After all the excitement, they returned to the Skywalker's home, with the exception of Chewbacca, Jar Jar, and the droids, who went ahead with the falcon to pick up their passengers.

Back at the Skywalker's dwelling, the atmosphere was a mix of relief and contentment. Shmi moved around, tidying up as Anakin and Kol gathered their belongings. Qui-Gon observed the familial scene, a sense of fulfillment settling within him.

"This is nice," Bo commented as she watched Shmi take the little she had of value and store it in a bag that her son had given her to transport her things. As she watched the mother store some clothes that had seen better days, Bo blurted out. "You can leave those."

Shmi turned around, an eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"

"I mean—" blushing, she cleared her throat. "I have some extra clothes on my ship, we appear to be the same size, they will fit you, you don't need to bring those."

Shmi looked at Bo-Katan with surprise, the offer sinking in slowly. An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment before Shmi's lips curled into a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Bo-Katan. That's very kind of you," Shmi replied, appreciating the unexpected gesture. She carefully placed the clothes back, her gaze lingering on Bo-Katan with a warmth that Bo had never seen in her eyes. "So, how do you know my son?"

"Well," thankful for the different topic, she sat down on the edge of Shmi's bed. "We met almost a year ago, and after a while, I realized that he was the son of Jango Fett." Looking at Shmi through her eyelashes, Bo continued. "You know, he talked about you."

"He did?"

"Yes, that was how I found out, along with Kol's looks, who his father was." She appeared to be reminiscing. "I convinced him to let me train him and taught him what little I could about Mandalorian culture without giving it away."

"You kept my son safe?" Shmi's voice held a mix of appreciation and vulnerability.

Bo-Katan hesitated for a moment, her usual confident demeanor softening. "Yes," she replied sincerely, "I did what I could to keep him safe. He's a good kid, your son."

Shmi's eyes glistened with gratitude. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you."

Bo-Katan sensed Shmi's hesitation and reached out, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to thank me, Shmi. Kol is like family to me now and protecting him is just what we Mandalorians do."

Shmi met Bo-Katan's gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions—gratitude, relief, and perhaps a hint of sadness. "I'm grateful to you, nonetheless. I've worried about him every day since he left Tatooine. Knowing that he had someone looking out for him brings me some peace."

Bo-Katan nodded understandingly, empathizing with the maternal instinct to protect one's child. "He's a resilient young man, Shmi. He's been through a lot, but he's stronger for it."

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Shmi's lips. "Yes, he is. I'm proud of the person he's become."

As they continued with the preparations, Kol, still in armor, which appeared to be his new normal, approached them. "Everything okay?"

His mother looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "Everything's just fine."

Kol couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Both his worlds were colliding in unexpected ways, but for the first time in a long while, it felt like everything was falling into place.

"Anakin and I are finished packing."

"Me too, let's go then." Before Shmi could bend down to pick up the bag, Bo anticipated the move and picked it up herself. The Mandalorian mumbled something, walking out of the room before mother and son could day anything.

'What the hell is going on?' Kol thought as he followed his mother out, casting one last look at his childhood home.

"Well, I don't know if I should be sad because I'm leaving my childhood home, or happy I'm leaving my childhood home."

"I'll always have it in my heart to miss it," Shmi said, a loving smile on her lips. "It was where my sons were born, where they walked their first steps, spoke their first words." Leaning on her oldest, she draped an arm around Kol's shoulders. "Don't think of the bad that happened here, think of the good."

In that touching moment, the trio, Shmi, Kol, and Anakin Skywalker, left behind the echoes of their old life. With a final, heartfelt smile, they turned towards an uncertain future, hand in hand, leaving the memories of their past to carve a path for a new beginning.

"I can see the Falcon." Anakin pointed with a spark of excitement in his voice, and they waited for the freighter to land.

Shmi squeezed Anakin's hand affectionately, a silent acknowledgment of the joy and hope he brought to their lives. Kol, standing beside them, observed the exchange with a mix of pride and protectiveness.

The Falcon touched down, its landing gear settling onto the coarse surface of Tatooine. The loading ramp descended, revealing Chewbacca and a man in uniform.

"Captain Panaka." Padmé greeted the man as they walked to the ramp.

"Handmaiden, it's—look out!" Captain Panaka's warning came abruptly, a split second before a snap-hiss filled the air. In an instant, Kol reacted, throwing himself over his mother and brother, shielding them from a red-hot blade that grazed his beskar armor.

