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 : Yuno, Din's attendant would look like kid on the side of the road from Season 2 Episode 15-The Believer.

Note 2: On Pinterest see Din Djarin's cute cottage in Calodan under the name Acer Wolfe at Silver Moon Inuyoukaiboard.

Please leave a review here and tell me what you think. Thank you!

CHAPTER 18

HOW TO TRAIN A MAND'ALOR

PART 12

THE ADVISOR

From Chapter 17:

"The Calodan council and I have been talking about securing your services."

"You want to secure my services?"

"Master Mandalorian, we assure you that you will be well compensated. You will not want for anything." The governor looked worried at the Mandalorian's silence. He hoped that the offer was not insulting to the warrior.

-o-0-o-

"You have honored me with your offer and I accept it."

The governor grabbed the Mandalorian's hand in a vigorous handshake. "Marvelous!" he almost shouted in elation. "Master Djarin, could the Council of Elders meet you personally?"

"Yes, no pro….'

"Master! Master!" Both men turned as one at the arrival of Din's attendant. Yuno slid to a stop before them looking as if he would pass out. Clutching his chest, the boy staggered on his feet breathing like a rabid dog. "Ahh…!"

"What is it, boy?" Gov. Wing glared at Yuno at being interrupted.

"Hah…good afternoon, governor! Sorry….I am sorry! I have… a message for the master!" At the governor's impatient nod, "Master, there is a holo message for you at the coms bureau!" the boy hacked twice, back almost double.

The governor shook his head at Yuno's immature and careless antics. "Go ahead, master Djarin. It would give me time to rustle up the members. Meet us at the Main Hall, please? Ah, in about an hour, yes?"

"Yes. It sounds good." Din followed Yuno, who seemed to be recovering from his sprint, down the garden path and out of the gate of the guest cottages.

Out on the street, they passed by people who are busy cleaning the debris from the damaged houses after the battle with Sumal. Upon seeing Din they waved and nodded at him. Din returned the greetings with a nod.

Din liked the simple people of Calodan. They are a hospitable, hard-working and resilient society. They are proud of their skills in creating all kinds of medicine from the plants and trees around them. Before Sumal came and did all that ruckus a tree-planting drive was being planned to plant as many seedlings and tree saplings as they could to the surrounding forests. More trees and plants would also help clear up the air after Elsbeth torched down their source of livelihood.

When Morgan Elsbeth came a year before the people were unprepared for Calodan to be subjugated overnight and turn into a semi-industrial processing area soon after. Their inadequate security and lack of armaments made them easy-pickings from the likes of powerful people such as her. Someone really needs to step up and get these people up to par so they could at least have a better chance of defending themselves in the event another would be Elsbeth would come along and have the same idea.

This offer from the council feels good and the decision to stay with a well-compensated employment is sounding more and more appealing for him. Bounty hunting is an exciting but deadly profession. Although he is by no means past his prime the violence and the scars it brings (twenty-three on the last count) take its toll. Maybe once in a while he'd like to go back to hunt but…

"Uh, Master…?"

Din looked down at his attendant. "Yes?"

"Uh…I want to ask you…" the boy slid a couple of glances at him, looking uncertain about something.

"My name?" Din almost smirked when the boy opens and closes his mouth in shock. Hm, this is quite interesting. Some ability. But now that he's focused Yuno's thoughts came to him unbidden. Faces of his friends...the game they played...their coach... Oh boy, now how do I turn it off?

"Uh…yah…ahem…yes." The boy shrugged sheepishly.

Fascinating; I could even feel a little of his….fear? Embarrassment? "Relax, kid. Call me Din."

Yuno made a choking sound, "What?! No! I…I can't do that, master! It is…not polite for someone like me to…to…use your first name!" Yuno looked aghast.

"Okay," he smirked as he got an idea, "call me burc'ya."

The boy frowned at the word as he tried to say it. "Is that your language?" Din nodded, "what does it mean?"

"It means 'friend' in Mando'a."

Yuno's almond-shape eyes almost popped out of its sockets. "I can't!" he blurted, "It's too…too…uh…" he clicked his tongue when he can't find the right word.

