Travelers to Tython
Author's Note: It's been a long time since I watched the Mandalorian, so hopefully this is in character and isn't skipping over important details. XD
Also, writing from a baby's POV is really hard, but this is supposed to be crack. XD And I don't consider Galen canon, and if he was, the way his relationship is always portrayed with Vader is not very realistic, so I changed it a bit to something that makes more sense.
I also don't think this is what you had in mind when you requested this gift, but hopefully you still like it. xD
PS. This is a gift for dw6fanmanxd on ao3. :)
~ Tirana Sorki
"Does this look Jedi to you?"
Grogu shifts in his dad's arms, blinking at the rocky formation in front of him. It's nothing like the Temple back home when he was little, but he can feel the Force strongly here. It's been so long since he was last with any other Jedi. Except Ahsoka.
"I guess you sit right here," his dad says, setting him down on the stone in the center of the circle. The Force feels brighter here, active.
He's at a Jedi Temple for the first time in a long time.
But he doesn't want to be. Not after last time. He just wants to stay with his dad, and he doesn't understand why he can't.
"Okay, here we go," his dad urges.
Which he really doesn't want to do. He doesn't want to call the Jedi to come and take him from his dad. He wants to stay with him.
His dad sighs. "This is the Seeing Stone. Are you seeing anything?"
The Force hasn't felt this bright in a long time, actually, and it makes him want to reach into it again. Grogu coos happily.
His dad slowly paces around the stone, seeming uncertain for some reason. "Or are they supposed to see you? Maybe there's some kind of control or something?"
Grogu doesn't know what he's talking about, but then a fluttering butterfly catches his attention, and it feels so bright when he's sitting in a Force-concentrated spot. He reaches out for it, though it stubbornly flutters just out of reach.
His dad circles around to stand in front of him again. "Come on, kid. Ahsoka told me all I had to do was get you here and you'd do the rest."
Grogu's arms drop to his sides, disappointment swelling through him.
He knows what he's supposed to be doing, and he should just do it. It'll make his dad proud of him. He seemed to find it interesting when Grogu uses the Force, for some reason.
Grogu reaches down, resting a clawed hand on the stone to feel it better as he reaches for the Force.
He loses all track of anything, as he feels the strength of the Force pulsing around him. But it feels like something is shifting in the Force, something moving. A pulse of energy explodes outwards, exhaustion running through him. He's so tired and all he wants to do is sleep now. He did what his dad asked.
Grogu drops onto his side on the stone, eyes slipping closed – or at least, he's about to, but then he realizes that his dad isn't the person standing in front of him.
There are four towering, dark things with huge red eyes staring at him, and beyond them there's three people standing.
A dark-skinned human man, a human boy with brown hair, and someone of a strange species he's seen at the Temple before. But all of them have lightsabers.
One of the monsters reaches for him first and Grogu yelps, trying to get away from it. It's about to grab him when one of the Jedi yanks it back with the Force, a purple lightsaber igniting to cut through it.
The other three monsters turn towards them and start shooting, and they all pull out their lightsabers, attacking them.
The Jedi are here.
He thought they were all gone, but he must've summoned them like his dad asked.
They finish off the monsters easily, and the man of a strange species approaches Grogu first.
"Grogu?" he asks, reaching to pick him up. "How did you get here?"
He knows him? But if he summoned a real Jedi, that's probably why.
Grogu coos, reaching back when the man touches his mind.
It's Plo Koon.
He knows who that is. He was someone important.
"You died," Grogu replies, blinking up at him. He doesn't understand how this happened, but maybe the Seeing Stone is very strong.
"Where is this place, little one?" Plo asks.
The dark-skinned man approaches next. Grogu feels him brush his mind. It's Windu.
Oh. Of course, he knows who that is.
He doesn't know who the boy is, though. He's not familiar, and he's lingering a distance away from them, watching warily. He seems confused.
"Who are you?" Grogu's dad's voice demands from behind them, and all three newcomers turn around so Grogu can see his dad approaching.
All the adults start arguing, something about thinking his dad kidnapped him from the Temple for some reason.
