Work Text:
Leia rolled her eyes, mopping up any stragglers left in the wake of her twin brother’s dramatic Jedi entrance onto the bridge of the Imperial Light Cruiser. “Really, Luke? Was the cloak even necessary?” She said.
He grinned over his shoulder as she stepped through the blast-doors behind him. Her rose-hued blade retracted into its’ polished rose-gold hilt, once she determined he had done an acceptable job of dispatching the droids. She also determined that whoever had designed those things had held an unhealthy fascination with their late father.
“I thought it was a nice touch.” Luke shrugged.
“Idiot.” She smiled, folding her arms over her chest.
“You love me for it.” Luke stuck out his tongue at her as he returned his deactivated lightsaber to his hip and turned to face the group gathered on the cruiser’s bridge.
“Are you Jedi?” The Mandalorian in shiny armour asked as he stepped forward, placing himself between the new-comers and the rest of the bridge.
“Perhaps we killed a couple Jedi and stole their weapons.” Leia arched a brow, amused by this man’s density.
“Leia.” Luke sighed.
“Perhaps you did.” The shiny Mando murmured suspiciously.
“Or perhaps we’re actually Jedi.” Leia smirked over Luke’s rolling eyes.
“Can you prove you’re real Jedi?” The man challenged.
“And, how would you suggest we accomplish this task?” Leia drawled.
Luke shook his head, holding out one hand as the Mando began to speak, “Can you use magic -- Dank Ferrick!” Mando swore upon his helmet’s collision with the bridge’s ceiling, a good two meters above the floor.
“Satisfied?” Luke asked.
“Put me down, Jetti!” Mando seethed.
“I think he’s satisfied.” Leia grinned.
Luke gently lowered the man to the floor, behind him a small excited coo echoed. Leia craned her neck around Mando’s armoured form to see a small green baby.
“He’s so cute!” She cooed right back at the child, his little ears pricked up as he burbled happily.
“You’re really not like the other Jedi.” The man said in shock.
“Uh-oh.” Leia glanced towards her brother.
“Other Jedi?” Luke crowded into Mando’s personal space, his blue eyes sparkling. “Other Jedi? You’ve actually met other Jedi? When? Where? Who?”
Mando leaned as far away from the other man as he could, pressed as he was up against the navigational computer. “Um, about a month or so ago on Corvus. Her name was….” Din paused and racked his rattled mind. What was that nice lady’s name again? Bo-Katan should know. “Hey, Kryze...Oh.” Din blinked. In the aftermath of the Jedi’s entrance, Din had kinda forgotten about the Moff’s earlier stunts.
“Is she injured?” Leia asked, tracking Mando’s line of sight to the figure laid out on the bridge’s floor. “We have excellent medical facilities aboard my ship.” Leia gestured out the widow towards where her yacht the Aldera Star was docked.
The ship had originally been registered as the Queen’s Heart, one of several Nubian ships which had formerly been a part of Darth Vader’s private collection. The entire collection which along with all his other assets, including his castles on Vjun and Mustafar, the deceased Sith Lord had willed to his son and heir six months before the Battle of Endor. Luke had given the Queen’s Heart to Leia.
“She know a Jedi?” Luke’s ecstatic voice pulled Leia from her memories. “She’s not dead, is she? Oh, lady, please don’t be dead!” He pleaded with the unconscious woman, suddenly kneeling at her side.
“How did he...when?” Din muttered, shaking his head.
“You’ll get used to it, Mando.” Leia patted the man’s armoured shoulder in passing.
Somehow Din doubted that very much. “Jetti.” He muttered under his breath.
Grogu climbed off his chair and scurried forward to stand alongside the strange pair of Jedi. He babbled up at them, gesturing towards Bo-Katan.
“You can do that?” The male Jedi gaped. “That’s an actual thing? Ben, why didn’t you ever tell me?” The odd Jedi ranted at the ether.
Din was starting to wonder if they were entirely all there.
“Luke, he wouldn’t have wanted that.” The female Jedi said, laying a hand on her companion’s shoulder. “It was not your fault.”
“But it was, Leia.” The Jedi, Luke, protested. “If I wasn’t...if I….if only I hadn’t been so weak.”
Din glanced over his shoulder through the opened blast-doors and down the hall at the carnage left behind by the Jedi’s assault. Weak? It had taken everything Din had to handle just one of those cursed Dark-Troopers.
Grogu whined a little, patting the Jedi’s hand and then directing him to lay it over Bo-Katan’s injury.
