The Way Of The Mandalore

🇮🇱 Writer, Reader Requests: OPEN Masterlist

[novemberrain-writes]

Yeah I guess you could say my favorite trope is:

Cynical man who lost his family in a massive tragedy spends most of his time alone delivering things in a dangerous place filled with bad guys and monsters but meets an orphan with powers/abilities that make them weird. Against all odds the man becomes attached to the child even though everyone wants him to give up the child and ultimately it’s the paternal bond that saves the man and changes him for the better. Oh, and not to mention he has a gang of various people who help him on his adventure and become a sort of pieced together family.

[novemberrain-writes]

Yeah this is true even more so after the movie last night.

[harrisonknott]

A new reaction image for Grogu and/or cinema fans, courtesy of @ladamedusoif and me.

[firstofficerwiggles]

Love it!

[novemberrain-writes]

Won’t spoil anything but I’m sobbing that was so good!!!! Expect a fic from me soon!

[novemberrain-writes]

Is it bad that I know EXACTLY where I’d slip Fennec into the movie for a delusional yet totally plausible romantic moment?

[darth-memes]

STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU COMES OUT IN 9 DAYS!!!!!

[novemberrain-writes]

Won’t spoil anything but I’m sobbing that was so good!!!! Expect a fic from me soon!

[novemberrain-writes]

Seeing The Mandalorian & Grogu on Thursday. I apologize in advance for who I’m about to become.

[novemberrain-writes]

Since our husband (AO3) has return home injured from the war, send me some fic recs! I realize it’s been so so so long since I’ve been absolutely engrossed in a good fan fic and I want to shower some writers with love! Can be new or old.

The fandoms I’m currently reading for are:

The Mandalorian

The last of us

Triple frontier

Narcos

Prospect

Freaky tales

Detroit become human

Death stranding (just please no sam x Higgs fics. It’s just not my vibe)

The walking dead (specifically Daryl Dixon)

[novemberrain-writes]

Yall I can feel the din Djarin fanfic motivation thawing in me. That trailer revived me. ITS TIME!

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 2: No Air

Summary: Javier and Steve, still brand new partners constantly butt heads and hate each other's guts. But an attack on the embassy will reveal Javier's hidden heart and require friendship from them both.

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: Javier whump, pneumothorax, mentions of blood and medical procedures, Javier angst as always.

Author's note: IDK what I'm on but we're back at it again folks! Not beta'd and tremendously rusty so I apologize. Comments and support always welcome. Forever dedicated to @albertasunrise

The silence was so tense it felt like the smothering weight of a wet blanket. They’d heard one or two more shots about thirty minutes ago but then all had been still. Steve kept shooting nervous glances at Javier trying to gauge how he was doing and mentally trying to take vitals or assess his wound. 

“Murphy, if you look at me one more time I’ll-I’ll make it my per-personal mission to kiss your wife,” Javier forced out as he squeezed his eyes closed. 

“Murphy? And here I thought we were becoming friends and you were gonna start calling me Steve.” Steve normally wouldn’t engage when Javier made such comments but it felt better to hear his partner talk, even if it sounded weaker and more strained than usual. 

“I’m serious, m-man,” Javier retorted. “You’re dame’s a dime piece.” 

“Too bad she’s not into sleazy, dark-haired detective types.” 

He waited for Javier to respond and when he didn’t he risked another glance and saw his partner leaning in his chair again with his eyes scrunched closed and his hand pressed to his chest. The man’s skin was starting to look like the same lifeless gray rug beneath their feet. 

“You sure you don’t want me to get someone, man?” Steve asked in a low voice. 

Javier shook his head and swallowed as he mentally prepared himself for the task of speaking. “I’m fine. Just give me a sec and it’ll pass,” he said in a tight voice. 

Steve resumed picking his nail nervously as he sat on the desk. The skin was becoming raw and he hoped they would hear an update too. Sure, Escobar had an army, but they did too…didn’t they?

*******************

“H-Hey, Steve…” 

Steve’s head snapped up so quick it sent a twinge of pain down the back of his neck. He and Javier hadn’t spoken in almost twenty minutes and the stress had riled him up so tightly his body felt completely drained and he couldn’t fight the nap that had folded over him in the dim office. 

Now he was wide awake and at his partner’s side in an instant. Javier was nearly folded in half and his skin almost looked white. But worst of all, heavy gasps pulled themselves from his lips. 

“Javi,” Steve said quietly, crouching beside him. “Talk to me. You still with me?”

Javier’s lips parted, but the sound was barely a whisper. “Can’t… can’t breathe. S-Something’s not right.”

Steve's heart twisted in his chest. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“G-Get Car-Carillo,” Javier rasped out as he grabbed onto his shirt like it was the thing choking him. 

Steve felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. It must be serious if Javier was breaking his code of silence. “Shit. Alright, okay. Just stay calm, alright? I’m getting Carillo.”

“D-Don’t l-let anyone else know,” he choked out, eyes wide with alarm. 

Steve nodded and patted Javier’s hand before moving swiftly across the room to Carillo’s office where the Colonel was currently taking shelter and knocked on the door softly. 

“Peña if it’s you, get away from my door. I don’t have an update yet,” came the irritated reply. 

“It’s Murphy. We’ve got a situation,” Steve said softly and the door to the office opened. 

“What’s going on?” Carillo asked, taking in Steve’s concerned expression. 

Steve gestured for Carillo to follow him back to his and Javier’s desk clump and Carillo’s eyes when wide with shock. 

“Damn it! When did this happen?” he demanded as he moved to Javier’s side to assess him. 

“When he saved Kimberly. He didn’t want to scare anyone. He said he was fine,” Steve reported as Carillo pulled off Javier’s jacket so he could watch him breathe for a moment. 

“Peña, hey, Peña, you with me?” Carillo coaxed as he tried to get Javier’s unfocused eyes to settle on him. He was gasping like a fish out of water and his lips were starting to take on a bluish tinge. 

“C-Can’t breathe,” Javier gasped breathlessly. 

“Help me lay him down,” Carillo ordered Steve. “Slow and easy.”

Javier groaned as they moved him, the sound raw and agonized. Carillo steadied his head with one hand and gripped his shoulder with the other.

“You’re okay, Peña. We’ve been through worse.” His voice was calm but had a hard edge, the kind of command that only comes from years of leading men under fire.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

“His lung’s collapsed,” Carillo said tightly. “He’s got a full-blown pneumothorax. Air is trapped in his chest. We need to relieve the pressure.”

Steve’s blood turned to ice. He recalled distant days of field training. Long dormant memories about decompression kits and incisions. It wasn’t a pretty business but he also remembered that if they didn’t do something quick Javier would die. 

“There’s a medical kit on the far wall,” Steve said, his voice full of dread at the idea of what they’d have to do. 

Carillo met his eyes and nodded. “Then get to it. Fast. He’s circling the drain.”

Steve ran to the med kit, sweat dripping from his brow as he fumbled for supplies. Thank goodness this kit was essentially a small medic badge and had decompression materials in it. It paid to have an army with all the attached equipment in your pocket. 

