The inn Jaster had brought him to could easily be described as quaint. It was obvious from the low lighting and the width of the doorways that it was meant for those who lived their lives in armor. The reception area was a little alcove with a couple of doors leading into the back of the building, probably storage or an office. The ground floor was an open canteen with a couple of more private looking booths spaced out along the back wall. The ceiling was high, not enough for anyone to use their jetpack but enough that he could vault over a couple of tables if he had to.
"Su'cuy jatne vod!" Din switched his focus to the elder human woman whose hair was plaited back in a long braid. Seeing the partial armor they were wearing made him twitch and want to turn his gaze away. It was a knee jerk reaction that he was going to have to get over.
It was hard to come to terms with the fact that he had been raised in an abnormal situation compared to other Mandalorians.
"Su'cuy. I'd like to rent a single room for the next week." The woman blinked at him for a moment, seeming a little taken aback.
"You aren't one of my regulars." Din stood still as he was scrutinized. "Who told you to come here?" There was a wariness to her now and Din could hear some of the noise behind him quiet down. He could feel the eyes of the patrons inside the canteen as they stared at his back.
Din hesitated for a moment and wondered if naming the kid would cause trouble. The boy seemed far too sincere for this to be a trick of some sort.
"Jaster Mereel." The proprietor's face split into a grin.
"Ah, that's surprising. Jas'ika doesn't normally warm up to strangers that quickly." Din shrugged, wondering why that mattered. "One room for the week. You want meals added onto that?" He frowned slightly.
"As long as I can take them in my room." The woman's hands stopped moving as her eyes snapped back to his armor. Din tensed before remembering he had no distinguishing marks besides his signet. Ever since they'd gone underground the Chief of the covert had forbidden distinguishing markings on armor, another way to keep everyone safe, hidden. The only markings he had were the blue triangles the Al'goran had painted on the back of his gloves. Since it had been her decision to add them it hadn't been commented on by the Alor.
"That can be arranged easily enough." Writing something down in a ledger, how long had it been since Din had seen an actual paper book, the woman hummed to herself. "How are you paying?" Din grimaced as he pawed through all the currencies he had. He should have asked Jaster to take him to a currency exchange first but he doubted the kid knew what that was yet.
It was only Boba's good sense for the galaxy at large that had him carrying a credit chit on him at all.
"Hmm." The woman grabbed the credit chit and scanned it. After a moment she handed him the screen so he could see the transaction information. He accepted the transfer and was handed a keycard with his credit chit. "If you're staying I can send something up to your room." He shook his head.
"No, thank you." He gave her a polite nod and made his way back out into the street.
Once outside he immediately noticed the absence of the two kids and panic seized him. Sure, the kids weren't his responsibility, and yes, he wasn't their parent, but the fact that they weren't where he left them made his insides wriggle with nerves.
"Over here!" Turning toward the familiar voice he frowned when all he was met with was a street filled with strangers. "Look up!" Doing as he was told he sighed in relief when he spied the kids. They were sitting on the balcony of the next building, hiding in the shade. A small staircase in the narrow alley between the buildings explained how they'd gotten up there. "You done?" He inclined his head and Jaster brightened. "Come on El'ika."
The kids came down to meet him and once again the little girl demanded to be picked up. With a chuckle he lifted the girl into his arms and shifted until he could carry her without issue. Jaster watched him quietly for a moment and when Din looked down at him more openly the boy looked away, almost as if embarrassed.
"Where to next?" The boy asked.
Their first stop was a local supply store. While Din wandered around with Eli, seeing what he had to work with for the future, Jaster spoke with the clerk at the counter. He tried not to listen in but the way the clerk had eyed him was a little… unsettling.
"Everything alright, Jas'ika? You have a fat lip, what happened?" There was an undercurrent of worry and anger in their voice and Din found himself relaxing slightly. This mando'ad, at least, was someone he could trust not to hurt a child. At least by the sound of their voice.
"Some Journeymen caught me on my way back from Lyur's place. Decided to rough me up." Din took a deep breath and let the anger wash over him. This was not the right time to get upset. The confrontation had happened, Din had stepped in to help, and now Jaster was safe… for the time being.
"Ka'ra, child, are you okay?" There was a small laugh and Din turned his helmet slightly so he could see the boy.
"I'm fine. Din saved me. He used his spear, it was wicked!" He felt a wave of heat all the way to his ears and quickly went back to looking over their stock. He hadn't used his whipcord lately so there was no need to pick up more but his flamethrower was almost empty. He grabbed a couple of cannisters and some meal bars on the way to the counter.
"Just these for now." The man stood straighter as he approached and quickly rang up his order, side eyeing him and the little girl who was falling asleep on his shoulder.
Her earlier tantrum and all the excitement afterward had finally caught up with her.
As he was standing there he noticed some small bags of local sweets. Grabbing two he tossed them on the counter with his other items. The clerk eyed him for a moment but added the total together and took his credits easily enough.