“You can teach me? Thank you...Grogu.” Luke smiled, sniffling.
Leia mirrored Luke’s position on Bo-Katan’s opposite side. “Together, Luke.” She nodded.
“Together.” He smiled.
Grogu gave an emphatic grunt, laying a clawed hand over one of each of the Jedi’s outstretched hands. In eerie synchronization, all three closed their eyes. Silence fell over the bridge, disrupted only by the sudden pinging of Fennec’s comm. The professional assassin jolted and pulled out her comm.
“Shand.” She murmured.
“Hey, Shand. The coast all clear?” Boba’s voice hailed them over the comm’s speaker. “Are you lot ready for that pick-up yet or what?”
“Or what?” Cara Dune and Fennec said, watching as Bo-Katan’s injury stitched itself together, fading to little more than a faint white scar.
Grogu slid to the floor, his breathing deepening into the familiar rhythm indicating he was merely asleep. Din felt his own breathes coming easier at the sight. The two Jedi opened their eyes and leaned back on the balls of their feet.
“Wow.” Leia said. “That could come in handy.”
“Really, Leia.” Luke flicked her head with his gloved right hand.
“Ow! You twit,” Leia snapped, rubbing the red spot on her forehead, “that’s your cybernetic hand.”
“Oh, I know.” Luke said with a small grin, then turned and scooped Grogu up into his arms. “Thank you, Little One.” He murmured, carefully passing the child into the bewildered Mandalorian’s arms.
“How was it you didn’t know how to do ‘that’,” Mando asked, nodding towards Bo-Katan as he sat down to cradle his foundling closer to his chest, “Grogu’s always been able to do that.”
“Well, Grogu is a lot older, he’s had more training.” Luke shrugged.
“He’s just a kid.” Din blinked.
“That kid was my age before the Jedi Order ever fell. I, on the other hand, was born after the Jedi Purge. I’ve only ever met three Jedi in my life, all of whom are now dead.” Luke said. “Grogu there probably knows more about being a Jedi than my teachers ever had the opportunity to teach me.”
Din pondered that statement, in addition to all he had personally witnessed the half-trained Jedi accomplish in the past half-hour. “Then will you be able to teach him?” He asked.
“I can teach him control. And anything he can teach to me I can help him to improve in and grow.” Luke said with a small smile. “I rather imagine we’ll learn from one another. No doubt there will be some trial and error.”
“Understatement.”Leia snorted.
Luke turned and stared at her. “I told you that was perfectly safe.” He said defensively.
“You didn’t know that for certain.” Leia refuted.
“I trust in the Force. It is a great ally whose only limitations are those imposed by small minds.” He sniffed.
“Small minds, huh?” She glowered.
Luke suddenly tumbled head over heels across the bridge away from Leia. He fumbled to right himself. “What, Leia?”
“Apologies, it was the only thing my ‘small mind’ could think to do.” She huffed, shifting her body away from him.
Luke and Din both stared at the woman. “Leia, I never meant you--”
“Oh, so you were talking about Han?”
“What, no! Not this time.” Luke stuttered.
“Oh, so there have been other times when you insulted his intelligence.” She said.
“Well, sure. You were there, you made several of those insults.” Luke said. “Insults are basically part of our families love language.”
“I suppose I should just be grateful you’ve not chosen to adopt our father’s love language, or else we’d have a matched set.” She glared, shaking her balled up right hand at him.
Leia,” Luke’s voice cracked, his blue eyes watering as his lips trembled, “I would never harm you. I’m not like….”
“Oh, Luke,” her anger evaporated as swiftly as it had come, “I’m so sorry.”
“This is better than a Holo-drama.” Koska Reeves murmured.
“Princess Leia,” Cara Dune addressed Alderaan’s last monarch, “did you just say our father?”
“Huh?” Leia turned her attention from Luke and noted the hulking woman’s small mourning braid. Leia’s own were a much smaller version interwoven into her hairdo. She couldn’t wear them publicly in the Senate because of politics. “It was no secret I was my parent’s adopted daughter.”
Luke blinked. Was this it? Was this the moment -- outside of a small group of friends and family -- where Leia claimed him as her brother. Where she claimed their father as her own?
“Luke is my twin brother.” She said simply.
Din took in both Jedi. The woman was dark-haired, dark-eyed, petite, and as fair as Chandrilan porcelain. The man was fair-haired, blue-eyed, tanned as if he had spent the better part of his youth under the sun, and -- like the woman – short.
