CHAPTER 14: THE FORCE

Tarre sat on the command console with his hand up and eyes closed talking to the purrgils the entire time Cara and Sabine worked on connecting the ship to ship portals. Din watched him as he occasionally squeaked, laughed, and even moaned sadly.

Din felt left outside this secret conversation and they hadn't even had a real discussion with Ahsoka Tano yet. Din felt an ache in his core beginning, but he pushed it down and got up to check on how Cara was faring down in the hold.

He called down the ladder, "Can I help?"

Cara called back up, "Almost got it!" Just then, the portal opened, and Ahsoka and Sabine were looking up at Cara.

Cara smiled, "Sorry about the smell, ladies. I'm stuck in here with two boys."

Ahsoka and Sabine looked at each other and started laughing.

Din, once again, felt left outside this secret conversation. He sighed and then went back into the cockpit to pick up Tarre and bring him into the lower hold.

Din eased himself down the ladder with Tarre on his shoulder. The three girls all stood there looking at him. Din cleared his throat.

"We have a lot to talk about. I suggest we sit," they all sat on various boxes and bins on the hold, and then Din took a deep breath.

"My name is Din Djarin, I'm a Foundling of Clan Vizsla, brother to Paz Vizsla. This is Cara Dune, former Rebellion Shock Trooper, and Daughter of Alderaan," Sabine and Ahsoka looked over at Cara who nodded back at them.

"And this is Tarre-Haal Vizsla, my Foundling, and the Force sensitive child you sensed, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka nodded slowly and smiled at Tarre who nodded back, with a big toothy grin.

"We sought you out because we have two needs. The first is to seek guidance on how we can train and guide Tarre-Haal — for the rest of his lifespan." Ahsoka gave Din a small smile, and looked down.

"And second, Sabine, your brother sent me to beg you to return. The plans for the Duchess were found by Moff Gideon, and the weapon was used to kill Mandalorians on Nevarro. I was among those hit by the weapon. I am only alive because Tarre-Haal destroyed the Duchess used against my Tribe."

Sabine's brows came down, "But — I destroyed the Saxon prototype myself!"

Din shook his head, "Moff Gideon apparently had access to archives of the Saxon Clan and found the project funded by Grand Admiral Thrawn. We fear there are more weapons to be used against Mandalore. We have only just begun to Rebuild our world. We need your help to work on a defense against this weapon."

Sabine's face fell and her eyes closed, "I will never be able to escape my past." She turned toward Ahsoka, "I must return."

Ahsoka nodded. "Our mission will have to wait. But we will leave our friends to continue the search for Ezra."

Cara's brow creased, "Friends?"

Ahsoka looked back at Cara and smiled, "The purrgil." She looked down at Tarre and he squealed and laughed.

Din felt another small pang, but nodded until he saw that Ahsoka zeroed in on Tarre and he toddled over to her. It took every ounce of his self control to stop himself from reaching out to hold Tarre back.

Tarre reached up a hand and Ahsoka put out hers until Tarre grabbed her finger with his tiny claws. She immediately closed her eyes and her face became tense. Everyone watched the exchange and held their breath. Din's hands twitched as he watched, his heart rate accelerated.

Ahsoka's face became more tense and her brows came down, and then finally she gasped and opened her eyes but looked down at Tarre with a genuinely warm smile. Then she looked up directly at Din.

"Din Djarin — 'you — are as his father,'" she smiled as she quoted the Armorer's words. "Would you like to hear his story?"

Din stared at her, holding his breath, he could not answer. He could barely think.

Cara leaned in, "Yes, the answer is yes, we would all love to hear his story."

Din turned to glare at Cara who sat back again but could not suppress a smile and looked away from his gaze.

"However," Cara added, "I'm sorry, I know this is going be a long story, so can we just all agree, we are headed straight back home?"

Everyone nodded.

Cara smiled, "And is there any chance that we can ask our purrgil buddies to shuttle us all the way back to Nevarro? I'm pretty sure it will be faster than how we got here."

Ahsoka nodded, "I'm certain that can be arranged."

Sabine stood up, "I will ready the drone pilot controls, then rejoin you and separate the ships to make it easy for them," and she jumped down through the ship to ship portal.

Cara looked sideways at Din as he retreated into his stoic silence, and his hands still twitched as if he wanted to grab Tarre and run.

