"I want you to teach me how to fight... like a true Mandalorian."
To her dismay, Thell could only watch the confusion wash over her father's face. His gaze flickered to and fro as he leaned back in his chair, folding his hands over his chest.
"I can't."
Thell blinked. "What? Why?"
He gestured to his body. "I'm an older man, Thell. And when I got caught in that explosion all those years ago, it wounded my body. I'm able to infiltrate facilities and work with tech, but no more than that. I was barely able to defend myself before I got captured. I'm sorry, but I can't teach you."
Thell slumped back in her seat, feeling defeated. The only two people she could ask, one having refused and the other unable to do so. She hadn't wanted to go behind Din's back to ask her own father, but she was an adult, and felt as if she had some right to ask. He had let her stay on anyway, had made her swear to protect Grogu. That's all she had been trying to do.
"Kriff," she muttered under her breath.
Her father shifted from across the table, scratching at his beard. "I can't teach you... But I could instruct you. It wouldn't be perfect, you would need to nail every move I have you do, get everything correct since you can't actually fight me back. You can train, beforehand, build up your strength and stamina. That's only the beginning. After that, you'll need to learn basic hand to hand combat... Why haven't you asked your Mandalorian friend?"
Thell shifted awkwardly in her seat. "I, um... I already did. But he doesn't want me to purposefully put myself in a fight, which I understand... He's only trying to protect me. But I need that kid back, and I'll do whatever I can to make that happen."
Theldar looked at her with a quiet, introspective gaze before finally saying, "You love him, don't you? That Mandalorian?"
Thell felt the color flare to her cheeks. No one had asked her her feelings about Din for months, not since she had seen Bo and Cara. Now it was different, after kissing him and feeling his face under her hands, sleeping beside him in the darkness of their house. She did love him... She just wondered if he felt the same way. If he had accepted those feelings as his own, and not just the words he wanted to hear.
"I.... I care deeply for him," Thell explained. "Ever since he took my master, Mando and the kid have been family to me."
"I... I guess it's a bit different now."
Thell laughed, and it felt like the first time she had in years. "Yeah... It's weird, I'll be honest about that. But... I'm glad you're here," Thell said softly, reaching for his hand. "... Father."
When Thell returned to the house, softly closing the door behind her, she didn't find Din sleeping in the bed like she might have thought. She peered through the dim light of the house, even peeking in the fresher to try and find him. He wasn't even on the porch.
Leaving her vambraces in the house, she descended the stairs again and made her way into the woods, just beyond the border of trees where the Razor Crest lay hidden. Maybe he wasn't there either, but at least she could try. The moon was high overhead, and Thell pulled her cloak tighter to conserve warmth as she trekked through the woods.
Seeing the ship felt like seeing home, and for some reason, tears came to Thell's eyes. She had first seen the ship five months ago on her homeworld in Bespin, running after the Mandalorian as she had begged him to come with. It felt like a lifetime since that night.
She missed Din... and she wasn't sure why. She should have been content with where they were, having openly acknowledged their feelings and shared several sweet moments with each other. He was here, anyway, and he was safe. She knew she had been spending more time with her father than with Din, and maybe he was just feeling jealous because of it. Maybe that would explain the lingering glances he would give him when they all ate dinner together. ... Or maybe it was because she still didn't know what he looked like under the mask.
Maybe it was because he hadn't said those three words back that made her feel bitter.
Regardless, she hiked up the open ramp of the ship, careful to watch her leg as she ascended into the Razor Crest. She found Din immediately, sitting in the sleeping pod with his legs dangling out from the edge. Thell paused, watching him carefully before he had lifted his head to look at her. He was holding that little silver orb that Grogu loved, the one he always carried around on the ship after Din had given it to him.
"Din?" Thell whispered, feeling a pull in her throat.