“Who’s short!” Luke bristled.
“He’s just travel-sized for convenience.” Leia snickered.
“You’re short too.” Din remarked.
“I am not short. Unlike some people, I simply did not need as long to reach maturity.” She sniffed.
“What?” Luke gaped at his sister and then they both started laughing.
Well, wheezing, actually. Din thought as the two Jedi fell into one another’s arms.
“They really aren’t like any Jedi I’ve ever seen.” Fennec said.
Din nodded his agreement. Finally, the twins calmed down and addressed the gathered crowd. Mainly Din, who’s little green guy they were there to collect. And Cara, because Leia felt she owed a partial explanation to her fellow Alderaanian.
“Leia and I were split up at birth because of our parents. We were reunited shortly before the Battle of Yavin when I rescued--”
“ You rescued? I had everything under control!” Leia insisted.
“Fine, when we rescued each other.” Luke amended. “Better?”
“I just want you to keep your facts straight. You may proceed.” Leia said.
“Anyway, the important part is we were reunited and that’s all that matters.” Luke concluded.
Ah, Din nodded. He didn’t really have reason to pry any further than that into the Jedi’s story. Grogu stirred in his lap, waking up from his nap with a coo.
“I suppose it would be best for Grogu to be with his own kind.” Din said.
“Whoa, whoa. What’s with the farewell speech, Mando? You’re coming with us.” Luke said.
“Tact, laser-brain. It is a skill, cultivate it.” Leia sighed.
“Me? Come?” Mando stuttered. “But the other Jedi said….”
“Yeah, that was the Old Order.” Luke said. “I have no intention of running the New Jedi Order in the same manner. Obviously.” He gestured between himself and his twin sister.
“So...I can see him? Even if he becomes a Jedi?” Mando’s voice wavered as if the man were attempting to suppress his tears.
“Of course.” Leia said.
“I’d be the galaxy’s biggest hypocrite if I denied a son his father.” Luke said.
“Or a brother his sister.” Leia added bumping Luke’s shoulder.
“That too.” Luke grinned.
“A son?” Din choked.
“Well, yeah. You are Grogu’s father.” Luke said.
“Did he say that?” Din asked.
“Did he need to, Mando?” Leia challenged.
“No. No he didn’t.” He said, pulling his child closer still.
“That’s what I thought.” Leia nodded.
“Easy, Leia. The poor guy’s been through a lot.” Luke said.
“And we haven’t? Two words for you, Farm-boy: Trandoshan Pirates.” Leia stated.
“Yeah, but that was nothing the two of us couldn’t handle--”
“While pregnant?” Leia gestured at herself as Luke blushed.
Din’s tears evaporated, his new beskar spear leveled on the male Jedi. “You brought a pregnant woman to a fight?”
Din had a very specific code. It did not exclude women but civilians, small children, and pregnant ladies? No! No, he did not stand for them to be put in unnecessary danger.
“Um, in my defense she insisted on tagging along.”
“Darn right I did.” Leia said. “And it’s a good thing for you, Mando, that I’m here or else you would be flying out of here sitting in his lap?” She jerked her head towards her brother.
“What?” Din said.
“X-Wings are not designed as passenger ships.” She said.
“X-Wings are perfect.” Luke rebutted.
“For you and R2 perhaps.” Leia agreed. “But only for you and R2.”
“Well, maybe I should have kept the Star,” Luke huffed.
“You would begrudge me one ship out the dozens our father left to you?” Leia glared.
Din and company gaped. How many ships? Weren’t Jedi like monks? The man, or at least his father, was evidently loaded.
“I offered to share all of them--” Luke said.
“No, no, it’s alright. I always knew you were his favorite child.” She waved him off petulantly.
“Oh, come on, Leia. You know he only left it all to me because he didn’t know you existed until right before he died.” Luke said.
“No, no. It’s entirely understandable. After all, you are the baby.” Leia said.
“Baby? What? We don’t know who’s older, and we’re twins it doesn’t matter.” Luke sputtered.
“Based on maturity, I think it’s fair to say I’m older.” Leia said.
“Oh, for Force’s sake.” Luke threw up his hands.
“Such disrespect you show your grandfather.” She gasped.
“Our,” Luke automatically corrected then jolted, “ but that isn’t how it works.”
“Lukey, that is precisely how ancestry works.” Leia smirked.
Grogu’s little ears twitched as his head whipped back and forth tracking the two older Jedi’s rapid-fire exchange. “Um?” Din stared. He was unsure where to even start to try and clarify what they had said. He was doubly unsure if he even wanted to clarify.
