PADAWAN
Din Djarin: bounty hunter, father, Mand'alor and...Force wielder? This man needs help and who better to help him but Ahsoka Tano.
~(o.o)~
A/N: I love the story of Din Djarin and Grogu. Also I am writing this because of the force/my inspiration Pedro Pascal and not for monetary gain. I have spoken. This is the way!
Note 1 : If you want to imagine what Yuno, Din's attendant would look like I might have gotten the idea from Season 2 Episode 15-The Believer. There was a kid on the side of the road.
Note 2: I created a file on Pinterest about Din Djarin's cute cottage in Calodan under the name Acer Wolfe. Just so if you're curious, look for it at Silver Moon Inuyoukai board.
Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thank you!
CHAPTER 17
HOW TO TRAIN A MAND'ALOR
Part 11
NEW LEAF
From Chapter 16:
Ahsoka whirled towards Din's cottage. The whole house is glowing blue…
Go…. Go…. Go. The avian repeated the words in Ahsoka's head. It shook its feathers then with a bound took to the air and Ahsoka broke into a run.
-o-0-o-
Blood and bodies…bombs…droids…blood…screams…screams…crash!
"Grogu!" Din gasped from the nightmare; bolting up from the bed.
"S- so-sorry!" the boy, Yuno, stammered; a tray of broken things scattered at his feet.
Din sighed in relief as he safed the blaster, lowering it back on the bed. A brief spell of weakness made him lean back in the pillows. "How long was I out?" he almost groaned.
"Just more than a day," Both boy and man turned towards the door. "Yuno, do not skulk before a Mandalorian. They hate that." Ahsoka smiled at the teen.
"Yes, Mistress Tano." The boy began to clean the mess he made with the refreshments. "I will get you a fresh tray, master." The boy smiled in relief when Din nodded.
Din suddenly noticed the infusion pack on his arm. "What's this?" he fought the panic that wanted to crawl out of his chest. "Who… I hope you…"
"Do not worry. They have a droid doctor who took care of everything." Ahsoka shrugged, "that is, after they repaired the poor thing."
"Ugh! Droid…I hate droids." Din muttered but the reaction was not as fierce, not after IG-11. But still, his trust on those machines depends on each situation. "Don't let that thing near me again." He tossed the infusion pack on the bed.
"Fine." Ahsoka chuckled, "Lucky you they didn't totally destroy the only droid doctor they have. After the Fall of the Bell…"
"The what?"
"That's what they call the day we liberated them." Ahsoka shrugged, 'I sliced that infernal gong in half on top of that gate." " She pointed to the main city gate.
Impressed, Din could only say, "Wow." Taking a deep breath he slowly sat up in bed, "Say, what happened to Sumal and his men?" Why did he suddenly have the impulse to check if he's wearing a tunic or shirt? Of course he is. He had the impression that he must have not…but when?
The Togruta nodded to the direction of the city wall, "The whole town is busy cleaning them up." Ahsoka told Din how many people died and the extent of the damage to property.
"Remind me to give them some training. They shoot as well as storm troopers." Din regarded the Togruta closely. Noting the stance, the eyes, the tension in her jaws. "You are not okay."
"Yes. I'm okay." She assured him with a small smile but the joy didn't light up her eyes. "Thanks to you we got new weapons."
"Ahsoka, what's up?" There was something about Ahsoka's mien. Din slowly got back up.
"I know what you did there." She almost whispered.
"What did I do?" Clenching his fists he found he could feel his energy getting back.
"Din, did you use the Force to gradually lower yourself from that height?"
"Was that wrong?" Din licked his dry lips, desperately wanting to have some of that cold water Yuno left by the bed. "Did I pass, teacher?"
"Yes, and it was impressive that you recovered quickly." Ahsoka continued, standing. She doesn't seem to find the word 'teacher' funny right now. "Most people who used that kind of Force for that length of time would be out for days….or worse!"
"So that's why I feel like you beat me up again." He scooted back to the headboard.
Now the joy is back in her eyes when she laughed. "Here. Look at what they did for you." Ahsoka tugged at something beside the bed and a white curtain came down effectively screening him. "Now you can take off that helmet."
Not needing further prompting Din slipped off his headgear, shaking his hair free. He loved the feel of cool air on his bare face. "Tell them I'm really grateful." He said as he pours a glass of water. Din looked around at the privacy it gave him because he could hazily see people beyond the screen. Grabbing a fruit from the bowl Yuno left for him on the side table, he noted with approval that another smaller and lower table was placed beside the bed for his blaster and vibro knife. That kid will make a good apprentice in the fighting corps.
Ahsoka took a seat at one of the chairs near the door. "It's just one of the ways they want to thank you. This is the second time you saved them."
"Ahsoka, we did it." Din sat straighter when he felt the Togruta's aura changed again. "Hey, anything else I did wrong?" Din got worried when she started pacing.
"Before you woke up you were dreaming. Do you often get nightmares?"
Din chuckled softly; trust Ahsoka to get blunt. "I get a feeling that not a lot of secrets were kept with the Jedi, huh?"
"You're like a youngling who doesn't know how to use 'masking' to keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves."
"Ow! That hurts." They shared a quick chuckle as he busied himself in giving the helmet a good wiping.
