Grace

“Luke, come see this.”

Luke hasn’t gotten very far. In fact, he watched Mando the entire time, pretending to examine some panels near the wall on the opposite side of the hangar. He walks over to the Mandalorian’s position and looks at the floor.

“This floor moves,” says the Mandalorian. “There’s something underneath it.”

Luke’s eyes widen. He scans the ground and sure enough, under all the dirt and debris, there’s a long line stretching from the back of the hangar to the front. Luke bends down and traces the line along where the Mandalorian did.

“What’s under there?”

“I’m not sure. Can we get it open?”

Luke stands up and looks back over his shoulder at the panel that he was pretending to look at earlier. He strides over to it quickly, his heart thudding in anticipation. Once he reaches the panel, he tries every button he possibly can, but the floor doesn’t budge. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy-- someone would have done it already.

The Mandalorian is scanning the walls next to where Luke fusses over the panel, his fingers running along the seams of the wall.

Luke gulps at the sight of the Mandalorian’s gloved fingers running over the smooth surface.

Despite his best efforts over the last few weeks to repress his feelings for the Mandalorian, his feelings have only grown stronger. He knows that Mando has to leave eventually. There’s a whole planet counting on him, after all.

Luke feels the familiar pang of guilt at his selfishness of wanting Mando to stay there, but he knows that it isn’t possible. He’s just going to have to enjoy the time that they have now-- however short that time might be.

Just then, the Mandalorian moves some vines to the side and knocks loudly on the wall.

Hollow.

He takes a step back, tucking Grogu behind him in the sling before punching into the wall. Luke takes a step towards him, his eyes wide as he peers into the compartment that the Mandalorian just discovered. There’s a single button, cracked, but still glowing. Luke and Mando look at each other once before the Mandalorian hits the button.

The floor below them shutters and the entire building quakes with the effort as the two halves of the floor begin to slowly slide open. Luke and Mando step forward as they watch the gaping hole appear before their eyes. Dust pours from the ceiling and Luke swears he sees some new cracks forming all around the room. Once the doors are completely open, the two men walk back to the edge of the hole and peer into the abyss below.

Except it’s not an abyss, it’s a ship. A big ship.

Luke’s jaw drops and his heart thuds. They did it. They found a ship. Luke looks over at the Mandalorian. His hands are opening and closing and his helmet stays trained on the ship below.

“That’s a VCX-100,” he says.

Luke can hear the excitement in his voice, however slight it might sound to the untrained ear.

“How are we going to get it out of there?” Mando asks, scanning again for a solution.

“I think I can help with that. Go stand next to the button. Press it when I say so.”

The Mandalorian seems skeptical for a second but walks over to stand next to the button and waits for Luke’s orders.

Luke stands next to the hole and closes his eyes, taking a few long, deep breaths and shaking out his hands slightly. He draws on his connection to the Force and focuses his thoughts on the ship below him.

He puts his hands out and starts to lift.

The amount of concentration it takes for him to lift the ship is exponential. Luke feels himself faulter slightly about halfway up, but he recovers quickly. The ship hovers just above the ground as Luke yells “Now!” to the Mandalorian behind him. Mando slams his fist on the button and the doors begin to close achingly slow. Luke screams as he continues to hold the ship in the air before dropping it onto the platform as the doors finally slide closed. The hangar rumbles slightly as the ship thuds to the floor.

Luke breathes heavily, resting his hands on his knees and slowly wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead before turning around to face the Mandalorian who is already walking towards him. Mando stops for a second and looks at Luke, awestruck. Luke smiles at him winningly.

Suddenly, Mando is closing the distance between them rapidly, one hand on the bottom of his helmet. Once he reaches Luke, he places his other hand on the back of Luke’s head and lifts his helmet to kiss him fiercely.

Luke is so startled that he trips backwards into the ship. The Mandalorian keeps him from slamming his head into it by holding the back of his neck.

