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swan-of-sunrise · 11 months

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Taking Care of Business (Chapter Thirty-Nine)

Summary: After Bo-Katan and Din uncover the culprit behind Plazir-15′s droid malfunctions, they are granted permission to access the Mandalorian mercenaries and (Y/N) does her best to encourage the Nite Owl.

Pairing: Din Djarin X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: This one’s a little shorter than I originally anticipated, but I still had a lot of fun with it! Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Nine The Mercenaries (Previous Chapter)

When (Y/N) was a little girl, her mother would often regale her with bedtime stories about the elegant balls once held at Naboo’s royal palace in Theed, where beings of all shapes and sizes dressed in the finest clothing the planet’s seamsters and seamstresses could offer and danced all through the evening. She always dreamed of attending such a soiree but she never truly believed that she ever would, so it came as quite a pleasant surprise when she and Grogu were invited by the Duchess and Captain Bombardier to a ball celebrating the happy couple’s wedding anniversary. (Y/N), dressed in a beautiful sea-blue gown embellished with sparkling jewels and with her hair carefully styled into an elaborate updo, and Grogu mingled with Plazir-15’s citizens, the former learning all that she could about the planet’s unique culture and the latter practically preening under all the attention he was receiving from their gracious hosts and the other attendees.

As the evening went on and both Din and Bo-Katan were nowhere to be found, a worried (Y/N) decided to try contacting her husband through his comm and learned that the Mandalorians’ investigation into the planet’s malfunctioning droids had become more complicated than either of them originally anticipated; they’d visited the Ugnaughts that worked far below the city, chased down a rogue battle droid and gained some insight on the problem after a visit to a droid bar named ‘The Resistor.’ They were heading to the city’s morgue to examine the battle droid’s remains for more evidence when (Y/N) called, and Din confirmed that they were still far from solving the planet’s ongoing droid problem.

“I’m sorry that this has taken so long, alor’ad. I know I said we’d be back soon-”

“It’s all right, sweetheart, I understand,” (Y/N) soothed, glancing over her shoulder at the glittering assemblage inside the palace before leaning against the railing and watching Grogu play with a frog that hopped onto the balcony. “How’re you holding up, Din?”

She could hear Din quietly sigh on the other end. “It’s hard to not think about what happened to my parents, of course, but knowing that you and the kid are safe gives me piece of mind, helps me focus on the task at hand. We’ll get to the bottom of Plazir’s droid problem, and then we’ll finally have access to the Mandalorian mercenaries outside the dome.” The sound of a door sliding open echoed through the comm and Din muttered a quiet curse. “I have to go now, alor’ad, we’ve arrived at the morgue.”

(Y/N) fiddled with the sleeve of her gown and forced an upbeat tone as she replied, “All right, well…be careful, Din, and we’ll see you soon. I love you.”

“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, ner cyar’ika alor’ad.”

The next morning, Din and Bo-Katan were still busy investigating the droid malfunctions, so (Y/N) took advantage of her circumstances and asked the Duchess for permission to access the planet’s vast records in the hopes of finding any information on Jedi Master Kelleran Beq; while there was nothing in their records about the Jedi who’d saved Grogu’s life, there was still plenty of information on the history of the Jedi Order and their exploits throughout the Clone Wars, so (Y/N) spent her morning reading in the palace’s great hall while the royals and their guests played garden games.

“Okay, let me get that for you, m’lady. Your toss, lovely.”

Looking up from her holopad, (Y/N) watched as Captain Bombardier handed a furled pill-bug to the Duchess and when her gaze lowered to see Grogu sneakily peeking out from behind the folds of her elaborate gown, she giggled and hid her amused smile behind her hand. The Duchess sized up the glowing rings positioned around the artificial turf before tossing the furled pill-bug into the air; just as (Y/N) suspected, Grogu raised his clawed hand and used the Force to send the pill-bug flying, where it bounced off two crawling pill-bugs and through four rings. The crowd cheered and Grogu cooed in delight as the Duchess and Captain Bombardier clapped in happiness. “A Quadro-blast! I’ve never seen such a streak! Wasn’t that splendid, Captain (Y/L/N)?”

“It was a wonderful toss, Your Majesty,” (Y/N) complimented from her seat near the artificial lawn and gave Grogu a subtle wink when he looked her way.

