Chapter 4

Din blinked, not entirely understanding what he'd just heard. How did she know what the Dark Saber meant to his people? How much had A'den shared with them? "How much do you know?"

"I've been to the Ordo compound, and spoken with their historians. I saw the ancient mosaics and heard the great epochs. I know of Tarre Vizla and the unique light-saber he forged, and what it means to your people. How it was stolen by a Sith and then lost until returned to Bo-Katan of House and Clan Kryze. When the Empire attacked Mandalore, it was lost again."

"I reclaimed it from the Moff who stole it from us." There was a long pause.

"Did you kill him?" Her voice had gone icy, and Din was a bit taken aback.

"No, I turned him over to the Republic for interrogation."

"Oh... I guess that's all right." He was reminded of the conversation where she'd said the word "imperial" like she was swearing.

"You must really hate the Empire." Her fists clenched, and Grogu shrank back for a moment, whimpering. "Kid, what is it?"

'Hate.'

"I do," M'Raiya finally replied, with that same icy, quiet tone. "They hunted down my people just because we can see the Force. My parents and grandmother hid in the slums of Coruscant to stay safe, while my uncles were able to get off-world. We don't even know if they're alive. The Emperor ordered the execution of the Jedi, and his Clone Troopers gunned down even innocent younglings. My grandfather was a Jedi; a good man who didn't agree with the war. But all that mattered to that power-hungry lunatic was that anyone who could use the Force was a threat." There was an uneasy silence, and M'Raiya struggled to get her composure back.

"I'm sure your grandfather would be proud of you." Din's voice shook her out of her mind, and she realized Grogu was standing in front of her, looking sad.

"I'd like to think so. I'm so sorry, little one. I didn't mean to let you sense that."

"He has similar abilities to yours?" Now she shrugged, patting the small head.

"I'm not sure. Grogu is very strong, and can do quite a bit. The healing he's capable of is rare, in fact. But he "talks" in concepts and emotions, and can sense as well as project them."

"Guess that's one more thing Luke taught him."

"Din, our Grandmaster doesn't so much teach Grogu as allow him to remember his previous instruction at the Temple. He was there when it was attacked."

"Ahsoka mentioned that. I don't ask him to talk about it, though."

"That's good. Forcing someone to remember trauma isn't healthy. They have to do it on their own." She slid closer to him, and Grogu jumped back onto Din's legs, curling up into his robes. A few moments later, they both heard the deep breaths that signaled sleep. "The same applies to you." The helmet shifted to face her, and she felt the indignation practically slam into her.

"I don't have any trauma." If M'Raiya had eyes, she knew they'd be blinking in surprise.

"Everyone has trauma, Din. We live in a galaxy that's been fighting itself since you were a child, and before I was born. And that's just the most recent war."

"I am a warrior. We fight, and we die. This is The Way."

"You keep saying that. The Way of what?"

"The Way of the... Mand'alor." He dropped his head down, realizing she was going to assume that he really did have the title.

"Are you going to make all the Clans be like you, then?"

"What? No, I mean, I'm not the Mand'alor."

"You think you're not qualified?"

"It's not that, it's just-" And again, the memory surfaced like a hungry predator.

'You are a Mandalorian no more.' He shook his head, tensing up as he fought down the despair and anger at hearing those words. M'Raiya was suddenly in front of him, taking his hand, but he pulled it back. Grogu also shifted, looking up at him, and he met the large eyes from behind his helmet.

"Din, what's wrong? Did I say something to offend you?"

"No." It took a moment, but he felt calm and control return, and relaxed back against the stone. "Figured you'd just see for yourself what I was thinking." M'Raiya frowned, an exasperated sigh escaping her as she sat next to his injured side.

"First of all, I don't do that for no reason. Second, I try not to pry into the personal thoughts of people I know unless they give me permission. You already don't trust me, so I'd rather not give you another reason."

"What does this have to do with trust?"

"You haven't removed your helmet."

"I don't show my face to anyone. It's part of my Creed."