After he recovers, Luke tries to latch his lips back onto the Mandalorian’s, but just like that, Mando pulls away from him just as fast as he approached him, his helmet returning to its usual position.

“Mando, I-- “

“We should go. The kid needs dinner,” interrupts the Mandalorian, turning away from Luke.

As if on cue, Grogu pops his head out from the sling and starts making distressed sounds that Luke knows means the little womp rat is hungry.

Luke nods even though the Mandalorian still has his back turned to him. He touches his lips deafly, still feeling the remnants of the Mandalorian’s kiss there.

Luke’s mind is racing, and his heart is galloping right behind it. What just happened? Luke feels a little lightheaded, but whether that be from raising the ship or the events that transpired afterwards, he can’t tell.

He gathers his strength and with a big sigh, Luke follows the Mandalorian who is now waiting at the back of the hangar waiting for the lift. The lift beeps dully as Luke takes another look at the ship he raised from the depths of the hangar and rubs the back of his neck with his hand as he steps onto the lift.

-

They walk in silence all the way home, Mando staying a short distance in front of him.

All the while, Luke is trying to rebuild the puzzle that is the Mandalorian back in his head. Has he really been that oblivious this whole time? Was the kiss a fluke? Why did the Mandalorian take off his helmet?

On the trek back, there are many times that Luke opens his mouth to say something to the Mandalorian, but always ultimately decides to stay silent. If Mando doesn’t want to talk about it, then neither does he.

But also, it’s just so incredibly frustrating. Just when Luke thinks he’s got him figured out, something new comes around that surprises him. The mystery of the Mandalorian seems to be a never-ending train of questions with no answers. Or more accurately, there are answers, the Mandalorian just isn’t so willing to give them up.

By the time they get back, Yavin Prime is dimming overhead meaning nightfall is quickly approaching. Without a word, Mando slips into Luke’s hut, most likely to get food for Grogu who whined all the way back.

Luke hesitates to go into the hut. He’s not sure that he can face Mando right now. Instead, he sits down in what has become one of his most favorite spots in the galaxy: a log. It’s the log that sits in front of the fire pit, its twin sitting in parallel just across the collection of ashes and charred wood.

Almost every night, Luke and Mando sit here across from each other, usually in easy silence. Sometimes Mando will get Luke onto the topic of the war, and they trade stories of their past adventures. Other times, they’ll discuss the limited information that Leia has provided for them thus far.

Luke grabs the tube of fire paste sitting nearby, groaning slightly at its dismal contents. They’ve been hurting for supplies for a while. Luke’s been putting it off for as long as he can, knowing that the New Republic is busy still being built and he doesn’t want to bother Leia. Not when he knows that he can make it work on his own.

Part of him wishes he could talk to her about Mando and their brief kiss, but he’s not sure there’s much to tell. Plus, it’s probably the middle of the night on Coruscant and she will have turned in for the night.

Luke manages to get a small fire started and has just started warming his hands when he hears the Mandalorian rustle the curtain that hangs in front of the entrance of his hut. Luke doesn’t look up, opting to stare into the shifting flames of the fire.

He thinks that the Mandalorian is going to head back into his own hut, but instead he sits down on the log across from Luke, Grogu munching on his snack in the Mandalorian’s lap. Luke keeps his eyes trained on the fire, not sure of what to do next.

The Mandalorian speaks first.

“I’m going to go back tomorrow to look at the ship. See what all needs to be repaired. Looks like it’s going to need a hell of a lot of work.”

Luke finally looks up at the Mandalorian. Okay. So they aren’t talking about the kiss. Got it.

“You should take Artoo,” says Luke, “He can be very helpful.”

“I don’t like droids.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Luke deadpans.

Mando sighs. “I’ll take the droid.”

Luke feels a small smile creep onto his face. “His name is Artoo.”

The Mandalorian leans to the side, his left forearm resting on his knee, his right hand on his thigh. Grogu is making slurping noises as he gulps down the rest of his food.

