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WARNING
I posted a bonus chapter on Wednesday. So if you missed that one, don't read this one out of order by mistake. You won't have ANY idea what's going on. ha ha.
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multyfangirl21. I hope you are getting my PMs for each of your kind reviews. And did you notice I changed the icon pix so you too can see Zax? Thanks for your kind reviews.
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Chapter 27
~X~
"We think too often in terms of dualism: Jedi or Sith. Light or Dark. Right or wrong. But there are three sides to this blade, not two. The third edge is the Mandalorian."
~unknown~
Leia looked around the rundown docking bay on Anoah and wrinkled her nose. Granted, it had been a long time since she was a pampered princess of Alderaan, having taken on the roles of Rebel leader, General, Senator, wife, and now mother of an adorable little boy named Ben – but this place seemed more than a far cry from anywhere one might find a person of importance.
"Are you sure the Force wanted you to come here, Luke?" She asked, looking up at her brother skeptically. "It seems like a rather out of the way location for it to bring you."
"I know, but I feel it as strongly as anything," Luke assured her, reaching out and ruffling the hair of his little nephew who was currently being held in his mother's arms. "There's something, or someone, here I must find."
"Well it sure picked a back-water place for you to meet up with whomever," Han grumbled, not liking the looks of the place himself…and that was coming from a confessed smuggler and scoundrel. Chewie had just finished shutting down the engines and was closing the Millennium Falcon, with R2-D2 and C3-P0 being the last ones down the ramp of the ship.
"Where we found you wasn't much better, and that turned out well enough, didn't it?" Luke said, turning to smile at his longtime friend turned brother-in-law.
"The jury's still out on that, kid," Han huffed, though quickly changed his tune when his wife gave him a look that said differently.
"Daddy!" Ben grinned, reaching out his hands for his father to hold him.
"Not right now, Bennie," Han told him, giving his son a wink. "I've got to keep my hands free in case there's trouble.
The Wookie beside him gave a growl of protest, patting his crossbow that was slung over his shoulder.
"I know, Chewie, but I'd rather have two of us at the ready, just to be on the safe side."
"Indeed," came the metallic voice of the protocol droid. "I, for one, would appreciate a fair amount of protection. Just look at the condition of this place. Highly questionable if you ask me." His counterpart gave a few beeps of agreement, rolling a little closer to the group for safety sake.
"I don't recall anyone wanting your opinion, Golden Rod," Han mumbled, walking past the droid with a roll of his eyes.
"Luke, do you feel as if there's danger associated with who the Force is directing you to find?" Leia asked, doing her best to keep Ben securely in her arms, for it would seem that the little four-year-old was quite anxious to get down and run.
"I'm not exactly sure," Luke admitted, closing his eyes and reaching out with his feelings. "Though…I don't believe so. But I feel the Force directing me even stronger since we landed. We're definitely in the right place."
Just then, one of the doors to the hanger slid open, revealing a beskar clad warrior as he came striding in. He didn't immediately see the small group, his mind apparently on other things, but his appearance instantly set them all on edge.
"YOU!" Han yelled, his voice full of hate and anger. For though it seemed impossible, in his eyes, he was seeing his longtime adversary…Boba Fett.
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Din spun around, his hand instantly going for his blaster, yet before he could even assess the danger, he felt his weapon being ripped from his grasp by an unseen force. Scanning the group, he saw one man draw his own blaster, another one holding his hand out as if trying to grab something directly in front of him, a large Wookie also reaching for his weapon, and a woman with a child, stepping behind them all for protection. There were two droids as well, but Din didn't give them a second thought, instead analyzing who was the immediate threat…all the while wondering where Ravana and the kid had gone. They'd been right behind him only a moment ago. Had they been taken, this group some odd gang of bounty hunters hired by the Magistrate from Pessue…or perhaps Gideon?
Yet, before he could reach for another weapon, Din felt himself being lifted into the air and flung several feet backwards into a stone wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him as he fell to the ground. Attempting to rise, he found his reflexes were temporarily impaired, and before he could right himself, something grabbed him off the ground and envelope him in a crushing hold. However, this time it wasn't something invisible doing it, but instead a large Wookie, his hairy arms wrapped around Din's chest, holding him in such a way that he couldn't reach any of his other weapons. His beskar might be able to protect him from laser blasts, but it apparently was no match for the crushing arms of an enraged Wookie, and he could feel the air being squeezed out of him.
