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Rest in sunny meadows
Sleep near waters edge
Splash away your sorrows
On this day I pledge
When the nightfall
When the stars stray
I'll only hear your call
Cyar'ika, you are the Way
~SleepingReader
~*~*~*~*~*~
Wind rushed past Luke’s ears, brutal in it’s speed, his eyes water and he clings tighter to Grogu. The baby has his little hands raised giggles falling from his lips. He’s completely unfazed by the speed at which his father is descending to the ground below them. Luke is pressed tight to Din’s chest, beskar warm against his side, strong arms looped around his shoulders and under his knees. Luke wants to call for Din to slow down, but the Mandalorian had seemed confident as he scooped Luke off the floor of the cruiser like he weighed nothing. Plopping Grogu into his arms he asked a gruff “You ready?” and before Luke could answer Din was jumping off of the cruiser.
Getting onto the planet had been more of a hassle than Luke or any of them had anticipated. They found as they descended through the atmosphere, that there was no way they were getting the huge cruiser safely landed. The solution to this problem had been the Mandalorians. All three of them had jet packs and the ship was low enough that they could jet down.
“Do you expect me to carry you?” Bo-Katan had asked, and for once her voice was devoid of any malcontent and just dumbfounded bewilderment. Cara had wrinkled her nose in answer.
“Yeah right, just let me borrow the jet pack.”
“Then how would I get down?” the ire was creeping back in.
“Lend me the pack and I’ll go down with Kasoka, then she’ll fly it back up and you too can come down together.”
Bo-Katan clenches her jaw, but to Luke’s surprise she reaches around to take off her jet pack, tossing it to Cara. “What about the Jedi? How is he getting down?”
“He can fly with me.” Din said and Luke had started a little surprised before nodding.
“Yeah, I’ll fly down with him.”
He hadn’t quite expected it to be so turbulent and frankly terrifying. He feels like kissing the ground when they finally land. Trembling when Din puts him down. He lets himself cling to Din’s arm as he regains his bearings, Din stood straight, feet steady as ever.
“You okay?” Din’s voice is quiet, and Luke nods absently.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m good. Just give me a bit.” Grogu is wriggling in his arms, little hands reaching for fluttering insects. “Can I let him down?”
Din debates, head craning to look far out, looking for danger amid the golden fields. It shifts like a sea Luke had seen on the many water worlds Luke had been to. This planet though was warm, with gentle heat from the single sun, and it waves softly in the force.
“Yeah. He needs to stretch his little legs.”
The tall grass sings almost musically against Din’s armor; he walks ahead of Luke, and ahead of him Grogu trundles along, stopping to pick up rocks and sticks and bugs. He shows them all to Din who pays clumsy attention speaking softly in a language Luke can’t understand, discarding the objects when Grogu gets bored. He’s finally content, his happiness humming along with the force and when Luke prods gently at Din he can feel his own tensions lifting. Luke looks to the sky letting the clear air clean away the darkness from the ship. The planet is alive and Luke was soaking up all of it that he could. He even strips out of his black shirt, just to feel it on his skin.
“Grogu no,” Din’s quiet reprimand and his halted figure bring Luke up short. Grogu is in his dad’s arms again, doing a good job at pouting.
“Whats, oh.” Luke mutters coming up beside Din.
Din hums in the back of his throat, “I guess this is how the empire had this planet in their star charts.”
Storm trooper armor. Lots of it. Empty and old, crusted in the elements and eaten away with time. Luke crouches to brush his fingers along the dull pieces. He flips over a breastplate and bites back a gasp. He’d killed his fair share of storm troopers with his light saber. Definitely enough to recognize the scorch marks.
“There were Jedi here,” Luke says over his shoulder. Din kneels next to him, his armor is hot against Luke’s bare arm, brushing it in a searing line as Din reaches for the armor. Luke finds himself transfixed on the swath of brown skin revealed to him as Din stretches. He lets the armor go pathetically following Din’s arm as he pulls it towards himself.
“It must have been many years ago. Can you...feel them?” The awkwardness in Din’s voice breaks Luke’s mind from what ever stupid funk it had fallen into.