“Could you tell me more about Mandalorian culture?” asks Luke, desperately wanting answers but not wanting to address the Bantha in the room.

The Mandalorian shifts a little, seeming hesitant.

“Like what?”

“Like what’s the significance of your armor?”

Mando’s grip tightens slightly on his thigh.

“The Beskar has been passed down through many generations of Mandalorians. It represents the years of combat that my people have been through. Our history lives on through it.”

“And your helmet? Why do some Mandalorians leave them on while others take them off?”

“Mandalorian is a creed, not a race. When I was a young boy, I vowed to never take it off. In my clan, that is what we did to survive. We did not tell our names, and we only went above the surface one at a time. Other Mandalorians live by a different creed. They have different experiences. Most of them think that my clan’s ways are outdated. No longer relevant to the galaxy we live in.”

“But you don’t?”

“Our anonymity is how we survived. It’s an important part of who we are as a clan. Whether or not the rest of my people want to honor that, it is their choice.”

Luke thinks back to the day that they met. Din’s teary eyes and disheveled hair, looking at Grogu like he was his everything.

“That night—” Luke starts, “the night I came to get Grogu, why did you take off your helmet if you made a creed not to? If anonymity is so important to your traditions, why would you break them?”

The Mandalorian looks down at the little green creature in his arms, his big eyes closing and opening, fighting sleep. He swipes a gloved hand under his chin, wiping off the crumbs there.

“I wanted my son to see me. What I really look like. We had been through so much together and I didn’t know if I was ever going to see him again,” says the Mandalorian as Grogu’s tiny fist wraps around one of his fingers. “When I lost him to the Empire, I realized that there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him.”

Luke once again recalls that night. How sad Mando looked, the love that he could feel between the two of them.

Sadness washes over Luke. How hard it must have been for Mando to give up the one that he loved most, just so that the kid could be trained as a Jedi.

The conversation fades out and the three sit in silence for the rest of the night.

Luke still feels a bit on edge about the whole situation between them, but he feels that, even though almost nothing between them is resolved, that a key part of the Mandalorian has clicked into place.

The Mandalorian is staring at the fire, patiently waiting for Grogu to give in to his drowsiness.

Luke wonders what he’s thinking.

For the millionth time that night, Luke opens his mouth to say something to address the situation, but just as he does, the Mandalorian stands up from the fire, cradling Grogu with one hand. He steps around the fire, heading towards his hut.

“Goodnight, Mando,” Luke calls as he always does.

The Mandalorian stops in his tracks, deciding something.

“Din,” he says, almost too quiet for Luke to hear. “My name is Din Djarin.”

Luke is taken aback. “Din… Djarin?”

The Mandalorian nods once.

“Goodnight then… Din.”

“Goodnight, Luke.”

Artoo chitters and bounces in response.

“Yes, I know, I’ll finish it soon. Something’s come up. I need to comm my sister.”

Artoo lets out a few more beeps to signal that he has started the comm to Leia. Luke rises from his knee and stands with his hands pressed together, waiting for the holo to connect. He feels a figure come up behind him and stand next to him.

“What is this?” the Mandalorian grunts as he comes to stand next to Luke, his arms crossed over his chest plate.

Just then, a holo of Leia Organa appears in front of them.

“Luke!” she says. “I’ve been meaning to comm.”

“Me too, Leia. It’s good to see you.”

And it is. Even through the Holo, Leia is gorgeous. Her hair is in her usual braid, her clothes impeccable to the last stitch. There’s a glow about her that Luke can’t quite place. Leadership looks good on her.

Her eyebrows furrow.

“Luke, what are you doing with the ruler of Mand’alor?”

Luke is taken aback.

“You recognize him?”

“Of course, Luke. He’s one of the most powerful rulers in the galaxy.”

Luke glances over at the Mandalorian, still stoic, his stance unbothered.

“That’s why I called you,” he says.

