Padme retreats to the Queen's chambers after speaking to Mando. She had wanted to, temporarily, take Sabe's place so she could manage the situation. But until they safely arrive on Coruscant, Sabe will be the one who continues to wear the Queen's face. It's for Padme's safety, even if she'll always hate putting her friends at risk like this.
"So?" she questions as Eirtae removes the headdress, letting down her hair. "What do you think about him?" As always, her handmaids had been watching the Mandalorian, assessing him.
"He's hard to read," Rabe admits, "But I think he's genuine in his offer."
"They believe in honor," Sabe chimes in. "He wouldn't back down. They're warriors."
"Something, probably in his past, has made him very distrustful of droids," Rabe adds.
"Maybe he's had encounters with battle droids before?" Eirtae suggests, helping Padme slip out of the Queen's gown. It's a heavy fabric, and Padme is glad to be out of it, as much because it's uncomfortable as because of the burden it provides. Briefly, her thoughts turn to Sache and Yane who are still on Naboo. They're alive, but she doesn't know what condition they're in. She doesn't know what condition anyone is in, and it worries her. She doesn't believe the transmission from Governor Bibble is the truth, but she still fears for her people.
Padme is admittedly curious about Mando. She has never met a Mandalorian before, but she has heard stories. They are fearsome warriors, and she doesn't doubt for a moment that Mando is as well. But he has a weak spot for Grogu and for Anakin and Shmi, though she would tentatively guess that he's been with Grogu for far longer. They seem... close.
"I don't think we need to worry about him betraying us, even if he is a bounty hunter," Padme agrees, watching as Rabe and Eirtae begin to dress Sabe as the Queen once more. "I just don't know how much good his help will do. He's only one person, and he's a warrior. If we need help, it'll be because we're going to war." I don't want that, she doesn't say.
The Republic will help. The Senate will help. Surely, they'll see the grave injustice of the situation and intercede on Naboo's behalf. Because if they don't, Padme has no idea what she can do, and she refuses to fail her people. One way or another, Naboo will be freed from the Trade Federation. She has to cling to that hope because she has nothing else. She will not fail her people who have entrusted her with their future. She will not yield.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Din has long since noticed that Anakin doesn't like to stay still for long, so he's not really surprised when the boy requests to go out and explore the ship. Din gets permission from the guards, just to be certain, before accompanying him. Even if Din doubts that anyone here would hurt Anakin, he doesn't want to leave his son alone in a strange environment. Besides, Grogu seems just as eager to explore, and knowing him, he'll get into trouble unless Din is there to keep an eye on him.
Shmi also leaves the room where they were staying, and though she's not really the type to explore, Din can tell that she is, nevertheless, curious to know more about the Nubians, especially since they agreed to let them leave Tatooine with them. The last he saw her, she was talking to some of the Queen's handmaids.
Anakin is currently crouched in a tiny crawlspace, studying the interior of the ship with great interest, a random pilot – or mechanic or whatever he is – pointing some things out to him. He's good with ships, and Din is answering his many questions – as best he can – while holding Grogu, and what he doesn't know, the other pilot/mechanic does. Grogu nearly got injured by trying to poke at something, or worse yet, he might have somehow damaged the ship, so Din's been holding him ever since. That hasn't stopped him from squirming around and staring at the technology with wide eyes.
Din watches the two of them with great fondness, but his mind keeps drifting back to Anakin's inevitable departure. When they get to Coruscant, the Jetii will take him to their Temple, and Ka'ra know when – or if, though he doubts that – Din will see him again. He isn't ready to let his foundling go, even though he knows it's for Anakin's own good. This is what Anakin wants, and it won't be forever. Shmi, he suspects, is feeling similarly, so perhaps he should talk to her about it – although the thought of expressing these feelings to anyone is somewhat unnerving to say the least; he's not accustomed to talking about his feelings.
Well, not to anyone other than Grogu, but even that is only a sometimes. "How do you feel about Anakin going to become a Jetii, kid?" he asks, looking down at him. After all, Grogu had been rather adamantly against Din taking Anakin to the Jetii, insisting instead that Din should adopt him. He had been resistant to the idea at first, but now, he has no idea how he could have been. He can't imagine a world where Anakin isn't his foundling... even if it only happened because of time travel that he doesn't care to understand.
Grogu tilts his head, looking up at him, ears twitching slightly. He's still the most adorable... thing, person, whatever he is, that Din has seen – not that he'd tell him so. Grogu seems to like finding Din's weaknesses, so he can get his way. He makes a sound, one which very much conveys his unhappiness.
"Yeah, buddy, I know," Din murmurs, glancing at Anakin. He's too busy to listen to them, thankfully. "I'll miss him too. It doesn't seem like... the Jetii in this time will be any different. Those Jetii – Luke and Ahsoka – they would have taken him the same way they did you."
