WARNING: mandalorian spoilers, some rebels spoilers
"Does this look Jedi to you?" Din holds Grogu as we walk up to what we assume is the stone Ahsoka was telling us about.
I look around at the rocks that are at an angle being held up at other rocks surrounding the stone that's in the middle, "It's mysterious so- yes it looks Jedi."
Din walks up to the stone and places Grogu on top. Din backs up a little, "This is the seeing stone, are you seeing anything?"
"Give him a minute, you can't rush the force Din."
After a few moments, blue butterflies fly around the kid and it makes me remember what Ahsoka said, It's an energy field created by all living things.
The group puts his hands up trying to touch the butterflies, "Oh come on kid, Ahsoka said we just had to get you here and you'd to the rest."
All three of us get distracted by a ship approaching. At first, I think it might be imperial Din and I go to the edge of the mountain to see who is it. When it lands I can see the ship clearly.
"Din that's the slave 1."
"I don't know what that means."
"That's Boba Fett's ship I've only seen it once but there's nothing else like it."
"Should we go?"
"I mean you have his armor he probably wants me dead so maybe." Din and I turn around to grab Grogu but the force seems to be surrounding him. "Uh, you see what he wants I'll the kid." Din nods before running down the hill.
I can't hear a thing they're saying but I watch as Boba takes off his hood revealing his face. I never saw his face before because like Din he always had it on but when I see it faces it surprises me because I've seen it before. I met a couple of clones that survived the clone wars during my rebel days. At first, I actually think it's one of them but then how would they have the slave 1? No, it has to be Boba, meaning Boba is a clone but he looks younger than they were all those years ago so that would mean his aging is slower? Honestly, it's too much to unpack right considering what I'm currently assuming is an imperial ship just showed up because stormtroopers start pouring out of it. Oh, and some woman is standing next to Boba.
I pull out my blaster and I turn around to see Grogu still doing something with the force. Din starts running up the hill with his blaster also in hand, "Time to go!"
Din starts to try and go through the field surrounding Grogu, "I wouldn't-" I try to warn him but it's too late but it makes him go flying. He hits the ground hard bouncing a little before staying still. I run to his side to making sure he's okay. I put my hand on his chest and I feel his breathing he's just going to be out for a minute.
I try to shake him awake a few times but he doesn't budge. I tighten my grip on my blaster now that I have to defend Grogu and Din but looking up I'm not even sure I am too considering I just watch Boba literally break the stormtroopers helmets with his staff.
I spot a trooper behind Boba about to shoot him, he doesn't seem to notice considering he's too busy smashing skulls. I quickly but carefully aim my blaster hitting the trooper in the head. Boba looks up to where the blast came from. His eyes find me and I nod and he nods back which hopefully means we're going to forget we tried to kill each other just about five years ago.
I see another imperial ship land as I feel Din starts to move beneath my hand, "Hey easy," I say as I help him up.
Din looks down to see more troopers. "That's it we got to get out of here!" He tries again to get through the force field only to get pushed back.
"Why would you try that again?" I ask him.
"What do you suggest we do?"
"Protect him."
Din nods and we run down the hill ready for a fight.
We find Bobas's friend surrounded by troopers. Din stands on the rock right behind us and lets off his charges which are able to take down a few. He jumps off the rock and we start to move in closer. We stand behind Din because blaster shots can't go through beskar. From behind, however, we are able to get a good amount of stormtroopers but its not looking good for us. We are severely outnumbered. Before I can lose all hope a charge drops out of the sky causing some troopers to blow up.
Before I can even process what happened Boba Fett in his Mandalorian armor drops out of the sky and saves the day. The three of us continue shooting at the troopers, not one of us missing. I turn to get the last of the troopers but I see them running away from Boba pilling inside their ships.
As their ships take off Boba titles his head making a rocket shoot out hitting one of the ships and making it go down in flames. Boba walks over to us, "Nice shot," Din compliments him.
"I was aiming for the other one," He turns to look at me, "Are we good?"
"Promise not to try and push me into a Sarlacc pit?"
"I can do that."