He didn't say anything as she approached, suddenly looking smaller in the dim light despite the strong armor he wore. He didn't have to say anything, because Thell already knew what he was feeling. He was good about that, portraying his emotions despite wearing the helmet. She could see it in the way his shoulders slumped as she neared, the way his helmet drooped and how his hands immediately sought her out when she stepped in front of him. His fingers brushed her waist, just skimming around her back as she lifted her hands to his helmet, but not to remove it. Instead, she tilted it slightly so she could look down at him, at the silent T shape that the Beskar always drew her eyes to. His brown eyes were somewhere beyond that mask, maybe filled with tears; she wasn't sure. Leaning down, she pressed a kiss right above where the T sat, her lips numb as they connected with the cold Beskar. She stood between his legs, wrapping her arms over his shoulders and pressing her hair into his helmet. She didn't want to let him see her cry this time; she wanted to be here for him, as conflicted and guilty as she was feeling. So she let her tears fall quietly while Din shuddered around her hold. The armor was cold, almost biting back at her skin, but Din's hands on her back were warm. He clung to her like a lifeline, even when she tried to pull away, and ended up drawing closer to him instead. She stayed, for minutes, maybe even hours, silently holding him as he did her, the silver orb still clutched tightly in his right hand.
. . . .
They trained for weeks.
Soon after her leg had healed well enough, Theldar had begun to train her, working on building her stamina and muscles for hours into the day. She didn't ask for breaks; she couldn't afford them given their crunch for time. Instead, she worked tirelessly the entire day, only going back to the village after the sun had set. She would come back to the house, exhausted and sore, and curl right back under the blankets. Her and Din's conversations late into the night were quiet, but she made no mention of her training, knowing he might push back against it.
But the last memory she had of Grogu, shackled and exhausted in the air duct on that base, kept her going. It's what stopped her from spilling everything to Din, like she usually would have. She knew he had his secrets too, like the silver headpiece still hiding in his bag, but she didn't spite him for it. She did tell him everything else, of the conversations she had with her father and everything she was learning about him.
Regardless, she trained in secret, deep in the woods with Theldar at her side. He instructed her by voice only, sometimes using himself as an example or using motions to guide her, but it was up strictly to Thell to figure how to work it out. She knew it would never be perfect, but she had an idea as to what she could do if she got attacked. At the very least, she could defend herself. Her strength still wasn't up to match with Theldar's, and she knew she would never get close to matching Din's. But she found herself becoming more and more confident as she trained, sometimes even waking up before the sun rose just so she could get a head start. It made her feel powerful, recovering from her injuries and filling her mind with other things besides flashes of memories... Of Grogu and being tortured by the stormtroopers inside the base.
But everything was coming naturally to her, like pure Mandalorian blood was running through her veins. She found herself training with ease after the few weeks, the blood on her knuckles turning into calluses overnight. It made her feel like she had a purpose again, one she could combine with her old one. Maybe she could rescue Grogu after all, with the right materials and weapons, along with the defensive techniques she was learning. With Din right at her side.
"See? Put your arm out there, and extend it away from your body," Theldar said a week into her training. "You have to make sure it's far enough out so that your enemy won't grab your wrist or something."
Thell readjusted, digging her heels into the ground and fixing her arm as Theldar had said. "How's this?"
"Perfect," Theldar replied from his spot resting on a log, but suddenly pushed himself to stand. "And I know I said I couldn't fight you myself, but let's take it easy. You won't go far without actually practicing with another person."
Thell's eyed widened. "Are you sure? I think I'm doing okay right now... Right?"
Theldar shrugged, coming to stand a few feet in front of her. "As best as you can without touching another being. But there's more to fighting than actually knowing the moves. Your opponent could know your moves before you even perform that, and that's when you need to improvise. Now... hit me."
Thell looked him up and down, debating whether or not to actually take a swing at her own father. But he was the one who offered to train her after all, and he had lived all of his life fighting as a Mandalorian.
So clenching her hand in a fist, she sent her hand flying, aiming right for his shoulder. But her momentum stopped as his hand enclosed around her's, and she stumbled, having to catch herself against him. Thell panted, dropping her hand and taking a few steps back, stunned by his quick reaction.
She shook her head, quirking a brow. "And you said you couldn't fight anymore?"
Theldar shrugged, and she could see the small twinkle in his hazel eyes. "Training since I was six years old doesn't fade away overnight, little one."
When she wasn't training to fight, she was with her father, learning more about where he came from and the history of the Mandalorians. She hadn't even realized the hours that had flown by when spending time at his house, sitting across from each other at that table and drinking tea. It was everything that Thell had ever wanted... To see her father's face, to hear his voice, to know everything there was to know about him. She still couldn't believe that her mother had refused to talk about him for all those years, when she was seeing just how kind and selfless he truly was. And how much he cared about her.