 Javier was gasping now, eyes wide with panic. Carillo leaned close to him. “Javier, listen to me. You’re going to be okay. Stay with us. Just focus on my voice.”

“Hurts…” Javier whispered, his voice raw.

“I know,” Carillo said firmly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, Hermano. You stubborn bastard, if this is how you’re trying to get out of paperwork, I swear to God—”

That earned a flicker of a smirk from Javier, but it faded fast. His eyes rolled back and his chest stilled for a long, horrifying beat.

“Javi?” Steve’s voice cracked.

“He’s out!” Carillo snapped. “You have to move, now, Murphy!” He’s not breathing. He’s not breathing! Hurry, damn it!”

Steve raced back with the supplies in hand and knelt beside the unconscious agent. By now a small crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was all about, but thankfully had the good sense to keep their distance. 

“Murphy, you gotta move now!” 

“I know, I know! Just a second—” Steve’s hands shook as he cut through the skin just above the rib.

“You’ve got this,” Carillo said quickly, eyes darting between the procedure and Javier’s still form. “Come on, Steve. You can do this. He needs you.”

Steve found the right spot, inserted the tubing, and held his breath.

Then came the hiss.

The air rushed out, and Javier jolted with a ragged, awful gasp. His whole body shuddered as he coughed, blinking rapidly, eyes wide in pain and confusion.

“Easy, easy, you’re alright,” Steve said quickly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re okay, Javi. Just breathe. That’s it, that’s it. You’re alright now.”

Javier groaned again, trying to move, but Carillo pressed a firm hand to his chest. “Stay still, brother. You just scared the shit out of us.”

“Hurts like hell,” Javier panted, his voice hoarse and raw.

“Yeah, well, that means you’re alive,” Carillo said with a weak grin. “First time I’ve seen you shut up for more than two minutes since I met you. I might miss the peace and quiet.”

Javier was quiet for a moment as he sucked in hungry lung-fulls of air. Then, his head lolled to the side weakly as he looked at Steve. “Th-thank you.” 

Steve gave a shaky laugh and patted Javier’s shoulder. “You thought I was gonna let you off so easily? You still owe me a beer for every time you’ve been a pain in my ass.”

Javier managed a faint, pained smile. “Guess I owe you a case-full then,” he murmured weakly. 

Steve let himself breathe just a fraction. He knew Javier’s current calm state was due to the adrenalin rush and shock. But for now, they were out of immediate danger and they would bask in that no matter how short-lived it was. 

“Is he going to be ok?” The soft query made Steve tear his eyes from his partner and turn to see Kimberly, looking wide-eyed and frightened. 

Steve tried his best to look positive. “Yeah. He’s one tough son of a bitch. He’s gonna be just fine.”

Kimberly nodded before cautiously crouching beside Javier’s shuddering body. She gently placed her hand on his, causing his gaze to drift lazily over to her. 

“You saved me,” she said softly. 

Javier tried his best to give her his signature smirk, though it was only a fraction of what it normally was. “All in a day’s work, ma’am.” 

Kimberly bit her lip, then leaned in and kissed his forehead gently. “When you’re better, dinner’s on me. You earned it.”

Javier’s lips twitched, though his eyes were starting to drift closed again.

“Looking forward to it,” he murmured.

But Steve could feel it. Javier was fading again. The pain might be less intense now, but his skin was clammy, his pulse thready. He was still dying, just slower now.

Carillo stayed kneeling beside him; his face grim.

“He’s not out of the woods. Not even close,” he said quietly. “We need that backup now.”

Steve nodded tightly. “We just need to keep him alive and talking until they get here.”

Javier lay between them, silent now, but alive.

And that would have to be enough for now.

Chapter 1 ~~~~~~ Chapter 3

[novemberrain-writes]

Reblogging once more for the time zone crowd!

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 2: No Air

Summary: Javier and Steve, still brand new partners constantly butt heads and hate each other's guts. But an attack on the embassy will reveal Javier's hidden heart and require friendship from them both.

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: Javier whump, pneumothorax, mentions of blood and medical procedures, Javier angst as always.

Author's note: IDK what I'm on but we're back at it again folks! Not beta'd and tremendously rusty so I apologize. Comments and support always welcome. Forever dedicated to @albertasunrise

The silence was so tense it felt like the smothering weight of a wet blanket. They’d heard one or two more shots about thirty minutes ago but then all had been still. Steve kept shooting nervous glances at Javier trying to gauge how he was doing and mentally trying to take vitals or assess his wound. 

“Murphy, if you look at me one more time I’ll-I’ll make it my per-personal mission to kiss your wife,” Javier forced out as he squeezed his eyes closed. 

“Murphy? And here I thought we were becoming friends and you were gonna start calling me Steve.” Steve normally wouldn’t engage when Javier made such comments but it felt better to hear his partner talk, even if it sounded weaker and more strained than usual. 

“I’m serious, m-man,” Javier retorted. “You’re dame’s a dime piece.” 

“Too bad she’s not into sleazy, dark-haired detective types.” 

He waited for Javier to respond and when he didn’t he risked another glance and saw his partner leaning in his chair again with his eyes scrunched closed and his hand pressed to his chest. The man’s skin was starting to look like the same lifeless gray rug beneath their feet. 

“You sure you don’t want me to get someone, man?” Steve asked in a low voice. 

Javier shook his head and swallowed as he mentally prepared himself for the task of speaking. “I’m fine. Just give me a sec and it’ll pass,” he said in a tight voice. 

Steve resumed picking his nail nervously as he sat on the desk. The skin was becoming raw and he hoped they would hear an update too. Sure, Escobar had an army, but they did too…didn’t they?

*******************

“H-Hey, Steve…” 

Steve’s head snapped up so quick it sent a twinge of pain down the back of his neck. He and Javier hadn’t spoken in almost twenty minutes and the stress had riled him up so tightly his body felt completely drained and he couldn’t fight the nap that had folded over him in the dim office. 

Now he was wide awake and at his partner’s side in an instant. Javier was nearly folded in half and his skin almost looked white. But worst of all, heavy gasps pulled themselves from his lips. 

“Javi,” Steve said quietly, crouching beside him. “Talk to me. You still with me?”

Javier’s lips parted, but the sound was barely a whisper. “Can’t… can’t breathe. S-Something’s not right.”

Steve's heart twisted in his chest. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“G-Get Car-Carillo,” Javier rasped out as he grabbed onto his shirt like it was the thing choking him. 

Steve felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. It must be serious if Javier was breaking his code of silence. “Shit. Alright, okay. Just stay calm, alright? I’m getting Carillo.”

“D-Don’t l-let anyone else know,” he choked out, eyes wide with alarm. 

Steve nodded and patted Javier’s hand before moving swiftly across the room to Carillo’s office where the Colonel was currently taking shelter and knocked on the door softly. 

“Peña if it’s you, get away from my door. I don’t have an update yet,” came the irritated reply. 

“It’s Murphy. We’ve got a situation,” Steve said softly and the door to the office opened. 

“What’s going on?” Carillo asked, taking in Steve’s concerned expression. 

Steve gestured for Carillo to follow him back to his and Javier’s desk clump and Carillo’s eyes when wide with shock. 