“I’m not sure.” Closing his eyes Luke reaches. The scattering of bodies goes far, the battle must have been catastrophic and Luke can’t understand the peace the planet feels even as it lays beneath such destruction. There is a ripple, something that makes Luke frown. A soft type of evil, something that had been there a long time ago, long gone, and the planet breathes in relief. Other than that, he can’t feel another force sensitive being beside Grogu. Whoever they had been is long gone and the planet has claimed the bodies of the fallen to replenish itself. All but purging the staleness of death from it. Luke opens his eyes. Din is watching him, the piece of armor on the ground again.
“Nothing?” Din asks, and Luke shakes his head.
“Nothing. Whatever happened here happened long ago. The planet has forgiven it all.”
“The planet?” Grogu coos up at Din’s question. Luke stands, brushing dust from his pants and covering his eyes from the sun to peer out at the shimmering horizon.
“Yes. The planet is a living thing is it not?”
Din stands too moving away from the pile of armor and placing Grogu on the ground pointed in the opposite direction. He takes off at once, chasing a sizable bug with a hard shell.
“I suppose I’ve never thought of a planet as a living thing.”
Luke throws his arms out gesturing to the beauty around them, “You don’t even have to be force sensitive Din. The beauty of this planet acts as it’s breath alone.”
And then Din does something Luke wasn’t expecting. He pauses and begins to work his gloves off. One at a time, slowly. Tucking the pair into his belt. Luke watches as Din reaches out to touch the grass. Soft and yellow, little tufts at the top breaking apart in his fingers to drift away in white clusters. He other hand he holds to the sky. Letting the wind, as calm as it is, brush past his fingers.
“I’ve been to far too many ugly planets,” Din states, bringing his hand down. Luke laughs and it feels a little breathless.
“I grew up on Tatooine. I know the feeling. I couldn’t wait to get off of that planet.”
Din has started walking again, catching up to Grogu who has gained impressive distance on them. “Ever been to Jakku?”
“Once. What an awful planet.”
It’s Din who laughs this time, bending to accept the leaf Grogu offers him. He takes it in a delicate hands saying soft words to Grogu. When he stands he offers the leaf to Luke. Handled carefully in soft palms. Luke takes it from him, holds it up to the sun to map the intertwining veins that bleed through the green and yellow. Not unlike his own veins. Grogu has noticed his little gift has been passed to Luke, and he turns his head between Luke and Din then down at the squirming bug caught in his grip.
“It’s okay ad’ika, you can keep that one,” Din assured him. Grogu seems appeased enough, waggling away and finally losing interest in the little creature stuffing it in his mouth. Luke stares and Din shrugs. “He likes bugs. And frogs.”
“What do you call him?” Luke asks after filing Grogu’s eating habits far away in his brain. “You’ve referred to him that way many times now.”
“It means, little one. Son.” Din says. Luke smiles stepping over an oddly soft part of the ground.
“That’s a very beautiful word.”
“Not as beautiful as cyar’ika,” The word rolls off of Din’s tongue softly and Luke is inclined to agree. It is a lovely word.
“What does that mean?”
Din tips his head up and Luke can almost see him smiling, “I’ll tell you someday.” then he’s walking swiftly away, leaving remnants of laughter. Luke sputters, hurrying to catch up.
“Oh come on Din. You can’t do that!” Luke chases after him, cutting through the grass that has already fallen back in place.
They end up panting by the edge of a pond full of blue green water. Din helps Grogu drink, cupping the liquid in his bare hands and bringing it to Grogu’s little mouth. Luke drinks his fill too, leaning as far over the water as he can. Din trails his fingers in the water, dipping his hands up to the wrists, Luke turns his head to watch him. Visor bent low sitting on his side. The sun glints heavily off of Beskar, and Luke knows how hot it is. Biting his lip he pulls himself away from the water.
“Din,” Din looks up at him, leaving his hands submerged. “You need to drink. I can turn away if you need me to.” It feels like a foolish thing to do now, if it would bring Din comfort he would turn away. Din doesn’t say anything, but reaches up hissing as his hands land on hot metal. He wrenches the helmet off harshly. Brown curls lay flat now, drenched in sweat. Luke chuckles at Din’s grimace as he runs a hand through it. He watches satisfied as Din leans forward not unlike him and drinks deeply.