"Alright, what are we doing today?" Thell asked during their second week, hands on her hips. "Mando said we're leaving in two days since my leg is pretty much back to normal."
"Hm," Theldar mumbled, walking over in her direction and scratching as his beard. "We'll practice hand to hand combat between the two of us."
Thell flexed her shoulders. "Okay. Sounds easy enough."
"Without the armor," Theldar added. "And without mercy."
His dark tone made Thell stare back at him with her lip stuck out, but soon enough, he was smirking at her, making her laugh.
"Oh, okay, I see how it is."
Shedding the vambraces, Thell moved into her defensive position, keeping one clenched fist raised in front of her face and the other extended out past her body. After a moment of keeping her gaze locked on him, Theldar swept forward, jumping halfway to swing a hit to her sternum. Thell dived, rolling on her shins and ducking so his feet wouldn't clip her head. There was still some lingering pain in her thigh but she only clenched her teeth, fighting through the pain like her father had told her. She heard him land behind her as she stumbled upright, spinning to face him again. He threw himself at her, deflecting swing after swing as he fought her. Sweat dripped past her eyes, despite the cooler weather in the forest. Thell swerved, spinning so she could block another punch right next to her head. Wind whistled beside her ear as she dodged his attack, before grabbing his own wristing and spinning, twisting him to the side. Adrenaline rushed through her as swift as the wind, carrying her feet, pumping the blood through her system to keep her going. She only had a split second to think before sweeping her legs out and knocking them into her father's. He grunted, falling over her legs on his hands and knees just as Thell pushed herself back up to stand, body on fire and panting heavily. Her father whirled around, slumping when he realized Thell was already standing, hands in fists raised above her chest as she bounced on her feet.
Theldar wiped sweat from his brow, throwing her a smirk from his spot crouching on the ground. "Looks like I've taught you well, daughter."
Thell beamed, feeling the most pure smile grow on her face in weeks. Maybe she really was a Mandalorian, and this was only the beginning of accepting it.
Despite her physical growth, her time with Din seemed to be hesitant. Most nights during those weeks, she woke up in the bed, alone, searching for Din with groggy eyes. Oftentimes, she would find him standing outside, that same silver orb clutched in his palm. He rarely spoke about Grogu, and it broke her heart. She felt guilty enough having lost the kid, and it pained her immensely to see how much the man she loved was in pain. He didn't admit to it; Din had always been quiet, but resourceful. He spent his time working on the Razor Crest or bringing back goods for the people of the village to thank them. That's what made Thell admire him so much: under that bout of armor and array of weapons was a kind, compassionate man, one whose heart was torn in two at the thought of his kid suffering.
But one night during those three weeks had been different.
Thell had been gone most of the day, training with her father deep in the woods, when she ran into Din. She was wearing her mother's sweater and her hair was pulled back, a bucket of those beautiful fruits she had seen in her arms. She had been meaning to bring it to the two women who had taken care of her, that and a bundle of wildflowers she had picked in the forest.
But Din was standing on the outskirts of the village, his shoulders relaxing as soon as he saw her.
"Hi," Thell said, somewhat shyly. Even weeks after their first kiss, she still found herself getting nervous around him. She knew he was soft and just as nervous as her underneath, but she nearly forgot about it when he was wearing all that armor.
"Are you doing anything?" Din asked.
She glanced down at the items in her hands. "I was going to bring these to the women who saved me... It's not much, but I feel like I haven't reached out to them since you brought my dad back."
"Here," Din said, reaching for the bucket and graciously accepting taking it from her arms. They walked together to the house, Thell knocking on the door and holding the flowers in her hands. The women were both there, bright smiles growing on their faces and lighting up their eyes as they saw them. She started speaking in her foreign language immediately, to which Thell could only smile and nod.
"Can you...?" Thell asked Din, motioning in their direction.
He had already caught on, listening quietly as the older woman spoke. ".... She thanks you. She appreciates it a lot... and she says she's glad you're alive and doing better."
The words coming from his helmet came out in the same language the women were speaking, and Thell watched as they murmured amongst themselves, smiling widely. Then the older woman leaned forward, looking at Din expectantly and speaking to him in a soft tone. Thell watched the two of them, her gaze flickering back on Din when he went silent.
Her hand found his arm. "... What is it? What did she say, Din?"
She could almost imagine him blinking under the helmet. "... She's asking if we're married."
