Memoirs of a Mandalorian Chapter 1, a mandalorian fanfic

Obligatory disclaimer: I own nothing of the Mandalorian, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while to play with - thank you Disney. Yet, the plot is owned solely by me, and due to copyright laws, I request that you please do not copy or reproduce any of my stories, or translate them into other languages. I thank you for any interest in doing so, but I must respectfully decline.

Thank you.

This story is written purely for fun, and if at any time you are offended by something I write, please know that was never my intention, and you have my sincerest apologies.

Thank you for reading.

Memoirs of a Mandalorian

Chapter 1

~X~

Speak the language,

Wear the armor,

Rally when called

Defend your children,

And raise them as Mandalorians

~Creed of the Mandalorian~

Din Djarin, Mandalorian and bounty hunter, was starting to think that landing on this planet to resupply had not been the wisest idea. It had all started out simply enough; finding a secluded spot for the Razor Crest to touch down, a fresh water source nearby, and no one around to hinder their actions or alert anyone of their presence. Unfortunately, when they were unexpectedly set upon by a pair of what Din could only describe as hammerhead-fanged beasts, he wouldn't have minded there being one or two more inhabitants nearby to offer aid.

He and the kid had only been outside the ship for less than an hour, checking out their surroundings and attempting to find a good location to drop a vac-line and acquire the needed water, but the river was proving inaccessible, it being at the bottom of a deep ravine. They had walked a fair distance from the ship – well, he had walked while carrying the kid - hoping to find a more suitable spot, yet there had been only steep cliffs.

Din had just decided to turn around and find a more convenient water source when his proximity detector alerted him to the fact they were not alone. Setting the kid down, he reached for his blaster and stepped protectively in front of him, just as two strange creatures leapt out of the bushes. They had large fangs, sharp claws, spikes down their backs, and two horns growing out of either side of their head, making them look much like a hammer with two ugly eyes in the middle. One was considerably larger than the other, yet both appeared ready, and quite capable, of slicing them in half.

At once Din regretted allowing the kid to accompany him planet-side, now wishing he had locked him safely inside his cubical. Yet, the child was hard to turn down when it stared up at him with those big dark eyes, causing him to once again give in and permit the foundling to tag along. Yet, now, facing such vicious looking beasts, Din was kicking himself for being so easily manipulated by his little green companion.

Sizing them up, Din figured he would have been able to take out the smaller one alone, but he feared that two might be a bit more than he could manage. And when the creatures split off, one heading straight for him and the other going after the child…Din knew things were quickly turning dire.

He got off several good shots, but they apparently had thick hides, the blasts only seeming to stun the animals momentarily, scorching their fur but doing no permanent damage. Seeing that he would have to battle hand to hand at close range, Din lunged at the biggest one, engaging his flame thrower and yelling for the kid to run - hoping his strange powers could protect him until Din could dispatch the first one and come to his aid. He was relieved to see that the kid had listened, and indeed took cover in the nearby bushes, his little legs moving surprisingly fast for something so small. However, the other beast was right on his heels, snarling and digging at the foliage with murderous intent.

Unfortunately, Din's attention was quickly pulled away as the largest creature - which was nearly twice his size - leapt forward through the flames and pinned him to the ground, knocking his ineffective blaster out of his hands in the process. He, of course, had plenty more weapons on him - including his Whistling Birds, but with the slobbering, growling beast directly on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground, his movements were rather limited. Din desperately hoped that the child was faring better than he was at that moment…and if not, there would be hell to pay!

Ravana paused for a moment in her hunt, looking up at the sky and shutting her eyes as she soaked in the sun. She loved walking in the woods, and if she wasn't out here for a very specific reason, she might have opted to linger in the pleasant clearing a bit longer. Yet, she was on a mission, that of finding food, so pushing a few loose curls of her brown hair off her face, she trudged on.

She had been out hunting for several hours, yet only coming across a few small birds that would hardly be enough meat for a weak soup. She had hoped to find bigger game, perhaps something that might last a month or more, if she could dry and freeze the bulk of it. Vegetables were fine most of the time, and she had a nice garden to supply her with such, but a thick slab of roasted meat was what she was hankering for today.

