Notes: So little warning, tiny bit of NSFW sexual implications bit towards the end today. Nothing over board right now but we'll eventually be getting there. Full NSFW chapters come later and will be marked like this.

Also word of the day! Shebs: Rear, behind, ass etc.

Chapter 14: Sparks of Something

Sitting still for any amount of time was difficult for Dyn, especially given the situation. Every second not trying to kill Ottolah was another second Karga had his ad'ika hostage. Was he taking any sort of care for him? Would the child even remember him when he retrieved him? By force if necessary. After a few hours of waiting on the astromech droids to repair the engine, the Razorcrest immediately took to hyperspace. Only to now have to wait another thirty six hours before they would arrive on Nirauan. While that meant the others were going to get a head start, he hoped he could pick up the pieces to the carnage Karga unleashed. If it came down to it, Dyn would kill whoever claimed to have gotten Ottolah so he could obtain the reward. Despite being against the Bounty Hunters Guild rules, he would do anything to save his little one.

In the meantime, he was stuck in the small space that was the Razorcrest with Rey and Yarv. Rey was easier to deal with, she didn't remember what happened and thus didn't have a million questions for him. Yarv on the other hand had always been inquisitive from the moment they met. So, it was only natural for him to want to know what caused the son of Luke Skywalker to change drastically in another direction. Deep down the Jedi had to know the reason, he just clearly didn't understand it. He had been in the same place Ben had been and stayed loyal to Luke. Why wouldn't he do the same? It was a lot different when your family was directly involved in the temple sacking only for nothing to be done about it. The two of them were sitting in the main hold while Rey pretended to make herself busy in the cockpit. She knew they needed time to talk despite not knowing the full reason.

Yarv was toying with his hands while sitting across from him, "So, uhh... How have you been?"

Dyn tilted his head to the side, "I thought no talks were required? It's what you said when you got on the ship."

Yarv's gaze gave him a frustrated expression, "So making conversation at all is considered having a talk? It's not like I asked you-"

"Why I cut myself off from the force? That one should be easy Yarv. The how is a little more complicated." He spoke with a matter of fact tone hoping that would end the discussion.

The Jedi looked at the floor for a second mumbling something about patience before staring back at his helmet again, "Ben, I'm asking how you are because I'm worried about you. We both know a wound in the force, like the one that surrounds you, is usually created through genocide. I'm not saying you're responsible for anything I just, want to know you're ok. And if you're not, I want to help."

Someone calling him by his birth name, probably something that hadn't happened in eighteen years. He would've been angry if it was anyone else who had done that. Dyn had embraced his Mandalorian upbringing and had no desire to be reminded of what came before. Yet, he knew Yarv was coming from the right place, Ben was the only identity he had ever known for him. The chance he was going to start calling him Dyn was slim to none, and that was ok. He knew who he really was. While Yarv's concern was simply because he cared for his friend, it was unecessary. No, Dyn hadn't gone killing people at random over and over again to make that wound. He just had to watch his mother fall off that cliff, and not be able to do anything about it unless he wanted all of his other classmates to die. Bounty hunting certainly helped to keep the wound fresh.

His own hands were playing with the glass of Tihaar, "Bounty hunters aren't Jedi Knights Yarv. We have to get our hands dirty more often than not and it isn't always directed at bad people. I don't go around killing innocents just to keep the force out but I won't lie and say I've never done something I shouldn't have."

Yarv reached out with one of his slightly larger four fingered hands to touch his gloved one, "Ben, look at me."

"I am." He responded with his helmet purposely staring at him.

Yarv let out a breath knowing what he was asking for was big, "Without the helmet please. I need to know your paying attention to what I'm about to tell you."

Dyn debated on what to do with that request. House Fett had nothing against taking a helmet off primarily out of necessity since Boba and Jango did it so much. However, showing Yarv who he really was under the helmet just made the revelation feel more real. There was no going back from this once he did it. Could Yarv handle the truth that his best friend really was a murderer beyond a shadow of a doubt? He didn't know if he could handle Yarv being disgusted by him. Even though the Lasat was a Jedi, he needed one person to care about him right now. Otherwise, Dyn definitely saw himself having the potential to go crazy with fear worrying about what the child was going through by himself. Although he had no predictions of the outcome, he knew Yarv wasn't going to accept no as an answer so he pulled the helmet off for the first time around his old friend.

