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At first I used a 'Mandalorian translator' on line to come up with the phrases I used in this chapter...but then a kind reader helped me out with a more accurate translation. So thank you very much OliviaAdel for your research. After each Mandalorian sentence I put the translation in { } so you will know immediately what was said.

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Chapter 23

~X~

"Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength."

~The Armorer~

Din seemed a bit agitated after their training session, so Ravana offered him a bit more space that evening and the following morning. Yet, when he announced that Anoah was coming into range, she couldn't help but scamper up the ladder to the small cockpit in order to get her first glimpse of the new planet.

For some reason, no matter how many they passed or landed on, Ravana was always amazed by what she saw. Each was different, each held its own wonders, and each one offered something new and exciting. This one looked to be a mixture of greens and browns, telling her that there were agricultural areas as well as cities to be found below. She could only hope that when they landed, they would find an entire enclave of Mandalorians as well.

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Once they'd docked and secured the ship, the three of them stepped out onto the ramp. Din had agreed that the kid should accompany them, with Zax remaining behind, once more curled up and sleeping happily. Ravana had managed to turn a small over-the-shoulder bag into a carrier for the kid, keeping him close to her side with his head stuck out the top.

It appeared to Din that the child was enjoying the sights and sounds just as much as Ravana. The dusty streets and brown stucco buildings being filled with all sorts of different characters to gawk at as they passed. Watching them both, he could see that Ravana was still amazed at how many different species there were in the galaxy, and he enjoying the look of wonder that crossed her face as they went.

Having no idea where to begin looking for those of his clan, Din had steered them towards the market, stopping at one shop and then another, making discreet inquiries about the Mandalorians. Most just shook their heads and waved them off, while a few actually looked terrified by his questions. After over an hour of this, with no results, Din was becoming quite frustrated.

"Maybe it would be best if I did the asking," Ravana offered. "Perhaps they might be less intimidated by me."

"Fine," he huffed, willing to try anything if it meant getting better results. Extending his hand, he gestured to the next stall, while he remained at a distance, though keeping her and the kid safely in view. He leaned his shoulder against a nearby wall, arms crossed as he watched Ravana speaking to the shop keeper, the tall man actually smiling at her as they conversed. Of course she got him talking, who wouldn't wish to engage such a lovely woman in some friendly banter. Din only wished he could find the words to have a particularly intimate conversation with her as well.

Din was so lost in his thoughts, that his hunter-instincts didn't kick in until it was too late, only realizing the danger when he felt the vibro-blade pressed against his throat.

"Word is, you're looking for Mandalorians," came a voice from behind him, one that sounded suspiciously familiar.

"I am," Din replied in a dead-pan tone, not showing an ounce of fear. "Might I have found them?"

"Depends," the voice responded, the synthesized speech telling him all he needed to know. "Why do you seek them, coward?"

Din was about to show him exactly how cowardly he could be, when he heard a loud clanging noise and felt the man behind him give a violent jerk. This was accompanied by a grunt of pain and a thud, as the knife diapered from his throat.

Spinning around, he drew his blaster, ready to take on anything - yet what he saw made him stop in his tracks. Before him a large Mandalorian was lying on the ground, the vibro-blade having fallen from his grasp, and standing over him was Ravana.

"Move a muscle and I'll beat your brains in, bucket-head!" she growled, her foot on the armored man's neck and a random piece of pipe in her hands, aimed threateningly at his helmet. With a glace to the side, Din saw the kid safely positioned a few feet away, still in his bag, but staring at them with his wide expressive eyes.

"Ravana," Din began, reaching out to take the pipe from her hands. He hadn't noticed her leaving the stall, nor had he seen her sneak around behind them, but he had to admit he was rather impressed by the way she'd taken down his attacker. Maybe she had learned more from their training sessions than he'd thought. However, she apparently still had not learned how dangerous it was to go around striking Mandalorians…yet he couldn't say he was unhappy over her intervention. "It's all right. He's a…friend." Perhaps that wasn't exactly the right word to describe his and Paz's relationship, but it was the best he could come up with for now.

"A friend?" Ravana gasped, eyeing the prone man skeptically. "He had a knife at your throat!"

"And he would appreciate you removing your foot from his as well!" the armored man on the ground growled, his deep voice sounding none too pleased by this.

Ravana glared down at him menacingly, before checking with Din, who gave her a nod of approval.

"Fine…but try anything and you'll regret it," she threatened, taking a step back and allowing him to rise to his feet.

