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~II~

"All of them? Pierce asked.

Rush nodded. "I'm afraid that we have only one option."

Pierce's head snapped up, "No." He felt himself go numb. If the Foundling had failed the first exam that would determine his qualification to continue Mandalorian training, then the boy would have to leave the Legion. In fact, he would have to have part of the memory that included the Mandalorians wiped so that he could not reveal the whereabouts of the hidden Cohort. "He will not leave the Legion. I won't let him get part of his brainwashed."

The female Mandalorian sighed heavily as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Pierce, you would not be following the Mandalorian Code and Creed. You know that if a foundling fails his first test, then he must go."

"He won't go," Pierce answered stubbornly, his mind already set. "I don't see how he failed the tests. Whenever I see him, he is studying diligently in his room." And when was the last he had actually seen him and had a good conversation with him? Asked a quiet voice in his mind. In truth, the boy seemed quite afraid of him because he always tried to avoid Pierce as much as possible, and said the least amount of words as possible.

Rush looked up at the Mandalorian and gestured at her, "Tesla has been watching your Foundling for quite a while, and she has noticed lately some things that may have contributed to his failing grades."

Tesla nodded,"He is not doing well, Pierce," she began quietly. "I've noticed that he seems rather malnourished and very tired. He also has episodes during training."

"Malnourished? Episodes?" Pierce asked suddenly feeling a stab of guilt in him. Had he been too busy with his job to not notice that something might be wrong with the boy?

"Din is very weak and cannot keep up with the class without tiring easily." Tesla nodded. "The boy freezes during combat sessions. When somebody does a practise lunge at him, he suddenly can't seem to move at all. It's like he is petrified. You must get to the bottom of this before he leaves."

Pierce felt heat rise in him. Why did they always assume that the boy was not qualified enough to continue because the boy had failed a test due to mental and physical issues that could be sorted out? He liked Rush and Tesla very much, but sometimes their strong adherence to the Creed and Code frustrated him. Pierce was in fact quite the opposite of his two friends. He preferred to do things his own way, to be flexible during the missions and not constrained with codes and creeds. "I will get to the bottom of this, but he is not leaving."

Rush let out an exasperated sigh. "Pierce you are close to crossing that line again."

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. "What is it about this Foundling that you feel he must stay and train, even after his failed exams?"

Pierce opened his mouth then closed it. He wasn't quite sure why he seemed so attracted to the boy. Maybe it was the way the boy had looked when he first saw him in that storm shelter. Or maybe when he had rested his chin on his shoulder and hugged him tightly during the flight away from the scene. He looked up and realised that Tesla and Rush were still waiting for an answer. "I'm not really sure what," he began slowly. "Just gut feelings."

"Gut feelings," repeated Tesla. "You know that is not the way to do things."

"I know, but just give him another chance," he argued. "I sense that he will become a great Mandalorian."

"You say that for every new Foundlings who come to us," Rush snorted, then his voice grew serious. "I can see that it's no use persuading you to change your mind. So, I will allow him to stay and redo the course. However, if he fails again, he will not stay. Is that clear?"

Pierce nodded, glad for another chance to get to know the boy more. He hoped that he could. The boy had been avoiding him completely. Well, that was going to change.

Thanking the Mandalorians, he strolled out of the office and down to his room where he and Din lived. Pierce's long and hastened strides, fueled by the desire to make things right with his Foundling, covered the normally five-minute walk to less than two. He entered the apartment and looked around, hoping to see the small shape of his nine-year-old foundling. But the Foundling was nowhere in sight.

His eyes fell on the closed door on the right-hand side of the main room where Din's room was. Pierce strolled over and reached out to turn the door knob then hesitated, his mind whirling with doubts. Would the boy open up to him? Would he reject his help? Pushing aside the thoughts, he knocked, and hearing no reply, twisted the door knob and the door swung open. Pierce froze at the sight of his young Foundling. The young apprentice was slumped on the ground looking very pale and sick.

Author's note:

~ The Children of the Watch, a certain group of Mandalorians who hold strictly to certain rules, which includes not having their helmet off when a person is around them. Their beliefs include that if one takes is helmet off in front of a person or creature, they can no longer be a Mandalorian. (At least that is what I remember from the show. My facts may be a bit off.)

~ Pierce, Rush, and Tesla are not the Mandalorians' actual name, because they create a new name (like a code names) once they have taken the Creed. [This idea is based off the last episode in Season one, when the Moff Gideon reveals Mando's true name. Mando says that he has not heard his real name be spoken since he was child (I'm guessing before he swore the Creed. Not sure.)] So for now he with either be called the Foundling, boy, or Din.

~ I'm not sure how the Mandalorians would know if a Foundling was able to continue their training. So, I decided to have the Foundlings be allowed to live in Cohort for a year in which he essentially becomes an unofficial young Mandalorian apprentice. And during that time, he follows the Mandalorian Code, studies, and trains. At the end of the months he is given an evaluation to test him to see if he qualifies.

Thank you for reading! I hope that you enjoyed it!

I'm open to critiques and suggestions.

~ MJ