Hey! Long time, no post…I know, I know. Please don't send whistling birds in my direction! But I've been working hard on a new story from an idea pitched to me from graingergirl months ago so you can thank her for the inspiration on this one! It's grown to be something much larger, deeper, and emotional than I was initially intending, and I'm very excited to see it played out. Hopefully it will do justice to what's rolling around in my head and will do you proud, grangergirl!
I currently don't have the story finished and for me to post anything before it's completely done is a new one for me. But I'm getting antsy to post SOMETHING and felt settled at least on this first chapter. Future chapters will be sporadically posted once I'm satisfied with them, but I'll try not to wait too long. (Reviews help encourage me!) A bit of housekeeping as usual: (1) See my updated profile for standard Mando notes on my stories…they apply here too, and (2) I intended this story to have sort of a brother/sister slant between Din and Cara but it could potentially be read as a subtle slow burn if you prefer that (should be able to be read either way). Hope you enjoy!
"So, I took another looksie at the schematics, and I think we can make the modifications you asked for and tuck it in right above the exhaust manifold."
"The exhaust manifold? That won't work. I have to be able to access it from the cockpit."
"I don't know what to tell ya! She's a speedy, lean machine and keeping fit like that requires very strategic arrangement."
"You don't have to tell me—I helped build her, you know. What about somewhere off the droid port?"
"We could technically place it in between the cockpit and the port but that would then close up the tunnel we put in for your little adventurer to get to your lap."
"Sigh, this is why I originally wanted another Razor Crest…"
"Oh, would you quit your whining about that already? The first day you took this baby up into the wild blue yonder I've never seen a happier expression on your face." The blank stare of Mandalorian beskar held Peli Motto's gaze, disbelief permeating the air. "I could hear it in your voice," she amended confidently.
"Do you hear it in my voice now?" threatened Din Djarin, slipping his hands to his hips with a slight lean forward.
"All right, all right! Don't worry! I'm not one to leave my favorite customer stranded in a sandpit. I'll see if I can tuck your requested snack storage under the seat."
"Thanks. And don't skimp on the size…this kid can eat."
"Trust me, I know. He's racking you up a bill even as we speak," chuckled Peli as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward the tiny green infant that was currently sitting atop an old oil barrel, slurping up a live dung worm. A bowl full of the wriggling delicacy sat in front of him. "HEY!" the mechanic shouted toward her pit crew, nearly making the Mandalorian jump (which was a feat in and of itself). "Bring another round of worms for the little one!" She swiveled back to her sighing customer with a not-so-humble shrug while her team scurried about in obedience. "Sure, you may be paying for it, but seriously, what other hangar offers its best customers the service of fresh food while you wait, hmm? That's small town courtesy right there." Before Din could comment, his communicator in the cockpit chirped an incoming message.
Hmm…not expecting any calls…
"I better take this," he apologized and moved towards his N-1.
"No problem, take your time…PIT DROIDS! Tell the Jawas I may need them to go digging in the sandbox a bit more…"
As Peli sauntered off deeper into the hanger, Din easily slid into his cockpit and flicked the switch to accept the incoming correspondence. A blue hologram fizzled into a very familiar face. "Cara! Good to hear from you," Din couldn't help but smile beneath his helmet at seeing his friend.
"Hey, stranger," quipped Cara with her customary smirk. "What are you up to lately?"
"Stopping through Mos Eisley for some upgrades. Touched base with Boba and Fennec while passing through…things seem to be going well."
"No more gang wars, huh?" surmised Cara with a nod. She hesitated briefly, glancing down at her clasped hands. "Look, Din, I uh…kind of wanted to call in a favor."
"Sure, name it," the bounty hunter agreed, relaxing back in his seat.
"Um, it's actually a personal favor," the dropper clarified a little guiltily. "I can explain more to you in person whenever you come back home…" Her voice trailed off a little quieter, regret that she even brought it up evident in her tone.
"Of course, Cara. I can be there by tonight," assured Din, his curiosity piqued. He watched her hologram image release a subtle sigh of relief before a comforted smile crept onto her lips.
"Thanks, Mando. See you shortly." As the call zipped in disappearance, Din couldn't help but wonder what this favor would entail. Glancing over the edge of the N-1, he watched his son slurp up another worm.
Better pack some extra snacks.
The darkening dusk of Nevarro's sky only made the vein-like tendrils of lava flowing across the planet's surface below burn a more brilliant orange. Din surmised it was a beauty in its own dangerous way as he skillfully piloted his ship across the atmosphere. It was by far no jewel in the galaxy's crown, but it was home to Clan Mudhorn. Grogu wiggled in his lap and clambered up a little higher so he could also see out the window. Tilting his wrist ever so slightly to bank, Din angled the ship so his son could have an easier view of the glowing lava flats. An awed coo resounded from the child, his ears raised in attentiveness.
"Kind of neat, huh, kid?" concurred Din, his gloved hand raising to lovingly stroke one of his boy's long, fuzzy ears.
"Patu," Grogu chirped back in agreement, his gaze glued to the world below. Din then felt their bond through the Force ripple. Kind of looks like fireworks on the ground, buir. A husky chuckle resounded at the child's description and the beskar helmet nodded once.
