Lilla cautiously approached the front door of the old asylum. She ignited her lightsaber as she advanced down the atrium staircase towards the premonition that she sensed. The door creaked open. Lilla pointed her lightsaber towards the threat.
"Hey! Hey, relax!" An authoritative female voice urged.
"Who are you?" Lilla demanded.
"I'm Cara. Mando called me for help."
Lilla hung the lightsaber hilt back on her belt. "Come." She started up the staircase.
Cara reached the top of the staircase and gasped at the sight of Din lying motionless on the floor. "What happened to him?"
Hani gazed mournfully at the Mandalorian. "He protected us, though he'd already been hurt."
Akili introduced herself to the shock trooper. "Akili Merak. I guess you could call me the medic in charge of Bedlam."
Cara still stared at Din. "I just talked to him last night. I didn't think he'd be this bad."
"I had to do emergency surgery to save his life." Akili began.
Cara dashed a tear from her cheek, devastated by the gravity of Din's condition. She noted the weapons Akili and her fellows were armed with "I'm guessing there was trouble and I'm guessing he still fought?"
Akili nodded.
"And I'm guessing that did damage?"
Akili nodded again. "His intestine is leaking. The infection got worse. It's sepsis."
"I called in New Republic military backup." Cara gazed to the pink glow of sunset filtering through the dome above. "They should be here soon. They'll have air support to get us out of here and a full medical team." She reasoned. "He'll be alright."
"Let's hope." Akili said. "For now, just be with him."
Cara knelt beside Din. She clasped his hand in hers. Even through his leather glove, the heat of fever radiated from him. Cara held her breath to hold back a sob. Sepsis—she had heard that word before in her Rebel military training—she knew it was serious.
"Come on, buddy." She begged. "Hang on for me."
Din's fingers twitched. "C-Cara?" The weak whisper barely made it past his helmet.
"I'm here." Cara squeezed Din's hand. "Help is coming. We'll get you better."
As sunset faded into night, Hani set a lantern beside Cara. Its pale orange glow glistened off of Din's armor with every strained, shallow breath he took. Cara had seen victims of war breathe like Din was breathing— it rarely ended well.
"Din," Cara laid her hand on his shoulder. "I don't like your breathing. Why don't we get your helmet off to get you more air?"
"N-no." He grunted with the little remaining strength he had.
Cara's hands gripped the sides of Din's helmet. "You took it off for the kid. I'm not going to let you die."
Din's shaking hands fought Cara's forearms. Removing the helmet would leave him vulnerable—his suffering visible. It would acknowledge the seriousness of his situation. It would tear away the last shred of control he clung to.
"N-no—it—s-stays."
Din recalled the decision he'd made when he left the covert on Glavis—he would never remove his helmet in front of others again. He would redeem himself in the mines of Mandalore.
The realization struck him— he had not yet been to the mines of Mandalore. He was on his way there when he crashed. He was yet dar'manda, rejected of his religion, his soul doomed according to Mandalorian culture. He lay dying and he had no idea what would happen next.
His heart pounded painfully in panic. His lungs burned as they yearned for air they could not get. His oxygen-starved brain blurred, blanked, and went black.
"Leave his helmet." Akili said.
"What?!" Cara argued. "He's dying!"
"Respect his creed." Akili ordered.
Static hissed through Cara's comlink. "Marshal Dune, come in!"
Cara grabbed the device. "Captain Wolf, I need a transport ASAP."
"We just landed at Bedlam Asylum." Trapper Wolf replied. "We have your location. Transport is inbound."
Lilla paced the hallway holding Grogu as he wept, attempting to console him through the Force. Grogu reached for Cara each time Lilla passed. She stooped and released the baby.
Grogu whimpered as he toddled towards Din. Cara wrapped a comforting arm around the kid as he clung to his dad. A sad, empty dread crept into Cara's mind— she would have to take care of Grogu if something happened to Din.
The whoosh of starship engines pierced the solemn silence. Outside, New Republic soldiers shouted to each other as their ship powered down.
"They're here!" Cara exclaimed.
The New Republic transport touched down outside the back terrace of Bedlam Institute. Grogu thrashed and wailed in Cara's arms as a team of New Republic medics met Akili and rushed Din away. Soldiers functioning as orderlies ushered Hani and Lilla into the cafeteria with the rest of the patients. Bedlam Institute bustled with more beings than it had in years. Amid all of the activity, Cara stood alone in the nighttime gloom.
