Chapter Text
Danny’s shoulders hit metal for the third time in ten minutes. He groaned, glad for the relief the cool metal brought to the new bruises dotting his shoulder blades. Din stood over him and offered out a hand to help him up.
“Nah, I’m good. Just gonna sit here for a bit.”
“Nope. Again.”
“Seriously?”
Danny took his hand and let Din heave him back up to his feet. They’d been sparring for the better part of a half-hour to gauge Danny’s combat skills. Unfortunately, Danny had made the mistake of bragging about his many fights, and Din suggested he put his skills to the test. After all, if Danny wanted to join him on Nevarro to see the sights, he had to prove that he could protect himself. So, the two went down to the cargo hold and squared off. The rules were simple: no powers and no hits below the belt or to the face.
It didn’t take Danny long to realize he was severely outclassed. Although to be fair, he’d never been properly trained in any martial arts. His mother had taught Jazz, and Jazz had continued learning well into high school, but Danny hadn’t been interested in learning until he started fighting ghosts. By then, his mom was too busy with her work to show him, and he didn’t want to bother Jazz since she was getting ready for college. He could brawl well enough to get by, especially with his powers.
Against Din, however, Danny didn’t stand a chance.
Din blocked every punch and kick. What he didn’t stop, he stepped out of the way and redirected, causing Danny to overbalance and stumble. He let Danny lead the offensive for the first ten minutes, observing what skills he had and what he needed to work on. After that, Din started to hit back.
Din was a gentle teacher. His punches were little more than taps to let Danny know he’d been hit. He also didn’t dominate the fight, even though he easily could have. Instead, he fell onto the defensive every few blows, watching what Danny did and then stepping in again to attack. As the match ramped up, Din punished him just a little more, giving him a practical lesson in what could happen if he overextended. In this case, he got twisted and flipped over onto his back.
Danny finally sat up, groaning a little as he did.
“You’re going to have to unlearn a lot of bad habits,” Din commented, “But you’re not bad. I’ve seen plenty of bounty hunters with less awareness than you.”
“Thanks, I guess?”
“You have a good base. You wouldn’t have lived as long as you have without it. We just have to polish it.”
Danny tilted his head, cracking his neck before rolling his shoulders. “Lived might not be the best word for it.”
Din sighed, “Stayed ‘mostly unalive to live out the rest of your existence’ as you put it then.”
“So, am I allowed to go to Nevarro with you then, or am I stuck on the ship?”
“A few months ago, I’d say no, but Nevarro’s cleaned up. I would have brought you along anyway.”
“Then what was the point of this?”
“I wanted to see you fight when you had a goal. People fight differently when they have a reason.”
Danny grumbled and stuck his tongue out, which probably didn’t do him any favors when it came to proving he was capable of taking care of himself.
It had been three days since Danny decided to stay with Din (at least for a little while). They’d left Tatooine, and in that time, Danny had learned several things to help him survive the new world he’d found himself in. His mornings started with a light workout, followed by Galactic Basic lessons and breakfast. After that, Din drilled him on how to kit up in his new armor and the upkeep of it.
Then it was time for weapons training. Din showed Danny how blasters worked, which was surprisingly similar to how his parent’s ectoguns functioned. Usually, Danny had good aim. He could make finger guns and shoot the Box Ghost right off a shipping crate from about 50 feet away. Of course, his beams weren’t perfect, but he usually hit his target without too many missed shots. He still missed a lot with his ice, but that was expected since that was a newer power.
He was terrible with a blaster.
They practiced with the blaster set to stun so Din could see where Danny was aiming without absolutely destroying the inside of the ship. This had been a good call, otherwise, they would have been dead in space again.
Din tried to make him feel better, explaining that every weapon had its own nuances, but that didn’t really help when every shot was off the mark, and he was barely ten feet away from the mock targets set up in the cargo hold. Din was patient, but he seemed hesitant to allow Danny to handle the blaster more than necessary by the end.
So, when the duo landed on Nevarro and Din handed Danny the blaster, Danny’s confusion was evident.
“Are you sure you want to give me this? Last time we practiced, I almost fried your carbon freeze thing.”
Din gave Danny’s plastoid armor pieces a final look over to ensure they were correctly settled onto his flak vest.