"Go! Run!" Kol urged, his voice determined, as his family, Padmé, and Jar Jar ran inside the ship to safety.

Chewbacca roared fiercely, unleashing a barrage of blaster bolts from his bowcaster. Qui-Gon Jinn ignited his green lightsaber, leaping forward with a Force-assisted jump to confront the unexpected intruder head-on.

The assailant, a red Zabrak covered in black robes, attacked with a ferocity that even Qui-Gon had never witnessed before. The clash of lightsabers and the thunderous roars of the Wookiee echoed throughout the desert.

"Bo! Fire from above!" Kol shouted through his helmet com, joining Chewbacca with his blaster, firing the few times when he had a clear shot. With Qui-Gon in close quarters, he would risk hitting him. Bo's jetpack roared to life as she soared into the sky, raining down blaster fire.

"Chewie, get Falcon in the air, but don't take off!"

The Wookiee nodded and ran inside, as Qui-Gon continued to engage the red Zabrak in a fierce lightsaber duel, his every move calculated to parry the relentless attacks. Between the three of them, they manage to prolong the fight long enough for the falcon to roar to life and start to hover.

"Qui-Gon, Bo! Inside now!" Kol shouted urgently. With a final, swift swipe of his lightsaber, Qui-Gon harnessed the Force to leap gracefully through the open ramp, closely followed by Bo-Katan. Kol, positioned near the entrance, caught Bo before she could collide with the ship's interior. "Chewie! Punch it!"

The ship lifted off the Tatooine surface, leaving the red Zabrak below as he watched as his prey flew away. With rage and fury blinding him, he screamed into the sands of the desert, swearing retaliation.

Millenium Falcon – Hyperspace

Bo-Katan let out a sigh of relief, settling onto the cold metal floor of the Falcon. Beside her, Kol knelt next to Qui-Gon, the seasoned Jedi lying on his back, visibly drained from the strenuous battle. Gasping for breath, Qui-Gon needed a moment to recover.

Rapid footsteps were heard approaching. And Bo saw Anakin and his mother approaching, and they were not alone. With them was a young man, maybe her age, with auburn hair dressed in what she knew to be the standard Jedi apparel.

"Master!" Obi-Wan Kenobi exclaimed with concern.

"He's alright," Kol reassured, his voice still changed by his helmet. "He's just catching his breath." He got up, leaving Master and Padawan in favor to check on his family. He took his helmet off as he looked his mother and brother over. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine." After confirming her son was ok, Shmi walked to Bo. "Bo, are you hut?"

The gentle touch on Bo's armored shoulder felt unfamiliar, the comfort it brought foreign. As she looked up into warm brown eyes, all the uneasiness bubbling in her belly dissipated.

"I'm okay, wasn't even close to the fight." Rising to her feet, Bo found her hand naturally entwining with Shmi's warm fingers. She gave a comforting squeeze before letting go.

At that moment, Bo understood the complexity of what was unfolding. There was hesitation; after all, Shmi was the former lover of someone Bo had considered a comrade, as well as the mother of the boy she had been mentoring. Yet, Shmi was undeniably beautiful, warm, and honest.

Bo felt a pull towards her, a magnetic force that defied explanation.

Talk about love at first sight.

"What was it?" The attention shifted to Obi-Wan as he posed the question.

"I don't know... but he was well-trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen," Qui-Gon explained.

"Wait, Queen?" Kol interrupted, frustration evident in his tone. "What the—Qui-Gon, what mess have I got my family into?" to say the teen was mad was an understatement.

A furry hand settled on Kol's shoulder, and Chewbacca grumbled in a calming tone behind him, attempting to soothe his temper.

"They need our help."

Kol turned to his partner, and after a moment, sighed, placing his hand on his hips. "I want to talk with this queen of yours." It was not a request.

"The queen doesn't—" Captain Panaka attempted to interject but was cut off by Padmé.

"I'll talk with the queen, Captain Skywalker." The title threw Kol off his game. "She'll want to thank you for your hospitality."

"Oooookay, then, I'll be in the cockpit," Kol muttered, watching as the handmaiden walked away, and the newly titled Captain Skywalker practically fled into the safety of the Falcon's control center.

"He will calm down," Bo assured. "He just needs a little alone time."

The Mandalorian led them further into the ship, and they arrived at the cargo bay to see the Queen of Naboo, her handmaidens, R2-D2 and C-3PO. Padmé was talking to the queen, with Jar Jar slightly behind her.