Din couldn't help but smile under his helmet as he watched his old comrade rub the back of his leg gingerly, guessing that was where Ravana had struck him with her metal pipe. He could also see that she was attempting to act and sound brave, but the slight tremble in her hand and voice betrayed her fears. Still, she'd done well, protecting him even though he'd not needed her to.

"What's with all the theatrics, Paz?" Din asked, reaching down and scooping up the blade that had been dropped in the scuffle. "Am I no longer welcome in the clan?"

"Had to make sure you weren't some imposter, is all," he huffed, grabbing the knife from Din and stuffing it in the sheath he wore on his thigh. "Our secrecy is our survival."

"Our survival is our strength," Din replied, knowing the words well.

"So…are you now so weak that you must have a protector?" Paz sneered, gesturing to Ravana. "She is indeed crafty and sly, and a sight better looking than that Twi'lek veriduu {courtesan} you were hanging around with before."

In the blink of an eye, Din's blaster was in his hand and lodged beneath the edge of the other Mandalorian's helmet, pointed directly at his throat.

"Ke nu'jorhaa'I be Ravana sa ibac!" {Do not speak of Ravana like that!} he hissed in Mando'a, instantly enraged by Paz's insulting remark.

"Tion'jor? Tion kaysh cyar'ika be gar?" {Why? Is she your sweetheart?} the bulky man asked with a demeaning laugh, also in his native tongue.

"Kaysh ner riduur!" {She is my wife!} Din growled, shoving the barrel of his blaster harder against his neck. "Ke'nu'duraani kaysh." {Don't you hold her in contempt.}

At this, Paz seemed to stiffen, his helmet turning to gaze upon Ravana, who was now standing there with a confused look on her face, not having understood a word of what had been said.

"You have my apologies," he mumbled, both to Din and Ravana. "I did not know."

"Best to ask before you shoot your mouth off," Din warned, slowly removing the blaster and returning it to its holster.

"It was not my intention to offend," the humbled man reiterated.

"You could have fooled me! Especially with your knife at his throat," Ravana grumbled, apparently realizing that this Mandalorian was someone Din knew…if not fully trusted. Turning she reached down and scooped up the kid and his carrying bag, holding them to her chest protectively. "So…does this mean we've found your clan?"

"At least one member of it," Din nodded, looking at Paz expectantly. "How many of you made it off Navarro?"

"Less than we'd like," he answered, his tone a mixture of regret and accusation. "We should have left immediately…but we waited too long. The children were protected, taken off-world first, while the rest of us remained behind to hold off the Imps. Most survived…a few did not." His helmet then turned to stare at the kid in Ravana's arms. "Is this the child…the one with the special powers? He doesn't look very dangerous."

"He'll surprise you," Din said with a slight chuckle, knowing that he too once had underestimated the kid's abilities. "Can you take us to the Armorer? I have questions for her…and for you."

The large Mandalorian was silent for a moment, then nodded his head. He turned and walked away without a word, expecting the three to follow him.

"What were you two talking about?" Ravana whispered as they made their way down a few deserted alleyways, keeping her voice low enough so that only he could hear her. "I couldn't understand a word you said."

"That was by design," he answered firmly, letting her know he was not about to recount the conversation now, or ever.

"Fine…keep your secrets," she mumbled quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear, but there was no mistaking the bitterness in her tone. "Maybe I'll be keeping a few of my own then."

"As is your right," he responded, quickening his pace so that further speaking would be inconvenient. Din did not wish for her to know what Paz had called her…nor what he had said in return.

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The large Mandalorian, at least a head taller than Din, led them to a metal door in the side of a stone building. After waving his wrist guard over a panel to the right, it opened with a loud hiss, a cool breeze escaping and washing over them.

"This way," Paz said, leading them in as the door shut behind them.

Ravana stopped in her tracks the moment they entered the darkened hallway, the lack of any light making it impossible to even think of taking a step. She heard Din push a button on his wrist guard, one she knew would switch his visor to night vision, allowing him to see where he was going. She gave a sigh of relief when he reached out and took hold of her hand, guiding her along as she followed closely beside him, keeping a firm grip on the kid as they began to descend downward, to who-knows-where.

Soon the sounds of activity were heard up ahead, that of voices, movement, and even laughter of all things. Within minutes they entered into a well-lit, long hallway, with a tall ceiling and doors lining the walls. Scattered here and there she saw both men and women dressed in full Mandalorian armor, and while each one held subtle differences, they all sported the same rectangular geometric emblem boldly on their chest-plate. There were even children running here and there, playing and laughing, with more than half already wearing helmets of their own, obviously having taken the oath as well. Ravana found herself wondering just how young Din had been when he had put his on for the first time.