“It’s better for you to have a way to defend yourself. A blaster is still a good way to discourage people, even if only for show.”
“I can defend myself without that,” Danny let himself fade into invisibility, “See? Or don’t see?”
Din tapped something on his vambrace and reached out, poking Danny’s nose.
“Anyone with a thermal sensor can see you. You’re a giant cold spot when you do that.”
“Wait, seriously ? Thank the Ancients my parents haven’t figured that out yet.”
“It’s the coldest right where your heart is.”
Din reached out and tapped Danny’s chest right where his core was. Danny looked down, self-consciously rubbing the spot with a slight frown. He always felt a little cold, especially where his core was, but to know that Din could actually see it with a simple shift in view? That was a little unnerving.
“That’s not…it’s not my heart. It’s my core.” Danny paused, trying to find the right words. “Cores are...important for ghosts.”
How did he even begin to explain what a core was? Even for a halfa, a core was more than just a heart. It was...well, everything. It was the source of a ghost’s power and their anchor to the world. It could heal if damaged, and most ghosts could survive a serious beating as long as their core survived, but only if there’s enough ambient ectoplasm to help mend it. Even then, sometimes, the damage is too much, destroying the core. Without a core, the ghost ceases to exist.
Danny had no idea what would happen as a halfa if his core was damaged or destroyed. Hell, he didn’t know what would happen if his heart stopped or another vital organ failed. He’d had a few close calls (particularly after the whole Pariah Dark situation), but he’d never pushed the limit. Sam and Tucker were worried that one day his parents would make something that specifically targeted a ghost’s core, but for the moment, that didn’t seem likely. Cores were on the fringe of their research, their newest discovery. It was only a matter of time before they decided to weaponize that knowledge, but Danny and Jazz were both hard at work sabotaging that research.
“Just stay close to me and don’t use your abilities unless there’s no other option. The Empire’s gone from here, but it’s always better to play it safe. Nevarro is still on the outer rim.”
“The Empire?” Danny popped back into existence with a sheepish smile. “I think you mentioned them, but I ah...was more interested in the star charts.”
Din shook his head and tapped another button on his vambrace. “We’ll have a history lesson later.”
The ramp descended, and Danny all but ran off the ship, eager to see the new world. The first thing that hit him was the odd heat and the smell. Danny sneezed, instantly recognizing the stench of sulfur. He rubbed his nose, briefly making a face at the smell. Still, it was a new planet, and he knew he’d go nose-blind to the smell soon enough.
The sunlight made him squint his eyes as he tried to catch his first glimpse of the planet. The landscape was a mixture of dull and shiny black rock, likely all igneous in origin, if he had to guess. Danny wondered how a planet like this had formed. Were there lots of volcanos or vents that constantly spewed molten rock? Was it dormant, or was the threat of eruption always imminent? Was that something space people had to worry about?
“What did I just say?” Din asked from behind him.
“What? I’m still close.”
“Mando?” a new voice interrupted from somewhere beyond the bright sunlight.
Danny stilled at the voice and practically sprinted back to Din, slipping behind his armored form. Din was halfway down the ramp, and despite his helmet, Danny could feel the smirk radiating off of him as he looked at the person waiting for them at the edge of the shipyard.
The man wore a dark brown jacket that looked like it belonged in a fantasy movie rather than in space. Beneath it, he had a muted burgundy shirt and a belt with a blaster secured to it. His warm brown eyes were bright with enthusiasm. There was something distinctly non-threatening about him that made Danny relax just a bit.
“Good to see you, Mando! I wasn’t expecting you back on Nevarro for another few weeks.”
“Needed to pick up some new bounties.”
The two men met and clasped forearms in greeting. Then, the man peered around Din to get a closer look at Danny. He didn’t look like a bounty hunter, but clearly, that’s what he was, or used to be, if Din was talking to him about finding new jobs. The man gave him a small wave.
“And who’s this kiddo? I know you miss the little green guy, but I never took you for the sort to start adopting.”
Din stepped aside, exposing Danny. “Danny, this is Greef Karga. He’s one of the people you can trust.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Greef grinned with infectious cheer, “I hope Mando hasn’t been giving you too much trouble.”
