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Chapter 19
~X~
"Everyone has a struggle in life. The key is turning that struggle into your weapon."
~Boba Fett~
Right on time, Koda appeared back at the Razor Crest, packed and ready to go. Din was anxious to be gone himself, and as soon as possible they took off, leaving the mines of Katella behind. With the green alien's assistance, he plotted a course to where they needed to go.
"In the Sluis sector of the outer rim territories, find it you will," Koda informed him. "The fourth planet in the Dagobah system, it is. Leban by my people, it is called."
"Dagobah system? I've never heard of it before," Din confessed, and he'd thought to have been just about everywhere during his time as a bounty hunter.
"Not much there to see, I fear," Koda said with a shrug. "Leban be the only inhabited planet. Find only swamps and marshes on the others, you will. Very unhospitable, to visit any of them you would not want."
"Then Leban it is," Din agreed, plugging in the coordinates as they sped through space.
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Having Koda on board turned out to be both amusing and informative. Ravana found she liked the fellow, and even got used to his odd way of speaking…mostly. The kid thoroughly enjoyed having one of his own kind around and the older was only too happy to spend time playing with the younger, as well as Zax.
Koda was also very willing to pass on his knowledge of how best to care for the kid, which Ravana really appreciated. She found herself writing down many different recipes that a child of his species would have been fed each day, had he been left in the care of his original parents. And while most of them made her stomach turn, she figured she could learn to adapt…if given the time.
One bit of information he doled out was just as they suspected, that their species could live for many centuries, the oldest of their kind having been nearly a thousand years old. Another tid-bit Koda provided was that they were considered old enough to be on their own by the age of one hundred, which greatly surprised them both.
"He will go from being a child to maturity in only fifty more years?" This sounded rather farfetched to Ravana. "He's already fifty and he hasn't even learned to talk yet."
"Grow fast he will," Koda assured them. "Out of the pouch for only a short time, he has been. Come soon, his speech will."
"That brings up another question," Ravana posed. "Since we don't know his name, we've only been calling him the kid, or the child, and my personal favorite, String-bean. But what are some examples of names he might have been given?"
"Only a few younglings each year born there are," he informed her. "Long lived we might be, but few in numbers our species. Begin with the same letter each year's names do." Here he stopped and looked as though he were doing some mental calculating. "If fifty cycles old this one is, his name begin with J it should. If his naming ceremony he has had."
"Naming ceremony?" Din questioned, never having heard of such a thing.
"Younglings not named until half century they reach," he explained. "Name then written in scrolls of people. Until then, parents only know secret name in heart."
"But you say this name, if it was given, would start with the letter J? Well, that still leaves a wide range of choices," Ravana muttered.
"Joda, Jeddle, Jopa, a few it might be," Koda suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "For certain, only his parents would know, unless already written in scrolls on my home planet, it is."
"Well, I suppose we've waited this long to find out, what's a few days more?" she sighed, both wishing that the Razor Crest could go faster…and that it would never reach the planet at all. For suddenly, Ravana was starting to realize that their time with the kid was growing short. If they found his family, he would remain with them on Leban, and she and Din would…would what? Go their separate ways as well? The thought made her both sad and panicked, for while the kid might be about to find his home, Ravana's had been lost to her, possibly forever.
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"We'll set you up here in the kid's cubical," Din informed Koda when it was time to bunk down for the night. "He can share with Ravana."
"Share a room you two do not?" Koda asked with a tilt of his head. "For a married couple, odd behavior that is, yes?"
Apparently, how to handle a situation like this had not occurred to either Din or Ravana, for each one looked to the other, not sure what to say. Thankfully, Din composed himself first, giving what he hoped sounded like a reasonable answer.
"I'm a Mandalorian, and I'm forbidden to remove my helmet in front of another," he informed him. "Thus, it is easier for us to retain separate sleeping quarters…most of the time."
"Ahh, wise that is," Koda nodded, finding that logical. "Twice a year only do our females become fertile. Same case for you it must be as well." He then made his way into the kid's quarters, shutting the hatch and going to sleep.
Ravana and Din stood there for a moment, the two of them now not sure what to say to each other. Discussing their pretend marriage, especially their sleeping arrangements, had not been something they'd thought to talk about in advance. Ravana knew her cheeks were probably flaming red from embarrassment, and she wondered if Din's looked the same under his helmet. In the end, they said nothing, simply turning and heading for their own separate chambers, preferring to ignore the proverbial Bantha in the room, at least for the time being.
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At the end of the two days, they had indeed reached the Sluis sector where the planet of Leban could be found. As they passed the other planets in the Degobah system, Din could see that none of them were at all hospitable, looking to be covered in swamp instead of dry land, and not anywhere one would want to set a ship down.