“Do you think we’ll find another water source?” Din asks, his voice gone softer without the helmet and soothed from the water.
“Yes. I’m sure of it, why?”
Din smiles a little and then dunks his head into the water, splashing it onto his neck and running his fingers through his now sopping hair. A couple of sprinkles are dropped onto Grogu’s head by Din’s fingers. The two of them laugh at the game Din sprinkling more water over long floppy ears. Luke is mesmerized when shining mirth filled eyes are turned on him. Din smooths his hair back from his face.
“It feels good. Cool.”
It's enough of an invitation. Luke kneels at the water's edge again and dunks his head into the water. He groans as he works through his hair, cleaning it of sweat and cooling his burning neck. It does feel good but he isn’t expecting the flash from Din’s direction. He sputters and looks at the man in disbelief. Din is smirking, another handful of water ready, he flicks it at Luke, soaking him from neck down, Grogu positively rocks with giggles reaching for Din’s hand. Without taking his eyes off Luke, Din rains drops down on Grogu.
“Are you sure you want to play this game?” his hands are already dipped back in the water. Din’s eyes flash in competition, his smirk growing.
“You think you can win?”
Luke shrugs, “I feel like my chances are pretty good.”
They are both soaked by the end of their war, having chased each other around the pond several times. It ends with Luke in the water and Din hovering on the bank laughing. Luke lets himself sit in the water and admire it. Din offers a hand towards Luke and he takes it, letting Din pull him from the water.
“You put up at good fight Jedi,” Din says. Their hands are still clasped between them, damp skin pressed together.
“Well, I suppose we should be glad that I ended up in the pond over you,” Luke brushes Din’s breastplate. “You would have sunken like a stone.”
“Didn’t seem all that deep,” Din murmurs, pulling Luke to where his helmet and both of their weapons lay deposited in the grass. Grogu has found many bugs to terrorize. He watches them with perked ears holding up the sticky remains for them.
“Oh no baby that's okay,” Luke declines, wincing at the little crestfallen droop of ears. Din scoffs lightly sitting in the grass and wringing out his cape.
“Don’t let him get to you. He’s pulled that one too many times with me, haven't you you little Womp Rat?”
“I’m guessing you’ve fallen for it one too many times as well though,” Luke chuckles. Sitting in the grass he leans back exhaling a long breath. The sun is drying them fast, Luke’s undershirt already nearly dry. Din seems to glow a little bit in the warmth. Bronze skin and brown eyes honeyed in the light. His mouth feels strangely dry as Din stretches out across the ground and opens his arms in an offering to Grogu who takes it immediately. Luke grabs him a little harshly before he can crawl up Din’s chest. The glare he gets is terrifying. “You’ll burn him with that armor of yours if you let him crawl on you.”
Din’s face softens, “You’re right. Sorry.”
Luke tries not to think too much about it as Din works his armor off. Luke sets Grogu onto his chest when he’s done. Din lets out a long sigh, eyes fluttering shut eyelashes casting long shadows across his cheeks. Grogu curls tight against him.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve felt the sun on my face.”
Luke hums, a little sad, and lays down on his side. He watches Din unapologetic ally, and when he turns to him Luke smiles. Taking a hand off of Grogu’s back Din reaches towards him, brushing his knuckles through his hair away from his eyes. Din’s hands are surprisingly soft, his fingertips only slightly rough from calluses.
“You scare me,” Din murmurs. His fingers have come to rest on Luke’s cheek.
“Why?”
Din frowns eyes flicking up to the sky away from Luke. “Because you don’t.”
Luke huffs out a laugh, “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does. I should be terrified of you, or at least wary, but I’m not.” Din is cupping his jaw now, and Luke pushes himself up, looking down at Din and Grogu. Din’s hand slips from his face and Luke catches it bringing it up to press soft kisses to his knuckles. Din’s free hand cups the side of Luke's face pulling him down closer.