"You're supposed to be dead!" the man who had shouted before spoke again, pointing his finger directly at him. "You fell into the Sarlacc pit! It ate you!"
"Chewie, don't hurt him!" the blond man from the group instructed next, holding his hand out in protest to the Wookie. Din found he whole-heartedly agreed with the younger kid. "I sense he's not a threat."
"NOT A THREAT?" the woman in the group shouted, looking even more angry than the dark-haired man. "He tried to kill us all!"
"Chewie! Wait!" the blond once more ordered, but as Din felt his vision begin to narrow and heard a loud ringing in his ears, he wondered if the beast didn't indeed mean to end his life then and there. And after all he'd lived through, all the foolish things he's survived…he was going to die from being crushed to death by a Wookie's hug.
Just great.
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Ravana had been following Din through the streets, finding it rather odd that he was in such a hurry, but she guessed he had his reasons. She would have liked to stop and check out some of the shops they were passing, but there seemed no halting her Mandalorian companion's stride. That is, however, until she noticed that the kid, who was still riding in the little bag she'd been using as his carrier, was now holding something in his hands, cooing and laughing over his newfound toy. Looking down, she saw it was a small holo-cube, and a rather expensive looking one at that.
"Where did you get that?" she demanded, removing it from his hands before he happened to drop and break it. "This is not yours. You can't simply take things that don't belong to you." Her light scolding didn't seem to dampen the child's mood, and he reached out his hands, eager to gain access to the cube once more. "No! We have to return this."
Ravana looked around, wondering if she should call out for Din to wait, but decided against it, thinking it best to keep the kid's antics to herself for now. It wasn't difficult to spot the stall where he'd pilfered the holo-cube, with the human shop keeper looking this way and that, as if having just realized one of his items had disappeared. Giving a sigh, Ravana headed over, a contrite look on her face.
"Umm, excuse me," she began, holding out the item the kid had taken. "I'm afraid my little companion here picked this up by mistake."
The tall, dark haired man turned towards her voice, looking from her, to the cube, and then at the kid - who was now crouched down in his bag, with only his eyes and ears above the edge. Thankfully, the shop-keeper's expression went from confusion to a warm smile, apparently not upset at the adorable little thief.
"Thank you for bringing it back," he told her, accepting the cube and placing it on the table with the rest of his wares. "Can't say I've ever seen his kind before. Is he perhaps related to the Jawas? I'm always losing a thing or two when they're around."
"No, not a Jawa," Ravana laughed, reaching out to pat the kid on the head, letting him know he wasn't in too much trouble. "Just a sticky-fingered toddler, it would seem. I'm very sorry for any trouble this caused you."
"It's no trouble," the kindly man assured her. "And since you returned it, there's no harm done either. What say we just forget it ever happened."
"Thank you very much," Ravana smiled. "I best get going now. But maybe I'll be back this way again and have a chance to actually do some legitimate shopping…without my friend here taking a little three-fingered discount."
This had the man laughing, seeing what she meant when the child raised his hand and waved at him, his three little digits plainly visible.
"I look forward to it," he nodded, waving back as she walked away.
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Leaving the market, Ravana quickly hurried to catch up with Din, hoping he hadn't noticed them having lagged behind. The hanger was in sight, so she headed for the door, eager to get on board and back into the sky. Ravana figured they had a lot to discuss, about the kid, these mysterious Jedi, and what she may or may not have said the previous night about her feelings for him. Oh, this would be an awkward conversation for sure…one she was not looking forward to.
However, what she was looking forward to even less was seeing Din being held captive by a strange group of people when she entered the docking bay. There were three humans, one child, two droids, and one humongous Wookie…who was currently crushing the life out of her Mandalorian!
"STOP!" she screamed, not sure what to do, but knowing she couldn't just stand by and watch Din be killed. "PUT HIM DOWN!"
Thankfully, though no one seemed to be paying her any heed, the child at her side knew just what to do. Reaching out his little three fingered hand, his eyes squinting in concentration, he used his strange powers to save his adopted father.
