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Battle of Mos Espa.

Summary:

What if instead of sending Grogu back to Din by himself Luke accompanied him, and offered to help Boba Fett with the situation in Mos Espa? How would events have happened in this scenario?

Notes:

I know that I am behind on the series but I only recently watched the Book of Boba Fett and fell in love with the series. However, I found myself wondering what may have been different if Luke had returned Grogu in person instead of sending him with R2 to find Din. Hence I am writing this story. I hope you like this.

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'' Which do you choose?'' Luke asked, gesturing to the two items before him: Yoda's lightsaber, and the armor given by the Mandalorian. 

Luke could sense that Grogu was torn between the two items laid before him. The child was not certain about which one would be the right choice. He wanted to train to be a Jedi, as he had shown during their lessons. However, Luke could tell that his heart was not fully in it because Grogu missed the Mandalorian. It was an understandable thing given that the Mandalorian had cared for him for all that time, protecting him from the empire remnants that wanted to use him. 

Grogu looked up to Luke with what he assumed was uncertainty. 

'' I will not be upset with what ever decision you make.'' Luke assured. '' I want you to choose what will make you happy.'' 

His words seemed to put Grogus mind at ease as the little one looked between the items once more. 

Finally, he walked towards the chain armor, reaching out to grab the article with a small cooing sound. 

Luke smiled, knowing that Grogu choose with his heart. 

'' If this is what you chose, then I will accept it.'' Luke said. 

Grogu looked up to Luke with a smile on his face, nodding his head. 

'' Very well then.'' Luke said, reaching out to take the lightsaber. He placed it back in the box he had retrieved it from, shutting the lid. '' Since you choose the armor, I will help to get you back to the Mandalorian.'' He said. 

Grogu looked down at the garment in his hands, and back up to Luke with begging eyes. Luke could not help but chuckle at the action. 

'' Yes. You can put that on.'' Luke said as he moved to stand. '' I need to make some preparations for our departure. Wait here until I return.'' He said. 

Grogu made a small sound of acknowledgment as Luke stood to leave the small building they were in. 

Luke stepped outside to find R2 beeping at the group of droids who were preparing to make another building to add to the new temple. When the droid noticed him approaching it turned to face him with a long beep. 

'' R2, I need you to get the x-wing ready to fly for me.'' Luke said. '' We're going for a little trip.'' 

R2 began to beep loudly. It was clear that the droid was wondering why Luke wanted to leave all of a sudden. 

'' Grogu wishes to return to the Mandalorian, but I don't want to send him along, so I'm going to take him back myself.'' Luke explained. '' I want to leave as soon as we're able to. Hopefully we can catch the Mandalorian before he gets to far.'' 

R2 beeped indignantly at Luke. 

'' I have a good idea where he is.'' Luke assured. '' Let's just hope he's still there when we get there.'' He added under his breath. 

R2 rolled away at that point, beeping something about the trip possibly being a wild goose chase if they didn't find him on the first try. Luke shook his head at the droids antics before returning to the building to retrieve Grogu. When he stepped inside he found Grogu pulling on the brown robes over the beskar chain mail he had been given. Once finished he looked up to Luke with a grin on his face. 

'' We should be ready to go soon little one.'' Luke assured. '' I'll have you back with your father soon enough.'' 

Grogu cooed in glee at his words as he hobbled over to Luke. Luke picked Grogu up with one hand while he reached out with the other. He used the force to retrieve his cloak from where it was hanging on the wall nearby. He wrapped it around himself one handed, leaving the hood down for the time being, and left the hut to head for his x-wing.

 

---

 

The flight to Tatooine was a short one. Within a days time Luke could see the desert planet outside the viewport of his X-wing. It had not changed much since the last time he had been here. Then again, Tatooine was so far out from the core that it would be quite some time before things truly changed. 

Luke reached out with the force, searching for the presence of the Mandalorian below. After a few minutes of searching he managed to find it. The Mandalorian was just outside of Mos Espa, near where Jabba's palace stood. Grogu began to chirp in Luke's lap, having also sensed his presence below. 

'' He's definitely down there.'' Luke said. '' Let's focus on landing first, and then we'll get you home.'' He said. 

Grogu cooed in agreement. 

The landing process was short and simple. Luke had done it enough times that he could probably do it blindfolded at this point. He found an empty port at the Mos Eisley space port, and maneuvered towards it. They would have to travel a little by foot to reach Mos Espa, but it was not a far trip, and he had enough credits to get a speeder to get there if needed. 

He landed without trouble, but before he could start cutting power he heard R2 start beeping rather loud from his port. 

'' What is it R2?'' Luke asked as he moved to open the canopy. 

He could make out something about a woman approaching the x-wing. As he opened up the canopy he was able to hear this woman's voice as she approached. 

'' Officer! No, hide it! Officer, I filed for my New Republic certification seal just as you were landing, what a coincidence!'' The woman shouted, her tone portraying how nervous she was. 

Grogu cooed happily as he looked up to Luke. 

'' Oh, you know her?'' Luke asked as he removed his helmet. 

Grogu cooed, his way of saying yes. 

Luke set the helmet down in front of him, and lifted himself out of the pilots seat to see who this woman was. 

However, he was surprised when he finally saw her. 

'' Pelli?'' Luke said in surprise. 

The look of concern on the womans face morphed into something akin to shock and awe. 

'' Oh my... Wormie?'' Pelli spoke up. '' I thought you had died when your farm was attacked eight years ago.'' She said. 

'' No. I wasn't there when it happened.'' Luke said. '' I've been busy with... Other things.'' He stated as he moved to descend the ladder one of the droids had put against the ship. 

'' What are you doing back here then? Surely you didn't just come back for a visit.'' Pelli said as she stepped closer to the x-wing. 

'' Let's just say that I have something to take care of.'' Luke assured as he reached back into the x-wing to retrieve Grogu. He had barely pulled the little guy out of the seat before Pelli was approaching. 

'' Oh, hey there little fella. How have you been?'' Pelli spoke as she reached out to take Grogu. Luke handed the child over, trusting Pelli to watch him as he finished shutting down the x-wing. 

'' What have you been up to little guy? Mando said something about you being with your own kind.'' Pelli said as she held Grogu like a baby. Grogu did not seem to mind as he cooed up at her, comfortable with her. 

'' He's been with me all this time.'' Luke said. '' And his name is Grogu.'' He added. 

'' Grogu?'' Pelli asked, glancing down at the child. '' That's an ugly name. No offence little guy.'' She said, to which Grogu frowned. '' Why has he been with you this whole time? I thought Mando was trying to find a Jedi or something to raise him.'' Pelli said, changing the subject. 

'' He did.'' Luke said, brushing his cloak aside to reveal the lightsaber attached to his belt. 

Pelli's eyes darted from the lightsaber to Luke's eyes, clearly confused as to what was happening. 

'' You... You're a jedi?'' Pelli asked. 

'' Yes, I am.'' Luke said. 

'' Gee, what have you been up to since you left wormie?'' Pelli asked in shock. 

'' That's a story for another time.'' Luke said. '' I'm here to return Grogu to the Mandalorian. We know that he is in Mos Espa right now.'' 

