Author's Note
This is the last chapter to be posted today. It rounds out Mahin's and Din's first meeting and gives Din a bit of an idea.
Go onward and enjoy!
Setting the Course Pt. 4
Mahin plays with the children while waiting for Mando and the child to reemerge from the forge, kicking around a ball someone cobbled together from a bunch of old cloth and string. Sure, she could leave. It's not like Mando needs her help finding the way out. He probably mesmerized it on the way in. He may even want to stay here for the night, among his own people, and one of the others can show him the way out in the morning if need be.
Still, she waits, unable to make herself go.
The ball passes by her and she stops it with her feet, kicking it around the room with a laugh. The screeching giggles of the children chase her as she tries half-heartedly to keep the ball away from them. Their game has no real rules, just to kick around the ball as long as possible until someone takes it from you, like a game of tag. A little boy runs up to her side, his little legs stumbling a bit as he tries to take the ball from her, and she lets the ball go with an exaggerated groan of disappointment.
It's nice to see them so carefree. They foundlings have had such hard lives already, losing everything only to find a home with the Mandalorians. A sense of peace and security, but the Way of the Mando'ade isn't the easiest road, either. They have a lot to learn. A lot to overcome.
But still, the Mando'ade try to give them as joyous a childhood as possible. If only to help wipe away the ghosts of the past.
The little boy kicks a bit too hard, propelling the ball clear across the room. A large boot stops it in its tracks before it can make it through the doorway, all of the children—including Mahin—stopping in their tracks like they stare down a blaster.
Mando crosses his arms in front of his breastplate and she imagines a deep scowl on his unknown face. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"But Mahin is here," one of the oldest girls pipes up bravely, a helmet already covering her head since she took on the Creed just a few weeks ago. "We always get to stay up late when Mahin is here, 'cause it's the only time we get to see her!"
"And so you have," the alor says as she steps into the doorway, all of the children stiffening to attention. "But our vod is right. You best all get to bed."
"Aww, come on, alor!" Mahin pouts along with all the children, eyes sparkling with laughter. "Just five more minutes?"
Melinda looks right at her, hands going to her hips. "I believe it's time for you to get to bed as well, ad'ika. I know you have work bright and early."
Boy, isn't that the truth? And it's a certain Mandalorian's ship she has to work on first thing. Exhaustion starts to weigh her down now that she stands still for a moment, pressure pushing at the backs of her eyes. Yeah, sleep would be good. "Alright, alright," she heaves a huge sigh, turning to the foundlings. "You heard the alor. Time for bed."
Another round of groans. Mahin bends at the waist, hands on her knees to whisper conspiratorially, "If you're all good, maybe in the morning the alor will give you the presents I brought over."
That gets a bunch of excited gasps and clapping followed by every one of the kids running off to their rooms. Except for the little boy. He runs up to wrap his skinny little arms around her waist. "See ya, Mahin."
She giggles, ruffling the boy's hair. "Bye, you little rascal. See you guys later."
The last foundling runs off and she turns back towards the two Mandalorians still standing in the door.
Well, almost the last foundling.
"Hey, little one," she says, walking up to the pram hovering by Mando's side. She looks up at Mando for permission and when he doesn't say anything she holds a finger out to his little green child. The child coos sleepily, eyelids heavy, but he still manages to lightly grasp her finger. "Looks like you're ready for bed, too."
"We should get going," Mando agrees, like he already assumed she'd be leaving with them, and it puts a funny warmth in her stomach.
Maybe she made a friend? It's always hard to tell when a Mandalorian starts to like her. She's gotten good at reading body language and understanding subtext. Still, so far, she hasn't been able to really tell a Mandalorian likes her until they give her permission to use their name. And that means they like her a lot.
She nods with a smile, bidding the alor goodnight before heading back towards the covert exit with Mandalorian and child in tow. Luca doesn't show up again on their way out but she didn't expect him to.
They stay silent as they walk through the tunnels brightened only by her flashlight until a massive yawn rips out of Mahin's mouth. "What time is it?" she wonders aloud. She rubs her eye with a knuckle, mind starting to feel hazy as the call of sleep grows louder.
"Just after midnight," Mando replies softly, looking down at the pram. The kid lies fast asleep in his little nest of blankets. Mando presses a button on his vambrace and the top of the pod slides shut.
Lucky, kid. She's still got miles to go.
They make it to the tunnel entrance. Mando climbs the stairs first, finding the lever and giving it a yank to open the door. Mahin puts the flashlight back on the peg and then triggers the door to close. "Do you always stay out this late?" Mando asks as they head through the alley, the entire city eerily quiet. It's mostly working class living in this area, people who rise with the rising of the sun, so staying up too late doesn't happen often.
"Sometimes," Mahin replies, taking a more direct route to the main road this time without as much worry about people following her. "Usually just when I stop by the covert so, like, once or twice a month."
"Isn't that dangerous?" His head stays on a swivel despite Mahin's ease, always watching, always listening. "Being out here all on your own?"
Mahin smirks, glancing over her shoulder briefly. "I'm not worried."
She hasn't been worried in a long time. Not since she met the covert.