"You showed it to Grogu when Grandmaster Skywalker came for him." His head whipped around to face the kid, who innocently wiggled his ears and smiled. "It was one of the best days of his life, he told me."

"Best days? He'd been imprisoned by Moff Gideon, and they almost killed him."

"But you came for him. That was when he knew that no matter what happened, you weren't going to ever give up on him. And you allowed him to come to the Temple to train again, even though you knew nothing about the Jedi."

"I... I figured he needed to be with his own kind." Now she smiled softly, and he allowed her to place a hand on his.

"And he is. He'll be the second Mandalorian Jedi of our new Order. That is something all of us are grateful for. I can't even imagine how much he'll shape both our peoples in his long life."

"Do you know how his species ages?" She shrugged, looking at the child.

"They are rare, with no known home planet, but our Order was blessed with two of them on the Council during the Clone Wars. Grandmaster Skywalker learned from the previous Grandmaster Yoda, who lived to be about nine hundred."

"That's... Pretty impressive."

"It is. Listen, you should both eat. I'll take my rations in the tunnel, so you can have some privacy. That way, I can also keep a look out for the Terentatek."

"You don't-"

"Yes, because you need to keep up your strength. And I know that if you don't eat, Grogu won't." She pulled her pack into the entrance to the short tunnel, her back to them. Din waited a moment before taking his helmet off and pulling out two ration bars from his belt pouch. A flask of water followed, and he handed one of the bars to the child.

"She's right, you need to eat."

'You eat.'

"I will." He unwrapped the flavorless bar and bit into it, watching Grogu until he did the same. "Some hunt this turned into. I didn't mean to scare you earlier."

'Scary thing. Hurt you.'

"I'll be fine. Your friend helped me."

'Your friend too.' Din looked at M'Raiya, who was still sitting with her back to them.

"Not so sure about that, ad'ika. I wasn't brought up like A'den. I wasn't brought up like most Mandalorians, it seems."

"There's nothing wrong with that," she stated, making Din jump. "Sorry, but you talk fairly loud." He frowned, running a hand through his hair.

"You have something to add?"

"Just that how you were brought up is in the past. It is how you choose to live now that defines you. And if you wish to continue adhering to this current Creed, that's fine. But if you wanted to alter-"

"It's not that simple. You don't just... Do Jedi have a Creed?"

"Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force." He was a bit stunned by all that, and by the reverence he heard in her voice.

"That sounds a lot more complicated than "This is The Way". Do you understand everything that you're saying?"

"Living beings have emotions. To deny otherwise is folly. Yet you can achieve inner peace by dealing with these emotions before they overwhelm you. Ignorance is all around us, and we ourselves can be ignorant of many things. But to seek out knowledge means you are willing to learn and grow past what you are now. Passion, again, is something all organics have. Whether we have passion for a person, an object, or a concept. But outside or away from that passion, we must have serenity in other things we do, lest that passion consume us. Chaos threatens us constantly, be it on a personal or galactic scale. In the midst of this, we must seek harmony with ourselves and others. If we do not, then we will allow chaos to consume everything, and that might doom us all. Everyone meets Death eventually, but through the Force, they live on in the universe. You can fight against wrongful killing, or even try to heal those who are injured. But when Death is inevitable, allow the Force to take back what it gave. This is all just my interpretation, by the way." Again, Din was silent, looking over at Grogu. The child watched M'Raiya for a moment.

'We are Jedi.' Then he turned and locked eyes with his father. 'We are Mandalorian.'

"What happens to Jedi who break your Creed?"

"That depends on how it happens. There were those who left the Order, and gave up the title of Jedi. The Order was sad to lose them, but let them go. However, there were those who turned our Creed on its head, and sought power by twisting the Force. They are Fallen Jedi, or even Sith."

"And those are the ones you hunt down?"

"Yes, though I hope not many remain. Anything that has to do with the Dark Side must be eliminated, though there will never be a galaxy devoid of evil."