As Ravana watched, the brown, shaggy Wookie was lifted off the ground, his feet no longer able to feel the solid stone beneath them, causing him to let out a plaintive sound between a growl and a cry of fright. Instantly he released his captive, with Din's body falling to the floor in a heap as he gasped for breath. Filling his depleted lungs with the much-needed oxygen, he struggled to rise on his hands and knees.
Rushing to his side, Ravana knelt down, helping him roll over and sit up, resting his back against the stone wall behind him. She gave a heavy sigh of relief when his breathing became steadier beneath his helmet.
"What the…" the dark-haired man gasped, watching as his Wookie companion grabbed hold of one of the pipes above his head and held on, attempting to halt his ascent towards the roof of the hanger. "Hang on, Chewie!" He then turned and glared at the blond man to his left. "Luke! Put him down!"
"I'm not doing it, Han," the younger man exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock. He then turned and stared at the child, his little head poking out of the bag and his concentration still fixed on the floating Wookie. "I…I think it's him."
"Put Chewie down!" the man named Han ordered glaring at the three of them huddled on the floor.
"The Wookie was trying to kill him!" Ravana accused, indicating the man who was leaning against the wall beside her. "We'll put him down when you can guarantee it won't try something like that again!"
"We promise that we mean no harm," the blond man, Luke, assured them, stepping closer with his hands held up in a gesture of peace. "It was all a mistake. Please put our friend down and we can all discuss this in a calm manner."
Ravana wasn't sure what to say, so looking to Din she let him decide, after all, he'd been the one almost killed by them. After a moment, the Mandalorian nodded his head, agreeing to at least give the strangers a chance to explain. Turing to the child, Ravana reached out and stroked his little head gently, getting his attention.
"You can put the Wookie down now, String-bean," she said softly. "You've done enough."
Instantly he dropped his hand, his head turning upwards to look at Ravana, a bright smile on his tired little face. At that very moment, the invisible force holding the one named Chewie vanished, causing him to no longer remain levitating in the air. Thankfully, he still had a firm hold on the pipe, but this time instead of stopping him from floating off, it prevented him from falling directly to the floor. Left dangling there for a few moments, he got his bearings and dropped to the ground on his own two, large feet.
Now that everyone was on equal footing, except Mando, who was still on the floor, the tension lessened a bit, with everyone taking a deep breath.
"Now…perhaps introductions are in order," Luke began, taking the lead in these peace talks. "I'm Luke Skywalker, and this is my sister, Leia, her husband Han Solo, their son, Ben…and Chewie you've already met."
"Yes…up close and far too personal for my tastes," Din grumbled, allowing Ravana to assist him to his feet before stepping in front of them in a protective manner.
"Sorry, about that," Luke continued, his eyes straying from the Mandalorian he was conversing with to the green skinned child still peeking out of the bag. "We seem to have mistaken you for someone else."
"Then I'm glad I'm not him," Din said, twisting a little as he heard a few bones snap back into place after being bent out of shape by the Wookie.
"But who's to say he's not here for the same purpose?" Han insisted, still unwilling to trust this beskar clad man who so resembled the bounty hunter who'd captured him and frozen him in carbonite. "He's dressed just like him!" He then eyed Ravana questioningly. "And who's she…your captive?"
"She's my wife," Din snarled, his vibro-blade somehow appearing in his hand as if out of nowhere. "And if you have any plans on harming her or the kid, you'll have to go through me, Corellian scum."
This seemed to surprise the man named Han, and he took a step back, also holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.
"No need to get personal now," he muttered, apparently at last willing to hear them out.
"We have no wish to harm anyone," Luke stated again, glaring at Han as if to say he was not helping the situation. "But it would seem that you three are exactly who we came here to find."
"Then you are bounty hunters?" Din concluded, taking his free hand and ushering Ravana and the kid further behind him.
"NO! We're not!" the blond insisted feeling as if he were talking in circles. "We're members of the New Republic, and I was brought here to this planet by the will of the Force, apparently to find him."
"What do you want with the kid?" Din questioned, suddenly recalling everything Cara had said about there possibly being a Jedi among the high-ranking officials in the newly formed government. And hadn't she mentioned that he was the brother of some princess named Leia? The very same name they'd just used when introducing the woman among them.