Yes, ad'ika, I guess it does.
Grogu then yawned and settled back down contentedly into his father's lap for the remainder of the trip. Beyond the telling sense of tiredness drifting across their bond, Din had seen the kid's head sleepily dip and then buck back up to wake up several times already. He knew it would not be long before the infant was out for the count. Slipping one hand from the controls, Din subtly snuck his arm around his son to pull him closer. The protective intimacy instantly had its intended effect, and Grogu instinctively snuggled into the embrace, purring happily if not drowsily. A wave of love swept over Din as the child grasped the man's thumb and shut his eyes in sleep. A smile no one could see spread across the Mandalorian's face as he carefully guided the ship down to the surface, just outside their humble, little home far from the outskirts of town. In the distance, the dim twinkle of the buildings' and streets' lights gave the modest huddle of life a sleepy appearance, which only added to the contrast of the lone individual awake, standing in the shadows and waiting patiently on Din's front porch. It was too dark to see features, but Din recognized Cara's unique silhouette as he gently brought his ship to rest. Out of the corner of his view, he watched her push off from her leaning stance against the house and stride out to meet him as his engines rumbled down into silence. As the cockpit window slid backward, the fresh night air rolled in with only the white noise of a lava cricket and a pond frog welcoming the little family home. The peacefulness and satisfaction of being home instantly soothed Din, both in body and soul. Though the bounty hunter held the renown of being a stellar navigator of the vast galaxy, deep in his heart Din loved being home. Delicately, the father gathered his sleeping son into his arm and higher up on his chest so he could emerge from the pit of his seat and descend to the ground. It was a bit of a test of balance, but Din had already had lots of practice. Grogu didn't even stir awake and continued to snooze against his cuirass. Shifting his gaze, Din greeted his friend as she drew closer.
"Hey."
"Hey," echoed Cara quietly, the last glimpse of the setting sun reflected in her eyes as they bounced briefly to the sleeping Grogu. "Sorry it's so late."
"Don't worry about it. He missed his nap today," explained Din with a shrug as he rounded the wing to extract his duffle of essentials from the belly of the ship.
"He must be tired if he slept through the landing," observed Cara as she patiently waited for Din to finish grabbing his stuff.
"Eh, he's been known to sleep through a firefight. He can easily sleep through my engines," chuckled Din, hefting his bag over his shoulder. The pair slowly made their way back to the cabin. Din graciously inclined his head toward the door to allow Cara through first after he'd unlocked it. She'd been over many times since returning to Nevarro. Greef had been ecstatic to take her back as a Co-Marshal with IG-11 and insisted she have the finest dwelling quarters in the heart of town. Instead, she'd bargained for something a little more lowkey in a subset of the village but still abided by the High Magistrate's wishes to have her close to the people she was protecting. The bounty hunter was never far away if she ever needed back up…or simply just a friend to talk to.
"Get yourself a drink…I'll just be a minute," offered Din as his duffle slid down to his hand and he quietly walked further into the house, the lights raising to a calm dim as he entered. The quarters weren't large or flashy but were more than suitable for Din's needs—a common area and kitchen, refresher, laundering, and three simple bedrooms…one for Din, one for Grogu, and one for guests which were incredibly few and far between. And while Grogu's room held his few toys and stuffed frogs, the child preferred to sleep in his father's room (to which Din had nothing negative to say). Softly setting his bag on the end of his bed, the Mandalorian made his way over to Grogu's crib nearby. The side bars were short and served more for protection rather than confinement, so Din did not have to bend far to gently transition his son down to the mattress and within a minute had him stripped down to his nappy for bed. The baby shifted and whimpered slightly at the loss of closeness but settled without waking once Din rested his heavy hand gently on Grogu's tummy.
"Shh, shh," soothed Din slowly, easing the child back into his dreams. He lazily rubbed the boy's belly to calm him and waited until he was sure he was fast asleep before removing his hand. He silently exited the room, leaving the door cracked, and rejoined his guest in the common area. He found Cara sitting at his kitchen table, patiently waiting for him with a bottle of cold spotchka in her hand.
"You're really good with him," complimented Cara with a small, tired smile.
"Thanks," came the succinct but soft response as another bottle of spotchka was retrieved from the refrigeration unit. He joined her at the table and slipped off his helmet without fanfare. Twin pairs of dark brown eyes met each other, squinting slightly as they both smiled in a deeper, warm greeting for a moment.
"So, what's the favor?" inquired Din as he raised his bottle to his lips and took a long drink. Cara sighed and fondled her own bottle between her hands nervously.
"Ever heard of Orviscero?" she asked.
"Can't say that I have. Is it a man or a planet?"
"Planet," replied Cara, an amused smile briefly flashing across her face before disappearing in seriousness again. "Outer rim but a straight trajectory from where Alderaan used to be." Something in her tone tipped Din off.
She did say this was personal.
"What kind of planet is it?" came his next question.
