It wasn't difficult to find Kalash's comm number, it was on a list of contact information for the local Journeymen Protectors. In Din's mind that seemed like quite the security risk, but if it made his job easier then… well he wasn't going to complain too loudly.

For the first few minutes when the comm was trying to connect Din couldn't help but fidget slightly. It was so much easier dealing with Jaster and his little traat'aliit than it was Mando'ade his own age. Well, his new age at least.

"Hello, this is Journeyman Vhehn. How can I help you?" Startling slightly when the man finally picked up Din took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Kalash? This is… Din Djarin." It was still so difficult to openly state his name. Yet with Tarre standing at his side, one hand comfortingly on his shoulder, he could admit it was getting a little easier each time.

"Din! It's good to hear from you. Is, uh, is there a problem you need help with?" There was an echo of concern and anticipation in the man's voice and Din couldn't help how his cheeks slightly heated in response.

"I…" Tarre nudged him, urging him to go on. "Heard there was a local shooting range. I've never been there and was wondering… if you, uh, might like to show me… around." It was a good thing he followed the Creed. It meant no one could see how red his face had become in that instance.

"Really!? I, ahem, I'd be more than happy to show you around. What day?" Beside him Tarre was practically shaking with mirth. Din wanted to send a glare her way but didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing how much her amusement got a rise out of him… even if she could probably sense it in the force.

"Tomorrow, if you have the time. I work nights so mid-day to evening would be best." It wasn't exactly a secret. Din had been seen coming and going from the warehouse district and Tarvi's Inn for the last two core standard weeks.

"Tomorrow sounds great! I have the day off. Where would you like to meet up?" The young man sounded so eager Din wasn't sure what to say at first.

"How about… Di'ajab's diner?" It was a solid location that was between the inn he was staying at and the local shooting range. This way Kalash didn't have to walk all the way to the inn to come get him.

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow around… an hour after mid-meal?" The man's voice sounded excited, happy, and Din couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"That works for me. I'll… see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then. Have a good one, Djarin." With that the man hung up and Din's entire body sagged, like a puppet with the strings cut.

"You did well, Din'ika. Despite your… difficulty." He could feel her amusement as it combined with a sense of pride and concern for his well being.

He was already getting better at differentiating between her emotions. It had something to do with the bond they shared in the Force and how meditating on it strengthened their connection. Like stabilizing a comm frequency so the other person's voice came in more clearly.

"What are you thinking, ad'ika?" Without looking back at his buir, since he was currently in public, he shrugged slightly. It was a move that she would recognize but others would see as resettling his armor.

'Asking him to come to the shooting range when I know he's interested in me… it feels like I'm using him.' He admitted after a moment of silent contemplation. 'Just to get an in with his Clan…'

"Oh, my poor wayward ad." His buir said with a slight shake of her helmet. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to make an ally. I understand why it might feel like you're using him, but in that same vein he is also going to use this as an opportunity to make your acquaintance. There is a kind of give and take to this, ner ad." She said quietly. "And I can feel that you do miss having someone more your age to speak to."

Din felt a pang in his chest, an image of green armor trimmed in red immediately coming to mind.

Stars did he miss Boba.

They'd been working together for about five months before he was sent after that zeltron and in that time they'd found they had more in common than not. Since the loss of his buir, and later the loss of his Covert, Din had not felt that close to anyone. Grogu, by virtue of him being an ad, didn't count. He was a dependent, someone Din took care of. But Boba treated him like a younger vod. Din didn't need to watch his actions around the other Mando, didn't need to guard himself.

His relationship with Tarre was quickly approaching that kind of closeness but there was still something about it that wasn't quite real. No matter how solid she made herself Tarre was still a ghost. She couldn't interact with the world like he could.

"We're here." Looking up he realized he'd walked all the way to the local archives without noticing. He grimaced. He really needed to stop getting lost in his own head.

'Time to get to work.'

"Yes. But don't think we won't be meditating later on this, child of mine."

Din let out a sigh that thankfully wasn't picked up by his helmet and entered the archives.

He could think about Boba and how losing his friend made him feel later. For now he had research to do.

Din let out a relieved groan as he slumped into a chair in his semi-permanent residence. He'd made a deal with Tarvi yesterday about renting the room long-term. Having to tell her that his ship and all his belongings had been stolen and then destroyed had been embarrassing to say the least. But she believed him, no doubt thanks to the real sorrow in his voice when he spoke about the Razor Crest's demise.

'I lucked out with this inn.' He thought.

"It's not luck, ad'ika, it was the will of the Force." Tarre said with a chuckle as she slipped off her helmet and set it down on the table nearby.