At times like this, Din really wishes that he could know what Grogu is thinking, especially when Grogu's reaction isn't anything like he'd expected. The kid coos an agreement, before waving in Anakin's direction and babbling rapidly, something both serious and amused on his face. ... Okay? "I don't know what that means," Din admits, trying to figure out what the subject could even be about.
Grogu wiggles, trying to get down, and Din suspects that he's probably going to ask for Anakin to be his translator. "Careful," he cautions, both because Grogu could fall and because he isn't sure if they should really get into the whole time-travel thing with anyone right now. Din still hasn't told anyone because it doesn't seem like it even matters. "I don't think we need to explain how we're here when I don't even know."
The kid pouts, a little grumpily, and Din interprets that to mean 'I wouldn't have done that.' He doesn't exactly believe it, because that is the face Grogu always uses when Din warns him against doing something mischievous or risky which he suspects Grogu was just about to do. But still... "Anakin can translate for you then," he concedes. "An'ika, can you come here for a moment?"
Anakin pops up, expression bright and excited, obviously eager to get back to what he was looking at. "I'm here."
Din turns, shifting them so that no one will be able to see exactly what they're doing. "Can you see what Grogu is trying to say?"
Anakin reaches out, letting the kid grasp one of his fingers as a silent communication passes between them. It's a little unnerving to see, knowing that there are things being spoken which Din can't hear. But he's a bit more used to it by now. Anakin frowns. "Who are you talking about?" Grogu's response is inaudible to Din, but Anakin nods, looking up at Din. "He says that the person you were talking about was rather famous, and he was involved in the conflict before the 'bad times.' The Jedi who you met, who helped Grogu, was his son."
Din blinks, momentarily stunned into silence. "Okay," he says, nodding to Anakin, and the boy scurries back to looking at the machinery within the starship. It takes Din a moment to process all of that, and he now has no idea what to think. At all. "Grog'ika, you're saying that Anakin was famous in the past?"
The kid coos excitedly, in agreement, so Din goes on. "And the 'bad times' is the Empire, right? So that means that the conflict..." His voice trails off when it hits him, and it takes all the willpower he has not to panic. "Anakin fought in the Clone Wars?!" He's doing his best not to freak out, he really is, but this is far more than he ever expected to hear.
Grogu tilts his head back with a giggle, before nodding. Dank farrik. Din takes a moment to breath in and out before his thoughts spiral out of control. This – it changes nothing. Anakin is still his foundling, even if he was an important Jetii in the Clone Wars in their past. Maybe he still will be. Maybe he won't be. It doesn't matter. The mere fact that they're here in the past has already changed things, Din knows, but the way he sees it, if they weren't supposed to interfere, they wouldn't be here.
Anakin is still a child, still his child.
And Luke – Luke is his son, according to Grogu. It makes sense. It explains the name and resemblance. But it doesn't explain how Luke even exists, if Jetii aren't allowed to have attachments. That, he supposes, doesn't matter either. Din has never been one for the theoretical; he's always been practical. The 'how's don't make a difference. Sure, maybe it would be nice to know, but the knowledge won't change anything, even if it gives him a deeper understanding of the past.
Din's not out to save the galaxy, though maybe after he settles down in a safer place with his aliit, he can try to piece together enough to at least give the Jetii a warning. They don't deserve to be destroyed. But priorities. First, he'll focus on caring for his aliit. Then, he can help Queen Amidala with Naboo. After that, he'll deal with everything else.
"Well, that's kind of a lot to take in, buddy," Din admits, stroking Grogu's head, "But I think we're doing okay, being in the past and all."
The kid squeals his agreement, so Din leaves it at that.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Padme comes to check on them as they approach the night cycle – they'll arrive to Coruscant in the early morning hours there; it'll probably be about another eight hours – and Din can't help but notice how stressed she looks. "Have you heard anything about the situation on Naboo?" he questions.
"Not – no, not much," she answers, "But the Governor of Naboo sent a recording which we suspect was coerced. Padawan Kenobi recommended that no reply be sent, lest the Trade Federation track our location."
"Good," he replies. "It will be safer for the Queen on Coruscant." Probably. But with so much security, and with him around, Din doubts that any harm could come to her.
Padme nods slightly. "I hope so."
There's a short pause, before Anakin speaks up. "I'm going to become a Jedi," he tells her. "Qui-Gon said that he'll take me to the Jedi Temple when we arrive."
Her worry fades away, and she gives him a genuine smile. "That's great news, Ani. It's an honour to become a Jedi. I'm sure you'll do fine. Are you excited?"
"Mmhmm!" he confirms, and Din quietly steps back, letting them talk.
Shmi, he notices, is watching as well, something almost wistful on her face. "It will be... different for him to be gone," she confesses, clasping her hands together. "Ever since he was born, we've always lived in the same home."
"He pulls people to him," Din remarks. "I've hardly known him and yet..."