"Largely unpopulated. A few small pockets of locals that keep to themselves. Almost no off-world travel. Heavily wooded and mountainous with some rivers here and there. Mild temperatures all year round with the exception of some harsher winters. Great place for hunting," explained Cara, her eyes remaining on her drink. "My family used to own a cabin there for many years." Din fought the urge to swivel his head fully toward her to gauge her response and settled for matching her posture in keeping his eyes on his own bottle, not wanting her to feel studied.
"Is it still there?"
"I…don't know," admitted Cara. She swallowed thickly and sucked in a breath through her nostrils before continuing. "I'm not sure why, but I can't seem to get it out of my head. Kind of want to go check it out…see if it's still standing." Her gaze shifted from the spotchka to her armored friend. "And I'd kind of appreciate the company…if you're not busy," she requested in a softer tone Din had never heard her use with anyone else before. But he recognized the wistful sorrow of stolen memories when he heard it.
"Of course," he nodded once in assurance and was met with a small, grateful smile.
Cara Dune took a deep breath as her fighter—the Liberator—soared through the foggy atmosphere of Orviscero. She lost sight of Din's N-1 in the haze but knew he was nearby somewhere. Her altimeter ticked downward as she lowered her ship further, breaking through the intermittent fog to finally reveal a vast forest of pines for nearly as far as the eye could see. Several mountain ranges rose taller than the pines could grow and sported balding, rocky crags at their peaks, but otherwise the surface of the planet was blanketed in a calming deep green. The familiar sight stretching out before her caused her throat to close up, and she struggled to clear it.
"That's quite a view."
Cara's eyes slid to her left as Din's N-1 pierced through the misty dome, his engines leaving a swirling trail as he performed a single rotation.
"Never gets old either," she replied back over her coms, thankful her voice came through solid. Keep it together, Dune. Her eyes scanned the topography below. "So, there's basically no real government system or organized infrastructure here or anything since it's so remote and cleared landing areas are few and far between so…holler if you find something in this general area. We'll have to hike to where we're going anyway."
"Copy that."
It did take a small bit of scouting and scanning but soon the pair found a natural clearing just barely large enough to hold both of their ships in a valley. The pines were close enough to whip about in the air from their engines' wind as they descended into the forest's protective cover. As Cara's cockpit hood rose in release, the rush of fresh, wet earth and balsam greeted her senses. The nostalgia came soon after, and the dropper couldn't help but close her eyes and soak in the familiarity of the moment. That first breath…the anticipation of good times ahead…her father's bright smile…her mother's sideways smirk…her brothers' hearty laughter…
"It's beautiful." Din's observation broke Cara's reminiscence, and she opened her eyes again.
"It is," she concurred as she pulled herself out of her seat and dropped to the soft ground below. "It hasn't changed a bit from what I remember."
"When were you last here?" asked Din as he helped Grogu out of his N-1. The kid's head was swiveling back and forth, trying to absorb the surroundings.
"Many years ago. My family used to come here for time away together and to hunt. We'd often spend weeks at a time here if not over a month. Last time we did that was the year I left to join the Alliance. Then after Alderaan happened, well…I've not been back since," admitted Cara, her volume quieting as she gazed upward at the conifers towering more than 500 feet and each easily 40 feet in diameter.
"Seems very peaceful here. I can tell why it's special," Din commented gently. His helmeted head craned upward to try to take in the enormity of the silent sentinel surrounding them. "The trees here are certainly some of the bigger ones that I've seen," he added, graciously guiding the conversation back to facts. Cara was thankful for the subtle consideration.
"Yes. Everything seems to grow bigger here…including the wildlife," remarked Cara with a knowing smirk lacing her tone.
"What did you tend to hunt?"
"Mostly the local elk. But there's no shortage here—moose, deer, wolf, bear, wildcat," she explained as she turned to unload and strap on her backpack that was half her height. "And all of them would probably eat him so you'll want to keep him close to you," she added, glancing over her shoulder at the green infant.
"Doh," blanched Grogu and fearfully shifted his eyes a little more cautiously around the deep woods before him.
"What did your family do with the game?" asked Din, unperturbed by the threat of wild creatures.
"We'd eat it or sell it to the locals or use the furs. It's how I first learned to be a crack shot," Cara couldn't help but boast as she clasped her pack's buckles in front of her chest.
"And how old were you?"
"Probably around seven or eight," chuckled Cara. "My mom wasn't the biggest fan, but my dad was big on safety, so he taught me and my brothers well." She finished securing her ship and waited for Din to do the same after slinging his pack over his shoulder. Grogu sat nestled in his beskar pram with his blanket, eyes still wide and nose wiggling with all of the scents. As the trio set off into the woods, guided by Cara's memory and her digital compass, a thought struck the shock trooper.
"When exactly did you learn to shoot?"
"After I was adopted by the Mandalorians. I was ten years old," explained Din, his modulated voice amplifying his breaths. "Foundlings usually start off learning hand-to-hand combat wrestling and fighting techniques, but then training weapons are incorporated."
"You must have taken advantage of every chance you got to practice for as good as you are at both," teased Cara, picking her way through the carpet of fallen needles and pinecones.