Din stared at her for a moment, wondering how her helmet didn't just fall through the table. "If you can touch things like the table… why did the Dha'kad'au fall through your hand when I tried to hand it to you?"

Tarre looked over at him thoughtfully as she sank into the other chair. "It is because it no longer answers to me." She said simply. "While it was my partner in life it no longer responds to me the way a lightsaber might to their jetii partner."

Din tilted his head, brows furrowed. "Why?"

Tarre smiled. "So curious."

She leaned forward, elbows laying across her knees. "The Dha'kad'au has always been special. Ever since its creation I knew that one day it would choose a new partner. After all, the stone within it is like nothing the galaxy has seen before or since." Holding out her hand she motioned for the weapon.

Unclipping the hilt from his belt he set it down on the table between them.

With a wave of her hand the Dha'kad'au pulled apart, baring all of its internal workings.

Din jumped slightly and leaned closer, brown eyes wide.

An oval black stone with gold and white sriations flew over to him and hovered in front of his face. Tentatively he reached out and plucked it from the air.

The image of something large, powerful, with horns and sharp teeth came to mind and he nearly dropped the stone in surprise.

"W-was that-?"

There was no way he saw that correctly!

"It was. This stone is one of a kind. It has a name that has been lost to time, only re-discovered when the Force called me to Manda'yaim." Tarre waved her hand and the stone slipped out from between his fingers. It flew back to the floating parts of the Dha'kad'au and quickly the weapon reassembled itself. "It is the Sole Ruler's Jewel, a pearl found inside a particularly large and cunning Mythosaur from the time of my ancestors, the Progenitors."

Din's mouth fell open. He'd heard the legends, but he could never decide whether he wanted them to be real or not. The idea of creatures larger than a Greater Krayt Dragon roaming around Manda'yaim… it just boggled the mind.

"This is no kyber, that will bond with a single jetii for their entire lifetime. It is a king among gemstones, one that chooses its wielder." The weapon settled on the table in front of him and Tarre smiled. "The Dha'kad'au chose you, ad'ika. Not because you won a duel, not because you are of my blood, but because of who you are. One who cares deeply for our people and beliefs, who has compassion for those less fortunate, with the strength and conviction to back your decisions and the sense of honor to right your own wrongs."

Din felt his heart thudding hard inside his chest and gasped, looking up at his buir. "Y-you know about…?"

"Yes, Din'ika. I know that you almost turned your back on that child. And I know you also gave everything of yourself to set things right." Her golden eyes watched him and it was as if something heavy hung between them. "You can not take back what you've done, ad'ika, you can only ever atone for it." She said solemnly.

"I… I'm trying." He muttered, eyes falling to the Dha'kad'au between them.

A hand settled over his own and he swore he could feel the warmth from it as he looked up again. Tarre stared him in the eyes and gave him a kind smile. "I know, Din'ika. You have done well so far and I have no trouble believing you will continue to do well moving forward."

Heat flooded his cheeks and he wondered when was the last time he had felt uplifted by sincere praise. The only one who had come close that he could think of in recent years was Boba.

"I am sorry, ner ad." Came Tarre's quiet voice.

Din looked up into her bright eyes. "For what?"

"For taking you away. For placing this burden on your shoulders." She shook her head. "But the Force is neither cruel nor kind, it just is. I can no more deny its will than I can stop a planet from spinning."

Din took a deep breath and held it for a moment, carefully examining his own emotions with the came calculated calm that came from a long life of practicality.

"I… forgive you." He said honestly. "I can't say that I'm fine with it and be truly honest." He looked out the window at the street, all the Mando'ade walking around freely. "But I can't say I blame you either."

"Thank you, ad'ika- Din."

There was a long moment of silence before Tarre stood. "Now then, I know you are tired, ner ad, so meditation then bed."

Din let out a small groan but hauled himself out of the chair. He was no stranger to strict training instructors.

Tarre let out a fond chuckle as she settled herself onto the floor.

Leaning against the outer wall of Di'ajab's diner in the shade, arms crossed as he watched the street, Din tried to shove his nerves down into a tight little box. Tarre had disappeared to wherever it was she stayed whenever she wasn't pestering him about training so for the moment he was on his own.

'You're never alone.' He shivered at the faint whisper but relaxed a little. Knowing his buir was still around made him feel less anxious. Like having a vod at your back, except one that was incorporeal and could use jetiise magic. No would expect that. Except perhaps someone else who could use the force.