Bright green eyes met ocean blue ones and it was as though time just stopped. The last time either of them had seen each other was when they were kids before puberty went through the both of them. Many years had passed allowing Dyn to appreciate Yarv's adult masculine features. His angular chin yet rounded happy face, his green eyes which seemed to be staring right into his soul, his slight black stubble around his jaw, and his thick lips which curved in a soft friendly smile. All of it was interesting for him to look at in a way he wasn't exactly sure he was comfortable with. Yarv was a Jedi and he was a Mandalorian, at best they could be neutral coworkers for the time being. Not anything more. Besides, he still didn't know what his relationship status was with Goran after their encounter at The Rusty Bucket.

Dyn couldn't help but have a sarcastic tone to hopefully cut the tension between them, "Better? I could just put a picture of dad on my helmet, basically the same thing."

Yarv blinked realizing he had been staring before he smirked teasingly at him, "I like your hair better than his..it would look good on you in it's natural color." He coughed before continuing, "Ahem...back to the important thing. I just wanted to say you can talk to me if you want to. It was hard for me too you know... The temple."

Now that they started talking, Dyn couldn't resist from talking some more, "How is the academy these days? Haven't seen or heard anything from them on the holonet for a long time."

Yarv was apparently also in a talkative mood, "That's because we've been scouring the former territory of the Sith Empire searching for the dagger of Mortis."

The expression of surprise on his face couldn't be hidden anymore. He had heard the story of Mortis as a child multiple times, he had always just believed it was a fairytale. As the story went Mortis was a sort of origin point of force users. His grandfather had encountered the first force family on the planet before ultimately leading to the deaths of the son, who represented the dark side, the daughter who had been a symbol for the light, as well as the father who tried to keep the peace between the two of them. The murder weapon for all three of them had been a dagger created by the father as a last resort just in case one of his children went too far. He always found it odd the mother never seemed to be mentioned in any of the stories. She probably wasn't important. Ultimately, Anakin had supposedly left the dagger on Mortis as a memorial to the daughter, never to be seen again. Why was Luke and the rest of the Order looking for that when Kylo was running around the galaxy making a mess?

He cocked his head to the side questioningly, "So, Luke thinks the son is back? Or is he just giving you all busy work to pretend nothing happened?"

Yarv's face had a mixture of disappointment and regret all over it, "Things might be complicated but don't pretend he abandoned you. He tried talking to you until you literally created a wound in the force to keep him out."

Dyn took a gulp of the Tihaar to deflect from the truth that was all over that statement, "So you believe the embodiment of the dark side is running around causing trouble? Come on, doesn't that seem a little too convenient for you?"

Yarv was still disgruntled with his attitude, "I never said the son directly. We have intelligence from the inside the Remnant telling us a Sith Lord cheated death. Now that you've shown me the baby, I'm convinced the Sith is telling the truth. Luke knows we can't kill someone like that conventionally hence the dagger."

He raised an eyebrow, "Intelligence on the inside? Who did Luke get to go to the Empire? How long? Who is it?"

"We're on our way to Nirauan as we speak. I just hope we can make it there in time." Rey told them as she entered the room interrupting their discussion.

Who was the spy in the Empire? It was a question that fascinated him yet also made his stomach a little uneasy. If Luke started searching for the dagger shortly after the attack on the temple, that had to mean the spy was in place not long before that. Surely Jacen wasn't the spy, he had so much anger in his voice and had fought Mara leading to her fall. That didn't mean all the members of his little gang that left had the same conviction he did to the Sith cause. Out of the two surviving candidates, Jaden Korr was the best choice. He had never loved Jacen only following him around because he thought it was the popular thing to do. Then he remembered Jaden had to be the warrior he killed out on Tatooine during the fight with Kylo. A twinge of regret hit him as the possibility he killed a faithful member of the Order emerged. Alternatively, Korr's former Jedi master Kyle Katarn had been a Stormtrooper once. Maybe he used his connections to get back inside the Empire? Probably just wishful thinking on his part not wanting to be responsible for ruining Luke's plans.

