Din never experienced a true winter until it descended overnight upon the Eye. Hoth and Pagodon were cold and icy, but they were nothing like this. The Eye's strange in-between climate made for not only a cold winter, but a violent one. For weeks at a time, frigid gales saturated in snow and ice tore through the trees. Where the springs were too deep or too cool to warm the ground, the snow piled up meters deep. Aldor and her earlier companions were wise enough to place their home on the warmest patch of soil in the sector, so the weather within the settlement remained relatively livable while excursions past the perimeter were barely survivable. Fortunately, they were adequately supplied between a few cervids and a ray, but they created a humble surplus on calmer days by picking off a few of the herbivorous rodents that retreated near the pond. But calm days were few and far between, and for most of the season, leaving the settlement was out of the question. Entire weeks passed when it wasn't advisable to even open the door.

But Din barely noticed it. He was never happier or warmer, however harsh the winter had been. He was more than thrilled to open his eyes to a blizzard outside their window so long as he and his family remained warm and comfortable under their sturdy shelter. There was usually plenty to occupy them anyway. A little hiccup in the systems always needed repair, and there were lessons to be taught and meals to be prepared. When chores were light, they entertained themselves with stories from Aldor's archive of data pads or a hand or two of Sebacc. Entire bloodthirsty Dejarik wars raged good-naturedly through dark days when the suns' rays barely penetrated the clouds. Din continued to manage cleaner and more intricate carvings while Aldor got a head start on their summer wardrobes. Grogu finished his first droid and quickly began work on a sanitizer when he saw how well his dryer worked. Other times, the boy simply read or played with his favorites of Din's carvings while his parents sat at the table, contentedly engaged in their little tasks while symphonies of notions played between the three of them.

At the end of these busy, cheerful days indoors, Din got a nose bump from his son, then lay down with his lover under the furs, and tucked her close against him through the inky darkness of endless stormy nights. Always warm and sated. Forever full of gratitude and desire.

When there were breaks in the weather, they'd braved the cold long enough to walk out to the ray-shielded speeder shed for training. Aldor ran them through new forms and exercises, altering their lessons to serve as practice for combat in close quarters. Because his Lady was so wise a teacher, and despite the impossibility of running the Maze, both Din and Grogu advanced significantly. Aldor declared Din had all but mastered Ataru and was already executing Djem So maneuvers like a seasoned Jedi Knight, but she wanted to see how he'd do through the Gauntlet before she challenged what he learned with her own blades. And he still couldn't move things with the Force, which made some forms more difficult and others nearly impossible. But Aldor ran him through them nevertheless, hoping it might spark the needed shift that would overcome his continued block.

Grogu's skill with his stick had more than doubled by Aldor's estimation, and she warned Din with increasing regularity that the boy would be ready for his own saber before the next Solstice. They were both simultaneously excited and anxious to see their son take such an enormous step in his training. The time was coming soon, though, because there was no denying how far the boy had come despite limited opportunities to practice. He worked tirelessly to master the forms, and took every chance he had to practice his jumps and sweeps. When it looked like everything had become too easy, Din finally introduced him to some Mandalorian melee techniques, modified to suit his son's stature and ability. Considering Grogu's aptitude with the Force, Din devised even better moves for his student that would maximize the damage he could inflict on larger adversaries. By the end of the season, Din was confident the Kid could take down an opponent more than three times his size.

But training sessions were often brief and sometimes far between, and it was true they had plenty of time on their hands. Din kept waiting for a moment when he would grow restless and stir-crazy, but he never experienced a single second of the listless irritation he expected. Through entire months of being cooped up with his two fellow inmates, there was only happiness and completion, and every day he loved them more. Their life together became a delightful series of tender moments, hilarious mishaps, and exciting domesticity.

It was the humble, peaceful existence Din wished for all his life.

Your prediction was correct, my Love.

Din's thoughts had seized on his winter of bliss on this clear spring morning, and was in the midst of a bittersweet smattering of memories when his lover's mind whispered to his. He smiled into her hair and curled himself around her in response. Suppose it was. He kissed her forehead and smoothed his hand over her naked backside to pull her hips into his, murmuring as his awakening shaft carelessly slipped between her thighs.

"You've been thinking about it a lot lately," she whispered against his neck, and tenderly slicked her tongue under his jaw. His grip on her ass tightened as she hugged his length in her folds, and damp lips barely brushed along an engorged vein. She sighed softly as Din groaned at the sensation, then she nuzzled under his ear and spoke again. "How amazed you were to think you might actually be happy shut up in an old YT for months on end."

"Knew I'd be with you, my Lady," he murmured, letting his lips trail across her cheek and temple. He gently suckled her earlobe as he pulled her closer and rolled his hips into hers. "Mmmm… Knew I'd wake up every morning just like this. Happy and hard. Wanting you."

A small smile curved under his ear. The warmth of her breath stirred his hair as she whispered her question against his neck. "You want me every morning?"

"Every morning since I met you, I've wanted you," he whispered, and hooked his hand between her legs to gently nudge her open from behind. "Mmmm," he murmured again, as a soft gasp whispered through her crimson lips. Because he wanted to hear it again, he dipped his fingertip deeper as her breath caught in her lungs. Already slick and ready for him, purring as she shifted to take his finger farther into her heat, begging him for the rest.

"I want you now," she whispered. "Want you always in this bed with me. Hard and happy." Her fingers curled into his hair and bit into his scalp as she pulled him down to claim a deep, sensual kiss, all but ordering him to put his dick in her immediately. "You feel how wet you've made me," she breathed seductively. "Imagine how it'll feel wrapped around your beautiful cock, my Love. Imagine how it'll feel when you fill me with… Ahhh…"

He had her on her back and his cock sunk to the hilt before she could finish, already near the edge of oblivion when he stretched her to the limit and she made that sound. He'd given her every inch of himself because she was hungry this morning. Starving. And so was he. He wanted her to enjoy every sensation until she was ready take him with her through galaxies and time. Just thinking about it had him getting harder as he moved slowly through her saturated depths, taking his time to lavish her body with kisses and caresses while he pumped deep between her legs in long, rolling waves, drowning in her and so hard. "What do you want me to fill you with?" he asked in a husky voice, and licked behind her ear as she moaned and tightened around him.

