While helping Grogu find a Jedi, an accident on Tython turned Din Djarin to a Force sensitive. Caught at a crossroads, he went back to Calodan to become the padawan of Ahsoka Tano but…Din's other life has caught up with him.

~(o.o)~

A/N: I love the story of Din Djarin and Grogu. Also I am writing this because of the force of my inspiration Pedro Pascal and not for monetary gain. I have spoken. This is the way!

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

2: On Pinterest see Din Djarin's cute cottage in Calodan under the name Acer Wolfe at Silver Moon Inuyoukai board. You can also see the picture of the Mantis, Din's new vehicle.

Kindly leave a review to bolster my confidence and muse and tell me what you think. Thank you!

CHAPTER 26

PADAWAN

THE WITCH

Din Djarin opened his eyes with a hoarse cry; gasping as if he had come up for air from being under water for so long. The abrupt sound surprised the other three in the circle.

"Din? Hey Din, calm down." Din flinched from Ahsoka's touch. "It's me. I didn't mean to surprise you." It startled Ahsoka when Din grabbed her arm.

"Where am I?"

"Here. You've been here, with us." Ahsoka looks back at Luke and Grogu.

"All this time?" The inside of his helmet feels very warm and his face drips with sweat.

"Yes!" Ahsoka looks at him closely, eyes moving all over him, reading him. "What's wrong?"

"I…I don't know." Din calmed down a little when Ahsoka returned the grip.

"Did something happen?" Ahsoka frowns, she's worried at Din's breathing.

"I don't know." He blinks but still Din is having difficulty seeing from the sweat that dripped in his eyes.

"Was it the mind meld?"

"I..I…don't…"

"Mistress Ahsoka, let me take the Mand'alor to his room."

"Okay." Ahsoka frowns, something is really not right but she allowed Skywalker to help Din stand.

"Grogu, stay with Ahsoka, okay?"

"He'll be safe with me, Din." Din gave her a nod of thanks while Grogu looks on, confused as his teacher helps his father in the cottage. "He'll be okay, Grogu." With a smile, Ahsoka held out her arms to the little boy. The boy grunts but she knows the boy doesn't buy it.

-o-0-o-

The Jedi grasps his padawan's arm to steady him. Luke Skywalker could feel the strength of the man even as he slightly stumbles.

He had known of Din Djarin. He had heard many things about the man.

As far as Mandalorians go this man is one of the strongest people he had met. He could feel the strength of this man's core. This man spent all of his life learning the deadly arts of killing and keeping himself alive. His expertise is the art of survival and his reputation precedes him as one of the extremely efficient bounty hunters Luke had ever known.

Din Djarin even has the bragging rights for battling a dark stormtrooper and an Imperial officer….no easy feats. And not only that, in the aftermath of his battle with said imperial officer he acquired an ancient sword that gave him the right to rule his people as their king.

Now the man seemed to have better recovered, he's walking straight. A gesture told Luke that he can let go but Luke continues to observe his anxious student. What was he trying to ward off when he broke away from the mind meld?

The Mandalorian swung around peering through the white curtains; he got there in time to see Ahsoka bring Grogu to her own cottage. "Wait here. I have to…." In a hurry, Din went behind a large folding screen by the dining area then something was placed on the table; something metallic and heavy…

The Jedi was stunned. Before that he heard the unmistakable hiss of pressurized air. He took it off? "Din…' Concerned, the Jedi tentatively stepped to the screen, 'Are you okay?" Luke didn't get any answer but felt the emotion pouring out from Din Djarin. "I want to help." Nothing. Luke felt something intense had happened to the man. The Jedi concentrated his thought to Din Djarin, hoping to assess how…

"Skywalker…" came the voice after a few minutes passed, "Come."

Luke was taken aback when he stepped around the screen and stopped. "Apologies, Mand'alor…!" The Jedi swiftly backed away, eyes averted.

"No! It's…fine. You've seen me before." Without the helmet Din Djarin's voice is clear and well modulated.

Luke shrugs. That makes sense but…."Are you certain?" Luke went back.

"Yeah." A single nod. The Mand'alor rests both arms on the back of the dining chair.

"You took it off. Why?"

"To remove a weakness." Din seems to ponder on the shiny helmet in front of him

"Ah."

"I…you might think I'm mad but something happened to me during the mind meld." Din straightened up and a pair of rich brown eyes looked directly at Luke Skywalker.

This is the second time has seen the man without his helmet. The first time was on the bridge of that imperial cruiser. It was a brief meeting and Luke's focus was more on bringing the boy to a safe place.

On that bridge, Grogu was asking something of the man. The boy keeps saying 'See you…want see you….' in broken standard, his tiny hand held out to the warrior.

To the helmet.