“Boba’s here.” Fennec announced as the proximity alarms chimed.
“Boba?” The twins whirled in unison to stare at the assassin. “ As in Boba Fett?”
“Uh, yes.” Fennec answered.
“That son of a sarlacc!” Leia snarled.
“Leia. Leia, calm down. We do not use the Force in our anger.” Luke said.
“Watch me.” Leia snapped.
“Think of the baby. You’re anger is not good for them.” Luke wheedled.
“That was a cheap trick.” Leia said, slowly relaxing her death-grip on her drawn blaster as the lift’s alarm announced it’s arrival.
Boba stepped onto the bridge and froze. “Sith-spawn!” He swore.
Leia’s glare only intensified, while Luke bit his lip as if trying to stifle a laugh.
“Not a word, Luke. Not one word.” She warned.
“Oh, come on. It’s the perfect lead-in, Leia.” Luke whined.
“No.” She ground out through her clenched teeth.
“Fine.” Luke sighed. “Only for you, my dearest sister.”
Boba twitched. Aw, kark! He thought. Boba could very easily recall his involvement in Solo’s capture which had led the smuggler’s friends to stage their, frankly insane, rescue plan. A plan which had temporarily resulted in Leia Organa, apparently Skywalker’s sister, being placed in chains by the loathsome, thankfully deceased, grub, Jabba the Hutt. Boba could also count his blessings that Skywalker happened to be a thrice-cursed Jedi and thus was not in the habit of seeking revenge. It’s literally part of their insipid code. Boba thought, relaxing marginally.
“You know, I’ve never cared all that much for the Old Order’s codex.” Luke smiled.
Boba’s suit seemed to be experiencing a sudden malfunction. Yeah, that was. That was the only reason he was suddenly sweating buckets inside his normally climate-controlled armour. “Shavit.” The former bounty hunter turned daimyo swore.
Grogu babbled, very entertained by the unique energy radiating through the force from the twins and this new-comer.
Din eyed the Jedi staring down his fellow Mandalorian. Should he step in, as one foundling to another?
A red blast of laser fire erupted from nowhere breaking the odd peace. Leia, cried out, clutching her burned shoulder. Luke had already whirled, his blue eyes blazing in the reflected light of his green light-sword. Din turned, jumping into action a half-beat after both Jedi had moved, and trained his drawn blaster Moff Gideon. Stupid! Stupid! Rookie mistake! Din berated himself fiercely. Even with all the chaos which had ensued upon the Jedi’s arrival, he should not have forgotten about their prisoner.
Gideon, had he chosen to go after Grogu, might have been able to deal a devastating blow to his enemy. As it stood, Leia’s Jedi-instincts had apparently caused her to react to the incoming threat swiftly enough to turn what could have been a fatal shot through her heart into a merely a painful burn along her left forearm.
That was not nearly enough to spare the Imperial from what was about to happen.
Gideon, having regained consciousness after the Jedi had appeared on the bridge had feigned being incapacitated to avoid drawing attention from the pair. He’d heard everything. Especially the part about Leia-Organa, apparently Skywalker, being a Jedi and being pregnant with more of the accursed beings. If there was one thing the Imperial Remnant did not need -- apart from the pompous blue-skinned, self-proclaimed heir to the Empire -- it was more Jedi. Gideon had decided his best chance for removing these potential thorns was to pluck them before they ever came into existence, and if he was lucky remove a voice of reason from the burgeoning New Republic Senate with one strike. Luck, it seemed, decided to favor the Jedi this round, as she managed to twist her body out the way of his shot in time to avoid serious injury.
Skywalker turned, and for the strangest moment, Gideon felt as if he were staring through the lifeless, soul-searing eye-plates of the dread Lord, Darth Vader’s helmet. Which was of course absurd. Jedi were pathetically weak, and this young wisp of a man -- no matter his legendary reputation -- was nothing like the larger-than-life Imperial Enforcer Gideon had had the privilege to serve with on a handful of missions.
Gideon knew of light-saber’s ability to deflect blaster fire but he was a staunch soldier who did not shy from a challenge and he had a duty to his cause to either rid the galaxy of its Jedi plague or die in the effort. He narrowed his eyes and fired as many shots as he could before the rest of the bridge crew could rally themselves out of their stupefied shock. Even as he fired the blaster suddenly imploded in his hands peppering him with molten shards of the plasisteel, the liquid metal moulding itself around and welding to his cauterized flesh. He cried out in pain.