“Damn it! When did this happen?” he demanded as he moved to Javier’s side to assess him. 

“When he saved Kimberly. He didn’t want to scare anyone. He said he was fine,” Steve reported as Carillo pulled off Javier’s jacket so he could watch him breathe for a moment. 

“Peña, hey, Peña, you with me?” Carillo coaxed as he tried to get Javier’s unfocused eyes to settle on him. He was gasping like a fish out of water and his lips were starting to take on a bluish tinge. 

“C-Can’t breathe,” Javier gasped breathlessly. 

“Help me lay him down,” Carillo ordered Steve. “Slow and easy.”

Javier groaned as they moved him, the sound raw and agonized. Carillo steadied his head with one hand and gripped his shoulder with the other.

“You’re okay, Peña. We’ve been through worse.” His voice was calm but had a hard edge, the kind of command that only comes from years of leading men under fire.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

“His lung’s collapsed,” Carillo said tightly. “He’s got a full-blown pneumothorax. Air is trapped in his chest. We need to relieve the pressure.”

Steve’s blood turned to ice. He recalled distant days of field training. Long dormant memories about decompression kits and incisions. It wasn’t a pretty business but he also remembered that if they didn’t do something quick Javier would die. 

“There’s a medical kit on the far wall,” Steve said, his voice full of dread at the idea of what they’d have to do. 

Carillo met his eyes and nodded. “Then get to it. Fast. He’s circling the drain.”

Steve ran to the med kit, sweat dripping from his brow as he fumbled for supplies. Thank goodness this kit was essentially a small medic badge and had decompression materials in it. It paid to have an army with all the attached equipment in your pocket. 

 Javier was gasping now, eyes wide with panic. Carillo leaned close to him. “Javier, listen to me. You’re going to be okay. Stay with us. Just focus on my voice.”

“Hurts…” Javier whispered, his voice raw.

“I know,” Carillo said firmly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, Hermano. You stubborn bastard, if this is how you’re trying to get out of paperwork, I swear to God—”

That earned a flicker of a smirk from Javier, but it faded fast. His eyes rolled back and his chest stilled for a long, horrifying beat.

“Javi?” Steve’s voice cracked.

“He’s out!” Carillo snapped. “You have to move, now, Murphy!” He’s not breathing. He’s not breathing! Hurry, damn it!”

Steve raced back with the supplies in hand and knelt beside the unconscious agent. By now a small crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was all about, but thankfully had the good sense to keep their distance. 

“Murphy, you gotta move now!” 

“I know, I know! Just a second—” Steve’s hands shook as he cut through the skin just above the rib.

“You’ve got this,” Carillo said quickly, eyes darting between the procedure and Javier’s still form. “Come on, Steve. You can do this. He needs you.”

Steve found the right spot, inserted the tubing, and held his breath.

Then came the hiss.

The air rushed out, and Javier jolted with a ragged, awful gasp. His whole body shuddered as he coughed, blinking rapidly, eyes wide in pain and confusion.

“Easy, easy, you’re alright,” Steve said quickly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re okay, Javi. Just breathe. That’s it, that’s it. You’re alright now.”

Javier groaned again, trying to move, but Carillo pressed a firm hand to his chest. “Stay still, brother. You just scared the shit out of us.”

“Hurts like hell,” Javier panted, his voice hoarse and raw.

“Yeah, well, that means you’re alive,” Carillo said with a weak grin. “First time I’ve seen you shut up for more than two minutes since I met you. I might miss the peace and quiet.”

Javier was quiet for a moment as he sucked in hungry lung-fulls of air. Then, his head lolled to the side weakly as he looked at Steve. “Th-thank you.” 

Steve gave a shaky laugh and patted Javier’s shoulder. “You thought I was gonna let you off so easily? You still owe me a beer for every time you’ve been a pain in my ass.”

Javier managed a faint, pained smile. “Guess I owe you a case-full then,” he murmured weakly. 

Steve let himself breathe just a fraction. He knew Javier’s current calm state was due to the adrenalin rush and shock. But for now, they were out of immediate danger and they would bask in that no matter how short-lived it was. 

“Is he going to be ok?” The soft query made Steve tear his eyes from his partner and turn to see Kimberly, looking wide-eyed and frightened. 

Steve tried his best to look positive. “Yeah. He’s one tough son of a bitch. He’s gonna be just fine.”

Kimberly nodded before cautiously crouching beside Javier’s shuddering body. She gently placed her hand on his, causing his gaze to drift lazily over to her. 

“You saved me,” she said softly. 

Javier tried his best to give her his signature smirk, though it was only a fraction of what it normally was. “All in a day’s work, ma’am.” 

Kimberly bit her lip, then leaned in and kissed his forehead gently. “When you’re better, dinner’s on me. You earned it.”

Javier’s lips twitched, though his eyes were starting to drift closed again.

“Looking forward to it,” he murmured.

But Steve could feel it. Javier was fading again. The pain might be less intense now, but his skin was clammy, his pulse thready. He was still dying, just slower now.

Carillo stayed kneeling beside him; his face grim.

“He’s not out of the woods. Not even close,” he said quietly. “We need that backup now.”

Steve nodded tightly. “We just need to keep him alive and talking until they get here.”

Javier lay between them, silent now, but alive.

And that would have to be enough for now.

Chapter 1 ~~~~~~ Chapter 3

[novemberrain-writes]

Reblogging for the timezone peeps!

[novemberrain-writes]

Yall this deployment is actually killing me. Im trying not to let myself get into a bad space or let my worry get the best of me but the constant unknown is actually torture for someone who likes to know everything and plan ahead at all times.

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 2: No Air

Summary: Javier and Steve, still brand new partners constantly butt heads and hate each other's guts. But an attack on the embassy will reveal Javier's hidden heart and require friendship from them both.

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: Javier whump, pneumothorax, mentions of blood and medical procedures, Javier angst as always.

Author's note: IDK what I'm on but we're back at it again folks! Not beta'd and tremendously rusty so I apologize. Comments and support always welcome. Forever dedicated to @albertasunrise

The silence was so tense it felt like the smothering weight of a wet blanket. They’d heard one or two more shots about thirty minutes ago but then all had been still. Steve kept shooting nervous glances at Javier trying to gauge how he was doing and mentally trying to take vitals or assess his wound. 

“Murphy, if you look at me one more time I’ll-I’ll make it my per-personal mission to kiss your wife,” Javier forced out as he squeezed his eyes closed. 

“Murphy? And here I thought we were becoming friends and you were gonna start calling me Steve.” Steve normally wouldn’t engage when Javier made such comments but it felt better to hear his partner talk, even if it sounded weaker and more strained than usual. 

“I’m serious, m-man,” Javier retorted. “You’re dame’s a dime piece.” 

“Too bad she’s not into sleazy, dark-haired detective types.” 

He waited for Javier to respond and when he didn’t he risked another glance and saw his partner leaning in his chair again with his eyes scrunched closed and his hand pressed to his chest. The man’s skin was starting to look like the same lifeless gray rug beneath their feet. 