Grogu tries to object, but no one even looks at him. Which is typical for adults, except his dad.
And that's when he sees two other strange people climbing the hill. One man is bald, and his skin looks strange. He looks scary. And violent. And mean. Like many adults he's seen, but if this person is with his dad, maybe he's not so bad.
The other is a woman, but she doesn't catch his attention half as much.
"Windu?" the scary man demands, eyes narrowing.
Windu's gaze jumps to him, but he seems confused. "Who are you?"
"Boba Fett." His hand is resting on a blaster now.
Grogu wiggles around in Plo's grip, trying to get back to his dad. His dad will protect him from whatever's about to happen. Plo doesn't seem too inclined to let go of him, though.
"That's impossible," Windu objects, "Unless –"
"Am I really the only one who's noticed the difference in the Force?" interjects the human boy, who's been silent throughout the entire exchange. "We're in the future."
Boba draws his blaster in a swift move, firing right at Windu's head. The Jedi whips out his lightsaber instantly, deflecting the shots away. The woman raises her own blaster, about to shoot Windu in the head.
"Stop," Plo calls, turning to finally set Grogu down. He runs up to his dad's boots, raising his arms, and his dad is quick to pick him up. "We don't need to fight. I understand your grief, Boba, but this is not the answer. Revenge will not bring your father back."
Windu hurt Boba's father? That's mean. But maybe he was as scary as Boba looks. Grogu doesn't know. He just wishes they'd stop fighting for no reason.
Boba pauses, though he doesn't lower the blaster. "I might have failed before, but I was young then. I'm not anymore."
"Your father brought his death on himself," Windu replies, coldly.
... That's mean, too.
Boba's expression darkens. "And you brought your death on yourself."
"We can discuss this somewhere else," Grogu's dad finally interrupts, stepping forwards. "Someone's after the child. I need to get him out of here."
That finally makes everyone else. They stop arguing and take off for where the Razor Crest is waiting.
Except when they get back, there's nothing there but smoking debris?
What?!
Grogu coos in confusion, looking up at his dad.
"They blew it up," he explains, moving through the debris and bending down to pick up the shiny ball.
At least they still have that. But why did someone blow up his home? Again?
A bunch of the scary red eyed monsters are flying towards them again, and the three lightsaber wielders attack them.
Boba goes for his waiting ship, taking off.
His dad is keeping Grogu safe, but there's still so many of these monsters, and Grogu doesn't understand why they want him.
"They're back," Boba's voice finally crackles through the woman's – Fennec's – comm.
"Who?" she asks, frowning.
"The Empire. They're back."
The Empire? Grogu only half understands what that is, but he knows they're bad. They're what destroyed the Jedi and wanted him dead for so long. He presses closer to his dad.
"That can't be," Fennec objects, "The Outer Rim is under the jurisdiction of the New Republic."
"This isn't a spice dream. I can see the Imperial cruiser with my own eyes."
"New Republic?" the human boy objects, throwing a glance at them, "Wait, the Empire is gone? The Rebellion won?"
"Rebellion?" repeats Windu.
"We appear to have missed much," Plo deduces.
Grogu has no idea why they're so confused, but he does know they need to get out of here.
His dad calls Boba, asking him to come give them a quick ride out of here, because the red-eyed monsters won't stop coming. Boba brings the ship down and they all scramble onto the ramp, taking off.
Once they're high enough in space, Grogu can see an enormous cruiser looming out of the viewport, and it keeps shooting at them. He clutches the shiny ball tighter, as the ship keeps firing, until they finally make the jump to hyperspace.
"I believe we need to be introduced," Plo starts.
"Galen Marek," the human boy supplies, "I assume you two are Jedi from before the Empire formed, and I'm from... during it."
"Are you a Jedi?" Windu asks. He seems suspicious, for some reason.
"In a way," Galen replies, evasively. He's strange but at least he's not an adult.
"How did you end up here?" Grogu's dad demands.
Grogu coos up at him happily, but he doesn't seem to understand, like usual.
"We sensed a disturbance in the Force, and then we... were transported to the Seeing Stone to see him," Plo explains, gesturing to Grogu.