He shut his eyes to drown out the sensation of his skin being seared and resealed simultaneously. Still, he was an Imperial Moff, Gideon refused to allow weakness to rule him and quickly forced his eyes open, only to behold the enraged, towering form of Luke Skywalker standing over him. Those blue eyes were colder and more infinite than the depths of space and pierced Gideon marrow and soul.
“That was mistake, Moff.” The Jedi said slowly, enunciating all the vowels in that grating drawl which so often seemed to ingratiate itself into the rim-world denizens’ basic pronunciation.
“What are you going to do, Jedi? We both know you won’t kill an unarmed man.” Gideon sneered, channeling his facade of bravery and confidence that had served him well during his years in the Imperial Court.
“Evidently you are unaware of the changes I’ve been making to my Jedi Order.” Skywalker sneered right back, every bit the arrogant, back-water scum which so often had flocked to the Rebellion.
“Luke.” Organa called out, a note of worry in her voice. “Not from anger.”
Luke turned and smiled at her, more bittersweet wince than true smile. “Don’t worry, Leia.”
She relaxed somewhat back into Cara and Mando’s grip as they eased her down to the floor, closer to Grogu’s impatient hands. The boy was eager to heal her.
“I am well beyond the point of anger.” Luke’s voice cooled, and Din shuddered involuntarily as if he had been dunked into an ice-bath.
“You wouldn’t dare.” Moff Gideon taunted, feeling less and less sure about his own convictions by the second, “You wouldn’t want to taint your soul and fall.” He jeered.
Luke’s arched a brow, an almost sardonic smirk appeared on his hardened face. “You have no idea the darkness I’ve already faced.” He said. “Trust me, something like this will hardly give me a moment’s pause.”
Gideon floundered. He could read the Jedi’s absolute sincerity in those blue eyes. “You think you’ve won? The Emperor will have his revenge.” He spat, desperate to avoid the fate he could see carved into the Jedi’s face.
“Oh, the Emperor? Not the Empire?” Luke tilted his head to one side.
“Luke, any intel he has we could use.” Leia reasoned, as desperate as Gideon for Luke to avoid touching even the fringes of the Dark Side.
She struggled against Mando’s gently, firm grip on her good shoulder. In response, the man, exerted a fraction more pressure, shaking his head. Grogu chirped in a commanding tone. Leia didn’t need the Force to translate the child’s meaning, his tone was that of medics with uncooperative patients the galaxy over. She could appreciate his concern, but she’d appreciate more if they would allow her to intervene before Luke crossed a line.
“Yes.” Luke nodded, slowly considering.
“R2,” He called over his shoulder towards the astromech who’d parked himself into the corner after their grand entrance onto the bridge. At his summons, the little droid chirped an affirmation, rolling over to the bridge’s computer terminal. “That’s right, pal, all the data.” Luke smiled.
R2 whistled and plugged himself into the droid socket.
“Luke, there might still be data that Gideon has which he didn’t store--” Leia said.
“I know.” Luke said, cutting off her warnings. He sighed heavily and closed down his lightsaber, staring sadly at his uncovered hand. “I’m sorry for this, Leia.”
No one quite knew what he was planning, but the fatal blow the majority had anticipated never came even as Leia squirmed in vehement protest “No, Luke!”
The Jedi, thrust his flesh hand forward and grasped the Moff’s face. Nothing. A beat of confused silence stole over all the non-Jedi. Leia choked on a sob. Din blinked as he found his arms full of a small Senator. Cara stared over the shorter woman’s head in wide-eyed horror, upset by her Princess’ clear emotional distress. But what had triggered it? Din wondered. Luke had not killed the Moff like the woman had seemed to fear. No, he glanced up and froze, his arms instinctively shooting out to wrap the younger woman in a comforting hug he recalled his mother using in his youth.
No, Skywalker had not killed the man. Din had to think killing him would have been the kinder fate.
Gideon’s eyes had rolled back into his head, his limbs twitching erratically as if he were being continually stunned. Skywalker’s face might as well have been carved out of stone as he stared blankly down at his own handiwork.
Boba grimaced. He’d worked with Darth Vader on multiple occasions through the years. As a result, he held first hand knowledge of what Vader’s mind-probe technique looked like and how it effected its victims. What Skywalker was doing now seemed eerily similar to the dead Sith’s favored interrogation tactic. Was it a coincidence the man purported to have killed Vader was capable and willing to use the same methods?
