As night slowly progressed into morning, Luke, keeping an eye on Grogu so Rotta could get some sleep, sent a transmission to Adelphi and Zeb, explaining, “We’re trying to narrow down exactly where the base is in the nebula via Mando’s helmet. R2 is with the Razor Crest now, but I think we’ll need him once we know where we’re going.”
Luke stood outside the base, the transmission device in his hand, pacing back and forth. He occasionally looked at Mando, who sat on the ground, watching every move Grogu made, his arms wrapped around his knees.
“Don’t worry, Luke,” Zeb soon replied. “I’m nearly at Oamia and will get the Razor Crest for you. The New Republic is developing a plan of attack. They’ll keep us updated once we have a better idea of where the base is. Until I reach you, though, you should probably go ahead and prepare yourselves, in case we’re flying into Imperial territory.”
Nodding, Luke said, “Thanks, Zeb. See you soon,” and lowered the device, shutting it off.
A strong ocean breeze washed over the cliff. Luke’s hair blew into his face, but he pulled it away and faced Mando. “Zeb’s coming, Din. Once we get the Razor Crest, you can help guide us. In the meantime, we need to prepare a bit.”
“Can you help Grogu, since I can’t right now?” Mando wanted to know.
“Of course. Just ensure that you stay close, so you don’t forget anything.” Luke smiled down at Grogu, who curiously examined him. “So, Grogu, even though I’m not training you anymore, we’re likely flying into Imperial territory, meaning that you need to be prepared with the Force, especially since Mando is out of sorts. So…” He held his hands before him and clutched his wrist. “We’re going to do a quick review for Oamia Nebulae purposes. Is that okay?”
Small sounds left Grogu’s lips, and he straightened his ears, his big eyes rolling over to Mando.
Shakily standing, Mando inquired, “What do you think he’s saying, Luke?”
Continuing to smile, Luke answered, “‘Bring it on!’ is my guess. I think he wants to find a way to fight alongside you, even though you two can’t be together right now. He wants to be prepared, just in case.” He knelt to Grogu and rested his arm across his knee. “Is that right, Grogu?”
More chirps from Grogu. He wrapped his hand around Luke’s finger and tugged him toward one of the parked X-Wings in the port.
Gently pulling away, Luke said, “I don’t think we have permission to use a commissioned X-Wing for training, Grogu.” Instead of the X-Wing, he gestured toward the cliff behind the base. “Let’s see what we can find at the cliff.”
“May I come, too?” Mando inquired, tapping his heels together. “I mean… just to chaperone?” There was still some emotion in his voice, so he hadn’t turned completely stoic yet.
To Mando, Luke replied, “I think that’s best, Din.” It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him—Herin said that he was still resisting—he just needed careful observation until Zeb got there. Luke also couldn’t risk him forgetting Grogu.
He, Mando, and Grogu carefully approached the cliff behind the base, where they found a narrow, steep tunnel that seemed to feed out somewhere at the cliff’s top.
Luke and Mando brushed their hands against the walls as they walked, stepping and tripping over rocks of all shapes and sizes.
Luke felt fear and uncertainty from Grogu, so he said, “Be confident, Grogu, and relax. Feel the Force. We may have narrow hallways on the base.”
Cooing, Grogu relaxed his shoulders, closed his eyes, and then opened them again. He managed to keep himself together during the journey, so that was good.
“You’ve taught him well, Mando,” Luke admitted, but Mando still lowered his head at another reminder that he was a “good” dad. He still had to convince himself that he was, so Luke tried to think of one more trial to put him through before the amnesia held him down like his helmet.
Just as the morning sun began poking out from behind a cloud, Luke, Mando, and Grogu escaped the tunnel and focused on the wide, rocky field with dry grass and trees before them. A creek cut through its center, seeming to flow toward the cliff’s edge. It was a good place to train: smooth, rough, and peaceful all at once. It reminded Luke of Ossus and the Jedi Temple.
Mando found a rock and sat, pressing his back against it, his hand tightly clutching his leg armor.
Luke led Grogu to a rock in front of the creek, and he climbed onto it, but was distracted by a bug crawling on it.
It circled him, and Grogu followed its every movement, occasionally pouncing.
“Remember that you need to stay focused,” Luke elucidated, brushing the bug off the rock. He sat before Grogu and crossed his legs. “Meditation is always a good thing to try before heading into a major battle, as we’ll probably get in the nebula. Let’s do it together, Grogu. Connect our thoughts. And after we practice”—he gestured at Mando—“you can play with Mando with your ball. Sound like a plan?”
Mando clutched his leg armor harder, watching as Luke took good care of Grogu. By the time they finished their meditation session and Luke began running him through a few exercises with rocks, he had grown so tense that he almost looked jealous.
“Nice and easy, Grogu,” Luke said. He and Grogu were on opposite sides of the creek, facing one another.
Grogu lined up the rocks above it and tossed each rock at targets Luke had set up behind him (they were meant to represent stormtroopers). Because Grogu was too little to handle a blaster and didn’t have a lightsaber, learning to throw things with the Force was crucial for him. That was his blaster and saber for now.
“Remember to stay calm,” Luke instructed. “The key with the Force is to remain balanced, like the relationship between a parent and child.”