Ahsoka and Tarre were both sitting with eyes closed, talking to the purrgil. Tarre was giggling again.

When Sabine reappeared she tossed their travel bags in ahead of her, closed the hatch behind her, and then used her vambrace to completely separate the two ships and then she and Cara moved up to the command deck and monitored the movement of the whales.

"We've got two more guide friends! Looks like they are all three engaging with both ships! And — we are off!"

Din was suddenly very conflicted with how successful they had been on their mission and wasn't sure how to stop the gnawing ache in his core. He almost felt nauseous and tried to take a few deep breaths to help it dissipate — but it didn't work.

"Din — you okay buddy?" Cara suddenly put a hand on his shoulder."

Din looked up and realized all of them were staring at him. "Uh, yeah, fine."

"It's almost time for a meal, you need some food?"

Din put up his hands, "No, I'm good. Let's just get back to Tarre, ok?"

Cara squeezed his shoulder, and then sat down again with Sabine, and they all turned to look at Ahsoka and Tarre again.

Ahsoka smiled, "Tarre has very few impressions of his early childhood. I do not know where he is from, but I can tell you when I trained at the Jedi Temple I met one of his species. His name was Master Yoda, and he was — the oldest living Master of the Force in the Order."

Din suddenly felt even more nauseous, his fears confirmed, "How old?"

"Over nine hundred years when he died of natural causes," Ahsoka said quietly.

Tarre looked back at Din, and Din knew Tarre could feel his distress.

"Could Master — Yoda — be Tarre's relative?" Din whispered.

Ahsoka shook her head, "No, based on what Tarre can remember, he was stolen at a very young age from whatever home he knew. He was taken by a stranger, and that was the first time the Empire held him. He was taken to Emperor Palpatine's Force sensitives project, where he was conditioned as a child of the Force to serve the Emperor's purposes as an Inquisator. I fought many of the children reared in that program, and they have hunted down many former Jedi to their deaths."

Sabine nodded, "My Jedi friends were also hunted by the Force sensitive Inquisators from that program."

Din frowned, "So he was trained as a Sith?"

Ahsoka shook her head, "No, but he was trained by a Sith and others who serve the Dark Side — including my former Master."

Din looked down, "So his early influence by the Sith is why he —"

Ahsoka nodded, "— Tried to choke Cara. An early lesson he was taught was somehow triggered by that incident, it was an echo of his past." Ahsoka turned to Cara, "But that incident is prominent in his memory as a grave regret. His deep love for you both now significantly outweighs all of his prior conditioning."

Din looked back up, "How long was he there? How did he escape?"

Ahsoka frowned, "My former Master and I actually found and destroyed one facility at the end of the Clone Wars, but apparently there were many. He was there twenty years. But with the Death of the Emperor, someone else came and took him, and I recognize the uniform in his memory as someone from the Imperial Security Bureau."

Cara put both hands down on the box she was sitting on, "Are you kidding me?"

Ahsoka shook her head.

"That piece of —" Cara spat out and growled.

And the clues were falling into place, why Gideon was so anxious to get his hands on Tarre, why he meant so much to him…

"Did he use Tarre to heal himself?" Din gritted his teeth.

Ahsoka nodded.

"Over and over?" Din had to swallow to keep the bile down in his throat.

Ahsoka nodded.

Din looked over at Cara, "'He can't be killed.'" Cara looked up and groaned. Din turned back to Ahsoka, "So, how did he escape? Or was he stolen by someone else?"

"He was with Gideon for almost six years. And then apparently he was stolen from Gideon during a Rebellion attack, and then stolen again by pirates. His memory is confusing during that time. Changing hands twice kept him hidden from Gideon for a few years, but then the pirates realized they had a prize and they offered him for ransom, the attacker began on the compound where he was held —and then — you appeared."

Din nodded, "My guess is the Client decided to use the Guild because he did not have the forces to storm the compound. But it looks like he was not quiet enough about it, and Gideon got word."

Ahsoka frowned, "You have sacrificed so much for Tarre, Din Djarin, and given him so much love and care. He has blossomed in the Force since you have been together, and he is only getting stronger."

Din sighed, "But I — I'm only going to live maybe — "

"Another thirty years? Yes. But then, I will only live another fifty. Jedi training started for Master Yoda around age one hundred. The Jedi do not want to start training too old, but they also do not want to start too young. Individuals have more empathy and understand the philosophy better when they have been loved and nurtured during their early development."

