Chapter Text
Din pointed his blaster when he awoke. It was a subtle noise that did not quite fit the environment he was in which raised his awareness quickly enough. When Din lifted his head he saw none other than who he was looking for. The Jedi he encountered on Moff Gideon's ship, Luke Skywalker. Once Din realized so much he lowered his blaster and sat up from the bench the droids had built right after his arrival. He noticed the R2-unit was not at its spot where it shut off but that didn't concern him at the moment. More so that he was face to face again with the Jedi and that there was only one thing Din came here to do.
"I was looking for you." Din said after he stood straight up again and holstered his blaster back to his side. There was an unreadable expression on the Jedi's face, he might as well be the one wearing a mask.
"I assume by that you actually mean Grogu?" Luke took swift steps towards the Mandalorian, his demeanor neither inviting nor dismissive. His hands were tucked behind his back, the dramatic black cloak and attire which Din remembered were now replaced by something more casual. "That's right" he replied slightly skeptical whether he was even welcome here.
"Can...can I see him? Is he here?" his voice lowered, nothing short of a concerned father. Though he wasn't sure Luke would share his sentiment, from what little he knew of the Jedi is that they weren't big on attachments. Luke exhaled as if he already saw this question coming and already prepared an answer. "He is safe here, you don't have to worry about his well-being" the Jedi started, his sky blue eyes suddenly appearing more human than Din had seen them moments ago. "But I think it would be for the best if Grogu didn't see you here" he finished almost reluctantly. It wasn't the easiest news to break to someone. Luke felt through the force how strong their connection was, and detachment was essential if he wanted to train his padawan as the order had done before with others. It was his responsibility.
Din didn't see it that way, he had promised Grogu when they parted that they would see each other again. He came all this way just to what? Leave again? He took a step forward, ready to argue. "Grogu was a Mandalorian foundling in my care, it is my duty to make sure he is safe." Din sounded determined, but perhaps he didn't want to admit to himself that he just missed the kid a damn lot and he was sure it was the same for Grogu.
"There isn't a place safer in the galaxy than my school" the Jedi assured with a kind smile, he understood the Mandalorian's concern since Grogu was wanted by the Empire. From what Luke gathered from Grogu together they have evaded it plenty of times.
"Do you think that by seeing him you act in his best interest, or your own?" Luke asked after he was met with skeptical silence by the Mandalorian, who in return sighed in defeat. Din could admit that the Jedi was right, if Grogu saw him right now it would certainly setback his training. There was a fleeting feeling in his chest, one of hurt and missed opportunity. Then again there was another thing he could do as he reached for his pocket.
"I just...I want you to give him this." Din handed Luke the chainmail armor constructed by the Armorer from the pure beskar spear, tucked safely in a cloth. He wanted Grogu to have it for protection. Though Luke looked at the item he hasn't reached out his hand yet. "To remember you by?" he asked calmly.
"No," Din retorted immediately "Him having this is his right, as a Mandalorian foundling." he explained further and felt relief once Luke reached out and took it, inspected it for a brief moment before storing it in presumably his pocket. "Then he shall receive it, though I wouldn't call him a foundling any longer, he is a padawan now." Luke tried to get Din to let go of his attachment as well because it would do him and Grogu no good if he couldn't let go.
Luke sighed and looked slightly down before speaking up. "He misses you a lot" he returned his gaze to the Mandalorians visor where his eyes would be. "I feel it when we train, Grogu is a good student but his attachment to you clouds his concentration."
Din wasn't sure what to do with that information, he missed the kid too but he can't be responsible for his training getting interrupted. Ultimately it was a creed just as his, and he knew very well how it felt breaking one. Din wouldn't let that happen to Grogu. So from afar he was keeping him protected, in a way.
He was the one to lower his head now with a saddened sigh. "I understand..."