The sound of the doors opening drew their attention away from the game, and (Y/N)’s brow furrowed in confusion when she saw Din and Bo-Katan escorting a handcuffed old man into the great hall. While (Y/N) slowly got to her feet, the royal couple cautiously approached the Mandalorians and Captain Bombardier tilted his head to the side in perplexity. “What are you doing with Commissioner Helgait?”

“We found the cause of your ‘malfunctions.’”

The guests gasped in shock and the Duchess held a hand to her chest. “Is this true?”

“I’m afraid it is, M’Lady.” Commissioner Helgait ducked his head in visible regret at the stunned tone in her voice.

Captain Bombardier shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. “Despicable.”

The old man let out a humorless chuckle. “If that isn’t the Quacta calling the Stifling slimy…”

“I beg your pardon?”

“This planet is unrecognizable since he arrived!”

“…I had a feeling you hated me.”

Ignoring the exchange between her husband and her head of security, the Duchess pursed her lips and fixed the old man with a saddened look. “I’m disappointed in you, Commissioner. You served my family well, but Captain Bombardier is the love of my life and I know his heart is true.” She rested a hand on her husband’s shoulder and flashed him a tender smile that he was quick to return; (Y/N)’s own eyes flicked over to Din, and she felt herself flush when she saw that the visor of his helmet was already angled towards her instead of the drama unfolding in the great hall. “Sure, he’s made some mistakes in the past, but who here among us has not? Is there no room for a little bit of forgiveness in a galaxy so vast?”

Commissioner Helgait nodded once and cast his gaze downwards. “I am sorry to have disappointed you, My Lady. Perhaps someday, I can earn such forgiveness from Your Grace.”

“Perhaps. As for now, you must live in exile on the moon of Paraqaat.” With a wave of the Duchess’ hand, four constable droids escorted the disgraced head of security from the great hall and after heaving a weary sigh, she turned to face (Y/N) and the two Mandalorians. “And as for you, Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, Din Djarin of Concordia and Captain (Y/N) (Y/L/N) of Naboo,” (Y/N) released the breath she’d inadvertently been holding when the Duchess used her preferred name instead of her legal one. “I grant you audience with our deployment of Mandalorian privateers. I also give to you three our highest honor, the key to Plazir.” She reached for an oversized key resting on a silver platter held by a servant droid and offered it out towards them. “You will always be welcome in our domed paradise.”

As (Y/N) moved to stand beside Din, Bo-Katan smiled and stepped forward to receive their honor. “M’Lady. M’Lord.”

“Captain (Y/N) (Y/L/N), I bequeath to you Plazir’s humble collection of Lomiya Corrik’s design sketches, personally commissioned by my family many cycles ago.” The Duchess smiled at (Y/N)’s stunned expression and handed her a leather-bound portfolio. “Although they held an honored place in my family’s collection, I hereby declare that they rightfully belong to the House of Corrik and its descendants.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, (Y/N) clutched the portfolio to her chest and bowed her head in a sign of respect. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Duchess looked down at Grogu, who was still standing at her side, and accepted the sword that one of her guards offered her. “And to this little one, I grant knighthood.” As she gently tapped the tip of the sword against his tiny shoulders, Bo-Katan fought back a smile and (Y/N) beamed with pride. “You are now a knight of the Ancient Order of Independent Regencies.” Both royals looked up at the trio and the Duchess’ eyes gleamed with thankfulness. “Go in peace, brave travelers. Until our paths meet again.”

“M’Lord. M’Lady.” Din stepped forward to scoop Grogu up into his arms and after resting a gloved hand on the small of (Y/N)’s back, they turned and walked out of the great hall. “A Jedi padawan, a Mandalorian foundling and now a knight; the kid’s collecting titles quicker than the galaxy can come up with ‘em.”

(Y/N) chuckled and while they stepped into their hyperloop pod, she reached over to caress one of the cooing child’s large ears and gave him an affectionate smile as Din placed him in his floating pram. “Of course he is, who can resist this cute little face?” He giggled when her fingers tickled the patch of skin just beneath his chin, and she looked over at her husband as the pod started moving. “So, did that head of security say why he was making the droids malfunction like that?”

“He was a Separatist.” (Y/N)’s smile fell as she watched Din shift in his seat and stare down at his boots. “He wanted to use the droids to disrupt the planet and collapse their society in the name of democracy.”