"Dark matter," she whispered, arcing her back to tempt him with her breasts, meeting his strokes and taking him deeper with every firm thrust. "Golden magma… light and life…"

He gorged himself on her offered breasts, nibbling her nipples and licking through the beautiful pale valley between them, unable to maintain his slow pace as her tight little pussy clamped possessively around his straining cock, every vein sheathed in softness and heat. "Feels so fucking good this morning," he rasped. "So deep in your sweet pussy… tell me, my Lady… how… how deep… ungh! Fuck… how deep… do you want me to cum in you?"

"Ahh!" She was so close. So close he could taste the ozone in her blood as it pounded through her veins under his tongue, gasping and arcing into him with every insistent shove of his hips. "Want… ahhhhh! Fuck! Din! Can take… everything… you give me… want… all of it… all… of you…"

He was so near the event horizon, he could barely speak. But he wanted to hear her answer completely. Listen to her growl the words and feel it on his tongue. Feel it in his cock as the flood gates opened, and the gorgeous, wet sound of his lover's building release sang in his ears as he jerked his hips harder into her, sliding through dense waves of silk and steam that felt like creation itself around his throbbing shaft. "How deep?" he growled, gripping her hips to keep her under control while she bucked and writhed and seized against him, practically sobbing as he decimated that fucking incredible spot inside her he all but worshipped now. "How… fuck! Ummngh! How deep?"

"Ahh!" She was almost beyond words as Din struggled to hold on to her, watching his lover fly apart as he desperately fought the pressure that begged him to let go. Just when he was to the point of breaking, at last she whimpered, "Fathoms… fucking fathoms… feel it… in my tits…"

"Mmmghh!" he choked, driven half mad and pounding into her until they finally burst into molecules scattered across the stars, then came back together as his purge erupted inside her in a fusion of dark matter and silk. She dug her nails deep into his back, and frantically wrapped her legs around him to keep him anchored where he was as another thick rope of release yanked him momentarily out of existence. When he returned to the physical world, he could barely move, and found himself draped over half her limp body, shaking and buzzing and deaf to everything except the frantic pounding of their hearts side by side. He managed to lift himself up enough to gather her in one arm and stretch out half on his side, enough to keep from crushing his decimated lover as she shivered uncontrollably, in a beautiful disarray of auburn hair and fine, pale limbs.

They must have dozed for a few minutes after the fantastic cataclysm, because the next thing Din knew, he was opening his eyes to bright sunshine just as he sensed their son in his room, rousing from a deep sleep. "Where… where did that come from, my Lady?" he asked, still half out of breath and amazed at what they'd done to each other this morning.

"Spring," she whispered. "First bright day… always… always does this… to me…"

"Should be another holiday," he murmured. "Fucking incredible. Even during the Solstice, you weren't… we weren't… like that. Always… always these surprises… thought you would tear me apart, my Lady. Wanted you to. Would've fucking loved it."

Aldor smiled wickedly and ran her palms possessively across his back. Din winced when her touch flew over what felt like a cut and caused a little twinge. She immediately lifted her head to inspect the source of his discomfort and murmured apologetically. "Oh, my sweet Mandalorian. I'm so sorry. I'm afraid I did that."

Din chuckled deeply, trailing a tender lick across her nipple, leading to a soft kiss under her jaw, then a deep sweep of his tongue into her sweet mouth. "I said I wanted you to tear me apart," he murmured through a smile. "I'll wear any mark from you like a badge of honor. I made my Lady cum hard enough to draw blood from my back. It's something to be proud of."

Aldor laughed and embraced him like he was the answer to everything, and kissed him silly until he was half drunk and barely aware as she pushed up from the bed and began to dress. Din tried to distract her from her clothes with long caresses along her gorgeous hips and perfect ass, but he gave up when he sensed their boy was soon to be on the move, raring to go for their trek to the Gauntlet.

Almost from the moment the deep freeze ended, Aldor had Din and Grogu back at the Maze, stretching out their new skills. After weeks of hard work and review, Aldor was teaching Din how to combine all he'd learned into new Niman combinations. She was satisfied with his Shien and Djem So after only one series of runs through the Gauntlet, and assured him it wouldn't take much to master Niman. She was almost ready to start teaching him Vapaad, and he felt how excited she was at the prospect. She told him more than once that she suspected he would favor Vapaad because he'd already mastered several techniques without even knowing he'd executed them. But it troubled him a little. Dabbling in the darkness was a serious business, and Din remained deeply intimidated by this form. Only she and a scant handful of others could even attempt it, let alone master it.

But darkness is so familiar to you, my Love. She glanced over her shoulder at him as she went to the storage cubes in the kitchen to retrieve a few meilooruns she had curing there. She'd tried them and decided she still liked frost melon better, but Grogu practically lived for a meiloorun in the morning, and as always, his mother was happy to indulge him. With the fruit in hand, she graced her enraptured Mandalorian with a pale crimson smile, and took a moment to ogle him while he shrugged into the charcoal-colored duster she'd made from sturdy sea grass. When her eyes had taken him in sufficiently, she turned back to her meilooruns on the counter and continued her thought. Darkness is also a little afraid of you, so you can learn how to tame it. That's something you manage by nature already. "So I sense Vapaad will come easily to you, my Elemental."

"I hope you're right," Din answered. He stepped behind her to press a deep kiss into the bend of her neck while he watched her slice into the fragrant fruit, and absently let his hand follow the shape of her hip as he spoke. "I just don't want to let it take me. I may know it well, but I also know how powerful it can be. Don't want to be tempted by anything but you, my Lady. It's been nice to live in the sunshine, and the people I love most like to stay in it."

"Yes, well… it's always been a little difficult for me, though," Aldor admitted. "It took me two years to master Vapaad on my own. Master Windu gave me a good foundation, but I'm afraid my darkness can be rather persistent, so he held me back a little. I learned how to manage it well enough on my own, but it's always been a struggle." With the sliced meilooruns fanned over three plates, she turned and took a kiss from him, then smiled serenely. "But since I've become Aldor of Clan Djarin, the darkness has left me in peace, and only visits long enough for me to make use of it. Because it's afraid of you, my Love. Terrified of us together. So I'm absolutely positive my Padawan can wield it in safety."