He saw the other man before the man saw him, which was a bit surprising considering his armor was practically a beacon. Vhehn's armor was the same style as the other Journeymen Protectors Din had seen. The primary color was a deep blue, nearly purple, that sat on the border between luck and reliability. Around his visor was a deep orange that spoke of a respect for all life, while his bracers were striped with red for honoring a parent. The aliik was the profile of a curled horned bovidae in a pale brown within a downward pointing triangle in a medium green. Loyalty and duty.

The man's helmet swiveled toward him and Din could swear he could feel the man's excitement as he hurried over. "Verd Djarin! It's a nice day for some target practice, wouldn't you say?" There was almost a bubbling feeling around him that Din had to try to ignore, lest it distract him from what the man was saying.

"Vhehn." He replied respectfully with an incline of his helm. " Looks like." He said as he pushed off of the wall and stood next to the Journeyman.

Now that he was in front of him, and not worried about trouble, he was able to get a better look. The man was broader than Din, with wide shoulders and a thick waist. Even under the bulk of his armor his arms were muscled, as were his legs. He looked like he could pick Din up, armor and all, and throw him if he had to.

"Uh… right. So the range is this way." The man said, shifting on his feet a little awkwardly before he stared walking in the way he'd indicated.

Din sighed inwardly. He would have to try harder to actually hold a conversation with the man if he wanted this to work.

"Thanks for taking the time to show me around." Din said as he fell into step next to the larger man. "I just bought a new rifle and need to test it out properly." He motioned to the modified A-280 rifle on his back. He'd been surprised to see one of them in the weapons shop. It was nice to have something he was at least familiar with.

"Huh, don't see too many of those around. Most folks around here use the Galaar line, although with the new laws the Governor of Manda'yaim passed recently we've been having some trouble with the supply lines." The man mumbled a little bitterly.

"…the more I hear about the Governor the more I dislike them." He said simply.

Kalash snorted. "You and me both. Did you hear they're slowly raising the taxes for traditional families in Sundari and Keldabe? The only beings who can stay are merchants or those with ties to rich patrons. And the majority of them are baseline human." He shook his head in disgust.

Din scowled. That was not the way he had been raised. Even if Boba had been right and the Covert was a bit… cultish… they at least had accepted all foundlings regardless of species.

A sensation like buzzing made him straighten slightly, his hand shifting to his belt where the Dha'kad'au was clipped. He could feel how it thrummed with anger and had to force himself to calm down, just in case it started floating or something else insane.

"You alright verd?" The man beside him asked, helm titled slightly down to where Din's hand was obscured by his cloak.

"Fine." He said quickly. "Just thinking about how wrong it sounds." He said as he casually let his hand fall away from his belt. "We're mando'ade, it doesn't matter where you came from or what species you are. Only that you're mandokarla and follow the Resol'nare." Or in his case the Creed.

"Oya!" The man said emphatically, lifting his gloved hand and clenching it into a fist.

Din grinned and held out his own fist so that Kalash could tap their vambraces together in a show of solidarity.

The rest of the walk was a lot more relaxed as their anxiety drained away in light of their shared belief that anyone could be mando'ade… and that the New Mandalorian governor was an absolute bastard.

Coming up to a walled off section Din twitched at the sound of blaster fire. It was a relief to have somewhere to keep up his training. He didn't want his skills to dull while he was biding his time.

"Come on, I'll get you set up. It'll either be Kenni or Danni in today. Never quite sure which one of them it is, since they're twins and delight in making everyone guess." Kalash's mood shifted between annoyed and fond. "They even have the exact same armor design. Not mirrored. Exact. When they're standing next to each other it's like seeing double."

"Useful." Din pointed out simply.

"Yeah, sure, if you're on a mission and need to obscure your numbers. But the two of them run a repair store and a shooting range." Din could practically feel the man rolling his eyes and chuckled.

Entering the enclosed compound his head was on a swivel as he took in the three buildings and the wide open space. On the other side there was another walled off section and he wondered what it could be used for.

Following Kalash up to the first building he could see that it was shaded with an awning but otherwise was open to the air. There was a caged off section where someone was working on what looked like weapons repairs. They were slender yet tall, wearing primarily deep orange and pale purple armor. Their uncovered hands were a pale pink as their delicate fingers slid the final blaster piece home. The figure spun it in their hand before catching it and looking down the sights. Setting down the gun Din could feel a strong sense of satisfaction from them for a job done well.

So strong, in fact, that it made Din step back in confusion.

Were they also force sensitive?

Thankfully Kalash didn't seem to notice, walking up to the counter and leaning across it to wave at the figure. "Hey, uh, Kenni? How's business?"