"Din, forgive me if I seem to intrude," Ahsoka braced her hands on the back of the chair, becoming serious again. "Do you remember what you dream about?"
"It's usually the same." From behind the screen Din's dark outline seemed to pause. "Death."
"But lately your dreams have changed…"
Din sat up; tense. "Why do you ask this?"
"Someone has been talking to you in your dreams."
"I don't know what you are talking about." His heart started to pound and his hand began to shake for some reason as he quickly put on the helmet. He shoved the curtain aside but Ahsoka was blocking his way. "I don't remember."
"Din…"
"Let me pass." He ground out. Ahsoka stepped back as Din entered the bath and slammed the door.
Ahsoka looked back at the closed door. How much do I tell him? Ahsoka is also worried about Din's new abilities: is it permanent? What other abilities does he have? Who was talking to him? He was murmuring about Jedi and other things.
She slid a glance again at the area of the bath. What had happened to me the other night? Morai let her see those horrendous images that left her feeling sick then this blue glow wrapped around Din's cottage. The memory still lingers. It was hard for her to sleep. She keeps seeing the same images whenever she closes her eyes. Were they connected?
The Jedi walked to the window and looked out. A sigh escaped from her as she braced her hands on the sill. She knows why Din is hesitant to tell her because he thinks she is holding back what she has learned during the mind meld. If she would not open up to him then he wouldn't open up to her.
Ahsoka's lekku swung as she shook her head. Din Djarin is right; he is no fool. He is clever and intensely astute. And now that he is developing his telepathic ability with the same frightening speed as his manipulation of the Force push and soon it would be more and more difficult to keep things from him….
-o-0-o-
Leaning on the credenza, Din Djarin looked up and stared at his own eyes in the mirror. What do they say? Do they look anxious? Scared? There were times he couldn't place what his expression wanted to tell him in the small mirror he had on the Razor Crest. Honestly, mirrors were not a big thing for Mandalorians. What's its purpose when you're covered from top to bottom? That's how it goes in his covert anyways. Mirrors were used for utilitarian reasons, not for vanity.
Din looked back at his own reflection at the full-length mirror in front of him. He was stunned at how he looked in his armor the first time he entered this room. He felt foolish that he thought there was another person and he almost blasted the damned thing to pieces.
And when you have a big ass mirror like that what would you do? Of course you strip down and see what you look like for the first time! Yep, he did that on his first day in the cottage.
Then, his elation fell on seeing his naked body. He saw the damage his bounty-hunting occupation had done to him. His lips pursed as he turned to look at a particularly large scar on his shoulder. That was a little near his neck. Din hissed as he gripped the shoulder. Scars are not just scars; they retain memories of how it felt like when the blade plunged into him. The scars he sports were from the unprotected areas of the beskar. He shook his head as he finished counting his scars on his back, arms and legs.
What about the invisible ones? Din stared at his face again. When will it heal? Does it go away and fade in time?
-o-0-o-
Din knew Ahsoka had long left the cottage when he emerged bathed and dressed from his room. After he had his meal he decided to check on the DX-9 if it had been in any way suffered any damage from the fight.
"Master Mandalorian!"
Din was surprised to see Gov. Wing sitting in one of the porch chairs. "Governor, were you waiting for me?"
"Do not worry yourself. I wasn't here long." The gracious man smiled. "I wanted to know how you are doing."
"I have recovered well. Thank you for your concern." Din bowed. "I was just about to check my ship."
"Wonderful! I would like to take a walk with you there." At Din's nod they took a leisurely stroll towards the city gate. "The citizens of Calodan would be relieved to know that one of our champions has recovered. We could never thank you enough for defending and saving us again."
"It is my pleasure to use my skills in defending your city, governor." Din had to stop as some young people of Yuno's age bowed to him and the governor.
The official beamed at Din, "Talking about your skills, Master Mandalorian…" the man stopped Din before they leave the gate of the guest cottages. "The Calodan council and I have been talking about securing your services."
"Secure my services?"
"Yes, for the first time the council has been unanimous with this decision. I was shocked!" The elder chuckled. "Master Mandalorian, we are offering you a permanent employment. You will be in charge of our security not only here but throughout the entire region. You will train our people on the proper way to defend ourselves. You have seen how our people are badly prepared and in need of someone of your impressive skill set to teach us."
"The offer is quite a surprise and very tempting, governor." Din's head is already churning with wonderful possibilities; he could make a life here and when Grogu is done with his Jedi training, this place would be the best place for the boy to grow up into.
"Master Mandalorian, we assure you that you will be well compensated for your services. You will not want for anything. You may even want to settle here..." The governor looked worried at the Mandalorian's silence. He hoped that the offer was not insulting to the warrior.
Corvus is just a small and insignificant backwater sector. Looking at the man's equipment and armor told him that the man is quite successful in his occupation as a bounty-hunter. The official heard that the hunter had received a sizable payment at the capture of Morgan Elsbeth and the death of the mercenary Lang as well as Sumal and his men.
"Governor," he nodded. "You may call me Din Djarin."
The official beamed with pleasure. "Thank you for giving me the honor of knowing your name, Master Djarin."
"You have honored me with your offer and I gladly accept it." The governor almost shouted in happiness and grabbed the Mandalorian's hand in a vigorous handshake.
-o-o-0-o-o-