"I don't know, my Lady," he said with a lilt of humor. "I'm not sure how safe I'll be when we spar with the darkness. But I'll wear my marks with pride when a more vigorous sparring comes later on."

Aldor laughed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and Din smiled into her hair as he hugged her tight. "How can the darkness take this man wrapped around me when he gives off such a resounding light?"

"A light you kindled, my Lady."

When Grogu emerged from his room, he was absolutely ravenous to watch his parents run the Gauntlet, and he rushed through breakfast so they could be on their way. The boy was learning a lot just by watching them, and lately it was his favorite thing to do apart from running it himself. Aldor had allowed it only twice, and both times it was nearly impossible to follow him because the Kid was fucking fast. Fast and precise and a tiny terror to every stationary target along the run. Even though Aldor insisted this wasn't a day for Grogu to run the Gauntlet, he was excited again after a brief pout, and the moment they closed the hatch behind them, their son was off like a shot, and Din had to call out to remind him not to get too far ahead of them.

Din wore his armor because he wanted to test himself both in and out of it, and because it was just wiser whenever they meant to spar. It was one of his absolute favorite things, but his Lady was a powerful fighter. He never realized how powerful until he was on the business end of it. He thought he was ready to deflect both her sabers the last time, but she quickly put that theory to rest when she had him on the ground in less than thirty seconds. But fuck it was exciting. Something about facing off in a controlled battle against his lover just… turned him on. Maybe it was the incredible grace she displayed when she was in combat. Or maybe the proof of how fucking strong she was. But Din was pretty sure it was mostly a matter of passion. A passion where they matched and mated seamlessly, until every jab and parry became an act of foreplay. It always made him ache to be inside her. Always meant an amazing night afterward.

Sparring and foreplay were so much in their minds throughout their walk to the sea, neither of them could get the last match out of their heads. Grogu left the Maze early because he wanted to meditate, so Din and Aldor practiced some of the more difficult Niman combinations with each other. When she took him out with her two sabers, he was so much in awe of her, he had to have her then and there. Now they smiled back and forth at each other as they traded images. The rock face and the cum he had to polish off his thigh plates. The way the Eye rumbled under them when they landed in the moss. How he relived every powerful flex of her body as he emptied inside her.

Have to behave this time, my Love.

Might be hard, but I think we can manage it, my Lady.

But later…

I won't leave you empty.

After he'd averaged two minutes between his runs, it proved a greater challenge to control his urges than he'd anticipated while he stood on top of the rocks to time Aldor's. She said the first bright day of Spring made her hungry, and he wondered if the same was true of him. Granted, Din couldn't think of a single moment since they'd been together when he didn't want her, but today it was almost painful while he watched her fly through the Gauntlet like a current of electricity. She soared like a pale blue ribbon on the breeze between her twin purple blades, blocking the fire from three remotes with one graceful arc of one saber, laser focused and cutting through a crowd of Zygerrian slavers in her mind.

Fuck.

So graceful. So precise. Her tight little body slicing through impossible traps and complex arrays of remotes and targets. Din stifled a moan when she landed in an aggressive stance near the exit, obliterating two remotes with one well-placed deflection in the middle of a barrage of fire, and Force-crushing another between ricochets like she hated it.

Fuck.

She looked directly up at him as the remotes fell to the ground at once, her face fierce and her eyes on fire as she held her lightsabers in ready position, poised like she was ready to take on every scughole in the Galaxy. Din drew upon all his will power to keep himself from going hard when he couldn't help but imagine the swell between her legs in obscene detail.

Fuck.

Din was about to jump down to take her right there when Grogu suddenly bounded up to her, excitedly cheering the success of her run and oblivious to the tension that stretched like a drum between his parents. Have to behave this time, my Love.

Din smiled down at his family and gave Aldor a private nod. Sorry, my Lady. Can't help it when I watch you through the Gauntlet. First bright day, you know.

Then the fucking magnificent spark of challenge lit her eye. She didn't have to say a word, but he half-died when she asked in that deep tone of alto chimes, "Wanna spar?"

Fuck yes, I do.

He jumped down to the sand fifteen meters below without a thud, and confidently strode over to where she stood smiling in approval. "You've become quite good with the jumps. Especially considering the armor."

"I've become quite good with a lightsaber too," he challenged.

"Do you think so?" There it was again. The tone he felt through every vein in his cock.

"I do."

She looked down at Grogu, whose big brown eyes shone with excitement at the prospect of watching the match. "What do you think, dear One?"

"Fun to watch."

"That's all that matters, isn't it, Kid?" Din crouched down to give Grogu's head a scratch and one ear a quick caress. He jerked his head toward a low shelf of stone in a boulder nearby. "Fun to watch me get my ass kicked."

Grogu only laughed delightedly and took the seat his father indicated to him, then Din turned to face Aldor, intimated and intoxicated, but ready to take every blow with pleasure. He stepped closer as her gaze followed him, and an incredible, sharp smile tilted up one corner of her mouth as her blue eyes shimmered like jewels. "One or two?" she asked, indicating the lightsabers in her hands.

"Two."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you sure?"

Sweet Mother of Bendu, that tone. Din let the fire fill him up, and grabbed the Old Republic saber from his belt, determined to use the flames coursing through him to at least manage a draw. But he knew it wouldn't be easy as she set her stance and ignited her blades, ready to pit fire against fire while a minute smile slipped seductively across her gorgeous lips.

In the next instant, Din was in the sparring match of his life. He had no idea of what either of them was doing within the whirlwind of purple and gold. He only knew she hadn't hit him yet, and he'd managed to maneuver his body quickly enough to avoid it every time she came in for a blow, and anticipated her movements with increasing accuracy. Through all of it, flashes of blue and glances of her shape amid explosions of pale auburn served to fuel the power cycling through his blood, driving him hard as he tried to get her to the ground and…

He had no idea how it happened. One instant he was starting to overpower her with well-placed Mandalorian moves between powerful strikes of gold on purple, whipping the blade around with lightning speed, succeeding in faking her out, turning again to come in for another strike. In the next, a thick blade of darkness flattened into a film of oily silk, and captured him in an oppressive net of rage and desperation. She squeezed so tight with her black silk, his breath came out short. Then she released him at the same time a war cry ripped from her throat and BOOM! She landed hard on top of his cuirass, knocking the wind out of him and forcing his saber out of his grasp as she pounded him into the sand.