Since Yarv clearly wasn't going to answer him now for whatever reason, Dyn changed the subject glancing to Rey, "If we aren't, we'll just have to chase down whoever is gloating most about the victory and kill them before they get the reward from Karga."

Yarv frowned not liking that idea, "Wouldn't that be considered cheating among the Guild?"

Dyn gave a flat shrug while throwing the empty Tihaar bottle in the trash, "And? I have to do whatever it takes to get him back. I was planning on going back to Mandalore when this was all over anyways. Quitting or getting forced out of the Guild is the same thing really."

Rey sat between them glancing out the cockpit viewport, "Well we'll find out soon enough, a few days most likely. In the meantime, have you let Yarv heal your leg?"

Dyn shook his head adamantly, "No, your brace works fine for now. The few days we have stuck here should give me plenty of time to rest up."

Yarv moved over to him getting on his knees while gently putting a hand on his armored thigh this time, "I'm not going to take no for an answer, just relax and you'll feel better soon."

If it wasn't for the distracting sensation of that hand so tenderly touching him, Dyn would've protested. Even though it obviously wasn't an intentional intimate gesture, it was still a hand on his thigh. The real reason he didn't want Yarv doing this was the nature of force healing. Kate always described the process as force transfer instead because the healer essentially took the injury from the victim as their own. It had it's limitations though beyond just the difficulty in learning the technique, if the victim wouldn't eventually recover from the injury on their own, force healing just wouldn't work. He knew from experience rushing down the cliffside to try and save Mara that was true. A healer also couldn't regrow lost limbs or organs unless the victims species would do that naturally. Sith were also notorious for not being able to heal because they couldn't understand the idea of inflicting pain or illness on themselves just so that others could be free of those things.

Rey watched as Yarv started twitching from the pain he was giving himself, "Is he going to be ok?"

Dyn nodded trying not to appear too worried about him, "By the time we get to Nirauan yeah. He's going to feel like he took the hit himself until then probably."

"I didn't know that was how force healing worked..I thought it was more..." She trailed off trying to come up with the right words.

Yarv finished with the healing process only to attempt to stand up, "More like magic in the vids without consequences? Right now I wish you were right but, it doesn't work that way. I think I'm going to want to lay down for awhile."

She grabbed her bag to look inside it, "I hope you get some rest."

Dyn stood up freely shaking the brace off, "Let me help you get to my bed, it's the least I can do."

Yarv leaned against his side in appreciation, "You weren't kidding when you said you took a lightsaber hit. And sleep in your own bed, I'll take the couch."

He was just as stubborn dragging Yarv to the bedroom, "The couch is too small for you and you know it. Just let me say thank you without making a big deal out of it."

The Jedi stumbled over to the bed with a flop, "Your welcome Ben. Don't worry, I just need a little bit of rest. I'll be able to help later."

Dyn let a genuine smile cross his lips, "I know Yarv. If you need anything I'll be right outside."

He closed the door to his room once again getting that tingly feeling of butterflies in his stomach. Having Yarv around him again was nice, good even. Moreso than he was willing to admit to himself right now. Was Yarv even attracted to other guys? What if he wasn't and had a thing for Jaina? Or what if he already had a significant other waiting for him back at the temple? Why did any of that even matter to him anyways right now? He needed to be planning for the worst, what if Mavik Ordo was the one to get the kill? The Ordo family wouldn't just let that go even if it was in self defense. Killing him might be just as bad for Mandalorian politics as if his ad'ika died. Should he be calling buir for advice? No, Boba had his own problems and didn't need to worry about what was happening with him as well.

Rey was waiting for him when he turned around back to the main hold, "I didn't mean to stay in the cockpit as much as I did but you two seem like you needed the privacy."

Dyn bowed his head towards her in thanks, "We haven't seen each other in a long time, it was nice to be able to catch back up again."

Rey pulled an orb from her bag setting it on the table, "I don't mean to pry but, how close were you two? Before all this."