Now it was Luke who had trouble stomaching all this, he was better at hiding it but he truly felt sympathy. Back on the cruiser when the Mandalorian had his helmet off he could feel the love for Grogu radiating off of him, it was the same one Luke felt when he took off his own father's helmet to see him for the first and only time. Luke could already picture the excitement the little one would have if he saw his father again, after that though it would be impossible to get him to detach again. He was already struggling enough to do so in the first place. That is why Luke had to be a better example, to do as his masters had tought him and many before when the order was still thriving.
Din knew what he had to do now, even if everything in his being screamed against abandoning the kid again, but he had to. This was the Jedi way and he had to respect it for Grogu's sake.
The tips of their boots were almost touching when Din closed off their distance to speak. "Make sure that he is safe." Din's voice sounded more firm now, with a light undertone of an 'or else' behind his statement. "He's been through enough." he added and finally resigned, though kept his intense gaze trained on the Jedi.
Luke nodded in return, slowly, assuringly "I would give my life if I had to." and that got Din convinced.
When he turned to leave to where he parked his N-1 Din couldn't help but stop for a second, contemplating something. He knew Luke was still behind him, waiting until he was out the atmosphere if he didn't know any better. So much was confirmed when he turned back towards him, those crystal blue eyes meeting his black visor again.
"I trust you." Din declared with a small hand gesture. "Don't know why, but I do."
Luke blinked a few times, as though he was slightly perplexed and without having anything better to say he repeated the same words he said when leaving the last time.
"May the force be with you."
.
Luke spent some time thinking about the Mandalorian's visit, well meditated on it actually to see if he got any wiser. There was a strange feeling gnawing at him in the back of his mind, one that made him feel so wrong for having the Mandalorian leave. After not reaching any fruitful conclusion Luke retreated back to the hut with his student. Grogu of course sensed that something was different. He wasn't aware yet that his father had been here today, it happened when he had his midday nap. It was evening now. But soon he'd know. Luke contemplated whether what he was about to do was the right thing but he trusted that Grogu was ready.
They sat opposite of each other, a big cloth spread out in between them. The area was calm as it always has been on Ossus. Luke then took out the beskar armor still tucked away in his pocket and laid it on top of the bigger cloth, then showed the contents to Grogu who looked up very curiously.
"The Mandalorian wanted you to have this" he said with the same calm he always had when addressing Grogu. The child cooed at the mention of his father and already reached his little hands out to the shirt. "But before you take it," Luke set it down on the cloth "I will give you a choice." He then reached with his glowed hand to open up a small wooden box beside him to reveal a lightsaber hilt. Again Grogu followed his movement as he ignited it, shining brigtly green.
"This is a lightsaber" Luke told the boy who stared in awe at the shiny light. "It belonged to my teacher, master Yoda" Luke kept up his tranquil exterior as he continued to explain to Grogu what this meant. "And now I'm offering it to you" he let the blade draw back in and showed the metallic hilt to Grogu before also setting it onto the cloth next to the beskar shirt.
The kid excitedly stood up from his sitting position and was curious to inspect the new items better before Luke spoke up again.
"But you may choose only one." Luke stated with a heavy heart. He had to do this, he reminded himself. To see if Grogu was even capable of letting go of his attachment. He'd give him this choice before training the kid to a life he might regret. And in return Grogu looked up with big beady eyes, surprised. Perhaps overwhelmed as he sensed where this was going.
"If you choose the armor, you will return to your friend the Mandalorian," Luke expained before continuing "However, you will be giving in to attachment to those 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." Grogu listened to him intently, tilting his head from one side to the other, a trait he still inherited from his father. "It will take you many years to master the way of the force, and you may never see the Mandalorian again." The child looked visibly sad at this, lowering his tiny head. Luke wanted to explain it to him.
"Because Grogu, a short time for you is a life time for someone else." Grogu aged differently and Luke suspected he'll still be a toddler even when he was old and wrinkly. His upbringing would simply be different.
"Which do you choose?" Luke left the rest to Grogu now, allowing him time to make his choice. And the little one tried, he switched his gaze from armor to saber, from saber to armor and so forth. There was conflict within him, Luke sensed.