Color swelled in Thell's cheeks and she had to squeeze her fingers into her tunic. What was it with older women and asking them about their love life? It's not like she didn't want to be married to Din... In fact, she had thought about it once or twice. She just wasn't sure if he had ever thought of her in that way.
But what surprised her even more was when Din responded, although she couldn't understand his words. She could only look at the women's facial expressions and guess for herself. But their smiles were gentle, their eyes soft as they traveled between Din and her. They dipped their heads, thanking Thell again for the items before closing the door behind them.
Thell blinked. "What did you tell them?"
He extended a gloved hand to her, like he had first done all those nights ago on Naboo.
"There is... something... I've been meaning to do," Din said, his modulated voice gentle.
She glanced up at him hesitantly before taking his hand, letting him guide her through the village, back through the forest where the Razor Crest was hidden. The ramp dropped to their feet and Din's hand was still in her's. The only time he did move away from her was to rifle through his sleeping pod, while Thell stood with her arms around her chest, feeling guilty and like she had backstabbed her closest companion, the man she loved. It was eating away at her the more she was with Din... And Din had barely said anything yet.
She watched him search through his belongings before he finally found what he was looking for, returning back to her with a small black bag. Din pushed it into her hands, helmet tilted down to look at her expectantly. Thell already knew what it was even before she pulled the item from the bag. The silver headpiece from Naboo, the one she had accidently found weeks ago in Din's things. Her cheeks flared with warmth as her fingers caressed the item, pads running smooth over the metal.
"I meant to give this to you that night in the woods."
Thell felt a tear fall down her face. "It's beautiful... But, um... I have something to admit to you first... I saw it in your bag, the day after you came back." Thell threw a hand over her face, embarrassed. "I'm really sorry, I was totally snooping in your stuff that day and I saw it."
But to her relief, Din chuckled lightly under his breath. "It's okay, kar'ta... I know it's not much," Din admitted, his voice falling. "But it's not just a headpiece... it's a placeholder, for now...it signifies something greater."
Thell blinked, looking up into his visor. "What?"
"A union... A joining of Clans."
The breath caught in her throat. Was he implying what she thought he was?... Joining his Clan of two, just her and the kid and Din?
"Din..." she whispered, breathless.
"You don't have to say yes. I won't make you do that." Din was going to say something else, moving his hand to his shoulder, when the ramp outside shook, and Din moved as quick as a bolt of lightning to stand in front of her, blaster aimed and whirring with life. It was only Theldar, stumbling up the ramp and panting heavily. Thell wanted to be angry at him for ruining the soft moment between them; she hadn't been with Din like this in days.
"Father?"
"I... I remembered where we needed to go, before Morak. From what I overheard in the base, the place on Morak is extremely difficult to get into, like pre Empire stuff. But I have a connection that could help us get in."
They left the planet the day after, when Thell had finished her healing, despite the blue scars that ran up her thigh, and made their way into the Outer Ring, where Theldar had said they could find information on the kid and how to find him on Morak. By that point, she could already notice the physical changes in her body, the way her muscles were becoming leaner and how she could catch her breath easier after running a long distance. Ever since she had reunited with Din, she was actually starting to like who she saw reflected back in the mirror, fading bruises and all. She was stronger underneath now, feeling lighter on her feet than she had in years. She tried not to make it so obvious to Din, knowing he might question her if he noticed.
"How far is Kijimi?" Thell asked from the copilot's seat. Theldar was seated in Grogu's old chair, and it felt oddly uncomfortable to see him sitting where her beloved green friend used to be. Din's hands were flickering over the controls, pressing buttons and pulling a clutch down to send the Razor Crest humming into the air.
Thell watched with sad eyes as the village they had spent the last three weeks in was swallowed up by the forest, along with the sweet people who had rescued and cared for her. Three weeks ago, she had nearly been dead, and now, her body was brimming with new life. She felt more capable than she ever had been, ready to take on whatever the Empire was going to throw at him. Maybe she was a little overzealous, but she couldn't help but be proud of how far she had come.
Her and Din hadn't spoken of the moment inside the Razor Crest with the headpiece since her father had interrupted them. The headpiece had vanished again, and Din had slunk back into himself. Guilt gnawed at Thell as they flew through hyperspace, guilt for hiding her training from him and guilt for not saying yes immediately and rushing into his arms, just like she had always wanted to.