbles back to the wreckage. Not knowing what else to do, Din crawls under a piece of twisted metal and curls up around Grogu. He feels something wet pouring down his face beneath his helmet. As the adrenaline wears off, he feels blinding pain from multiple areas of his body. Soon, he's swimming in and out of consciousness.
***
When Din opens his eyes, he wonders if he’s dead. But then he blinks away the haze and tries to make sense of his surroundings. He’s lying in a narrow bed in an unfurnished room with sand-colored walls. Daylight shines through the window. As his senses return, Din is suddenly aware of a dull throbbing pain that seems to radiate from every part of his body. He attempts to sit up, only to be met with a surge of agony. Gritting his teeth, he throws off the blankets and frowns at the bandages covering his midsection. He’s wearing a pair of tan pants that are a bit too short for him. He brings a hand to his face and touches more bandages.
Where’s his helmet? Where’s Grogu?
Memories of the sandstorm flood his mind. The raging winds, the biting sand. Grogu, where’s Grogu?
The sound of footsteps approaches, and Din's attention is drawn to the doorway. His heart skips a beat when a man steps into the room. He’s wearing humble farmer’s attire and his fair hair is a bit longer than it was in the holo. But Din instantly recognizes him. It’s none other than Luke Skywalker, the legendary Jedi Knight.
Luke gives Din a gentle smile as he approaches the bed. "Welcome back, my friend," Luke says gently. "You've been through quite an ordeal."
Din's voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. "The child…"
"He’s safe, don’t worry. Only had a few scratches,” Luke says. “You were in bad shape."
Din's gratitude is overwhelming, though he struggles to find the words to express himself.
Luke settles into a chair next to Din. "You're lucky to be alive. That was the biggest storm I’ve seen around here in a while.” He pauses. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even ask your name.”
Din is dazed. The thought of Luke Skywalker tending to his injuries is both awe-inspiring and humbling.
"I’m Din Djarin,” Din says. “And I owe you my life.”
Luke places a hand on Din's shoulder. "You don’t owe me anything. You and the child are welcome to stay as long as you need. Are you hungry?”
Din stands on shaky legs, groaning. “I need to see Grogu.”
There’s something in Luke’s gaze…a strange bit of apprehension, but it quickly passes. The Jedi climbs to his feet and nods.
“Why are you here?” Din asks as Luke leads him up a short flight of steps to an open living space on the first floor. “Your sister…the entire Republic…they think you were missing in action. Or dead.”
Luke glances back at him, pausing at the front door. “It’s…complicated.” Now he faces Din, his expression pleading. “Please…will you keep my location a secret?”
Din can’t believe how close those one million credits are to being his. If he ever finds a way off the planet, that is.
But Luke saved his life. He can’t turn around and betray his trust like that…
“I will, you have my word,” Din says.
“Thank you, Din.”
Din and Luke lock gazes for a moment until Luke quickly looks away and walks outside. Din suddenly wishes he had his helmet. He’ll worry about that after he finds Grogu.
As he steps outside into the blinding light from the suns and the stillness of the desert, he only makes it a few paces before freezing, a surge of terror racing through him.
He can’t quite believe what he’s seeing. It shouldn’t be possible.
Darth Vader, the Emperor’s enforcer, the terror of the Empire that Din has heard whispered stories about, is sitting on a crate, reaching out a gloved hand as rocks levitate about a meter off the ground. Grogu is sitting at the feet of the imposing, black-clad monstrosity, watching the rocks in amusement.
“No, get away from him!” Din ignores the pain from his wounds as he sprints toward Grogu, scooping the child into his arms and backing away from Vader, breathing heavily.
The rocks tumble into the sand.
Din looks at Luke, who seems unusually calm for a situation like this. “What—how?”
But it all makes sense now. This is why Luke is hiding.
“Din, I couldn’t let my father die.” Luke’s voice is filled with emotion. “He saved me from the Emperor. I knew the New Republic would lock him away or execute him and I just couldn’t..” Luke wipes away tears.
For a moment, Din’s mind wanders back to the credits. He imagines the score of a lifetime he would get for not only giving information on Luke’s whereabouts, but also turning in Darth Vader himself. He would be the most famous bounty hunter in history. And it wasn’t just about him…imagine the future Grogu would have.
But those thoughts are only fleeting. He doesn’t think he can bring himself to do that. Maybe he’s growing soft after all this time with Grogu.