'' Yeah he's here. He's got a job over there helping out the daimyo.'' Pelli said. 

'' What kind of a job?'' Luke asked. 

'' Something to do with the illegal spice trade. It's gotten really bad ever since Jabba was killed. five years ago.'' Pelli said. '' The Pykes have been ruthless about it. Anyone who gets in their way gets killed. They even murdered a tusken camp because they were causing issues for business.'' She explained. 

A pang of dread filled Luke's chest at her words. 

If things were that bad over there, then the Mandalorian could be in some serious trouble. 

If things took a really bad turn, then the Mandalorian could even be killed.

Luke knew he could not stand by and allow something like that to happen. He had promised to bring Grogu home to his father, and now that deal included making sure his father made it out of this alive. 

'' Pelli, do you have a speeder that I can borrow?'' Luke asked. 

'' Yeah... Why?'' She asked. 

'' I'm going to go see the Mandalorian, and see if I can lend them a hand.'' Luke said. 

'' Are you crazy. You're going to get yourself killed.'' Pelli argued. 

Luke turned to face her, his eyes drifting down to Grogu. He was watching him with those large brown eyes, understanding hidden deep within them. 

'' I made a promise to return Grogu to him, and I won't break that promise now. Because of that, I have to help him.'' Luke assured. '' If you could, look after Grogu for me while I'm gone, and I will be back with the Mandalorian when all of this is over.'' He said. 

'' I'll look after him.'' Pelli said. '' It'll be just like old times, right little guy?'' She asked, glancing down to Grogu. Grogu cooed in response, a smile on his face. 

'' Thank you.'' Luke said. 

'' The speeder is parked out back. Hey!'' Pelli shouted, grabbing the attention of the droid attendants that worked for her. '' Go get the speeder for Wormie here, and get some dung worms for the little guy!'' She shouted to the droids. 

The droids seemed to stumble over each other as they rushed to retrieve the asked for items. While they were gone Luke approached Grogu, leaning down to be at eye level with him. 

Grogu looked towards him, sending a question through the force. 

'' I promise you I will help him. You will see your father again.'' Luke said. 

Grogu reached out to him, a sad look passing his face. 

'' It'll be alright.'' Luke said. '' Pelli will take good care of you, and I will protect your father.'' 

The droids returned with the speeder at that moment, leaving it to hover beside the three of them. 

'' I'll keep the little guy safe for the both of you.'' Pelli said. 

Luke got on the speeder, powering it up. 

'' Thank you.'' Luke said. 

He guided the speeder towards the exit, and took off into the night. 

 

---

 

It was the early hours of the morning by the time he reached Mos Espa. 

Already the area was bustling with life, people moving to grab transports to travel across planet, while others were beginning their day. 

However, there was a heaviness to the air. 

The people of mos espa were on edge. Something had happened here in relation to the Pykes as Pelli called them. 

Thankfully, Luke did not have to travel far to find what had the town on edge. 

Luke found himself standing before what had once been a cantina. All that remained of the cantina was the building itself, and the charred remains of the furniture both inside and scattered in the streets. He could sense five people inside of the building. One of them was the Mandalorian he was searching for. 

Luke knew he could not put this off. Given the unease in the town, there was no telling when things would take a turn. He had to make himself known to them. 

Taking a deep breath, he approached the building, and walked through the front door. 

The damage on the inside of the cantina was worse then on the outside. Everything was charred black, and sections of the ceiling had caved in from the force of the explosion that caused it. 

'' Who the hell are you?'' Came a voice from further in the building. It was a young woman with a mechanical arm. She had a blaster in her hands, and it was aimed towards him. 

'' No wait!'' The Mandalorian snapped, holding out a hand to signal her to stand down. The woman did so, but she was still watching him with a wary glare. 

'' Forgive me for intruding.'' Luke apologized. 

'' What are you doing here?'' The Mandalorian asked, turning to fully face Luke. Despite the helmet covering his face, Luke could tell that he was worried about his presence. 

'' You know this person Mando?'' The second woman asked, one that Luke recognized from when he originally took Grogu to train him. 

'' Yes. He's the Jedi that has been training Grogu.'' The Mandalorian said. 

There was movement out of the corner of Luke's eyes. He glanced over to spot a familiar set of Mandalorian armor, which caught him off guard. 

And it appeared that the man recognized him as well. 

'' Skywalker... I should have known that the child was with you.'' Boba Fett said. 

'' I thought the Sarlacc had devoured you.'' Luke said in a tight tone. 

'' It almost did. I escaped and was rescued by a tusken tribe. Now I am the Daimyo.'' Boba explained. 

A tense silence fell over the group before Din finally stepped in to change the subject. 

'' Where is Grogu? Is he with Ahsoka?'' Din asked. 

'' He's safe with Pelli at the moment.'' Luke said. '' And he's anxious to see you.'' He added. 

Luke felt surprise from the man as he took a step back. 

'' I gave him a choice to either continue his training, or return to your care. He chose to be with you, so I am respecting his wishes.'' Luke explained. '' However, I caught word of trouble out here from Pelli, so I came to see if I could help you.'' 

A look of surprise passed the faces of those that he could see. 

'' You would help us?'' The woman with the mechanical arm asked. 

'' I used to live on Tatooine myself. It's still my home even if I do not live here anymore.'' Luke said. 

He turned to face Boba Fett now. 

There was a deep part of him that wanted to step away from this simply because he was involved. However, he knew that he needed to help them. 

'' I cannot forgive you for what you did to Han all those years ago... However, I can see that you have the best intentions for the people of Mos Espa.'' Luke pulled the hood off of his head. '' I will stay and help you however I can.'' 

There was a pregnant pause as Boba glanced towards Din and then Fennec. There was a slight nod from Fennec, who clearly remembered the show he had given when taking down the dark troopers on Gideons ship. 

Boba Fett stepped forward at that point, and held out a hand to Luke. 

'' It would be an honor to have your help in this fight... Jedi Skywalker.'' Boba Fett said. 

A smile passed Luke's face as he shook Boba Fett's hand. 

'' So what is the situation, Daimyo?'' Luke asked. 

''Right now, the situation is not good.'' Boba stated. '' The Pyke syndicate has a strong hold on Mos Espa, and they've shown they are willing to kill to keep it that way.'' 

'' They bombed out this cantina to prove it, killing many who stood with Boba on his ideals.'' Fennec added. 

'' Do you know where the Pykes are operating from?'' Luke asked. 

'' Right now, no.'' Boba explained. 

'' All we know is that the Pykes are building up an army. The mayor helped them to do so, and now he's supposedly flown off world.'' Fennec explained. 

'' We've been working to build up an army of our own.'' Boba explained. 

'' The people of free town will aid us.'' Din stated. '' I know Cobb Vanth will bring them here.'' 

'' If he doesn't then we are doomed.'' Boba said in a low tone. '' Even with our skills their numbers will overpower us... We need to buy some time before they arrive. We should lock down at the palace.'' 

'' That's a bad idea.'' One of the others said, a man by the name of Skad. 

'' Is that so?'' Boba asked. 

'' It is.'' Skad confirmed. 

'' Then where do you suppose we wait for reinforcements?'' Boba asked. 

'' We wait here.'' Skad explained. 

