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!
PADAWAN
CHAPTER 30
'A team's strength comes from its members, and the member's strength comes from the team.'
-Mandalorian Wisdom, True Mandalorians (FB)
"Ah, dammit!"
The barely suppressed growl made Luke Skywalker turn.
When Din was battling the rancor Luke stayed close by as per request by Grogu. Only by assuring the worried child that he will stay by the Mandalorian's side did the boy nod and agreed to stay with the two Calodan kids by the wall. Meanwhile Ahsoka keeps the witch occupied while the Mandalorian official followed the Calodan people to defend and protect them from inside the fort.
The Jedi has seen another side of Din Djarin. His mind is focused only on one thing. The injuries Din Djarin gave to the rancor were only to scare it. These animals are strong but kinda slow in the head. The injuries were really superficial and the rancor didn't know what was happening to him until Din was finished with it.
Even as a Jedi blessed by the Force Luke could only gape in shock: Din is hella fast! That impressed him but he also noted Din's lack of animosity towards the animal. He didn't like to hurt it but there's no other choice.
It was only when the animal purposely turned toward where Grogu was at did the man change. Suddenly the anger came out…and then Din Djarin became ruthless.
The Jedi peeked around the Mandalorian's shoulder and he couldn't help smile.
"Dank Farrik! Do you see this?" Din shakes his head at Luke. "This is gross insubordination!" Arms akimbo, torn and totally exasperated, he spares a worried glance behind him.
"The Force holds. I'll stand guard." Skywalker assured Din with a nod. "Go to them, Din."
Head down, mumbling and grumbling every step of the way in Mand'oa, Din goes toward the 'delinquents'. "Boys! Go back!"
"Master!" Being the fastest runner among his peers Jem got to Din first. "It's Grogu. He wants to see the monster."
"No way! Wait! What?" Din's boots crunched to a stop on the rough Calodan soil. "How the heck do you know?"
"Uh..he…uh," Jem gestures to his head. "I hear him, master."
"You hear him?" Hands on hips, the man gapes at the boy's strong nod, Din smirks when the chubby cheeks jiggles. "I see. " Is Jem Force sensitive too?
That got Din into thinking, he looks up at Grogu. When he got the kid communication was frustrating. He didn't hear anything telepathically from the boy the whole time they were together. Sometimes the kid would utter 'words' but Din had no idea what the hell he's saying at all. In his desperation he resorted to holding up things like food, a cup of water, toys or nappies. Then it's up to the kid what he'd pick or if he's even get to pick one. Ah, the travails of fatherhood.
They were just getting the hang of that game when things went haywire on that ancient Jedi planet Tython. Grogu was snatched by Moff Gideon, he lost the Razor Crest and Din Djarin was changed in the aftermath.
If only to be able to talk to Grogu then he was thankful that he had that painful run in with the force field on Tython or whatever that thing that made him Force sensitive.
"We'll talk later. Go back! It's dangerous!" Din's wave of dismissal looks anything but casual. "Go. Go."
"Master wait!" Jem gulps down his unease, scratching his head in worry. When he steps in front of Din his tummy feels like there's an eel coiled in there.
Jem was surprised but happy when Master Djarin asked him to take care of Grogu. He never expected it. The Mandalorian's son is Jem's first assignment. Jem has never had a younger brother or sibling and having to take care of someone younger and smaller than him is an exciting task for the young Calodan kid. Also, it would be an additional reference for his skills as a young apprentice.
Everyone, and that means all the young apprentice including him were a little bit scared of the big man when they first met him but Yuno seems happy with his new master. Yuno told him more than once that the man is different; he's generous, not very demanding, he doesn't shout and indulgent even. Yuno claimed as far as masters go Master Djarin is okay.
Jem is divided at this moment. He agrees with the master; it is dangerous but Grogu has been insistent he talk to his father. Jem took a deep breath. "He wants you to listen to him. It's serious. Please." Jem added a bow.
Oh hell. Din could feel his resolve wavering at the wide-eyed request. "So he talks to you too?"
"Yes. He wants to say something important to you."
"Okay, fine." Din really wants to scratch his head in vexation. "Yuno, does Grogu talk to you too?"
"I saw what he showed us but," The teen pouted briefly as he looks down at the little boy he carries, "No, he doesn't, I mean, I don't hear him, master."