“And here I thought you just wanted to drop in on your dear old sister. It’s always something.” Leia shakes her head, but she doesn’t look angry, just amused.

“Do you have news of what’s happening on Mandalore?” Mando cuts in, finally breaking his silence.

“I would think you would know more about that subject, Mand’alor. Why do you ask?”

“There’s been an uprising. I’ve been removed from the throne.”

Leia looks mildly shocked.

“This is the first I’ve heard of this, but I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise since Mandalore is a part of the Outer Rim and is not under New Republic jurisdiction.”

“And for good reason,” the Mandalorian says, his tone icy.

Leia bristles but keeps her composure.

“If you are no longer the Mand’alor than who is?” she asks.

“We were hoping that you could tell us.” Luke cuts in.

“Well, I’m sorry, I don’t have much information for you. As I said, the New Republic doesn’t have much pull on Mandalore. But I think I know someone who can help.” Leia says as she smiles knowingly.

“And who might that be?” asks Luke.

“Never mind that. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Thank you, Leia.”

“May the Force be with you,” Leia responds, smiling gently at her brother.

“May the Force be with you,” Luke says as he smiles back at her.

Leia dips her chin to the Mandalorian, and he nods in return as the holo ends.

“Thanks, Artoo,” Luke says.

The droid chirps in return. Mando uncrosses his arms and looks down at the droid in front of them.

“And this is?” he asks.

“This is R2D2. This little droid and I have been through a lot together. Isn’t that right Artoo?”

Artoo beeps in affirmation then whirls around and returns to his place inside of the unfinished hut.

“I’m not big on droids,” the Mandalorian says.

“How could you not love Artoo? He grows on you, you’ll see.”

Mando scoffs through the Modulator and takes a step towards the unfinished hut. He inspects the intertwined vines and the messy foundation.

“Looks like this structure could use some work,” he says.

“It’s a work in progress,” Luke responds, examining the hut himself.

The Mandalorian finishes his inspection and walks over to the fire pit area in front of Luke’s home. Mando sits down on a log near the pit. He picks up his damaged rifle and starts to fiddle with it. Luke lingers by his project before sitting on another log across from the Mandalorian.

“I’m sorry you had to sleep out here, that couldn’t have been comfortable,” Luke says.

The Mandalorian shrugs and continues working on his rifle in silence.

“Once I get the new hut up and running, you can stay in it.”

Mando looks up.

“That’s okay Luke, I—”

“I want you to, Mando.”

“Thank you,” the Mandalorian says, hesitating before accepting the offer.

Luke nods, staring at Mando’s visor for a few beats before rising from the log and moving back towards the unfinished hut.

Closing his eyes, Luke concentrates on the foundation of the hut. He listens to the wind, the rustling of the leaves, the metallic clicking of Mando’s gun as he works on it a few meters away. Luke reaches out his hands and imagines the branches and vines of the hut building up towards the sky and interlocking together. He opens his eyes to watch as the vines twist together and up. Little leaves popping up all around it, littering the roof.

“How did you do that?” a voice says from behind him.

Luke whips around, startled.

“You know, not many people are able to sneak up on a Jedi.”

“I’m not most people,” says the Mandalorian.

Luke laughs. Mando doesn’t.

“It’s something new. I’ve been working on it for a little while. I don’t know what it is. All I know is that I can feel the flow of the Force through all living things, and with that, I can make things grow.”

Suddenly, Luke feels slightly faint. He stumbles a little and the Mandalorian shoots out a hand to steady him, gripping his arm. Mando walks Luke over to the log and sets him down in front of it with his back propped against it.

“Does this usually happen?” asks Mando.

“That’s the most I’ve done at once. I’ll be alright, just give me a few minutes.”

“Kind of like the kid?”

Luke feels a small smile dance on his lips.

“Just like the kid.”

-

After those first few days, time seems to go by leisurely.

They fall into a rhythm.

