Chapter 8: Winter Solstice

"Let's get those fans charging," Sabine said in a quick change of topic. "We need them to be ready by tomorrow and I haven't used them for a long time."

Mando just nodded. Further explanations would have to wait, but he was definitely curious to learn how this single Mandalorian woman had ended up on an outpost like this 'watching it for her brother'. But first things first.

They completed their tasks in a nearly companionable silence before they proceeded to Sabine's living quarters. As could be expected they were as colourful as the woman herself and it seemed like she'd put up some extra decorations of lights in the darker corners of the room.

She followed his glane and blushed slightly.

"I know, I know, it's stupid. Today is winter solstice on Lothal and I…well, I hate to admit it but I miss my family. We always tried to celebrate a bit when winter solstice came to our home."

"So, you haven't been living here forever?"

He was more than a little curious, but wouldn't show her.

"Do sit down," she ordered, "and no, I haven't. As I said, I am watching over this place for my brother. He disappeared a short time before the Empire fell. I don't know where. This was his home planet and he was attached to it. I have no idea where he is now, but I do miss him. I miss them all…"

"You had a large family?"

She sighed.

"It's…complicated. But yes. We were not related by blood but by friendship and purpose, and to be honest they became more my family than my birth family. We were fighting the Empire. You might say we were rebels, I guess. After the Empire fell we were scattered all around the Galaxy. Hera is raising her son, still serving the New Republic, Zeb has started a family of his own and Ezra…disappeared. I took upon me staying here, but on days like this it's kind of lonely. Actually it was good that you turned up here today. Maybe that will bring my mind to the present and not to what once was."

A switch clicked in the Mandalorian's brain: "Ezra? You shouldn't by any chance mean Ezra Bridger?"

And immediately she turned into a defensive stance again.

"What do you know about that name?"

He surely didn't have a good day with this lady. He seemed to be pushing all her wrong mental buttons - at once. He didn't want to be anywhere near when, or if, the explosion came.

"Whoa…nothing. I really know nothing. I heard his name a few weeks ago. I was told that he was one of the few remaining Jedi in the Galaxy and that he had disappeared. Nothing more than that. I swear."

She seemed to calm down a bit. Maybe he would survive.

"Sorry. I'm a bit touchy when it comes to my family."

He could relate to that. He had left the tribe voluntarily to become a bounty hunter. They had taken him in and treated him like one of their own. In many ways he was, but still he occasionally felt like an outsider. He would be eternally grateful for them saving his life and raising him in the tribe and he considered them as family - almost as much as his birth family. Almost. Those memories were buried deep within but in the silence of space he could still remember how it felt to have his mother's arms wrapped around him and following in his father's wake in the village. The Tribe had been welcoming, but not exceptionally warm and caring. Yet, they took him in as a foundling when he was all alone. That had to count for something. It counted a lot.

He chose to nod in appreciation.

"The kid is my family now. He's my foundling until I can bring him back to his own kind. Ezra Bridger might have been able to help."

"How come?" she said curiously.

"The child seems to have some of the powers as a Jedi would yield. Problem is - there are no Jedi left in the Galaxy. At least none who's easily found. And for some reason the Empire is trying to hunt him down."

He hadn't meant to say that much, but Ezra's name had brought him off balance. He really wouldn't last long if he kept being this stupid. On the other hand - he had a feeling that she could be trusted.

"Karabast!" she exploded, "there is no Empire. Which rock did you crawl from if you haven't noticed that the Empire has fallen? We have the New Republic now."

Then she calmed down again. She was really volatile.

"Jedi, you say? That may explain why it seems to be a wolf night. Dume must have sensed it."

There was the name Dume again.

"Who or what is Dume? And I do know that the Empire has fallen - officially. But there are fractions operating in the outer rim and they seem to be overly interested in my foundling for some reason I can't fathom. The only thing I know is that they do not want any good for him so I try to keep him safe."

She frowned. This was obviously new to her.

"I have to tell Hera about this. She can bring the information further to the Senate. When it comes to Dume, well, that's complicated too. You wouldn't believe it if I told."

"Try me."

He had found a seat on a couch and watched the kid playing happily with the steel ball. It seemed relaxed and content so there was likely no immediate danger. He had seen it tense when danger lurked so he suspected it somehow could sense enemies approaching.

She disappeared into what seemed to be the kitchen area and he heard rumbling of pots and pans.

"I'm not the best cook ever, but I can make edible food," she informed. "You better think about how you can get some stew through the beskar…"

"I take it off," he informed, "as long as I am alone."

"Too bad, eating in the kitchen it will be for you then," she said, " the kid and I will reside in the living room while we eat."

Obviously she had determined not to pursue the 'Mandalorian helmet code' discussion. He felt grateful for that even though he still couldn't understand how she could show her face to a complete stranger. It was allowed between spouses, for obvious reasons, but nobody else should see one's face once the helmet had been donned.