Vader is watching him from beneath his black helmet, his head tilted slightly. The dark lenses where his eyes would be gleam a reddish hue in the sunlight. It’s unnerving, to say the least. Din suddenly wishes he had his armor on instead of standing here shirtless and covered in bruises and bandages.
But Vader’s body language isn’t threatening. The man finally speaks for the first time since Din came outside, his voice deep and modulated. “He has a strong connection to the Force.” He nods toward Grogu.
“Yeah, he does,” Din says, bitterness creeping into his voice. “And because of that, he’s been in danger from your imperial remnants.”
Vader inclines his head slightly. "My time with the Empire is long over," he says, his voice slightly softer than before. "I have turned away from the dark side, and now I seek to make amends for the harm I have caused."
Din can't believe what he's hearing. The infamous Darth Vader, turned away from the dark side? It seems too good to be true. But he can sense the sincerity in Vader's words, and something else as well. Regret, perhaps?
"What about Grogu?" Din asks, his voice tight with emotion. "He's been hunted because of his connection to the Force. How can he be safe with you?"
Vader stands and approaches Din, his steps slow and measured. "I would never harm the child," he says.
Din gazes into Vader's dark lenses, searching for any hint of deceit, darkness. He finds none. It's a strange feeling, trusting someone he once thought of as the terror of the entire galaxy. But if Vader has truly turned away from the dark side, then maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all.
"Thank you," Din says quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'll trust you to take care of Grogu. If anything happens to him…." He lets the threat go unfinished.
Vader nods, and Din gently places Grogu on the ground. The child looks up at Vader with wonder, his eyes wide. Vader kneels down and places a gloved hand on Grogu's head.
Din turns to Luke, who is watching the scene with a look of relief. They lock eyes for a moment, and Din feels himself being drawn into Luke’s vibrant eyes.
Luke breaks the silence first. "I'm glad you found each other," he says, a small smile playing on his lips.
Din nods in agreement, still not entirely sure what to make of all this. He turns back to Vader and Grogu, watching the exchange between them.
***
Din, Luke, and Grogu sit around a crackling fire later that night, the stars shining brightly in the clear sky above. Vader has retired to his sleeping chamber for the night, leaving Din and Luke alone together.
Grogu sleep peacefully in Din's arms. Din can't help but feel a wave of gratitude for Luke; if it wasn’t for him, they’d both be dead, buried in the sands of Tatooine. He would have failed Grogu.
Finally, Din breaks the silence. "Do you ever think about going back out there?" He gestures at the stars above. "People miss you. You were the hero of the Rebellion.”
Luke nods slowly as he stares up at the night sky. "Sometimes," he says. "I miss it, to be honest." Din can sense an underlying sadness in his voice, though Luke does his best to hide it.
Din looks down at Grogu again. Here he is with a Jedi, one of Grogu’s own kind. Luke and Vader…or Anakin...would both be a much better choice for the child. Perhaps Luke could even train him to control his powers.
As if Luke could read his thoughts, the Jedi says, “You worry about Grogu’s place in the galaxy.” A statement. A very true one at that.
Din sighs. “Yes,” he says. “He’s happy with me, but…” he trails off.
“You don’t need to make any big decisions tonight,” Luke says gently. “You and Grogu are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
Din feels relief wash over him. As he holds Grogu, he finally feels at ease for the first time since crashing on Tatooine. He looks across the fire at Luke and meets his gaze again. Luke gives him a small smile.
Din feels heat rising to his cheeks.
***
Weeks later
Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker have been hiking through the desert for hours. The sun is high in the sky, and the air is hot and dry. Din is almost baking in his armor, but he’s enjoying Luke’s company too much to complain.
The dunes shift beneath their feet as they trudge along, leaving behind deep footprints in the sand. Every so often, Din pauses to take in the beauty of their surroundings - the sweeping dunesea that stretches as far as the eye can see. He’s always loved the harsh, lonely beauty of this barren planet.
Eventually, Din and Luke reach a large rock formation where a deep cave is cut into its side. Luke gestures for Din to follow him inside. The cave is a nice respite from the heat.
“Do you want to play a game? My father showed me this one. His mother used to play it with him when he lived here on Tatooine.” Luke says.
He grabs two small stones from the floor. He hands one to Din, and then tracesa game board in the sand with his finger before explaining the rules to Din. As they play, Din listens as Luke tells stories of his travels across the galaxy, his time on the Death Star, Han and Chewie, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s a wild tale. If it wasn’t coming from a legendary Jedi, Din might have thought he made it up entirely.