"Fine." Din's gloved hand gave Jem a gentle wiggle on his shaved head. It helped ease the boy's nervousness. "I'm not mad, okay? Don't worry." Then the father waved Yuno to bring Grogu over. "Okay, let's do this, buddy." A very impatient Grogu landed in his waiting hands. Din shakes his head in wonder. Since Grogu got back he seemed to be sprightlier. Many times now he'd observed the boy jumping and leaping.
Panting and puffing impatiently, Grogu scaled up to his helmet. As soon as he reached the top the boy plastered his face right in front of the visor, trying to peer inside the opaque opening. It's actually comical what with two huge eyes peering at him and fogging up the visor with Grogu's breath. But right now humor is not part of the day. "Yeah, I'm listening, kid. No, I told you, you can't. Whoa, buddy. Slow…slow down, will you? Say again? What?"
-o-0-o-
"Oh Muk…we shouldn't have come here." Confused, for once in her life she felt helpless. Angrily, she swipes away the tears that fell after seeing her steed. "I'm sorry I couldn't…"
"You! What do you want from the Mand'alor?" Aylith stood over the hunched woman and rakes contemptuous eyes at the stranger; at the barely-there clothes that no Mandalorian female would be caught dead in, the long pale hair, the grey eyes, the tattoos. "You were that witch…" her lips curl in derision.
"'That witch?'" Kalon spat, slowly straightening to her full height, glaring as well. She matches the armored woman's contempt with equal loathing. "This witch can…"
"Oh yeah? What'll you…" Aylith snorted at the other woman.
"What is your real purpose?" Luke turns around.
"Are you talking to me?" Kalon raises a brow at the male Jedi. "Muk wants to give the Mand'alor a rancor cub…."
"Is that right?" The Jedi smirks when he turned the light saber off.
"Excuse me?" Back stiff, the witch hisses her annoyance. "Are you calling me a liar, Jedi?"
"Are you?" Aylith moves swiftly to block Kalon's path.
"How dare you!" Enraged at the insult Kalon raised a hand…
…which Din caught. With a firm hand the Mandalorian swung the witch away. "Come here….tell me the truth."
"Hey!" She struggles against Din's hold. "About what?" When Din pulls her toward his beskar plated chest delight was not what she felt being near him.
"Why you are here. "
-o-0-o-
"I trust you are satisfied."
Alrich Wren tensed at the hard words from the slight man just to his left. "Excuse me?"
"What more do you want from him? Why does he have to be more than what he is already?" The governor, who is usually mild-mannered, stands stiff with hands balled into angry fists.
"I…"
"How could you do this?" Gov. Wing steps beside the Armorer. "I thought you're his team?"
"Yes." The clan leader was stunned at the animosity coming from the Calodans. The admiring looks the Mandalorians got from the Calodans were now dark and angry. The Calodans look at them as if they were the enemy.
"But you let master Djarin fight all alone!" The security detail was amazed at the governor's righteous anger but they agree with him.
"We came to lend assistance."
"Assistance? For what? No! I saw everything!" The elder raised a stiff finger on Wren. "You just watched him fight all by himself!"
"What do you care? You are not one of us. You don't know anything about us, old man." Alrich Wren sneers at the governor.
"Perhaps." The governor nods as he folds his arms. "Perhaps I do not fully know your culture as you also do not know anything about ours. What I understand is that you support that leader for who he is."
"We support a strong leader," said one of Wren's companions.
"So, is your Mand'alor strong enough for you?" It is now the governor's turn to sneer. "You don't deserve someone like him. Go back to your planet."
"Why you…" The clan leader could feel everyone's eyes on him. Hearing those words from an arueti…! "Get out of the way, vod!"
"You will not violate the precept of our creed!" The armorer stood her ground before the weapon of the Wren-Kryze clan leader.
-o-0-o-
Feeling like an odd wheel with Din's group of Jedi and force sensitive, Aylith moved away from the scene. Better let the two Jedi and the Mand'alor deal with the witch. I'd just be in the way. Then she remembered how the locals got spooked at the rancor. She was concerned for the poor Calodans but this is what she sees when she turned back. "Hey! What the hell is going on?"
"You all stood there while master Djarin took on that monster all by himself!"
"Yes, what kind of people are you?" one of the elders shook his first the Mandalorians.
"Why didn't you help him with that?!" The apothecary jabbed a finger at the rancor.
"Alor Wren, will you shoot through me?" The armorer looks down at the barrel of the weapon a few inches in between her chest.