"What the…" Din's breath wouldn't support another syllable. The blue eyes were hard as steel as the pale brows gathered low between them, glaring down at him while her body remained crouched like a predator on top of him.

Fuuuuccckkk…

A breath later, her eyes softened to their usual state, and she shifted her weight back to the ground on either side of him and offered her hand with a triumphant smile. "What did you feel?" she asked as she helped him clamor to his feet.

"Pain," Din answered on a grunt, struggling to catch his breath, bracing his hands on his knees while Grogu laughed hysterically from his seat like the little asshole he was. "What was that?" Din asked, warily peering up at her through his visor. He wasn't ashamed to admit it. She brought him down hard, and he was a little afraid of her at the moment.

"Exactly that," she answered. All anger and fire was gone from her expression, replaced with mild amusement and an explosion of affection while she watched Din take off his helmet. "That was pain."

"The darkness," he huffed. "Never… never felt like that before… fuck… powerful… my Lady is so powerful… you've been holding back."

"You weren't ready until now, my Love," she said. "But I believe when we go back to the Maze, I'll start you in Vapaad."

"That… convinced you I was ready?" Din asked incredulously. "You practically destroyed me."

Aldor smiled and shook her head, and pressed a soothing kiss to her favorite spot under his jaw. "Your passion makes you powerful, my Love," she said. "But there's no evil in it. It may be somewhat self-serving, but mostly, you give your passion away. And with you, it comes from a deeper place than most. Your fire and your darkness serve the Light by nature. It truly amazes and excites me, my Love. I've never seen anything like you. Never even read about anything that resembles you. Not in the histories. Perhaps in legends, but never in histories. I know you doubt yourself, but let me assure you, Din Djarin… you are more than capable of wielding the dark side without succumbing to it. Because you respect it. Such a simple solution to an age-old problem. Darkness is too prideful to disregard respect, and you are too gracious to disrespect anything. Seems obvious now. Always was to you, though, wasn't it, my Love?"

Din huffed hard and immediately bent his eyes to the ground, then shrugged and huffed again, overwhelmed and elated, likely the proudest man in the Galaxy right now. "Thank you, my Lady…" he mumbled, unable to look at her as he felt her love wrap him in a cloud of steam. It decimated what was left of the darkness she'd attacked him with, and Din shook his head in amazement at his Lady. "I'm… honored… so honored, Aldor… that you see me like that."

A tug on his thigh plate brought Din's eyes down to Grogu, who was looking up at his father with a sweet, light little smile. Grogu gave the beskar a pat. "A-wee-pa win, but did good."

"Thanks for the support, Kid," Din chuckled half-sarcastically.

"You did do well, my Love," Aldor agreed. She briefly brushed her fingers through his hair as a sweet little turn of affection tightened her lips. But then a vague shadow passed over her eyes, and she sighed through a hazy memory Din couldn't decipher. Her voice was deeply sober when she spoke again, and Din felt the same unknowable memory driving all she told him. "But skillful as you are by nature, there are some things you should consider before you start Vapaad. Most importantly, you will need to remember to harness darkness only until you feel the tide turn, and always finish them with light. If your hate is what casts the final blow, it will haunt you. You may not fall into darkness entirely, but it will haunt you. And I think you know that from experience, my Love. When you killed the Armorer with the Dark Saber, I suspect you employed just such a tactic. And I think it did haunt you for a long time."

Din sighed deeply and nodded. "I believe so, my Lady." He glanced up at her from where his eyes had fallen again to the ground. "Still dream of it sometimes. But… the other dreams… what would have happened if I didn't kill her… or if I'd kept the Dark Saber… those are much worse."

Aldor nodded. "I understand entirely, my Love. There are some instances when you have no choice. It happens to all of us. Sometimes it just escapes and… all you can do is hope it's for the best."

Din sensed regret in her warnings, but said nothing of it. It was all related to those memories she couldn't show him yet. He knew he would see them eventually, and right now she needed comfort, so he looped his arm around her and quietly suggested they head home.

Aldor's mood lightened quickly as they walked back to the YT arm-in-arm, and Din finally allowed himself to loosen his guard over her. But something else began to tug at his mind almost as soon as he relinquished his vigil. It pulled his eyes skyward as if some far-off noise or static discharge plucked at his senses from above. He recognized it, whatever it was, but struggled to place it.

After a while, Aldor recognized that he was distracted. Before she asked, he answered, "I don't know, my Lady. Something… kind of… familiar. Can't tell where it's coming from... don't know who... yeah… who… not what..." He stopped mid-sentence and looked up again, and suddenly realized what he was sensing was a coming arrival. He couldn't tell when, but soon. He looked down again at Aldor and concluded, "I have a feeling, my Lady… like we'll have company in the next few days… maybe we should keep a closer eye on the array… stay on covert settings…"

"Do you think so?" She closed her eyes a moment as they continued to walk, letting Din guide her as she held on to his arm. She stretched herself out to see if she could pick up on the same thing, but after a few moments she shrugged. "I don't sense it, my Love."

Din sighed and shook his head. "Probably nothing, then…"

"Not necessarily," Aldor reassured him. "There will be times when one of us senses things the other can't, but it doesn't mean it's nothing if only you pick up on it. Sometimes it is nothing. It often is with me. But I agree nevertheless. We'll keep an eye on the sensor array."

"You don't think I'm being paranoid?"

A light chuckle shook her shoulders and she leaned into him as they walked. "Maybe a little, my Love, but I've seen you much worse."


They took Din's premonition to heart and instigated the covert protocol before they bumped up the range on the sensor array, but it was forgotten by the next morning, when Aldor woke to a hungry tongue lapping at her clit. She was already drenched and close to the eye of the storm, and immediately awakened to reach for his hair as he murmured into her and squeezed her breasts in his hot palms.

Got too distracted to fuck you last night… want to make it up to you, my Lady…

If you feel you must, my Love.

I feel I must.