The way she asked made it clear what kind of closeness she was implying, "I was eleven and he was nine so just friends."

She bit her lower lip holding back a follow up question, "I'm glad the two of you are able to talk again... Anyways, I told you I'd show you the map that was with the helmet I found in the Imperial vault on Tatooine. I guess now is a good of time as any."

He had almost forgotten she found a map with the possible helmet of Mandalore the Ultimate in the chaos that was Nar Shaddaa. In most cases he could care less about maps since onboard computers did navigation across the galaxy for him. Just type the name of a system in and it would do the rest. However, this map could be the key to convincing the general Mandalorian public this helmet really belonged to their last real leader. Systems like Onderon, Dxun, Telos, Taris, Dantooine, and Malachor V should be marked having been major battle lines during the Mandalorian Wars. Instead the three he recognized were; Tatooine, Kashyyyk, and Manaan. None of these planets had any connection to Mandalore or each other and yet, the map connected the planets together as well as a fourth world he wasn't familiar with before the trail went into the Unknown Regions. What had Jaina found?

Dyn gazed in her direction, "This map was in that helmet?"

"Yeah, I remember quite clearly because the map hit my foot when I picked up the helmet. At first I thought it was a complete map but, looking at it now the area it's pointing to is huge." She said with enthusiasm having no idea she was crushing his hopes of bringing all the clans back together, "I bet at one time each of those other planets had a map like this one and when you placed them next to each other they sent you to the final location." She was staring at it as if the map itself would eventually confirm the theory.

The let down made it hard for him to stay engaged with the map at all, "You could be right, I don't know if it matters all these years later though."

Her gaze towards him was one of dismay, "You don't care where this map might go out there in the unknown? What if it's some sort of Mandalorian weapons cache? Knowledge of a long lost civilization? The possibilities are endless."

A laugh spilled out of him from all her guess work, "Believe me, if it was a weapon Mandalore wouldn't have made it so hard to find it. I just..can't get invested right now with the little one trapped somewhere and I can't help him. I told him I was going to be there when he woke up."

Rey came to the realization her energy towards this mystery wasn't what he was feeling, "Of course, I'm sorry. I haven't spent enough time around well, anyone, to know when I should just quit talking. I would tell you everything is going to be ok, unfortunately, we both know there's no guarantee that will be true."

He forced himself to smile back at her wishing he had more Tihaar with him, "Thanks for the thought."

She looked away before glancing cautiously back at him, "What will you do if you never get him back?"

His mind certainly went to some dark places when she said that. Things like how long it would take him to die drowning or, would he feel the blast if he fired his weapon in his mouth? Boba and the rest of the extremely small clan would still need him regardless of what happened in the next few days yet, he couldn't see himself being able to keep going. The child had been put into that situation on Tatooine to begin with because of him. It had then immediately trusted him completely to take care of him. Failing to do that, no matter the circumstances around the incident, made him become less than a Mandalorian. Someone to be ignored and starved. He had to do this, he was convinced Mara stopped him from trying to kill Kylo that night with Wedge because even she knew he was destined to take care of the baby.

Despite feeling worried, Dyn's tone was full of determination, "I'm going to get him back no matter what it takes."

Rey gave him a sad sympathetic smile, "Ok then. I'm going to make myself comfortable in the cockpit. Get some sleep and talk to your navigational computer about figuring out what this fourth planet is on this map."

"You're really going to follow that thing after this is all over aren't you?" The fact she was so optimistic about it was the only answer he really needed.

She shrugged nonchalantly standing up with a stretch, "Why not? It's not like I have anything better to do once you retire. The Empire will be looking for me back on Tatooine but out there I could be anyone."

Even though she didn't remember who she really was, that desire to go into the unknown was quintessencially Jaina, "Well, I'll be sure to wish you luck when we part ways. For now I think I'm going to get some rest too."