The sun begins to set, casting bright orange light into every corner of the cave. Din is sitting so close to Luke now…his heart pounds wildly in his chest. He reaches out and touches Luke's cheek/
Luke leans in and presses his lips to Din’s, kissing him softly. Despite the briefness of it, Din feels a rush of warmth that seems to spread through his entire body. He wants more…
Yes, he thinks he can stay on Tatooine forever….
***
Din and Anakin are quietly sitting in a patch of shade under a canopy outside the house, watching Luke train Grogu. Today, Luke is teaching him how to levitate rocks. The only sounds are Anakin’s rhythmic mechanical breathing and the light wind blowing across the dunes.
Finally, Anakin breaks the silence and says, “You love him, don’t you.”
Din blinks, taken aback. He and Luke usually met up in private places. But when he thinks about it, why wouldn’t Anakin know? He’s a Jedi too. He can probably read minds.
Din looks away, embarrassed.
Anakin continues, “I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time. Ever since you and Grogu came along, he’s been..lighter.”
Din can’t help but smile at Anakin’s words. “Yes, I do love him,” he admits.
Wistfully, Vader says, “He reminds me of Padme, you know. His mother. His kindness, his strength.” There’s sadness in his words.
“What happened to her?” Din still doesn’t know much about the Skywalkers. Neither of them were ready to share the seemingly painful memories from their pasts and Din didn’t want to push.
Anakin tilts his head down, seemingly staring at his feet. “She…died.” His words are strained.
“I’m sorry.” Din reaches over and lays a comforting hand on Anakin’s arm.
***
Luke and Din lay in bed, their bodies twined together. The window is cracked open letting a crisp night breeze through, fluttering the curtains.
Suddenly, the peace ends and calamity breaks out. First there’s the whoosh of a ship landing nearby. Dust is thrown against the house, clanging against the metal siding. Then shouts fill the air. Luke's and Din's eyes shoot open as they realize what is going on: someone has found them.
There’s a bang that sounds like a grenade going off. Then loud footsteps. The bedroom door bursts open, revealing a team of New Republic officers with weapons pointed at them. Din scrambles to his feet, fear coursing through his veins. All he can think about is Grogu- is he safe?
“How did you find us?” Luke asks one of the Republic soldiers. “We aren’t a threat.”
Din can see the sweat breaking out on Luke’s face and knows that he must be worried about Anakin. After all this time hiding, his secret was finally revealed.
“Someone saw a man who looked suspiciously like Luke Skywalker come into town,” one of the Republic soldiers says. “Says he was worried about the entire situation. Are you hurt?”
“No, I–”
Someone points a blaster in Din’s direction. Din throws up his hands, wishing he had his armor on.
“And who are you?” the Republic officer asks.
“Din Djarin,” Din says. “Where’s Grog—the child. If you hurt him, I swear…”
Before the officer can answer, a scream echoes through the house. “It’s—it’s Darth Vader!” someone yells.
Before Din knows what’s happening, Luke Force-pushes the officers into the wall and runs into the hallway. Din follows as blasterfire breaks out. Luke whips out his lightsaber and deflects the shots, shielding Din.
Just then Anakin emerges into the hallway carrying Grogu. He puts up a hand. “Stop!” he says, his deep voice booming. “I’ll surrender…just let my son, the Mandalorian, and the child go free.”
The officers lower their blasters, confused.
“No…” Luke says. “There must be another way.”
Anakin steps forward and hands Grogu to Din. Relieved, Din holds him close, thankful that he wasn’t harmed during the scuffle.
Luke watches helplessly as Anakin is bound in stasis locks and led outside to a transport ship by the New Republic visitors. He doesn’t move until the ship disappears into the stars.
***
Luke is inconsolable for the rest of the night.
“It’s my fault. I should’ve been more careful when going into town.” Luke wipes away tears. “I got lazy and put everyone in danger.”
“Hey, it’s alright.” Din wraps an arm around Luke. Grogu stares up at the Jedi with a sad expression.
They sit in silence for a moment until Luke says, “I need to talk to Leia.” He lets out a long sigh. “It’s time to make things right. And return to the galaxy.”
“I’ll be right by your side,” Din says. “We’ll get your father back. Together.”
***
The bustling city of Coruscant stretches out below them as their starship descends through the layers of atmosphere. The endless skyline of towering buildings, neon signs, and hovering vehicles greet them. They caught a ride on a passenger ship on Tatooine. Din was amused at how many stares they got, especially with Grogu.
