PADAWAN
Din Djarin is not himself and the man is terrified.
A/N: I love the story of Din Djarin and Grogu. I don't need anything else. Also I am writing this because of the force/my inspiration Pedro Pascal and not for monetary gain. I have spoken.
Note: This event happened after Season 2 Episode 16. The chapters might sometimes be long or short depending on the story plot.
Please don't be shy to review and tell me what you think. Thank you!
CHAPTER 10
HOW TO TRAIN A MAND'ALOR
Part 4
With a groan of pleasure, Din lowered his aching body in the stone tub filled with hot water. As the water eddied around him an aromatic scent wafted up from the steam. Fascinated, he swished the leaves floating in the water and smelled the same scent when he picked one. The fragrance was a little strong but the attendant who was adding it in the water said it has healing properties. Right now a good healing soak is what his aching body is demanding.
The boy who was assigned as his attendant explained to him the proper bathing in Calodan. There is an area where he could soap and scrub and after a thorough shower he should immerse himself in the tub to get the benefit of the healing oils from the leaves.
He moved lower into the water and leaned his head back to the rolled towel with a groan. The heat of the herb steeped water started to work on relaxing his abused muscles. This, he thought, is the only thing I'd like to get used to.
With his muscles losing its soreness his thoughts wandered on how Grogu is doing. Is he eating well? Din closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the aromatic steam as he rests his arms on either side of the tub. I hope he does not give his teacher a hard time. The stubbornness of that kid ….the thought made him smile...I hope that Jedi has a lot of patience. He would definitely need it. He chuckled.
He moved a little higher in the tub as he remembered what happened back in Nevarro with some twinge of regret. He felt like a coward for leaving like a bat out of hell but things were running out of control for his own liking and he just couldn't accept it. People had begun to control the situation; leading him, cornering him, thinking for him.
Even his own covert…
So he fled.
-o-o-
Blaster in hand, no one followed him as he run in the near deserted streets of Nevarro; almost everyone in town was at the New Republic precinct to witness Gideon's execution. And, after the last fire fight, his covert would not risk another exposure.
He felt free!
In the DX-9, (he has to rename that ship) a communications button was flashing. That would be Cara. Her message would be full of epithets, cuss words and questions about his whereabouts. He ignored it.
He left quickly and plotted a zigzag course with the intention of heading to one of his hideouts. Then the Mandalorian realized with a pang that he needed to resupply because he's not on the Razor Crest. There's nothing in the hold; no weapons, no extra personal ammunition…and most of all, no food and water. The trip would take him three and a half standard days and after a few hours of flight he got hungry. Dank Farrik!
In the aftermath of Gideon's capture at the imperial cruiser, he and Cara high tailed it out of there as soon as the droids screwed the last bolt on the hyper drive. Boba Fett had already left way ahead of them but not before giving him some words of advice and/or warning about Bo Katan.
Bo Katan. The last time he saw her was on that launching pad before he closed the door. She was standing near the Lambda shuttle with her helmet under her arm. She looked pissed at me, Din snorted as he run his wet hand in his hair; loving the feel of not wearing the helmet for as long as possible. I wonder if she was the one who informed the Mandalorian council about me. I'd bet a full camtono of beskar that it was her who ratted about the dark saber's new owner. Din huffed a few times in amusement and incredulity.
-o-o-
As he was traveling in the security of hyperspace Din was deep in thought of weighing his options when he suddenly had an idea: Ahsoka Tano!
Excitedly, he sat up straight in the pilot seat. Would she still be in Calodan? He remembered she had been tracking an Admiral Thrawn and the Togruta found out that this Thrawn was the former master of Morgan Elsbeth.
Hedging on a slim sliver of hope the message he sent was short and straight to the point then waited on bated breath in the interim. That's what he hates most of all, the waiting.
The coms button started blinking! Din jerked in attention. First he checked to make sure if it wasn't another one of Cara's angry calls before he tapped the message.
Din gave a big sigh of relief when the smiling face of Gov. Wing lit up and he assured Din that Ahsoka is still in Calodan and he can come over and stay for as long as he desired.
