Shmi awakens early, the way she does every morning, but this time, it's especially early since she has to prepare breakfast for everyone. She's so grateful that they now have more credits so they can afford proper food. Ani really needed it, she knows, and it always killed her to see her son starving and hungry. He'll eat anything he's given, regardless of how unappealing or unappetizing it is.
She's slightly surprised to see that the Jedi, Qui-Gon, is already awake, sitting in the middle of the floor. He opens his eyes and rises when he sees her. They regard one another in silence for a moment before Shmi enters the kitchen-area, remaining as quiet as possible so she doesn't make any noise which might disturb the others in their home. She doesn't know what to say about the Jedi, because she, unlike Anakin, recognized that the Jedi are, like them, sentient beings, and are therefore flawed.
While she fully understands Mando's anger, she isn't sure if she shares it. Qui-Gon, in his hastiness, made a mistake, though she does dislike how he went about doing it. Using his abilities to force someone to do something which would hurt them is morally reprehensible.
Qui-Gon moves closer after a few moments. "Your son is special."
Shmi stills, turning to look at him, keeping her face blank. She should have realized that the Jedi would notice, but it takes her by surprise, nevertheless. She hopes that he didn't also notice Grogu's abilities. Mando seemed unusually stressed at the prospect, almost as if he feared that they would take the child from him, but she didn't pry.
"He tries to help people without thought of reward," the Jedi continues, "He has... special powers, does he not?"
"Yes," she nods. There's no reason to hide this. "He can see things before they happen sometimes. His reflexes are remarkable for humans. He used to race pods when – when we were still slaves, before Mando freed us."
"I'm sorry," Qui-Gon says simply, pausing for a moment. "Had he been born in the Republic; we would have identified him early. The Force is unusually strong with him. That much is clear. Who was his father?"
"There was no father," she answers quietly. She had thought, wondered, initially, if this was a blessing for her. Her family was religious, very much so, but she was so young when she was taken that she remembers very little. But her parents were raising her as a good person, and she always did her best to help other slaves whenever she could, much like Anakin does now. When she realized that she was pregnant with no natural explanation, she had wondered if it was a gift... Or a curse. Having a child born into slavery is the worst nightmare of every slave.
"I don't know what happened, but Mando is his father now," she states firmly.
"I know," the Jedi assures her. "I can see their bond, but I think Anakin should be trained as a Jedi. It is his choice, of course. His, yours, and the Mandalorian's." There's another moment of silence before Qui-Gon clears his throat. "I'll go contact my apprentice. The Queen needs to be updated as to the situation." With those words, he exits from the home, leaving Shmi to her thoughts. Truthfully, she doesn't care what Anakin decides as long as he's happy and safe and able to fulfill his dreams of helping people.
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When Din wakes up, he realizes that he's rather pinned in place, even though he would really like to move his limbs before they begin getting sore from not moving in so long. Anakin is still sleeping, breathing evenly, leaning against him the way he was last night. And Grogu is curled in Din's other arm, resting against his beskar'gam. He doesn't move and simply watches his kids sleeping until they awaken on their own.
Anakin is first. He stirs, shifting before his eyes open. He tenses for a moment before relaxing and sitting upright, rubbing his face. Grogu will probably sleep for another hour or so; it's still before sunrise, and the kid usually wakes up around then. He's rarely up before, and if he is, he's often grumpy for the rest of the day. One thing Din learned early is not to disturb Grogu when he's sleeping.
He thinks back to Anakin's nightmare the previous night. Even though he tried to reassure the boy, he's actually worried. He knows nothing about Jetii magic or how it works, but it seems reasonable to assume that some of them could use their powers for seeing the future. And Din isn't afraid of death; he's a Mandalorian, and a death in battle is an honorable, worthy one, but he doesn't want to die. He doesn't want to leave Grogu behind. Or Anakin. Or Shmi. They're part his family, his aliit. They need him.