“You sure you don’t want me to get someone, man?” Steve asked in a low voice. 

Javier shook his head and swallowed as he mentally prepared himself for the task of speaking. “I’m fine. Just give me a sec and it’ll pass,” he said in a tight voice. 

Steve resumed picking his nail nervously as he sat on the desk. The skin was becoming raw and he hoped they would hear an update too. Sure, Escobar had an army, but they did too…didn’t they?

*******************

“H-Hey, Steve…” 

Steve’s head snapped up so quick it sent a twinge of pain down the back of his neck. He and Javier hadn’t spoken in almost twenty minutes and the stress had riled him up so tightly his body felt completely drained and he couldn’t fight the nap that had folded over him in the dim office. 

Now he was wide awake and at his partner’s side in an instant. Javier was nearly folded in half and his skin almost looked white. But worst of all, heavy gasps pulled themselves from his lips. 

“Javi,” Steve said quietly, crouching beside him. “Talk to me. You still with me?”

Javier’s lips parted, but the sound was barely a whisper. “Can’t… can’t breathe. S-Something’s not right.”

Steve's heart twisted in his chest. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“G-Get Car-Carillo,” Javier rasped out as he grabbed onto his shirt like it was the thing choking him. 

Steve felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. It must be serious if Javier was breaking his code of silence. “Shit. Alright, okay. Just stay calm, alright? I’m getting Carillo.”

“D-Don’t l-let anyone else know,” he choked out, eyes wide with alarm. 

Steve nodded and patted Javier’s hand before moving swiftly across the room to Carillo’s office where the Colonel was currently taking shelter and knocked on the door softly. 

“Peña if it’s you, get away from my door. I don’t have an update yet,” came the irritated reply. 

“It’s Murphy. We’ve got a situation,” Steve said softly and the door to the office opened. 

“What’s going on?” Carillo asked, taking in Steve’s concerned expression. 

Steve gestured for Carillo to follow him back to his and Javier’s desk clump and Carillo’s eyes when wide with shock. 

“Damn it! When did this happen?” he demanded as he moved to Javier’s side to assess him. 

“When he saved Kimberly. He didn’t want to scare anyone. He said he was fine,” Steve reported as Carillo pulled off Javier’s jacket so he could watch him breathe for a moment. 

“Peña, hey, Peña, you with me?” Carillo coaxed as he tried to get Javier’s unfocused eyes to settle on him. He was gasping like a fish out of water and his lips were starting to take on a bluish tinge. 

“C-Can’t breathe,” Javier gasped breathlessly. 

“Help me lay him down,” Carillo ordered Steve. “Slow and easy.”

Javier groaned as they moved him, the sound raw and agonized. Carillo steadied his head with one hand and gripped his shoulder with the other.

“You’re okay, Peña. We’ve been through worse.” His voice was calm but had a hard edge, the kind of command that only comes from years of leading men under fire.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

“His lung’s collapsed,” Carillo said tightly. “He’s got a full-blown pneumothorax. Air is trapped in his chest. We need to relieve the pressure.”

Steve’s blood turned to ice. He recalled distant days of field training. Long dormant memories about decompression kits and incisions. It wasn’t a pretty business but he also remembered that if they didn’t do something quick Javier would die. 

“There’s a medical kit on the far wall,” Steve said, his voice full of dread at the idea of what they’d have to do. 

Carillo met his eyes and nodded. “Then get to it. Fast. He’s circling the drain.”

Steve ran to the med kit, sweat dripping from his brow as he fumbled for supplies. Thank goodness this kit was essentially a small medic badge and had decompression materials in it. It paid to have an army with all the attached equipment in your pocket. 

 Javier was gasping now, eyes wide with panic. Carillo leaned close to him. “Javier, listen to me. You’re going to be okay. Stay with us. Just focus on my voice.”

“Hurts…” Javier whispered, his voice raw.

“I know,” Carillo said firmly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re not going anywhere, Hermano. You stubborn bastard, if this is how you’re trying to get out of paperwork, I swear to God—”

That earned a flicker of a smirk from Javier, but it faded fast. His eyes rolled back and his chest stilled for a long, horrifying beat.

“Javi?” Steve’s voice cracked.

“He’s out!” Carillo snapped. “You have to move, now, Murphy!” He’s not breathing. He’s not breathing! Hurry, damn it!”

Steve raced back with the supplies in hand and knelt beside the unconscious agent. By now a small crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was all about, but thankfully had the good sense to keep their distance. 

“Murphy, you gotta move now!” 

“I know, I know! Just a second—” Steve’s hands shook as he cut through the skin just above the rib.

“You’ve got this,” Carillo said quickly, eyes darting between the procedure and Javier’s still form. “Come on, Steve. You can do this. He needs you.”

Steve found the right spot, inserted the tubing, and held his breath.

Then came the hiss.

The air rushed out, and Javier jolted with a ragged, awful gasp. His whole body shuddered as he coughed, blinking rapidly, eyes wide in pain and confusion.

“Easy, easy, you’re alright,” Steve said quickly, gripping his shoulder. “You’re okay, Javi. Just breathe. That’s it, that’s it. You’re alright now.”

Javier groaned again, trying to move, but Carillo pressed a firm hand to his chest. “Stay still, brother. You just scared the shit out of us.”

“Hurts like hell,” Javier panted, his voice hoarse and raw.

“Yeah, well, that means you’re alive,” Carillo said with a weak grin. “First time I’ve seen you shut up for more than two minutes since I met you. I might miss the peace and quiet.”

Javier was quiet for a moment as he sucked in hungry lung-fulls of air. Then, his head lolled to the side weakly as he looked at Steve. “Th-thank you.” 

Steve gave a shaky laugh and patted Javier’s shoulder. “You thought I was gonna let you off so easily? You still owe me a beer for every time you’ve been a pain in my ass.”

Javier managed a faint, pained smile. “Guess I owe you a case-full then,” he murmured weakly. 

Steve let himself breathe just a fraction. He knew Javier’s current calm state was due to the adrenalin rush and shock. But for now, they were out of immediate danger and they would bask in that no matter how short-lived it was. 

“Is he going to be ok?” The soft query made Steve tear his eyes from his partner and turn to see Kimberly, looking wide-eyed and frightened. 

Steve tried his best to look positive. “Yeah. He’s one tough son of a bitch. He’s gonna be just fine.”

Kimberly nodded before cautiously crouching beside Javier’s shuddering body. She gently placed her hand on his, causing his gaze to drift lazily over to her. 

“You saved me,” she said softly. 

Javier tried his best to give her his signature smirk, though it was only a fraction of what it normally was. “All in a day’s work, ma’am.” 

Kimberly bit her lip, then leaned in and kissed his forehead gently. “When you’re better, dinner’s on me. You earned it.”

Javier’s lips twitched, though his eyes were starting to drift closed again.

“Looking forward to it,” he murmured.

But Steve could feel it. Javier was fading again. The pain might be less intense now, but his skin was clammy, his pulse thready. He was still dying, just slower now.

Carillo stayed kneeling beside him; his face grim.

“He’s not out of the woods. Not even close,” he said quietly. “We need that backup now.”