"Full of tasty frogs, worms, and slugs, it is," Koda nodded, pointing to the largest one, the planet the system was named after. "Good for eating, but not for living with. Home to dragonsnakes the swamps are. Very bad, very dangerous. Go to that world no one does. Rumors there were that a powerful Jedi once lived there, but to my way of thinking, that be foolish."
"I'd agree with you on that one," Din told him, hoping that this Leban was far more welcoming than any of the others in this far out system. Still, the Mandalorian found it odd that the kid wasn't able to take his large, dark eyes off the planet as they flew past, craning his little neck to keep it in sight until it at last left his view.
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Soon however, the green and blue planet of Leban came into view, looking much more to Din's liking, and he followed Koda's directions on where one of the larger populations could be found. They flew over rolling hills and valleys, dotted with many pristine lakes and rivers, but when what had obviously once been a fairly large community came into view, their guide let out a cry of distress. Stone buildings were toppled over, wooden huts and other structures appeared burned, and not a single living thing was in sight.
"Understand I do not!" Koda stated in confusion. "Long have I been gone, but of this, word had not reached me."
"It looks like much of the place was hit by blaster fire," Din surmised, bringing the Razor Crest around and flying by for another look. He'd seen such sights many times before…but most recently on Pessue when he had gone back for Ravana. "Could they have come under attack?"
"To attack my people there be no reason," Koda said in a forlorn tone. "Harmless we are. Make trouble for no one, we do."
"Sometimes it's those who make the easiest targets," Ravana said, placing a hand on Koda's shoulder in sympathy. "I'm very sorry."
"Strong my people are," the alien stated, bolstering his courage and squaring his shoulders in confidence. "Small is the villages on the surface, underground most of our cities are. Survive they will have…find them we must." He then pointed a finger to a spot just outside the ruined community, instructing Din to set down there.
Once they were down and the Razor Crest secure, Din opened the hatch, making his way out first with his blaster in his hand. When he gave the all clear sign, the other three followed, with little Zax right on Ravana's heels. At first, Din had been against the zaktan coming along, but then he'd remembered what she'd said about him emitting a sound that would drive most predators away and allowed him to tag along.
They hadn't gone far into the ruined community when Zax suddenly stopped and let out a low growl, lowering his ears as his head began to whip around in all directions. This had Din on high alert, looking from one side to the next, not knowing who or what might unexpectedly jump out at them.
"Mando?" Ravana said in a low voice, moving closer to him as she held the kid protectively in her arms. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Stay behind me," he ordered, prepared to protect them should danger strike. But just then Koda tipped his head back, cupping his clawed hands around his mouth and let out a loud call, startling both him and Ravana.
"What are you doing?" Din hissed. "You'll alert everyone for a mile that we're here!"
"My plan, that is," the alien insisted, letting out another long call. "Letting my people know we are here, I am."
"As well as any of those who destroyed this village that might still be around!" the Mandalorian argued.
"Mando…look!" Ravana said with a mixture of excitement and fear. "Look over there!"
And sure enough, when he turned his head, Din saw dozens of small green aliens with big ears emerging from behind rocks, trees, and other objects that had once been hiding them from view. They all held weapons in their hands, sharp sticks and wooden projectile devices, all pointed at them with deadly intent.
"Staying where you are, you will be!" came the command from one of the males out in front. "Your business you will be stating, or kill you where you stand, we will."
"Koda am I," their green companion called out. "Home I have come."
"Your name is known to us," the leader of the inhabitants replied. "Strangers they be, however."
"Friends they are," Koda insisted, holding up his hands in a sign of peace. "Brought home a youngling, they have." He then turned to the Mandalorian. "Down put your weapon. Mean no harm you must show them."
This didn't sit well with Din, for he was one who lived by his weapons, them having saved his life many times. But seeing the wisdom of Koda's words, he did indeed holster his blaster, though kept Ravana and the kid protectively behind him.
"A youngling, say you?" the one in charge asked, coming closer. "See it I would."
Ravana carefully stepped out from behind Din, turning the child in her arms so that the elder could see him clearly.
"We came hoping to locate where he came from," she spoke up. "Koda was kind enough to help us find this place. Might you be able to assist us in locating his parents?"
At this, as well as the sight of the child, most lowered their weapons. They began to speak amongst themselves, in an odd series of sounds and clicks that Ravana and Din couldn't understand. Even Zax cocked his head to the side with an odd expression on his face, but at least he'd stop growling.
"Deciding what to do, they are," Koda translated for them. "Patient we must be."