A part of him is still optimistically hoping that Anakin's nightmare was nothing more than that. But they should talk to Qui-Gon to be sure. He's far more qualified to determine anything than Din is. Din doesn't know anything about Jetii magic and nor does he care to know. Well, if the knowledge will help his kids than maybe. But otherwise? No thanks.
Anakin sits there for another moment, seeming less active than usual. "Is something bothering you, ad'ika?" Din questions quietly. No need to disturb Grogu.
The boy sighs, looking up at him, and Din can clearly see the fear in his bright blue eyes. "I – I can't stop remembering my nightmare," he admits.
Din squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. "The Jetii can help us with that." Probably.
"The... person, whoever he was, knew your name," Anakin blurts out suddenly, brow furrowing. "I think? It was... strange. I don't really remember that part of it very well, but..."
He feels a jolt of anxiety at that. It's not that he minds if Anakin knows his name; of course not. Anakin is his child, and even if names aren't normally shared among the Mando'ade with outsiders, it's not forbidden for others to know them. But if Anakin heard it, then it means that the nightmare was something more than just a dream. And Din really does not like the thought of that. He's loath to leave either of his children if he can help it, but if he does die, he knows he won't go down without a major fight. He's a Mandalorian. He cannot be defeated easily.
"What did you hear?" he asks gently, stowing away his own feelings so he can focus on Anakin.
Anakin bites his lip, and Din can't tell if he really doesn't remember clearly, or if he is feeling uncomfortable. Maybe both. "Uh... I think he said Din Djarin?"
Din lets out a shaky breath. "Yes, that's my name," he confirms, and Anakin flinches, grabbing his arm. He tries to ignore his own fear so he can comfort Anakin, but he doesn't know how well it will work. "Focus on me, Anakin," he says. "We'll go talk to Qui-Gon together, okay? This... Jetii magic wouldn't give you a warning just to torment you. If it's a warning –" It is, he knows, because there's no other way Anakin could have learned his name, "– then we'll figure something out from there."
"Okay," Anakin whispers, standing up.
Din rises as well, shifting Grogu slightly, but thankfully, the kid remains asleep. Together, they leave Anakin's bedroom and walk to the main room. Shmi is cooking and Padme is helping her. They're talking to each other quietly. Din doesn't see Qui-Gon, but Jar Jar is still sleeping soundly in the corner.
Shmi smiles when she sees them, though her expression dims when she sees how pale Anakin is, and the way he's practically glued to Din's side. "Is something wrong?"
"Maybe," Din admits. "Anakin had a nightmare, and he's afraid it might be a... vision. We'll talk to the Jetii about it. Where is he?"
"Outside," Padme answers. "I can watch Grogu." She approaches and holds out her arms.
Din looks down at the kid for a moment before handing him over. Grogu makes a noise but doesn't waken, so Din turns back to Anakin, laying a hand on his shoulder and steering him outside. Qui-Gon is standing several yards from the door, staring towards the horizon as though deep in thought, but he turns towards them when they approach.
"What's wrong, Ani?" he asks, and the gentleness and compassion which he's showing is almost enough for Din to completely forgive him for yesterday.
"I had a nightmare," Anakin answers. "Someone with red laser swords k-killed Buir." He stumbles over the word, and Din can't even blame him, but his mind is suddenly stuck on the fact that Anakin just called him 'buir.' For the first time. It sends a myriad of complicated emotions – affection highest on the list – rushing through him.
Qui-Gon's eyes momentarily flicker over to Din, and Din is mildly surprised that the Jetii knows what the word even means. Mando'a isn't that common of a language outside Mandalore. As far as he knows, only Mandalorians speak it. "And you're afraid it's a vision which will happen?"
Anakin nods, expression pinched. "I've had dreams like that before, and it felt so real..."