Ultimately, Grogu did not choose.
He sat back down with a frown, feeling lost and unsure of what his destiny is supposed to be. Luke worried he might have put too much pressure on the little one. While trying to comfort him through the force he smiled gently, assuring Grogu that he can make that choice when he was turly ready to decide for his future.
.
Later, when it was Grogu's bedtime, Luke went off on his own. The child was sleeping safe and sound, with Artoo staying behind as guard.
To be entirely truthful, Luke felt just as lost as his padawan when it came to his destiny. He already accomplished so much yet the resurrection of an entire order rested on his belt of responsibilities, and he already felt as though he failed with his first student. It was clear when to seek for advice.
Luke arrived at the clearing on top of a cliff he liked to meditate on, it felt even more peaceful at night. Which would help him more to get into contact with his masters.
Time passed which Luke spent focused, using the force to reach out, allowing himself to be guided. Usually Luke wouldn't just call out to any of the force ghosts because he knew that they would come to him when he truly needed them but he felt as though he was at a stalemate with Grogu. And it's not like he had any other students the kid could bond with.
"Trouble with your student, I sense." Luke opened his eyes as he heard his old master Yoda, he was overjoyed to see him again before he managed to compose himself.
"You are right master," he simply replied, aware that Yoda probably already knew all about what troubled him. "I taught him the things you taught me, he is powerful with the force but he looses his focus...as though he is missing something that connects him properly." He explained anyways what Luke had from his own observations when training with Grogu.
Master Yoda's transluscent figure rested next to Luke, his presence alone soothing more than the night itself.
"Why that is you think Hmm?" he asked his former padawan, with a voice that radiated friendliness. Luke had an answer to that, the one thing he always sensed when he was with Grogu, his attachment.
"He misses his father" Luke stated, feeling empathetic. Often times he misses his own father as well while thinking of what could have been. It sooths him to know that at least he managed to save him in his last moments. "Guilt young Grogu is feeling, fear of abandonment he has." Yoda added to his observation. Luke didn't question his knowledge of that, he was waiting for advice after all. "I gave him a choice to return to his father, but he refused to choose anything. He doesn't need to feel guilty about that" Luke explained, maybe he put Grogu under too much pressure after all?
"Not the choice to stay his guilt comes from," Yoda then started. "But the choice to leave."
Luke felt a smidge of doubt, there was no need for Grogu to consider how Luke would be affected by his choice. In fact, he was quite able to respect whatever Grogu would choose. He was already used to the lonely Jedi life, it was just a part of him now. His responsibility. "That's...silly I don't- I don't understand why." Luke voiced his concern to master Yoda, still unable to fully grasp why he thought Grogu felt that way.
"Afraid of your abandonment he is, not his own" Yoda strengthened his point to which Luke sighed.
"What should I do master? I tried to rebuild the order but...I feel as unsure as my padawan" he confessed, this was after all the reason why he tried calling out to his masters in the first place. There must have been a reason why Yoda was the one to share his presence now. Luke trusted his judgement.
The latter stayed silent for a long time, so long Luke was worried he might leave. Then Yoda too sighed, as though he had trouble admitting something.
"Flawed the Jedi order was," again he started "Better you must make it." Yoda declared. This didn't help Luke though, he didn't know what 'better' meant, what 'flawed' meant, at least not in this context.
"How?"
"For you to know that is, guiding you the force it will, follow your feelings you must." Yoda rambled on as Luke engraved his words to memory as his figure became more and more transparent with every passing word until his presence was back with the force again.
"Master?" Luke called out nontheless, to no avail.
With that a long silence dragged over the night air as Luke was alone once again, left behind with more to ponder than to know.
He decided to stay longer to clear his mind, not trying to reach out to his masters but to meditate. Find out what feeling it was he needed to follow. The only thing that started occupying his mind was the Mandalorian again. The fact that he had his trust. It felt right.
Luke opened his eyes when he realized what needed to be done.
And it all led back to Din.