Exchanging a knowing look with Bo-Katan, (Y/N) rested a hand on the side on her husband’s beskar helmet and gently coaxed him to look over at her before placing her hand flat on the center of his chestplate, directly over his heart. “But you and Bo-Katan stopped his plan before anyone was hurt; you saved the citizens of Plazir, and you saved the innocent droids that Commissioner Helgait hijacked to carry out his bidding. I know that that wasn’t easy for you, sweetheart, and I’m proud of you.”

Din’s gloved hand moved to cradle her cheek and guided her closer to rest his forehead against hers in a brief but meaningful Keldabe Kiss. “Thank you, alor’ad.” After a long moment, he pulled away and looked down at the leather-bound portfolio resting on her lap. “I’m glad that you were able to reclaim a piece of your mother and had the opportunity to see first-hand the lasting impact of her artistry. Can I take a look at her design sketches?”

“Now approaching landing field three.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to grant him permission but when she caught sight of Bo-Katan staring pensively out at the vibrant green fields surrounding the domed city, she carefully tucked the portfolio into her satchel and nudged her husband’s boot with her own as she replied, “Maybe later, after we…um, talk to the Mandalorian mercenaries.”

Din nodded and when (Y/N) patted his knee, he cleared his throat and addressed the troubled Nite Owl seated across from them. “They’re Mandalorians. You’re their leader. They’re going to follow you.”

The anxious look remained on Bo-Katan’s face as her eyes flicked down to stare at her gloved hands. “I’m not their leader anymore. Axe Woves is.”

“Then what’s your play?”

She sighed and glanced back up to meet their gazes. “I’ll know when I get there.”

“Well, no matter what you decide to do out there, Din and I believe in you; there’s no one who’s better equipped to unite both factions of Mandalorians, Bo.” (Y/N) gave Bo-Katan an encouraging smile, and her heart warmed in her chest when the Nite Owl slowly returned it with one of her own. The hyperloop pod came to a stop and after stepping out onto the platform, they descended the many steps and walked across the vast field to where the Mandalorians established their base camp at its center; dozens of helmetless warriors stared them down as they slowly approached, and (Y/N) mumbled under her breath to Din, “At least when your covert stares, you can’t see all the judgmental looks they’re giving under their helmets.”

The Mandalorian huffed out a quiet chuckle and when the three of them stopped a handful of yards away from the base camp, Axe Woves straightened his back but remained seated on his cargo box and took a sip from his cup as he exchanged a glance with Koska Reeves, the Mandalorian warrior who’d helped them rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon. “Have you come back to join the mercenaries?”

Bo-Katan shook her head. “I’ve come to reclaim my fleet.”

“It’s no longer your fleet, is it?” Axe chuckled, gesturing around at the many ships and warriors that surrounded them. “I’m now in command, and grown quite fond of it.”

“Then I challenge you, one warrior to another.” (Y/N) and Din exchanged a look and Grogu anxiously cooed as the grin slipped off of Axe’s face and the Mandalorian mercenaries murmured amongst themselves; the Nite Owl’s stony expression remained unchanged as she stepped forward and harshly continued. “Do you accept my challenge?”

Setting his cup down, Axe slowly got to his feet and clenched his gloved hands at his side. “I do.”

There was tension in the air as the two Mandalorians stared each other down and the helmetless warriors seemingly held their breaths as they stood completely still and waited in anticipation for the challenge to begin. In the blink of an eye, Axe fired a missile from his vambrace and while Bo-Katan used her jetpack to avoid the weapon, Din whisked (Y/N) out of the way and used his beskar-clad body to shield her from the small-scale explosion; (Y/N)’s eyes widened in awe as she watched the Nite Owl slam her Mandalorian opponent onto the ground with a powerful kick to his chest, and she could feel her husband’s arms tighten around her waist when Axe drew his vibro-blade and engaged Bo-Katan in hand-to-hand combat. Both Mandalorians were perfectly matched, slashing and twirling around one another with deadly precision, which made (Y/N) nervously bite her lip even when Bo-Katan managed to knock Axe down a second time.

“It’s okay, kid,” Din comforted Grogu after he hid his face away in his clawed hands to avoid watching Axe fly straight into Bo-Katan and slammed her into the hull of a Kom’rk-class fighter transport. “Bo’s got this.”