His dad looks down at him. "You called them there through time? You can do that?"
He has no idea. He just coos eagerly.
"A rundown of what's going in the galaxy is where we need to start," Windu says, briskly.
Which is the very moment all the adults start arguing with each other again. Boba's glaring at him and wants revenge for something. Galen is mostly quiet.
Grogu's dad keeps trying to talk to the Jedi about training Grogu as a Jedi, but he doesn't want to go. Doesn't want that to happen.
Except, that's the only thing that seems to be keeping the Jedi's interest, because they want to take Grogu with them. They're extremely insistent on it, actually.
And he does not want to go. Even if he misses back when he was with the other Jedi, when everything wasn't so strange and scary.
His dad finally turns to look down at him. "He doesn't want to go with you."
"He is attached to you," Plo replies, "He only needs your permission."
"With these Imperials after him, he isn't safe anywhere but with us, where he can be trained," Windu insists.
"I will give my life to protect the child," his dad argues.
"And if not for us, would that have been enough?"
"Hey, the kid is his child," Galen interjects, "Isn't this a choice he should get to make?"
Windu turns his scowl onto him instead. "You saw the danger he was in as well."
"But you just want him because he's Force sensitive," Galen argues, arms crossed. "Not because you're so concerned for his safety."
"Where he will be well taken care of and protected," Plo asserts.
His dad seems to deflate, slowly leaning down to pick Grogu up again. "Go on," he tells him, quietly, "They're who you belong with. They're of your kind."
No.
No. He doesn't want to have to go, to just leave him, even if he wants to be with other Jedi again. If his dad can't come...
Grogu coos quietly, reaching for his helmet. This can't be goodbye. He needs his dad to stay.
"I'll see you again. I promise," he murmurs.
He still doesn't want to go. But his dad is promising to come back, and that means he will. Grogu doesn't doubt that, even if he still doesn't want to leave.
Shifting position, his dad reaches up with his free hand, slowly lifting his helmet off. Grogu always wondered why he hid under that thing. But somehow, he looks exactly like what Grogu always imagined. And not scary at all.
Grogu reaches up, touching his face.
His dad looks and feels sad, and it makes him want to go even less. He doesn't know when he'll ever see him again, but he will. He knows he will.
After a long moment, his dad sets him on the ground, and even if it's the last thing Grogu wants to do, he approaches Plo – doesn't really want to go near Windu; he's so grouchy – who picks him up.
"Hey kid," Galen says, stepping closer, "If you ever want to come back to your... dad, let me know."
Windu and Plo both stop, looking back to him.
"You're not coming with us?" Plo asks.
"You said you were a Jedi," Windu adds.
"It's complicated," Galen replies, arms crossed, "But I'm not associating with orders. I'm not the same kind of Jedi as you."
Grogu doesn't pay attention to what else they say to each other. All he can do is watch his dad for the last moments they have together, before the ship lands to drop the Jedi off, along with Grogu.
**w**
The first thing Grogu realizes upon coming to the new Jedi Temple on Ossus is that, for some reason, Windu and Plo seem mad at Luke – the new Grandmaster.
He hears them having a long squabble about attachments and stricter rules, and how the ones he has now are never going to make anyone into proper Jedi. Luke doesn't seem very happy about it, but Grogu misses his dad too much to care what they're talking about. He doesn't even want to be here. He misses being with the other Jedi younglings, but that was so long ago now. He just wants his dad, and he doesn't know when he'll see him again.
Especially not since the other Jedi are debating something about whether or not the younglings should ever be allowed to see their families again.
There was something important about that in the first Jedi Temple, but it didn't matter to him because he didn't have anyone to miss.
But now he does.
Besides, who's going to be there to save his dad when he needs help if Grogu doesn't?
Luke keeps pushing him, urging him to focus on his training, to open himself up to the Force.
Grogu doesn't have to feel afraid to use it when other Jedi are here. They'll protect him from anything bad, but he doesn't want to be here. Doesn't... want to keep training when he has no idea when he'll see his dad again.
The days are dragging by endlessly, and he misses him.