To Luke, it feels like everything has changed and yet still everything is the same. Him and Grogu train every day. They spend hours on their respective meditation stones, concentrating on furthering their powers. Luke takes him through a few physical exercises as well, but Grogu isn’t always as cooperative for those.

The main difference between then and now is that now, there’s fresh meat in the conservator when they get home. There’s a rifle propped against a log in front of a fire. There’s an extra crate pulled up to the rickety old dining table. There’s a Mandalorian walking out of the hut to greet them when they get home after a long day of training.

Mando sleeps in the new hut, a refuge for him to take off his helmet and relax. He spends most of his time hunting for food and scavenging for parts. So far, he’s only found a circular barrel that he cut in half and made a comfortable bed for Grogu. He himself, however, sleeps on the floor of his hut on an old piece of cloth and a waded-up shirt as a pillow. Luke has offered multiple times to find him something more comfortable, but the Mandalorian always refuses.

Grogu is as meddlesome as always, choosing to sleep either in Luke or Mando’s hut, depending on whose arms he finds himself in by the end of the day. He’s also taken to playing with Artoo. He will whip around and beep at Grogu as he chases the droid on his tiny little feet.

Artoo has found a new home in Luke’s hut, fitting snuggly between Luke’s bed and the conservator.

Luke comms Leia as often as possible.

She hasn’t had much word of what’s happening on Mandalore. Apparently, the whole planet has gone dark since its Mand’alor was forcefully removed. Leia assures Luke that her contact is going to pull through, but Luke doesn’t have the utmost confidence.

Sometimes the trio will take a break from the monotony of their newfound routine. These are Luke’s favorite days. He dons his makeshift sling, carefully sliding Grogu into it.

Since his outer shirt was ripped when he was stabbed with the glass, Luke has taken to wearing just a white undershirt and his black pants, opting for a more casual everyday look. It reminds him of his time on Tatooine, often an unwelcome reminder.

But Mando makes it worth it.

On their walks, the Mandalorian is decked out in as much armor and weapons as he can possibly get his hands on. Sometimes also carrying a bag of food in case the little one gets hungry during their miniature adventures.

As the days go by, Luke finds himself being able to read the Mandalorian’s body language more and more. He can tell that he’s uncomfortable by the stiffness of his shoulders. His happiness can be seen from the way he scratches Grogu’s head or when he’s sitting relaxed out by the fire. Luke also catches the way the Mandalorian looks in his direction sometimes, but Luke can’t always interpret what exactly this means. But most of all, Luke can see his frustration from the hours the Mandalorian spends looking for a way off the planet by the way he stomps ever so slightly and hangs his head heavily when sitting with Luke and Grogu.

Finally, on one walk, Luke takes them closer the remains of the Rebellion than he had dared to go to before. Most of the structures are dangerously unstable so Luke never had the courage to get them any closer. The walk is also a lot farther than any other that they’ve taken up to this point. Grogu always seems to get fussy before Luke can even get them there. But today, the tiny Jedi has decided to take his nap early, snoozing lightly in his sling.

The three stand in front if the pyramid-looking building, its vast walls scaling upwards towards the sky. There doesn’t seem to be any visible entrances from where they’re standing, but there are some fallen structures that lead up to a large hangar platform. The crumbling yellow brick is smattered with vines and leaves, making the whole structure look eerie and ancient in all its massiveness.

“This is all that remains of the Rebellion,” says Luke, scanning the outside of the pyramid.

“Why haven’t you shown me this before?” asks the Mandalorian, switching something on his helmet.

“I’ve already been through most of the building. The Rebellion cleared out all the valuables. There isn’t much to see. The only thing that I was able to get out of it was the conservator back at home. It took a lot of work to get it from here. The building is very unstable, so be careful.”

The Mandalorian takes a few cautious steps towards the pyramid, scanning it up and down.

“There doesn’t seem to be an entrance at this level. It’ll involve some climbing to get up to the hangar,” he says.

“I know a way in.”