Mando clenched his fist. It was so tight that his hand jiggled, begging for air, but Mando continued choking it.
Finally feeling his anger, Luke held his hand up to Grogu and checked behind him to Mando.
In that moment, Grogu hopped over the creek and joined him.
“Din,” Luke said, “I know it’s hard, but you need to fight the helmet’s influence, whatever it’s trying to tell you.” It was probably attempting to convince him that he was a terrible father. Either that, or Luke was somehow an imposter. Honestly, it was likely both. After all, fear and self-confidence were what the Mastermind was exploiting.
Mando slowly stood, so Luke tucked Grogu behind his leg. He unclenched his fist and drew his blaster, pointing it at Luke’s chest.
What was he doing? He wasn’t thinking about shooting Luke, right? What on Oamia was the Mastermind telling him? He almost seemed like himself an hour ago. No, Luke wasn’t going to fight Din Djarin, but he still rested his own hand on his lightsaber hilt as a precaution.
The sun disappeared behind the clouds again, and everything around Luke, Mando, and Grogu turned colder and darker.
“Stay behind me, kid,” Luke gently told Grogu. He still had a gun pointed at him, but if he stayed calm, Grogu would, too.
After another thirty seconds, Luke took his saber off his belt and set it beside his ankle, keeping it close. He held his hands up to Mando, saying, “Mando, I don’t know what the Mastermind is telling you right now, but I’m sure we can snap you out of it.”
“You’re getting in my way, Luke.” Well, there went all emotion in Mando’s voice. It was stoic, almost robotic, but Luke still felt him resisting.
“I’m not doing anything wrong,” he said. “I’m merely trying to help you not forget Grogu. He’s your only hope if you’re going to overcome this.”
“I only listen to the Mastermind.” That was not Mando’s voice coming from the helmet—it was someone else’s. Even then, Mando shook his head and reached for his helmet, lowering his blaster.
“You’re scaring Grogu,” Luke added, his eyes barely catching sight of Grogu as he tried to cover himself from view behind his leg. “Din, please, he’s your son. He hates seeing you like this. Rotta, Esther, and I do, too.” He would only fight if he needed to.
The blaster trembled in Mando’s hand.
“Zeb is going to be here soon,” was Luke’s next line. “We’re going to get that helmet off you. I promise.”
“The helmet is part of my Creed!” That was a yell—not like Mando at all. Did his voice glitch, switching between Din’s and what Luke assumed was the Mastermind’s?
“I understand,” Luke argued, “but that’s not the kind of helmet you should be wearing. It’s hurting you, not helping you or protecting your identity.”
“You’re getting in my way!” Mando shouted, raising his hand with the blaster.
Luke Force-grabbed his lightsaber and activated it just as he pulled the trigger.
Grogu cried out, but the bolt bounced off the saber and struck a rock, shattering it.
Luke started to back up, but he tripped over Grogu and fell onto his backside. He parried another shot from Mando, using the Force to send it to where the rock had been.
Luke picked up Grogu and sprinted away from Mando, continuing to parry his shots.
From his shoulder, Grogu narrowed his eyes and leaped, landing before Mando, who had begun sprinting, too.
“Grogu!” Luke lowered his saber and body, starting back toward him, but Mando shouted at him again.
“You’re in my way!” Then, just like that, he shot his blaster one more time, and the bolt hit Luke’s upper right arm before he could parry.
Yelling, Luke dropped his saber and reached for it, falling onto his front. He immediately rose to his knees, but puffed out his cheeks. Mando just shot him! How could the Mastermind be so heartless?
Where Grogu was, he held his hands up to Mando, using one to knock the blaster from his hand with the Force. He called to him, and Mando paused.
The two stared at one another for a good minute, then Mando yelled and grabbed his helmet, but he still couldn’t remove it. Not only that, but his eyes caught sight of Luke holding his arm, and now he tensed in fear.
“I shot you, Luke!” he cried out, his voice as choked as it was when he couldn’t hug Grogu on Esther’s ship.
“It’s not serious,” Luke encouraged. “Just a flesh wound. Nothing that a little bacta can’t fix.”
“No! I shot you!”
“You didn’t mean to.” Mando just went fully brainwashed for a second there, but he was still fighting, and he still carried that bond with Grogu. That was what had snapped him out of his trance. It would be the ultimate weapon inside the nebula. Grogu also proved he could handle himself in a tense situation, so, in a way, it was a win-win.
The transmission device soon beeped from Luke’s belt. He plucked it off and pressed the center button, revealing Zeb as a hologram. “Zeb! Good to see you.”
“Hey, Luke,” Zeb said, “I just want to let you know that I’ve landed on Oamia and am on my way there with the Razor Crest. Your little droid is helping, and one of the Vikings is guiding me. Just give me a few more hours.”
“Perfect.” That was plenty of time for Luke to get himself patched up. He stood and told Mando, who still shuddered, “Zeb’s on his way. So, what do you say we take a break?”
“I don’t understand.” Mando’s leg twitched, and he grasped his head again. “I shot you. How do you still trust me?”
“Because I know you didn’t mean it.”
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End of Episode III: Oamia!
Current Word Count: 30,545
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