“That makes me happy Din.” his voice is merely a whisper and his stomach knots in fluttering butterflies. They’re so close, like on the ship where Din nearly laid his lips against Luke’s, and never has he wanted something more. It feels like a need, a pull that wretches through Luke starting in his stomach and pulling him hurtling towards Din so fast he can’t hope to stop himself. Maybe he understands Din’s fear a little bit.
“I'm going to kiss you Luke.”
“Hurry up and do it,” Luke is pleading, grasping at Din’s shirt, and he does.
Din tastes like the water they had played in and his lips part like a flower blooming under Luke’s. They’re hesitant still, lips bumping against each other in slow, shaking uneven brushes. Din trembles where his hand still rests on Luke’s face, breath shuddering. Luke tries to sooth him, squeezing his hand, rolling his knuckles under his thumb. His back strains a little from how he leans over Din and all around it’s a mess. Grogu is still on Din’s chest, cooing in softly. It’s Din who breaks the kiss, sucking in a sharp breath.
“That was awful.” He says, looking disgruntled and a little ashamed. Fondness pours into Luke’s chest, he brushes away Din’s hair where it has fallen across his forehead again. His cheeks hurt from how hard he’s smiling.
“It wasn’t awful. We just need to practice a little more.” The blush that peppers it’s way across Din’s cheeks has Luke leaning in to kiss them.
“Practice,” Din murmurs, and he’s pulling Luke back in. This one might be a little worse, off center with a tiny hand batting between them, but Din isn’t trembling too badly anymore, so Luke counts that as a win. They’re teeth clink painfully together as Grogu decides to sit up his head bumping Luke’s chin.
“Ow,” Din huffs. He sits up depositing Grogu on the ground, “‘Don’t go far.” he calls after him as he toddles away from them. Luke laughs softly looking back at Din a little sheepishly.
“That one was pretty bad. I’ll admit.”
Din rubs a hand across the back of his neck, gauging how far Grogu is going to get and when he seems satisfied that it won’t be far, he grabs Luke and falls back onto the ground with little grace. He yelp that falls from Luke’s lips is even less graceful. Din arranges them so they’re laying beside each other, Luke would like to be laying on Din, but it’s a little too warm for that. The arm wrapped around him is a good substitute.
“I wonder where everyone else is.” Luke says after a while of silence. Din shrugs, his eyes are closed body relaxed.
“If it starts getting dark we’ll go looking.”
Luke squints up at the sun, he’s learned to read time on many different planets, but this planet confuses him. It feels like the middle of the day, but the sun hangs low in the sky, as if it had only just risen.
“That might take awhile.”
“Good.” Din’s arm tightens around him.
Falling asleep on a strange planet is clumsy on both their parts. Luke’s eyes fly open as Din bolts upright like he’s on fire. His weapons are in his hands immediately, his helmet to Luke’s utter horror, is left in the grass neglected in his haste.
“Din! Din wai-,” his words die on his lips when he sees the reason for Din’s panic. Grogu is trundling towards Din happy noises spilling from him, but behind him following closely is a giant creature. Huge compared to Grogu, it’s back is ridged in a huge crest fins and on it’s swinging tail flare as it walks.. Luke goes for his light saber confused as to why Din hasn’t started shooting yet.
“Don’t,” Din whispers, waving his hand at Luke’s weapon. Luke watches in apprehension as Din kneels in the grass, barely breathing. Holding out his arms to receive Grogu. The creature has noticed them now, pausing in it’s steps and tilting it’s head. The crest along it’s back shimmers as it twitches.
“Din.” Luke says urgency breaking over his voice.
“Don’t startle it. It didn’t hurt Grogu, i-it’s okay.” Din’s words are barely a breath. His silent attempts to get Grogu to come to him are not working. The baby seems adamant about staying with his new friend. Luke lowers himself carefully next to Din, pressing himself close to his side. They watch together as Grogu treats the beast like it’s his size, but they watch in even more wonder as the beast interacts with Grogu like it is aware of what a small creature Grogu is compared to it.
“What do you think it is?” Din murmurs. Luke shakes his head, eyes following the movements of the tail fins.
“I don’t know.” Do you know what it is Grogu? Luke asks the child who pauses to peer back at them. “He says it’s his friend,” Luke chuckles. Din’s shoulders slump completely.