Steve nodded tightly. “We just need to keep him alive and talking until they get here.”

Javier lay between them, silent now, but alive.

And that would have to be enough for now.

Chapter 1 ~~~~~~ Chapter 3

[novemberrain-writes]

Do I need to start another wip? Absolutely not. Do I desperately want to share my origin story for the Fantastic Four and this little Death Stranding piece I’ve been working ok? Oh absolutely.

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 5: Revelations

Word Count: 2K

Warnings: fever, illness, Din whump

Author's Note: Oops! Been like a year since I updated this story but I've finally found some energy to write once more! Also un-beta'd so forgive me for any mispellings.

The fighting started so fast you almost couldn’t react fast enough. A blaster bolt whizzed by your face so close you could feel the warmth of it through the cloth you wore to protect your skin from the blowing sand. 

By the time you ducked behind a pile of crates and peered over them to fire your rifle you noted that Mando had dropped at least five on his own and was grappling with another. Grogu was hiding in his little backpack. You had to get to him before the little guy got trampled or worse. 

The train was chugging louder as it grew closer to the station but the notable lack of screeching indicated that the breaks hadn’t been engaged. More than likely the driver spotted the scuffle and didn’t want to get in the middle of anything. 

“Mando! The train isn’t stopping!” You called as you fired and hit two more pirates. 

“We have to jump on!” He called back.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed across the platform as a wild blaster shot struck the Mandalorian in the pauldron, knocking him off his feet. A pirate immediately tackled him and tried to stab him with a jagged knife. 

“Stop!” You shouted as you raised your rifle and aimed. You shouted in pain suddenly as one of the pirates shot the weapon from your hands, burning them with the heat of the blaster bolt. Whipping around you managed to throw a punch at your attacker, who was barreling towards you. 

You heard a pained shout as the pirate managed to jam the tip of his blade into the gap between his helmet and chest plate, just below the collar bone. Another pirate tackled you before you could help and you found yourself tussling in the sandy earth and avoiding taking a punch to the face. 

You could feel your strength quickly sapping away. You’d been traveling hard for days and even the night spent with decent food and rest wasn’t enough to keep you running forever. A well aimed punched aimed to your face completely obliterated your grip on reality for a moment and you slumped back to the ground in a daze, aware that you were now vulnerable to attacks but your brain was too scrambled to do anything about it. 

“What the-“ The pirate towering above you was suddenly knocked away by the flying body of another. 

Scrambling to your feet, you stood in complete awe as two pirates hung in the air like limp puppets. What was even more baffling was Grogu standing on the ground with his little arms in the air, as if he was the one orchestrating this phenomenon. You couldn’t believe it, even as it was happening right in front of your face. 

Suddenly the pirates when from hanging in the air slammed against the wall of the station and slumped into a heap. The rumble of the train caught your attention. If you were going to make it you had to leave now. 

But something was wrong with your traveling companion. He laid limply in the sand and you could see the way his chest heaved with his ragged breathing. He didn’t look like he was going to make any attempt to get up. 

“Mando!” You shouted as you scrambled to your feet, scooped up Grogu and ran to the ailing warrior. “Mando come on. We have to go!” 

He tried to push himself up on shaky arms but he was took weak to get far. His breathing sounded horrible. 

“Come on!” You urged as you yanked his semi-dead weight up with all your strength. Grogu whimpered and fussed at the sight of his father laying helplessly on the ground. 

That seemed to spur Mando awake and he managed to stumble to his feet. 

The train was picking up speed as it pulled away from the station. Soon it would be too fast to board safely. It was now or never. 

“Come on!” He exclaimed as he started to run after the train with you close behind, clutching Grogu like your life depended on it. He stumbled and nearly fell but by sheer force of will, Mando kept himself upright and grabbed hold of one of the outer rails attached to the side of an open car. 

“Here! Give me your hand!” He shouted. You reached out and felt the worn leather of his glove encase your hand and suddenly you were pulled faster and you could hardly keep up. 

With a surprising amount of strength, Mando hauled you up into the open train car. You tumbled along the durasteel floor and rolled to a halt, Grogu still clutched in your arms. But you couldn’t rest yet, because Mando still wasn’t in the car with you. 

Grogu whimpered as you set him down and sprinted to the car’s opening. Mando was still gripping the wheel but he was having a hard time keeping up as the train was gaining speed. If he didn’t jump on, he would get sucked under the wheels. 

“Jump! Come on, Mando. Jump on!” You reached out, a quiet promise that you would help him. 

With all his remaining might, Mando used his grip on the rail as leverage and launched himself forward. You caught hold of his free hand and pulled him through the opening. For a moment the two of you laid on the floor of the train car, panting and gasping in the wake of the adrenaline rush you both just experienced. Then, so suddenly it shocked you to your core, Mando suddenly turned to one side, yanked off his helmet and vomited violently on the floor. It looked mostly like blood, but at the moment, you were so shocked at the sight of his face that’s all you could stare at. 

Then, it occurred to you that your traveling companion was throwing up blood and you quickly moved to his side. 

“Hey, hey easy, Mando. Easy. You’re ok. It’s ok,” you soothed as he finished vomiting and nearly slumped onto the ground again. You caught him and eased him back so he was propped up against the wall of the train car. For a moment, you just took in the sight of his face. Thick, unruly brown hair, brown eyes, dulled by fever and pain, and stubble gracing an angular jaw line. He didn’t look like the intimidating warrior you imagined. He looked like a man tired from a lifetime of hardship. 

Wordlessly, you grabbed his helmet and handed it to him, worried that he might want to put it back on but he weakly shook his head. 

“J-just leave it o-off. D-doesn’t matter now,” he rasped. 

Worry filled your gut. He didn’t look good. 

“I’m sorry,” you said softly. “But we’re on our way now. So you just need to hold on a little longer, Mando. Please, just hold on.” 

“Din.” 

You turned to look at him with your eyebrow cocked in confusion. “Come again?” 

“Din. M-My name is Din.” 

This was the first bit of personal information you’d ever gotten from him.

“Din,” you repeated. “It’s nice to finally have a name for you.” 

“Don’t normally give it out to just anyone,” he huffed. His eyes were starting to flutter closed. Something in your gut told you the very worst thing he could do right now is pass out so you shook him gently. 

“Hey, don’t go to sleep. Talk to me.” 

“‘Bout what?” He slurred. Grogu had waddled over to his side and was now curled up against him, whimpering softly.

“I don’t know. Anything.” 

It was quiet for a moment between you two. Then, he gathered himself to speak. “What did you mean that you couldn’t remember your past.” 

Ah, he was going right for tough questions, huh?

You were quiet for a moment, almost electing to pretend that you hadn’t heard him. But seeing the way he was fighting to stay awake made you forgo the desire to keep your past a secret. 

“There-” you cleared your throat, trying to ward off the emotions before they got the better of you and you wouldn’t be able to speak at all. “There was an accident. I’m not really sure how long ago. I just remember waking up in a med bay on some planet I still can’t remember the name of with absolutely no memory of how I got there.” 

“You remember nothing?” He asked. 