Din tugs Anakin slightly closer, an instinctive gesture of comfort, one which he doesn't even think about anymore before offering. Grogu changed him, and it's as if he's far more likely to... practically adopt any hurting child who needs help than he was before. Before the kid, he would help them, but... it was never like this. He never felt like this towards them. Like – like he wants to bundle them up and keep them safe from the entire galaxy, even if that means going on a one-person crusade. He can't say he minds the changes though, because he loves Grogu – and now Anakin – too much to care about how they, Grogu, in particular, can convince him to do pretty much anything for them.
"Visions are a very rare gift," Qui-Gon tells them, "But the future is always in motion. All we can do is take precautions. Is there anything in your vision which would help you identify this individual?"
Anakin hesitates before shaking his head. "He was wearing black, and he had a hood. But he did have two laser swords, one in each hand."
"I know it's scary," the Jetii soothes. "This affinity always is, but with time and training, you can learn to control it. It's important to remain focused and not lose sight of the present."
"So basically," Din interprets. "You think he should become a Jetii."
Qui-Gon looks between them. "I think it would help. I think he should be trained. Anakin is extremely strong with the Force. But the choice is yours and his."
Anakin looks uncertain, but Din knows that now is not the time to rush him. The boy looks up at him, almost as if he's asking permission. His heart clenches at the way it painfully reminds him of when he sent Grogu off with Luke to be trained... only for the kid to come back to him a few months later of his own. But Anakin might need this. Din is not equipped to deal with Jetii magic, and he can't deny that Anakin had wanted to become a Jetii before Din came into his life. Grogu said that Anakin did become a Jetii in the past. "This path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone. I will support you no matter what you choose, ad'ika."
That must be enough because Anakin looks back at Qui-Gon, still remaining silent. The Jetii seems to take that as a cue to speak. "Anakin, training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, and even if you succeed, it's a hard life. But it's also a very fulfilling one."
Din is very tempted to point out that if Qui-Gon is trying to convince Anakin to agree, he's doing a bad job, but manages to remain silent. He doesn't want to lose his child, doesn't want to be separated from him after so short a time, but this isn't about him. This is about Anakin. And if Anakin wants to come back, he'll always be welcome. The boy knows that now, so Din will have to have faith that, if his second foundling does become a Jetii, they'll see each other again.
"If I become a Jedi, does that mean I'll be able to come back to Tatooine with other Jedi to free the slaves?" Anakin asks.
Ka'ra, how is this boy so good? His primary thought is, still, about the slaves. He wants to help his own people. Even now. Even while he's terrified about Din and facing the unknown given that they're leaving the planet later today.
For the first time, Qui-Gon seems uncertain. "Maybe," he replies evasively. "That will depend on the Council." Din narrows his eyes. That sounds like a no.
Anakin catches it too because he frowns. "Why not?"
The Jetii shifts. "It's complicated," he says as if that answers everything.
"How?" Din wants to know.
Qui-Gon sighs. "Whether I like it or not," he explains, and the not is heavily implied, "The Jedi Order answers primarily to the Senate. We take missions which the Senate sends us on. We don't act as police, miliary, or vigilante force, so we can't just go anywhere we want and do whatever we want. We fight against slavery, but we are peacekeepers and our numbers are few."
All that sounds more like an excuse than anything else, but Din doesn't say so, keeping the biting comment in through sheer willpower. "But as a Mandalorian, I would be able to come back and free the slaves," Anakin states, looking up at Din again.
He nods in confirmation. "If you come yourself and show that you're willing to put yourself in danger. Your clan, and even other Mandalorians who believe in the cause, can and will join."
Anakin looks thoughtful, and Din sees a flicker of unease on Qui-Gon's face. Well, if Anakin is really so strong with this Jetii magic, then it makes sense that he wouldn't be comfortable with the boy becoming a Mandalorian; after all, it's unlikely that he's forgotten that Mandalorians have long considered Jetii to be enemy sorcerers.