Ravana had chosen to remain on the outer rim of the small colony that occupied her planet of Pessue, even after her Uncle Rexl had passed on, leaving her very much alone. He had already been quite old when she came to live with him as a small child, her parents having left her in his care when they died - him being her only remaining kin. Still, here Ravana had a home, a garden, and several geographical features that made her little piece of the planet perfect for her. Besides, why would she want to move closer to the colony? Most of them were greedy, nosey, busy bodies that she wanted nothing to do with. No, Ravana was happy on her own…or at least she would be if she could catch some larger game this day.

After hunting on further, keeping her eyes to the ground for tracks, she became aware of a rather odd noise. It sounded like an animal in distress, though the cry appeared to be muffled by something, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact direction. Still, it didn't take long to plot a course that led Ravana right to the source - but what she found was downright shocking, to say the least.

It was a wild danker, one of the fiercest beasts that roamed her planet, and quite tasty too if Ravana recalled from the few times her uncle had managed to bag one. By the size of it, she could see it wasn't yet a full-grown adult, but still just as deadly no matter how old it was. It had its 'T' shaped head stuck inside an old dead log, one of its knobby horns wedged through a knothole and the other jammed inside.

Yet the strangest part was, the back half of it was floating in the air! Its lanky hindquarters flailing this way and that, attempting to find purchase on anything it could, yet there was nothing. Ravana had never seen a danker do such a thing before and had never dreamed they could! Yet, here it was, levitating off the ground right before her very eyes.

Ravana stayed frozen for a few more seconds, marveling at the strange scene before her, yet at last her good sense pulled her from her amazed stupor. Reminding her that she had been out here hunting, and this was her best opportunity to bring home fresh game.

So, levitation be damned, she approached the beast carefully, knowing that even though it couldn't see her with its head stuck in the log, it's legs and claws were still quite dangerous. Avoiding all the flailing limbs, as well as the razor-sharp spikes down its spine, she slipped beneath it and expertly slit its throat, making it a quick and clean kill. Almost instantly the beast stilled, yet to Ravana's confusion, it continued floating in the air - which she hadn't expected at all. If it was dead, as it most certainly was with its lifeblood now draining onto the forest floor, how was it still managing to remain afloat? Standing up, she circled the danker warily, prepared for any sign that it might still be dangerous. Yet, she was completely taken off guard when it suddenly fell to the ground with a heavy thud, causing Ravana to jump back with a cry of fright.

"Well…I guess it's good and dead now," she mumbled to herself as she willed her racing heart to return to normal. "I just hope that eating it won't cause me to start floating around as well." Yet such concerns were hardly a deterrent, and it wasn't long before Ravana had lobbed off the protruding horn and tied a rope around its hind quarters, preparing to hoist the beast into a nearby tree in order to let it drain properly. Tossing her rope up and over a thick branch, she began to pull with all her might, the head at last popping free from the log. It took her a few more minutes to lug the thing up high enough for it to drain and not be seen as an easy meal for other animals, whereupon she securely tied the rope off to the trunk.

"There! That should do it," she smiled, looking up at her handywork with satisfaction. She could already taste the fine meal she would be having that evening. "Now, you just stay there and don't move…or float away…until I can get my land-sled here to haul you back home," Ravana told the beast, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small tracking device. It only took a moment to punch in the commands that would instruct the sled to follow the signal she was not transmitting and lead it right to her. It was a handy thing to have when hunting large game, but it was far too loud to bring along as she went, the machine scaring off any and all prey long before she could shoot it. Ravana had just finished initiating the recall, when she heard another noise, one that sounded like nothing she had ever heard on her small planet before.

Lifting her weapon, Ravana spun around, searching for the source…but when her eyes found what she sought, it literally took her breath away. For there, peeking out of the same log the danker had just been stuck in, was a tiny, green…something. It had long ears that protruded from either side of its head and the biggest dark eyes she had ever seen on something so small. He was wearing a thick brown coat of sorts that touched the ground, hiding his feet from view, with tiny hands sporting only three little clawed fingers peeking out of his sleeves. In essence, it was the most adorable thing Ravana had ever seen, and instantly she lowered her weapon, wanting nothing more than to befriend it.