“Why can everything but me talk to my kid?” he sounds genuinely upset about it. Luke presses a kiss to his cheek, he can’t help himself.
“You guys talk in your own special way.”
“W-what does he sound like?” Din asks. Luke has to think about it for a little bit.
“He sounds like a child. A child who is very happy where he is.”
Din turns to look at him fully, eyes searching his face. “He would have been happy with you too.”
Luke shakes his head, “Not like this. He called for you Din. When he was alone, he didn’t want me. He wanted you. I can protect him. Teach him how to use the Force, how to be a Jedi, but he needs you. He needs you to teach him the way you love Din.” Luke smiles a little wistfully, “I need to learn to love like you too.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Attachment is dangerous,” Luke says, “As Jedi we are taught to avoid attachments, and because we are taught this we are also taught to fear them. That fear leads to anger and anger leads to the dark side.” The creature has curled on the ground now. Grogu slumps against it's large muzzle. “You are attached deeply to Grogu, and in the eyes of the Jedi this could lead to danger especially because of Grogu’s power.”
Din looks a little troubled, “He’s used his powers before. To protect me, on several occasions. He lifted a charging Mud Horn.”
“He did? That’s incredible.”
Din nods, “But he also almost hurt Cara when he thought she was hurting me.”
“You were willing to do anything to get him back weren’t you Din?” Luke asks softly.
“I was. I broke my Creed to get information. I lost a little bit of myself that I’m not sure how to get back, but I would do it a hundred times over.”
“And yet,” Luke reaches for Din’s hands, skin warm from the sunlight. “When it came to letting him go, you did. You understand that letting go does not always mean loss. A lesson I learned the hard way. One I am still learning.”
Din still looks a little lost. Luke just smiles, knocking their foreheads close together, he doesn’t have to see perfectly. He loves Grogu and his actions will be teaching enough.
The creature’s head lifts, the crest along it’s back raising. It climbs to its feet and Din follows it wary again. A blaster bolt flies over their heads, they both hit the ground Din spitting a storm of curses. The creature roars, turning tail and fleeing in the direction it came. Grogu is left in the middle of the grassy field as more blaster bolts chase the beast further and further away.
“It’s Cara!” Din says, “I don’t know where she’s at though!” She’d probably seen the beast and Grogu and not them. Luke huffs before standing and holding out his hands. Din’s eyes are wide watching as the blaster bolts slow to a stop, sizzling in the air.
“Grogu!” Din calls. Luke concentrates hard, the ball of energy angry where it trembles against the Force. When Grogu is pulled into the safety of Din’s chest he lets them go.
“Go get your helmet. I’ll find them.”
Din goes without question looking shaken. Luke looks towards the mesa in the distance, it’s close enough that Cara’s rifle could rain down fire, but far enough away that she remained hidden. Cupping a hand around his mouth he shouts calling for her to stand down.
The woman had found a much different part of the planet from Din and Luke’s soft golden field and blue pond. The ground is soft and cracked, quacking precariously as they walk. Wetlands spread out at the base of the mesa’s where the ground is more shadowed throughout the day time. The air hums with life here, insects and lizards and rats, unfamiliar with humans. They crawl close in curiosity and naivety. Din hasn’t let Grogu down since they entered the shadowed base of the mess. He’s covered in armor again, his hands covered in gloves, and Luke mourns the loss of his skin.
“We found something that might interest you, Jedi.” Bo-Katan calls. Her voice is wrong for the planet. Loud against the still peace. They all flinch.
“It’s Luke,” Luke mutters, but follows her to the front of the group. “What is it?”
It’s a structure, sitting atop a mesa that sings with the force. Two tall spires leading down to a rounded base. The force snags against Luke tugging him closer. He goes, listening to the calls, the voices. So many voices, young and jumbled. He’s running before he knows it, ignoring Din’s shout and climbing the hill in a few long strides. The voices are louder now, he feels hysterical, worry and fear and loss clash against him. The stone is soft beneath his fingertips as he presses them against it. Answers he didn’t even know he needed are waiting for him behind this stone. He pushes, the stone yielding to him.