"I was actually very shy," amended Din casually.
No way, really? thought Cara with gently amused sarcasm but said nothing.
"I rarely ever went picking fights, but I also never backed down from one," the Mandalorian clarified. "You learn which fights you can win with words and which ones have to be settled with fists."
"You're wiser than me. I usually always went straight for the fists," laughed Cara.
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," quipped Din quickly, a chuckle of his own resonating in the back of his throat.
"Kind of had to. My brothers and I went to a rougher school growing up. My mother was an integral part of the school…helped troubled kids there—it was actually where she went to school too when she was little. My parents had enough money to put us elsewhere, but they wanted us to learn to fend for ourselves and impact others. I tell you what, you learn street smarts real quick if you want to make it in a place like that."
"I'm sure."
"But we had our parents' love and support so that made a…" Cara's instincts heightened as her senses suddenly went on full alert. She halted her tracks and paused to quickly assess what had tipped her off. The Mandalorian followed her lead and came to a stop on her left, Grogu's pram hovering close behind him. No suspicious sounds resounded in the vicinity. She saw in her peripheral Din raise a hand toward his helmet to help scan the area for heat signatures. Sweeping her own keen eyes around the forest's floor in a circle, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Suddenly, her gaze landed on a tree just behind Din that provided the answer and her knowledgeable instincts drove her eyes upward towards the branches.
"Din! Watch out!" she barely managed to warn before a colossal mass of dark brown fur, muscle, and bone weighing a single ton dropped from the sky. A skuller bear! Cara managed to dive aside just in time and Grogu speedily scooted his pram out of the way, but Din was too close to the base of the tree to avoid the collision.
"Huagh!" he cried in surprise as the enormous bear landed directly on top of him, its weight pummeling him face first on the soft ground in a mere second. The impact strongly likened to being hit with a Corellian freight train—an angry freight train. The ten foot bear aggressively stomped atop Din with massive, clawed paws, pressing his body into the ground. The hellish creature reared its thick head, adorned with a crown of short, ivory horn-like spikes growing out of its skull, and roared a deafening war cry. Vibrations reverberated through the earth and tremored toward Cara's fingertips. With eyes wide and her own breath stolen away, the dropper hurriedly backpedaled on the forest floor farther away towards the cover of another tree's trunk and slung off her backpack in a hurry.
C'mon, Cara, c'mon.
Wrenching open the main zipper to her pack, she rapidly scouted through her belongings. They're supposed to be hibernating! What's a skuller doing out here? As she franticly rifled through various compartments of her pack to gather what she needed, she glanced back up at the sound of forceful huffing. Cara watched as the skuller bear bent its immense head down towards Din's jetpack and opened its wide jaws to clamp down on the beskar. A horrific screeching tore through the air as the bear's sharp teeth slid down the smooth sides of the jetpack, the ancient metal holding its own. After a frustrated lick of the armor, the bear angrily paw-swiped the protruding pack which was enough to send Din spiraling out of his personal grave embedded in the forest floor. Cara was relieved to hear a pained moan from Din as the man harshly landed on his back, though still beneath the straddled front legs of the bear.
At least he's still alive…at the moment...
Fingers shaking but obeying her muscle memory, she rotated and twisted and assembled the various pieces she'd extracted from her backpack. C'mon, c'mon…faster, Dune. A frightened coo distracted her attention again—Grogu! She whipped her head back up, eyes ricocheting in every direction to try to pinpoint the kid's location. She found him hovering in his pram hardly six feet from the bear, facing it down. Her heart clenched in fear. He's too close! The baby cooed in worry yet steadily raised his little paw toward the bear—but the predator was faster. With a single sniff and an angry roar, the bear effortlessly swung a large paw toward Grogu.
"No!" came Din's strangled cry and with practiced, lightening reflexes hit the command on his vambrace to close the child securely in his beskar shell just in time. The force of the bear's swing sent the armored egg sailing across the clearing until it crashed into the trunk of a pine. Cara's heart nearly stopped when no movement came from the enclosed pram, lying quiet on the forest's floor. The bear seemed equally captivated with the lack of movement and began to lumber away from Din to investigate the easier target.
"NO!"
Cara heard Din's desperate cry as the Mandalorian mightily struggled to his feet and unholstered his blaster. "That won't do a thing, Din!" Cara hissed ruefully, hoping her friend would hear her without the bear discovering her position. Evidently her warning was not heard as the bounty hunter shot round after round into the bear's broad backside as it continued to meander towards the still pram. The blaster fire laughably had absolutely no effect on the bear's furry, thick hide and did nothing to distract it from its prey. Taking the fight to the air, Din ignited his jetpack and soared above and around towards the front of the beast, positioning himself between the threat and his son. This got the creature's attention, and it huffed in great annoyance. Raising itself a bit higher, the skuller bear extended its massive paw again to strike. Taking the chance, Din shot his fist forward and let his cable fly. The wire circled quickly around the paw, and before it had even finished securing, Din thrust the power on his jetpack to try to disrupt the bear's balance.
A countering mere yank from the paw sent Din spiraling back to the mercy of the hellish giant of the forest.