Luke spots the place that he’s looking for and walks confidently towards the side of the building. He waves the Mandalorian over to his position. The overbrush is thick near the side of the building, concealing a well-hidden door from the average glance. Luke pulls the bushes and other plants to the side and approaches the metal door, inspecting the keypad on the wall next to it. He types in some numbers then waves the door open using the Force.

They step into a small, cramped chamber that has been packed with dirt, overgrown plants, fallen ceiling tiles, and low hanging wires. Being careful not to bump into anything, Luke leads them to another door that opens up into a larger control room. The control panels are covered in dust with many of the buttons missing and the monitors smashed. Luke hears a faint scurrying come from one of the corners of the room.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” says the Mandalorian.

“You sound like Han,” Luke remarks.

“Who?”

“Never mind.”

Luke strides over to one of the control panels and presses a few buttons. The lift in the back of the room lights up and starts its dull beeping.

“There is only one backup generator. I don’t know how much power it has so we need to be quick.”

The lift opens and Luke and Mando step inside. The lift opens again to a massive open room. The massive hangar opens to a beautiful view of the tops of the trees of Yavin-4. The planet looms overhead, the promise of darkness approaching soon. The hangar that was once filled with Rebellion ships from all across the galaxy, now stands quiet and vacant in the heat of the late afternoon. The metal floor is covered in debris, some empty crates strewn across it. There are vines growing on the walls and a few even on the ceilings soaring above.

The Mandalorian seems to take it all in carefully, once again adjusting the settings on his helmet. He walks slowly towards the gaping opening of the hangar, almost in awe.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it.” Luke says, coming up to stand next to him.

Mando turns to look at Luke then back to the view in front of them.

Mando sighs.

“Maybe.”

Luke frowns at that.

“Maybe?” he asks.

“It seems as though I’ve been overthrown.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure. I did everything I could to be a good ruler, seems as though I was not good enough.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

The Mandalorian looks over at Luke, surprised. Luke is surprised himself.

“You seem like a good man, I’m sure you made a fine ruler.”

Mando keeps his head trained on the terrain, continuing to guide the trio silently.

“Surely there is some way to get your throne back,” Luke says.

“I used to be a bounty hunter,” says the Mandalorian, “I never expected or wanted to be a ruler.”

“But don’t you feel like that you owe it your people to be the Mand’alor?”

The Mandalorian is quiet for a moment. Luke starts to feel like maybe he’s overstepped, but the Mandalorian responds.

“Not anymore. Not after what they did.”

Luke shivers a little at Mando’s tone. He looks over at the Mandalorian, taking his eyes off the forest for the first time since they started.

“I’m sorry about Boba Fett.”

Mando just nods and keeps his eyes trained on the terrain ahead of him.

“Surely there is something you can do?”

“You mean if there was some way to get off this planet?” Mando says as he places his hand on the side of his helmet to change his settings.

“I can help with that. I have my X-Wing, you could borrow it.”

Mando shakes his head.

“I can’t leave you stranded here,” Mando says.

Luke snaps his head to the Mandalorian.

“What if something happens to the kid.”

Right. The child. Mando is worried about his son. Definitely not Luke.

Mando looks down at the child in his hand. Grogu, still gripping his pack of cookies, looks up at the Mandalorian and cocks his head. Mando scratches his head gently with a finger.

Luke’s heart swells. Why was the Mandalorian just so damn good with the kid?

Suddenly, Luke remembers something.

“There might be another way to get off this planet.”

Luke uses the Force to move a branch from hitting them in the face as Mando turns to glance at Luke.

“There is so much leftover scraps from the war. I haven’t dug down super deep into the old base. Maybe there’s something there.”

Mando nods.

“It might be worth checking out.”

The conversation fades out and they walk in silence the rest of the way to the ship, only occasionally warning each other about low hanging branches and tricky exposed roots.

Grogu seems to enjoy the trip the most out of all of them. Cooing happily in Mando’s arms as various bugs whiz by his head, his little green fingers outstretched.