"Nothing. I didn't even know he existed until a few moments ago," Luke stated. "Yet…it's obvious that he's very powerful in the ways of the Force. Something I have not encountered much of since I completed my training."
"Training…as a Jedi?" Ravana spoke up, stepping out from behind Din in curiosity.
"Yes," Luke admitted, surprised that they would know this.
"Then you're the Rebel General we've been looking for," she gasped, glancing over at Din with a mixture of excitement and fear. "We…we need help with the kid, for his powers are growing and we're not sure how to help him with them."
"It would appear that this was the right place after all," Leia said, coming forward as she gave Ravana a warm smile. "Why don't we all step aboard the Falcon here and see if we can sort this out. It looks as though we both have some questions that need answered."
Once again, Ravana turned to Din, waiting for him to decide if doing so would be safe. And even though he hesitated, sizing up the group skeptically, in the end he agreed.
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Din leaned against the wall of the ship, his hands resting on his utility belt as he watched over his little clan. Ravana was sitting on a bench conversating with Leia and little Ben, while Luke was off in the corner having some sort of mental communion with the kid. The two of them were sitting across from each other on the floor, both with their eyes shut and not having moved for quite a while. The child didn't seem to be in any distress however, so Din allowed it to continue…for now.
"Hello, my name is C3-P0, human cyborg relations droid, and this is my counterpart, R2-D2," the golden droid stated, coming up to the Mandalorian and introducing himself. "Might we know your name?"
"I don't deal with droids," Mando stated, pushing off from the wall and walking away from them.
"Well, that was rude," 3-PO huffed, his mechanical feelings quite offended by the Mandalorian.
Din ended up nearer to where the other man was sitting, him and the Wookie playing a holo-game of dejarik. He leaned against the wall of the ship once more and took a casual interest in the game.
"3-PO is a bit of an acquired taste, you might say," Han said, directing his comment to Din but not bothering to turn and look at him, his eyes not leaving the game. "But R2 makes up for it."
"If you say so," he replied, not at all sounding convinced.
After making his move, his beast-like piece tossing Chewie's onto the gameboard in a violent manner, Han turned around in his seat and gave their guest his full attention.
"So…you're a Mandalorian?" he commented.
"Yes," was all Din said in return.
"And that's real beskar armor?" Han pressed.
"Yes," was again his response.
"And you guys never take off your helmets either, do you?" came the next question.
"No," Din confirmed.
"Not a big conversationalist, are you?" Han chuckled.
"So I've been told," he stated, recalling how Ravana had once said the very same thing.
"Again, sorry for mistaking you for someone else, but with that helmet on, you just looked a lot like a bounty hunter I once knew…and trust me, we didn't get along very well," Han reiterated. "And you can't blame me, after all, I just assumed most Mandalorians were bounty hunters."
"And I've always assumed most Correlians were thieves and smugglers." Here Din turned his head to stare directly at the man, having heard of the infamous Han Solo often enough during his time as a bounty hunter.
This had the dark-haired man stiffening, glaring at the Mandalorian with narrowed eyes, trying to size him up. In the end, he gave a wide grin and leaned back, stretching his arms out over the seat in a relaxed manner.
"That could very well be," he chuckled. "So…what do you do?"
"I'm a bounty hunter," Din confirmed, turning back to stare at Ravana as Han gave a snort of laughter.
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Meanwhile, Ravana was getting better acquainted with Leia, and finding she admired the woman a great deal. Not only was she brave, smart, and funny…but she was keeping up with all her work while also raising a child. Little Ben was simply adorable, and he was very interested in each of the newcomers.
"You mean he never takes off his helmet?" he asked Ravana in a shocked whisper, his eyes straying towards the Mandalorian every few seconds. "How does he eat…and breathe?"
"He can breathe through the vents in the helmet," Ravana assured the inquisitive child. "And when he's hungry, he goes into his room, takes off the helmet and eats where no one can see him."
"Is he ugly or something?" was his next innocent question.
"Ben! That's not polite," Leia scolded her son, the child looking contrite at his mother's words.
"Sorry," he said in a penitent tone.
"That's all right," Ravana smiled, letting the kid know he hadn't offended her…or Din. "And no, he's not ugly." Or at least she didn't imagine he was. "It's simply what Mandalorians do. They choose to wear the armor and then they make a promise never to show anyone what they look like underneath."