Danny flushed a little and looked away before the green tint could give him away, “I think I’m the one who’s been giving him trouble.”
Greef gave Din a curious look before he settled his hands onto his hips.
“No wonder you need bounties. This kid looks like he has a lot of meals to make up for. Come on, let’s see what pucks I can dig up for you.”
Din and Greef started to head towards the archway that separated the shipyard from the city. Danny followed them, eyes widening as he got a better view of the landscape around them. Like Tatooine, the surface was relatively “desolate” but still fascinating in its own way. It was sharp and jagged in some spots and porous looking in others. Danny rubbed his nose, trying to ignore the sulfur lingering in the air.
“Any Imperial leftovers still poking around?” Din asked.
Danny noticed Din’s head was on a constant swivel, looking to the alleys and roofs. The town didn’t look like trouble, though, at least not any more than Tatooine had. The buildings appeared to be made of stone, but like with Tatooine, Danny could see the metal doors and datapads on the outside, exposing the interior complexity. The pale grey stone was warmed by hanging banners in a variety of colors. Chatter met his ears as they neared the open market that seemed to take up the majority of the small town.
Humans, aliens, and small folks wearing brown, hooded cloaks roamed the streets. Danny heard languages he didn’t recognize (which wasn’t surprising) and had to be dragged a little by Din to keep from getting lost as he looked at the wares on sale around him.
“We haven’t found any more major Imperial holdouts, but with you around, who knows? You always manage to dreg them up. Dune did a good job wiping out the rest of the stragglers before she headed off on a new job for the New Republic.”
“You said before this place was completely clean.”
“Well, maybe I dredged something up for a change. Why are you so worried?” Greef glanced at Danny, “Can this kid do the magic hand thing too or something?”
“Magic hand thing?” Danny parroted and tilted his head a little.
“Not exactly,” Din said, “Empire doesn’t know about him, but I’d rather not take any chances.”
Greef gave him a knowing look before turning down a street and heading into a building. Danny guessed it was some sort of official place given that there was a desk at the front and...a blue man serving no doubt as a secretary.
The “creature from the lagoon” alien gave a start at the sight of Din, and mist burst from his neck. Danny briefly wondered if that was his species' equivalent of pissing itself, given how the alien stared in utter terror at Din, even though the latter barely acknowledged him.
“Not you!” the blue man practically cried, “Whenever you’re around, I find myself in imminent danger that is not part of my contract!”
“What kind of danger?” Danny asked, even as Din flat-out continued to ignore the alien.
“Oh, you know, potential death by ravinak, death by carbonite, death by Imperial blaster, death by lava, more death by Imperials–”
“We get it,” Greef interrupted, “Let’s talk in my office, mando. The mythrol will make sure we’re not disturbed.”
“Whatever you say, boss,” the mythrol grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Greef’s office was small but boasted of comfort. The chairs were plush, covered in the same muted maroon fabric as Greef’s shirt. No one sat down, however. Greef leaned his back against the desk and crossed his arms. Din stood behind a chair in a similar pose. Danny debated mimicking them but ended up just propping his elbows up on the back of the chair.
“So,” Greef started, “What’s really up with the kid? Is he like the little green guy?”
“What’s the magic hand thing?” Danny piped in again, looking over to Din, “And what’s the Empire? They keep getting brought up here.”
Greef stared and tonelessly said, “I can see why you’re babysitting him.”
“I guess we’ll have the history lesson now. The Empire is the old regime that used to control most of the galaxy. A remnant of them went after Grogu because of his abilities. They planned on using his blood and…” Din trailed off.
“And probably experimenting on him,” Greef finished in a low growl.
Danny felt lightheaded. Memories of the GIW and Vlad’s lab came unbidden into his mind. He tried to force them down, to remind himself that no one here knew what he was, but the gate was open. What if he was found out here? Would he be pursued just like back home? What would happen if they did catch him and experiment on him? Would it be worse than home? He must have turned a little pale since Din uncrossed his arms and put a hand on his shoulder.
“They’re gone, and you’re my ad . You’re safe.”
“If Mando says you’re safe, then you are,” Greef confirmed, “And this city is as safe as it gets for the Outer Rim.”