He's awake trying to chase down a frog that somehow got inside one night, when he hears voices coming from one of the rooms. Letting go of the squawking frog he was picking up with the Force, Grogu trots up to the door so he can hear better.
Something about this sounds important.
"Why did you accept this... gift?" Windu is demanding. "The child is a part of the Order now. His past is irrelevant, and he needs to learn that."
"Letting him see something from one he was so attached to will only worsen his attachment," Plo agrees, though his voice is a little gentler.
They're talking about him.
Wait.
Someone Grogu is attached to?
He perks up, instantly. Are they talking about his dad? Did his dad send him something?
That must be why he sensed him here early today. He was certain of it, but then he never came. He saw the ship flying overhead, and then – then he just left, and Grogu doesn't understand why. Did the Jedi make him go away?
"I was going to give him a choice," Luke replies, sounding slightly irked, "I know he needs to focus on his training, but he is not putting his heart to it. If his heart lies with the Mandalorian, then that's where he's going to end up. And if he wants to become a Jedi, then he needs to understand that's where he needs to put his focus. At least he should be given that choice."
"He already is a Jedi. This is nothing but encouraging his attachment. And the Order needs to be rebuilt," Windu answers, sharply.
Angry, like most adults.
Grogu doesn't understand what's wrong with him. He's always scowling. Not that that isn't always true about most adults.
"We can't force them to learn the Jedi way against their choice," Luke points out.
"That is why we take them too young to have these attachments," Windu replies, flatly.
"Then how do they dedicate themselves to it fully?"
"Because that is the way they know. It's the only way for them to fully dedicate themselves to the Jedi way," Plo insists. There's a long pause of silence. "And we are not alone."
Grogu feels it when someone starts moving for the door.
He Force-jumps away instantly, darting back to the room where he's supposed to be staying in. Hopping back in bed, he pretends to be sleeping when the door opens, and he senses Plo entering.
He doesn't want to talk to him right now. He just wants to know what his dad sent him. Maybe he can ask Luke about it tomorrow.
**w**
When Grogu dreams that night, he sees his dad. It feels so real, like it's actually happening, except he's not actually there physically because no one's looking at him.
Galen is with his dad, too. They're working together.
"I can't believe he's gone," Galen is saying, staring distantly out the viewport of... some new ship they must've gotten. Grogu doesn't think he's talking about him. He seems too sad, and he never knew Grogu.
His dad is just listening to him, the way he always does.
He's the only adult who ever does that. He's the only one who's really nice.
"He taught me everything I knew," Galen goes on, "He was... like my father. But he was... His master suspected him of betrayal. He... had to send me away, so his master wouldn't... try to have me killed."
Grogu's dad actually twitches at that. "This master was a dar'jetti?" he asks.
Galen makes a face. "They're called Sith. But the religious differences would probably confuse you."
The way his dad's helmet inclines slightly clearly means that he agrees.
Grogu doesn't know what Sith are either. Except that they're bad.
But why is Galen with his dad if he was trained by one? Is he bad too? Is he going to hurt him?
And it's not fair he gets to be with Grogu's dad when Grogu himself doesn't get to be. He tries to just – reach to something so that they'll know he's there, but nothing happens. His dad doesn't even look at him.
But... Galen does. It feels like their eyes actually lock, for a moment, some unspoken communication passing between them, before Grogu wakes up, back on Ossus.
**w**
The morning is going normal, until it isn't. Grogu hasn't started class yet when he feels something important near the front entrance and goes to find out what.
Carefully peaking around the corner, he spots Luke, Windu, and Plo all arguing with... Galen? Why is he here? He was just with Grogu's dad in his dream last night, and he doesn't feel his dad anywhere nearby, but maybe he is. Maybe he's here to take him home.
"That's a choice he should get to make," Galen is saying.
"You already gave him up to the Order," Windu replies, sharply.
"This is a choice we need to give him, if he's ever going to settle into his place as a Jedi," Luke answers, firmly.
Grogu carefully peaks out further from behind his hiding spot, locking eyes with Galen. The other three immediately turn and he ducks back behind the wall, but not fast enough.