After several minutes of deliberation, they must have come to some conclusion, for three of the oldest and wisest hobbled forward, one using a short staff to aid his approach.
"Sodle I am called, and welcome, you are," he announced, gesturing to the small group. "Cautious we are of strangers, since not long ago attacked we were. Great destruction they brought, and a youngling they stole."
"Was it him?" Ravana questioned, gesturing to the String-bean. "Is this the child they stole from you?"
"Come," Sodle instructed, looking weary and solemn. "Much there is to discuss." And turning, he began to make a path through the crowd, expecting the four of them to follow.
"I'm not sure we should trust them," Din whispered to Ravana, not much liking the idea of being led into a trap.
"What choice do we have?" she answered. "Look around…we came searching for the kid's kind. I'd say we found them. No turning back now." And taking a step, she moved to follow, Koda having already gone on ahead.
"Fine," Din sighed, looking down at Zax. "You keep your eyes open, Mutt. Let me know if you smell any danger." With that he too headed after Ravana and the kid, with the zaktan right on his heels.
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Sodle led them to a wide entrance in the side of a nearby hill, one that proved what Koda had said about there being an underground community. Din and Ravana had to stoop over so as not to strike their heads on the low ceiling, but the way was well lit, and everywhere they looked, green faces with large eyes stared back at them in fear and wonder. The kid, however, wore a smile a mile wide, squeaking and squealing with delight at every new sight and every new face. Or perhaps to him they weren't new and all of this was quite familiar to him.
When they at last came to a large circular room with ceilings tall enough for them to stand up in, they were directed towards a dozen or so chairs carved out of stone and placed in two lines facing each other. Once they were seated, the rest of them were filled with the elders, each looking old and wise, though for some reason very sad.
Din felt ridiculous sitting in one of the small chairs, his knees practically touching his chest. The last time he'd felt so foolish was when he'd been crammed inside the Jawa's Sandcrawler on his way to retrieve the egg of a mudhorn.
Once Ravana had taken her place beside Din, she was shocked to see a female of the kid's species approach. She had kind eyes, and long brown hair that had been braided and hung down her back. But it was the fact that she had her arms out and was reaching for the String-bean that was unsettling.
"Take the youngling, I will," she said in a kind voice. "See that he is fed and cared for until you are finished talking, I will."
At first Ravana refused, holding onto the kid a little tighter, but Koda intervened.
"All right, it will be," he assured her. "Protect him with her life she would, as all females will a youngling."
"Go ahead," Din urged, eager to hear what these aliens had to say about the child. "He'll be all right."
Still unsure, she decided to let the kid choose, looking down at him in a questioning manner. As if understanding her hesitation, he wiggled out of her grasp and waddled over to the female, allowing her to pick him up without any fuss. Zax, however was not about to lose sight of his friend, and quickly raced after them, apparently planning to stick to the kid like glue. The female gave Ravana a reassuring smile, and then headed off, the three of them disappearing into the crowd that had gathered around them.
"Three changed of the moon have passed since the attack on our village had come," Sodle announced, pulling Din and Ravana's attention away from where the kid had disappeared. "Large and fierce the warriors were, and yet, only one purpose they seemed to have. Looking for one thing they were…the youngling. Give him up his mother would not, thus killed she and her mate were. Others too perished in the fight, yet take the child in the end, they did."
At this Ravana's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a cry of sorrow at the news. She'd known there was always the chance they would find his family had died, but to hear it spoken…it hit her hard.
"Grave news this is," Koda lamented, shaking his head. "For what reason, do you know?"
"Suspect we do, but uncertain our theories are," another in the circle of seats spoke up. "Centuries it had been since displayed signs of being a Force wielder one of our kind has. Yet, this youngling was thought to do so." He turned to look directly at Din. "Confirm this, can you?"
Din still had no idea what this mysterious Force was all about, though the Armorer had spoken of these Jedi and how they used powers similar to what the kid had displayed. And he couldn't deny that his little foundling had done some very strange things in the short time he'd known him. So, in the end, he answered honestly.
"I have seen him do amazing things…though I don't know how he does it," he told them. "However, I also don't think it's a bad thing…or at least he doesn't use his powers for evil." Granted he had tried to choke Cara that one time, but only in a mistaken attempt to protect him from harm, so he couldn't be blamed for that.
"Evil the Force is not, nor is it good," Sodle replied with an understanding smile. "Yet, trained in its ways one must be, if able to choose which path to follow they are. Have the ability to teach such things, we do not."
"He's only a child!" Din barked out, rising to his feet in anger. "He doesn't understand what's happening to him or that he's different. He's already lost his parents; would you now turn him away as well?"
