Planet Dantooine

This planet was not quite what Din had expected. After 16 hours in hyperspace, sitting in the cramped cockpit of his N-1 starfighter, it was nice to be out on solid ground to stretch his legs. His ship's computer picked up a moderately populated city several miles north, but he continues following the coordinates that Kia had sent him for their secret base.

Upon locating the designated area on his navigation, Din lands his ship on the outskirts of a town in the center of this splendid countryside. When he jumps down from his starfighter, the moonlight was shining bright upon the golden fields, as the insects were alive with sounds as they happily sang their nightly tunes.

Din immediately began admiring the environment, since his profession never allows him to travel to wonderful places like this. This was the first time he was able to stop and enjoy beautiful moments like this. Maybe the many years he has spent as a lone bounty hunter has finally caught up with him, and it's wrecking him in the inside, but in a good way.

As Din cradled Grogu in his arms, he walked for several feet in silence as he makes his way through the tall grass. Even though it was dark, the temperature was baking him under his armor as he wanders through the blonde pastures. He did a quick scan of their immediate surroundings, he soon spots the abandoned village a few meters ahead of him. Nestled between a few tall trees with wide trunks, and surrounded by high blades of amber lawns, it was a fairly large encampment with numerous circular structures made of stone.

Left untouched for years, it was not a shock to see that each cottage had been engulfed in overgrown vines with broken windows. It was obvious to him that this place was once a bustling community, mostly likely was populated with multiple humanoids in armor in its hayday. Now it was a ghost town as he slowly made his way towards the vacant buildings. On his right he sees a gunship parked about fifty feet away, most likely it belonged to one of the other Mandalorians in the group.

His old covert had been a place for him to recover and rest, a sanctuary for him when he was not out hunting his bounties. It was his home, a place where he felt he belonged for most of his life, until they abruptly excommunicated him in a matter of seconds and without hesitation.

The Tribe was his family, and the Razor Crest was his refuge. His old ship was quiet and familiar, it was where he felt the most safe. Being here in this deserted town was very foreign to him, and the emptiness of it was deafening to a point that he felt very out of place. It wasn't until Grogu came into his life that he realized that he truly valued the companionship.

"Well, kid. It looks like this is it. Now we just got to wait for the others to arrive," he tells the child calmly, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible this unfamiliar place. He pushed those unsettling memories aside as he made his way across the grassy fields, towards one of the abandoned buildings near the border of the settlement. Under the darkness of night, this uninhabited compound was cold and uninviting, which Din imagined would feel the same in the light of day.

He soon finds an empty house along the border of the town. The door was left open and once he's inside he sees a dusty cot, a few chairs and a table covered in dirt, along with old wooden cupboards with doors falling off it's hinges. He settled the kid gently down onto the bed as he moves to lay down beside him. The child curled up in his arms and they both soon fell asleep.

***

The morning came slowly as the sun's rays creeped through the open windows. Din woke to the child sitting on his armored chest, staring at him and making unintelligible but insufferably cute baby noises.

"Hey, kid. Morning to you, too," Din yawned as he stretched his arms over his head.

He was just about to close his eyes again when he hears several ships coming in for a landing not far away. "That must be them. Let's go greet them," he whispers to the child as he rolls over to set the little one down on the ground.

Grogu quickly toddled towards the door with excitement as he slowly got to his feet. Din's back ached and his ribs cried out in pain, probably as a result from sleeping on such a hard surface for an extended period of time. Once they leave their sleeping quarters, they wait patiently at the edge of the settlement for Kia, Fenn, Mia and Vax to join them.

"Manda'lore," Fenn Raul's voice stirs him from his drowsiness as the group gradually moves closer to them. "It's good to see you again, sir."

"Just call me Din," he informed them, giving up a portion of his strict creed since he's already been exiled from his old clan.

If he had met these people earlier, their meeting would have been very different. However, the amazement of meeting other Mandalorians who do not follow The Way, has eased after his encounter with Bo-Katan and her Nite Owls. But now that he's met more Mandalorians, he's slowly becoming less narrow minded over time. Although he's not ready to remove his helmet yet, but for now this is okay.

"For a child of the Watch, I understand what it means for you to provide us with your true name," Fenn says as he holds out his hand as the two men share a handshake.

Kia was utterly shocked to hear him introduce himself as Din and not Mando. Perhaps he's becoming more easygoing, and she's hoping he would eventually be comfortable enough to show his face. But she knows that may still take more time, however there's something else that's been on her mind ever since she first met him. He needs a clan!

"How was your trip? Uneventful, I hope," Fenn asked.

"Just the way I like it," Din stated as a matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's been a long flight and it's just after dawn. I feel we should gather up any provisions we have and settle in for the day," Fenn suggested.

"How many other Mandalorians have joined the cause?" Din asked, getting straight to the point.

"Not nearly enough. Aside from our group and Fett, we haven't seen any others in years," Vax added as he stood next to Mia.

"Have you discussed any of this with your clan?" Fenn asked. "Despite our differences, we could use their help."

"I...they...uh, well...we're no longer on good terms," Din spoke with more sadness than he intended to share.

"Oh? What happened?" Fenn asked as she frowned.

"It doesn't matter," Kia suddenly interrupted. "I have a suggestion, as long as everyone is in agreement."

"What's that?" Din asked.

"I say we create our own clan. Right now. With all of us here, along with our children of course. A clan of seven. There aren't any rules that I know of that says we can't," her words created a bit of an uncomfortable silence for a moment. It made sense to her. Mia and Vax, along with their daughter, were her family. Fenn was a dedicated soldier, and Din was the Manda'lore with his own foundling. When no one spoke up first, she continued, "We can rename our new clan and Din could be our leader, if that is what he wishes."

"I'm open to that," Fenn says after a few seconds of quietness.

"I am too," Mia added.

"Yeah, same here," Vax says firmly.

Din thought of this more a moment as he was at a total loss for words. What would this mean for his creed? Should he change it, modify it, or alter it completely? He knew he wanted Kia, and these people have already risked their lives to protect him when they hardly knew him. He needs a clan.

"I'm not sure about being the leader," Din voice going low as he lets out breath of uneasiness.

"We can decide that later," Kia says as she smiles at him.

"Ok, I'm in. Clan Mudhorn," Din says calmly with a sigh of relief.

"Clan Mudhorn," the group repeated in unison.