The Mandalorian leads them most of the way there, using a tracking setting on his helmet to expertly maneuver them to what remains of the Slave I.

The wreckage still smokes slightly as the three approach. There are large hunks of metal scattered across the area. Luke doesn’t recognize a lot of it. It seems that the fire has reduced most of the old ship to ash.

The Mandalorian holds out his son, and Luke takes him willingly as Mando makes his way towards where the main part of the ship used to be. Luke bounces Grogu idly as he watches the Mandalorian pick through the remains.

Mando picks up a shiny rectangular piece, a jetpack, and instantly clicks it onto his back, moving his cape out of the way to do so. The Mandalorian walks a little farther to pick up a long silver spear. He brushes the ash from it, then slides it onto his back as well.

Luke watches the Mandalorian’s form as he bends over to look in a pile of charred ship panels. Luke can’t seem to pull his eyes away. The Mandalorian’s presence has put Luke’s heart on edge. He’s not quite who Luke thought him to be. He’s blunter and a little cold, not like the teary-eyed man that Luke remembers from their first encounter.

He is a great father though. The connection that he has with Grogu is so strong, Luke can feel it in everything Grogu does with the Force.

Luke finally pulls his eyes away from the Mandalorian, now inspecting a long hunk of metal that looks vaguely like a gun. Luke looks down at his student, now looking very sleepy in Luke’s arms.

He looks around again at the wreckage and finds a torn piece of a large piece fabric. It was most likely an old blanket, now charred on the edges. Luke picks it up and rips it until it is a suitable size. He then tries to wrap it around his body, but it proves difficult with the sleepy child in his hand.

“Let me help.”

The Mandalorian appears in front of Luke and takes the piece of fabric from his hand. He wraps the fabric around Luke and ties it onto his shoulder like a sling, his hand lingering on Luke’s shoulder. Luke carefully sets Grogu into the sling and looks up at the Mandalorian.

“Thank you,” he says, his eyes once again searching for the Mandalorian’s through the visor, “Can I ask you something?”

The Mandalorian is silent as he continues to look at Luke. Taking that as affirmation Luke proceeds with his question.

“Why didn’t you let me take your helmet off?” he asks.

“It’s my Creed. I am not allowed to remove my helmet for any living soul.”

“But you removed it—”

“I know. I did it for him.”

The Mandalorian hooks his finger in Luke’s new sling to uncover the sleeping child.

Luke feels a twinge of guilt. He makes a silent promise to himself to never try to remove the Mandalorian’s helmet again, but Luke can’t help but feel a pang in his gut at the thought of never seeing those brown eyes again.

The Mandalorian takes a step back and turns from Luke to pick up the rifle that he was fiddling with before.

“We should head back,” says the Mandalorian.

“Of course,” says Luke. “I was thinking about calling my sister once we got back. She’s better at politics than I am, perhaps she knows what to do in this kind of situation.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes. Leia Organa. She’s a senator in the New Republic.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

The Mandalorian goes quiet. Luke changes the subject.

“Tell me about when you were a bounty hunter, what did you do?”

“It’s how I met Grogu. He was a quarry.”

That peaks Luke’s interest.

“How did you find him?”

For the rest of the trip back, the Mandalorian tells Luke the story about how him and Grogu came to be. He talked about how he fought to get Grogu, the guild, the droid, the other Mandalorians, Moff Gideon, the Armorer. When he gets to the part about Boba Fett, he hesitates, all emotion draining out of his voice.

Luke listens attentively, asking questions here and there, but mostly remaining silent. In his head, Luke changes his perception of the Mandalorian. He is the Mand’alor, an orphan, a father, a friend, a bounty hunter.

Luke buries his feelings, remembering what the Mandalorian said about his creed. There was no way that they could ever be together. Ignoring his feelings would be for the best considering that they both lived such different lives and complicating the situation would only make things harder for all three of them.