"Is there a currency exchange nearby?" Jaster looked up at him in confusion, Din figured as much.
"There's one on Pali street. Hold on." Ducking below the counter he pulled out a local map. "We're here." He trailed his finger down the street they were on and stopped at a crossroad. "You'll want to take your first right, then follow the road until you see the Trade Guild. Take the next left and it's only three buildings down. Can't miss it." Din nodded, taking a quick holo of the map with his helmet.
"Vor'e." Picking up his items he stashed them in his many pouches and motioned Jaster out ahead of him. The boy went without complaint and they found themselves back out on the bustling street.
"So what's a currency exchange?" Din smiled.
"Not every planet uses the same credit system." He pulled out a disc of calamari flan and a couple of golden wupiupi coins. "This is currency from Mon Cala and Tatooine." The boy looked fascinated as he touched the blue and white disc, startling slightly as it squished beneath his probing fingers. He grimaced.
"Weird." Din let out a small chuckle, his shoulders shaking slightly.
"A currency exchange will take your credits and calculate it into local currency for a small fee. It's a useful place to know for anyone who travels through the black." Jaster's eyes turned calculating and Din wondered what the boy was thinking of. Slipping the foreign money back into his belt he started walking toward the first street the shop-keeper had indicated.
"If you're giving tours for credits you might want to add it to your stops." The boy grinned in understanding.
Aw hell, the kid was adorable.
He felt an echo of the same sentiment in the back of his mind and a press of affection for the boy. He sent back a prod of annoyance, somehow, and felt amusement in return.
Damned ghost.
"Come on, kid." Jaster rolled his eyes at him but hurried to keep up with Din's long stride. He slowed so the boy could keep pace, chiding himself for not realizing sooner that the boy had practically been jogging to keep up with him before.
They made their way to the exchange and he sighed when little Eli complained about being handed over to her brother again. Loudly.
"Here." Reaching into his belt he pulled out a meal bar and two candies. "Make sure she finishes the bar first." He instructed to a wide-eyed Jaster.
"Yeah, sure." He left the kids and went into the exchange.
It was the same as anywhere else, really, and although he grumbled about the exchange rate everything went smoothly. By the time he was finished and back outside he spied Jaster and his sister sitting on a bench nearby, both enjoying their candy.
"Where to next b-Din?" He blinked at the stutter and tilted his head slightly in curiosity. There was a rush of amusement from Tarre, and Din hoped that her training included keeping her out of his head for kriffs sake. Jaster flushed slightly but didn't say anything else, bouncing his sister instead much to her delight.
"Home for you. Where I'm going next kids aren't exactly welcome." Jaster's smile faltered and his shoulders sank slightly.
He felt guilty as the boy nodded and got up from the bench, hitching his sister higher in his arms. Stepping closer he easily took the girl from her brother and let her settle back against his shoulder again.
"It's not far, I can take her and just go…" Jaster muttered, not looking at him.
"I want to see where you guys live." Din chose his next words carefully. "That way I can get you to show me around more. I'm still new to the city, after all." The boy's expression brightened.
"Sure, but it's not, I mean…" Jaster clenched his hands into fists and went quiet.
"What's wrong, kid?" He shook his head and started walking.
"You'll see."
The walk back was in relative silence. The lively boy giving off feelings of guilt, anger, and shame that made Din clench his jaw so he didn't say anything stupid.
What the hell had these kids been through?
The building they came to was quite large, and clearly part of a wider complex. Outside was a jungle gym with a large group of children laughing and chasing each other around, playing some form of 'bounty hunter' no doubt. As they passed the fence that looked designed to be used as cover there was a shout. Din's head immediately turned toward it, itching to grab his blaster and defend himself.
"Jaster Mereel!" The words had the distinct tone of a reprimand and the boy in front of him flinched, giving off more waves of guilt. "Where have you been?" The figure stopped suddenly as they finally caught sight of Din and their face paled. Their eyes went to the little girl in his arms and he could see the tense lines of their body, defensive and protective.
At least someone seemed to care about these kids.
"I'm sorry Ba'jur'ad Ixis. I went to help out at Lyur's place and-" The woman knelt and lifted his chin for her to inspect his face. Din almost reached out to pull Jaster closer, away from the woman, and was surprised at the sudden protective feeling that came over him. Obviously this woman was someone the boy knew, he was fine.
"Oh, adiik, what happened to your face?" The heated look he received from the woman made Din stand straighter, offended that she would even assume it was something he'd done. "And who are you?" Her tone could have peeled paint from armor.
"Din didn't hurt me! I got in trouble with some jou- aruetiise and he saved me!" The woman's expression darkened.
"And El'ika?" Jaster shuffled on his feet, looking guilty.
"She, uh, came with me." The woman stared him down but Jaster's mouth remained firmly shut. The kid wasn't about to rat out his friends, even if it got him in trouble.