"Easy kid, settle down." Cara tried to calm Grogu.
Kid.
Calling him that reminded her of Din. The vision of what had just happened replayed in her mind. On the flight back, Din's labored breathing had gone quiet. Cara was relieved for a moment— until Akili had scrambled to Din's side. The medic had frantically felt for Din's pulse then wrestled his breastplate off. Cara had had to pound Din's chest as Hani steadied his helmet and Akili cut into his neck and put in a breathing tube. They had gotten his heart beating again before the transport landed, but Akili said it didn't look good.
An empty, dull daze came over Cara. She hugged Grogu and wandered inside the asylum.
Hours had passed. Grogu had squirmed and fussed himself into a fitful sleep. Cara sat somber on an old chair in a quiet hallway outside the surgical wing.
Cara startled as door to the surgical wing swung open. Akili stepped out.
"Did he…" tears choked off the rest of Cara's question.
"He made it through surgery." Akili assured. "But it's still too early to tell if he'll survive, and he'll need at least one more surgery." She started walking. "You can see him. Follow me."
Akili stopped. The room behind her was mostly dark. From it sounded the beep of monitors and the whir of machines.
"What you're about to see might be unsettling." Akili warned. "I can hold Grogu."
Cara gave a tense nod as she handed the sleeping baby to Akili. She gulped back queasy dread as she stepped into the room. Din lay still, a thin, gray hospital gown draped over his muscular form. A mess of tubes and wires dangled from beneath the rough blue blanket that covered him up to his chest. The life support machine clicked and hissed, pushing oxygen into the breathing tube sticking out of his neck. His helmet remained. Akili had stayed staunch about honoring his religion, choosing to cut into his trachea to save his life rather than removing the helmet and breaking his creed.
Cara pulled a chair beside his bed. She stared into his dark visor. She wanted to see his face.
The breathing tube sticking out of his neck looked uncomfortable. If he would have let her take his helmet off, it would have been unnecessary. Cara scoffed. He had willingly taken off the helmet for the kid. Then again, once the kid had gone with Skywalker, she could tell by Din's demeanor that he had had second thoughts.
Cara held Din's hand. His flesh was unnaturally cold. "Hey, buddy." Finally alone, she sobbed. "I need you to keep fighting."
Akili returned. Cara halted her tears. "When will he wake up?" She asked, embarrassed that her voice shook so much when she spoke.
Akili stepped into the room. She checked on the medications and machines keeping the Mandalorian alive. Grogu still slept in her arms. "I'll operate to close his belly in a few days." She said. "After that, we'll see how he does."
Four days had passed. Besides long hours spent staring at the motionless Mandalorian, and the futility of trying to keep Grogu from being afraid, Cara had been helping the New Republic set up permanent staff at Bedlam Institute. Akili had been named medical director of the hospital, a title that as far as Cara could tell, the medic had earned.
Cara stood on the hospital's back terrace, soaking in the warmth of late morning sun. Grogu nestled against her side, his worried eyes gazing at the silver ball he clutched— the knob from the Razor Crest— the one that Din had given him.
Din had been in surgery for nearly two hours. Akili would be examining his insides, making sure there were no more problems, then, if all was well, trying to close the gaping wound that spanned from the bottom of his breastbone to well below his waist.
"How are you?" Captain Trapper Wolf asked as he came to stand beside Cara.
"Alright." She mumbled.
"That was a lie." Trapper observed. "I heard he's in surgery."
"Yeah." Cara said. "They'll try to wake him up later." Cara shook her head. "I just want this to be over. I want to take him home."
"I speak on behalf of all of the New Republic when I say that we're hoping for the best." Trapper said.
"Thanks." Cara mumbled. She wandered back inside. She gazed into the cafeteria where patients and staff alike enjoyed bountiful meals. She hadn't eaten since— who knows when— but she knew better than to let her strength waver. She grabbed a tray and walked back to Din's empty room.
Cara picked at the food. Even Grogu didn't seem to be hungry. Cara tried to coax the baby to eat as they both gazed into the hallway, waiting for Akili or someone to give an update.