Cara's heart tightened as the jetpack engines choked and sputtered out. A terrible moan of pain emanated from the warrior as his body tried to recover from the collision to the ground. The man's limbs swayed aimlessly as he clearly tried to gain his bearings. Though Din had effectively recaptured the beast's attention, his strength was very quickly waning. They were running out of time.
Steady your heart—breathe, Cara, breathe. Focus.
The shock trooper forced her attention back to her fingers which had continued to fly in practiced pattern as steel and wire geometrically came together. Hurry it up, Dune. You've only got one shot at this. A sudden shout from Din pulled her gaze as the bear irately stomped a front paw on his cuirass. Glancing quickly at the pram across the clearing, Cara released her own huff of frustration and fear. "Kid, you better not be dead cause I'm gonna need your help here in a second…"
Din's vision wavered as his consciousness returned to the sound of a cringing scraping at his chest. The snarling and huffing merely inches above him sent chills through his bones. His body felt heavier than lead—moving was absolutely out of the question. The beskar held true and protected him, but the pressure driving him into the ground still pressed painfully upon his core. He was defenseless in this position. As if mocking him, the bear bellowed once again in his face—Din was sure he'd be deaf after this.
If there even is an "after this"…
He tried again to reach out through the Force to check on Grogu. The boy had gone silent after the nasty creature had hurled his pram against the tree. Despite his own predicament, worry swelled deep within Din at the eerie void across their bond. Is he… But his focus was shaken when the heavy paw descended again on his chest.
"Uuuughaaagh…"
Din's body spasmed in pain under the foot of the animal. Unable to reach for his boot knife, he managed to tilt his wrist enough to release a wave of whistling birds. The effect was nothing short of pathetic as the tiny missiles failed to do more than nick the bear's tough hide and resembled more like a swarm of pesky gnats. The bear ignored the assault completely and attempted to hook a claw underneath the top edge of the Mandalorian's cuirass. An instant new wave of panic shot through Din—while the beskar would hold up against the weight of the beast, it wasn't impossible for it to strip him of his armor. The sharp tip of the single claw easily tore through the material at his neck and dug further into skin. Din couldn't help the deep cry that escaped his throat as the sharp pain ignited in his right shoulder. Thankfully the claw curved back upward and didn't pierce farther, but Din felt the movement jostle his body as the bear tried to pry his cuirass free. Balling his fist, the Mandalorian ignored the pain in his shoulder and unleashed a stream of fire straight into the bear's huge snout hovering above him. A short, shocked bark echoed loudly in the forest as the surprised animal released its grip and took a step back, shaking its head to dismiss the sting of the flames. Din's weapon didn't even have a chance to fully extinguish before the infuriated bear came charging back again, this time with both paws pounding on his chest.
"Uuh-ahhh…," gasped Din in a wheeze, his flame thrower winking out as his body was thrust into the ground once again. The infernal creature, now fully frustrated with its difficult and confusing prey, split its paws to straddle the man, now assured he wasn't going to attempt anything. Tucking its snout closer into its chest, the bear began to shove its head downward, driving its crown of spikes straight into Din's chest plate. The warrior's consciousness flickered dangerously as the shock of the impact stole his breath away. The bear continued to pound its head with its sharp crown, driving him further into the soft earth. The rapid repetition prevented Din from achieving a full breath, and he felt his awareness quickly slipping away.
It was a miracle he'd heard it at all, but a small trill of familiar worried chirps sounded from somewhere beyond his head. G-grogu! Despite the pain, Din's heart leapt at the realization that his son was alive. The bear halted its barrage against his chest to look up at the new disturbance. Stars danced in front of Din's view, but he managed to tilt his head backward to look. About thirty feet beyond him and the bear, his son hovered in his beskar pram with Cara at his side, a three foot wide crossbow with a very sharp looking, long arrow nestled inside angled against her shoulder and trained on the bear.
"Don't move, Din," Cara called out, her eyes laser-focused on the creature hovering above him.
Is she kidding?
A loud snort in annoyance came from above, the pine needles surrounding Din scampering quickly away in the wake of the bear's breath. A few curious sniffs followed—they had its attention.
"C'mon, you kriffing skuller. Get away from him," threatened Cara gruffly, shifting her weight to balance herself for her shot. Din heard Grogu chime in with his version of a taunt, an equivalent of grunts and grumbles. It was then that Din felt a jumbled wave of concerndeterminationnervousness stretch out in the Force.
Stay still, buir. We've got this.
All Din could do was moan in reply while the bear growled low in its throat, somewhat hesitant to give up its prize. "Come on," coaxed Cara, her voice hardened and resolute. The bear postured itself above Din but seemed to realize he wouldn't be going anywhere and that this new threat maybe should be taken care of first. A massive paw took a single step forward. "That's it. Come to momma," enticed Cara again, a confident glint sparkling in her eye. She adjusted her grip on her crossbow in anticipation. "Get ready, Grogu…" Another step forward and then another was taken until finally the only remaining part of the skuller bear hovering over Din was its shadow. But now it was only a stone's throw away from Grogu and Cara. A challenging snarl escaped from the bear's throat, threatening a counter move.