A stunned silence filled the room. 

'' Here? In these ruins?... Impossible. The palace is much safer and better fortified.'' Boba stated. 

'' If you want to go hide in your palace and abandon Mos Espa then go ahead.'' Drash spoke up. '' We're staying. The people of Mos Espa need our protection.'' She stated. 

'' She is right.'' Luke spoke up. '' The syndicate may expect for you to return to the palace. If they see you do this then they will know exactly where to attack you. On top of that, they will continue to act right under your nose knowing once you leave the palace they will have a chance to strike. The city won't be safe.'' He explained. 

Silence fell as Boba turned to face Fennec and Din. Fennec nodded, indicating that she believed staying was the best chance they had to get the upper hand. Din gave a small nod, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it. 

'' Ok. We will stay.'' Boba said. '' Drash, take your men and begin patrolling as you planned, and make sure the gamorean guards are in place at the port. Krrsatan should already be in place in trandoshan territory.'' 

'' On it.'' Drash said as she and skad quickly left the building to take on their tasks. 

'' For now I want you to stay here Skywalker.'' Boba said. '' So far the syndicate doesn't know you are here, so lets keep it that way.'' 

'' I understand.'' Luke assured. 

Silence fell at that point, only being broken by the twi'lek who claimed to be working for the missing mayor of Mos Espa. He was clearly trying to protect himself by claiming what was really going on. 

However, Luke could see through the lies easily. 

During the hour that passed Luke found a place to sit and meditate as they waited for the reinforcements to arrive. He could sense Boba Fett and Din hovering close to the entrance, on guard in case anything tried to get in. Fennec was going over the plan once more with Boba, describing how their men were scattered through the city to keep an eye out for the syndicates arrival. 

'' Once the people of free town arrive, we will be able to pivot our strength towards which ever region the pykes decide to attack from.'' Fennec finished. 

'' For now?'' Boba questioned. 

'' We wait.'' Fennec explained. 

Luke was about to delve deeper into his meditation, but stopped when he sensed someone approaching them. 

'' Someone's coming.'' Luke spoke up. 

All eyes turned to face him. 

'' Can you tell who it is?'' Fennec asked. 

'' No... But I do not think they wish well for us.'' Luke explained as he stood up. 

'' I'll take a look.'' Boba Fett said as he put his helmet on. 

Boba was the first one to step out of the building. Fennec followed close behind, her own helmet hiding her features as she wielded her sniper riffle. Din hung back for a second, turning his gaze towards Luke. 

'' Do you think this will be trouble?'' Din asked. 

'' I'm not sure.'' Luke admitted as he pulled his hood up once more. '' But you should be prepared for anything.'' He warned before stepping outside. 

Luke moved to stand behind one of the remaining pillars still outside the cantina, perfectly hidden from the person who was approaching. He peaked around the pillar for a moment to get an idea who this person was. 

The man was a species that Luke had never seen before. He had blue toned skin with large red eyes. There was a breathing apparatus of some type attached to the sides of his face. He was dressed in a long trench coat, a hat helping to obscure the rest of his face. Luke reached out with the force to try and get a gauge on this guys intentions. He felt anger and frustration from it. This guy meant business. 

'' This could be interesting.'' Fennec whispered. 

'' Who is he?'' Luke asked. 

'' His name is Cad Bane. He's a notorious bounty hunter and gun for hire. He's been active since the separatists were around.'' Fennec explained. 

'' I thought I smelled something familiar.'' Boba Fett spoke up as he stopped with a few yards between him and Cad Bane. '' If you're looking for a job, you're late.'' He stated. 

'' I've already got a job.'' Bane explained. '' I'm here to negotiate on behalf of the Pyke syndicate.'' 

'' I don't negotiate with gutless murderers.'' Boba stated. '' Clear out, and tell your bosses that you're outnumbered.'' He added. 

'' Oh, I wouldn't be counting on the people of Free Town to be coming any time soon.'' Bane said. '' I paid marshal Vanth a visit... You should have never left him without his armor.'' Bane said, a sadistic grin on his face. 

Luke felt a swell of anger to his right as he looked over to Din. He could see the man gripping his blaster tighter, his hand shaking from the tight grip. He held up the blaster, ready to fire if it came down to it. A quick glance at Fennec revealed she was in a similar state. 

'' Before you get any ideas, I have back up to.'' Bane said. 

As he said this, two pyke syndicate men appeared from the rooftops, their riffles leveled at Boba Fett and the three of them. 

Luke instinctively reached for his lightsaber. If one of them were to fire he would have to act quickly to stop the blaster bolt. 

'' Let the spice flow through Mos Espa, and all of this can be avoided.'' Bane explained. 

There was a beat of silence between the two of them. 

'' No.'' Boba spoke. 

'' So what do you propose then?'' Bane asked, anger growing in his tone.

'' I will only negotiate with the head of the Pyke syndicate.'' Bobe explained with a nod of his head. 

'' You mean the one that massacred your tusken family, and blamed it on a speed bike gang?'' Bane asked, a grin passing his face. 

If the anger Luke had felt from Din before was bad, the anger he now felt rolling off of Boba Fett was ten times worse. It was clear that Bane had hit a nerve for the man. 

This was bad. 

This was really bad. 

'' You know it to be true.'' Bane said. 

There was a beat of silence, and then the sound of the safety on Boba Fetts gun flicking off broke it. 

'' Boba.'' Fennec spoke up, stepping out from behind the pillar she was using for cover. 

'' Let's do this, right here, right now.'' Bane said, flicking the edged of his trench coat back to reveal the blasters at his waist. His hands hovered close to the weapons, ready to draw at a moments notice. 

'' Not now. You pick when.'' Fennec said. 

'' He killed Vanth. The reinforcements aren't coming.'' Boba stated, biting back his anger. 

'' We fight on our terms, not theirs.'' Fennec reminded. 

'' I can take him.'' Boba stated. 

'' You are emotional.'' Fennec stated. 

'' I can take him.'' Boba repeated. 

'' We need to adjust.'' Fennec stated, her tone harder. 

There was a beat of silence, and then Boba stepped back, taking on a simple stance. Luke could feel him bury the anger deep down for the time being. 

'' Tell your client... negotiations are terminated.'' Boba stated. 

Bane frowned at him. 

'' You're going soft in your old age.'' Bane said, turning to his right. 

'' We all do.'' Boba said. 

Bane's frown deepened as he flicked his trench coat shut, and walked away. The two pyke guards from above disappeared after them. 

Once the coast was clear Din and Luke both came out from behind the pillar, being passed up by the twi'lek who was trying to give Boba praise for his job. 

'' If I may be so bold as to offer additional council-''

'' I wonder how much he'll pay for the twi'lek?'' Boba said, clearly annoyed by the man. 

'' Understood, many apologies I should not have interjected.'' He said. 

'' Come in boss.'' 

Fennec reached for her comm link on her belt, recognizing Drash's voice on the other end. 

'' Something feels strange over here.'' 

'' Have the pykes arrived?'' Boba asked.

'' Not yet, but something feels off.'' 

Luke reached out with the force, trying to see if he could figure out what it was Drash was talking about. 

That is when he noticed the swell of warning in the force, and it was coming from all directions. 

