Chapter 36

-newcomer-

It did not take Bo-Katan long to get there once they'd sent her a transmission. Din hadn't thought it would. The next evening while he and Paz were training with Winta, she came stomping into the covert, Koska at her heels. One of the men that guarded the gate ran up to Din to warn him.

"Mand'alor, Bo-Katan Kryze just arrived. She headed for the alor's apartment and told me to find you."

Din sighed but turned fully to the other man. "She can wait. Unless she's brought some emergency with her, this is my priority right now."

He shifted uncomfortably. "She looked upset, sir."

Scoffing, Din turned back to Winta. "I'm sure she did. Tell her I'll speak with her when I'm done here."

"Yes, sir."

As he left them alone, Din shook his head and sighed. "I'm never going to get used to that."

Paz laughed "Neither will I. Don't expect me to ever call you 'sir,' vod."

Shuddering at the very thought, he focused on Winta. "OK, let's try it again. This time I want you to watch your footing. Nartimir."

With an eager nod, she did as he asked. As he ran through the drill with her, he thought about the future. All of the many responsibilities he was taking on as Mand'alor would undoubtedly take him away from his family at times. He hated that he would have to sacrifice time with Omera, with their children.

But that was why he was doing this at all wasn't he? So that his kids and the rest of their people would be safe and able to live openly without fearing annihilation? He was going to give it his all, but making time for this was important too. Setting the precedent now felt like the right thing to do.

"Ori'jate Winta!"

Paz laughed and clapped him hard on the shoulder. "She's going to be a force someday, isn't that right vod'ika?"

Winta grinned widely. "Yea! Can we practice with your blaster now, Dad?"

Nodding, he pulled it from his holster and held it just out of her reach. "First tell me the rules."

Her face grew serious and she recited what he'd taught her. "Always treat a blaster like it's loaded, even when it's not. Never point it at something I don't want to kill. Keep my finger off the trigger until I'm ready to fire. And… identify my target and what's behind it."

Smiling fondly down at her, he handed it to her.

"Disassemble it and put it back together first." She took it carefully and sat down and began taking it apart just how he'd showed her. Paz sat down across from her and watched intently, making comments now and then. She had just managed to get it back together when they were interrupted again.

"Mand'alor, Din I need to speak with you!"

Rolling his eyes, he bit back the annoyed sigh and turned to face Bo-Katan. "Bo-Katan. I'm busy as you can see. Unless it's an emergency I will speak to you when we're done here."

Glowering, she looked around him at Winta and sighed. Despite any differences in their upbringings, the dedication to educating and protecting children was a foundational Mandalorian belief. This was not something she could deny no matter how much she wanted to.

"Fine. How long will you be?"

He glanced down at his daughter. She was double checking her work, squinting at the blaster in her hands. "We are going to do some target practice next. Give me an hour."

She nodded and cleared the scowl from her face. "Alright. I'll meet you in Skord's apartment."

Paz watched her stomp off. "She's pleasant."

Din's laugh was humorless. "I haven't quite figured her out yet but we have to work with her either way. I'm not looking forward to this conversation. She's not going to like what I have to say."

His friend sighed and stood. "You gave her the chance to be in charge and she refused. She will follow your lead or you will put her in her place."

Didn't that sound wonderful. He sighed and focused on Winta. "Are you ready Winta?"

She scrambled to her feet, blaster pointed safely at the ground. "Yes!"

As soon as he stepped into Skord's quarters, the conversation that sounded more like an argument from the other side of the door, died. Omera sat, arms crossed, beside Skord. She let out a relieved breath when she locked eyes with him and sat back in her chair. Skord, for his part, looked stern and frustrated.

Before he could even get a word out, Bo-Katan had rounded on him.

"Is what they're saying true? You don't intend to make a move on Sundari? And what's this about going to Chandrila? When we spoke last we agreed not to involve the New Republic."

Straightening to his full height, he stared down at her. "Sit down, please."

"I will not be made to…"

"Sit down."

With an irritated sigh, she sat beside Koska. Din moved past her to sit beside his wife. Skord leveled Bo-Katan a glare.

"You would do well to remember, Lady Kryze, to whom you speak. Din Djarin told me how he offered you the Darksaber and how you refused. Personally, after living through your own reign I am forever thankful for that."

Din wanted to take his wife to bed, not sit here listening to them argue. Unfortunately his opinion was the one that counted so he had to speak. Sighing, he caught Skord's eye and the older man sat back and was quiet.

"Bo-Katan, you had something important to tell me before you started arguing with Skord. What was it?"

Clearly still bristling, she directed her attention on him and spoke.

"I found another covert. Much smaller than this one and in more dire need. They cannot stay where they are, it isn't safe."

An immediate problem that needed solving. He could work with that. "Why isn't it safe? And how many are there?"

"There are sixty. Forty-five adults and fifteen children. They live in an old Imperial base miles from the nearest town. Unfortunately a remnant has returned to the planet and discovered them."

Din sat up immediately. "And you left them there? Did they flee? Are they even still alive?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I didn't leave them there. I brought them with me. They're on my ship. I would have told you sooner but you were busy."