The Mandalorian tensed, only at first, but the man lifted that helmet up and off. It was then Luke realized a heart-wrenching truth: it's the first and the last time the boy would see the face of his father. It felt terrible taking the boy from his parent but the little ones life is in danger. There's no other option at that time.

The Jedi learned about the strange practice of Din Djarin's covert of not showing their faces not even to other Mandalorians. It was then he fully understood how significant that moment was for Grogu. Din Djarin grew up with that rule inculcated into every one in their covert. Luke had also heard and learned about other things that were unsettling to the Jedi. He wonders if the man before him knows things about his covert's history.

It's easy to tell how removing the helmet is still very much uncomfortable for the Mandalorian, frightening even, but Din Djarin is exerting a tremendous amount of control not to slam that bucket back onto his head.

Din is much older than Luke's 29 years; the ruler of Mandalore might be about in his early or mid-thirties. Women would likely define him as ruggedly handsome with a full head of wavy brown hair. The said hair which is right now kind of unruly from removing the headgear. Luke could only feel a stab of envy; his mop of straight blond hair would look ghastly if it got askew like that. Life is sometimes unfair.

A well groomed dark mustache and sparse beard frame Din Djarin's finely shaped lips which are now a little tense at Luke's scrutiny. "Pardon, my lord…."

"That's…' Din shook his head. "I need to…get used to this." Din gestures at his uncovered head. The man took a deep breath. "Sit. Please. I need to share what happened."

Luke took the opposite chair, his back to the door. The man noticed and nodded in approval as he pulled out his own chair across from the Jedi. His back straight, Luke waits for the man to compose his thoughts.

But before he sat down Din took off the jet pack, leaning it on the wall. Then he angled the chair so it faces the fire. "What do you know of witches?" He finally asked after he got comfy in his seat.

"Witches?" Luke raised his brows.

"Witches." Din raised the pitcher towards Luke, offering him some cold water but the Jedi shook his head.

"They're users of magic. Powerful. They come from…"

"Dathomir." Din finished before he took a drink from his cup.

"Yes." Luke nodded, surprised. "How…?"

"I was, for want of a better word, taken…"

The Jedi went wide-eyed at Din's words. "Taken?" The Mand'alor nodded. "Din, was that where you were during the mind-meld?"

The man settles back into the hard chair. "I was hoping you'd tell me…"

-o-0-o-

'Ahsoka! Where are you? Ahsoka! Do you hear me?' Din looks up. His several attempts to reach the Force and Ahsoka have failed. Do mind melds happen like this? Din is confused and a little alarmed. The first mind meld he had was like watching a holo; he knew it was from his memory. But how could he feel heat and smell the hint of sulfur if this is…'Where's Ahsoka?'

'I don't know any Ah-soh-kah.' The person drawls. The female pats the beast she's riding and it let her down to the ground. Another pat and the animal got up and lumbered a little ways to the back of the cavern. The ground trembled when the creature sat. Its crimson eyes watches Din's every move.

The female walks slowly toward him, long dark skirt shimmering in every step. 'But you just got here! Are you tired of my company already?'

'Who are you?' Din reached for his blaster…the animal, twice the size of a mudhorn, snarls, displaying its razor sharp teeth, claws splayed out on the dirt. Din readies the dark saber instead and takes on a fighting pose, lips curled.

"Stop growling, both of you!" The female swept down the deep cowl from her head where it uncovers platinum hair and parted the long heavy veil to the sides of her face. 'Don't make sudden moves so he,' she nods to the creature, 'doesn't chomp on you.' She continued to shorten the distance between them. The look she gives him makes him uneasy; for sure that behind the seductive grin hides some lethal skills.

'Where's Ahsoka?' Din blinks, feeling dazed. It feels like he's in a 'vapor den'; drug dens where the drug is pumped in mist form instead of ingesting or smoking. Din almost lost a very high value quarry in that den when he got accidentally intoxicated. The detoxification process took him one week. It was painful.

'There's no Ahsoka here. It's just you….and me.' Her clear voice said. She did something; sweeping her hand in front of her. 'Let me look at you.'

The Mandalorian tries to fight back the rising anxiety, 'What's this? What did you do to me?'

The female seemed to be assessing him seriously. She stands before him, playing with the long red sash around her hips; boldly eyeing him from head to foot. She moves with grace; taking her time to go around him…touching his armor, his body.

Din also studies her up close: on the ornate lines etched on her pale skin and silvery lines on her smooth face, enhancing the fine-boned shape of it. She is beautiful, Din hated to admit that. Is she one of those sith? He wonders.

'Don't insult me, Mandalorian. I would rather fling myself in molten lava than be mistaken for a sith.'

'So, what are you?'

'You'll know…'

'Give me your name.'