For the first time Din saw a ray of hope. "But — he will still need training."

Ahsoka nodded. "There is a young Jedi who is trying to re-establish a Jedi Order on Yavin."

Din was taken aback by that news, "The Order has returned?"

Ahsoka shrugged, "Perhaps not in the classic sense, but he is working on reestablishing the old teachings."

Din shook his head, "But the Order and Mandalore are old enemies. Tarre-Haal is named for —"

"—Tarre Vizsla. The Jedi who created the Dark Saber. I know the story. Believe me, the new Jedi Order are not seeking old enemies as well. And besides, a member of a Mandalorian Clan added to their ranks would be completing a circle that was broken by the downfall of the Jedi Tarre Vizsla. "

Din took in another deep breath. "So we go to Yavin."

Ahsoka nodded, "When the time is right. The Force will guide you."

Din looked over at Tarre who cocked his head slightly and flapped his ears happily. Din sighed, to see his happiness was worth the entire journey.

"Ahsoka Tano…thank you."

Ahsoka smiled again, "If it's okay, I'm going to keep talking with him during our ride back. It's hard to keep him on topic, and he's quite a stream of consciousness chatter box. But if I learn anything new I will alert you."

Cara brought Sabine and Ahsoka with Tarre up to the command deck to give Din a chance to eat and rest. Din's mind was buzzing but after finally eating he was out.

"Trust me, hungry and tired Mandalorian is not much fun," then she turned back to Sabine, "No offense!"

Sabine laughed, "None taken! I know exactly what you mean."

"As do I," Ahsoka laughed, and Sabine kicked her, then they all laughed.

Cara sighed, "So, as you can see, our boy is losing his mind right now because he is desperate not to lose his little boy," She reached over and touched Tarre's nose as he sat on Ahsoka's lap, and he squeaked happily.

Ahsoka smiled, "How is his healing?"

Cara shrugged, "The last time I sneaked a medscan on him while he was sleeping, he actually is significantly improved from when we left Nevarro. The Duchess had damaged every muscle in his body, including his smooth muscle around his gastrointestinal system and his heart. But when his digestion improved, his muscle mass rebounded. Then his mass improved strength, and more strength helped him build cardiac stamina. I don't think I'll be able to sucker punch him again anytime soon, but I'm trying to think positively that he will be able to take a couple of rounds with me eventually."

Sabine felt her blood going cold as Cara described the damage the Duchess had done to a Mandalorian warrior.

"Sabine, you're here to help. We are grateful we found you," Cara said kindly.

Sabine still frowned, "It doesn't change the fact that my weapon has killed and damaged so many of my people. And it is entirely my fault."

Cara sighed, "I refused a direct order and a high ranking official died."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, "I think I can hear you saying, a high ranking corrupt official."

Cara frowned, "It does not change the fact that my actions led to his death. And ultimately I will never know how that affected the soldiers under his command. I hope for the better, but nothing will ever make that better."

Sabine frowned, "I sabotaged the original prototype and destroyed the plans while I was at the Imperial Academy on Mandalore. And I thought the Saxon prototype was destroyed when I slashed it with the Dark Saber. It exploded half of the dome city. I'm afraid that no matter what I do — it will continue to wreak havoc."

"We will find a way, Sabine," Ahsoka said calmly.

Sabine shook her head, "I have to find a way to detect the Duchess with enough time to pinpoint it and destroy it before it has enough power to zero in on any beskar armor — but even that seems impractical. It's a matter of seconds between powering up and destruction," she looked up at Cara, "does Din still have his beskar? Or was it destroyed?"

Cara jumped up and went into the upper cargo hold, and returned with Din's pauldron with his sigil. Tarre immediately reached out for the pauldron and squealed, but Sabine took it and inspected it.

"Needs a paint job. But beautiful craftsmanship," Sabine ran her fingers over the metal, "The beskar can actually feel the arc generator as it powers up, the metal ions start to react and pick up charge which is part of what draws the arc to this metal faster than other armor metals. I wonder if I could find a way to add a shield mechanism, to the armor, that activates as soon as the arc generator starts to affect the metal itself! That way we would not have to always have a detection system to take out the Duchess after we have already lost warriors!"

Cara's eyes were wide, "How about both? A personal shield system AND a Duchess detection and elimination program? One that can be programmed into any gun or canon system? Ground and air?"