Luke released the Moff. Gideon fell backwards, panting onto the deck. “What are you?” He rasped out, trying futilely to get his body to cooperate and move away from this creature.
“Can’t you guess?” Luke felt a strange sense of satisfaction in the Moff’s transparent fear. He knew he shouldn’t. He also knew what he was about to say would only upset Leia, so he lowered his voice. What he failed to consider was the fact that Mandalorian and bounty hunters had enhanced auditory sensors in their gears. “Who is the one you have striven to pattern yourself after.”
Gideon blinked, taken aback by this seemingly random question. “What?”
“Who’s legacy have you so painstakingly tried to preserve? Who’s reputation of fear and death have you attempted to usurp to serve your own ends?” Luke squatted in front of the Moff. A nominally un-intimadating posture at most times, yet it conveyed nothing less than a vulture waiting for it’s prey’s final breath.
“Lord Vader.” Gideon answered, managing to dig up enough vitriol and spite for this person. “The great man you cut down, Rebel Scum.” He snapped.
The Jedi actually smiled. “Tell me, do you really think I could kill Darth Vader?”
Gideon was again caught off-guard. Of course, he’d thought it was impossible, right up until the moment he had watched the Jedi demolishing his Dark-Troopers then he had been forced to reconsider. But if the Jedi was asking? “Did you?” His morbid curiosity won out and he had to voice his question.
“No.” Luke said. Plainly, simply, and most importantly truthfully. “I did not kill Darth Vader and I never would have if given the opportunity.”
This was yet another unanticipated statement from the Empire’s most wanted. Gideon narrowed his eyes. “If not you, Jedi,” he spat the name as one might an unpalatable food, “ who killed Lord Vader.”
“The Emperor.” He once again stated with total sincerity.
“Why would the Emperor wish to kill his most loyal servant?” Gideon challenged, fascinated and desiring to know more from the only survivor of the Second Death Star, even as he doubted his words.
“Perhaps Vader was not so loyal to the Emperor or the Empire as you believed.” Luke shrugged, once again that infuriatingly knowing smile appeared on his face.
“Impossible.”
“Is it? In the Imperial Court I heard back-stabbing was practically a form of greeting.” Luke returned.
“Lord Vader had no need to partake in such political maneuvering. He was Second in the entire Empire and the sole heir.” Gideon sneered.
“Was he really?” Luke hummed. “Then why would he kill the Emperor. Can you guess?”
“He would have no reason--”
“Save one,” Luke interjected, “to save his own son.”
“Son?” Gideon choked. What sort of ridiculous….He stared into Luke Skywalker’s deadly serious face. “That’s not possible.” He breathed.
“On the contrary, Moff Gideon,” Luke slowly rose to his full height, still addressing him in the same soft, even tone of voice, “ it is no less possible than your death at my hand.” The green blade sprang into existence like a pillar of fire.
Vader’s son. Gideon gaped. Lord Vader’s son. The true heir to the Empire. He breathed in horrified excitement as the blade relieved him of his head and all further thought.
Luke extinguished his blade and returned it to his belt, slowly turning to face the rest of the bridge’s occupants. Leia’s tear-stained face stared back at him, no accusations merely tortured acceptance of his decisions. She understood. She always understood.
“I had to, Leia.” He said.
“I know.” She choked.
“I won’t allow the darkness to control my actions.”
“You don’t control it, Luke.” She mildly reprimanded him.
“True, but that’s why I’m lucky to have you. You won’t ever let me fall.” He offered her a weak smile, all hardness erased from his features by the shy expression. “I am sorry you had to witness that. Truly sorry.”
She appraised him. Jiggling her arms a bit, Mando took the hint and released her but not fully until he’d helped her to her feet. Reassuring the quiet man she wasn’t about to face-plant if allowed to stand under her own power, he stepped back, and she went to Luke. Scanning his face, she nodded and crushed him in a fierce hug.
Pushing him away, she shook her finger in his face. “I forgive you, but if you ever pull something like this again, so help me I will blast your sorry Jedi sheb’s out of existence, resurrect you, and then pound some sense into that durasteel plated skull of yours!” She seethed, shaking him by his shoulders.
“Understood.” Luke smiled down at her.
“Laser-brains.” She scoffed, shoving him away from her.
“R2, how are things going?” Luke asked his little astromech casually, as if their wasn’t a decapitated Moff lying behind him. Completely oblivious to the disturbed silence which had overtaken the rest of the assembled group. Well, those wearing their enhanced auditory receptor helmets. “Another fifteen minutes. Alright, good work.”