They slashed at one another with their blades and each managed to land several blows, the scuffle escalating when Axe fired another missile and Bo-Katan tackled him to the ground; she roughly dragged him to his feet and held her vambrace’s blade to his throat, spitting out, “Do you yield?” With a strangled yell, Axe ignited his jetpack and flew them both into the air, where they landed harshly on the top of another Kom’rk-class fighter transport. They exchanged more blows and Bo-Katan toppled over the edge, but she quickly ignited her jetpack and fired her whipcord to wrap around the Mandalorian mercenary’s ankles, pulling him over the edge and watching him land on the grass below. Axe rolled onto his knee and fired his vambrace’s flamethrower but again, Bo-Katan was quicker; she activated her shield gauntlet to block the flames and flew through the air, tackling Axe onto the ground and pressing the tip of her blade against the exposed skin of his neck. “Do you yield?!”

“You’ll never be the true leader of our people,” Axe spat out, his eyes flicking over to where (Y/N) and Din stood and his lips curled into a sneer. “You won’t even take the Darksaber from him. He’s the one you should be challenging.”

“Enough Mandalorian blood has been spilled by our own hands!” With one final shove, Bo-Katan stood and retracted her vambrace’s blade as she looked around at the assembled Mandalorian mercenaries. “Mandalorians are stronger together.”

Axe picked himself off the ground and let out a mirthless laugh. “But a misguided zealot possesses the blade. One, I might add, who has not one drop of Mandalorian blood in his veins.”

(Y/N)’s hands clenched into tight fists and she angrily started forward, but Din’s halting grip on her waist and Bo-Katan’s sudden words stopped her dead in her tracks. “Din Djarin took the Creed and chose to walk the way, just as our ancestors did. He is every bit the Mandalorian that they were!” Her husband shifted uncomfortably beside her and she placed a soothing hand on the unarmored part of his arm. “Certainly as much as any of us…”

Shaking his head in frustration, Axe held his hands out and scoffed at the Nite Owl’s argument. “But according to our ways, the ruler of Mandalore must possess the Darksaber.”

“Then she shall have it.” (Y/N), Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian mercenaries all looked over at Din in surprise; the Mandalorian stood tall as he patted (Y/N)’s hand and crossed the field to where Bo-Katan and Axe were standing and without a single ounce of hesitation, he unclipped the Darksaber from his utility belt and held it out for the Nite Owl to take. “This belongs to you.”

Bo-Katan, although visibly touched by Din’s selfless gesture, shook her head and gently replied, “It’s not a gift to be given, no matter how well intended.”

“It’s not a gift,” He countered before turning to address the assembled Mandalorian mercenaries, all while a confused (Y/N) exchanged a look with an equally-baffled Bo-Katan. “While exploring Mandalore, my wife and I were captured and this blade was taken from me. Bo-Katan rescued us and slayed our captor. She defeated the enemy that defeated me; would this blade then not belong to her?” The Mandalorian mercenaries murmured amongst themselves, but none of them spoke up until Din repeated his question. “Would it not belong to her?”

After a long moment, Axe sighed and gave him a relenting nod. “It would.”

A smile tugged on the corner of (Y/N)’s lips as she watched her husband turn back to face Bo-Katan and once again held the Darksaber out for her to take. “I return this blade to its rightful owner.”

The Nite Owl slowly lifted her hand and wrapped her gloved fingers around the hilt, the look of uncertainty etched across her face slowly morphing into self-assurance when Din made his way back to where (Y/N) stood with Grogu’s pram and the other Mandalorians followed Koska’s lead in deferentially bowing their heads. With the barest hint of a smile, Bo-Katan took a deep breath and ignited the blade, staring down at its luminous glow and recognizing the culmination of nearly a thousand years of Mandalorian history in that moment.

“And you claim that you’re not one for politics,” (Y/N) teased when Din reached them and placed her hands on her hips as she arched an impressed brow. “I have to say, that was a political maneuver worthy of the New Republic Senate.”

“Coming from a former Rebel, I’ll take that as a compliment.” The Mandalorian patted a babbling Grogu on the head and handed over his silver sphere. “I never wanted the Darksaber, or the right to rule Mandalore. Bo-Katan is the leader that can reunite both factions Mandalorians, and I’ll be satisfied doing anything I can to ensure that her quest succeeds and our people can live a more peaceful life.”

With a tender smile, (Y/N) looped her arm around her husband’s elbow and stretched to press a kiss onto the beskar covering his cheek. “We both will.”

