For the 2024 annual MST3K Turkey Day marathon (November 28), it was made up of celebrity guest hosts introducing their favorite episodes. Probably the most significant thing about the event was MST3K regained the right to legally air fan favorite Final Sacrafice. Joel Hodgson, creator of MST3K, introduced it as his favorite episode and awarded it "The Hodgson Award." The other hosts were Emily Marsh (The Killer Shrews), Kumail Nanjiani (Overdrawn at the Memory Bank), Bryan Fuller (Werewolf), Matthew Lillard (Castle of Fu-Manchu), Mike Flanagan (Hobgoblins), David Dastmalchian (Samson vs the Vampire Women), Mark Hamill (Gamera vs Jiger), Felicia Day (Manos: The Hands of Fate), and Jonah Ray (The Mask). The special was also peppered with many shorts from throughout the series. (MST3K Turkey Day, TV Event)
Little segment from my zine WIRED ZEROS, a Zap Rowsdower homage comic. One of my good friends, Desirae Seter wrote, directed and filmed 2 fan sequels to FINAL SACRIFICE that I starred in as Zap Rowsdower.
FINAL SACRIFICE 2: THE ZAPPENING and FINAL SACRIFICE 3: THE QUEST FOR BEER ON THE SUN had a good run on YouTube until both were DMCAed by the original film's director. This comic was a nod to those films and what I felt was the trajectory of where the Zap Rosdower character was heading (in my mind lol)
And it is up! Grogu tries to help his buir as much as he can through his bacta sessions while Omera makes some discoveries about Din’s past.
Posted on AO3 on the following link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38372269/chapters/97011864
A huge thanks go to @azertyrobaz for all her input and comments on this chapter. The idea on Din's hand injury during training comes from her fanfic "Apostrophe" which I totally recommend you check out if you haven't already read it.
Any comments are always very appreciated! 😁
Final sacrifice
General synopsis: AU universe, in which removing your helmet is punished by death if the members of the covert esteem it so. Otherwise all canon compliant until E16 “The Rescue”, where Skywalker doesn’t show up but Din fights the Dark Troopers with the Darksaber. Din and Grogu, together, they find the covert, mostly as occurs in E5 of TBOBF. This fanfic takes off from where Din accepts Paz’s duel for the DarkSaber.
Relationships: Mando x Omera
Characters: Din Djarin, Grogu, Omera, Winta. Eventually Cara, Fennec, Boba Fett
Warnings: references to child abuse, violence against children, medical procedures, brain injury.
Link to chapter 8
Link to chapter 10
Boba had sent service droids to clean up the mess caused by the Mandalorian’s outburst. Some were in charge to clean the breakfast plates that Cara had brought to Omera and that were now lying on the ground as well as oil the droid oil spilled throughout the room's floor and walls. Some other service droids were ordered to take the dismembered medical droid and repair it with urgency, given that surely the Mandalorian would be in need of it until his full recovery.
Cara had suggested strapping the Mandalorian down to the bed until he regained consciousness and showing clear signs of being aware of his surroundings. They all agreed, thinking that with a confused state of mind, his behavior could be dicey and could pose a threat to others and himself. They all agreed except Omera despite of how terribly distraught she had been from the incident. So Boba took for himself the task to bind the man to the bed through wrists and ankles.
Days passed, and there was still no indication that the Mandalorian would wake up. The kids were allowed to sit regularly with Din, who remained covered with a blanket to avoid them realizing he was tied up. Grogu cuddled often under his buir's neck while Winta would talk lively to Boba or anyone around about mundane things and life on the planet. Omera enjoyed seeing her curiosity unleashing and was grateful for everybody's patience with the kids. While being absorbed by the vastness of the sands of Tatooine, she couldn’t help but smile thinking about the curious nature of her child, and how it must be exciting for her to leave her home planet for the first time, even if it was under the given circumstances. Dark and negative thoughts were always haunting her, threatening to take over her heart and send her over the edge again. But whenever that would happen, she would focus on her love for her daughter, the only thing that was capable of anchoring positive feelings during the passing days.
The medical droid had been repaired, and resumed his task of taking care of the Mandalorian, surveying his progress and adjusting his treatments accordingly. Omera rarely left the man’s side, wanting to make sure he was not alone if, when (she obliged herself to think), Din woke up. She occupied herself sewing for the kids and mending things that Boba pointed out needed repair. Though he insisted that they were guests in his palace, she felt the need to start paying back their stay and making herself useful anyway she could.