After an hour of her lover making it up to her fantastically, they were still in the midst of afterglow and contemplating breakfast when Din suddenly shot upright, just before the array sounded the alert he knew was coming. Panic briefly flashed through his eyes, but it immediately faded as he furrowed his brow. "Mayfeld?"

"Mayfeld?"

"What the fuck is he doing out here?" Din grumbled as he immediately got out of bed, intensely distracted as he started to get dressed.

"What is it, my Love?" Aldor attempted again. "Who is Mayfeld?"

"Migs…" Din answered, hopping into his trousers as he looked around for his holster. "Migs Mayfeld. An old mercenary I know. Did a couple jobs with him. Got some history." Grogu came out of his room seeking the source of all the commotion, and before he could even think, Din told him, "Stay here, Son. I think it's Mayfeld. We can't let him see you until we know he's not after you. Stay away from the windows. Your mother and I will meet him and we'll let you know what to do from there. Keep your comm on just in case. Be ready. Be brave. Okay, Son?" Grogu nodded in immediate understanding, then Din looked back at Aldor while she hurried to pull her boots on. "I'll tell you on the way, my Lady… not much to fear from him, but he's crafty. We'll need to find out what he wants before he lands."

"Of course, my Love. I'm with you." Aldor rushed to the turret to look through the scans, and rushed back out, telling him, "He's already less than a parsec off. Headed right this way in what reads like a small freighter. Smaller than the YT. Only a couple cannons and it looks like they're disabled. A lot of carbon on the hull."

Din nodded as he checked and holstered his blaster, then reached for the cycler by the hatch to sling it over his back. "Gives us an idea anyway. Sounds like he's not doing so great." He took his lightsaber from his belt to keep it at the ready, and opened the hatch. "Let's go, my Lady. I don't think he'll give us much trouble. Sense he's alone, but he's not stupid and he's a good shot. A little twitchy too. Need to be ready just in case. Keep at least one of your hilts drawn."

Aldor followed his orders without question, because she sensed there was more of a history here than Din originally let on. But he proceeded to relay it without prompting as soon as the hatch closed behind them. "I'm almost positive it's him," he began as they headed south, like Din already knew where his old acquaintance would land. "Heard the static. His voice in it. Snarky son of a bitch was always talking. Everything I'm hearing sounds just like him. Not even in his mind yet."

"Is he an enemy?"

"Not exactly. The last time I saw him, he did me a favor, but he owed me. We're definitely square because me and Cara Dune got him out of a Republic chop field and told the Blues he was dead so they wouldn't come after him."

"Why did he owe you?"

"I did a job for an old associate of mine… one I didn't want to go back to, but there was a bounty on Grogu and I needed credits bad. Mayfeld was his point man at the time, and we went in on this job to spring a prisoner from a Republic transfer ship. Turned out it was a guy from the old crew. I was… kind of… the reason he was in jail. He was always Ran's favorite and this guy's sister… well… they might've wanted payback … for that and…" He glanced over at her with a look of contrition before he continued. "I think I told you about Xi'an. The Twi'lek I… I was with a few times. Maybe she wasn't too happy that I rejected her, then left her brother behind. Anyway, they double crossed me on the job and locked me in one of the cells. But I got out and… let's just say the transfer had some extra prisoners on it when it docked. Mayfeld was one of them."

Aldor did know about the Twi'lek woman, and she almost wanted to laugh at the twinge of unwarranted guilt in his voice. But her Mandalorian was deeply focused, and he'd treated his narrative like a debriefing as they walked quickly through the trees. So rather than give him the assurances he didn't need, she simply asked, "And what was the favor he did for you?"

"It was after Gideon took Grogu. Needed Mayfeld because he's ex-Imperial… had to infiltrate an Imp base to find the Moff's location in their databanks. Mayfeld did himself credit, and both me and Cara felt like maybe he'd paid his debt, so we left him on Morak to find his own way."

"Generous of you, my Love, considering the debt."

"I think Mayfeld has a good sense of justice. He might even have a soul. Why I'm not too worried yet. But still want to find out what he wants before he lands."

"Of course," Aldor answered, satisfied for now with this brief history. She looked skyward when she sensed the encroaching ship, and a vague impression of the mind within it. "He's almost here, my Love."

"Yes," Din answered. "We'll cover as much ground as we can before he locks on a landing site. Pretty sure I know where. We'll stop a minute when I can get a read on his thoughts, then work out how to approach him."

"Understood."

They continued at a brisk pace through the forest for a good quarter of an hour before Din suddenly stopped, and halted her with a gentle tug on her arm. "About to hit atmo," he murmured, and closed his eyes to seek their visitor's thoughts. He hadn't been in contact for more than a few seconds before he grunted and squinted his eyes shut like he was in pain. "Fuck! Now I remember why I always wanted to punch him. His mind is... Shit! It's got to be him. Even in his own head, he never shuts up." Din looked to Aldor, wincing under the aftermath as he drew away from their visitor's mind. "I hate to ask you, my Lady, but we need to try and get into his thoughts. He knows Grogu could be valuable, and he's ex-Imperial. He turned on them, but I don't know what he turned to after we left him on Morak. It could go either way."

"I understand, my Love," Aldor assured him. "I'll see what I can do. But remember, not all minds are easy for me."

"True of us both, I guess. Because being in there just a few seconds was like having my mind flayed."

Aldor nodded in understanding, then reached through the mist to locate all the ephemera of an Ex-Imperial's brain. When she found it, she immediately understood why Din couldn't tolerate it. It was so much the foil of her lover's own mind, she couldn't imagine how he stood it for half a second. It was difficult to get through all the smog and static and grit in this man's head, but Aldor's more subtle tactics allowed her tenuous access through the deafening white noise imbedded between fear and justice. In these dual points between the static was the key to hearing him. The man he was to himself as opposed to the man he presented to everyone else. But she sensed his disguise was not a good one, and everyone could see his heart in his eyes, just like her own Mandalorian. But where Din tended to keep silent and consider his feelings, Aldor surmised that Migs Mayfeld was the type who tossed them out through words that meant nothing to anyone but himself. It was a trait so common in smugglers and mercenaries, Aldor could sense them coming a parsec away.

Aldor opened her eyes to Din's when she finally found Mayfeld's intentions through all the noise. She translated the best she could for her Mandalorian, serving as a buffer between the two opposing minds as everything became clear, and they began to formulate a strategy for how to approach him.