'Oh, so demanding.' The female snorted her disdain to his command, 'Fine. Call me Kalon of Dathomir.'

-o-0-o-

"My lord," Luke interrupted midway in the story, "my apologies…."

"Skywalker, stop being so formal," Din sits a little lower in the chair, sipping water. "Say what you want to say." Din gestures they are equals.

Luke nodded, "Dathomir, you say?"

"Yes, does it ring a bell?"

The Jedi shook his head slowly, a deep frown on his face. "Yes, it does. I think you have encountered one of the powerful ones."

"Why do you say that?"

"You said you were taken. Yes, these witches are powerful but to take someone from a mind meld…" the Jedi shook his head in awe. "Ahsoka and I didn't even notice!"

-o-0-o-

'What do you want from me?' The only answer he got from Kalon was a wink. Din tried again to loosen whatever fetter she puts him into. He tried flexing his muscles, expanding his chest. 'You're a bounty hunter…'

She laughed, 'You are no less warm than when you began.'

Din's jaws are getting tired from being clenched tight, her word games are wearying. 'Do you want to hire my services?'

'No.' Kalon clicks her fingers, 'but you gave me an idea. I'm curious.' She murmured slowly. 'Who is the man behind the mask?'

He caught his breath; he struggles to keep calm as she leans to him. 'No!'

'It's our secret.' The woman whispered, gave the opaque visor a kiss right where his mouth should be.

'Don't!' He snarled, angry at himself but she pulled him to her without any resistance from him.

'Too late.' From the inside of the helmet he could only look in horror as the beskar slowly lifts. Up it went…and he was exposed. Naked. His helmet cooled skin is assaulted by the warm air from the cavern. The air feels rough and tiny goosebumps had broken out from his face, his eyes begin to smart. 'Oh my…' she breathed, a big pleased smile on her face. 'Why are you hiding behind that cold bucket, ner mesh'la cyar'ika, hm?'

'Don't call me that.' Din jerked his face away from her touch.

'Why not? It fits.' It was useless; she grabs his face in both hands and made him face her.

'Let me go.' Din grated between clenched teeth, eyes hard as beskar.

'What you mustn't do is shave your beard.' She runs her fingers on the stubble. 'I like it."

'What do you want?'

'You know, you are lucky. Most travelers who come here would be consumed a long time ago…you're still here. You're not a Jedi, are you?'

'I'm no Jedi.' 'Consumed'? Fed to her pet? That hulking monster?

'Good. But….hmm,' she leans some more, her lips inches from him. Din quickly averts his face. 'You are something better.'

'What do you want?' Din's tone becomes even more strained every time she fails to reply to that question.

'How is Grogu?'

'Wh-what?' She cupped his face and gazed into his eyes. 'What do you want from him?' Shit. Another one.

And then Kalon of Dathomir gained access to his mind.

Din is taken aback, having never had this experience happen to him. She opened his psyche like opening and lowering the ramp of the Razor Crest and now she's strolling freely in its aisle; touching the walls, the equipment, opening the weapons locker, so to speak, scrutinizing every item. She went to his supply boxes opening containers in and around his head, sorting through his memory. The Mandalorian has no idea something like this could happen or that is happening to him right now. Kalon's glowing gray eyes locks him in place. 'Hm?' she sounded like she forgot his question, 'Oh, nothing really. I like him. Cute kid.'

'Then what are you looking for?'

'Shh. Just relax.' She whispers softly, in a way to calm him. 'It'll be over soon.'

'Over?' Din controls his breathing as he tries to free from whatever unseen bond she wraps him into. 'What will you do to me?'

Back in his psyche Kalon is now climbing up the cockpit ladder and into the command hub of his mind. The woman sat in his chair and began to pull up memories , information and even star charts.

'The question is, what do you want me to do to you?' Perfect rows of teeth flashed from behind luscious dark lips, 'I'm not gonna hurt you. Don't worry…ah, there it is.' Kalon held Din's head firmly as her gray eyes glowed further. The pupils suddenly dilated.

'What?' Din couldn't stop her when her lips caught his. What's happening? The Mandalorian was shocked that he responded to her. This is not me.

'Delightful…' she bit her lip again when she let go of Din's lips, 'I've never had a Mandalorian before…' she gushed in delight.

'Had? What do you mean? Killed? Tortured?' He gritted.

-o-0-o-

Luke stares at the Mand'alor who has now put his feet up and has slid a little low on his own chair. "Din…what did she want? Did she tell you?"

Din nodded slowly, eyes far away, "Yes."

Luke placed both arms on the table, clasping his hands tight. "What is it?"

-o-0-o-O-o-0-o-

ner mesh'la cyar'ika – my handsome darling.

ner – my

mesh'la — beautiful, handsome

cyar'ika - darling, beloved, sweetheart