"Well, hello there, little one," she cooed, crouching down so as to appear less intimidating to its minute size. "And where did you come from?"

At her tone, the creature's ears rose higher, apparently listening to her, if not fully understanding her words. Ravana continued to speak softly, hoping to coax it out and closer to her with kind words and promises of safety. Eventually, it slowly waddled out of his hiding place a bit more, purposely avoiding the puddle of spilt danker blood as he did. When it was clear, and only a few feet from her, it stopped and raised its hands, giving the universal sign that it wanted to be picked up.

Ravana's heart melted instantly, and she was only too happy to comply, coming over and lifting it gently into her arms. When the little green creature all but snuggled into her embrace, she knew she was a goner, and would do anything and everything to keep this little thing happy.

"Aren't you just the cutest thing ever!" she spoke softly, loving the childlike cooing noises it made as she stroked his fuzzy green head and long ears. "Did that mean old danker have you pinned in that musty old log? I bet you were really scared!" When it made a few more noises that seemed to her he was agreeing, she smiled. Maybe it did understand her. Too bad her new friend seemed incapable of articulating any words back.

Though, it did look very young, so perhaps it was simply not old enough to do so yet, and that would come in time. Time she was more than happy to give, should she be fortunate enough to be able to keep it. But no matter what she desired, Ravana knew that it must have come from someplace, and that place certainly wasn't Pessue. It probably had a family, and they were undoubtedly looking for him…or her? For no one would abandon such an adorable and helpless creature of their own free will.

"Shall we go find your mommy and daddy?" Ravana asked, wondering if it even knew which direction they might be. "You couldn't have gotten too far away from them, could you? Not with such tiny feet." Here she reached down and tickled his pointy green toes, loving how he giggled and tutted at her actions. "Might they be this way?" Ravana asked, pointing to the west, for she knew it hadn't come from the direction she had. Surely a danker chasing this little thing was something no one could have missed. Yet, when it stretched out its little arm and pointed slightly off to the left - its actions accompanied by a few frantic grunts and squeals - Ravana figured that was the most logical direction to start in. "All right, this way it is, little one."

Din Djarin was more than fed up fighting this creature who seemed dead set on killing him and having him for lunch. However, the Mandalorian had other plans, the first one being to get rid of this creature and find the missing kid. Every moment he was unable to go look for him was painful to the extreme, fear eating at him that the foundling was injured…or worse. However, this blasted creature just wouldn't die! He'd shot it, scorched it with his flame thrower, and even managed to cut a deep gash in its side…still it fought on. And in the process, it had landed several damaging blows on him as well, leaving him beaten, bruised, and bleeding far more than Din cared for.

In a last-ditch effort to be rid of the foul beast, and remain alive himself, he ran directly at it, taking it by the two horns and yanking it towards the nearby precipice, one up until now he'd been specifically avoiding. Yet, desperate times called for similar measures, and Din was way past desperate by this point. He was reminded of his near-fatal battle with the mudhorn, a fight he had only survived with the aid of his little green charge. It was odd to think that of all those in the galaxy that wanted him dead, animals seemed to be taking a striking lead in the job.

Aided by the momentum of the beast itself, the Mandalorian was able to push it far enough towards the cliff that it lost its footing and began to slide over the side. Unfortunately, Din was in just as much danger of following it to it's death, his fingers digging into the dirt in hopes of stopping himself, but finding nothing to grab hold of. The animal cried out in anger and terror, it too looking for anything to latch onto for support - which much to his displeasure turned out to be Din himself. With only his legs dangling over the cliff, the beast's large front paws dug into his left thigh, ripping his protective beskar guard out of place and leaving multiple deep gouges in its wake. Letting out a cry of agony, one that rivaled the beast's itself, Din used his other leg to kick it in the face, at last able to dislodge its hold and causing the creature to go careening towards the bottom of the ravine.