"Familiar?" the boy nodded, grimacing. "Hm, 'ori'vod' is older brother…no?" he sighed as the boy shook his head more strongly. "Dank Fe-…okay, how about 'uncle', would that word get you in trouble?"

The boy's face lit up, "No, that's okay! But…I can call you uncle only when it's just the two of us around." Yuno grinned at Din's shrug. "Master, what is 'uncle' in your language?"

"Ba'vodu." Din almost heaved a soft sigh of relief when the thoughts stopped. How did I do that again? Shit, I forgot. Anyway…

"Master….er, ba'vodu Din," Din chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Could you teach me more of your language?"

"Sure.'

"Uh…we're here.' He and the boy stopped at the door of the communications bureau. "Thank you for teaching me Man…do'a….Mando'a, ba'vodu." The Mandalorian smirked when the boy bowed to him Mandalorian style. With a big smile the boy ran off spouting the exciting foreign words he just learned.

-o-0-o-

"I have a message?"

The coms officer looked up…and up and stared and same as everyone else who had seen him up close also got wide-eyed. This is usually followed by either a gulp, a gasp or awkward silence. Din wonders which he'll get from this one.

'Uh…uh…," the coms officer stammered and began shuffling the pile of paper on his desk. "Hi! Yes…yes! You're here for the message! The message came in just a few…" The man pointed at the machine near the window.

Din nodded. "I'd like to have some privacy please."

"Priva…oh!" The man smiled awkwardly. "Sure! I will be…be out there. Hehehe…just out there. Okay. I will go. Now." As an afterthought he came back and grabbed some papers from his desk. "Oops! Gotta get the papers…bye!"

Stupefied, Din stared at the closed door, "Dank Farrik! What the…." Shaking his head in bewilderment he sat in the wooden chair at the coms console.

The machine is on and looked like it had been in service for a long time but the Mandalorian was relieved it was not an Imperial model. He found the flagged communications log quickly and he wasn't at all surprised that the holo came from Cara Dune. So far he had ignored all the messages and calls she left at the DX-9 coms since he arrived to Calodan. The next time she sees me she might put me in a chokehold for ignoring her for a long time, he thought with a smirk. He snorted in amusement; of course, she used her security clearance to track him down. That piece of information slipped from his mind.

Dank Farrik! Something must have come up if she put all that effort in tracking him down. The lighthearted thoughts ended and he almost smashed the play button. While the holo powers up the tension got him moving to the edge of his seat.

'Hey Mando, I don't know where you are right now but I hope you're not in trouble, or dead. Things are back to normal here and our quarry had been iced and stored and under tight security. Like me, Greef is a little pissed at you so you need to make it up for him when you get back.

I know things got quite crazy when we returned. I was pissed at you for leaving me there by myself to answer all their questions. You have as much right as I am to be there but you don't like the limelight. I get you.

So, I've got good news and bad news. I'll go with the good news first. I got your bounty and I've sent it 'you know where.' Also, the Republic says it's going to replace your ship or refurbish the DX-9 if you're interested. But…as much as you like your new ride I think you need something less shocking, if you know what I mean.

They also said something about purging your records in return for Gideon's capture. Hey, these are pretty good returns, Mando. I hope this would get you out of hiding in the future.

When the Marshall took a deep breath Din clenched his fist hoping it's not…

'Okay….now for the bad news…you won't like it.

She called me, that mutual acquaintance of ours, the 'high born' who has the hots for you and she told me that someone was asking the whereabouts of the 'powerful one' a few days ago. You know what that means.

If you have the resources, try to find what you can. This doesn't sound good and I don't like it at all. Tell me if you need help.

Hey, i do understand why you left but this is ridiculous. Here's my call code. Get back to me ASAP, you di'kut!

Stay alive, stay safe. Dune out.'

-o-0-o-

It was a good thing that the coms officer did not wander far for Din to find. He thinks the man is strange and a little silly but he's the man he needs right now.

All conversation along the hallway stopped in his passage and before Din reached the coms officer his friend had nodded at the Mandalorian's direction and the officer turned awkwardly towards him.

"I need you to do something for me." Din headed off whatever inane blather the man would spout. "Could you find all transmissions coming from that machine since I came here?" Din told the man the beginning date.