"So if you left the Order without becoming a... Sith, Luke would leave you be?" He saw her start to turn, but caught herself and instead buried her head against her knees as she brought them up. "M'Raiya, are you all right?"

"He would be disappointed, and so would my family. But they wouldn't force me to return if that was truly what I wanted. Just like the Grandmaster understands that one day Grogu will leave us to continue his training to be a Mandalorian. But I would never abandon the Order. It is my life."

"And my Creed is mine."

"I know. I've just never met a Mandalorian with your particular views." Din replaced his helmet, seeing the light of the sun sliding down the cave walls.

"Maybe we should get some rest so we can find A'den and Isslan at first light."

"Of course." She got a bedroll out and laid down, pulling a heavy cloak around herself. Grogu curled up against Din's uninjured side, and he pulled his cape over the little body. The wound was a dull ache, so he'd probably be able to get some rest. Head falling forward, the Mandalorian soon slept.

Din came to with the realization that he was burning up. As he tried to peer through the haze that surrounded him, he saw with a start that he was somehow back in the covert. But wait, hadn't he been in a cave just a bit ago? What was going on? And why was there lava flowing under him?! 'Hello?!'

'The dar'manda awakens.' To his right stood Paz Vizsla in a stance that looked as if he might charge any moment.

'Why am I here?'

'You are here to answer for your crimes against this covert and our Creed, Din Djarin.' The Armorer stood to his left, the hilt of the Dark Saber in her hand.

'I left to atone. You allowed this.'

'It was a mistake,' Paz informed him. 'I should have killed you and claimed the Dark Saber.'

'You couldn't kill me with it before, and you still can't.' The bigger man was suddenly behind him, locking his arms behind his back.

'We'll see about that.'

'Paz Vizsla, bring him to the Forge.'

'With pleasure.' Din was hauled over to the large furnace, the heat almost unbearable now. Vaguely, he thought he heard someone calling his name, but it was so faint.

'This is not The Way,' he tried to argue.

'You gave that up the moment you removed your helmet.' Din turned his head to look at the Armorer, who stepped up on his left side.

'He is correct,' she agreed, nodding her head at Paz. 'Ever since you encountered the Foundling, you have been neglecting our Creed. Your actions endangered the covert, and many died.' 'I never asked them to do that!' Still, he was grateful to all of them for allowing him to escape with the child. The Armorer continued:

'You have allied yourself with Jedi, who are our ancestral enemy.'

'They can be our allies,' he argued, struggling to catch his breath. 'I have met another Mandalorian who has a connection to the same magic as the child. They call it the Force, and-'

'Do not come here and use their words, dar'manda.' Paz shoved him down further, and Din had to summon all his strength to keep from shouting in pain.

"Din! Please wake up!" Where was that voice coming from?

'This bond you share with your Foundling was a mistake. One we will correct.' Now the blade ignited, and she turned it over to inspect it.

'Don't hurt him. He's only a child.'

'A child that has made you weak.' Din fought back against Paz, raising his head to look at him.

'He has made me stronger. You will not harm him while I still live.'

'That is easily rectified,' the Armorer said coldly. Without further warning, Din felt the Dark Saber impale his left side, and the white-hot pain caused him to scream.

"DIN! Grogu, please get rid of that poison. I'll try and wake him up." The voice was familiar, but his mind was too addled right now to make sense of it. "Please forgive me, but I need to see." And then he saw a ghostly form shimmer into existence on the other side of the furnace. M'Raiya immediately gasped as she saw the scene. 'You have to fight back! This isn't real.'

'Isn't real?'

'You're dreaming, Din. You've got a fever, and Grogu is trying to get rid of the poison. But you need to wake up on your own.'

'How do I do that?'

'These people are representing your darker thoughts. Shut them down and come back to us.'

'He can't. He's too weak." M'Raiya stared at the large man holding Din to the furnace.

'Who's this hut'uun?'

'Paz Vizsla. He tried to duel me for the Dark Saber and lost.'