"So, you've never seen him without it either?" Leia asked, keeping her voice low as she noticed that he and Han were talking not too far away from where they sat.
"Never," Ravana agreed.
"But you're married," she pressed. "How does that work?"
"Well…" she hedged, not quite sure she wanted to relay their entire sordid story. Thankfully, she was saved from having to when Luke and the kid seemed to suddenly come out of the trance they were in, the blond man picking up the green child and coming over.
"Did you learn anything?" Leia asked, setting Ben down on the floor so that he could at last play with the little kid like he'd wanted to from the moment they came on board. Han and Din made their way over as well, wishing to hear what had transpired between the two.
"Very little," Luke confessed, gazing down at the toddling child with a confused look on his face. "His powers are strong, but he has yet learned to master them, or to focus enough to convey anything of importance. He showed me many images…but it's all jumbled up. It was a lot like listening to Ben when he tries to tell me about a dream he's had or something. Very mixed-up."
Both Han and Leia nodded their heads, understanding very well what Luke meant – for both had sat through retellings of their child's fanciful imaginings before.
"What were you able to understand?" Din pressed, not at all liking the idea of actually having found a Jedi, only to hit another brick wall.
"He sees you and Ravana as his family," Luke informed them, a wide smile on his face. "He made that abundantly clear. And some small white pet? He seems very fond of it as well."
"Zax," Ravana smiled. "He's our zaktan." Whom they'd better get back to soon before he chews up the place, she thought to herself. It did make her heart swell with love to think that the kid thought of her and Din as family though…for she felt the very same.
"He wasn't able to tell me why he was taken from his original home though, only showed me flashes of what he recalled of those who did, and where they took him after that," Luke continued.
"Arvala-7," Din supplied. "I found him in a remote compound, heavily guarded by a group of Nikto mercenaries. No idea why they had him or what they planned to do with him…but it was Moff Gideon who was behind the bounty put out for his return."
"Moff Gideon? You don't mean the former ISB officer…do you?" Leia gasped, recognizing his name immediately. "I thought he was dead!"
"Sorry to disappoint you," Din said with a shake of his head. "We ran into him not long ago on Nevarro, where he practically destroyed the city in order to get his hands on the kid here." All the adults turned to stare at the children playing together, the two of them rolling a ball back and forth to each other using nothing but their minds. It was obvious that Ben had inherited his family's affinity for wielding the Force as well. "He then turned up on Pessue right after we had left, where he destroyed Ravana's home and left her for dead."
"If Mando hadn't come back to return my zaktan, which had somehow found its way on board his ship…" Here she jerked her head towards the kid, letting everyone know who'd been behind it all. "…I would have been dead for sure. But our little String-bean healed me, saving my life."
"He can Force-heal?" Luke was shocked. "But he's so young!"
"You said yourself that he's already very strong," Leia reminded her brother.
"Well…he is from Master Yoda's species, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," the blond Jedi laughed.
"Yoda?" Ravana asked. "We heard that name back in the Degobah system, on the kid's home planet. Did you know him?"
"I did," Luke confirmed. "After my first master, Ben Kenobi, died he became my teacher. Master Yoda was a very powerful Jedi. Perhaps all of those from his planet who are Force sensitive are? He's the only one I'd ever met from his species…and sadly, now he's gone."
"So, are there any others, besides you?" Ravana questioned, curious but worried about asking just in case it might be a sore subject.
"There's Leia…and Ben," Luke informed her, smiling down at his nephew with all the love in the world. "But I've felt ripples through the Force, telling me there are others. That's how I came to find you three."
"But we certainly weren't expecting to find what we did," Han scoffed, though clearing his throat when Mando turned his helmet towards him.
"What do you suggest we do now?" Ravana questioned, once more wanting to know but fearing to ask. "I mean…our plan had been to find the Jedi…to find you. And now that we have, we aren't sure what's next."
"I suppose I could take him with me and train him," Luke offered.
"NO!" was Din's immediate response, much to Ravana's relief. "I mean…he is too young for such training."
"And until then, he should remain with his family," Leia confirmed, apparently having seen the look of panic that crossed Ravana's face at the idea. As a mother…Leia knew what she must be going through.