He and Leia turned to the group and stared. He glanced at Leia and Cara. Had he missed something? “What’s going on?” Luke addressed the ex-shock trooper.
Care shrugged. Sure the Jedi’s little whispered exchange with the Moff had seemed weird, but she’d chalked it up to Jedi-stuff. The rest of the group seemed to have overheard their conversation and had taken it poorly? Or maybe they were simply as awe-struck and confused as Cara.
Bo-Katan Kryze groaned, disrupting the tension mounting as she slowly blinked up at the bridge’s ceiling. Gathering her strength she pushed herself into a sitting position and let her gaze sweep over the room and it’s occupants. Great, Fett was here. She grimaced and pushed the old irritation to the back-burner of her mind. There were clearly more important things to focus on, Bo-Katan thought, staring at the head of Moff Gideon by her boot.
“What happened?” She demanded of her second, Koska Reeves.
“You really don’t want to know.” Fennec Shand, standing beside Reeves, supplied.
“A lot, Alor.” Koska answered.
Well that cleared everything up nicely. Bo-Katan glowered, turning her attention to the two strangers. “Who are you?” She said.
“I am Leia Organa-Solo.” The female inclined her head regally. “Senator of the New Republic and Jedi Knight.”
That was loaded title. Bo-Katan stared. A Jedi and a Senator? Things really were different now a days.
“And this is my brother,” she carried on unbothered by Bo-Katan lack of response, “ Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker.”
“ Knight Sky—who?” Bo-Katan gaped at the young man.
Luke caught the intonation in her voice. Ah. “You were acquainted with my father, Anakin Skywalker?” He said.
“Wait, who?” Din interjected, perplexed. “I thought you said your old man was Darth Vader.”
“Who!” Kryze and Dune shrieked.
Leia pivoted on her toes and slugged her brother in his arm. “You imbecile, what have I told you about telling people.”
“What? It’s the truth,” Luke rubbed at his arm, “ ‘sides it isn’t my fault, exactly. I just sort of forgot about the whole audio-enhancement doohickey and helmets.”
“ You Nerf-herder.” Leia sighed. “I want to go on record as stating Darth Vader was not my father.”
“I know, Leia. Bail Organa was your true father.” Luke said.
“Yes. But that was not what I meant, doofus.” Leia flicked his forehead. “I meant Anakin Skywalker was my father not who he became.”
“Wait, are you claiming Darth Vader and Ahsoka’s Master were the same person!” Kryze said.
“Who?” Luke and Leia stared in absent confusion.
“Ahsoka, right!” Mando suddenly snapped his fingers. “That was the nice Lady’s name.”
“The Jedi?” Luke prompted, for clarity’s sake.
“Yeah.” Mando said.
“Ben never mentioned that father had had a student.” Luke pouted. “Neither did Yoda.” He scowled at the empty space behind himself.
“Luke,” Leia laid her hand on his arm, “ there was a lot they neglected to mention.”
“Oh, believe me, I know.” Luke snorted, rubbing at his right wrist.
Leia gave him a brief hug and faced Bo-Katan, prompting the older woman for details. Bo-Katan finds herself regaling them with a few decades worth of sparse interactions and her last visit with Ahsoka which had occurred a week after Din Djarin and Grogu had parted ways with her on Corvus. She also mentioned Ahsoka’s rebel contact, Rex.
Boba twitched twice in one day. “He’s still alive?” He murmured.
“You know Rex?” Luke and Leia stared.
Boba rolled his eyes. Of course, Rex would be acquainted with his old General’s kids. Ironic. Boba mused, with little real humor, he himself had shared a working relationship with the Jedi turned Sith that was reminiscent to what the clones had shared with their Jedi Generals. Ugh. And, now he was entangled with even more Jedi.
“He’s my younger brother.” Boba supplied with a long-suffering sigh.
“Younger?” Luke queried in bemusement.
Boba removed his helmet. “We’re both clones.”
“Whoa, that looks like it hurts.” Luke observed all the scars criss-crossing Boba’s unhealthily pale face. It was entirely too reminiscent to his father’s. Less weathered perhaps, but still an uncomfortable trigger of a bittersweet memory.
“Sarlacc.” Boba glared.
“Hey, that was an accident! Unlike your attempts to kill me and my friends.” Luke protested. “Besides, I’m not the one who knocked you into the pit. That was all Han’s doing. And, if it helps it was purely by accident he managed to do that while blind as a mynock.” He smirked.