"You think of him as your son as much as you do Grogu," she realizes, glancing at the toddler who is curled up, sleeping already.
"Yes. I'll miss him."
Shmi doesn't reply to that, but she doesn't need to. It's already obvious that she wants what's best for her son, even if it will hurt her. In that, they are both alike. Din would do anything for Grogu. He would even give him up again if he thought he had to, if Grogu would be better off elsewhere. He knows, of course, that the kid wants to stay with him, and he'll respect that. But... the point still stands. It might kill him to hand his kid over to someone else, but he would if it were necessary. Shmi is the same.
Padme is still talking with Anakin, and Din watches their interactions, feeling himself relaxing. Padme is – she knows how to deal with Anakin, how to treat him. She won't hurt him.
"– and it's wizard!" Anakin is saying excitedly as he finishes detailing his explorations of the starship's systems. Din is pretty sure that Padme only understood about half of the terminology, but she's still nodding anyways. "But... it is a little cold in here," he adds, seemingly as an afterthought.
Padme laughs softly, turning towards a cabinet on the far side of the room and pulling out a blanket. "Here," she says, offering it to Anakin, "You'll probably want this for tonight then. You come from a warm planet, Ani. A little too warm for my taste. Space is cold."
Anakin accepts it gratefully, and Din silently chides himself for not having considered it sooner. Of course, the boy would be cold in space when he grew up on Tatooine. "You seem sad," he notes. Din isn't surprised. Anakin seems uncannily intuitive when it comes to other people's emotions.
"The Queen is worried," Padme answers quietly. "Her people are suffering, dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene, or... I'm not sure what'll happen."
"Buir will help!" Anakin declares confidently. He sticks his hand into a pocket and fishes out a small, carved object. "I made this for you..." he tells her shyly, placing it into her palm. She fingers it, tracing the design. "So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet. It'll bring you good fortune."
"It's beautiful. But I don't need this to remember you by. Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani, but my caring for you will remain," Padme promises, closing her hand around the japor snippet. Din finds that he's touched by the exchange. Maybe it will be good for Anakin to go to the Temple, to meet other young children who have the same abilities as him. He could use good friends.
"I care for you, too."
Padme smiles at him again, brown eyes reflecting a sincere affection. "You should get some rest now. It'll probably be a long day for you tomorrow. I know it will be for me. The Queen will be counting on me."
"'Kay," Anakin murmurs. "Goodnight, Padme."
"Goodnight." She glances at Din and Shmi, including them in her goodbye before she leaves. That night, Din and his aliit sleep curled together on the floor. It's the first time that they've actually all been in the same room, and there's a certain sense of comfort to it which Din thinks he could really get used to. It won't last, he reminds himself, because upon their arrival, Anakin will be leaving them. If only that knowledge didn't hurt so much.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Anakin is insistent on watching the starship land, so Din accompanies him to the cockpit, leaving Grogu in Shmi's capable hands. The pilot seems happy to have such an eager listener, and he points out a few of the controls as they make their approach. "Coruscant," he declares as he flies the ship down into the atmosphere. "The entire planet is one big city."
Din can tell as much from the vast array of buildings here. He's never been on a planet like this before, so it will take some getting used to. It's probably a good thing that he's not planning on staying then.… Okay. Maybe he's up here, because he also wanted to get a look at the capital of the Republic. He wonders how much it will change over the next few decades, if at all.
"There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle," the pilot announces as they fly in towards a landing platform. "And look over there. Senator Palpatine is waiting for us."
Din starts at the name, though he's careful to hide his surprise. He hasn't heard the name Palpatine in a while now, and the last time he did, it was when someone was cursing the late-Emperor. He knows little about Emperor Palpatine, but could there be some sort of connection between them? Relatives, perhaps? Or worse... are they one and the same? Would he know even when he sees the Senator?
The thought of getting so close to the maybe-Emperor is more than a little intimidating, but he's only a Senator now. There's nothing he can do to Din, right? Besides, he already offered his aid to Queen Amidala. He's given her his word. He can't go back now, even if he wants to; he doesn't, of course. This is unexpected, to say the last, but maybe it will actually make it easier for him to take appropriate action.
If Anakin senses Din's sudden unease, he makes no mention of it, continuing to lean forwards, watching with fascination as the pilot lands the starship smoothly on the landing platform. It's time to disembark now, so Din gestures to Anakin to follow him as he goes to retrieve the rest of his aliit. Given the nearness of this... Senator Palpatine, Din would much rather have Grogu at his side at all times. The Imperial remnants were after the kid for whatever reason, and there's no way that Din will let anyone touch his foundling. Either of them. He'll keep them safe, even if it's the last thing he does.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Mando'a Translations:
Jetii - Jedi
Ka'ra - stars (ancient Mandalorian myth - ruling council of fallen kings)
aliit - family, clan
buir - father, mother