However, as soon as they entered the room, all activity stopped, and each one grew silent, all heads turning to watch as they passed. Paz never slowed, and Din continued looking straight ahead, but Ravana could sense the dozens of eyes staring directly at her. It made her feel like an outsider, and really, wasn't that exactly what she was? This was the home of the Mandalorians, their covert, as Din called it…she did not belong.

Ravana found herself grateful for the reassuring pressure of his hand around hers, keeping her going when her legs would have otherwise failed her due to nerves.

Just keep walking, she told herself, taking a deep breath to bolster her courage. The kid, however, seemed fascinated by all the new people, and actually reached out to wave his little hand at a few of them, laughing and cooing as he did.

At the very end of the room, over an archway, there hung a large silver likeness of the Mythasour pendant Din often let the kid play with. It looked rather ominous, giving her the shivers as they passed beneath it. Again, they made their way through rooms with multiple halls and doors leading off this way and that, but they continued straight ahead, the faint sound of a hammer striking metal growing nearer and nearer.

Finally, they reached a room that seemed to glow with an eerie blue light, the temperature rising several degrees as they entered. Din stopped, allowing Paz to continue up a set of steps, where he approached a helmeted figure working over what looked to be a large round smelting pot.

Ravana was shocked to see the person Paz was now speaking to was in fact a woman. The helmet she wore was slightly more feminine, with rounder eyes and small spikes at the top, giving the appearance of horns. She wore a breastplate with the same geometric design as all the other Mandalorians, but also sported a short fur cape, and a leather layered skirt over her pants. Like all the others, she was completely covered head to toe, with thick gloves even hiding her hands.

This was, without a doubt, the Armorer that Din had been seeking – the woman practically radiated power and leadership.

Stopping what she was doing and laying her metal working tools aside, she came around to the front of the platform. At the top of the steps the Armorer halted, eyeing the two of them silently for a few moments. When she spoke, it was in a stern tone, one of such authority that it almost had Ravana taking a step back in fear.

"You would bring an outsider into the covert, Din Djarin?" she demanded. "You know such things are forbidden."

"She is his riduur," {wife} Paz spoke up, gesturing to Ravana.

"I'm your what?" she whispered, slipping a bit further behind Din as if trying to hide herself from view. However, much to her irritation, she received no answer regarding her question.

"I see," the Armorer said slowly, descending the steps until she stopped in front of Ravana. "What is your name, child?"

Before she could respond, however – having taken offence to being called a child – Din spoke up for her.

"Ravana," he answered.

"Can she not speak for herself?" was her next question. "Is she too afraid to answer on her own?

"She can certainly fight all right on her own," Paz said with a chuckle, once more rubbing his leg where she'd struck him.

"I'm not afraid!" Ravana barked out, not liking the accusation.

"Then speak, child," the Armorer instructed, though not in a harsh way.

"I was born Ravana Searan, and I come from the planet of Pessue." she told the woman defiantly, stepping out from behind Din and lifting her chin proudly. "And I'm not a child."

"That remains to be seen. And while you speak the truth, you were not born there, were you?" she said with an air of certainty that had Ravana's eyebrows furrowing in wonder. "Your people did not hail from that planet at least, though you spent a great deal of time there, I would imagine."

"How…how do you know that?" Ravana was stunned by her perceptiveness.

"Your accent, of course," the mysterious woman chuckled, though said no more. Instead she turned her visor to the green child still wrapped protectively in her arms. "I see you still have your foundling, Djarin. I am happy to find you both still together…and alive. I feared for your safety as you ventured out to locate his tribe. Have you had any success?"

"We found his home world…though they could not take him back," Din spoke up, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "His parents were killed when he was taken, and his people feared another attack, should others come again for the child. Once more he has been placed in my –" here he paused and gave Ravana a quick glance "– in our care."

"And what of the Jedi? Have you had any luck in locating them?" was her next question.

"No. Though we do have a lead," he stated. "It is for this reason I've come. I have questions that need answering…about things only you, and those in the covert, can answer."

"Then we will talk," she nodded, gesturing to a low table with a chair on either side. "Come…sit."

Ravana went to follow, wishing to hear whatever this enigmatic woman had to say, but was stopped when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, holding her back. She craned her neck to find the large Mandalorian had been the one to impede her.