Once more there was a murmuring among the throngs around them, with the elders speaking among themselves in hushed tones. At last, Sodle stood and held up his hand for silence.
"Discuss this in depth we must," he announced. "Welcome among us you will be until then. Younglings are precious, what is best for him we must now decide." Then everyone stood and walked away, leaving Ravana, Din and Koda to their own devices.
"That's it?" Ravana questioned, looking up at Din with concern. "We came all this way and they might not even take him back?"
"Blame them too harshly, you must not," Koda said in a weary voice. "A very difficult decision it is, and much pain and sorrow they have already suffered." He then stood, gesturing for them to follow. "Take you to where they keep the younglings I will."
Din could tell that Ravana was upset, and slipping his gloved hand around hers, he gave it a supportive squeeze. Sadly, he could offer her no answers, nor any reassurance that things would all work out. He could simply hope for the best and try to be strong for all three of them.
Well, they found his home...but sadly his family is gone. But what do you expect from a loving mother and father, giving their lives to protect their young. May they rest peacefully knowing that your little son is well protected and loved.
Now they have to decide what they are going to do for the kid...leave him there with his own kind...or...what?
Keep reading new chapters and you will find out.
And FYI...it was Yoda himself who said "He'd been training Jedi for 800 years" so if he'd been mature enough to train Jedi at 100...the kid has a growth spurt coming!
Guest Reviews:
Guest: I do take pride in my work, and I love it. Writing is my favorite hobby! And best of all, it's mostly free. I don't have to spend a lot of money on materials or parts, just a computer with a keyboard and time to write. I wouldn't mind updating three times a week, but sadly I'm not THAT far ahead of you all and I have to keep at least a dozen chapters as a buffer...because I tend to go back and change things and I hate doing that after I posted a chapter. But if I get finished and there's still quite a few left to post, I will ramp up the posting days. Din is a hard one to write for, that little fellow is quite tight-lipped and without being able to see his face, he's difficult to read. But I'm glad you enjoy the way I portray him. Thanks for the kind review! If you plan on reviewing often, please give yourself a name. Like Guest 123 or something like that so I can distinguish you from other guest readers. Thanks. T.O.W.G.
Guest: (Review for chapter 2) Good! I'm glad you're hooked. I'm sorry you have to wait until this chapter to see my response, but hopefully you will get to here soon. Thanks for reading and for liking my story. (Review for Chapter 7) I see you're still reading! That's awesome. And by now you are sure to know that Ravana is indeed OK. Thanks. (Review for chapter 18) Need more, you do? Good thing I just posted, then it is. ha ha. Did you happen to see the note I left for you at the beginning of chapter 10? Assuming this is the same guest reader who started reading yesterday and you already caught up. It's hard to tell who is who when you sign in as only guest. It would be helpful if you would give yourself a name. Like Guest ABC or something like that so I can distinguish you from other guest readers. More on Friday! Thanks.
Lilais Guest: I'm so happy you are enjoying it. Your English is very good! Much better than my French. I hope you enjoyed what this chapter had to offer. Thank you for reading and for reviewing. {{Je suis tellement contente que tu l'apprécies. Ton anglais est très bon! Beaucoup mieux que mon français. J'espère que vous avez apprécié ce que ce chapitre avait à offrir. Merci d'avoir lu et d'avoir relu}} T.O.W.G.
Baby Yoda Lover: Yeah, I rewatched it three times myself...so far. AND quite a bit of scenes here and there for research for the story. Can't wait for Season 2! I too started reading the Fan Fiction when I was left wanting more from the show. But right now I'm trying not to read too many other Mando stories for fear I will read someting and think "MAN! why didn't I think to write that" and then get all bumbed out. ha ha. But as soon as I'm done, I'll be devouring all that I can. I will put that one on my to read list for sure. Thanks. I am writing as fast as I can, and am up to chapter 32 right now. Why on earth would you be scared of Din's hair obsession? afraid he will run after the first Wookie who crosses his path? ha ha. If you want to write ANYONE and tell them to make my story into a show, go right ahead, I'm flattered you think it is TV worthy. Sadly, they probably won't be calling me any time soon. But thanks for thinking they would. Also, thanks for sending in TWO reviews! T.O.W.G.
Phantom Guest: You just feel free to review as many times as you want. ha ha. Well, since you can't find ANYTHING about the Yoda species...I'm using artititc license and making some things up. It's fun! They did talk...but not enough by my way of thinking. Still, got to leave something for later chapters, right? Can't thave them solving the universe's problems in one go around, can we? But yes, things ARE heating up. Thanks!