Metanoia | The Mandalorian ON HOLD

Chapter 40

They walked through the forest for a while now, with Din leading the way, the rifle ready in his hand. Juno walked behind him, jumping over the fallen trees with a bit of difficulty, trying not to lose sight of Din. They slowed when they reached the right spot.

"Well, these are the coordinates. Keep your eyes open. We must be close." He said. He scanned the ground with his helmet, lifting his head when he heard rustling.

"Uhh...Did you hear that?" Asked Juno nervously. He nodded and sat the child on a nearby rock, gesturing for Juno to sit as well.

"Sit here and wait." He told the kids. "Don't worry. Let me see what's out there." He assured them and scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of threat. He sighed when he saw two animals. "False alarm." He said when suddenly, a woman attacked him from above.

Juno startled, grabbing the child and holding him close as they nervously watched their father figure fight a Jedi.

"Ahsoka Tano!" Din said loudly, stopping their fight. "Bo-Katan sent me. We need to talk." He said. Ahsoka's gaze shifted to look behind him, at Juno and the child, holding each other tightly. She straightened and lowered her lightsabers.

"I hope it's about them." She said and Din turned to look at the kids too. The child cooed as Juno awkwardly waved at her.

~

Din paced back and forth the whole time that Ahsoka was talking with the kids. She had first talked with Juno, about how she had found her way to the child and then to Din, about her seeing abilities as well as her Force sensitivity. How, when she concentrated hard enough, she could wield the Force. When the girls were done talking, Ahsoka then concentrated on the child. They were looking in each other's eyes and it was like they could talk without even saying anything. When they finished, Ahsoka smiled and picked him up, standing. Juno stood up too as Ahsoka took the lantern and together, they walked over to Din, who met them in the middle. The group sat down around the lantern, Din still standing, watching each other as the child grunted softly.

"Is he speaking? Do you understand him?" He asked and Ahsoka looked at him before she answered.

"In a way. Grogu and I can feel each other's thoughts." She replied.

"Grogu?" Din asked. The child cooed excitedly as he looked up at him.

"Yes. That's his name." She explained. The child looked at Juno, who was smiling at him with tears in her eyes. After all the time that the kids have spent together, she finally knew his name.

"Grogu." He said again. And Grogu cooed excitedly as he once again turned to the Mandalorian with a smile on his little face.

"He was raised at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Many Masters trained him over the years. At the end of the Clone Wars when the Empire rose to power, he was hidden." She started explaining. As Din listened, he sat down next to Juno, who took his hand to find comfort. "Someone took him from the Temple. Then his memory becomes...dark. He seemed lost. Alone. Until Juno was thrown into the base on Arvala-7. They formed a deep connection between them that helped them get through those days." She continued. The kids looked at each other with sadness as Din squeezed her hand. "I've only known one other being like this. A wise Jedi Master named Yoda." Grogu cooed at her. "Can he still wield the Force?"

"You mean his powers?" He asked.

"The Force is what gives him his powers. What gives Juno her powers as well. It is an energy field created by all living things. To wield it takes a great deal of training and discipline." She explained. "The Seers are actually descendants of the Jedi that learned to bend the Force to show them the most probable future."