Their visitor came here when he set random co-ordinates to jump away from some hunters that attacked him. He was on his way to a system beyond Ilum as part of a smuggling ring and got ambushed. He knew he was in trouble, and he knew there was someone inhabiting this planet, but that was pretty much it.

"He's surprised there's tech here," Aldor said. "And I sense a lot of fear in him. He's not comfortable in this sector. He knows it, but only the hyperlane to his clients' system and nothing beyond it. And you'll be happy to know that neither you nor Grogu is anywhere in his thoughts right now, my Love. For all he knows, we're worse than the hunters that attacked him. But he's desperate. Damage to his ship... and he's low on fuel."

"How's our surplus, my Lady?"

"We could jump to Tatooine and back four times." She shrugged at the surprise in Din's face. "I told you, I'm stingy. And since you're been here, we've taken the T-16 out only once or twice."

"And all I've done with the N1 is bring it closer to home and fill it up."

"We have enough to barter with, my Love."

Din nodded. "Yeah... he's not such a scughole that he would refuse to barter and try to attack us. Unless something's changed him. Didn't sense that, though. Either way doesn't really matter, because he's terrified of me."

A laugh burst from her lips at his flippant reply, but she quickly silenced it and forced herself to focus on the events at hand. "Does he know the N1?"

Din shook his head. "He remembers the Crest. Didn't have the N1 yet when we went to Morak. Boba Fett took us in his Firespray."

"So you'll have the element of surprise."

Din nodded. "But I think you should show yourself first. Will give us a chance to learn more. See how he conducts himself." Din paused as a subtle smirk tilted up one corner of his mustache, and his shallow lower dimple deepened under a smattering of facial hair. "He won't know what to do with you, my Lady. But I think he'll realize pretty quick that you're not one to fuck with."

Aldor smiled wide and wickedly. "Well, I won't fuck with him unless he gives me a reason, my Love."

Din kissed her and briefly brushed his fingers through her hair, taking a moment to admire her because he was not as concerned about Migs Mayfeld as he had been a few minutes ago. "All right, then, my Lady. I'll know my time if you can translate for me."

"Of course, my Love," Aldor said confidently. "It's been nice to exercise that skill. Although you're right about his mind. That was intensely irritating."

Din chuckled, but it was laced with guilt. "I'm so sorry to subject you to him, my Lady, but I know how strong you are."

"Even though you're not very concerned about Mr. Mayfeld, we should keep Grogu hidden for now, my Love. If he knows how valuable he is..."

Din nodded. "I'll let him know what's going on."

Aldor watched as Din pinged his son through the Force, and she was pleased to be let in on the conversation as Grogu's little butterfly whisps arrived the moment they were summoned.

Stay hidden, Son. It's Mayfeld like we thought. Are you okay?

Good. No worry. Stay home. Work on droid. Almost done.

All right then, Son, but if you sense anything unusual or...

Will contact.

That's my boy. We'll see you soon. And we might have company.

I ready.

Din and Aldor smiled proudly at each other as Grogu's whisps floated back to the YT, because they knew their son had it all under control.

Just as they turned their eyes skyward again, the airy rumble of a starship clattered overhead, and what looked like an old, modified freighter flew over the treetops, and continued on a path to a clearing half a klick in front of them. Din nodded at her, and they continued forward until they were within a few hundred meters of the freighter as it completed its landing cycle.

"By the way," Din murmured when they stopped again to work out their logistics. "Mayfeld has seen my face, and I'm pretty sure he'll recognize me. He was hung up on why I never showed my face, so I wasn't thrilled it was him of all people… but… the time I killed when I wasn't wearing a helmet… that one time I told you about… Mayfeld saw it. Made him understand me a little better, I think. I know it seems like a small thing these days, but back then…"

"I understand, my Love," Aldor assured him. "I remember." She kissed him sweetly, and gave him an encouraging caress over his cheek. "I'll know when you're ready to speak."

Din nodded. "Be careful, my Lady. He's a decent fighter. Just don't let him get the drop on you. For my sake as much as yours."

Aldor nodded as Din brushed his fingers over her jaw, and he left her with one of his tiny smiles before he headed deeper into the forest, bound for a spot where he could keep an eye on things and make his entrance when he needed to.

Aldor continued toward the clearing, making it a point not to rush. She could see the figure of Migs Mayfeld already outside his ship, and she sensed the bewildered mercenary was a tad jumpy, so she didn't want to startle him. When she got a clearer view through the trees as she came closer, she saw a bald, wiry human about her age with his blaster drawn and his head on a swivel. His body appeared strong and nimble, and his light eyes were sharp and intelligent. Aldor ducked behind a tree trunk when she sensed he'd caught a glimpse of her. "Hey! Hey!" he called in a loud, petulant voice. "Who's out there?"

"I'll be happy to let you see me if you'll kindly holster your blaster, my friend," Aldor replied in her most welcoming voice, peeking around the tree to see his eyes trained in her direction. "I mean you no harm so long as you mean me none."

"Uhh…" He hesitated, considering the voice he'd heard and whipping his eyes around the clearing just as he realized he might have already exposed himself to an ambush.

"No ambush, my friend," she answered. "Only caution. I'll be glad to be of assistance if I can, if you would do me the honor of telling me what brings you here. And if you'll holster your blaster."

"Okay," he answered, doing as she asked at last. He held his hands out in a gesture of peace and continued, "All right. Know you see me. I'm just here for repairs. Been out here looking for trade."

"Looking to smuggle, you mean?" Aldor asked facetiously as she stepped out from behind the tree and advanced into the clearing to let him see her. "But don't worry, smuggler. None of that concerns me. We all do what we must to survive. So I hope you'll understand if I offer my assistance conditionally. But before I offer you anything, I ask again: what brings you to my planet?"

Migs Mayfeld took a moment to size her up, and Aldor immediately sensed that he found her attractive. His eyes roamed greedily over her body and breasts, not even realizing how blatant he was as he scratched nervously at his chin and considered how to answer her. When he moved to step closer, Aldor shot him a fierce, icy look, and he stopped in his tracks and looked downward in what might have been humility while he struggled to order his words.