'Then make him lose again.' She said it with such conviction and command that Din straightened, twisting until he was behind Paz. The movement set the larger man off-balance, and it didn't take much to send him into the furnace. He disappeared without a sound. "Now, who is that?'

'Our Armorer. Leader of our covert. She was not happy when she found out I broke our Creed.'

'Did she attack you then?'

'No, but... She declared-'

'You are a Mandalorian no more.' M'Raiya looked between the vision and Din, shaking her head. So this was the source of some of his pain.

'Is the covert made up of Clans? Does she lead all of you?'

'No, it's made up of individuals. Most are from Clans though.'

'Like an alliance?'

'I guess. What are you getting at, M'Raiya?'

'You aren't part of Clan Vizsla. You have your own Clan. I can tell by your pauldron.'

'Yeah, I lead Clan Mudhorn, and the kid is part of it. So?'

'So, Clan leaders are free to break from an alliance if they disagree with something. You are free to leave this alliance and form your own.'

'With who?'

'The Jedi Order, for one. And I'm sure Clan Ordo isn't turning away allies. But this all comes down to what you want, Din. Obviously you're upset by what the Armorer said to you. And if this is the path you still want to walk, we will help you regain the trust of your covert.'

'There is only The Way,' the Armorer stated. 'You have forsaken that by removing your helmet.'

'You protected the child, even when he was just a bounty. You made him your Foundling, and risked your life multiple times to save him from the Empire. You bested an enemy in single combat to become the wielder of the Dark Saber. All you want is to see your people reclaim and rebuild Mandalore. If that doesn't scream Mand'alor, then I don't know what does.' Din felt a cooling pressure on his chest, and realized the kid was healing him. The kid. Grogu. Ad'ika. His son. Everything he'd endured was for the sake of his child. The hilt of the Dark Saber was suddenly in his hand, and he pointed it at the Armorer, heart pounding.

'Everything you taught me led me to finding this weapon. You have given me the tools and skills necessary to see my quest through. With them, I will help our people reclaim our home. And if someone else manages to prove even more worthy of the Dark Saber, so be it. But as of now, I will strive to rebuild what we lost. I will teach my Foundling our ways, that he might continue my quest one day. I am a Mandalorian, and always will be.' Then, he pulled his helmet off. 'Verd ori'shya beskar'gam.' To his surprise, the Armorer dipped her head, and for just a moment he swore there was another figure standing in her place.

'This is The Way,' an unfamiliar male voice intoned. And then he woke with a start to find Grogu still healing him. But after a moment, the child sat back, breathing a bit heavy, but otherwise fine. He started to look around for M'Raiya, when he realized he was lying on her lap. She'd wedged her fingers under the seal at his neck, barely touching his skin.

"Welcome back," she said softly.

"Thank you," he replied, trying to calm his still-racing heart. "Was that really you?"

"Talking to you? Yes. I've never done something like that before, but you wouldn't wake up. We realized you were suffering from the Terentatek's poison, and it took a bit for Grogu to heal you." The child proceeded to curl up on Din's right side, and he wrapped that arm protectively around him.

"You always come through when I need you, ad'ika. Thank you."

'Love you too, buir.' And then he was asleep, and M'Raiya smiled at them for a moment before it faded and she looked away.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have any other way of helping you."

"I know. I'm not mad. Actually, I'm happy that someone else saw what I did. You did see what happened before I woke up, right?"

"You mean the Armorer somehow becoming a man?"

"Yeah. I didn't recognize him. And his helmet... It showed his face."

"I have my suspicions, but I'll wait until we're back at the Temple. For right now, you need to rest. The sun will rise in a few hours, and we need to move when it does."

"Of course. I'll just move-"

"You can stay right there. It isn't every Jedi woman who can say they had a handsome man fall asleep on them." Din chuckled, closing his eyes. He felt Grogu at his side and M'Raiya at his back, and it was strangely comforting. "By the way, I liked how you ended that speech of yours. And you're right: A warrior is more than his armor."