Two Hearts Are Better Than One

CHAPTER 2

When Din's ship landed on the coordinates Luke had given him, it was pitch dark. He was surprised to see a figure waiting for him, but then again he shouldn't have been, Luke had specifically requested his presence.

"Welcome to my Jedi temple, Din Djarin."

Luke's voice came from below, Din heard him as he was getting out of the ship. The Jedi took his hood off and smiled, his eyes warm.

"What's wrong? Where's the kid?" Din demanded, almost out of breath.

"It's okay, he isn't in immediate danger" Luke immediately appeased him, his hands in open in salutation "he's sleeping now."

"What happened then?"

Luke kept silent for a few seconds, deep in thought. He seemed to be debating how to explain this better to the Mandalorian.

"I believe it was a mistake taking Grogu here."

Din tried to suppress a gasp. He looked at the Jedi through wide eyes, even though he couldn't see him through his helmet.

"You can't train him?" Din asked, and he didn't know whether to feel relieved or apprehensive. These contradicted feelings were so confusing!

"Oh no, I can train him. It's not that" Luke answered.

He began to walk, not towards the temple, but in the opposite direction. Din followed as the Jedi kept speaking "but I'm quite convinced it was a mistake taking him here and away from you."

Din kept staring at Luke. One, two, three breaths. Had he heard right? Din was sure that, under his helmet, he was looking at Luke as if he'd grown another head overnight.

"What do you mean, exactly?"

"He misses you. Very much." he answered, shrugging his shoulders "the bond you have is so strong that it weakens him when you're apart. He's powerful, smart, funny and hardworking. But I can still see him doubting his own abilities, and shying away from his powers."

"Shying away? That can't be possible, I know about his powers because I've seen him use them, and on several occasions!" Din answered, and his voice sounded incredulous.

"I know, I've seen him too. I have a theory for that."

He fell silent for a bit as he walked a few paces. Din kept up with him effortlessly, despite his steps being much ruder and louder than the Jedi's.

"From what I could see in his thoughts and memories, he's had to hide his powers for a long time to survive," Luke started. Din nodded, Ahsoka had said the same thing. "When he found you, he started to use his powers again to save you, and he saw that he didn't need to hide them from you. But then, because of those same powers and because he indeed is powerful and needs training, I took him away from you."

"What are you saying exactly, Skywalker?"

"I'm saying, Din Djarin, that a part of him wants his powers to fade away, to disappear, as Ashoka Tano told you he should do. That way, Grogu believes he can come back to you."

"But... but he can't do that! Those powers are a part of him, he can't...!"

"I know that, and you know that too," Luke interrupted him, a hand in front of him to placate him, "but he doesn't. He believes his powers are the reason I took him away from you. And he isn't wrong. After all, you only set to find a Jedi because he needed training, didn't you?"

Din nodded, tired and sad.

"Now tell me, Din Djarin. Is it really so outlandish to think a child would want his powers to fade if that meant he could go back with his father?"