Of course he thinks you're beautiful, my Lady. I won't be angry if you need to use it against him. I know where your heart lies. But I will kill him if he makes one wrong move toward you.

I don't think that will be necessary, my Love. I hope not, because I've never mastered the art of flirting.

Aldor sensed her lover's smile and was comforted to have his thoughts so near as she took these few moments through Mayfeld's indecision to get a read on his mind and translate its chaos to Din. He's surprised to see someone like me here. No thoughts of you. None of Grogu. He's in survival mode right now.

Good. Means he'll be willing to negotiate.

At last Mayfeld found his voice, and stuttered at first, "I… uh…" He glanced down at his feet, shuffling and trying to appear aloof, but he was nervous because he had no idea of what to think of the woman in front of him, or of the two hilts hung on her belt. So he went with the truth, rather unexpectedly. "I was trying to get some cargo past Ilum… ran into some hunters there… don't know what they were doing out there, but… they came after me soon as I got close… fired on me. I hauled ass and ended up here. Took some damage and need repairs. Fuel is low too… don't know… don't know what you've got that I can use, but… if you can help… we might could trade."

"What do you have to offer?"

Mayfeld seriously considered offering himself as his eyes roamed over her body and face again. He'd overcome his bashfulness, but now he was preoccupied by baser instincts. Aldor sensed Din's temper starting to flare. He kept it under control, but she still felt his blood thrumming like an infrared heating coil. Thankfully, Mayfeld rethought his answer and gave in to desperation, choosing a more careful response than the first that came to his mind. "Could spare one of these shield generators… maybe a power cell… if you're interested. If you've got parts… maybe shelter and a meal for a day or two while I make repairs… if you can help… wouldn't say no. Wouldn't say no to fuel if you have it either."

Aldor felt the thread of decency in Mayfeld at his premium offerings. She was surprised he began with such valuable equipment, and she sensed it had also convinced Din. When her Mandalorian wanted her to acknowledge his presence, she turned her head toward the forest where she knew he was ready to step into the clearing. "What do you think, my Love?"

"I think we might be able to deal, my Lady," Din said quietly as Mayfeld stared in disbelief at the man who stepped out from the tree line to stand beside her. "So long as Mayfeld can keep his eyes in their sockets."

Migs Mayfeld was utterly stumped and unsure of whether this was real or if he was dreaming. His face blanched the second he heard Din's voice, and even though his mind hadn't grasped what he was seeing, fear told him exactly who this man was. The effect was instantaneous and hilarious. So incredibly enjoyable to watch a hardened criminal stare at her lover like he was death itself. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, and Din glanced her way to flash a tiny smile. Told you.

What did you do to him, my Love?

I think it was when I took out the droids on the Prison transport. Felt it when he looked at me even though he brushed it off. And I might've… stalked him a bit… gave him a good scare.

You're rather enjoying this, my Love.

Aren't you?

Immensely.

At last Mayfeld found his voice, and kept his eyes locked on Din's face. "Mando? How? What the fuck…"

Din gave him a deep Mandalorian nod in confirmation before he answered, "I'm surprised to see you too, Mayfeld. Even more surprised you remember my face. You only saw it once."

"Yeah, but… shit Mando… didn't think I'd ever see it again…"

"My name is Din," he quietly corrected. He nodded toward Aldor. "Hers is Aldor. Welcome to the Eye, Mayfeld."

Mayfeld looked again at her, and a twinge of jealousy shot through his feelings. It shook a buried loneliness loose, and he looked down at his feet a moment before he nodded in understanding. "She's yours, Mando?"

"She belongs to herself, but she is… with me."

"Is this where you've been all this time? And the Imps haven't found you?"

"Imps?" Din asked with a hint of alarm. "Where are they?"

"There was definitely Imp activity around Ilum. Don't know what they're doing, but it can't be fucking good."

"Yeah, I guess you'd know," Din grumbled.

"Hey," Mayfeld snapped defensively. "I'm done with all that. Was a long time ago. You ought to know that, wiseass."

Aldor barely registered Mayfeld's protests as she looked back at Din. "I think Mr. Mayfeld is right, my Love. It can't be good if there are Imps on Ilum. Padawans harvested their kyber crystals from those caves for thousands of years. Some say the entire core of the planet is one huge kyber crystal. I don't think that's likely, but even a large deposit in the hands of Imperial remnants… it can't be good."

"No, my Lady," Din agreed. "Luckily there's nothing on this planet the Imps could want. And we're hundreds of parsecs away."

"The magnetic fields from the suns and the gas giants keep this planet hidden from many scopes," Aldor added. "I think you're right, my Love. I don't think they'll be looking our way for a while at least."

"But we should keep an eye out. We need to be ready, my Lady. However long it might be."

"We will be, my Love."

"Hey, this is all great… being ready… for whatever… but… what about my ship?" Mayfeld had recovered from his shock and looked back at Din expectantly. "Mando, don't you know your way around a starship? Think you can help me get back on my way and off your planet?"

Din looked back at Mayfeld, and glanced beyond at the small freighter. "Like I said, Mayfeld, we might can deal. What kind of damage are we talking about?"

"Well, I know they grazed my hyperjets and I might've burned 'em up a little when I jumped. Fuckers took out both my guns and I'm losing fuel. Slow leak, but…"

"It'll get faster," Din mumbled. "Let me look it over. Then we'll talk about trade." He turned to Aldor. You should go back home, my Lady. He's not going to try anything. He's in too tight a jam to risk it right now. Stay on alert, but… right now he's fine… sense he'll tell me more if you're not here.

Aldor nodded in understanding. I'll watch over Grogu, my Love. Don't worry about us.

"Might be a while," he added. "Looks like he took some heavy damage. Keep your comm on. Let me know if anything looks suspicious." Keep an eye on the array. Just in case.

Aldor nodded, and brought him down by the hair to give him a quick, deep kiss. Be careful, my Mandalorian. If you need me…

"I'll let you know, my Lady." He pulled her in for another quick kiss. "See you soon."


Mayfeld was irritating as ever while Din followed him around his ship, looking for the source of various systems failures and assessing damaged components. He kept yammering on about why he'd left Morak and how. How he ended up smuggling and why he liked it better than mercenary work. Din barely paid attention to it, but gathered the important points crammed between a trillion unnecessary words. Stripped down to the basics, Din heard Mayfeld tell him that he was just trying to make his way through the Galaxy like anyone, and he felt his prospects had vastly improved from earlier ventures.