“You say that now, but you seemed a little uncertain earlier.”
Greef pursed his lips. “Calling my bluff? I was hoping you would, but I didn’t want to be too loud about it out and about. We think there’s a small group of Imps hiding down in the sewers where your covert used to live.”
Din stiffened at that. Danny frowned at the sudden display of obvious tension and wondered what it meant. He’d never seen Din get outwardly upset, and Danny noticed the change despite the seemingly minor changes in his physicality. Din hadn’t seemed too bothered by the presence of the Empire remnants, so it must be something to do with the location. Was he offended that they were holed up where he used to live? It was just a sewer, though; he couldn’t have been attached to a place like that. The people though...
“How many?” Din asked in a clipped tone.
“Too many for us to root out efficiently right now,” Greef admitted, “I would have hired some other hunters, but they’d just make a mess of it. I’m hoping to take care of it without the citizens finding out. We’ve worked hard to make people feel safe here.”
“I’ll take care of it. They won’t hear anything about it.”
“I know. Do you want me to babysit while you’re on the job?” Greef gave Danny a quick smirk as he bristled at the word ‘babysit,’” I know you’re not a little kid, but you are still a child.”
“I’m not–”
“How old are you?”
Danny muttered something.
“Want to try that again?”
“I’m fourteen, ok?” Danny hunched his shoulders, “But I’ve handled a ton of fights on my own, so I should be allowed to go with Di–Mando.”
“You’re older than I thought,” Greef admitted, “but you’re still a child by most Galactic standards.”
“Most being the keyword there, right?”
“Do you know what you’re asking for?” Din glanced down at Danny, “You understand that I’m going on a job to kill people, right?”
Danny shivered and looked away. In all his excitement of being in a new place and his fear of being left behind, he hadn’t even thought about the full context of the situation.
“Bounty hunters don’t always bring the bounties in alive,” Din said softly, “This is one of those cases. You can come with me after passing the Verd’goten on fetch jobs, but you need to stay with Greef for this job.”
“Ok. Yeah, I ah...I understand. I got a bit ah…”
Din ruffled his hair and said, “I’ll be back. But, for now, listen to Greef, don’t ghost him , and keep out of trouble. I’m sure he’ll be happy to show you around town or take you to practice your aim.”
“I know a good spot out on the lava fields where we can do some target practice,” Greef confirmed.
“You’re worried about me being around the town but not about me going to play in the lava fields. This place is so weird!”
Greef chucked, “You know better than to step in molten rock, right? You’ll be fine.”
He went behind his desk and fished through some of the drawers before pulling out two rods about the size of pen, but thicker. He handed one over to Din.
“If you need help, ping us.”
Din stowed the device into his belt, checked over his armor and weapons, and then turned to leave. He gave Danny one last pat on the shoulder before he headed out, leaving Danny alone for the first time since he’d arrived in this dimension.
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Din picked his way through the familiar sewers toward his once home. He didn’t miss living underground, but he did miss his covert. It had been months, and he still didn’t know the final death toll. The armorer hadn’t told him, but he doubted many were left if the number of helmets was anything to go by. Bo-Katan suggested that the helmets might have been left behind as a decoy to make people think the covert was decimated, but it was a half-hearted suggestion. They were Mandalorian. Armor was life. No Mandalorian would leave their beskar behind to save their skin.
But the lives of their fellow Mandalorians? Of the foundlings?
He tried not to overthink it even as he neared the forge. He turned on the thermal scanner and listened. There were multiple voices ahead. Din gritted his teeth and counted the number of enemies. Ten. He could handle ten, even on an off day. He might not like that number, but he knew the odds, and he trusted his skill. He trusted his armor more.
Din crept closer, keeping close to the wall so as not to cast a shadow. He paused at the entrance, steeling himself. He didn’t have whistling birds, but that was ok. Imperials were shit shots anyway, and he could take out a few with his blaster before they even realized he was there.
Before he could engage, he heard an incoming transmission from within the old forge room.
“ Bzzt ... in position. Karga’s not alone, though. How should we proceed? ”
Din’s blood ran cold.
“Take them both out. No witnesses.”
“ Copy. ”
Din didn’t waste any more time. He popped out from behind the corner and fired.