'' You need to call your men back now.'' Luke stated. 

'' Why?'' Boba asked. 

'' Somethings happening. I'm not sure what, but its bad.'' Luke said. '' You have to call them all back here now.'' 

Boba reached for the commlink to call on them, but it seemed they beat him to it. The comm crackled to life with the sound of blaster fire. 

'' The locals are attacking us. They laid a trap!'' 

'' I thought you had a treaty with the locals?'' Din asked. 

'' So did I.'' Boba answered. 

'' Krrsantan. Krrsanta, come in!'' Boba called over the commlink, worry filling his tone. 

There was no response from the wookie warrior. 

The commlink came to life again with the squealing of the gamorean guards at the space port. Things had taken a turn on their end as well. 

'' The Pykes have surrounded the city using the locals.'' Luke stated. '' It seems the locals went against their promise.'' 

'' Inside.'' Fennec said. '' Before someone see's us.'' 

The group all rushed back inside the building, knowing they needed to come up with another plan. 

'' We'll have to gather our people.'' 

'' There's no way to overcome their advantage. We need to cut them off at the top.'' Fennec said. 

'' Do you know where the head of the syndicate is located?'' Luke asked. 

'' Maybe.'' Boba said before turning to the twi'lek. '' Does the Pyke syndicate still operate out of Mos Eisley?'' Boba asked. 

'' It's difficult to say for certain-''

The click of Fennecs riffle quickly got the answer out of the twi'lek. 

'' Mos Eisley. Yes, now that I think about it, indeed they do. More specifically the desert survey office.'' He explained. 

'' Can you do that, can you get there in time?'' Boba asked as Fennec threw her riffle over her shoulder. 

'' It's worth a shot.'' Fennec said, and then she raced out of the building to find a speeder. 

'' We need to come up with another plan of attack while she takes out the head.'' Boba stated. 

'' What would you suggest?'' Din asked. 

'' A final stand.'' Boba stated. '' If we go out there now then we will surely be spotted and killed on sight. Because of that, we need to try and draw them here where we will have the advantage.'' He explained. 

'' It's a dangerous move.'' Luke warned. '' One wrong move and you could die.'' 

'' Right now its the only option we have other then abandoning the people of Mos Espa.'' Boba explained. '' If you have a better idea then I am all ears.'' He said. 

Luke bit at his lip, peaking out the broken window to see the street. 

'' I agree that a final stand is the best bet you have, but if you just go out shooting then you won't make it far.'' Luke explained. '' Instead, you need to take them by real surprise.'' 

'' And how do you expect us to do that?'' Din asked. 

'' You're Mandalorians.'' Luke said. '' You both have those jetpacks, meaning you can get the high ground against these guys.'' 

A look of understanding passed Boba's face as nodded for Luke to continue. 

'' If you guys can handle them from above then I can work from below, and if we time this right then we should be able to defeat them.'' Luke explained. 

Silence passed as Boba Fett and Din shared a quick look. 

'' I've got to admit. It's not a bad idea.'' Din said. 

'' It'll have to do for now. We don't have backup coming, and we don't know if the others will make it out of their own situations.'' Boba said with a sigh. '' We'll just have to work with it.'' 

'' It will work.'' Luke said. 

'' How do you know?'' Boba asked, casting a suspicious look towards the Jedi. 

'' I put my trust in the force, and the force is telling me that this plan will work to our advantage. I can't say exactly how as it is confusing, but I need you to trust me on this one.'' Luke explained. 

Boba glanced over to Din. 

'' I've seen him take down dozens of dark troopers single handedly. I would listen to what he's saying.'' Din said. 

Boba looked back to Luke, and gave a simple nod. 

'' We will follow your plan, but for now we better hunker down here and wait.'' Boba said. 

 

---

 

'' They're here.'' 

Luke opened his eyes from his meditation to find Din standing by the window looking outside. Boba was close by, his gaze cast outside. 

'' It was just a matter of time.'' Boba said. 

Luke stood from where he had been seated, crossing the room to get a look outside for himself. Sure enough he could see the pyke syndicate guards grouping up outside in various spots, their blasters raised and ready to fire. He reached out with the force, wanting to gauge how many of them were out there. 

'' I sense at least twelve syndicate soldiers out there right now, and there are more on the way.'' Luke explained. 

'' Is Cad Bane with them?'' Boba asked. 

'' I don't see him.'' Din said. 

'' And I don't sense him nearby either.'' Luke said. 

'' '' Any news on the others?'' Din asked. 

'' It will be a miracle if any of them survived... All three gotras of Mos Espa turned on us.'' Boba said. 

'' It was the smart move... Given their situation.'' Din said. 

'' It was.'' Boba said. 

A pregnant pause passed, broken by a heavy sigh from Boba. 

'' The two of you should leave.'' Boba said. '' This is not your fight.'' 

'' I'm not.'' Din said. 

'' You should.'' Boba said. '' The kid is waiting for you in Mos Eisley.'' 

Luke glanced over to Din, sensing the turmoil inside him. He wanted more than anything to go see Grogu again, but there was a part of him that did not want to leave Boba Fett to fight this battle alone. All the teachings he had gone through taught him to stay and fight. 

'' It's against the creed.'' Din stated. '' I gave you my word. I'm with you until the end of this.'' 

Din turned to look at Luke at that point. 

'' If anything happens to me today, protect Grogu.'' Din said. '' You're one of the only people I trust to protect him.''

'' I'm not leaving either.'' Luke said. '' The force is telling me to stay, so I will stay. You will see your son again.'' He stated. 

'' You really buy into that bantha fodder?'' Boba asked, the question directed at either one of them. 

Din glanced up to the daimyo. 

'' I do.'' Din declared. 

Despite the helmet in the way, Luke could tell that Boba was grinning. 

'' Good.'' He stated. 

Boba glanced out the window one last time. 

'' Are you sure you want to stay?'' He asked one last time. 

Din answered by pulling out his blaster, while Luke unhooked his lightsaber from his belt. 

'' This is the way.'' Din stated. 

Boba nodded in approval, then turned to look at Luke. 

'' Alright Skywalker, what's the next step?'' Boba asked. 

'' We need a negotiator to go out there and cause a distraction.'' Luke explained. '' It will give the two of you time to reach the roof to take the high ground.'' 

'' Are you going to do the negotiations?'' Din asked. 

'' It's the best chance we have. They won't see it coming.'' Luke explained.

'' If I may offer an alternative.'' The twi'lek spoke up, standing to approach the small group. '' But I was actually trained in civic negotiation on Coruscant.'' He stated. 

'' What do you propose?'' Boba asked. 

'' If you would feel confident to allow me to handle these negotiations, I can try to work in some form of escape in that we can get off world. We would be granted passage off world with, at worst, some groveling gestures and an exchange of funds.'' The twi'lek explained. 

Luke glanced over to Boba. 

'' Do you trust him with such a thing?'' Luke asked, still not sure what to think about thsi twi'lek. 

'' No, but it will buy us some time.'' Boba said. '' I will allow it. Bring me your tablet. I will write down what you are to say.'' 