Din nodded and the two of them watched as the Mandalorian mercenaries offered their respects to Bo-Katan and acknowledged her claim to leadership of their faction. They were one crucial step forward on the road to reuniting the divided Mandalorians, but it was clear to each of them that they still had much more work ahead of them. Now we’ve gotta convince the mercenaries and the covert to get along and resist the urge to kill one another, (Y/N) thought to herself with an inward sigh, but if anyone can successfully squash generations of conflict and infighting, I suppose it’s us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mando’a Translations:

Alor’ad-Captain Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum, ner cyar’ika alor’ad-I love you, my darling captain

A/N: Like I said last week, we’re having work done in the house and it’s been difficult finding time to write, but I’ll hopefully have the next chapter up on time! Thank you all so much for reading and commenting! Oh, and I’ve created a Spotify playlist of all my favorite music from the world of Star Wars, so if you’re interested in checking it out the link is down below!

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2KuSKJhVOPPvxdJ9YHeo4M?si=2977ff31bf0c4bdd

Chapter Forty

Taking Care of Business Masterlist

Tagging: @remmysbounty @sinon36 @seninjakitey @thatonedindjarinfan @ginger-swag-rapunzel @mostclevermiss @momc95 @welcometothepedroverse @sarahjkl82-blog @elinedjarin @ccomandercody @crowleysqueenofhell @goldielocks2004 @wondergal2001 @groovy-lady @impala1967666 @fluffy-canada-pancakes @icee228 @siimiasoi

#taking care of business #din djarin x reader #din djarin x f!reader #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x f!reader #din djarin #the mandalorian #grogu #the child #baby yoda #bo katan kryze #the duchess #captain bombardier #commissioner helgait #axe woves #koska reeves #star wars

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titikawai · 1 year

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DinBo Fanfic #2

Was displeased why how much potential for buildup was waisted during this episode and chose to pimp some scenes... Enjoy (as promised @noorhal)

Trigger warnings : PTSD, Panic attacks, Grief

Summary : Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze were summoned by the Duchess of Plazir-15 and her husband to investigate on repurposed droids that had gone rogue. As they walk out from an interview with head of security Commissioner Helgait, Din's frustration towards droids starts to show.

CHAPTER TEXT:

"See what happens when you rely on droids? They can't be trusted," he grumbled, clearly irritated.

Bo-Katan glanced at him with concern. "Are you taking this personally, Din?"

"Just pointing it out," he replied, crossing his arms.

Bo-Katan shook her head. "In my opinion, repurposing old droids is not a bad idea. It frees up time for humans to focus on other things, like art and politics."

Din rolled his eyes. "I don't trust them, no matter what they're used for."

Bo-Katan stopped in her tracks and faced him. "What's really bothering you, Din? You seem angry."

Din's expression darkened, and he looked away. "It's nothing. Let's just focus on the task at hand." He couldn't let his past experiences with droids cloud his judgement and jeopardize the mission.

Bo-Katan studied him for a moment before nodding. “Alright, but we can talk about it later if you want.”

Din, even though he heard her, didn’t answer.

-----

Bo-Katan finally broke the silence, "I haven't seen battle droids since the Clone Wars. It's strange to see them repurposed like this."

Din's jaw tightened as he responded, "I've seen plenty of them since then. They were used by the Empire."

The redhead’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "The Empire used battle droids? I thought they relied solely on stormtroopers."

Din shook his head. "They used everything they could get their hands on. Including battle droids."

She turned to him, concern etched on her face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just... on edge, I guess."

She nodded, understanding. "Do you find any of these repurposed droids suspicious?" she asked.

Din looked around, scanning the area, his hand hovering over his blaster. "To me, they all look suspicious."

Bo-Katan could see the tension in Din's body and voice, and she knew not to press him any further on the topic. They eventually came up to a B1 battle droid to try and ask him questions about his peers’ malfunctioning.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of metal clanging on the ground behind them. Din’s heart raced as soon as he saw the B2 battle droids, his mind flashing back to the day his parents were killed. His palms started to sweat, and he could feel his breathing quicken.

Bo, who was walking beside him, noticed his distress. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Din tried to speak, but all that came out was a choked gasp. He was trying his best to keep it together, but the sight of the droid had triggered a panic attack.

Bo-Katan didn't know what was going on, but she knew she needed to do something to help Din calm down. She put her hand on his arm, trying to comfort him, but he flinched away.

"Get off me!" he shouted, his voice shaking.

She took a step back, her hands raised in surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make it worse."