"In the meantime, we need to find Gideon and stop him once and for all," Din continued. "He will only continue hunting for the kid until we do." He then looked over at little Ben. "And who's to say he won't be searching for others with such powers…perhaps even more children."
Now it was Leia's turn to look horrified.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Han barked out.
"Then stopping Gideon is in everyone's best interest," Din stated resolutely. "But we have no idea where to find him, and I won't use the kid as bait."
"You might begin at that compound where you found him," Luke suggested. "If the Nikto mercenaries had him there, it might also be where your next clue could be found. I'm willing to bet that Moff Gideon hired them to locate and take him, then once they had, they altered the deal, possibly demanding more credits for the job."
"Or thinking they could sell him to someone else for even more," Ravana reasoned, looking up at Din.
"I wouldn't put it past them," he agreed. "They're not known for being a bright or trustworthy species."
"Then that's where we'll go," Ravana nodded, feeling as if they once more had a direction and purpose. "And hopefully we can find more information there that will lead us to Gideon. He might be hunting us…but he wouldn't expect us to turn the tables and start hunting him."
"It sounds rather dangerous," Leia warned.
"Not with Mando on our side," Ravana grinned, looking up at him proudly. "He's the best bounty hunter in the galaxy…and a crack shot as well."
"Now, I wouldn't go that far," Din protested, apparently happy she had confidence in him, but not wanting to be over-sold.
"We'd offer to assist you," Luke said, though a quick look at Han and Leia confirmed what he already knew. "But we're unfortunately already late for an important meeting on the planet Lothal. We were on our way there when the Force pulled me off course and brought us here. We sent the rest of our envoy on ahead, but we dare not delay much longer or risk offending those we had set up a meeting with. If they weren't high officials who wish to support the New Republic, something we're currently in desperate need of, we'd come with you."
"We understand," Din nodded.
"Still…if you get into trouble, this is how you can get ahold of us in an emergency," Leia said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a com-chip. "It's a direct link to my personal channel. I will see that you are put through."
"Thank you," Ravana said in a sincere tone, accepting the device gratefully. "You've all been great, really."
"It's the least we can do for a fellow Force wielder," Luke smiled.
"And we have to do something to make up for that misunderstanding when we first met," Leia chuckled, glancing up at Han.
"What? I already apologized!" he reminded them, extending his arms in a sign of defeat. "What else do you want? Blood?"
"No…not blood," Ravana mused, tapping her finger on her chin in thought. "However, enough credits to fuel the Razor Crest would be very helpful." She gave Leia a kind of embarrassed look. "We're a bit low on funds, seeing as how we're on the run and all."
"Of course!" Leia was quick to agree. "We'll see that the hanger attendants are paid, and you have all you need. Just get Moff Gideon and stop him from hunting down any others who are Force sensitive." And though she didn't say it out loud, they all knew exactly who she was most worried about.
Little Ben.
Sooooo, I'm really curious...what did you all think of me bringing in the original Star Wars characters for a cameo appearance?
They said they can't go with Din, but I thought since they would still be around and active in the New Republic during the time of the Mandalorian show...why not!? Since our story takes place nine years after the destruction of the first death star, and only four years after Return of the Jedi.
I hope I captured Han, Leia and Luke's personalities well enough. I've never tried writing THEM before. ha ha.
Thanks and see you on Monday!
Guest Reviews:
Lilais: You are very welcome! I enjoy giving bonus chapters when I'm able. Yeah, the Amrorer suspects something, but even she's not sure what it is. (only I know...mhuaaahhhaaahhhaaa) And her uncle was 'cagy' not 'crazy' ha ha. You are doing very well with your English! Good job, and glad my story can help. Keep those reviews coming. T.O.W.G.
Phantom Guest: 25 - Din and Paz are at least on the same page, if not best buddies. ha ha. And Din only has ONE joke...not jokes. But for him, that's big. Ravana is indeed very confused...see what over drinking on strange planets does to you! Let this be a lesson the next time you are on a strange planet. ha ha. 26 - Yep, there's affection happeneing here, and FROM DIN! I agree, the kid SHOULD stay with Din and Ravana. Of course he wants to marry her! He loves her. Guess you will have to wait and see if the Armorer's theory is correct. ha ha. You are welcome for the bonus chapter. Thanks for your wonderful reviews! T.O.W.G.