SEE ME, SEE YOU: Series Two

C H A P T E R N I N E T E E N

REINA'S POV

After walking out through the front gates, Din and I made our way through the decimated forest, the child safely tucked in a pouch slung over the Mandalorian's shoulder. On his other one was his rifle. Stepping through the steaming landscape amid charred trees that stood like soldiers of a forgotten war...my silvery vision was compromised. Once again, I had to cling to Din's cape for guidance.

For the most part, we moved in silence. The only sound was the crisp crunching of our boots upon the ashy surface. Since I was no help in looking out, Din had to focus on our surroundings from every corner. I felt the deja vu of helplessness. In my closed palm, however, I still gripped the bolt that I somehow summoned from the torture mechanism, causing it to malfunction. This was the first time it had ever happened. And I was still processing it when Din suddenly stopped, resulting in me bumping into his back.

"You see something?" I asked.

"Hold on a moment." Din unslung the sack with the child in it and handed it to me, then proceeded with removing the scope from his rifle to check. "There's nothing. False alarm."

We only continued a few more meters when a twinge of energy shivered down my spine. "Din, above us!" I yelled just as a grey-cloaked figure dropped and swept down from the mists, slashing with brilliant white blades. Instinctively, Din pushed me and the child behind him with one arm and raised the other in front of his face, blocking the blow with the beskar-armored gauntlet that would've ended the fight in a single stroke.

The two warriors moved faster at each other, the assailant swinging both laser swords and clanging them off Din's armor. "Reina, get back!" The Mandalorian shouted before thrusting his arm forward and blasting his opponent with his flamethrower. She spun away, using her cloak to protect herself, revealing that she was an aged Togruta female. Din then fired his grappling line, ensnaring her, but before either of us could speak, the female warrior leapt an incredible height, taking the line with her, and sailed over a tree branch, pulling Din right off his feet.

"Mando!" I yelled.

Using the vibroknife from his boot, Din severed the line. At the same moment, the woman slashed herself free, and they dropped to the ground simultaneously, both recovering quickly. Din whipped out his blaster just as she angled her blades into a defensive stance.

"Ahsoka Tano!" I called in a panicked voice, hoping to catch her attention. "Bo-Katan sent us! Please, we're here to talk, not fight!"

Din nor the woman move. She stared at him for a moment, and then slowly gazed over to me, or more accurately, the cooing child in my arms. She disengaged her laserswords and straightened herself. "I hope it's about him...and you."

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Ahsoka and I sat around a small lantern, the child resting in my lap. The Jedi had told Din to leave the three of us to talk in private, but ten minutes passed and she had not said a word, rather it seemed like the child and her were having a staring contest, with the occasional nod from both of them. The child even cooed and sputtered faint noises, like he was actually talking to her.

As I waited patiently, I gandered at our surroundings. Ahsoka had taken us to a safe place between large moss-covered stones, which were carved with ancient inscriptions, weathered and worn away by time. The air was cleaner here, so my vision was functional. In the moonlight, I could see Din waiting and pacing restlessly, occasionally looking over at us.

"Alright," Ahsoka's soothing voice startled me from the quiet. "Now, it's your turn to me your story."

"Did—did you actually talk with him?" I asked, gesturing to the child.

"In a way," Ahsoka said. "Grogu and I can feel each other's thoughts, and that's how we communicate."

"Grogu?" I repeated, realizing that the child had a name the whole time... "Grogu." The baby's pointed ears perked at the sound of his name from my lips. I scoffed, unbelieving. Ahsoka then proceeded to tell me how Grogu was raised at the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars and was saved and hidden by someone when the Empire first rose to power. "But then, his memory becomes dark,. It seems he feels alone, lost."

"Why is that?"

"I am not sure yet." Ahsoka's eyes gazed at me, like she was currently pondering on the question, then she glanced over at the inpatient Din from afar. "Can he still use the Force?"

"Is that his powers?" I asked for clarification.

"The Force is what gives him his powers..." She focused on me. "And...I feel a strong connection with you."

I suddenly grew nervous and embarrassed for unknown reasons. Ahsoka noticed. "Tell me about your eyes."

"How did you know about—You know what, nevermind. You're a Jedi. It's what you do." I laughed sheepishly. "My eyes...were damaged a long time. I was blind up until very recently. I got my way around alright before I met Mando and, and Grogu," The child's name slipped off my tongue surprisingly comfortably. "The first time I could see since I was a child was thanks to Grogu, actually. He temporarily healed my eyes. When my vision went away again, that's when..." My voice trailed off.

"That's when?" Ahsoka urged gently.

"I felt a strange sensation. I started hearing a voice." I listed all the different phenomenons that have happened to me up to this point, including the bolt incident. I even showed her the evidence. After that, I was out of breath. "Do...do I have the Force?"

"I do sense it flowing through you strongly." Ahsoka nodded. "But you have never had training nor knowledge of any sorts up until this moment, correct? I'm afraid it'll be very difficult for you to attain any sort of control over your powers at your age. These spurges of power you speak may keep happening, but I am unsure if you can harness them to use willingly."

"I see," I hung my head, meeting Grogu's large eyes.

"You are disappointed." the Jedi stated.

"Yes, I suppose I am." I sighed truthfully. "I was, kind of hoping, you would train me, too. Just something simple like how to summon the Force. And maybe perhaps..."

"Heal your eyes."

I was not surprised she finished my sentence. "Yes."

Ahsoka nodded. "And you would be willing to leave the Mandalorian's side to achieve this?"

Oh, I totally forgot about Din! My eyes shot over to him, who was still pacing with his arms crossed. He had been restlessly waiting this whole time I've been opening up to Ahsoka. Grogu also looked over to him like he had also misplaced his caregiver and protector. Ahsoka noticed this and rose to her feet. "I think it's time to fill in your friend before he finally loses his patience.

"Yes, we wouldn't want that."