She watched helplessly as Din tried to regain his composure. She had never seen him like this before, and she didn't know how to help him.

Din felt ashamed of himself for losing control like that. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but it only made things worse. His vision started to blur, and he felt like he was going to pass out. He turned his back on Bo-Katan and the B1 Battle droid and marched towards the line of repurposed B2 battledroids. His eyes locked on them as memories of his parents' death came flooding back to him. He could feel the familiar panic and anger rising within him.

Without thinking, he started to kick some of the droids that were standing in his way. Bo-Katan, who was standing next to him, was surprised by his sudden outburst.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you." Warned the B1 droid.

"Why is that?" Din replied with a challenging tone,

"As a precaution, their main function was warfare." The droid tried to explain.

"I thought they were just checked out?" Din questioned with an inquisitive tone,

"They were."

Din turned around again, lost in his own world, and proceeded to kick another droid.

Bo-Katan had seen enough and said firmly, "Din, stop it! What's wrong with you?"

Reliving the trauma of his parents' death, Din barely registered Bo-Katan's voice or the fact that he was causing a scene. Finally, he snapped out of his trance and looked at Bo-Katan.

"He just said they were recertified! Then this shouldn't phase them," Din answered, his voice filled with pain and anger as he kicked yet another droid.

In a matter of seconds, Din stumbled backwards as the droid violently retaliated, hitting him in the head with a heavy metal arm.

He could feel his vision going blurry as he struggled to stay conscious. Bo-Katan quickly moved to his side, helping him up. "Come on, we need to get after that droid," she said, urgency in her voice. Din shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind.

She helped him to his feet and they both took off after the B2 droid that had just ran away. The chase led them through the crowded streets of Plazir-15, dodging people and vehicles as they pursued the rogue droid.

Din could feel his head pounding and his legs growing weaker, but he pushed through the pain. Finally, they caught up to the droid in a dark alley and with a well-placed shot from Bo-Katan's blasters, the droid fell to the ground, defeated.

Din breathed a sigh of relief as the adrenaline finally began to fade, and he collapsed to the ground, his head throbbing, and his body aching.

Bo-Katan knelt beside him, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with genuine worry.

Din just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He was still full of anger and preferred to stay quiet to try and calm down.

After searching the crime scene, Bo-Katan found a clue that led them to a droid bar. The both of them choose to get there to try and interrogate other repurposed droids about those who got rogue.

As they walked through the city, Bo-Katan kept thinking about the incident. She couldn't shake off the image of Din losing control and kicking the repurposed droids. It was a side of him she hadn't seen before, and it made her wonder about his past experiences with them. She didn’t know Din had this much of a complicated relationship with droids and didn't realize the extent of his trauma until now. Seeing him panic like that brought back memories of her own struggles with the aftermath of the Clone Wars and the loss of her sister.

She knew that she needed to talk to Din about it, but she didn't want to push him too far. She could sense that he was still reeling from the panic attack and that he was not in the mood for conversation. She decided to give Din some space and let him come to her when he was ready. She knew that it would take time for him to process his emotions. As much as she wanted to help him, she knew that she had to respect his boundaries and give him the time and space he needed.

As they approached the bar, Bo-Katan turned to Din and said, "Let me do the talking in there. I have a feeling we can get the information we need quickly if we play our cards right."

Din, still fuming over the rogue droid, snapped back, "So do I, what's your point?"

Bo-Katan raised an eyebrow at Din's defensive tone. "My point is, kicking droids is really not helpful," she said, emphasizing the word "kicking."

Din bristled at the implication that he had been in the wrong. "I may have been violent in my methods, but I still figured out which droid was malfunctioning," he retorted.

Bo-Katan sighed, sensing Din's anger. "I'm not saying you didn't, but let me handle it my way this time. We need to find out what's going on and get to the fleet as quickly as possible."

Din grudgingly acquiesced and followed her into the bar, their eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of suspicious behaviour. The atmosphere was lively, with droids serving drinks and playing music.

They took a seat at the counter, and Bo-Katan flagged down a droid bartender.

"Excuse me," she said politely. "We're looking for information on malfunctioning droids. Have you heard anything?"

The bartender's optical sensors flickered for a moment, processing the request. "I'm sorry, I cannot disclose information about my customers," it said, its voice flat and emotionless.

Upon his refusal to answer their question, Din took out an electric stick and threatens him: “If you don’t start answering questions I’ll yank your memory and dissect you back at the lab!”