He seethed, aghast. "This qualifies as an emergency." His helmet was in his hands and he was on his feet moving towards the door. "Have you been sitting here arguing this whole time without saying anything?"

Crossing her arms, she tried to look chastened. "These conversations are just as important. Where else will they go if not to Sundari?"

Omera looked even more angry than he was. "You told us yourself that the city is host to a large remnant. What did you think? You'd show up here and take all the warriors and fly off to war today?"

"Yes, actually. I'll not sit here and be lectured by an aruetii that doesn't respect our ways while our people…"

Furious, Din grabbed the back of her chair and spun her to face him. "I appreciate your dedication to our people, Bo-Katan but I won't tolerate disrespect towards my riduur or the rest of my clan. Is that clear?"

Her temporary shock when he jerked her around was replaced with more genuine humility and she nodded. Turning away, he tried to think what to do.

"Skord. Is there room for them here?"

The older man was on his feet too. "Yes. But bringing them all here at once through the city will draw too much attention, even in a place like Black Spire." He paused, sighing. "We have another entrance. Here…" He tapped a few buttons on his vambrace and nodded to Bo-Katan. "Take your ship to those coordinates. We will meet you there."

She stood too, giving Din a curt nod and leaving. Koska looked torn but followed her out. Once they were gone, Din reached out to Omera, pulling her to her feet.

"I do not like her, Din. And it has nothing to do with her disdain for me." He frowned. "I can understand her desire to go home, but she is too eager for war." She braced her hands on his neck, her thumb tracing his jaw. "I know it will come, that it has to but… shouldn't you wait until you're better prepared? Until you have gathered more of your… of our people? I have a bad feeling about her."

Sharing her sentiment, Din kissed her temple and pressed his forehead to hers. "I know. Let's focus on these new people for now."

"Alright." She glanced at Skord. "I'll find Vismay and tell her about the newcomers."

He nodded and pulled his helmet on. Din did the same and with a final glance at her over his shoulder, they headed out.

Both men waited by the wide mouth of the cave that served as a makeshift hanger, the small cruiser Skord had brought from Mandalore currently hidden there. It would take Bo-Katan longer to get to her ship than it had for them to reach this back entrance so they stood silent, watching the sky.

Eventually Skord spoke.

"Bo-Katan is going to be a problem. I tried to explain that we weren't prepared to retake Sundari today and she seemed to decide that meant you planned to reestablish Mandalore here on Batuu." He bit out a short laugh and shook his head. "She wouldn't hear me. And Omera is right to be wary of her. As your riduur she automatically has more authority even without swearing to the Resol'nare. And more importantly, as someone whose council you heed she holds more sway than Bo-Katan ever will."

Immediately tensing, his voice low. "Do you think she is a threat to my family?"

Skord turned his head in Din's direction briefly. "No. But I doubt she thought she would have competition as your most trusted advisor when she refused to take the Darksaber from you. I'm sure she believed you would be easily molded in her own image."

Din scoffed. "She misjudged me from the start then."

"It would seem that way. I do not think she will be a threat to your family, Mand'alor but… if we continue down the path you have chosen for us, she may reconsider her decision to leave the Darksaber with you. I would be prepared for her to challenge you for it."

"I've been ready for that since I won it from Moff Gideon." And if she wanted a fight, now that he was invested in protecting these people, so many of them children like his own, he would not be defeated easily.

Sighing, Skord scanned the horizon. "Bo-Katan is a seasoned veteran and she knows Mandalore and many of the planets in the system well. Her council would not wholly be without merit. It is unfortunate that she is as stubborn and assured of her own rightness as her sister was."

Din didn't know what to say to that. He had only known Bo-Katan as she was now. Perhaps she could be reasonable.

Somehow he knew it would come down to a fight. Lapsing back into silence, they did not have long to wait before the Gauntlet crested the low ridge between where they stood and the five miles to Black Spire.

"Hmm. That ship belonged to Pre Vizsla."

"Mine is half the size, but otherwise the same." Skord cocked his helmet curiously to the side. "My old ship, the Razor Crest, was destroyed by the Moff that took my son. The Cin Vhetin was a… gift from Bo-Katan."

"Cin Vhetin? Hmm. An appropriate name for more than one reason."

Din nodded. "I thought so."

The Gauntlet took up half of the clearing and as the ramp lowered, Din and Skord stepped out from the trees. Bo-Katan disembarked first, followed by a crowd of other adults and children. All of the adults wore beskar'gam but like the children in Skord's covert, these children wore no helmets. Din was about to say something when one final passenger appeared from the ship.

His breath caught in his throat and for a moment, he was back on Nevarro in the sewers. The nightmares he'd had after he'd first broke his creed came rushing back along with the guilt. Then Skord cleared his throat and he was back. He remembered all the things that led him to where he was. His son, his new relationship with his creed that he felt completely satisfied with, his family.

Pulling his eyes back to the crowd, he squared his shoulders and welcomed his people. He could deal with her later.

The Armorer's gaze weighed heavily on him as he turned back to the hidden entrance. Yet another long and difficult conversation hung before him, even if he was glad she was alive.

A/N buh buh BUH! more familiar faces! Can't wait to see what you all think about these developments!