"Since he's already here, why don't we just ask him?" Galen suggests.
The adults continue squabbling – why is that all they do most of the time? – until Luke finally approaches, crouching in front of him.
He reaches into his pocket, withdrawing a small red cloth and untying it. He holds up... some kind of clothes that looks about Grogu's size. "The Mandalorian wanted you to have this," he begins.
Grogu's eagerness flares instantly, and he's about to crawl closer when Luke holds up a hand. "But before you take it, I will give you a choice." He unhooks his lightsaber from his belt, igniting it. "I have another lightsaber like this one, which belonged to my master. Yoda. And now, I'm offering it to you, but you may only choose one."
Only... one?
Why?
Grogu pauses, ears drooping.
"If you choose the armor, you'll return to your friend, the Mandalorian. However, you will be giving in to attachment to those that you love and forsaking the way of the Jedi. But if you choose the lightsaber, you will be the first student in my academy, and I will train you to be a great Jedi. It will take you many years to master the ways of the Force and you may never see the Mandalorian again, because Grogu, a short time for you, is a lifetime for someone else."
So that's what they mean about attachments.
Why is that word so big?
If he has to choose between being a Jedi and his dad...
He can't just never see him again. He can't imagine what it would be like for him to be gone like everyone around Grogu seems to be, either. He has to go back to him. Maybe he wants to be a Jedi, too, but not as much.
Grogu only hesitates a moment longer, before moving towards what his dad sent him. That's what he wants most of all.
Windu looks very unhappy, but Luke steps between them before anything can happen, and then everyone starts arguing again. Why do they always do that?
Windu and Plo are still with arguing when Galen picks up Grogu, taking him back to the waiting ship.
Grogu touches his mind, questioningly.
Galen looks down at him, smiling faintly. "I sensed you calling for me. I came to take you home."
Grogu coos eagerly, as Galen sets him in copilot's seat on the shuttle and takes off. His dad isn't here, and he's more than a little disappointed by that, but he's going to see him again soon.
"Why are you with dad?" he asks, curiously.
Galen feels sad suddenly, for some reason. "I have nowhere else to go now," he explains, "Just like you, I was... taken in by someone. He was... called Vader. He raised me like his child, the same way your dad is taking care of you, but he's gone now."
Grogu's ears droop. "Gone?"
"Dead," Galen replies, a little curtly.
Grogu still only half understands what that means, except that whoever goes there can't come back for some reason. It sounds very lonely. And scary.
"You can stay," Grogu offers, brightening. At least that way, he'll have somewhere to go.
Galen nods, though he seems amused for some reason. "I will. Your dad already let me stick around."
Grogu's still a little jealous about that but he's going back to his dad now, and then they can share so it won't matter.
**w**
Voices drifting in from the back of the ship wake Grogu up some time later. It's taking forever to get to where his dad is, and he's getting impatient. But why is there talking if Galen is here alone?
Grogu hops off the chair, pattering into the next room to find him.
It almost feels like someone else is here but that doesn't make sense. Someone who feels bright and familiar, like Grogu knew him once a long time ago.
The door to the hold opens, to reveal Galen standing in the middle of the room, across from a translucent blue figure. He has blue eyes and sandy blond hair, and he's wearing dark robes like Jedi do.
Grogu knows him.
He remembers him about as much as he did Windu. It's Anakin Skywalker. He used to be small and play with Grogu after class but then he got big like everyone else and didn't come back anymore.
Galen and Anakin still when Grogu enters, turning towards him.
Grogu pokes at Anakin with the Force, inquisitively. He thought he was gone like all the other Jedi unless he summoned him here too when he was on the Seeing Stone. Anakin feels strange, though. Like he's there but also... just something else.
"I'm a Force ghost," Anakin explains the unspoken question, sounding mildly amused, "Gone, but I'm still able to appear."
Grogu blinks.
That makes a lot more sense than 'dead'. How can someone just be entirely gone? That doesn't make any sense.
"You will understand when you are older," he says, still amused.
That just makes it sound stranger.