"Okay, Grogu, now," commanded Cara as her fingers itched on the trigger. Grogu raised his little hand upward with a concentrated huff of effort. Din saw the sky's light suddenly dim, and he craned his neck again to see. He instantly wished he hadn't. Just a few feet beyond his head stood the enormous creature on its haunches, blocking any view of nearly anything else. Standing at its full height, the bear easily towered at 20 feet. He could just barely view his friends through the bear's legs and saw Grogu concentrating very hard through the Force while Cara squinted her eyes and took her aim. The bear released almost a confused and irritated grumble and seemed to fidget against the invisible force holding it hostage on its haunches. Now having gained a clear shot and with Din out of harm's way, the releasing thwap of Cara's crossbow resonated, followed by a wet, fleshy, gruesome sound as the large arrow hit its mark through the heart. A gasp then a choke then a cough from the bear reached Din's ears just before a weighty collapse reverberated beyond his head. The sky's light streamed down once again, and silence returned to the forest.
Grogu didn't bother waiting until Cara had checked to be sure the bear was dead and to extract the arrow. Leaping out of his pram, the infant scurried across the forest floor to get to his father's side, pine needles snagging on the hem of his tunic. Huffing and puffing a bit, Grogu quickly sidled up to Din's right shoulder, his frame trembling with worry for his father and his thoughts rushing through their bond.
Buirbuirbuirbuirbuir…
The Mandalorian's helmet tiredly tilted to the side to view his son, his body eerily still.
Shh, ad'ika, I'm o-okay.
NOT okay.
Well…true, m-maybe not 'okay' but…
That was a BEAR, buir. A BIG bear. A big, MEAN bear.
Yes, ad'ika, I saw it…
You're hurt. You're bleeding. Let me look.
Without waiting for a mental reply, Grogu's little tri-fingered hand reached out and authoritatively pressed against the helmet's cheek to push Din's face away so his other hand could pull aside the cape's layers at his neck to allow inspection of the open wound. It was a mess. The gouge created from the bear's claw in Din's shoulder was more ugly than it was dangerous but nonetheless assuredly painful. Blood continued to paint the surrounding mottled skin a dark shade of red. A reactive, worried coo escaped from the child.
Grogu…are you hurt? Din's helmet attempted to tilt back again but his cheek was once more forcefully pushed out of the way.
Stop moving. I'm looking.
Ad'ika, you didn't answer my question…
Fine, buir. Just sore. Headache.
You have to p-promise me that if it becomes anything worse, you'll tell me, okay?
Promise, buir. Need to help heal you.
No. Not if your head hurts. Grogu felt the parental sense of concernfirmness rippling across their bond.
I can do it, buir. Head doesn't hurt much. The boy sent his own sense of honesty rippling back.
Well…you can do the shoulder. The rest is just bruising and will heal in time since the beskar p-protected me.
Okay. Another small push tilted the helmet farther again in warning. Don't move.
All right, ad'ika. And t-thank you.
Grogu carefully nestled his tiny hand down through the folds of Din's cloak and flight suit to rest it on his bare skin and near the leaking wound. He heard a sigh release from his father's helmet even as the beskar rotated the other direction to allow full access. The boy then squinted his eyes in concentration and called upon the Force's energy to mend his father's shoulder. He barely heard Cara approach after her inspection of the bear and settle herself on Din's other side in a crouch. Grogu's focus on his work prevented him from absorbing what else was going on around him with full clarity, but he still followed along with the adults' conversation.
"Is he healing everything?" Cara's voice remained steady but held an undercurrent of worry.
"Just the shoulder. The bruising can heal—mmhh—on its own," Din replied, his tone strained and tight as his son worked. A strangled sort of gasp started to escape the warrior's throat as the mending burned and throbbed, but Din cut the vocalization off with a hard swallow and a sigh. Grogu felt bad he was causing his father more pain but knew it was the only way to make things better. He released a coo to comfort him but dutifully continued with his task.
"Any internal damage?" questioned Cara as she scooted closer to her friend. Her hands began gently patting him down and palpating with the trained precision of a battle-worn soldier.
"No, I don't t-think so…but I definitely feel like I got knocked around a good bit," huffed Din before harshly inhaling as she hit an especially sore spot on his abdomen. "Aagh-mmmhh." His left hand reactively shot up and encircled her wrist, squeezing in a subtle plea to go easy.
"That's probably because ya did," joked Cara, but the look in her eyes held nothing but genuine care and concern. After judging his stomach area was okay albeit tender, her hands gently slid upward and just under his cuirass to trace his ribs as best as she could. Years ago, Din would have utterly flinched at her touch—though admittedly he still would for any reason other than medical or practical—but with as many scrapes as they'd both been through together, the medical exercise had now become routine for both of them. "Skuller bears are something you never want to come in contact with if you can help it," she advised while she squinted in focus, her fingertips continuing to probe for any broken bones in his rib cage.
"I a-assume you have in the p-past…?" guessed Din, allowing her to continue her examination despite his body now involuntarily tremoring in exhausted response. Another gasp of pain slipped past his control.