"What about Dume?" he tried again.

"Oh… Dume is the leader of the wolf pack we heard howling. Actually he's the loth wolf."

Her voice trembled only the tiniest bit.

"He used to be Kanan Jarrus, or before that Caleb Dume, one of the few Jedis who survived the purge. He was Hera's partner and a part of my 'family' when we fought the Empire. He was killed when protecting Hera from an explosion and his soul seems to have merged with the wolf which is leading the pack. He won't harm me - he is still able to recognise me- but he's very protective so I wasn't sure if he might attack you. He seems to have become more aggressive after merging with the wolf. The wolf pack is often running in nights like this, but I thought they were overly active tonight. Your foundling must be the answer. Dume can sense it."

"Will he represent any danger to the kid?"

"No. At least I don't think so. I believe he senses that there is a Force sensitive on his land and he wonders what is going on. As do I."

In that moment the relative silence was broken by the sound of engines and Sabine immediately grabbed her helmet and ran to the viewing platform just in time to see a small spaceship - even smaller than Razor Crest land - literally in her backyard. She entered in a slightly more dignified speed, removing her helmet as she closed the door behind her.

"No worries," she informed, "it's an old friend. Actually one of my 'extended family' so to speak."

She almost beamed from happiness as she ran downstairs to open the door.

…

Mando was glad that the helmet hid his facial expression. That way he wasn't caught gawking. He'd only known the Tribe and he knew that there were other Mandalorians around but finding two others on one and same evening - what was the odds for that? And the being who stood in the door with a beaming Sabine draped around his neck definitely wore a Mandalorian armour of sorts. It was white, almost like a stormtrooper armour but with blue insignia that seemed to have had a tough life. Some places the painting was almost worn off. This man had not led a quiet life by the looks of it.

"You have a visitor already," the armour clad man stated, "maybe I came in an inconvenient moment? Hera was so sorry that she couldn't make it out here so when I volunteered she almost kicked me out of base."

Sabine blushed slightly again.

"Oh, no. It's nothing like that. He just….uh…dropped down from the skies. Come on in, Rex. I'm so glad to see you. It has been a crazy day. And it will be a 'Dume night' so I guess there will be little sleep, and it's on evenings like this I miss you all the most."

"I heard the howling. They're active tonight. And when it comes to the rest - you know that you're welcome to the base anytime you want."

"Yeah," Sabine sighed. " I know. But I'll stay. I promised Ezra. Rex this is Mando….Mando, this is Rex, an old friend of mine."

The Mandalorian saw the other man taking off the helmet and the face of an elderly man with a white beard appeared.

What are those people? They claim to be Mandalorians but they don't seem to have the faintest idea about the creed and what it means. They are showing their faces as if they were ordinary people and they don't even seem to be ashamed of showing their faces in public.

For a moment the two men glared at each other.

"Nope, he won't do it," Sabine explained. "For some reason he doesn't take his helmet off."

"The Creed forbids it," the Mandalorian shot in.

Rex scratched the back of his head: "The Creed? New to me."

This time the Mandalorian couldn't keep his mouth shut: "You both claim to be Mandalorians and none of you know that once you're sworn to the creed you cannot show your face to anyone. If you do you will never be allowed to put the helmet back on again."

The two exchanged incredulous glances.

"Nope, not known to us. And as I said, I'm born and bred Mandalorian, and Rex here is…of Mandalorian heritage."

Rex straightened his back (which was fairly straight from the beginning) and with a small smile lurking in the corner of his mouth he said: "ARC trooper CT-7567, a pleasure to meet you Sir. I think."

The Mandalorian's head was spinning for a moment. He'd heard the stories of the Clone Wars and he'd heard about the clones' military skills and how the stormtroopers wouldn't even come close to their skills in combat. Weird thing was that with their accelerated ageing they were supposed to be dead now. But this one was clearly alive and by the look of it a real deal. That armour had been used in less than peaceful duties.

"Stop it you two," Sabine admonished, "Rex, Mando here didn't come here to harm anyone, his ship needed repair and he had to land here. We'll repair it tomorrow and he's going to be on his way again. I've just prepared some food for us and there's plenty for you as well. After all it's winter solstice and I really appreciate your company. Both of you."

But there were more surprises in the loop. As soon as he entered the living room Rex facial expression froze into a state of shock. He almost dropped the helmet where he stood.

"Master Yoda!" he exclaimed, "It isn't possible?"

"Nng-uh?" the foundling asked.

"Yoda?" Sabine and the Mandalorian exclaimed.

"Who is Yoda?" Sabine continued.

After reading the Kenobi diaries Mando was to some extent prepared, but hearing the word coming from the old clone trooper made him startle anyways. It was not like he'd expected to ever meet anyone who had seen the old Jedi Master. Well, actually Bail Organa must have, but at that time he hadn't heard the name himself.