An anxious hour later Akili appeared in the hallway tugging Din's hospital bed behind her. Cara and Grogu watched as Akili and the team of medics with her got Din settled. He looked the same, still unconscious, except a bacta patch lay on his neck in place of the breathing tube.
"Good news." Akili said as she stepped towards Cara. "He's breathing on his own, the infection is under control, and I was able to get his abdomen closed." The rest of the medics left the room. Akili stepped aside. "Come, be with him."
Cara dragged her chair to Din's side. She held his hand. It felt warmer than before—nearly normal. "When will he wake up?"
"That's what we're waiting to see." Akili said. "If everything's alright he should wake up within the hour. In that case, I can release him tomorrow."
Akili had left nearly thirty minutes before. Grogu nestled on the blue blanket against Din's leg. Cara gripped Din's hand, her eyes darting from his visor to the clock on the wall. As seconds ticked by, anxious tension built in Cara's muscles. She feared that he wouldn't wake up— that when his heart stopped it had been too much. She feared that he was gone.
Cara's pulse began to pound. She fought back tears to avoid frightening Grogu. Beskar sparkled as Din's helmet moved. He curled his fingers against Cara's hand. Grogu squeaked and perked up his ears.
"Din! Din, can you hear me?" Cara urged.
The Mandalorian groaned.
"Hey buddy, you're okay." She assured— at least she hoped.
"Cara…" Din said, his hoarse voice trailed off.
Cara smiled. "I get to take you home tomorrow."
Cara guided Din out of Bedlam Institute towards the idling New Republic transport ship. She smiled at Akili. "Thanks for everything."
Akili nodded. "I'll come to Nevarro in a week. Send me a holo if you need anything."
Din stepped away from Cara. His armor gleamed in the midday light as he stood tall. "I can walk." He gritted, his voice betraying the pain he tried to hide as he strode to the transport as if nothing had happened.
Grogu squealed with relieved glee at the sight of Mando acting like himself. Cara grinned and huffed in amusement at Din's tough guy tactics. She patted Grogu's fuzzy head. "Forever stubborn. Typical Mando."
Cara lifted her head from the couch's lumpy throw pillow as her doorbell buzzed. Morning light beamed into the two thin windows flanking the entrance to her home. Cara remembered— it had been a week since they'd left Bedlam— Akili was due for a visit.
Still blinking sleep from her eyes, Cara fumbled for the button to slide open her front door. Akili stood outside, a sack of medical supplies slung over her shoulder.
"How is he?" Akili asked.
"Getting better." Cara said. "But stubborn as ever."
Din woke with a start as two sets of footsteps approached the bedroom. He drew his blaster.
"Relax." Cara said. "It's just Akili."
Akili pulled back the bacta patch covering Din's belly. "Incision's nearly healed. Cara's been taking good care of you." She prodded near the wound. Din flinched and sucked in a shaky breath. "Maybe not quite healed on the inside." Akili added. She waved a medscanner over Din's middle. "Just some lingering inflammation." She said. "It's pointless to tell you this, but take it easy."
"He should be okay now." Akili told Cara as she prepared to leave. "But if you need anything, you know how to reach me."
As Akili walked away down Nevaro's dusty streets, Din emerged from the bedroom, fully clad in his beskar. He stepped into the morning warmth and settled into a chair on Cara's porch.
Cara sighed contentedly, relieved at Akili's good report. She went to her kitchen and began preparing Grogu's favorite breakfast— blue milk pancakes. Grogu waddled from his nest of pillows and blankets on the armchair to the kitchen. He hugged Cara's calf, squeaking eagerly for the meal she was making.
Cara carried a platter of pancakes on one side and held Grogu against her hip on the other. She shimmied out her front door and set the food down on the small table on her porch. Din tipped up his helmet and took a bite of the treat. Cara fed a greedy Grogu. The kid reached for her pancake too. She turned away from his outstretched claws and took a bite. "I think I'm getting used to this baby thing." She giggled. "This is nice, the three of us together."
"It is." Din agreed. "But doesn't Greef need you back to work?"
"He gave me another week off to make sure you behave." Cara jested.
Din scoffed. "You both know I'll be fine."
Inside the house, the holoprojector pinged with a new transmission. Cara handed Grogu to Din and stepped inside to play the message. The image of Greef Karga hovered above the holoprojector. He summoned Cara to the office immediately for something important.