You shook your head. “Occasionally, I get the faintest memory of something, almost like a dream. Sometimes it’s a place, other times it’s the faintest outline of a person, but I don’t know what any of it means.” 

It was quiet for a moment before he offered a faint but sincere, “I’m sorry.” 

You shrugged. “It’s in the past. Maybe one day, I’ll remember who I am, or what I was doing on that planet or if I have someone who is waiting for me. But in the meantime, I’m surviving, and that’s what matters. Now, time for you.”

Din let out a groan and rolled his eyes. It gave you a momentary sense of relief to see a hint of joking from him despite how pale and sickly he looked. 

“Ok, starting with the magic baby. What’s his story?” 

Din let out a heavy sigh and swallowed like he was trying to fight the nausea rising in him. “He’s a Jedi, or was, I guess. They were wiped out some time during the Clone Wars. He’s one of the few that managed to escape. An Imperial remnant wanted him, sent me after him. But, when I saw he was just a child, I couldn’t go through with it. So, I saved him.” 

You were touched by the tender tone in his voice. You didn’t know much about this man, but by the way he talked about the boy who’d fallen asleep at his side, you could tell there was nothing but love and care for him. It was almost dizzying the juxtaposition between the hardened warrior of steel and the tenderness he show the boy. 

“Ok, what about Tracinya?” You asked. He stiffened at that question. “You murmured it when you were delirious. Is it a name?”

Din was quiet. He was quiet for even longer than when you’d asked him about Grogu. You almost didn’t think he would answer. 

“It means flame in Mando’a,” he explained weakly. “Th-there’s a woman. Fiery, passionate. We, well I don’t know what we’re doing, but, I know I care for her. And, I think she cares about me.” 

You smiled. “Well who would have thought, the gruff man of steel has a heart after all.” 

Din scoffed, which turned into an audible wince as he wrapped his arms around his stomach and hunched forward. His breath came in staggering gasps, like it physically hurt for him to pull them from the depths of his lungs. 

“Din? Din, hey, talk to me!” You urged worriedly as you shook his shoulder. 

“If-if I don’t make it. Pl-please take care of G-Grogu. He-He doesn’t take up m-much space. He’s-He’s a good kid. He’ll eat y-you out of house and home, thought.” 

“No. Hey, no don’t talk like that, ok? You’re gonna be fine, Din. We’ll get you to a healer and they’ll fix what’s wrong with you, ok? You just have to hold on a little longer. We’re almost there. Just, please hold on.” 

You found yourself pleading with him, long into the night; long after the poison stole his consciousness.” 

< Chapter 4~~~~~Chapter 6 >

[novemberrain-writes]

Reblogging for the timezone peeps!

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 5: Revelations

Word Count: 2K

Warnings: fever, illness, Din whump

Author's Note: Oops! Been like a year since I updated this story but I've finally found some energy to write once more! Also un-beta'd so forgive me for any mispellings.

The fighting started so fast you almost couldn’t react fast enough. A blaster bolt whizzed by your face so close you could feel the warmth of it through the cloth you wore to protect your skin from the blowing sand. 

By the time you ducked behind a pile of crates and peered over them to fire your rifle you noted that Mando had dropped at least five on his own and was grappling with another. Grogu was hiding in his little backpack. You had to get to him before the little guy got trampled or worse. 

The train was chugging louder as it grew closer to the station but the notable lack of screeching indicated that the breaks hadn’t been engaged. More than likely the driver spotted the scuffle and didn’t want to get in the middle of anything. 

“Mando! The train isn’t stopping!” You called as you fired and hit two more pirates. 

“We have to jump on!” He called back.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed across the platform as a wild blaster shot struck the Mandalorian in the pauldron, knocking him off his feet. A pirate immediately tackled him and tried to stab him with a jagged knife. 

“Stop!” You shouted as you raised your rifle and aimed. You shouted in pain suddenly as one of the pirates shot the weapon from your hands, burning them with the heat of the blaster bolt. Whipping around you managed to throw a punch at your attacker, who was barreling towards you. 

You heard a pained shout as the pirate managed to jam the tip of his blade into the gap between his helmet and chest plate, just below the collar bone. Another pirate tackled you before you could help and you found yourself tussling in the sandy earth and avoiding taking a punch to the face. 

You could feel your strength quickly sapping away. You’d been traveling hard for days and even the night spent with decent food and rest wasn’t enough to keep you running forever. A well aimed punched aimed to your face completely obliterated your grip on reality for a moment and you slumped back to the ground in a daze, aware that you were now vulnerable to attacks but your brain was too scrambled to do anything about it. 

“What the-“ The pirate towering above you was suddenly knocked away by the flying body of another. 

Scrambling to your feet, you stood in complete awe as two pirates hung in the air like limp puppets. What was even more baffling was Grogu standing on the ground with his little arms in the air, as if he was the one orchestrating this phenomenon. You couldn’t believe it, even as it was happening right in front of your face. 

Suddenly the pirates when from hanging in the air slammed against the wall of the station and slumped into a heap. The rumble of the train caught your attention. If you were going to make it you had to leave now. 

But something was wrong with your traveling companion. He laid limply in the sand and you could see the way his chest heaved with his ragged breathing. He didn’t look like he was going to make any attempt to get up. 

“Mando!” You shouted as you scrambled to your feet, scooped up Grogu and ran to the ailing warrior. “Mando come on. We have to go!” 

He tried to push himself up on shaky arms but he was took weak to get far. His breathing sounded horrible. 

“Come on!” You urged as you yanked his semi-dead weight up with all your strength. Grogu whimpered and fussed at the sight of his father laying helplessly on the ground. 

That seemed to spur Mando awake and he managed to stumble to his feet. 

The train was picking up speed as it pulled away from the station. Soon it would be too fast to board safely. It was now or never. 

“Come on!” He exclaimed as he started to run after the train with you close behind, clutching Grogu like your life depended on it. He stumbled and nearly fell but by sheer force of will, Mando kept himself upright and grabbed hold of one of the outer rails attached to the side of an open car. 

“Here! Give me your hand!” He shouted. You reached out and felt the worn leather of his glove encase your hand and suddenly you were pulled faster and you could hardly keep up. 

With a surprising amount of strength, Mando hauled you up into the open train car. You tumbled along the durasteel floor and rolled to a halt, Grogu still clutched in your arms. But you couldn’t rest yet, because Mando still wasn’t in the car with you. 

Grogu whimpered as you set him down and sprinted to the car’s opening. Mando was still gripping the wheel but he was having a hard time keeping up as the train was gaining speed. If he didn’t jump on, he would get sucked under the wheels. 

“Jump! Come on, Mando. Jump on!” You reached out, a quiet promise that you would help him. 

With all his remaining might, Mando used his grip on the rail as leverage and launched himself forward. You caught hold of his free hand and pulled him through the opening. For a moment the two of you laid on the floor of the train car, panting and gasping in the wake of the adrenaline rush you both just experienced. Then, so suddenly it shocked you to your core, Mando suddenly turned to one side, yanked off his helmet and vomited violently on the floor. It looked mostly like blood, but at the moment, you were so shocked at the sight of his face that’s all you could stare at. 