'' Very good, yes, very good.'' The twi'lek said as he retrieved the tablet from where it rested on an overturned table. He handed it over to Boba. '' If needed, I am well versed in groveling and bowing if needed.'' 

Boba said nothing to this as he handed the tablet back. 

'' Go. We don't have much time.'' Boba instructed, which prompted the twi'lek to rush to the door. 

'' What is your plan Jedi?'' Din asked. 

'' You guys just focus on getting up top.'' Luke stated, casting his gaze towards the door. '' I have a feeling that I need to stay here. You will know when to attack.'' 

'' How so?'' Boba asked. 

'' You will know.'' Luke said, holding up his lightsaber. 

Din nodded in understanding. 

'' We will be watching for your signal.'' Din explained, and then he and Boba left to head to the roof. 

Luke turned towards the window once they were gone, watching as the twi'lek did his best to buy them some time. Given the way he tended to ramble, it was working perfectly. The pyke men were distracted enough that Luke managed to slip out of the door and behind one of the pillars like he had earlier. He could sense that the pyke men knew something was up. 

He had to act soon, or the plan would fail. 

Luke watched as the twi'lek fell silent, having read everything that was on the tablet. He saw the slight movement of the pyke guard lifting his blaster, pointing it at the twi'leks gut. 

It was now or never. 

Luke allowed the force to flow through him, giving him the speed he needed to rush forward. He brought his lightsaber to bear, the green blade springing to life as he swung down at the blaster, cutting the barrel of it before the pyke guard could fire. He then thrust a hand out, pushing the guards back a few feet. 

From behind he could hear Din and Boba take flight with their jetpacks, both of them beginning their assault on the pyke syndicate gathered. 

'' You better get back, or you will get caught in the cross fire.'' Luke said to the twi'lek as he used his saber to block any oncoming blaster fire. Thankfully, the twi'lek did not argue, instead choosing to rush back to the bombed out cantina to take cover. 

Once the Twi'lek was out of the way Luke delved deeper into the force, allowing it to control his movements. usually he was not one for handling a situation in this way, but the pykes had already shown their intent for violence to get what they wanted, so Luke knew he would have to fight to protect the people of Mos Espa. 

It was the only way. 

Three of the pyke soldiers rushed at Luke at once, their blasters raised as they fired a volley of blaster bolts at him. Luke let his arms move freely, his lightsaber catching each of the bolts to send them back in the direction they had come from. One of the bolts struck the soldier closest to him, sending him to the ground. The shot had struck him in the chest, but he was struggling to get up, so it had not killed him. The other two soldiers ignored their fallen comrade, instead pushing forward to try and attack him. Luke used this to his advantage, pushing forward with his lightsaber held at his side. When he reached the first soldier he sliced at the arm that was holding the blaster. It fell to the ground with a thump, the metal of the blaster rattling slightly. Luke then took his free hand, and sent a message for the soldier to sleep. Due to the shock of losing his arm, the pyke soldier immediately fell, unable to fight the suggestion through the force. 

The second guard began to fire at Luke from up close. Luke managed to deflect these as well, sending them into the walls of the nearby buildings. He then raised his lightsaber, and brought it down swiftly onto the soldier. 

He did not stand a chance. 

Luke used the force to put the third soldier, the one who had been struck by his own blaster bold, to sleep. Once he was finished he turned his attention forward. 

There were ten more soldiers coming his way. 

Luke raised his lightsaber, ready to rush them. 

That's when he heard a pained gasp from behind. 

Luke whipped around to find Din kneeling on the ground, one of his hands gripping at his leg. He could just make out the singed cloth where a blaster bolt had struck him, missing the beskar plates on his legs. 

Luke wanted to rush back to help Din, knowing that he would need it, but he had his own problems now. 

The sudden lapse in his attention had allowed the ten oncoming soldiers to gain on him, and Luke quickly found himself surrounded by them. 

Luke wasted no time in shifting to the offensive. He lunged out with his lightsaber, slashing at the closest pyke guard. He managed to disarm the guard, and shoved him back with a force push. He turned to the guard at their left, and slashed down with his lightsaber in a swift killing blow. A flare of warning pushed him to turn around just in time to catch a flurry of blaster bolts with his lightsaber as the remaining guards opened fire on him. Luke directed the blaster bolts back towards the guards, managing to take out three of them. This left five guards remaining. 

However, more backup was already coming into the area. 

Luke felt the warning in the force to move, but he was a second to late. 

A blaster bolt from one of the guards just behind him struck him in the shoulder before he could bring his lightsaber up to stop it. The wound burned terribly, but Luke had no time to waste. He had to keep going. 

He deflected a few more bolts that were aimed at him, taking out the remaining guards that had surrounded him. From there he began to take steps back in the direction that Din and Boba were in. Reaching out with the force he could feel there were at least twenty guards closing in on top of who was already there. 

They were completely surrounded. 

Luke was forced back as a new volley of blaster fire came in his direction. He moved frantically to block all the blaster bolts, steadily moving backwards as he did so. He heard the sound of blaster bolts striking beskar behind him as Either Din or Boba landed. 

'' Get down!'' Boba shouted. 

Luke dropped to the ground as told, and just in time to watch as a small missile went flying over his head to strike at the group of guards that had been firing at him. The explosion that followed took out a large number of them, but nearly ten were still standing, readying to fire once again. These guards were taken care of by the whistling birds that remained in Din's arsenal. 

However, more guards continued to pour in. 

'' They just keep coming!'' Boba stated as he fired on the new coming guards. 

Luke did his best to deflect the blaster bolts, but he was struck once again by one that managed to slip past his blade. The blaster bolt struck him in the side, causing him to fall to one knee in pain. 

'' Skywalker!'' Din called out. 

'' I'm fine!'' Luke shot back before looking down to the wound. 

The blaster bold had burned through his cloak and clothing. The skin underneath was red and blistered, blackened in the center from the nasty burn. If the shot had come from closer, or from a much powerful blaster, Luke was sure it would have killed him. 

'' Can you stand?'' Boba asked. 

He took a deep breath, reaching out to the force to try and lessen the pain both in his side and his shoulder. Once it was more manageable he stood, igniting his lightsaber to deflect more oncoming blaster fire. 

'' I'm not finished yet.'' Luke answered. 

The bolts seemed endless. Luke managed to stop most of them from hitting either himself or the others, but a few managed to slip through, bouncing off Din and Boba's armor. One of the blaster bolts struck Dins leg again, thankfully hitting beskar this time, but the blast was hard enough to knock him to the ground. Luke shifted to give him more cover, but this left Boba open. He was fired upon, bringing him to his knees. 

The guards were closing in now, some moving to try and surround them. 

It was starting to seem hopeless. 

At least until a blaster bolt came flying in from a distance, taking out one of the guards. 

At first Luke was baffled, thinking that it was friendly fire. 

Then he felt something in the force, and when he reached out he could sense a group approaching. 

A large speeder turned the corner a little ways up the street, filled to the brim with people carrying blasters and riffles. They began to fire at the pyke guards on the street, taking them out as they approached the three of them. 

'' The people of Free Town.'' Boba spoke up. 

The speeders came to a stop in front of them as the man at the guns ordered them all out. The speeder was maneuvered to become a barrier for the group as the people of Free Town began to take up their arms. The pyke's were forced back by the extra fire power, giving them a chance to regroup behind the speeder. 