"I saw one once from far away when I was very little and then only one more time with my father close up. It was a very old, sick bear and not as much of a threat. That's when my father taught me where to shoot it and how," explained Cara as she finished her assessment of his chest, finding all bones miraculously whole, and scooted down towards his boots. Carefully raising Din's left leg, she maneuvered it to ensure there were no issues. "Can't use anything with blaster fire as its hide is too thick. Locals use large steel spring jaw traps that they hide just under the dirt or leaves in the more deciduous areas. You put them underneath trees where you see their markings…" Cara jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the tree the bear had leapt from—sure enough there were telltale scratch marks each over a foot long in the bark from the bear's claws, "…so if you ever see a tree like that, don't walk close to it unless you want your leg snapped off. Or get pounced on like you did."
"Duly noted."
"Then once you catch one in the trap, you have to use very specific steel arrows that are designed strong enough to pierce it. Lucky for you I hit my mark…I only have the one arrow."
"I'm surprised you had to stand that close to hit it…certainly was a big enough target," ribbed Din. He groaned loudly as Cara pushed a little more forcefully on his leg just to get him back for his quip.
"What was that again?" Sass saturated the Force, and Grogu couldn't help his snort of amusement.
"I said nice s-shooting," corrected Din breathlessly as she eased up, then shifted in seriousness. "And thank you for saving me." Cara smirked but gently set his leg back down before moving on to check the other one.
"I'm honestly surprised a skuller was even out right now. They're supposed to be hibernating," the dropper remarked with some measure of concern, her eyes keeping a vigilant watch on their surroundings while she worked. "Makes me wonder what else is maybe stirring when it shouldn't be. And why."
"Maybe it—ow, watch it," Din suddenly growled, much like the bear, and raised his helmet to glare at Cara, a jolt of pain shooting up his leg as she tested its mobility a little too far. The woman said nothing but eased up on the pressure and instead kneaded the tension out of his calf muscle with her strong fingertips. A sigh escaped Din's lips in relief before he continued with his thought. "Maybe it just really liked me," he jested tiredly. A huff of laughter escaped out of Cara's mouth.
"You sound just like my brothers," she murmured to herself with an amused shake of the head. Grogu felt Din's helmet swivel slightly to look more directly at Cara again before he nudged it out of the way with his free hand.
Don't move, buir. Almost done.
Sorry.
"Why do they call it a skuller bear anyway? The horns on its head?"
"Yes. They usually always stay underground in their caves. That's why it's rare to ever see one. But they use their crown to pound and grind away at the earth in the caves to uncover a certain metal the locals call skalium. It's unique to this planet. The bears crave it—they lick the metal for nutrients that they need. A skuller can sniff out a deposit in the earth more than twenty feet down and over five miles away. Which brings me to something else…" Cara sighed deeply as she carefully lowered Din's leg and rested her hands on her thighs, looking directly at her friend. "I think the beskar is what attracted the bear." The Mandalorian raised his head in surprise just as Grogu finished his work on his shoulder, also confused by her comment.
"What?"
"Meh?"
"Its behavior was that of what it does in the caves when it's searching for deposits. Even Grogu with his beskar armor and his beskar pram seemed to attract the bear. Skalium isn't as durable as beskar so it's not as valuable, but I think they're a bit similar in properties—which makes it valuable to the bear," admitted Cara. A regretful look washed over her face, and she lowered her gaze. "I should have considered this beforehand—just didn't think it would be a risk. We'll hurry back to the ships and get you guys out of here—and we should probably get going before another stray bear picks up the scent."
"Wait, what are you going to do?" clarified Din as he struggled to pull himself upright. His body shook horribly. Cara reached out and took his hand to help him.
"I'll make sure you guys leave safely then I'll just go on to the cabin. It's no big deal…I'm just sorry I made you come all the way out here for nothing," apologized Cara in a softer tone.
She's lying, buir.
I know, ad'ika.
"We're staying," decided Din as he worked to push himself to his feet. He wavered a good bit but managed to find his balance with a painful sigh.
"Din, I…no. I can't be the cause of you removing your armor," Cara stated emphatically, now a slightly frantic edge to her voice.
"I'm not removing it because of you. I'm removing it because I choose to," the Mandalorian clarified steadily.
Because you choose her…same difference, Grogu couldn't help but think across their bond with an ornery sideways glance upward.
She is in our clan, Grogu. She sought our help to come with her, and we will remain loyal to our word and to our clan. This is the way.
A knowing grunt responded in approval. This is the way.
"No one here knows us, and they're remote and isolated enough," continued Din out loud for Cara's sake. "To their knowledge, a Mandalorian wasn't even here." This argument seemed to settle Cara and the fact that she didn't press farther spoke more loudly than anything else.
"Thank you, Din," she simply replied quietly, her eyes begging him to understand it meant more than she could verbalize in that moment. The helmet dipped once in a nod.
"What do you propose I do with the armor? The bears will just find it back at the ships and probably tear them apart," observed Din as he painfully bent to gather Grogu into his arms, not willing to risk settling him in the pram again.