"So are you leaving in the morning?" she asks, trying to get a timeframe for when she needs to finish work on his ship. Adjusting the other engine won't take long but she wants to give his ship an extremely thorough look through. He deserves her best work. "I know you said you'd be here a few days, but I take it you were thinking finding the covert would take a while?"
"That is true. I thought it would take a while. Thank you, for that, by the way. I'm not sure I ever would have found them without your help."
She smiles, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear self-consciously. "Ba'gedet'ye."
She can practically feel him staring at her out of the corner of his visor. "You really like using Mando'a, don't you?"
"Like I said, it's a beautiful language, and I don't get to use it often. I practice whenever I get the chance."
"How far along are you?"
She rocks her hand side to side. "Eh, probably not very far? I know most of the basic words and phrases, but I probably won't be able to hold entire conversations in Mando'a yet."
"Ni gaa'tayli gar hibirar."
She turns to him with an excited grin, hopping in her step. She understood "I help" and she thinks the last word was "learn" so she thinks she understands. "You'll help me learn more? Really? So you're not leaving right away?"
He chuckles, so low the modulator of his helmet almost doesn't pick it up, and a part of her wonders if she wasn't supposed to hear it. "Elek, I'll help. And I plan on sticking around for a few days. There's a local Guild chapter here and I'm running low on funds. I'm hoping to grab a local bounty, fill up on supplies, and then I'll move on."
"Do you take him with you?" she asks, glancing at the kid's pram. "When you go out on jobs?"
"Sometimes." He follows her gaze, pensive. "Bounty hunting is dangerous, obviously, but it can be dangerous to leave him on his own on the ship as well. Neither option really works but I usually don't have any other option."
She bites the inside of her cheek, quickly mulling it over in her head before nodding. "I could look after him for you, if you want. Especially while you're still on-planet. You filled up my last spot of responsibility at the shipyard. The rest of my clients are sticking around for a week or more, so I shouldn't have anything big to handle any time soon."
He hesitates briefly. "You sure it won't be too much trouble?"
"Not at all. After I finish up your ship, the most work I'll have is helping the other mechanics out if they get stuck on something. The rest of the time I'll be spending in the workshop fiddling with some side projects. It shouldn't be too hard to keep an eye on the little one as well."
"Are you sure? He can be a bit of a handful," he warns, a tiredness to him that speaks of countless hours chasing the kid around all over the place.
"He won't be the first kid I've watched while on the clock, and he certainly won't be the last. I usually do it for a few extra credits, but for you I'll do it for free."
"Oh, no, I plan on paying you—"
"Nonsense," she scoffs, waving a hand at him. "Anything for a Mando'ad."
He shakes his head, cloak flapping behind him in the slight breeze. "You really are too kind."
The way he says it, she doesn't think he means it as the usual turn of phrase in gratitude. She purses her lips mulishly. "The world is unkind enough as it is. I don't mind trying to make it a little less."
Mahin comes to a stop outside of the cantina, Mando stopping next to her in the street. She shoves her hands in her pockets suddenly feeling awkward. "Well, this is me."
His head tilts to the side. "You live above a bar? Really?"
"It may not be a glamorous life, but it's a living."
"I've counted three potential muggers since we entered this street. I suspect the only reason they haven't jumped you is because I'm here and Mandalorians have a reputation."
"I have self-defense training. There's a local dojo not far from here that I visit a few times a month to keep my skills up, plus the alor gifted me with a vibroblade just a few weeks after they moved here. But even without all that," Mahin smirks, spotting movement on the rooftop behind him. "you're still not the only reason muggers leave me alone."
Mando must sense the eyes on him because he subtly turns his head to spot the figure crouching at the edge of the rooftop. Luca gives them a two-fingered salute that Mahin mirrors before he disappears again.
"He follows you home every night?" Mando asks.
"The covert keeps me safe. They all take turns following me home on the nights I visit them, but it's mostly ori'vod. He's the alor's son. Out of all of them, I've gotten to know them two the most."
Mando's silent for a moment, just staring at her. She shuffles her feet under the weight of his gaze, wishing for some sign of what he's thinking but even his body language remains as unreadable as his face, giving nothing away. "Well, we will see you in the morning, I guess."
She smiles shyly, an odd urge bubbling up in her throat that she hasn't felt in a long time. Still, the words feel right somehow as she says, "May the Force be with you."
"And you as well," he replies, reflexively like most people do. Not understanding the phrase's true meaning. Few do anymore, not even the New Republic.
But Mahin does, a secret she holds close and dear to her heart.
Author's Note
I love the idea of Din teaching someone Mando'a. He gets to use it so little himself now, since we don't know what happened to his own covert and we don't know when he might see them again. I figured he might find a bit of comfort in it.
Well, that's it for today. Again, I don't know when I'll post again. It all depends on how fast I write. I have some other chapters written already but I like to stay ahead. We'll just have to wait and see.
Hope you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW, and see you all next time!
Translations:
Mando'ade (Mandalorians, plural, the sons/daughters of Mandalore)
alor (leader, chief)
vod (brother)
ad'ika (little one)
ba'gedet'ye (you're welcome)
ni gaa'tayli gar hibirar (I will help you learn)
elek (yes)
Mando'ad (Mandalorian, singular, son/daughter of Mandalore)
ori'vod (big brother)