“Screw you, Jedi.” Boba snapped.
“Well, if that’s the way you feel about it then I guess you don’t want my help to heal?” Luke shrugged.
“Didn’t you just learn that skill?” Din asked.
“Yep! I need all the practice I can get.” Luke rubbed his hands together eagerly.
“You’ll understand if I don’t volunteer my assistance.” Leia said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Boba cleared his throat. “Completely.”
“Good. Carry on, Luke.” She turned around and moved off to check on R2-D2’s progress.
Cara shrugged and glided behind the woman, eager for the opportunity to speak with her people’s last monarch. Fennec leaned against a comm station while Koska helped Bo-Katan into on of the tech-station’s chairs. Din and Grogu focused their attention on Luke who was badgering the clearly uncomfortable bounty hunting-daimyo into stretching out on the bridge’s floor.
“Wanna be my assistant, Grogu?” Luke called.
Grogu cooed, he’d only been waiting for an invitation, and scuttled forward. The little boy mirrored the older Jedi’s posture. He chirped.
“Ah, of course.” Luke nodded, suddenly adjusting his position. “Better?”
Grogu nodded.
“Great! Let’s get started.” Luke grinned.
Boba’s eyes darted between the two Jedi hovering over him. Never in a million years would he have envisioned this scenario. He was going to be healed by Jedi!
“So, should we get out of here?” Koska asked Bo-Katan.
“Sure, we can work while we fly. Leia, better check that the Aldera Star’s mag-lock is good and secure before we make any jumps.” He cautioned.
She nodded in response. Cara Dune leapt at the opportunity to assist and marched off to go fulfill this named task. Leia shrugged. It had been some time since some one had behaved quite so deferentially towards her, but she was not unnerved by the behaviour. She’d spent the majority of her formative years in politics, after all.
Koska hadn’t actually planned on the Jedi and the others tagging along, but having witnessed what he was capable of she wasn’t about to try and throw him off the cruiser. “Uh, okay.”
“R2, plug in the coordinates for our jump.” Leia ordered.
The droid paused his intelligence retrieval to input the coordinates into the Light Cruiser’s navigational computer.
“We’ll make the jump to a neutral location and go our separate ways from there.” She informed Koska.
Koska nodded stiffly. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
_________
By the time they reached the coordinates in the outer-rim, Boba had a close, downy growth of hair covering his much less visible scars. Bo-Katan was fully recovered and more than a bit eager to part company with the disconcerting duo. Mando, Grogu, Luke and Leia all piled into the Aldera Star. Fennec and Boba were to follow them in the Slave 1, in order to give Mando a ride once he’d insured his son was settled into the Jedi Academy. Two weeks later, he and the other two departed Yavin IV.
Din would be returning after he earned a few credits. Luke had given him a fully-equipped star-ship, top of the line and heavily modified, one of the many he’d inherited from his father. But Din didn’t like charity and so decided to work off the balance of the ship by earning credits. After that, he intended to settled down on the jungle moon and work security for the academy. Not that it needed any more protection, but he felt more comfortable doing something productive that could also benefit his son.
Bo-Katan and Koska and gone their merry way, totally unaware –at least for a time-- that Din had stuffed the Darksaber into Bo-Katan’s gear. Naturally, he couldn’t rid himself of the blasted thing quite that easily. Kryze had returned, fuming mad and demanded he fight her.
Din did his absolute best to lose while trying to seem as if he wasn’t trying to lose. Unfortunately -- Luke grinned -- the Darksaber had already picked Din. Thus it was that Mand’alor the Reluctant ascended to the throne of Mandalore, and left with his people to rebuild their world. Grogu followed after they established the first colony on their reclaimed planet. The little gremlin had determined he would be the next coming of Tarre Vizla, a Jedi and a Mandalorian.
With the resurgence of the Sith decades later and the New Jedi Order’s political fall out with the New Republic, Grandmaster Skywalker and his family were welcomed to Mandalore as the adopted clan of then Mand’alor Shin Djarin. Shin was the youngest foundling of the late Mand’alor the Reluctant. Much like his Ori’vod Grogu, Shin was also a Force-sensitive who had trained under Grandmaster Skywalker. Unlike his nomadic sibling -- who’d elected to become a bounty-hunting Jedi -- Shin was rooted to his planet and had taken the Darksaber after defeating all-comers in a combat royale.