One afternoon, when she was working on repairing a suit that Boba had asked her to mend, the droid started unhooking the IV’s on the Mandalorian’s arm. Alerted by this, she got up, questioningly. Without any prior notice, the droid moved a stretcher next to the man’s bed and set him on it, proceeding to take him out of the room.
-“Where are you taking him?” she finally asked.
-“His condition is not improving. A second bacta session is recommended” his mechanical voice stated.
She followed the droid back to where the bacta tank was and witnessed the process of him being installed inside the tank. After placing and securing the regulator in his mouth, the droid closed the tank and filled it up with the bacta.
By resuming her place next to the tank, a terrible feeling of déjà vu invaded her, making her think again on the first time he was immersed in the tank upon arriving on the sandy planet.
-“Recommended exposure time, 5 standard hours”, the droid said outload, and without any further detail, left the room.
Some time after, the Mandalorian started again thrashing inside the tank, not violently, but it was evident to Omera that he was again dreaming. There was nothing she could really do, so she just stayed faithfully next to him, hoping that whatever was haunting his time in the tank was not as terrifying as what she saw last.
Time seemed to pass, and Boba finally came in with a nervous Grogu in his arms.
-“This little one was starting to get fussy, he clearly wanted to see his buir”, he said, setting him on Omera’s lap next to the tank. The Mandalorian was still shifting in the tank, which made Grogu’s ears drop with a mixture of worry and sadness. Omera couldn't help but think that, wherever he happened to be, the child was somehow capable of sensing that his father was in distress.
- “Do not worry”, Boba started anticipating the woman's question. “It’s not uncommon to dream while in the tank. I find myself remembering old experiences with each session”.
At this point, the child was desperately trying to get to the tank, cooing nervously. Omera couldn't but comply with the kid's request and moved closer so he could touch the window. But once at reach, he suddenly seemed to hesitate and searched Omera's gaze. She immediately knew what he was thinking. His father was dreaming, and he obliviously wanted to help. But by doing so meant he was also witness to the scene accounting within the man's head. Omera couldn't help thinking on the stress of having to see life through the eyes of a person who must have been suffered so much throughout the years. Only the maker knew what he had gone through. He hadn't even spoken much about his life and his past, but she did recall him saying that his parents were killed and that was taken in by the Mandalorians. "What would it entail to be raised by fearless warriors?" she thought to herself. Having to immerse himself, alone, in a foreign culture, forge a new family that, if she had understood correctly, had again lost twice more.
-"I know you want to help little one. I would be scared too after what happened last time…" she finally said.
Boba stood there watching them. "Whatever do you mean?"
-"The child, he can help calm him down, but he sees all the Mandalorian is seeing. Last time it wasn't pretty. I think he's scared" she explained. And she was too, she had to admit to herself, but after some thinking she obliged herself to be courageous.
-"Tell you what, Grogu. If you think you can help him again, I will go in with you, deal?"
The child chirped with some relief.
-"He can show you as well?" Boba said surprised.
Omera nodded and offered her hand to Grogu, who took it with some hesitation. He then set his other hand on the window of the bacta tank and closed his eyes in concentration.
Omera's view on the room started to fade, the sensation now being known to her though still disturbing. But nothing came on the other side. It was all darkness, she couldn't see anything. She started to get nervous when she finally heard people talking in the distance.
-"All the other foundlings have been integrated by the different clans, but none wish to adopt him" said a deep male voice. Omera thought she could hear it being modulated, as it was with Din's when he was wearing the helmet.
-"That's not surprising" said a different voice. "Kid’s mute, I would even go ahead and say he's autistic. Who would willingly take him?" There was silence among the people talking. "He will never withstand the training, he's too weak and will always be a charge to the clan who takes him" the voice continued.
-"The circumstances of his retrieval were exceptionally… violent" stepped in a woman's voice. "His cabur has been teaching him sign language, allowing him to communicate until he recovers from his trauma, which he will eventually. But if I have gathered you all here today, as heads of each of our clans, is to find solution to Djarin's case. The kid witnessed everybody he knew and loved die before his eyes. And that was partly our fault. The setup should have been better conducted, and for that, I make you responsible, Vizsla. You were in charge of the mission in Aq Vetina and should have handled the droids better" continued the woman. "That is why I say he should be taken by House Vizsla".