"You will go with Paz, he will show you where you can rest," the Armorer instructed.

Well, this did not set well with Ravana! Not in the least.

"No, I want to hear this too," she protested, looking to Din for support. However, other than turning his head in her direction, he made no attempt to contest the order.

"This speech is not for your ears, child," she was told in a kind but firm voice. "You will be sent for should your presence be deemed necessary. Now, take the foundling and follow Paz, he will look after you both."

Once more Ravana opened her mouth to speak, but Din halted her words.

"Go…it will be all right," he promised. "You have nothing to fear."

It wasn't that she was afraid to leave him, she simply wanted to hear about things that directly concerned her! However, since she was apparently unwanted, as well as outnumbered, she turned to follow Paz - though not without a few choice words muttered under her breath.

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Din watched Ravana and the kid leave, hating how she'd looked at him with betrayal in her eyes over the way she'd been dismissed. Still, the Armorer was correct, her access to certain information and knowledge was to be limited, due to her outsider status. And though she was technically his wife, that only granted her access within the covert, nothing more.

Once they were alone, Din took a seat across from the Armorer, waiting for her to begin, as was proper.

"You surprise me, Din," the Armorer stated. "You have never shown a desire to take a mate before. Many of our females have made their suit known, and yet you turned them all down. I always assumed it had something to do with your past, your wish to not form any attachments for fear of losing them, as you did your parents."

"That…played a large part of it," Din admitted, never having believed anyone had deciphered his motives for always keeping his distance. And though he appreciated all that the Mandalorians had done for him, even from a young age he'd feared letting anyone get too close, not wishing to ever feel the pain of loss again. Yet, first the kid, and now Ravana, had managed to infiltrate his defenses, reminding him that what he once had with his parents was worth having again. And now, that's exactly what he wanted.

"Then why now? Why her?" she asked.

"I…I had no choice," he revealed. "She saved me and the kid, and for that act of kindness, her life was almost taken in return. The kid healed her wounds and I brought her with me in order to protect her from the man hunting the child."

"And the bonding bracelet she wears?" she gestured to his own wrist. "Something I suspect you wear as well. How did that come about?"

"We landed on a planet where the men vastly outnumbered the women. They wished to auction her off as a bride to the highest bidder," he explained. "I told them she was my wife, in hopes of saving her from such a fate."

"A lie you were then forced to make a reality, I take it?" she concluded, a touch of amusement in her tone. "You did it to save her, this is honorable. Yet…you choose to keep up the pretense? Is this because she wishes it, or you?"

"I know my feelings on the matter, that I do wish to remain tied to her in this fashion…though I do not know her thoughts," he admitted, shocked to hear him say such things out loud. "However, we were not wed by Mandalorian traditions. Thus, in my heart I cannot recognize her as my true wife.

"Then she has not yet seen beneath your helmet?" the Armorer concluded with a nod of understanding.

"No," he acknowledged sadly. "I do desire to share such things with her…but it is still forbidden."

"This is the way," she stated firmly.

"This is the way," Din agreed.

Ok, NOW we're getting somewhere! Din made a confession...that he wants to stay married to her!

And one day Ravana is going to have to learn to stop hitting Mandalorians! ha ha.

So, now that they found the covert...what questions do you think Din has for the Armorer and Paz?

Also, a lot of you have been asking what I imagine Zax to look like...other than how I described him in the story - so on Friday I will be replacing my cover pix for this story with a picture of Zax for the weekend so you can see what image I based his character on. So don't be shocked when you see a different picture for the story on Friday's post.

Guest Reviews:

Phantom Guest: (20) Din and the kid together are adorable, yes? That's what keeps us anxiously waiting for Season 2...more of that! I do love writing friendly banter between Din and Ravana, they're fun. And why wouldn't they be expected to share a bed if they are married...they really needed to think this through ahead of time. ha ha. (21) And he got to touch her hair too, not just her cheek! Score! Yep, she won't let him forget that they ARE married, will she? ha ha. Who wouldn't like waking up in Din's arms? Nope, not going to have that all important conversation, are they. Totally stubborn. (22) I agree...they should both keep him forever. Din's sweet words to the kid needed to be said, out loud, and not just in his head. That Ravana got to hear it, was a bonus. ha ha. A lot of readers are pushing for a good old fashion closet lock down until they confess their feelings...or just start kissing. ha ha. Training sessions are good for getting in awkward positions, aren't they? Poor Din is all frustrated now. So sad. ha ha. Thanks!