Then, it occurred to you that your traveling companion was throwing up blood and you quickly moved to his side. 

“Hey, hey easy, Mando. Easy. You’re ok. It’s ok,” you soothed as he finished vomiting and nearly slumped onto the ground again. You caught him and eased him back so he was propped up against the wall of the train car. For a moment, you just took in the sight of his face. Thick, unruly brown hair, brown eyes, dulled by fever and pain, and stubble gracing an angular jaw line. He didn’t look like the intimidating warrior you imagined. He looked like a man tired from a lifetime of hardship. 

Wordlessly, you grabbed his helmet and handed it to him, worried that he might want to put it back on but he weakly shook his head. 

“J-just leave it o-off. D-doesn’t matter now,” he rasped. 

Worry filled your gut. He didn’t look good. 

“I’m sorry,” you said softly. “But we’re on our way now. So you just need to hold on a little longer, Mando. Please, just hold on.” 

“Din.” 

You turned to look at him with your eyebrow cocked in confusion. “Come again?” 

“Din. M-My name is Din.” 

This was the first bit of personal information you’d ever gotten from him.

“Din,” you repeated. “It’s nice to finally have a name for you.” 

“Don’t normally give it out to just anyone,” he huffed. His eyes were starting to flutter closed. Something in your gut told you the very worst thing he could do right now is pass out so you shook him gently. 

“Hey, don’t go to sleep. Talk to me.” 

“‘Bout what?” He slurred. Grogu had waddled over to his side and was now curled up against him, whimpering softly.

“I don’t know. Anything.” 

It was quiet for a moment between you two. Then, he gathered himself to speak. “What did you mean that you couldn’t remember your past.” 

Ah, he was going right for tough questions, huh?

You were quiet for a moment, almost electing to pretend that you hadn’t heard him. But seeing the way he was fighting to stay awake made you forgo the desire to keep your past a secret. 

“There-” you cleared your throat, trying to ward off the emotions before they got the better of you and you wouldn’t be able to speak at all. “There was an accident. I’m not really sure how long ago. I just remember waking up in a med bay on some planet I still can’t remember the name of with absolutely no memory of how I got there.” 

“You remember nothing?” He asked. 

You shook your head. “Occasionally, I get the faintest memory of something, almost like a dream. Sometimes it’s a place, other times it’s the faintest outline of a person, but I don’t know what any of it means.” 

It was quiet for a moment before he offered a faint but sincere, “I’m sorry.” 

You shrugged. “It’s in the past. Maybe one day, I’ll remember who I am, or what I was doing on that planet or if I have someone who is waiting for me. But in the meantime, I’m surviving, and that’s what matters. Now, time for you.”

Din let out a groan and rolled his eyes. It gave you a momentary sense of relief to see a hint of joking from him despite how pale and sickly he looked. 

“Ok, starting with the magic baby. What’s his story?” 

Din let out a heavy sigh and swallowed like he was trying to fight the nausea rising in him. “He’s a Jedi, or was, I guess. They were wiped out some time during the Clone Wars. He’s one of the few that managed to escape. An Imperial remnant wanted him, sent me after him. But, when I saw he was just a child, I couldn’t go through with it. So, I saved him.” 

You were touched by the tender tone in his voice. You didn’t know much about this man, but by the way he talked about the boy who’d fallen asleep at his side, you could tell there was nothing but love and care for him. It was almost dizzying the juxtaposition between the hardened warrior of steel and the tenderness he show the boy. 

“Ok, what about Tracinya?” You asked. He stiffened at that question. “You murmured it when you were delirious. Is it a name?”

Din was quiet. He was quiet for even longer than when you’d asked him about Grogu. You almost didn’t think he would answer. 

“It means flame in Mando’a,” he explained weakly. “Th-there’s a woman. Fiery, passionate. We, well I don’t know what we’re doing, but, I know I care for her. And, I think she cares about me.” 

You smiled. “Well who would have thought, the gruff man of steel has a heart after all.” 

Din scoffed, which turned into an audible wince as he wrapped his arms around his stomach and hunched forward. His breath came in staggering gasps, like it physically hurt for him to pull them from the depths of his lungs. 

“Din? Din, hey, talk to me!” You urged worriedly as you shook his shoulder. 

“If-if I don’t make it. Pl-please take care of G-Grogu. He-He doesn’t take up m-much space. He’s-He’s a good kid. He’ll eat y-you out of house and home, thought.” 

“No. Hey, no don’t talk like that, ok? You’re gonna be fine, Din. We’ll get you to a healer and they’ll fix what’s wrong with you, ok? You just have to hold on a little longer. We’re almost there. Just, please hold on.” 

You found yourself pleading with him, long into the night; long after the poison stole his consciousness.” 

< Chapter 4~~~~~Chapter 6 >

[novemberrain-writes]

Reblogging for the timezone crowd!

[novemberrain-writes]

Chapter 5: Revelations

Word Count: 2K

Warnings: fever, illness, Din whump

Author's Note: Oops! Been like a year since I updated this story but I've finally found some energy to write once more! Also un-beta'd so forgive me for any mispellings.

The fighting started so fast you almost couldn’t react fast enough. A blaster bolt whizzed by your face so close you could feel the warmth of it through the cloth you wore to protect your skin from the blowing sand. 

By the time you ducked behind a pile of crates and peered over them to fire your rifle you noted that Mando had dropped at least five on his own and was grappling with another. Grogu was hiding in his little backpack. You had to get to him before the little guy got trampled or worse. 

The train was chugging louder as it grew closer to the station but the notable lack of screeching indicated that the breaks hadn’t been engaged. More than likely the driver spotted the scuffle and didn’t want to get in the middle of anything. 

“Mando! The train isn’t stopping!” You called as you fired and hit two more pirates. 

“We have to jump on!” He called back.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed across the platform as a wild blaster shot struck the Mandalorian in the pauldron, knocking him off his feet. A pirate immediately tackled him and tried to stab him with a jagged knife. 

“Stop!” You shouted as you raised your rifle and aimed. You shouted in pain suddenly as one of the pirates shot the weapon from your hands, burning them with the heat of the blaster bolt. Whipping around you managed to throw a punch at your attacker, who was barreling towards you. 

You heard a pained shout as the pirate managed to jam the tip of his blade into the gap between his helmet and chest plate, just below the collar bone. Another pirate tackled you before you could help and you found yourself tussling in the sandy earth and avoiding taking a punch to the face. 

You could feel your strength quickly sapping away. You’d been traveling hard for days and even the night spent with decent food and rest wasn’t enough to keep you running forever. A well aimed punched aimed to your face completely obliterated your grip on reality for a moment and you slumped back to the ground in a daze, aware that you were now vulnerable to attacks but your brain was too scrambled to do anything about it. 

“What the-“ The pirate towering above you was suddenly knocked away by the flying body of another. 

Scrambling to your feet, you stood in complete awe as two pirates hung in the air like limp puppets. What was even more baffling was Grogu standing on the ground with his little arms in the air, as if he was the one orchestrating this phenomenon. You couldn’t believe it, even as it was happening right in front of your face. 