We hear a blast causing all of us to look up at the sky to see a red charge coming down and before I know it, it hits the razor crest causing it to go up in flames. I gasp my hands covering my mouth in shock as I feel sadness and angry flow through me. If this is how I feel I can't even begin to imagine how Din is feeling. He's standing in front of me stiff as a bored showing no sign of emotion but I know underneath there he's hurting but we can't stay here and mourn for long because the kid is on that rock alone.
"Mando the kid!" Din turns around snapping out of it as he darts up the hill. Boba leaves to get his ship leaving the three of us here.
Out of the imps ship in the sky comes what seems like four droids and I know exactly who they are going for. We try our hardest to run up this hill but having to navigate around these rocks is slowing us down and whatever is coming for the kid is gaining on us.
I see them get to the top before us. My heart starts to race in fear. All of for of whatever is it surrounds the kid whos just laying on the rock. I feel like I'm close I feel like I should be there already but I'm not. I'm not there before one of them grabs the kid off the rock and they all fly away.
"No!" I scream trying to run forward but Din wraps his arm around my waist holding me back, "Let me go! No!" but it's too late because the kid is out of my sight. I quickly wipe away the tear that escaped and Din lets go of me.
"They've got the baby. Don't let them get away," Fennec says to Boba through her comlink.
"Affirmative." after a few seconds he says he has a lock on them.
"Stop him," Din says, "I don't want the Child hurt."
"Abort pursuit. Disengage," Fennec tells Boba, "Do not harm the child."
"Copy. I'll do a loose follow, see where they're headed." We watch as the ships fly above the clouds, "They're back."
"Who?"
"The Empire they're back."
-
Din and I stand in the wreckage of the razor crest. Everything is gone. "Guess I'll have to make use of these clothes for a while." Humor lingers in my voice. "You know if you think about it., it's funny, this is twice my home as blown up. I mean how many people can-'' Din steps in front of me putting his hands on my shoulders stopping my babbling. I see the little ball Grogu played within one of Din's hands, "What are we gonna do? We have no ship, we don't-"
He puts the ball in my hand and he closes my fingers around it, "Aurora we'll figure it out okay?"
I nod, "Okay."
-
Bobba and Fennec offer to help us get the kid back, right now they are in the cockpit while Din and I are in the hull of Bobas ship.
"How do we find Gideon's ship?" I ask Din.
"Do you know anyone imperial?" I just stare at him because he knows the answer. It looks like he's thinking for a moment for saying, "Remember when we went to that prison-"
"No."
"Aurora-"
"He tried to kill us. And we left him to die why would he help us?"
"If we break him out of jail he might."
I scoff, "How do you suggest we do that?"
"Do you think you have any pull with the new republic?"
"I'm one of the reasons they even exist so I better."
-
We land at the scrap yard the republic has the prisoners working on. I walk up to the women in the republic uniform who is probably overseeing things.
"Can I help you?" She asks.
"Yeah um- I'm Aurora Janren-"
"Wait like the rebel spy the commander?"
"That's the one yeah, you see one of your prisoners has information I need," the look she gives me is not very hopeful but I'm desperate, "Look whats left of the empire took my kid and one of your prisoners here can help me get him back. Please."
"Tell the droid the name of the prisoner and it'll take you to him."
"Thank you. So much." She nods and goes back to work.
I tell the droid his names and like she said it takes me to him.
We walk through the scrapyard of from what I can tell broken-down tie fighters. It's loud, every prisoner basically banging on the rusty metal. The prisoners give me dirty looks but I ignore used to being stared at now since I met Din.
We finally get to Mayfeld, "Inmate three-four-six-seven," The droid says causing Mayfeld to turn around
He groans, "What? What?" he rips off his google annoyed turning around. He spots me and freezes like a statue.
"Mayfeld it's good to see you."
"A-Aurora, what- what are you doing here?"
"Getting you out of here." He looks at me confused, "We need your help. You're the only one we know who can."
"What do I get out of it?"
I look around, "Getting outta here."
"No, it's fine sounds dangerous I'm good." He puts his goggles down turning back around.
"They took my kid. I don't know what else to do."
He faces me again, "The little green guy?"
"Yeah. Your imperial-"
"That was a long time ago."
"But you still remember your protocols right?" He nods, "Will you help us?"
He steps off the tie fighter he was standing on, "Yeah."