Ahsoka and Tarre looked at each other, "Let's let these two get to work."

Din woke up after several hours and felt disoriented. Tarre was not with him, and he heard voices outside his privacy bunk. The chatter was at once soothing and also disconcerting. He wasn't much for chatter. But he also had a feeling that he was going to be forced to answer more questions than he wanted to if he participated. And keeping an eye on Tarre was going to require that he participated.

The desire to check on Tarre was the primary motivation that forced him to put his boots back on and open the sleeping bunk privacy door.

When he stepped out of the bunk for a moment all was quiet. Then he turned toward the lower cargo hold and realized that Ahsoka and Tarre were kneeling and facing each other with their eyes closed. And then he noticed that several large storage containers were floating above them. Any of them would crush Tarre or seriously injure Ahsoka if they fell down on top of them and Din had to keep his hands in check watching this activity to prevent himself from snatching the containers out of the air. Instead he worked hard to calm himself, and then he sat down on a container in the main hold and just observed. The containers flowed, rolled, and danced around the ceiling. Din tried to see the beauty in it rather than the safety hazard. He looked at Tarre's face and saw only placid calm. Din suddenly felt a strong pang of guilt, thinking of what Tarre had been through, and then the guilt was quickly replaced with fresh anger that burned his soul. Gideon would pay for what he had done.

Ahsoka was guiding Tarre through his visions, and he apparently had been having more and more since he met Din and he had felt safe and loved. Tarre had very little context and so a lot of his visions were sensory impressions. Sounds, voices, heat and cold, and emotions of every color.

Ahsoka could see he had been seeing the purrgil in his visions for months, but did not have any context for them until they headed to the unknown regions. She could also see that he had been seeing the Jedi Temple at Yavin and the Temple at Lothal for years. He also had a very shadowed area in this mind, and her initial impression was that area held the time he had spent in Palpatine's captivity. Most of his mind he filled with all of the experiences and love and affection from life since his Buir saved him from the Client.

However, there was also some visions that Tarre was clearly avoiding, and they felt like visions of the future. Tarre resisted looking at them with Ahsoka. He almost flatly denied her access.

Tarre, you must name your fears. Knowing them is how you prevent them from ever having power over you. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate. A very wise Master I knew — who looked just like you — once taught me that. And my Master failed to learn that lesson. So let this be the first lesson I give to you.

Tarre hesitated, But will it come true?

Ahsoka frowned, No one can truly predict the future. Visions change.

Tarre's ears drooped sadly, Buir will die.

Ahsoka smiled, We will all die someday. We can only decide what to do with our time while we are alive.

Tarre's head bowed, Ba'vodu will die.

Ahsoka nodded, Yes, your uncle will die someday as well.

Tarre frowned, Where will I go if my new family all die? Only Buir knows how to keep the mean people away.

Ahsoka reached out and took his two tiny hands in between her thumbs and first fingers, Tarre, you will never be completely alone and afraid — ever — again.

Tarre brightened slightly. When I'm lonely sometimes I talk to the voices in the space with the doors and walkways.

Ahsoka's brows creased, Doors and walkways? Do you mean the World Between Worlds? Have you been there?

Tarre shook his head, No but I can hear them, like they are on the other side of a door I'm standing next to. Sometimes they warn me of things. Sometimes they help me. I think they guided Buir to me.

Ahsoka smiled. Will you show me the vision you are so afraid of?

Tarre nodded. And then he bowed his head.

The first image was of the Dark Saber, it was bright and shone in the darkness. It hummed as it moved. And then it moved closer to Din Djarin, slowly cutting into him as he screamed.

NO!

Ahsoka pushed all of the containers out and away from them as she let them drop onto the cargo hold floor. Her heart pounded and she gasped trying to catch her breath.

"Ahsoka? Are you alright?" She felt Din's hand on her shoulder, and she reached out to him.

Cara and Sabine appeared jumping down from the command deck.

"Everyone ok?" Cara said scanning all three of them.

"Tarre —" Ahsoka turned toward Tarre and saw him looking down at the ground with completely folded ears.

Din immediately crossed over to Tarre and scooped him up into his arms.

"What is going on? What is wrong?" Din demanded.

Ahsoka took a deep breath and expelled it, then looked up at Din.

"I'm sure you have guessed by now — Tarre is having visions of your death."