There was a snort from the figure as they walked up to the cage door, pressed a button beside the door, and waited until the light turned green. They stepped outside and shut the cage behind them, waiting for it to beep and turn red again before turning to the counter.

"Sorry, Kal'ika, it's Danni today. You lost your streak." Came the amused feminine voice from beneath a sleek helmet.

"Haar'chak!" Kalash groaned, letting his head thunk onto the counter before lifting his head again. "Oh well, back to square one."

Danni, as they'd identified themselves as, laughed lightly and Din found himself relaxing at the sound. They sounded so friendly, familiar, and he could sense nothing but amusement and fondness…

Din snapped himself out of the slight trance he'd fallen into and stiffened with wariness. Something had just tried to influence his mind. His buir had warned him about such things and had been helping him build up better mental defenses. If he hadn't been working on that specific thing he might not have noticed until it was too late.

The figure behind the counter gasped and looked right at him. He could sense confusion, curiosity, and a small flare of upset before their presence smoothed out again.

"Kal'ika! Did you forget to warn your friend over there about us?"

Kalash's helmet tilted slightly before he looked back at Din. Finally he seemed to notice how uncomfortable Din was and let out another curse. "Osik, I knew I forgot something! Din Djarin, this is Danni Moru'teh. She and her vod are zeltron'ade."

Zeltron. Well at least that explained the overwhelming presence and the sudden feeling of familiarity. That and the pink skin was a bit of a giveaway.

"I'm sorry if I surprised you." She said, feeling honestly contrite. "Wait… did you say Djarin?" She looked from Din to Kalash and back.

Kalash let out a chuckle. "Yes. Maybe you can pester him later, right now we were hoping to get some practice in today."

Danni grumbled but there was an underlying amusement to it. "Alright, keep your kute on." Tapping on a small console she looked up at Din. "Since this is your first time you have to register. I already got your name and clan so I just need a signature on this release form. It's just your basic 'I've passed my verd'goten, am legally allowed to own and wield a blaster,' and 'if something happens to me because I was acting like a jaro di'kut it's not the Moru'teh clan's fault.' You know, all that legal junk."

Din couldn't help the small chuckle her comments pulled from him, even as he pulled his shields a little tighter around himself. For the most part zeltrons were a very open and welcoming species, they liked feeling happy and making others happy as well. He could sense no duplicity from her, only a desire to be helpful. So he quickly read through the form and signed before handing it back.

"See, Kal'ika? That's something a smart verd does. Reads everything thoroughly before signing." Danni teased as she took the form back.

"I came with my buir, Danni, they said it was fine and I believed them." Kalash defended with what sounded like a pout.

"Alright Djarin, here's the rules; one, no drawing weapons on anyone else while you're in here. You have a problem with someone? You take it outside. Two, no unauthorized gambling or competitions. If you and Kal'ika want to compare scores later that's fine. But if you want to start a proper competition you need to front the winnings and organize the details with myself or my vod. Three, we're a business and can be quite busy. You can book time ahead in advance but if you skip out too many times we'll revoke your right to book time. Four, when your time ends, it ends. Sometimes we have the space to extend your time, but if we don't you will be asked to leave so the next group can come in for their slot. With me so far?"

So far Din was on board with the rules. They were fairly straight forward and sounded like common sense to him. He nodded.

"Good. Now for the fun part." She said mischievously. "Kenni and I like to play a little game. One that Kal'ika just lost."

Kalash let out a groan but it didn't sound serious, more like he was playing along with Danni's playful teasing.

"If you can guess which one of us is on duty when you stop by, you get a mark on the board." She pointed behind her to a large list of names marked down with what he thought might have been chalk. Next to each name were one to four slashes. "Guess right four times in a row and you win some free ammo for whatever you're planning to practice with for the day."

Din perked up. Free ammo would be useful. Especially since he was currently on a budget.

"Since it's your first time here, and Kal'ika spoiled your chance to guess, I'll throw in some ammo for you."

"Are you… sure?" He asked, not sure if he should accept that kind of hand out.

"Of course! Go have some fun blasting those targets to haran and back. Manda knows that Kal'ika needs the practice."

"Hey! I'm a decent shot!" Kalash defended, giving off waves of embarrassment.

"Yeah, you are." Her tone became lighter and she dropped the playfulness. "I'm just teasing Kal'ika. Besides, I know your specialty is non-lethal take-downs and hand to hand combat." She looked over at Din and he could practically feel her eyes roam over his armor. "What about you, Djarin? I'd guess you're proficient with that spear. No well trained mando'ad would walk around carrying a weapon like that if they weren't skilled with it."