"I guess I was wrong about my dad being gone," Galen tells him. He seems happy now, and for some reason, Anakin feels like he just turned into a puddle of goo at the word 'dad'.
Grogu's not quite sure why.
Wait.
"I thought Vader was your dad?"
"... He has both names," Galen explains.
... Maybe that's why his dad goes by Din Djarin and Mando.
Must be a strange adult thing.
Grogu plops down on the floor to watch them. Galen just looks at him for a few moments, almost like he was expecting him to go somewhere else or something. Grogu can't figure out why. He doesn't worry about it, either.
Finally, the boy huffs out a breath turning back to Anakin. "I don't know what to do," he says.
"Ahsoka could use your assistance in her search for Thrawn," Anakin tells him, "But you have a place with the Mandalorian, too. The choice is for you to make, but either way, I will be here."
Galen nods, smiling faintly.
Anakin moves closer to him, and his robes pass right through the table in the room.
What?
He can go through things?
Grogu stands, trotting over and poking at his leg. His claw goes right through it, too. He studies the strange blueness around him in fascination. It doesn't look like it's just a hologram, and that's strange.
Anakin looks down at him, amused again for some reason.
"Can I go through things?" Grogu asks.
"Perhaps, eventually," Anakin replies.
"I know Luke was telling you that you couldn't be trained and go back to the Mandalorian," Galen speaks up, "But I can give you both if you want. I'm not a Jedi, but I learned of the ways of the Jedi. I can teach you to use the Force if you desire."
Really?
Then why were the adults being so stubborn about it?
Maybe it's just because they are adults. Doesn't really matter.
Grogu coos eagerly.
Galen smiles, moving closer and crouching in front of him again. "Alright. What the Mandalorian sent you was armor for your size. Why don't we see how it fits?"
**w**
They're on Tatooine when the ship lands, and his dad is standing right outside. Grogu jumps from the ramp into his dad's arms the moment he sees him.
He missed him so much. And he's finally here again. Finally.
Grogu can't hug him, but he presses against his armor, clinging to him. He was so afraid he wouldn't see him again. Afraid that something would happen when his dad wasn't there to protect him.
His dad holds him close, and he feels happy. "It's okay, little guy," he murmurs, "I'm happy to see you too. I didn't know when I'd see you again."
Grogu coos eagerly, reaching for his helmet. He's so happy to be back too.
"It's okay, yeah. I missed you too, buddy."
His dad presses him close, pausing suddenly when Grogu tilts his head. "Oh, that's the shirt. You got the shirt."
"They wouldn't let me have it if I didn't come back," Grogu tries to tell him, but he doesn't think his dad really understands.
Galen is still standing there watching them, something wistful in his gaze as he studies them.
"Are you staying?" Grogu's dad asks.
"Yeah," Galen agrees, "At least for now. If you're alright with that."
Grogu coos his agreement.
"I can teach him the Force while he's with you, if you want," Galen offers.
"But you aren't Jetti?" his dad clarifies.
"A mix of Jedi and Sith," he replies, "I've learned both and I don't fully believe in either, but all that matters is that I can teach Grogu to use the Force and he'll be safe. And you can still teach him the Mandalorian way if that's what you want to do."
"Is that what you want?" his dad asks, looking down at him.
Grogu looks up at him, eagerly.
"Alright," his dad agrees, "You can train him."
Maybe getting to go the Seeing Stone was fun, after all. Grogu's back with his dad again, along with another strange friend who can teach him about the Force. But most of all, he's back home, and he's not going to leave again.
Final Notes: Reviews are always appreciated! ^-^
Come hang out on Discord (delete spaces), discord . gg / nqSxuz2 or find us on tumblr at fanfictasia (our more serious blog which does have controversial posts on it; I won't be offended if you choose to block it, promise), and disastertriowriting (which is our fun blog with crack posts or incorrect SW quotes)
We've got a YT channel for tributes! (delete the spaces) youtube channel / UC_g1M5rSCxJUzQCRS29B6pA
ALSO: We have SW gift request forms for General, Anakin-Clones-centric, and Bad Batch fics. :D (delete spaces) bit . ly / CourtesyTrefflinFicRequests