-
On the ship, Din tells him that we need the coordinates to Moff Gideon's cruiser.
"I can't get those coordinates until I have access to an internal Imperial terminal. I believe there's one on Morak."
"Morak? There's nothing on Morak," Din points out.
"It's a secret Imperial mining hub, okay? If you can get me in there, I can get you the coordinates."
Din looks at me, "Sneaking onto imperial bases is my thing."
"Alright, let's go."
-
Standing on a hill overlooking I go over the plan, "Mayfeld and I will take out the drivers once we're on the base he gets the coordinates. Boba you fly the ship to the roof and pick us up." Boba nods accepting his task.
"As much as I would love to go with you Aurora this base is run by ex-ISB which means they scan genetic code and that's something tells me-"
"That I used to be wanted by them yeah. You know things were much easier when they would just scan a card I could steal." I sigh, "Fennec?"
"Also wanted."
I look at Boba, "They'll recognize you won't they?"
"Yeah," He agrees.
"I'll go," Din says.
"Don't you think a Mandalorian walking in there will be suspicious?"
"I'll just go in alone," Mayfeld says.
"You're not going alone," Din says, "I'm going with you."
-
After easily taking out the drivers we strip them of their armor. Din is changing behind me there's a wall covering him but he insists that stand in front just in case.
I hear rustling for a few minutes, "Okay." I turn around to see him in the grey imperial armor, "How do I look?"
"I'm sure you've looked worse." His head hangs low a little. I put my hand on the side of the helmet, this one is a lot less could then the beskar, "Hey your not breaking any codes. No one will see your face. You're still a Mandalorian. Just get in there and get out and you can put the beskar back on in no time." He puts his forehead to him and I hear him take a deep breath before handing me the bag of his armor.
"Protect this for me."
"With my life."
-
I made sure to put Din's armor on the ship where I know it'll be safe.
Fennec and I stand on a hill overlooking the roof with blasters waiting for them to come out.
"And then they were gone just like that and no one has seen them since."
"I didn't even know purrgil were real."
"Neither did I but my friend took a liking to them."
"Did you ever go looking for him?"
"We tried but we had a war to fight. I looked for about a year after the war but it was no use I just accepted the fact that he's gone forever."
Before she can respond we hear shooting out of the window comes Din and Mayfeld. Fennec tells Boba to make his way over here. Both of us aim our weapons. I look through the scope trying to see a trooper about to shoot at Din and Mayfeld who are climbing up a ladder to get to the roof but before the trooper can aim his weapon I get him easily.
Fennec fires two shots, "Three shooters top deck."
"Got it." I aim my weapons. I shoot one in the shoulder making him fall off the roof. I get the other two in the head.
Above I hear Bobas ship coming in to pick them up. Fennec and I keep successfully hitting all the troopers never missing once. The ship stops at the edge of the roof. Boba drops the ramps and Din and Mayfeld jump on.
Once they're inside Fennec and I put our guns down. As we wait for the ship to pick us up the whole base just explodes?
Fennec and I look at each other in confusion.
"Okay then."
-
Din is back in his armor. Instead of taking Mayfeld back to prison, we decided to let him go. Fennec and Boba are in the cockpit taking us to wherever these coordinates are leaving me and Din alone.
"Something happened," Din says catching me off guard.
"What was it?"
"I got the coordinates I had to," he stops for a moment and I just wait, giving him time to say it on his own, "I had to take off my helmet." He practically whispers the last part.
I take a deep breath, processing the information, I grab his hand, "You did what you had to do and now we can get him back." I squeeze his hand, "I cannot imagine how you must be feeling. I'll never truly understand but I need you to know that you are still a Mandalorian and nothing I mean nothing can take that away from you." When I first met Din the most important thing to him was the creed and his code but today he broke that to save Grogu. I feel bad wishing that I could have gone to help so he wouldn't have to. So he wouldn't have to be going through this right now.
"When I imagined taking off my helmet for the first time in front of a living thing I always imagined it'd be you."
My heart raced at the thought of finally seeing his face, "Really?"
He removes his hand from mine to hold my check, "Of course cyar'ika, I love you. Soon. I promise. As soon as we get him back."