Din shifted on his feet, feeling his face warm slightly. "I'm… decent. It isn't my… primary weapon of choice."

"Oh? Well you'll have to let me take a look at your arsenal some time. Show me what your preferred weapon is." There was a flash of heat in her words and Din ducked his head slightly, embarrassed.

"I think that's enough, Danni." Kalash said, stepping between Din and the zeltron to hide him from view. "This time's on me. I'll take some extra ammo for my Galaar-14 and some for an A-280 modified sniper rifle."

Din was grateful to the other verd for taking the zeltron's gaze off of himself for the moment. Honestly, he wasn't used to so much pointed attention. Outside the Covert most sentients took one look at his armor and were either intimidated or outright scared of his presence. Inside the Covert they were raised to give each other personal space and privacy as well as they could in close quarters. Din was noticed because he was the sole Beroya but the Covert's attention been a lot more subtle than these pre clone war mando'ade. Respect and gratitude for his hard work with little sparks of attraction and appreciation here or there.

But things were much different now. Not only could he feel a lot more, thanks to his newly discovered force sensitivity, but these mando'ade had never had to hide in sewers in order to protect their very way of life. They hadn't been hunted to near extinction, their entire homeworld glassed by a looming monolith of sheer destructive power…

It was just so much all at once.

'Calm. Safe.' A feeling like a comforting hug enveloped his mind and he leaned into it gratefully. Tarre's whispers were like gentle fingers combing through his hair, like his buir used to do whenever Din had a panic attack as an adiik.

"Alright. You're in range two, sections twenty-three and twenty-four. You have it for an hour." Ducking behind the counter she pulled out a couple of boxes that Kalash picked up and held under one arm. She leaned to the side so she could look past the other mando'ad to speak with him. "Kal'ika can show you the controls for the different target settings. Have fun!"

Without saying another word Kalash pointed his thumb to the right and began walking.

Din caught up quickly.

There was a long moment of silence where the man seemed to stew in his own thoughts before he finally looked up at Din. "I… sorry about her. Danni doesn't really know when she's overstepping. She's a zeltron'ad, and they can be pretty, uh, amorous by nature. But it's no excuse to make others feel uncomfortable." He shook his head. "Even though she isn't doing it to be malicious…"

Din could feel a nudge from his buir and wanted to grumble. Instead he inclined his head toward the other Mando. "It's… fine. I've met zeltron'ade before. I know she wasn't doing it to cause trouble or distress." He took a deep breath and let it out again slowly.

"If it bothers you I can have a quiet word with her. She's very respectful of others personal preferences and comfort levels. Well, as long as she knows what they are. She's not a mind reader." He said with a hint of a nervous chuckle.

Din wasn't quite sure what to say but he could feel how Kalash just wanted to help, how he was just a genuinely kind person at the core. "Thank you." Din said warmly. "I'd appreciate that."

Kalash stopped suddenly and Din looked at him in confusion. "This is our section."

"Oh…" He said, face warming beneath his helmet. He looked down the range then at the console before turning back to Kalash. "Danni said you'd show me how it works?"

The other man laughed and it was a pleasant sound. "Come on, range rookie." He said, clapping Din on the shoulder. "I'll show you the ropes."

Mando'a;

Traat'aliit- Squad, team.
Vhehn- Pronounced Feign, meaning Earthy/Earthen. (Kalash's Clan.)
Aliik- Sigil or Symbol on armor.
Verd- Warrior, also soldier.
Manda'yaim- The planet Mandalore.
Vod, Vode- Brother/Sister/Sibling/Comrade/Compatriot, and the plural.
Mandokarla- Having the 'right stuff.' Showing guts, spirit, loyalty, and a lust for life.
Resol'nare- The Six Actions or Six Tenets that make up the basis for Mandalorian culture.
The Creed- A way of life that precedes the Resol'nare. It is considered quite strict with it's tenets. Unlike the Resol'nare following the Creed is a personal choice.
Oya!- In this context it means something close to 'Damn right!'
Me'vaar- Literally, 'What's new?' Colloquially, 'Are you alright/okay?'
Naas- Literally, 'Nothing.' Colloquially, 'I'm fine.'
Zeltron'ad, Zeltron'ade- Zeltron, Zeltron plural. An empathic near-human species which naturally produce potent pheromones that enhance their attractiveness and general likability.
Verd'goten- Mandalorian rite of adulthood.
Jaro di'kut- Insane idiot.

Places;
Sundari- The new Capital City of Mandalore. Ruled by the New Mandalorians it is a domed city in the middle of a desert.
Keldabe- The old Capital City of Mandalore. Where the more traditional clans live.