Suddenly the pirates when from hanging in the air slammed against the wall of the station and slumped into a heap. The rumble of the train caught your attention. If you were going to make it you had to leave now. 

But something was wrong with your traveling companion. He laid limply in the sand and you could see the way his chest heaved with his ragged breathing. He didn’t look like he was going to make any attempt to get up. 

“Mando!” You shouted as you scrambled to your feet, scooped up Grogu and ran to the ailing warrior. “Mando come on. We have to go!” 

He tried to push himself up on shaky arms but he was took weak to get far. His breathing sounded horrible. 

“Come on!” You urged as you yanked his semi-dead weight up with all your strength. Grogu whimpered and fussed at the sight of his father laying helplessly on the ground. 

That seemed to spur Mando awake and he managed to stumble to his feet. 

The train was picking up speed as it pulled away from the station. Soon it would be too fast to board safely. It was now or never. 

“Come on!” He exclaimed as he started to run after the train with you close behind, clutching Grogu like your life depended on it. He stumbled and nearly fell but by sheer force of will, Mando kept himself upright and grabbed hold of one of the outer rails attached to the side of an open car. 

“Here! Give me your hand!” He shouted. You reached out and felt the worn leather of his glove encase your hand and suddenly you were pulled faster and you could hardly keep up. 

With a surprising amount of strength, Mando hauled you up into the open train car. You tumbled along the durasteel floor and rolled to a halt, Grogu still clutched in your arms. But you couldn’t rest yet, because Mando still wasn’t in the car with you. 

Grogu whimpered as you set him down and sprinted to the car’s opening. Mando was still gripping the wheel but he was having a hard time keeping up as the train was gaining speed. If he didn’t jump on, he would get sucked under the wheels. 

“Jump! Come on, Mando. Jump on!” You reached out, a quiet promise that you would help him. 

With all his remaining might, Mando used his grip on the rail as leverage and launched himself forward. You caught hold of his free hand and pulled him through the opening. For a moment the two of you laid on the floor of the train car, panting and gasping in the wake of the adrenaline rush you both just experienced. Then, so suddenly it shocked you to your core, Mando suddenly turned to one side, yanked off his helmet and vomited violently on the floor. It looked mostly like blood, but at the moment, you were so shocked at the sight of his face that’s all you could stare at. 

Then, it occurred to you that your traveling companion was throwing up blood and you quickly moved to his side. 

“Hey, hey easy, Mando. Easy. You’re ok. It’s ok,” you soothed as he finished vomiting and nearly slumped onto the ground again. You caught him and eased him back so he was propped up against the wall of the train car. For a moment, you just took in the sight of his face. Thick, unruly brown hair, brown eyes, dulled by fever and pain, and stubble gracing an angular jaw line. He didn’t look like the intimidating warrior you imagined. He looked like a man tired from a lifetime of hardship. 

Wordlessly, you grabbed his helmet and handed it to him, worried that he might want to put it back on but he weakly shook his head. 

“J-just leave it o-off. D-doesn’t matter now,” he rasped. 

Worry filled your gut. He didn’t look good. 

“I’m sorry,” you said softly. “But we’re on our way now. So you just need to hold on a little longer, Mando. Please, just hold on.” 

“Din.” 

You turned to look at him with your eyebrow cocked in confusion. “Come again?” 

“Din. M-My name is Din.” 

This was the first bit of personal information you’d ever gotten from him.

“Din,” you repeated. “It’s nice to finally have a name for you.” 

“Don’t normally give it out to just anyone,” he huffed. His eyes were starting to flutter closed. Something in your gut told you the very worst thing he could do right now is pass out so you shook him gently. 

“Hey, don’t go to sleep. Talk to me.” 

“‘Bout what?” He slurred. Grogu had waddled over to his side and was now curled up against him, whimpering softly.

“I don’t know. Anything.” 

It was quiet for a moment between you two. Then, he gathered himself to speak. “What did you mean that you couldn’t remember your past.” 

Ah, he was going right for tough questions, huh?

You were quiet for a moment, almost electing to pretend that you hadn’t heard him. But seeing the way he was fighting to stay awake made you forgo the desire to keep your past a secret. 

“There-” you cleared your throat, trying to ward off the emotions before they got the better of you and you wouldn’t be able to speak at all. “There was an accident. I’m not really sure how long ago. I just remember waking up in a med bay on some planet I still can’t remember the name of with absolutely no memory of how I got there.” 

“You remember nothing?” He asked. 

You shook your head. “Occasionally, I get the faintest memory of something, almost like a dream. Sometimes it’s a place, other times it’s the faintest outline of a person, but I don’t know what any of it means.” 

It was quiet for a moment before he offered a faint but sincere, “I’m sorry.” 

You shrugged. “It’s in the past. Maybe one day, I’ll remember who I am, or what I was doing on that planet or if I have someone who is waiting for me. But in the meantime, I’m surviving, and that’s what matters. Now, time for you.”

Din let out a groan and rolled his eyes. It gave you a momentary sense of relief to see a hint of joking from him despite how pale and sickly he looked. 

“Ok, starting with the magic baby. What’s his story?” 

Din let out a heavy sigh and swallowed like he was trying to fight the nausea rising in him. “He’s a Jedi, or was, I guess. They were wiped out some time during the Clone Wars. He’s one of the few that managed to escape. An Imperial remnant wanted him, sent me after him. But, when I saw he was just a child, I couldn’t go through with it. So, I saved him.” 

You were touched by the tender tone in his voice. You didn’t know much about this man, but by the way he talked about the boy who’d fallen asleep at his side, you could tell there was nothing but love and care for him. It was almost dizzying the juxtaposition between the hardened warrior of steel and the tenderness he show the boy. 

“Ok, what about Tracinya?” You asked. He stiffened at that question. “You murmured it when you were delirious. Is it a name?”

Din was quiet. He was quiet for even longer than when you’d asked him about Grogu. You almost didn’t think he would answer. 

“It means flame in Mando’a,” he explained weakly. “Th-there’s a woman. Fiery, passionate. We, well I don’t know what we’re doing, but, I know I care for her. And, I think she cares about me.” 

You smiled. “Well who would have thought, the gruff man of steel has a heart after all.” 

Din scoffed, which turned into an audible wince as he wrapped his arms around his stomach and hunched forward. His breath came in staggering gasps, like it physically hurt for him to pull them from the depths of his lungs. 

“Din? Din, hey, talk to me!” You urged worriedly as you shook his shoulder. 

“If-if I don’t make it. Pl-please take care of G-Grogu. He-He doesn’t take up m-much space. He’s-He’s a good kid. He’ll eat y-you out of house and home, thought.” 

“No. Hey, no don’t talk like that, ok? You’re gonna be fine, Din. We’ll get you to a healer and they’ll fix what’s wrong with you, ok? You just have to hold on a little longer. We’re almost there. Just, please hold on.” 

You found yourself pleading with him, long into the night; long after the poison stole his consciousness.” 

< Chapter 4~~~~~Chapter 6 >

[novemberrain-writes]

Yall. I might????? Have a new chapter of something ready to post tomorrow????