Cara pinned her marshal badge to her belt as she stepped back onto the porch.
"Thought you said you didn't have to work." Din remarked.
"Greef needs me. I"ll be back soon." She stepped off of the porch. "Don't cause trouble."
Din offered Grogu another pancake but he didn't take it. Instead he placed his claws on Din's stomach. He flattened his ears to his head and whined worriedly.
"I'm okay now." Din told the kid. He again offered the pancake.
Din watched Grogu as he happily munched the blue breakfast.
"Hey, Mando!" A voice called him from down the street. Peli Motto approached.
"Why are you on Nevarro?" Din asked, baffled. "I thought you didn't go off world."
"I had your ship hauled back to Tatooine and I fixed it." Peli explained. "Come take a look."
The N-1 starfighter gleamed as good as new in the Nevarro spaceport. Across from it sat a New Republic transport, a shuttle, and two X-wings.
"What's the New Republic doing all the way out here?" Din wondered.
"I don't know," Peli answered, "But I'd like to avoid those officers. Check out your ship so I can get out of here."
Greef Karga wore a melancholy expression as he stood outside the marshal's office.
"What do you need?" Cara asked as she arrived. "What's wrong?"
"The Chancellor is here." Greef said. "She wants to see you."
"Mon Mothma?" Cara exclaimed. "She wants to see me?"
Greef ushered Cara into the back room of the marshal's office. The Chancellor of the New Republic sat behind a conference table, flanked by two guards.
"If this is about defecting from the Rebellion," Cara defended, "Karga cleared my chaincode."
"It's not about that." Mothma answered. "You've been a valuable asset in the New Republic's unending fight for freedom. Your efforts banished the Imperial Remnant from Nevarro. I'm reassigning you to a planet that needs your expertise."
"Reassigning?" Cara gasped. "Im not a soldier anymore. I'm Marshal of Nevarro. I belong here."
"Magistrate Karga has managed Nevarro just fine in the days you've been away." Mon Mothma reasoned. She flipped on a holoprojector. "This is the extragalactic world Adamah. The Empire has subjugated the people there, established a presence, and they're growing stronger. They are a threat to the Galaxy."
There was no arguing with the Chancellor of the New Republic. The shock and sorrow Cara felt went numb. She snapped back into soldier mode. "Who's on my team?" She asked.
Mon Mothma flicked her gaze to the floor then back to Cara to deliver the difficult news. "You're going alone."
"That's…" Cara paused to hold her composure. "Not survivable."
"Likely not." Mothma concurred. "But we need someone to rally the Adamian people. You're the best person for the job. For freedom."
Since Cara's family had perished in the Death Star's destruction of Alderaan, she held an unending obligation to fight the Empire's tyranny. Cara swallowed hard. "For freedom."
"Great." Mon Mothma said. "Your transport is waiting in the spaceport. You have an hour until your departure."
Cara approached her house. As soon as she saw Din, she burst into tears.
Din grunted in pain as he sprang to his feet. "Cara! What's wrong?" He swiped his glove across the Rebel insignia tattooed on her cheek, wiping away her tears. "What happened?"
"I have to leave." She sobbed as she rushed into her house.
Din followed her. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"Mon Mothma." Cara said tearfully as she stuffed belongings into a bag. "She's reassigning me. The transport is waiting."
Din and Cara stood outside the open door of the New Republic transport ship.
"You take care of yourself." Cara said. Her voice wavered. She opened her arms to hold Grogu. The kid looked up at her, his forehead wrinkled in confusion as he puzzled over why she was crying. "And take care of this little womp rat too."
Grogu crawled back into Din's arms. "We'll be fine." Din said. He wrapped Cara in his strong embrace. "Until our paths cross."
Cara pulled away from Din's warmth. She breathed through a sob, concealing the knowledge that she would likely not return. "Until our paths cross."
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! It's been quite the emotional journey, so much so that at times it was tough to write. (I see you, Chapters 6 & 7). Always encouraging to see Din's selflessness and resilience though. Hope you'll leave a review & let me know how you liked it. Keep an eye out for my next fic—The Mand'alor: The Final Season. In the meantime, catch up with the rest of The Mand'alor saga (The Mand'alor Volume One, Carasynthia, The Will of the Force, and The Mand'alor Volume 2)