-"I think I talk in the name of all clans when I say we shouldn’t waste our time with him. But should he stay with my clan, I will give the order to immediately leave him on the next habitable planet we reach" said the deep voice.
After some seconds, Omera heard the woman continue.
-"He will proof his value. But if no clan will willingly accept to take him and train him, he shall then integrate the Fighting Corps" said the woman. "This is the way".
-"This is way" Omera heard everybody answer in unison.
She heard suddenly heavy footsteps approaching, and felt being jerked up.
-"Get up, you useless womp rat". Omera thought she recognized the deepest of the modulated voices she heard before. She could suddenly see, although like through watery eyes. Had her eyes been closed? Everything was still darkened, but she could make out the outline of the corridor she was being roughly dragged down until reaching a small, dark room with a mattress on the floor.
-“Home sweet home, kid” she heard the man say, throwing her to the ground. “You are lucky to have the Alor on your side. Should I have known that you would turn out to be as you are, I would have left you die with your parents”. The man took a couple of steps back towards the entrance of the room. She could see the outline of a tall man suited with Mandalorian armor. In the darkness it was hard to distinguish the colors, but she thought it was blue, and reminded her terribly of the armor the other Mandalorian than came searching for Din on Sorgan wore. “You will join the Fighting Corps, let’s see how much you last there”, he said before stepping out from the room. In the darkness, she could only hear sobs.
Next thing she knew she was back in the bacta tank room, Grogu trying really hard to remain focused, not losing contact with the tank’s window. The Mandalorian was still moving in the tank, clearly disturbed, but it was evident that the child was still trying to get through to him. So Omera returned her contact with the child’s free hand and closed her eyes again.
She opened her eyes to see a bull’s eye in the distance. Looking left and right, she saw that she was surrounded by at least a dozen other kids, all doing target practice. Returning her gaze to the target, she saw herself pointing a blaster and shooting.
-“DJARIN!” a voice startled her somewhere from the back. “You’re supposed to be training with your non-dominant hand, that’s the whole point of the exercise”.
-“I… I can’t…” she heard a young voice whisper, gaze still focused on the target and blaster raised.
And without further notice, she felt a sharp pain in her right hand. In a single movement, she saw the blaster drop while a vibroblade went through the hand that was holding the blaster.
-“I don’t want to hear those words again. You can and you will.”
She felt herself dropping to her knees, left hand holding the injured right, badly shaking with the knife still lodged through it. In her peripheral vision she saw a tall slim Mandalorian who approached and kneeled next to her.
-"You know what your problem is. You're stubborn, kid. But I promise you I will make a good Mandalorian out of you" the armored man said. And with one swift movement, he retrieved the vibroblade, causing a scream of pain to reverberate in the room.
-“Now go dress your hand as you’ve been taught and come back. I expect you to complete the target practice with your left hand before last meal is served”.
-“Yes, sir” she heard again the soft whisper, now with a small tremor in the tone, and the darkness returned until being back in the small alcove. She witnessed how, with surprising expertise for a young child, the hands in front of her started suturing the wounds in both the front and palm of the injured hand. The light was still dim in the alcove, but she saw small droplets of water falling next to a small pool of blood that had formed on the floor, just under where the kid was working. She thought them to be tears but she couldn’t hear any sobbing, just the rough breathing of a clearly hurting child. Before she could notice anything else, she saw how the thick curtain serving as a door was moved away by a small figure entering the alcove. Was it… could it be…Grogu?
With small steps, the child got closer and climbed to the sitting young Din and hugged him, putting his arms through the neck and burying his face under his chin.
Omera found herself back in the room, the Mandalorian again calm within the tank.
-“So that’s how you do it, huh?" Omera said, searching for the kids' gaze. "You can interact with him in his sleep? Keep him calm?”
The kid chirped in excitement, looking tired but evidently happy to have helped his buir. Omera, deeply moved for what the child was doing for his father, gave him a strong hug and then kissed him on his forehead.
Omera looked out of the window and realized the two suns had already set, the horizon being now shades of deep blue. Boba was gone from the room as well. How much time had passed? Her mind was rushing with all the information that had just been revealed to her through Din's dreams, but she realized it was not the moment to reflect on that. There would be time for that, she thought.
-“Come on, let’s go find Winta and get you both bathed and fed, it’s getting late and you need to rest”.