As they touch down on a landing bay, Din and Luke make their way through chaos of the capital city toward their destination—the New Republic senate building. They were here to see Leia Organa.
Inside the New Republic building, they navigate the orderly corridors and were soon welcomed into the senator’s office. Leia is standing by the wide window dressed in a regal dark blue dress with silver trimming. She practically runs over to Luke and nearly knocks him over from the force of her hug. Tears stream down her face.
“You’re alright,” she says. “Oh, Luke…why did you leave us? And who is this?" Leia finally notices the Mandalorian.
"I'm Din Djarin." Din introduces himself. “And this is Grogu. We’re friends of Luke and Anakin.”
Leia motions for them to take a seat, and Grogu, nestled securely in his carrier, peeks out with curiosity.
"Grogu," Luke explains, "is a Force-sensitive child. Our father and I have been helping him train.”
Leia's expression turns worried. She frowns. “I can’t believe Vader is alive. And you were living with him.” She almost looks betrayed.
"Anakin Skywalker saved my life on the Death Star. The Emperor was going to kill me and he risked everything to protect me. And then he sacrificed himself again for Din, Grogu, and I.” Luke’s voice fills with emotion. “Leia, he redeemed himself. He shouldn’t be punished any more.”
Leia's eyes widen at the revelation. She takes a moment to absorb the gravity of Luke's words. “But he was a Sith Lord.”Darth Vader…the galaxy will never forget that name.”
Luke nods. "I know. But he turned away from the dark side. He deserves a second chance. Please help me save him. I don’t want him to rot away in prison or be executed.”
Din cautiously adds to the conversation, hoping he’s not stepping over a line. “He can do a lot of good in the galaxy. Especially for people like Grogu.”
Leia sighs, conflicted.. "I'll bring this matter before the New Republic Council," she says. “But the fight won’t be easy.”
As they leave Leia's office, Din and Luke share a hopeful look.
***
Luke, Din, and Grogu sit in the hushed courtroom of Coruscant amidst a sea of spectators. The trial of Anakin Skywalker, once known as Darth Vader, is about to begin, and the anticipation in the air is palpable.
Grogu is sitting on Din’s lap and, gazing around the grand chamber with an amazed look, taking in the crowd. Luke places a reassuring hand on Grogu's shoulder.
The doors slide open. Anakin enters, escorted by New Republic guards. Soon, the trial commences, led by a panel of judges, as they outline the charges against Anakin—crimes committed during his time as Darth Vader. The prosecution presents evidence of atrocities, while the defense argues Anakin's redemption and his subsequent efforts to aid the New Republic.
Luke and Din watch the proceedings, restless, apprehensive. The outcome will determine Anakin's fate and the impact it will have on their newfound family.
As the trial unfolds, Leia Organa takes the stand and talks about Anakin's transformation, telling the audience how much he means to Luke. Says that she’ll do anything to help Luke after all he did for the rebellion.
Grogu clings to Din, watching his friend Anakin intently.
Finally, it is Anakin's turn to speak. His voice, modulated by the mask, fills the chamber as he expresses remorse for his actions as Darth Vader. He acknowledges the pain he caused and his determination to make amends.
Then the final decision is read—a collective decision that echoes through the courtroom. Anakin Skywalker is found not guilty of his past crimes. The room erupts into applause. Tears fill Luke's eyes as he gazes at Anakin, who stands in stunned silence, his expression unreadable behind that black mask. Din hugs Grogu tightly, relieved by the outcome.
***
Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker find themselves on the rooftop of a high-rise building on Coruscant, the bustling nightlife a sea of lights below them. They've left behind the stressful day for a quiet evening to celebrate.
The night air is warm, and a gentle breeze carries the scents of the city's exotic foods from all over the galaxy. They sit side by side in a comfortable lounge, sharing a bottle of Corellian wine and savoring the rich flavor.
"To new beginnings.” Luke raises his glass.
Din echoes the sentiment and clinks his glass against Luke's. "To new beginnings."
Their conversation drifts from one topic to another. They talk about Grogu's progress in his Force training, ponder what Anakin will do next now that he’s been set free.
As the night progresses, the distant cityscape transforms into a mesmerizing tapestry of colors, with speeder traffic streaking through the sky like shooting stars.
Luke says, "I never thought it would end like this. I thought I knew my path, but you and Grogu have shown me a different way."
"And you've shown me that there's more to the galaxy than bounty hunting. I’m glad we found each other.”
They hold hands, watching the sky traffic together. It's just the two of them, celebrating a new chapter.