"Yoda was the Grandmaster of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant," Rex explained. "He disappeared after the purge but there were no confirmations of his death. This little one looks exactly like him except the fact that Master Yoda was about 870 years old when I met him during the Clone Wars."

The Mandalorian almost sat down. Once again his head started spinning. He had suspected it. The tales about the old Master in Kenobi's books had prepared him, as had the fact that the little one had appeared about 50 standard years ago. The life span made sense as the kid seemed to be only a toddler as of yet, but it was a frightening thought anyways. With his own human life span there was no way that he would be able to see the foundling grown up. It was more important than ever that he found the little one's kind. This task was too monumental for one man alone. It really made sense of the saying "it takes a village to raise a child."

Sabine was the first one to break the silence.

"Sit. Down. Both of you. Now."

The two men obeyed while she kept standing, hands akimbo.

"You are officially giving me a migraine. Are you telling me that this little one here is going to be eighthundredsomething years old? Seems like you have the future staked out for you, Mando."

"M-hm," the kid agreed, looking up at her with an expression that almost seemed playful.

"You stay out of this," she admonished, "I have more than enough with those two."

The foundling giggled.

"Basically, yes," the two men agreed.

"That's where I was heading," the Mandalorian explained, "he turned up from nowhere about 50 standard years back in time. I came over some old books mentioning Master Yoda and I suspected they might be of the same kind. Sadly the story doesn't say anything about where Yoda came from but it's not likely that he is the father of it. Then there should have been a mother as well. And besides…at the age of 870….well… Let's just say it's not likely. So I began to suspect he is somehow a clone. We were on our way to Kamino when my ship broke down to see if we could find any traces there."

Rex had paled considerably.

"I am one of the original clones of Kamino," he stated. "I know the place very well. It's deserted now. The cloning operations were closed down by the end of the Clone Wars and the Kaminoans fled the place. Mostly. A few stayed behind to watch the place. One of them gave me the injection that slowed down my accelerated ageing to normal speed."

Scratching his head again he went on: "If the little one here is 50 standards he's older than I am. I am more like 40 now. And I was among the first batches that were made."

The room silenced once more and only the happy cooing from the foundling and the sound of a metal ball rolling over the floor broke it.

"Chissk. Tapdancing Zillo crap," Sabine swore. "This is too much."

Rex gave the Mandalorian a glance which clearly said: "Uh-oh, now we're in for a ride. She saw the implications too…"

"If he's really a clone too, and an old one that is. Who or what else did they clone? What if they have cloned Vader? Or Palapatine?"

"Not Vader," Rex reasoned, " he would be too young. The facilities shut down about the time he came to power. But Palpatine…that would be not so good."

"It would be a disaster of epic dimensions," Sabine snarled. "One of those is more than enough for a lifetime."

"I will go there as soon as the engines of my ship are clean again," Mando said. "I'll try to find out what they really did and if there are more 'projects' out there than this little one. I will let you know what I find out."

"You won't go alone," Rex stated. "I'm coming with you. I know the place and I can save you a lot of time searching for the labs. I don't know all the nooks and crannies of the place but I have been there on several missions as a trooper too so I will at least know it better than most living beings today."

And with that the deal was settled.

The tense silence was replaced with a more joyous feeling as Sabine retreated to the kitchen and came back with the meal. An eager squeal from the kid made them all burst into a much needed laughter.

"No wonder he's so small," Rex joked. "You're not feeding him enough. He's hungry as a wolf."

The statement was emphasised by a nearby wolf howling outside the tower.

The kid stopped eating for a moment and perked his ears as if listening for a soundless voice. Then he returned to the food again.

True to his oath the Mandalorian brought his plate to the kitchen to eat and when he returned to the living room his two companions had slumped back in the couch. The foundling rested drowsily on Rex broad chest, obviously fascinated by the white beard, while Sabine was resting her head comfortably on the old soldier's shoulder.

Despite the tension they all had experienced before the meal the scene was now one of contentment, one of happy people finding comfort and peace in each other's company. Silently the Mandalorian removed the used plates from the table and sat down on Rex' other side, his foundling opening one eye towards him and letting out a loud burp.

The Mandalorian felt more at peace than he'd done in years. For once he knew he was among friends.

Soon they were all fast asleep and none of them saw the wolf pack circling the building or the four wolves guarding the Razor Crest.

This night was one for peace and friendship, and no harm was to come to any of the four beings inside the tower if Dume had anything to say about it.

...

Author's notes:

I don't do AN's , I just don't. Primarily I want the story to stand on it's own feet, for better, for worse. But this time I make an exception. Making a semifluffy beeline like this is a bit out of character for Mando, to say the least, but I couldn't resist giving Mando and his kid a litte comfort after the end of season 2 in the TV show. Besides, adding Rex's white beard as a christmassy reference was irresistable and with the upcoming holidays I really just had to write this 'Holiday special chapter'. I do, however, intend to get them back on track again soon. Hope you enjoyed it.