"Din, is it?" He inclined his helm. "Thank you for bringing the children back safely. I'm sorry if they've caused you any inconvenience." The woman came froward and held out her arms for the little girl. He handed the girl over without hesitation.
The moment the girl was in her arms the caretaker relaxed.- the girl did not.
"No!" She turned in the woman's hold and reached out for Din, straining to get closer. "Bui!" The caretaker looked down at the girl in confusion while Jaster let out a sound as if someone had forced all the air from his lungs.
It was a pained sound.
"No, Eli, that's not buir." Din stiffened in surprise. Jaster turned grief filled eyes on him and- oh. Oh hell.
The kids were orphans.
Din knew that look all too well. It was a look he had seen in the mirror for years until he was finally allowed to don a helmet and no longer had to stare at his own miserable reflection. No longer had to see how much he looked like the family he had lost.
After a moment of silence Jaster finally spoke up. "It's the beskar'gam." He admitted quietly. "Buir was a ver'verd. She almost never took it off. When we started to run out of credits she left us with elder Syff to do a job." Din opened his mouth, wanting to tell the kid that he didn't need to say any more; but he couldn't form the words. "She never came back." The boy crossed his arms and hunched forward, pain clear on his face.
The caretaker put a hand gently on his shoulder. "Come here, Jas'ika." She said quietly and pulled him into a light embrace. The boy let out a sniffle and leaned into her hold for a moment before swiping at his face with his arm.
"I understand." He found himself blurting out, to everyone's surprise including his own. "My buire… they were… I was adopted into a clan by the verd who saved me." The caretaker's eyes widened slightly as she took a closer look at his armor.
Jaster looked up at him, a faint redness around his eyes. "No one cares who your father was." The boy quoted.
"…only the father you'll be." He responded, smiling when the kid gave him a pleased look.
"Well, in any case." The caretaker interrupted, looking a little flustered. "You two need to say good-bye. You," she narrowed her eyes at Jaster, "have extra chores." The boy let out a groan but didn't argue. "Now."
"Ret'urcye mhi, Din." He nodded.
"K'oyaci, Jaster." The boy beamed at him before the caretaker waved him off toward the building with a stern look. The kid took off, waving to a group of kids wrestling on the grass.
Din chuckled and turned to the caretaker. Reaching into his belt pouch he pulled out the two bags of sweets and handed them to her. "For the foun- children." The woman took them from him with a faint smile.
"Thank you. It's rare they get such treats." Din frowned. If this was before the purges then why weren't the children being taken care of properly? "I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way but… please don't come back." Din tensed, wondering what he'd done to make him unwelcome. "These kids have had a rough time of it and all they want is someone to take them in. If you aren't serious about them," she adjusted the little girl in her arms, "then I suggest you don't get their hopes up."
Din… didn't know what to say to that. He'd never come across this kind of situation before. Where someone discouraged him from getting to know the foundlings.
'They are not foundlings, Mand'alor.' He almost jumped at the voice in his head but thankfully years of training kept him from showing his sudden discomfort.
"I see." There was nothing else he could think of to say. It wasn't like he was about to adopt the kids and he didn't want to cause them further distress.
He turned to leave. "Wait." He looked back at the caretaker, one brow raised though she couldn't see it. "Which clan? Who should I thank for bringing them back to us in one piece?"
Din's heart thundered in his chest at the sudden request. Only inside the covert or surrounded by allies was it safe to speak of ones clan.
'Tell her.' Din wanted to shake his head at the voice. 'Trust me.' Something warm flowed into his chest and his mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord.
"Djarin. Clan Djarin." He could feel her surprise and curiosity from where he stood. It was so overpowering that he felt the instinctual urge to retreat. Turning on his heel he strode away from the orphanage as quickly as possible.
He needed to sit down and think about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
'Good thing you already booked a room at that inn.'
Din growled. "Just shut up."
In the back of his mind Mand'alor Vizsla let out an amused chuckle and disappeared.
Damned ghost.
Mando'a
Su'cuy- Hello, informal greetings.
Jatne vod- Sir, formal term used to address customers.
Al'goran- Made up word meaning Head Smith. This refers to the Armorer of Din's covert.
Alor- Chief, leader, boss. In this context it means Chief.
Ka'ra- Stars. A reference to the ancient Mandalorian myth that the fallen kings of Mandalore hold council in the afterlife, appearing as stars in the sky above Mandalore.
Vor'e- Thanks.
Adiik- Child between the ages of 3 and 13.
Aruetiise- Outsiders, foreigners, can be used to refer to traitors.
Buir/Buire- Mando'a is a non-gendered language so this translates to Parent/Parents.
Beskar'gam- Mandalorian armor made from beskar, Mandalorian iron.
Ver'verd- Mercenary.
Verd- Soldier, warrior.
Ret'urcye mhi- Maybe we'll meet again.
K'oyaci- Hang in there.