Before the message ended he was already tapping the coordinates on the navigation console. When the DX-9 changed course Din Djarin leaned back in his seat and thanked the Mandalorian gods.
-o-o-
Din rolled his head left and right to get the kink off the neck muscles. Yes, it was a good decision to go back to Calodan.
The decision was made by him a long time ago during their united effort to liberate the city. To begin the attack he and the Togruta stopped just beyond the tree line where they could see the guards manning the fort. Everything was quiet and some of the guards were not doing their job of guarding the perimeter.
The only sign she gave him was a curt nod as the two lightsabers flared into life and she was off like a bullet. The moment he saw Ahsoka scale that wall on a run like it was nothing he told himself he would find a chance to spar with her in the future.
So now even with every aching muscle in his body he was very satisfied with the rigorous training Ahsoka put him through. She is an impressive fighter and that's why she had handed his ass to him quite a few times…he leaned back again with a rueful smile.
But, he lifted his troubled eyes toward the skylight, she's being evasive whenever I mention the subject of my mind meld. Was it that bad? Should I be worried? Din swirled and splashed some water over as he took a piece of wood from a pile near the foot of the tub to feed the small fireplace that keeps the water warm in the bathtub.
I need to get more saber practice, Din sighed as he reclined back to the comforting warmth of the bathwater. I still have no idea how to use stealth by masking my aura. I don't know if… I have the…patience to do medita…tion…
Sometime later, Din does not notice for how long, a hesitant voice called from the other side of the door. "Sir?"
In a flash, Din had straightened and grabbed his gun from the small table beside the tub.
"Master?"
"Yes!" He cocked the pistol as quietly as possible and aimed it at the door. What time is it? Din glanced up at the skylight in the bath. Have I been in here that long? "Is it time for supper?"
"Uh, not yet sir." The teen said. The young man, Yuno, cleared his throat. The boy clutched his simple cloak around him as he stood at the door…
-o-o-
At Ahsoka's Cottage (back story):
Yuno could still remember that day so vividly when they were liberated. He was peering from the cracks in the wall to see what was happening. He was stunned at the way the Mandalorian stood on that street, the way he pulled that pistol then twirled it back into the holster…he was so deep in replaying that scene in his head that he almost jumped out of his skin when a droid fell from their roof!
Out of all the young trainees for the security detail of the wall he had been picked as attendant for their guest to the disappointment of other excited volunteers.
So now the nervous Yuno is about to be introduced to their guest. While Yuno and Governor Wing wait for the guest to come out of mistress Ahsoka's cottage the elder had some important things to say to him.
"Yuno, I want you to listen carefully." The elder faced him as they sit on the bench near the path. "He is a very special guest of our city and he will be here for many days to talk to Mistress Ahsoka. You will take care of anything he needs like bringing him food and making sure his clothes are cleaned every day. You also need to make sure the cottage is cleaned and aired regularly. You understand?"
"Yes, Governor. I will." The boy whispered. "But why doesn't he remove his helmet?" Yuno gestured around his head.
"The Mandalorian belongs to a culture where they do not show their faces to other people."
The boy mouthed the word 'Mandalorian.' "Is he…is he dangerous?" Yuno glanced at the cottage.
"I guess he is. Remember the day of our liberation?" The young man nodded. "He and mistress Ahsoka fought Elsbeth's men." The boy's jaw dropped.
"Did you see him fight governor?" Yuno scooted near; perhaps he might get some stories about the warrior!
"Yes, a little." the man nodded seriously. "He was very efficient. I learned that every one of them have been trained to fight from childhood" Then the governor stood and motioned him to follow. "Here they are." They stood as the door of the cottage slid open and the Mandalorian stepped out followed by Mistress Ahsoka.
"Our training will begin after the seventh sound of the gong or at seven standard time, Din." Ahsoka reminded the guest.
"Yes, I will check the DX-9 before that so let's meet there." Mistress Ahsoka and the guest exchanged nods.
