𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 → 𝐃𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐉𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍

▹ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺-𝘵𝘸𝘰

Artemis gave him a smile as she tried to get it back together. "Don't worry about it."

Cobb looked at the two of them. "I hope our paths cross again."

"As do we," Din said.

"Oh, and you tell your people I wasn't the one that broke that," Cobb said, gesturing at the jet pack. He gave them a last smile and headed back to the townsfolk.

"How about a detour?" Din suggested, glancing at Artemis who was stroking Grogu's head.

Artemis smiled. "I'd like that."

⋆⋆⋆

ARTEMIS was scrubbing the acid off Din's armor as Grogu sat opposite of her. After arriving at the small house Artemis had shared with Obi-Wan, she had send Din straight to the shower, not wanting him to be bothered by the acid any longer.

The kid babbled, talking about his day even though he had been with her the entire time. She smiled and nodded once in a while, indicating that she was indeed listening.

She put the chest plate down before reaching for his helmet. Now that the three of them were part of Din's clan, Artemis supposed they could all see his face. She wet her cloth before scrubbing the acid off the visor.

Suddenly two arms made their way around her waist and Din pulled her into him, placing his chin on her shoulder.

"You shouldn't have to do this," he whispered. "Here, give it to me."

"I don't mind," Artemis said, smiling slightly as she continued to scrub the helmet.

Din released her and moved to sit in front of her, picking up Grogu and placing him onto his lap. He had pulled on a simple pair of pants and a matching shirt. He looked clean again.

Grogu continued to babble on, now even more excited since Din had joined them. Artemis could tell they shared a deep bound—different than the one she and Grogu had.

"He cares for you, you know," she said, her green eyes darted between the two of them. "He wants you to know that."

Din glanced down at the kid who was looking up at him. "I care for him as well."

Artemis put the helmet onto the seat next to her together with the cloth before leaning forward, eying Grogu intently. He cooed and looked back at her. Artemis knew he was starting to see Din as if he was his father. However, she and him had a different kind of relationship. The kind you saw between a Jedi Master and their Padawan. Artemis was glad of that. She didn't know how to be a mother after all—having been brought up with the other younglings.

"I never asked," Din began, sounding a bit uncertain, "but do you know your parents? Do you know where you came from before you joined the Jedi?"

Artemis' green eyes flickered up to look at him. After a long pause, she leant back into her seat and said, "No. I only know I was born on Stewjon. I don't remember leaving it, nor the Jedi Master who found me. They never told me."

"Stewjon?" Din repeated, frowning. "I have never heard of it before."

"Not many people have. I've never been there after I became a Jedi."

"Don't you want to see it?" Din asked.

Artemis shrugged. "Neither me, nor Obi-Wan, who was also from Stewjon, felt the need to see it. We were busy fighting the Separists, anyway. For all I know, Coruscant is my home. It's where I was raised."

"We should visit it," Din insisted. "We can look for your parents if you want."

Artemis flinched back. She had never talked about her parents. If it was up to her, she didn't even have parents. The Jedi made sure that she had no attachments and she was fine with it. She had had Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Anakin and Cody, and that had been enough.