With the beast's dead weight no longer pulling him down, he attempted to heave himself back up. However, at that very moment, the edge of the cliff he was holding onto gave way, triggering him to fall back into thin air. At the last possible second, Din managed to fire the thin cable from his vambrace on his right arm, aiming at a lone tree off to his left. His aim was true, and he heard it sink into the trunk with a firm thud, holding fast as it brought the swinging Mandalorian slamming into the wall of the cliff, striking both his helmet and his leg in the process.

He hung there for a few moments, trying to catch his breath and force the pain radiating up from his wound into the back of his now pounding brain. There was a ringing in his ears and his vision was somewhat blurred from the strike, but he knew he had to climb back up and find the kid! It was his clan-mate, his foundling, and protecting him was Din's one and only concern. Though wounded, worn out, and tired beyond belief after his battle, the Mandalorian forced himself to put one hand over the other and pull himself up towards the edge of the cliff.

For as short a time as it took him to fall that far, it required a lot longer to climb back up, with Din rolling onto his back in exhaustion when he finally reached the top. He detached the cable from his vambrace once he was back on solid ground, choosing to just lay there for a moment to catch his breath. When he felt he could at last rise, he sat up, looking down at his wound with a hiss of displeasure. It appeared deep, and hurt like hell, but until he found the kid, his leg was only a secondary concern.

Din was just about to force himself to his feet when he heard a voice, accompanied by footsteps crunching through the leaves and heading his way. Spotting his blaster only a few feet from him, he struggled to crawl towards it, making it to his weapon just in time to aim it at the figure who suddenly appeared before him.

Ravana had been prepared for just about anything, even a couple of short, green parents frantically searching for their lost child, but she had certainly not expected to find a beskar-armored Mandalorian pointing his blaster right at her! When she saw him, she gave a very unladylike shriek and leapt for cover, hiding herself and the small creature behind the closest tree.

"Don't shoot!" she yelled, worried now for her own life as well as the child's. Pulling out her own blaster, she wondered if she could truly use it on another person. Still, Ravana supposed that all depended on what his motives were for being on her planet, and if he meant to kill her or the tiny creature. However, telling him such things would hardly help alleviate the situation, so she added, "We mean you no harm!"

"Nor do I," came the slightly synthesized voice of the man wearing the shiny silver helmet.

He sounded exhausted and in pain, but Ravana wasn't going to simply take him at his word. Not when she'd heard more than her share of stories about the dangerous clans of Mandalorians that roamed the galaxy after political unrest had overtaken their home planet. Yet, when the little green thing in her arms began to attempt to wiggle free, eager to get to the fallen warrior, she chose to rethink her position.

"Is he your…daddy?" she whispered, finding it nearly unthinkable, considering the brief glimpse she got of the armored man. When the little guy didn't answer, but still appeared insistent on getting to him, she gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine…but if he blows my head off, I'm holding you personally responsible," she warned, holstering her blaster and poking her head out from behind the tree. "I'm coming out. And I promise not to shoot you, if you agree not to shoot me. Deal?"

Din was so tired that he wouldn't have cared if it was a Stormtrooper coming to his aid at that point. Well…maybe he would have, but this girl obviously wasn't one, and to his utter relief she had the kid held safely in her arms. And at that moment, the child's safety was all that mattered to him. So, rolling over onto his back, he lowered his blaster, the meager effort it had taken to keep it held aloft having sapped his remaining strength. As everything around him went dark, he was able to utter one final word.

"Deal."

Welcome Readers! Thank you for checking out my story. I'm new to this forum, so I would love to hear what you thought about the start of my tale. I will be posting every Monday and Friday, so you won't have to wait long for another chapter - as I've already written and stockpiled 20 chapters thus far. I have never failed to finish a story, and I don't plan on starting with this one, so you can read on without fear.

I also apologize for the lack of dialog in this first chapter, there will be much, much more in the chapters to come.

I am attempting to be as accurate to the Star Wars universe as possible, but if I get something wrong, please forgive my unintentional ignorance.

Again, thanks for reading and please remember, reviews are always welcome and greatly appreciated. I also respond to each and every one!

T.O.W.G.

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