The pykes drew back, finding cover along the buildings lining the street. 

'' I'm sorry about the Marshal.'' Din said towards the man who had been at the gunner on the speeder. 

'' Gunned him down in cold blood.'' 

A few stray blaster bolts flew over the top of the speeder. Luke managed to reach out with his lightsaber and deflect the ones that would have struck the towns people. The others harmlessly struck the wall behind them. 

'' You didn't have to come.'' Din said. 

'' Yes we did.'' The man stated. '' This planet deserves better.'' 

There was a whirring sound coming from their left. 

Luke could not help but smile, already knowing who it was before even looking. 

The bikers had survived their own battle, and they arrived just in time to give them some backup. 

Blaster fire erupted once more from the pyke soldiers. One of the bolts struck the bike that Skad had been on. The man was sent flying as his bike crashed a little ways ahead of him. 

Luke rushed forward, lightsaber flying to deflect the blaster bolts coming his way. He managed to reach Skad's side just as Drash was maneuvering her own bike to give them some more cover. 

'' Get behind the speeder!'' Luke shouted over the blaster fire, blocking a few of the bolts from striking the two bikers. He slowly made his way back to the cover of the speeder, ducking behind it just in time to avoid blaster fire aimed for his head. 

'' You alright?'' Boba asked. 

'' Got pretty hairy out there.'' Drash explained. 

'' Where did all these sand scurriers come from?'' Skad asked, out of breath still from the crash. 

'' We're here to save the tails of some city rats.'' One of the towns people said, a younger woman. Drash seemed hurt by the comment, an angry look passing her face. 

'' Hey, save it for the pykes.'' Boba said, reminding them of the battle at hand. 

Not even a second later two pyke guards were send flying from their cover as a loud wookie howl rang out. The group washed as krsanton came lumbering into the street with two moer guards trying to stop him by wrestling. Krsanton threw these guards off with ease, but it was clear that he was not doing too well. He was limping, his right leg having been injured as he tried to make his way over to the group. The pykes were taking advantage of his slow speed to come out from hiding and attack the wookie. 

Kranton was going to need some help. 

'' Skywalker, you're with me!'' Boba stated before rushing out from behind the speeder. 

Luke rushed after him, knowing what the man had in mind. 

The two of them managed to reach Krsanton just as the wookie fell to his knees. Boba began to try and get him back on his feet, firing on any pyke guards that got to close. Luke on the other hand was blocking the blaster fire, sending many of the bolts back to where they had come from to stop the pyke soldiers. It took a few minutes, but they managed to get Krsanton behind cover. 

'' Welcome back Krsanton. I have to admit I thought you were gone. I owe you a long soak in the bacta tank.'' Boba stated as he made Krsanton lean against the speeder so he could rest. 

'' They're falling back!'' One of the towns people shouted. 

Luke glanced over the speeder to see that the pyke soldiers were fleeing from where they had come. The towns people began to cheer at the sight. 

However, something was not right. 

There was a warning in the force, but for what Luke could not tell. 

Luke shut his eyes, reaching out with the force to sense what was going on. However, he did not find anything living. 

There was movement to his right as Din seemed to activate something on his helmet. 

'' I wouldn't celebrate yet.'' Din explained. '' We've got problems.'' 

The sound of metal making contact with the ground could be heard as two large battle droids turned the corners onto the street, and they were slowly making their way to them. 

'' We've got real problems.'' Din stated in a low tone. 

Shields sprung up around the droids as they all turned, their guns pointed at the group. 

The group opened fire, aiming as if to strike the eye on the droids. However, the shields seemed to just absorb the blaster bolts as the droids continued forward. 

'' Blasters won't make it through those shields.'' Luke stated. 

'' Maybe this will.'' Boba said as the hud lowered on his helmet. He then bent down and fired the missile from his jetpack. The missile was engulfed in fire and smoke as it struck the shield. Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see if the missile had done the job. 

They were proven wrong when the two droids broke through the smoke, and opened fire on the group. 

Everyone was forced to take cover behind the speeder, the force of the blaster fire sending large chunks of the speeder and the wall behind them flying. 

'' Everyone run! We'll distract them!'' Boba shouted. 

The towns people, along with the remnants of the biker gang, began to run down the street to their left. However, they did not get far before the speeder they had used to get there exploded from the blaster fire. 

Luke reached out with the force, keeping the fire and smoke back from himself as well as Din and Boba. Once the smoke cleared on its own they could see the droids closing in on them. 

'' Any idea's on how to destroy these things?'' Boba asked. 

'' We have to find a way to get through the shields.'' Luke explained. '' It's the only way.'' 

'' We don't have much of a choice then.'' Boba stated as he glanced towards the droids. '' Draw their attention for the time being. We'll attack from behind.'' He stated. 

'' I'll do what I can.'' Luke explained, reigniting his lightsaber. 

The two mandalorians took off into the sky, each of them landing behind one of the droids. 

Luke did the best he could to draw their attention, blocking the blaster fire that came his way with difficulty. However, it appeared that the droids could tell what was happening behind them as they began to swivel to attack the others. 

Boba was doing his best to avoid the blaster fire, while Din was trying to get through the shield with the dark saber. However, the saber simply bounced off the shield, not even managing to push through in the slightest. 

Luke made his way around the droid, blocking blaster fire as he went. He managed to reach Din and Boba while the droid was still turning to face them. 

'' I can't get through.'' Din stated with a huff, struggling to hold up the dark saber. 

'' These two will destroy the whole city!'' Boba stated as they moved to avoid further blaster fire coming there way. 

'' Energy weapons can't get through, and our kinetic weapons have to much velocity.'' Din said as he clipped the dark saber back onto his belt. 

The droid began to open fire on them once again. Luke rushed forward, blocking the bolts that would have struck the two. 

'' Move, quickly!'' Luke shouted over the loud booms of the blaster cannons firing. Once Din and Boba were a ways away Luke moved to change his tactic. After seeing Din struggle to get the darksaber through, he knew he would be unable to get his own saber through the shield. So instead, he reached out with the force. He pushed with all his strength on the droids legs, which tripped it up for a moment. It seemed to fall forward, but using the guns as arms, it began to push itself up again. 

Suddenly, Luke was pulled from the fight by the sound of a jetpack firing behind him. He glanced behind himself to see Boba Fett taking off into the sky, heading in the direction of his castle. Din was running towards him, blaster in hand. 

'' Where's he going?'' Luke asked. 

'' I'm not sure. I think he's getting reinforcements.'' Din stated. '' We need to distract them from the others.'' He added. 

Luke glanced behind himself, watching as the bikers and townsfolk were fleeing around the corner. 

'' WE should draw them in that direction, its the best chance we have at keeping them away from the others.'' Luke explained. 

'' How do you expect us to do that?'' Din asked as he began to run, avoiding blaster fire along the way. 

'' You have a blaster. Use it.'' Luke explained. 