"Good. Enjoy your rest. May the force be with you." Mistress Ahsoka went back in her cottage after nodding to Gov. Wing.
"Master Mandalorian, this is Yuno. He will be your attendant. He will take care of anything you need. He is hard working and trustworthy."
Not sure what the proper etiquette is for this kind of situation, Din settled for a simple nod toward the boy. The governor nudged the awestruck and possibly nervous teen with a tap on the shoulder.
"My name is Yuno, sir. I will show you to your cottage." All he got was a quick nod from the man.
"Thank you for the hospitality, governor." The man gave a different nod to the governor that looked very polite.
"Yuno, go ahead." The elder motioned to him.
"This way, sir." He awkwardly gestured to the quiet man to follow him. Yuno had seen the man around but he was far away in any of those times. Now up close he looked so huge and imposing. His eyes went wide when he heard the heavy tread and the sound of something like spurs behind him. When he looked back he swallowed with a little fear at the warrior following him.
Gods! Yuno could easily believe elder Wing when he said the man is dangerous. Look at him! He has a lot weapons! He turned back and tried not to stumble and fall flat on his face and embarrass himself.
-o-o-
Din's Cottage:
"What is it?" asked the Mandalorian in the bath.
Was that a metallic noise…? Yuno heard water sloshing from the tub and he got wide-eyed when he remembered the warrior brought his gun with him in the bath. The boy hastily shuffled away from the door.
The man doesn't seem to be the trusting kind. When he was showing the Mandalorian around the cottage Yuno could feel the man's tension. The Mandalorian only relaxed after the man looked in every nook and cranny of the entire house. Even under the bed!
"Mistress Tano asked me to tell you that she needs to talk to you."
The blaster lowered and Din relaxed a notch. "Where is mistress Tano?" Being called a master by these people is a strange experience for the bounty hunter. But his own adopted culture would be scary and bizarre as well in the eyes of the people of Calodan if their roles were reversed.
"She is at the town hall, sir."
"I will be there."
"Ah..uh.."
"Yes?"
"I…I have cleaned your clothes and …it's on the bed, sir." Yuno leaned on the door and he could slightly hear the man moving around.
"Give it to me," Came from behind the door after almost a minute.
The boy carefully took the freshly washed and folded clothes in his arms. He knocked again.
"It's open." The young teen pushed the portal open and then jerked to a stop.
Din Djarin stands on the mat in the middle of the spacious bath with a towel that looked small around his hips and his beskar helmet covers his head. The warrior pointed, "Put it down over there."
Yuno jolted out of his shock when he realized that he had been staring. The shocked teen hurriedly placed the clothes on a credenza under a mirror.
"Thank you."
"I…also brought you some stew, bread and fruits uh…and…and some wine." Yuno gulped with a wince at himself. Gods! Stop babbling you, idiot!
"Thank you. That is much appreciated."
"You're…you're welcome. Master Mandalorian." He bowed and then he remembered what mistress Tano told him. "I will be going now but I will be nearby to escort you to the town hall."
"It is not necessary. I know where it is."
"Oh." The boy looked a little put out but bowed less awkwardly. "I will be off then." Meanwhile, that beskar helmet followed his movements to the door. The feeling was quite unnerving to say the least.
The teen gulped when the door of the bath closed. He was itching to run out of the cottage but first he wanted to make sure everything was spic and span before he rushed back to his friends.
The boy tugged at his short cloak and in doing so frowned at his own scrawny arms. Damn! The muscles on that man!
-o-o-
The guards at the town hall gave him a light bow and opened the heavy doors for him. He never saw the inside of this building the last time since he was in a hurry to leave with the kid in case they were being followed.
"Din." Ahsoka called from one of the arched entrances.
"Ahsoka…" he began but Ahsoka walked briskly toward him and waved at Din to follow her. "Where are we going?"
"Governor Wing got a message."
"What is the message about?" Din walk abreast with the Togruta.
"Someone is arriving." They paused long enough until they could slip through the gap of the slowly opening gate.
"Who?"
They both looked up as a starship descended outside the wall.
-o-o-0-o-o-