"Uh, of course. That would not be hard." Though still wide-eyed, the man was blessedly rational this time. "Um, when do you need it?"

"As soon as you could find it. I also need the call sign and coordinates of the transmission."

"Sure…sure. That's not going to be hard at all. I'll get to it as soon as possible…" the man's slight jowls jiggle at his nod.

"Great. I will be at the Main Hall with Governor Wing in half an hour if you need me." Din strode off before he gets caught in unnecessary prattle.

The coms officer turned disbelieving eyes to his friend, "I better get to it immediately. You never know, I might bump into mistress Ahsoka up there!"

"Man, you become goofy head every time you hear her name." the officer snorted at him. "Oh no? You were the one who ran outside the wall shouting 'Mistress Ahsoka! We're here to protect you!'" The friend sniggered.

"Oh, shut up!" The flat panel of the coms office door closed with a bang on the laughing friend.

-o-0-o-

His footsteps took him to the former imperial ship while ice-like fingers crawl up his spine spreading down to his arms and head. He walked fast, wanting to get out of the city gate as soon as possible, thankful that the guards at the gate didn't stop him to exchange a few words of pleasantries as they often do. What Din was not aware of was that his tense bearing looked menacing prompting the guards to open the gate quickly. The guards only exchanged wide-eyed looks.

When he reached the DX-9 Din did not bother to check the ship as was his plan. As soon as the ramp closed and locked he removed his headgear revealing a man with wild looking eyes. The headgear plopped onto the seat of the pilot's chair.

If Din was not wearing any gloves he would be white knuckled from gripping the back of the pilot's seat tightly, jaws clenched tight. His buir, the man who adopted him into clan said that he had the temperament of a perfect warrior: stoic, clear headed, focused.

What would my buir say right now?

Din clenched his hands closed from the pain of hitting his fist again and again on the pilot seat backrest. 'It never stops. They wouldn't stop until they get every drop of blood from the kid…until they kill him!'

"Yes, they won't."

Din turned his head so fast to a glowing man standing in the middle of the empty hold of the DX-9.

The glowing apparition folded his arms inside his wide sleeves. Another Jedi, Din noted the style of clothing and the single lightsaber handle on the side. And someone who is loath to give out his name as well, he sighed.

"The empire is still out there. Weak. Diminished but not gone. They will do anything even the most barbaric means to get back into power. The Force could feel the evil getting stronger each day. Do you feel it too, Din Djarin?"

Strangely it didn't feel odd to reply to the ghost. "How do I know if it is from the Force?"

"You have already made a decision, am I right?"

Din shook his head, "What decision?" The man, the Force ghost rather, Din corrected himself, looked like he died young. The young Jedi seemed familiar to him but he couldn't place where. The clue seemed to be frustratingly just at the edge of his thoughts. Maybe…

"You are faced with two decisions."

Din sighed with a single nod. "That is right." I just target the…

"The feeling you got when you decided was that feeling when it comes from the Force." The ghost smirked, shaking his head. "Mand'alor, you do not want to see what's behind my sadness. You will regret it if you probe my mind." It was not threatening but enough for the warrior to cease.

"I apologize." Din was a little ashamed of himself.

The apparition smiled knowingly, "Mind reading is a great ability, I know, but use it wisely and carefully like your weapons. Worry not, I am with you and will be there to guide you." The ghost suddenly chuckled as if there's something funny at what he said. It intrigued Din. 'Choose your decision conscientiously; they will control your next steps.'

Din leaned back at the DX-9 pilot's seat. "I do not know how to stop the empire from coming after my son. Will he always be in danger all his life? Is there a way to…"

"There is."

"There is?" In surprise Din pushed away from the back of the pilot's seat, "How?"

"Would you like to learn the name of your 'advisor' first?"

"That would be a good start." Din sighed crossing his arms.

The Force ghost formally bowed, "Al'Ori'Ramikade, I am…."

"Master! Ba'vodu! Are you there?"

-o-o-0-o-o-

A/N:

-Di'kut – idiot

- Al'Ori'Ramikade - translated as the 'Commander of Supercommandos'