Din nodded, and raised his blaster to fire at the shield as he ran in the direction Luke had told him. However, as they moved in that direction, the droid behind the one closest to them opened fire. The blaster bolts struck the ground around them, sending them both flying. Luke managed to tuck and role when he hit the ground, coming up to a crouching position as he faced the monster. Din did not have as much luck as he landed flat on his back, scrambling to get back up. Luke used his lightsaber to block any further blaster fire to give Din the chance to get back up. 

'' Ok. We've got its attention. Now what?'' Din asked as he raised his blaster once again. 

The droid began to fire on them both once again. 

'' Right now we run.'' Luke explained as they both turned to move down the street they were on. They could hear the droid following them, its metal legs clanging against the ground. '' I can try to disable the blaster cannons with the force, but that won't get us through the force field.'' Luke stated. 

'' What about destroying the generator for the force field?'' Din asked. 

'' I don't know where it's located on the droid, and I don't know if the force would be enough to stop it.'' Luke explained. 

'' It's still worth a try.'' Din stated. 

Something behind them exploded in a ball of fire, forcing Din and Luke to take cover behind some boxes lining the street. Once the coast was clear they turned the corner, hearing the blaster fire continue behind them. 

That was when Luke felt something familiar approaching him. 

His eyes went wide in horror as he looked up to find a cart being pulled by a droid, and Pelli was inside with Grogu at her side. 

'' Mando, Ha! We found you!'' Pelli shouted. 

'' What are you doing here!?'' Luke shouted. 

'' Turn around!"' Din shouted. 

'' What!'' Pelli shouted back. 

'' TURN AROUND!'' Din shouted even louder as the droid began to turn the corner. 

Luke activated his lightsaber as the droid opened fire on them once again, blocking what he could. As he did this he could hear Pelli shouting behind him as the cart spun around to head in the opposite direction. Once there was an opening Luke deactivated his saber, and rushed to grab onto the back of the cart. Din was already there, continuing his own barrage of blaster fire as the cart rushed down the street. 

'' Can this thing go any faster?'' Din asked. 

'' Go faster you bucket of bolts!'' Pelli shouted, throwing a large wrench at the droids head to prove a point. Once she did this the droid began to pull the cart faster down the street, almost unable to make a turn at the bend given how fast it was moving. 

'' Why did you bring Grogu here Pelli? It's dangerous out here at the moment.'' Luke stated, glancing down to see the little green child looking up at Din. Din was reaching down to the child talking to him at the moment. 

'' He would not stop trying to get my attention since you left the port. He tried to leave all on his own so I came with him for protection.'' Pelli stated. '' I know, not my best move, but I didn't have much of a choice. The force works in mysterious ways.'' She added. 

Blaster fire began to rain down on them again, rocking the cart. Din turned to begin firing once again as Luke activated his saber to block what he could. It was becoming harder to maneuver as the adrenaline wore off. His side was starting to ache something fierce, as well as his shoulder. One bolt in particular managed to graze his leg, leaving a nasty burn in its wake, and nearly knocking him off the cart. Luckily Din saw what happened and pulled him back up. 

However, the distraction cost them in the end.

One of the bolts managed to slip past, striking the droid pulling the cart along. The damage caused the droid to seize up, and the cart was flung into the air. 

Luke went flying in the air, but unlike before he was unable to tuck and roll when he hit the ground. Instead he landed hard on his injured shoulder, the blow jarring the blaster wound in his side. The pain was like fire being lit against his skin, causing him to cry out in pain. He rolled against the ground for a short time before finally coming to a stop. His side and shoulder were burning horribly, but he did not have time to focus on that. He had to help Din and Pelli. 

He could see that Din had ahold of Grogu, already turned to return fire to the droid as it grew closer. Pelli was just starting to get up, and she was shouting for him to get up. 

Luke pushed himself to a sitting position as best he could, his cloak falling from his shoulders. He gripped at the wound on his side, taking a deep breath to try and control the pain. when he moved the hand away it was covered with blood. The landing had jarred the wound enough to cause it to bleed. 

Pelli was rushing to his side, her blaster laying forgotten in the street. She reached out to try and pull Luke up. 

'' We can't stay here Wormie, get up!'' Pelli shouted.

Luke tried to stand with her help, but was unable to hold himself up. He crumbled back to the ground with Pelli fretting about how to get him out of the middle of the street. 

That's when they heard a loud roar. 

The droid turned its guns up, searching for the sound of the noise. 

Din took advantage of the distraction, rushing back to where Luke and Pelli were. 

'' We've gotta move.'' Din said, handing Grogu off to Pelli as he holstered his blaster. He then threw one of Luke's arms over his shoulder, and helped him over to a nearby building where they would have some cover. By the time they reached the building, they could see what had made the noise. 

Large claws gripped the top of a building as a Rancor pulled itself up. Sitting on its head was Boba Fett himself, directing the creature with a chain attached to a ring in the creatures nose. This Rancor was smaller then the one that Luke had faced years ago. It must have been younger, and it appeared that Boba was raising it for situations such as this. 

At least, that's what Luke hoped. 

Luke slid down the wall he was leaning against, pressing his hand into his side harder then before. Blood was starting to soak his tunic, and he was growing light headed from the pain. Din seemed to take notice of this as he turned to face Luke.

'' How bad is it?'' Din asked, kneeling beside the Jedi. 

'' Bad enough.'' Luke stated. 

Din reached down, moving Luke's hand aside to get a look at the injury. Din did not react, but through the Force Luke could tell that the Mandalorian was worried about what he saw. 

It was bad. 

There was another loud roar from the Rancor as it began its assault on the droid with Boba firing on it with his own blaster. As this was happening, the shield along the back side of the droid turned red, revealing that it was weakened compared to the part facing the Rancor. 

Meaning they had a way to get to the droid if someone could slip through.

Din stood from where he had been crouched, helmet turning to view the battle raging before them. 

'' Stay here. I have an idea.'' Din said as he reached for the darksaber. Before either Luke or Pelli could ask what he was going to do Din took off towards the droid. 

As this was happening, Grogu was fighting to get free of Pelli's hold, Reaching out to Luke. 

'' Hold on little guy.'' Pelli stated as she set him on the ground. The second his feet made contact with the ground Grogu rushed to Luke's side. Grogu took one look at the wound to his masters side, and knew what he had to do. 

Luke watched in awe as Grogu held his hand over the wound. The pain stopped instantly, and he watched as the wound knitted itself together once again. The same happened to the wound on his shoulder, the pain vanishing completely. In mere seconds, it was like nothing had happened to him. 

Grogu backed away from Luke, a tired look to his eyes as he sat on the ground, eyelids drooping. 

'' When did the kid learn to do that?'' Pelli asked in shock and awe. 

'' He's always known... I think.'' Luke explained, slowly pushing himself up. Pelli helped him to stand as they both looked to the droid. Din had thrust the darksaber into the top of the droid, just above what looked like its eye. When he did this the shield flickered before going out completely. However, he was also thrown off the creature, landing hard on his back while the dark saber landed just out of his reach. The droid was slowly moving forward, holding up one of its legs to try and land a killing blow. 

'' Watch over Grogu.'' Luke said. '' I've got to give him a hand.'' He explained, using the force to pull his lightsaber into his hand. He rushed forward, using the force to move faster. He ignited his lightsaber, and with one swing managed to cut off the leg the droid was trying to impale Din with. 