Watching her go made Dyn debate the merits of telling her who she really was again. A part of it was him selfishly knowing just saying the name Jaina Solo would get him anywhere on Nirauan. After eighteen years who knows what Jag would do just to see her again, he might even kill Ottolah for him without ever having to leave the Razorcrest. As tempting as that might have initially felt, it wasn't how he went about completing a job. Quick and painless as possible, not using an innocent persons loved one to get inside. Especially when that person was also a part of his former family. The other issue with telling her now was they were inevitably going to have to talk about what happened at the temple that night.

_o0o_

Dread turned to panic when he heard a lightsaber ignite followed by his mom's angry voice, "Talking with him is like trying to talk with a brick wall farmboy. We have to take him down now."

Luke held out his hand to stop them, "Mara, Jacen stop! This isn't helping anything, STOP!"

He had to start yelling over the sounds of their lightsabers clashing in a deadly dance. Neither of them were holding anything back with Jacen using form VII style while Mara was a master in Djem So. Her saber stayed close to her chest to defend her core while Jacen tried to outpace her in speed. She didn't fall for his fake flourishes only attacking when she thought she had an opening. The two of them were getting closer and closer to the cliffs edge forcing Luke to draw his own lightsaber to intervene. Just as he was about to get inbetween them, two Delta-8 Aethersprite interceptors zoomed across the sky firing at the temple. Luke instantly turned around to force grab at the temple to prevent it from collapsing entirely.

His voice was strained having a hard time holding everything up, "I need help with this you two! Help me!"

Jaina emerged from a tent just outside the temple she had been staying at occasionally, "What are you two doing?! Luke said stop!" Her hand was outstretched towards the two of them to hopefully physically push them apart.

_o0o_

"NO!" Dyn shouted with a start waking up from his dream sometime later.

He glanced around the Razorcrest just to make sure he hadn't been dreaming more. It was dark and no one was making any noise meaning he hadn't woken up either of his passengers. That dream had been a little different than his usual ones, coming to him from a sort of third person perspective. He couldn't possibly know if that was exactly how it happened since he had been running around the inside of the temple at the time. Mara might not have been as good at defending against him as he pictured, or perhaps Luke had never thought about getting in the middle of it. The accuracy of the dream didn't matter when the result was the same, Jaina unintentionally force pushing Mara off that cliff. She had just been trying to stop them from killing each other while Luke's hands were full.

Dyn put his hands over his face to muffle crying. He had actually seen her this time, more than just a strand of hair. Now that he saw her face again, he never wanted to forget it. Tears streamed down his face at the possibility his ad'ika wasn't going to get to see his face ever again, or any kind face for that matter. Seeing the mere seconds before his mom died was an emotional gut punch he had no preparation to receive. He wanted to let the temple entrance behind him go so he could catch her. How different would his life be today if she was still in it? More likely than not it would be better, although he'd probably be having nightmares about all the students he crushed instead of his mom. His hands wiped the tears away as fast as possible knowing any minute now one of the others might check on him due to the yell he just released. That's when he heard the sound of running water coming from the back of the ship.

Shortly after Yarv's voice was coming from the bathroom, "Kriff, towels! Why didn't I think of towels?"

Dyn stood up whispering loud enough so only Yarv could hear, "They're in my bedroom, I used them to patch a bounty up and then I had to clean them. Don't move and I'll go get them."

When he brought the towels to the fresher, the door was open giving him a perfect look at Yarv's bare form. The purple stripes he had always seen around his neck did indeed spread all the way down his body creating helpful lines highlighting his muscles. The water glistening along his bare spine gave his gaze pathways to stare along his bare back. The Lasat was strong with muscles flexing just under his grayish skin with even the smallest of movements. Then Dyn's eyes followed a rolling water droplet all the way down to his shebs and a gasp fell past his lips. It was round, wide, and had more weight to it than his athletic build would've suggested. He could just picture his fingers sinking into those shebs before yanking them towards him. A second later he blushed at the realization he was checking out his old friend and fantasizing about him.

"Ahem woah...sorry, here's your towels." With one hand he covered his eyes while with the other he thrusted the towels into the room.

Yarv took them sounding just as embarrassed as he felt, "Thanks...I'll be out in a few minutes and I'll make food or something."

The door closed and Dyn began to understand how long hyperspace travel really was. This was going to be an awkward few days if that interaction was anything to go by.