Once Din processed this information and had become satisfied with it, he started trying to get back into Mayfeld's mind in small bursts, hoping he could build up some immunity to the old convict's ridiculous superfluity of sarcasm and shallow observations. All of it fueled by a crippling inferiority complex. Din knew the man had a good heart, but his mind was a horrific mess, and he struggled to catch any sense in it. But as the afternoon wore on, Din worked his way up to about twenty seconds at a time in Migs Mayfeld's head. He decided that was enough and gave the task at hand his full attention, making calculations as he ruminated on all the problems he thought they could help with. Partly because he knew the irritation of a damaged ship on a desolate world all too well, but mostly because he wanted Mayfeld off the Eye as soon as fucking possible. When he'd made all the calculations he could for the time being, Din turned to Mayfeld and ran down a preliminary list of what they might be able to repair and what would be little more than a patch job, pointing out there was only so much they could do with the odd array of spare parts they had in surplus.

"Shit Mando, I'm surprised you have replacements for anything," Migs quipped. "How do you have so many parts out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Aldor's been here a long time. Had to shoot down her share of raiders. She always salvages what she can."

"Shoot down?"

Din paused in his inspection of the weapons array to look purposefully back at Mayfeld. "You don't want to fuck with Aldor."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

"Or she will."

Mayfeld skipped over Din's warning and asked with a tone of incredulity, "How'd that even happen, Mando? You and your lady. Xi'an told me…"

"Anything Xi'an said is bantha shit. We both had an itch we needed scratched. What it amounts to."

Mayfeld snorted. "Yeah. I get that, Mando. Pulled the same shit on me."

"Figured."

"But you never answered me, Mando." He nodded toward the tract Aldor had taken back to the YT. "How'd that happen."

"I ended up here and she… helped me out. Decided we liked each other… a lot… and… well… now this is home, and I'm retired. Done with all the bantha shit in the Galaxy anyway. After Mandalore… decided I wouldn't fight for illusions anymore. Just fight for my family now. Only thing that matters to me."

"You don't wear your beskar anymore?"

"Most of the time, I don't. Still put it on for training and if there's trouble."

"No shit… and this from a guy who couldn't even fucking talk when it wasn't through a modulator. What happened, Mando? You finally come to your senses about all that shit they fed you about Mandalore."

Din fumed at Mayfeld's comment, but it was more of a reflex than anything. Mayfeld wasn't entirely wrong, so Din had to consider his irritating words before he answered. "I guess I kind of did. I'm still Mandalorian. Always will be. But I walk my own Way now."

"I think I heard something about Mandalore a while ago," Mayfeld mused. "Heard there was some big shake-up. Guess you were there for that."

"Afraid so," Din grumbled.

"So what?" Mayfeld asked almost confrontationally. "You're just a guy now?"

"All I've ever been."

Mayfeld's eyes flitted over Din's holster and belt, and lingered on his light saber. "Then what about that, Mando? Looks like a light saber."

"It is."

"Thought only Jedi could fight with those."

"What I hear."

"So… you're a Jedi now? And a Mandalorian."

"Not really Jedi. We're something else."

"We?"

"Me and Aldor. And… the kid."

"The one we nearly died to find?"

"Wouldn't've come close to dying if you hadn't shot that fucking Imp…" Din glanced up at Migs from the control panel he was inspecting. "But I don't blame you, Mayfeld. Fucker had it coming. And yeah. Same kid. My son. Adopted him a few years ago."

"How long you been here?"

"Not quite a year," Din answered.

"So you and your lady… you got another kid yet?"

Din shook his head, keeping his expression purposefully stoic as he crossed the small bridge back to the ramp to step outside with Mayfeld just behind him. In the face of so many irritating questions, he needed the air. He knew the questions were all leading to a place Din didn't want Mayfeld to go, but still he answered, just to see what he'd say. "Can't. Too old anyway."

"You can't tell me she's too old," Mayfeld said with a blatant tone of warmth.

Din gritted his teeth as Mayfeld's thoughts became too loud and too graphic to ignore. "However old she is, you need to stop picturing her naked, Mayfeld."

"Don't you?! Shit, I haven't seen tits like that in years… no wonder you quit wearing your beskar. If I had pussy that pretty, I'd never want to…"

His temper had been simmering all afternoon, and these crass remarks finally brought it to a violent boil. Before he even realized it, Din laid the fucker out in the sand with a hard, deeply satisfying crunch of his fist against Mayfeld's jaw. "Aldor is as good as my wife," he growled over him. "I warned you, Mayfeld. I won't let you disrespect her."

"Shit! Fuck, Mando!" Mayfeld sputtered, sitting up from the ground as he nursed his bruised jaw and winced at a cut above his eye from a rock that caught him when he fell. Din was pretty sure he got his point across, and couldn't deny a sense of satisfaction as Mayfeld held up his hands in surrender while blood oozed over a sardonic blue eye. "I'm sorry, all right! I'm sorry. Jeez. Didn't know it was like that…"

"Seems like it'd be obvious," Din grunted.

"Don't punch me again," Mayfeld said carefully, still looking up at Din tentatively from the dirt. "But if you don't mind me asking… if she's as good as your wife, why isn't she?"

Din grumbled and was half tempted to give him a good kick in the kidney, but the most annoying thing about Mayfeld was the good points he made while he was being a massive asshole. In humility at this private admission, Din offered his hand to help Migs up from the ground. "Haven't discussed it," he admitted finally, and turned on his heel, fuming ahead of the bewildered convict as he asked himself the very good question Migs Mayfeld had petulantly raised.

It took Migs a minute to realize Mando meant him to follow, and was kind of glad he could lag behind. That face almost had him fooled. The difference. But Mando was as terrifying out of his armor as he was in it, and Migs decided it was best to yield to his host. Mando would keep his word so long as Migs kept his. And it would probably help if he could stop trying so hard to piss Mando off. Resigned, Mayfeld sighed to himself as he purposefully lagged behind in silence through the forest, hoping this would be a short visit.