The droid stumbled, off balance now that it was missing a limb. 

Luke then reached out with the force, and managed to disable another leg by pulling a mechanism out of the legs joint, causing it to crumple against the ground. 

A roar rand out in the air, a warning as to what was coming. 

Luke deactivated his lightsaber, and helped Din to his feet. They both made it a short distance away from the droid before Boba returned with the Rancor grabbing it. They both turned to face the battle as Pelli raced over to them with Grogu. They watched in awe as the Rancor began to tear the droid limb from limb from a simple order given by Boba. Luke used the force to push away any pieces that would have struck them. 

Eventually Boba turned the Rancor in another direction, likely to go aid the people of free town with the second droid. 

'' We better find our own way over there.'' Din said as he took Grogu from Pelli's arms. '' Come on.'' He stated as he began to run down a nearby street. 

 

---

 

They followed the sound of blaster fire and Rancor roaring for a short time, finally turning a corner to find the people of Free Town hunkered down behind a wall that looked ready to fall apart. The Rancor had torn the last droid to bits, and the pyke syndicate soldiers who still remained were starting to fall back in fear. 

'' They're retreating.'' Din mumbled. 

'' It's the best chance you have to chase them out.'' Luke stated. 

Din nodded in agreement as he rushed towards the towns people. Skad was standing just outside the cover, clearly lost as to what to do. 

'' Keep them on their heels! They're on the run!'' Din shouted as he opened fire on the pyke soldiers still in the street. 

His words moved the people taking cover, as they all came out and began to chase after those who were left. 

Luke followed the people, striking where he could while using his lightsaber to deflect any blaster fire from the others. They managed to force the soldiers back towards the edge of town, but as they were doing this, they heard the townspeople of Mos Espa crying out in fear. At first they thought it was due to the pyke soldiers causing chaos. 

Then, they got the real answer when they saw the Rancor crawling across the top of the buildings. 

'' THE RANCORS ON THE LOOSE!'' Someone shouted. 

The Rancor came to a stop on top of a building along the street the bikers were on. The Rancor had a blue speeder in its hands. The bikers, alongside Krrsanton, opened fire on the creature. This only scared and angered the Rancor. It roared loudly, and with a swipe of its arm it sent the speeder flying towards the bikers. 

Luke reached out with the force just in time to stop the speeder from striking the group, bringing it to a rest on the ground. 

'' You're scaring it. Put your blasters down, stop shooting!'' Din shouted. 

The townsfolk did as they were told, but the Rancor was still on a rampage. It began to climb up the large spire that stuck up from the building it was standing on. When it reached the top it let out a loud roar, pulling on the pillars holding up the roof at the top. 

'' We have to try and calm it down.'' Luke said. '' It's in pain and confused because he got separated from Boba Fett. If we can calm him down until he returns then maybe we can stop his rampage.'' He explained. 

'' I may have an idea.'' Din said as he turned to Luke. '' Watch after him.'' Din said, thrusting Grogu into his arms. 

'' What are you-'' 

Din took off before Luke could even finish his question. He watched as Din tried to grab the chain that Boba had used to guide the creature. However, the Rancor was having none of this. It grabbed Din, and threw him down hard against the roof of the domed building nearby. The Rancor then leaped down, and proceeded to punch the Mandalorian through the roof, and then reached inside to pull him out. 

'' He's going to get himself killed.'' Pelli stated. 

'' Pelli, watch after Grogu.'' Luke said, handing off the child to her. 

When Luke turned back to see how Din was doing, he saw the Rancor trying to bite down on his head. Din in turn was trying to use his flamethrower to stop the creature, but it was only angering it more. The Rancor reared back, and proceeded to throw Din so hard that he crashed through a nearby pillar, obliterating it, before landing on the ground. 

He was not moving. 

Luke ran to Din's side, skidding to a stop at his side. 

'' Are you ok?'' Luke asked, resting a hand on Din's arm. 

'' I will be.'' Din mumbled, slowly moving to sit up. 

The Rancor had turned its attention to the two of them, roaring loudly as it began to approach. 

Luke moved so that he was standing in front of Din, blocking him from the Rancor's sight. He held out his hand to the creature, moving slowly so as not to scare it. As he did this he reached out with the force, brushing against the Rancor's mind. 

'You must be tired now. Sleep'

As he reached out he felt another presence join him. 

Luke glanced down to find Grogu standing at his feet, little green hand held out to the Rancor as well. He smiled at the sight, and moved to kneel beside Grogu. Together the two of them reached out to the Rancor, using the force to calm the creature down. 

The Rancor eventually came closer to them, laying on the ground as it rested its head on the ground within Luke's reach. He reached out, resting a hand on the creatures face. As he did this Grogu moved forward to do the same, and with one last push of the force the Rancor fell asleep. 

As Luke leaned back, glad that they had dealt with the issue at hand, he noticed Grogu curl up beside the Rancor's face. He seemed to snuggle close to it as his eyes closed, and he fell into a deep sleep. 

'' Is... Is it dead?'' Din asked as he struggled to sit up. 

'' No... Just sleeping.'' Luke explained as he stood from the ground. 

The battle was over. 

 

---

 

After the Pyke had been chased out of Mos Espa, and the Rancor had been returned to its resting place, it was time for Din and Luke to take their leave. Boba Fett had offered for them to stay at the palace if they wanted, but Din wanted to get going, and while Luke could forgive Boba for the time being, he did not want to go into the castle. The two of them eventually found themselves on the outskirts of Mos Espa with Din working to prepare his ship for take off. 

'' I want to thank you again... For bringing him back to me.'' Din said as he finished checking the ship over. '' I never thought I would see him again.'' 

'' Grogu made it clear to me that he wanted to be with you. I did not want to force him to stay when he no longer wanted to.'' Luke said. He glanced over to where Grogu was sitting in what used to be the droid port on the star fighter. He had the little silver ball in his hands, watching the two of them with wide eyes. 

'' I thought it was what he wanted.'' Din said. 

'' He does want to learn, but he also wants to protect you. You are his father figure.'' Luke explained. '' He will be able to learn, but unlike you or myself, Grogu will live much longer. He wants to be with you while you are still here.'' He added. 

'' I see.'' Din said, glancing over to Grogu, the child perking up when he saw him. Grogu reached out for Din, signaling he wanted picked up. Din complied, picking Grogu up to hold him close. 

'' I will leave my offer standing. If he ever wants to return for training, then he is welcome at the temple.'' Luke explained. '' For the time being, I can see you both have some catching up to do.'' He said, turning to leave. 

'' Skywalker.'' 

Luke turned back to face them. When he did he saw Din reach to his belt, grabbing a small comm unit. 

'' You've done me a great favor... In return, take this. If you ever need to reach me than you can use this to get ahold of me.'' Din explained. 

Luke took hold of the comm unit, clipping it to his own belt. 

'' Thank you.'' Luke said. '' And may the Force be with you... Both of you.'' He stated. 

'' This is the way.'' Din spoke. 

Grogu cooed in the Mandalorian's arms, waving goodbye to Luke as Din returned to his ship. 

Luke watched as the star fighter rose into the sky, disappearing through the atmosphere. 

He knew he made the right choice.