when he first came to mos pelgo, din expected to find one of his own here, drawn by rumors of a mandalorian living in some forgotten desert town and the need to return the child to his people. instead, he had found cobb vanth.
not a mandalorian, but an ally all the same.
judging by the marshal's reaction to seeing him again, the sentiment seemed mutual. perhaps a little more than mutual, if the hug was anything to go by. din wasn't going to comment on that.
din didn't know much about jedi beyond old stories and older grudges. once, they had been enemies of mand'alore. now he was supposed to trust one with the most important thing he'd ever been responsible for. but there had been no other choice. grogu needed training and din wasn't the one who could give it to him.
it seemed cobb understood that the subject wasn't one din wanted to linger on for long. before he knew it, the marshal was steering him toward the bar with gentle determination. he might not have felt the man's hand through layers of armor and undersuit, but the intention behind the gesture was unmistakable.
it seemed he wouldn't be drinking alone today.
the last time he'd come to mos pelgo, he'd had a purpose. this time felt different. aimless, almost. he had nowhere else to be and nowhere else to go unless chasing a half-forgotten legend counted as either. standing outside thinking about everything he'd lost since his last visit wasn't why he'd come here, nor was dwelling on the fact that while the town had flourished, his own life had somehow managed to unravel.
“i'm glad.” it wasn't much of a response, but it was the truth.
cobb led him toward a booth near the back of the bar, and din didn't object. it offered a measure of privacy, which was useful if he intended to stay longer than a single drink. mandalorians weren't forbidden from drinking, but eating and drinking in public came with its own set of challenges when one's entire life was spent behind a helmet.
he'd expected spotchka. somehow he seemed to find the bright blue liquor wherever he went. for a brief moment, his thoughts drifted toward sorgen and the quiet life he'd almost had there before he pushed the memory aside. that belonged to another chapter of his life.
“i'm not moping.” the words came out a little sharper than intended.
with one hand around the glass and the other lifting his helmet just enough, he tugged down the fabric covering his mouth and took a long drink. a sliver of his jaw and chin appeared for barely a moment before the helmet settled back into place.
he set the empty glass down with a muted clunk.
"and if i was, that's what the drink is for."
the dry remark slipped out before he could stop it.
at the question, he leaned back slightly in the booth. “no.” a beat passed. “not lately.” hunting remnants of the empire. searching for jedi. tracking down answers about mand'alore. looking for a place in the galaxy that still felt like home.
none of those felt particularly exciting.