"My dad had a bear-safe bunker put in at the cabin. They won't smell it in there," offered Cara as she collected both of their packs. "Regardless of if the cabin itself is still intact, the bunker still should be."
"Perfect. Now, which way to the cabin?"
"Are you sure you're okay to continue hiking right now? And um, aren't you going to take off the beskar?"
"I'd rather us get to safety quickly…I can rest there. As for the beskar, I'll remove it once we reach the cabin. Since the bears would smell it in our packs anyway and seeing as it was the only thing that kept me alive during that encounter, I think it's smarter to keep it on," Din pointed out even as he gingerly took his first step and groaned in soreness.
"I thought I was the one who saved your hide," teased Cara as she shouldered her crossbow and walked close beside him in case he stumbled or needed assistance.
EXCUSE ME? Pretty sure I held the mean bear still for her. And also, buir, I tried to save you too…
"Grogu would like for you to know he played a part in this as well."
"Fair enough. Credit for saving lives goes to the beskar, Grogu, and myself. Looks like you're not on the scoreboard, Mando."
"Now that's a new low for you, Cara, picking on the injured…"
As Cara chuckled in pure, genuine laughter and a broad smile for the first time on the trip stretched across her face, Grogu felt a wave of contentmentjoyprotectioncare wash outward unknowingly from Din through the Force.
Twelve pairs of boots quietly picked their way across the forest floor. Twelve pairs of keen eyes scanned the surrounding maze of giant tree trunks, scouring for evidence. Twelve pairs of hands cradled crossbows, each loaded with large, steel arrows.
A single whistle in the still of the silence suddenly alerted the rest.
"We've got a dead one over here!"
"A dead one? How long?"
"Pretty fresh…couldn't have been more than a few hours."
"Whoo! This'll be the second bear we've bagged just today!"
The pack of burly men—all muscular with ruddy skin, hair and beards various shades of auburn, and eyes various hues of hazel green…all of them the kind born out of the mountains themselves—huddled around the large, still lump of flesh. The group parted for their leader—middle aged and sturdily built, dark brown hair and eyes, tanned olive skin—who slowly made his way toward the fallen bear discovered by one of his posse. Crouching to sit on his heels, he rested his bow casually against his leg to inspect the massive dead animal. His eyes roamed in calculation over the carcass before cocking his head in curiosity. He ran his hand through the lush fur and fisted a full grip. Meanwhile, one of his men—his second-in-command—hovered near his side, looking on with a wild, beastly look in his eyes that flirted with the line crossing over into madness.
"Whatcha thinking, boss?"
"This one was in its prime. Didn't die from sickness. It's not torn up either…wasn't another animal that killed it," the leader murmured, his accent crisper than the others. His intelligent eyes honed in towards the bear's chest and he leaned forward. Parting the fur, he found the telltale jagged, circular pucker of broken flesh, crusted with dried blood. "This one was shot. Expertly too." Finally, his eyes drifted to the nearest front paw and noticed a single, thin wire wrapped around its wrist. Curious. Rising back to his feet, the leader scuffed his hand once against his sturdy pants and gave a brief, commanding nod. "Strip it." A borderline obsessive whoop of delight resounded from his red-headed right-hand man before the rest of his boys also swooped in to begin sawing off the horns and claws and skinning the bear's precious hide.
The dark haired superior silently stepped back and watched them work. Pulling out a cigarra and a match, he effortlessly struck a small flame and raised the lit roll to his lips. As he sucked in the strong blend, he let his gaze carefully sweep the surrounding area. His boys were good—but they didn't always notice everything. Sure enough, something on the forest floor caught his attention not too far at all from the bear. It easily could have been missed by anyone in the slowly dying light of the sun.
But Ernesh Mercurius wasn't just anyone.
He didn't bother to hurry so his crew wouldn't notice his peculiar interest. He first wanted to look for himself. Crouching yet again, Ernesh inspected the forest floor. While his senses still worked to make sense of what was before him, his trusted gut told him it was important. The man puffed once more on his cigarra before reaching out and tracing the indentations in the earth, now a bit drier and more solidified from the day's sun that managed to pierce through the woodland's cover. His calloused fingers slid along the grooves in the dirt and pine needles, painting a mental picture. Armor…a chest plate. Shuffling a bit higher, Ernesh continued to follow the imprint in the ground. His fingers suddenly stilled as the image came into focus in his mind. No…it couldn't be, could it? He retraced the telltale "T" again to be sure before his eyes snapped back to the dead bear's paw, the silver wire gleaming in the last of the sunlight. A thin, predatory grin stretched across his face as he rose again to his feet and towered over the dead beast.
"Hurry it up, boys. We've got something else we need to hunt."
Thanks for reading so far! Reviews are MUCH appreciated and enjoyed! Also, a special thanks to Mokibobolink who has helped be a sounding board when I needed to bounce ideas off of someone and has also offered encouragement to keep this story chugging along! And if you're someone who likes musical inspiration for stories, this story was influenced by the youtube video called "Din Djarin and Cara Dune / Until Our Paths Cross" with the song "Brother" by Kodaline.