"Jetii magic would help you out though," Din adds, more because he wants to keep the peace between himself and the Jetii than anything else. It's not a lie though, and he's seen much Grogu can do with the limited training he has. The kid has saved his life so many times already. "Learning how to control your abilities would only help you."
Anakin smiles up at Din. "I'll think about it," he tells Qui-Gon.
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Grogu is very careful to only poke at Anakin and Buir through the Force once after waking up, especially with Qui-Gon around. He doesn't think he really cares if the Jedi knows he was once a Jedi, but Buir is worried that the Jedi might want to take him away. And Grogu doesn't want that. The Jedi now are even stricter than they were later. Master Luke gave him a choice and let him go back to Buir. The Jedi now won't, though.
After breakfast, Buir and Qui-Gon leave to get the parts for the starship so they can all leave this planet, and Grogu climbs into Anakin's lap, grabbing his finger so he can talk to him. Since Anakin isn't trained with the Force, Grogu needs to make a physical connection between them, unlike with all the Jedi he's been with. Anakin doesn't know how to listen to the Force yet.
"Qui-Gon is asking me if I want to become a Jedi," Anakin confides, holding Grogu in one arm and using the other to collect his belongings, packing them together with Threepio's help.
Do you? Grogu wants to know, curious. Their conversation could be more private if Anakin could use the Force, but it doesn't really bother him. Buir talks to him aloud all the time, and he likes it! Even if Buir can't understand him, it still makes him feel better.
"Uh... I dunno," Anakin answers, frowning. He's staring at something on the floor, but Grogu doesn't see anything, so maybe he's just thinking really hard. "Buir said that learning Jedi magic would help when I come back to Tatooine to free the slaves. And I could learn to be a Jedi and then come back to learn to be a Mandalorian."
Grogu coos. Yes! I did that. I learned more about the Force, but I missed Buir, and I couldn't see him, so when the Jedi Master gave me a choice, I decided to come back to Buir. You don't have to stay a Jedi forever. We'll miss you though. That last sentence he adds as an almost afterthought because he will really, really miss Anakin if he leaves. He won't have anyone who can understand him either, and that will be annoying, too.
Anakin sighs, dropping onto the cot, jostling Grogu a little. "I don't know what to do!"
Grogu considers that for a moment. He remembers a little before the bad times, and he remembers that Anakin was a Jedi. He was one of the best Jedi! The other Jedi talked about him all the time. Well... then he remembers Master Luke, and wonders, because he's pretty sure that Luke was – is? Will be? – Anakin's son, and Jedi aren't allowed to have children. Or attachments, in general. Mando'ade are so much nicer like that.
What do you want to do? Grogu questions.
"I want to stay with you. I'll miss you. All of you, but Buir is right. Learning Jedi magic will help a lot," Anakin admits.
At least you can try to become a Jedi? Grogu wants Anakin to stay with them, with Buir, because Buir makes everything good, but he can feel how badly Anakin wants to become a Jedi. Just come back, please. He doesn't want Anakin to start feeling dark. He doesn't want to feel the sadnessangerpain that he had the last time he felt him.
Anakin's expression softens, and he hugs Grogu tightly. "Always," he vows.
Don't forget, Grogu thinks, but he doesn't let Anakin hear that thought. He wishes he knew more about the dark times and how they happened and why they happened. He doesn't want anything to happen to Anakin or Shmi or Buir. Especially not to Buir. But now that Grogu can use the Force more frequently without getting tired, he can help keep Buir safe after they leave Tatooine. He's done it before.
He can't wait to leave! It's been so long since he's been in space, and he likes being in space! When Anakin sets him down on the cot to finish packing, he doesn't object, watching curiously and waiting excitedly for their departure.
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Mando'a Translations:
beskar'gam - armor
Jetii - Jedi
aliit - family, clan
ad'ika - little one
Mando'ade - Mandalorian (literally, sons/daughters of Mandalore)
buir - father, mother
Ka'ra - stars (ancient Mandalorian myth - ruling council of fallen kings)