"Captain Skywalker has graciously offered his help to get us to Coruscant." She was saying. "Although he wasn't properly informed of who exactly he was transporting or what our objective is, I believe he is still willing to help us."

The Queen, easily identifiable with her face adorned in white makeup and extravagant robes, turned her attention to the newcomers.

"And what do you suggest?" Her tone was regal and composed.

"I would suggest an honest conversation and some filling in on important information that was omitted." Bo spoke, eyes traveling from Padmé, to Qui-Gon, and finally to the Queen.

"My Queen, this is Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze," Qui-Gon introduced. "Shmi Skywalker, and Anakin Skywalker."

Both mother and son had no knowledge of the proper protocol of how to greet a Queen, but no one pointed it out. Anakin just waved with childish enthusiasm.

"Greetings." The Queen was gracious in her greeting. "And where is Captain Skywalker?"

"He went ahead to check our course and the ship's systems." Qui-Gon was quick to answer. "But he will be here in moments."

The Queen addressed Qui-Gon with a subtle curiosity. "I assume Captain Skywalker is not accustomed to unexpected guests?"

Qui-Gon offered a diplomatic smile. "You could say he's more accustomed to dealing with smugglers and bounty hunters than royalty, Your Highness."

The Queen nodded understandingly, her regal gaze shifting to Shmi and Anakin. "And what brings you to our aid, Shmi Skywalker?"

Shmi, though not accustomed to addressing royalty, spoke with a sincerity that caught the Queen's attention. "We owe a debt to the Jedi, Your Highness. They've helped us in our time of need, and now, we are returning the favor."

The Queen's expression softened, recognizing the weight of honor and loyalty in Shmi's words. Just as the conversation was about to continue, they heard a shout.

"GET THE KRIFF OFF MY COCKPIT!" The yell could be heard throughout the ship, and the Nubian pilot an in the cargo area, his face red and sweaty.

"Those two are crazy!"

With a wince, Shmi turned to the others. "Make that an hour or two."

One Hour or Two Later

After Kol had calmed down, he was introduced to the Queen and her escorts, and filled in on the situation that Naboo was facing, of the death and the pain that the people in his cargo bay were trying to prevent.

Anakin had gone to bed meanwhile, with C-3PO to watch over him. It also helped that Shmi didn't want her nine-year-old to hear that kind of conversation.

"You think the Republic will be willing to help you?"

"The Republic can be a complicated place," Qui-Gon explained. "It's got its fair share of bureaucracy and red tape."

"In other words, young don't have any idea." Bo cut him off, her arms crossed as she was standing slightly behind Shmi, who was sitting down on a crate her oldest son had offered her. The older Mandalorian then looked at Kol, who was in the center of the cargo bay. "The republic won't help them, they will just yap something about laws and legalities and take forever to make any decision."

"And that's time Naboo doesn't have," Kol muttered and turned to Qui-Gon. "What about the Jedi?"

"The Jedi won't overstep their bounds," Qui-Gon replied, his tone measured. "We are peacekeepers, not politicians. We can provide assistance and mediate conflicts, but the Senate must ultimately decide on matters of interplanetary aid."

Bo huffed in frustration, crossing her arms. "Typical Jedi talk. Always dancing around the real issues."

Kol stepped forward. "Look, we may not be Jedi, and we may not know much about the Republic, but we do know how to get things done. If the Republic won't act, maybe we need to find another way."

"So, you will help us?" Padmé asked.

"Ah, well—" Kol faced Chewbacca, who just rolled his eyes in an 'Of course you didn't realize what you said.' way.

There had been a time when Chewie found himself more surprised at Kol's seemingly irrational compulsion to help people. Getting involved in things without even realizing it was a peculiar talent of his. Yet, with time, Chewie came to see it as just another facet of what made their connection so unbreakable.

After all, no one could fake this genuine and innate need to do good.

"I could think of a way or two where we wouldn't need the Republic's help." Kol Skywalker, always the planner, was holding his chin in a contemplative manner. "I need to make a call."

He proceeded to walk out, leaving the group very confused, with the exception of Bo.

"Oh, dank farrik." The Mandalorian was covering her face with her hand, and for some reason, she seemed annoyed.

That realization prompted Chewbacca to understand something as well, making the Wookiee let out a sorrowful groan of displeasure.

"What is it?" Qui-Gon asked, as confused as the rest of the group.

"Just pray the Republic comes through because the other option ain't pretty," Bo muttered, her tone laced with a touch of frustration.