To prevent things from escalading, Bo-Katan decides to intervene: "Let me handle this," she says, turning back to the bartender. "We're not looking for trouble, we just need to know if you know anything. That’s important."

The bartender then pointed out that the rogue droids all drank from the same batch of Nepenthé gifting them with a sample of it.

Bo-Katan led Din to the side of the street, away from prying ears. She took a deep breath and turned to him. "I need to talk to you," she said firmly, "about your behaviour back there."

Din looked at her, a mix of confusion and defensiveness on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean," she began, "the way you lashed out at that droid bartender. And earlier, when you had that panic attack. Something is going on with you, and I'm worried."

Din shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around. "I'm fine," he said, but the words lacked conviction.

Bo-Katan shook her head. "No, you're not. Something is eating away at you, and you're not dealing with it in a healthy way."

Din clenched his fists, his jaw tight. "I don't need your help," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

She didn't back down. "Yes, you do," she said firmly. "You're not in this alone. We're a team, and I'm here for you."

Din took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping as he looked away. "It's not easy," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't shake the memories of his past as he stood before her. He wanted to open up to her, to tell her about the loss of his parents, but he didn't know if he could bring himself to do it. It had been so long since he had spoken about it, and the pain still felt as fresh as ever.

Din took a deep breath and looked at the redhead, the weight of his past heavy on his shoulders. "I never told anyone this before," he began hesitantly, his voice trembling with emotion "but my parents were killed by a B2 battledroid during the Clone Wars. I was just a child. I still remember the sound of their blasters, the smell of the smoke, and the feeling of the ground shaking beneath me."

Bo-Katan listened intently, giving Din the space he needed to share his story.

"I was alone after that, left to fend for myself. That's why I became a bounty hunter. It was the only way I knew how to survive," he said, his voice breaking, his gaze still fixed on the ground. "I've been trying to move on, but it's not easy," he said. "Sometimes I just feel like I'm in the middle of the chaos and the death all over again. It's like every time I see a droid, I'm reminded of that day," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I can feel my heart racing, my palms getting sweaty. And then sometimes, I just lose control like I did back there."

Bo-Katan listened attentively, her expression softening as Din spoke. Her heart ached for him, and she could feel the weight of his pain.

"I'm sorry, Din," she said, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

Din flinched at the touch, but then something inside him seemed to give way. He felt a wave of emotions flood through him. He was grateful for her understanding and support, but he was also ashamed of his weakness. He leaned into her, his head resting on her shoulder as he let out a deep sigh.

To his surprise, Bo-Katan wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. He felt her warmth and the steady rhythm of her breaths. It was a moment of pure vulnerability, and he felt like he could finally let his guard down. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe. His heart rate slowed down and his breathing became more steady. He felt a sense of calm wash over him. Bo-Katan's embrace was warm and reassuring, and for the first time in a long time, Din felt like he wasn't alone in the galaxy.

He felt her arms tighten around him, as if she was trying to protect him from all the pain and trauma he had experienced in his life. And in that moment, Din realized that he had found someone he could trust and rely on. He felt grateful for her support and understanding, but he also couldn't help but notice how good it felt to be held by her.

Bo-Katan could feel the tension in his body slowly dissipating as well as the emotional weight that he had been carrying with him for years. She was grateful that he had finally opened up to her. As they stood there, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of compassion for Din. She knew that he had been through a lot. She also couldn't deny the growing attraction that she felt towards him, which only made her hold onto him tighter. She felt a sense of connection with him that went beyond words. They were friends, and maybe even something more. But for now, all she could do was be there for him, holding him in her arms and letting him know that he wasn't alone.

For a long moment, they just stood there, wrapped in each other's arms. The world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them. As they pulled away from each other, Din found himself lingering in the moment, not wanting it to end. His eyes were red-rimmed, but he felt a sense of relief he hadn't felt in years. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Bo-Katan gave him a small smile. "Anytime," she said softly. "You're not alone in this, Din."

He nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a true ally, someone he could rely on. He had been on his own for so long, it was rare for him to let someone get close to him. But with Bo, it felt different.

As they walked back to their ship, Din found himself stealing glances at Bo-Katan, admiring the way she carried herself with confidence and grace. He knew he needed to sort through his feelings before he acted on them, but for now, he was content to just enjoy the company of someone who made him feel seen and understood.

#dinbo

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