"Wren!" Aylith rushed to the tension-filled group. Aylith's vambrace went to the side of Wren's head. Din's covert have gathered at the fringes of the Calodan assembly clearly showing to whom they would give their protection to if things get hairy. . "What the hell are you doing? Lower your weapon!"
"That arueti dared tell me to go back to my planet…!"
"Well, he has the power to. He's the government here and you are the foreigner." The soft voice gave Wren the chills. Around them the rest of the Mandalorians were unsure of what to do. "I will not ask you again, Wren." Aylith whispers menacingly.
"Lower your weapon!" By now Din's covert and the rest of the security team have pointed their brand new weapons eagerly on Alrich.
"Leave this place!"
"Go!"
"Let me explain…." Wren gulps at a throat that went suddenly dry. The Mandalorians and the Calodans are suddenly enemies, pointing their weapons at each other, shouting, confused.
"Go!"
"Leave our city!"
"We don't want you here!"
"Wait…let me explain…" The weapons are all pointed to one target. Him.
"Drop your blaster, Wren." Aylith looks at the tense mob around them. The man let his sidearm fall. "Good." Aylith secured the weapon by dragging it towards her and placing the same booted foot on it.
The governor held up a hand. As if they rehearsed it both groups lifted their weapons at the same time.
"Governor,' the armorer faced the elder. "Accept my apologies on the attitude of one of our own."
Governor Wing sighed deeply, looking back at the woman with sad eyes. "Master Djarin is one of us now. He has asked protection from our walls," the elder glares when a few Mandalorians chuckled at his words. "Yes, he asked for our protection and I think I know why." The laugh stopped. "He was running away from you because that is all you see. He's just a symbol in your eyes. I know about you. I know what happened to your world. I am sorry about that. Ever since Master Djarin came here all he did was help us. He almost died." Elder Wing gave the armorer's sharp intake of breath a nod. "Yes, we are not good at fighting unlike you Mandalorians but we are willing to defend him. He is a good man and if you do not want him, Master Din and his son, has a home here, with us!" The Calodans affirmed the statement of the elder enthusiastically.
Aylith glares at Wren. "You will be tried and sentenced by the Mand'alor. But before that happens I want you to apologize to these people."
"I…I apologize on behalf of my clan." Wren gazes at the people looking angrily at him; only him, not to the Councilwoman, not the Armorer. His knees fell on the rough soil. "I want…" At the gesture of one of the Calodan security men he lifts his hands up. "I wanted to help him…" the booing stops when the elder shushed the people. They stopped and bowed! Respectfully! That was amazing for the man. "…but I also want them to see someone who is capable of leading them…"
"Unlike your daughter…" the elder shakes his head.
"…she thinks a mere saber would be enough to stop the division." Wren nods. "She wanted to get it back to stabilize the clans…"
"But it wouldn't…and now your people wants to have someone whose capability they wouldn't be able to question."
"They need to see for their own eyes. They want proof. I just want my people to stop killing each other!"
"Now that you have your 'proof'," Gov. Wing made a gesture of his distaste of the word 'proof.' "What will happen now?"
-o-0-o-
Kalon pouted. "Din, I told you Muk wants to give you a cub…."
"Enough!" Din gave her a slight shake. "I grow tired of your mind games. You waste my time. If you are done here, leave."
"I can't."
"Why?" Din sounds tired.
Grogu made a worried sound. The boy looks at the witch. The blaster would usually follow that head shake. Trouble, the boy thought. Jem nods.
Din holds up a hand in warning. "Please answer me straight because right now my patience wears thin."
Kalon took a deep breath as she looks at her pet. Fine. He's not that kind of guy. "I need information… about a Zabrak male."
Even behind the Beskar metal Din is obviously confused. "Zabrak?" He shakes his head. "Why? Is he a wanted criminal? Your bounty?"
She shook her head, "He's not. He is a donor. A donor is…."
"I know what…that is." Din held up a hand, roughly sweeping the word aside. He hates that word. "Is he for you?"
"For a sister." Kalon controlled a smile. "Help me?" she moves forward but he moves away. What's up with this guy?
"If I help you," Hands on hips the Mandalorian expressed a deep sigh, "you have to give me something."
Oh, at last. Maybe all is not lost. "Alright." The witch gave Din a slow smile. The perk is back in her voice. "What do you want?"
"Answers."
"Oh." The perk fell again. "What kind of answers do you want?"
"Let's start by explaining how that 'thing' knows my son?"
-o-0-o-