Anakin tells Buir in the morning. Unlike Tatooine, they weren't sharing the same room. Instead, Buir and Grogu were in one room, while Anakin and Mom were in the other. He didn't wake her up in the middle of the night, and he laid there for some time before falling into a troubled sleep again. This is the second vision he's had with a similar outcome, though it wasn't as clear this time. This time, he didn't see Buir die. But it doesn't make that much of a difference to him; he's still terrified.
The peace parade is planned to be in two days from now so everyone who is invited will be there, and after that is when the Jedi are planning to deal with Palpatine. Buir will be there too, Anakin suspects, even if he hasn't actually said so. Buir tries soothing him, assuring him that he'll be okay, that he won't be killed by the dar'jetii when so many Jedi will be there to assist him. Anakin wants to believe him, but he can't. The visions are playing on repeat in the back of his head, and he's scared, he's terrified, because what if – what if it happens?
He couldn't bear such a thing, and he knows that Grogu won't handle it well either. If anything, the toddler will handle it even worse. He feels like he maybe is supposed to be doing something to make sure that Buir will really be alright, but he doesn't know what. He wants to do something, but he can't use his Jetii magic yet. He doesn't know how, and he can't learn everything he needs to over the next two days. That's impossible.
Maybe he could talk to Padme about it?
She's the Queen – it's still so jarring to know that he's friends with royalty; him, a former slave – and she must be busy, but they had talked yesterday while waiting for Jar Jar to return from the Gungan city. She assured him that her feelings towards him were still the same, and she had helped him get used to the fact that she's not a mere handmaid. It's still weird for him to think about, but she's right; she's still the same person as she was, and Anakin was given the unique opportunity to get to know the person who the Queen really is.
They can still be friends though, and it won't make a difference. That Padme is Queen only means she can't spend all of her time with him. That's okay though. Anakin understands.
So, his visions.
He can't do anything to help, and the knowledge that he was once – could eventually be? – a famous, important Jedi doesn't change anything. He doesn't really know how Buir and Grogu time travelling will affect the future, but he knows it will be substantial. If Buir hadn't freed him, he would have been a slave when Qui-Gon and the others came there. Maybe the Jedi would have freed him and taken him to the Temple to be trained. Maybe the Council wouldn't have rejected him like they did, and he would have become a Jedi. Maybe.
Ever since he was younger, Anakin has dreamed of being a Jedi, but that dream is no longer as important to him as it once was. He now has someone who can take care of him. He now has a father. That was another one of his most cherished dreams, and Grogu is right about Buir: he's amazing and fearless and can make everything – or most things – better. He wants to be like Buir, even if that means he'll never be a Jetii. The future that Grogu might have seen ceased to be set in the stone the moment he and Buir came to the past. That's okay though because Anakin doesn't much care for the idea of everything being… preordained. It's nice to think that he can choose for himself, that he can follow his own path instead of having one forced on him.
Maybe he'll never be a Jedi. Maybe he'll become a Mandalorian. Right now, nothing is set in stone, not even Buir's survival.
… Perhaps he should talk to Grogu about it. He doesn't want to scare his little brother – Grogu is younger, okay? – but he knows that the toddler can understand far more than many people realize and sharing their fears might help both of them.
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Grogu could feel Anakin's worry long before he approached him in mid-morning. Anakin reaches out to Grogu, allowing him to grasp his finger in what seems like a common ritual for them. They talk pretty often, and Grogu likes it. He likes being able to talk to one member of his aliit. What's wrong? He asks, peering up at Anakin with a worried coo.
Anakin flops out on the floor, careful not to break their connection. "I had a vision last night, I think. I had a similar one on Tatooine. I'm… worried."
He means he's scared. Grogu pokes at him with the Force, feeling fearapprenhensionsadness. The fear is strongest, and it makes Grogu worry. What did you see? Did you tell Buir?
Anakin shifts, uncertain. "I – yes, I told Buir already." He's unable to meet Grogu's eyes. "I saw a dar'jetii… hurting Buir."
Killing. He means killing. Grogu shivers a little, tightening his grip on Anakin's finger. That's not possible though, because Buir is too strong to be killed. (He knows that's not true. He thought the same about the Jedi, before the dark times, and look how that turned out?) But he wants to believe, he chooses to believe, he does believe. Buir can't be killed. It's as simple a truth as is the sun rising in the morning.
"I don't know what to do… I don't think there's anything we can do, vod'ika," Anakin adds, miserably. He looks so unhappy, and Grogu would have instantly done something to cheer him up if not for what he said.
So, instead, he glares up at Anakin. I'm older than you.
Anakin looks at him, and surprisingly, cracks a smile. "Is that so? You do know that means you're older than Buir too, right?"
Grogu glares even harder, because he doesn't know what to say to that, and he'll never concede that Anakin is right. Never. He's older. Anakin is his vod'ika. The end.
"Let's discuss this later," Anakin decides, resting his head on his palm, elbow on the floor. "Do you think there's anything we can do to help Buir? I'm sure we'll be kept either here or elsewhere, far away from Buir and the Jedi when they fight that dar'jetii."
Grogu thinks about that for a moment, and then he coos, with a grin. I have an idea.
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The parade is nothing short of extravagant, and the atmosphere is festive. Din notes that even the Jetii who are present – and there are quite a few – seem happy and contented on the surface. But even so, there's an underlying tension which he doesn't miss. Senator Palpatine is here, of course, positioned near the Queen, so Din is careful to keep a number of people between Palpatine and his aliit.
When the parade ends, and Queen Amidala and Boss Nass are on the top of the stairs together, the massive crowd of Nubians and Gungans alike begins to stream away, probably to celebrate in their own ways. The Jetii were invited to a banquet with the Queen, the Senator, and a number of other important people. That only leaves the question of when, exactly, Palpatine will be dealt with. Din doesn't know exactly, but he doesn't focus on it.
Padme had explicitly invited Din and his aliit, and he doesn't have a reason to refuse, even if he'll only be standing on the side, waiting. Which he does. The banquet lasts until early-afternoon, when Padme declares it over and departs with her handmaids, after requesting that Palpatine meet her in the eastern gardens in an hour.
Instinct kicks in, and Din knows. That's their cue.
As everyone is leaving, talking to each other as they meander slowly from the dining hall, Palpatine approaches him. "You should have taken me up on my offer," he says in a low voice, eyes burning into him before stalking away.
Not for the first time, Din feels afraid. He is not equipped to deal with a homicidal, dar'jetii who is bend on destruction and has aspirations of glory, but that – that demagolka threatened his aliit. There's no way Din isn't going to participate in taking him down. He says nothing to anyone about the veiled threat and sets out for the eastern gardens of the Palace after ensuring that Shmi has taken Anakin and Grogu back to their quarters.
Some of the Jetii are already there, including Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and introductions are made. Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi Mundi, Luminara Unduli, and Adi Gallia. Three others have yet to come, bringing the total to ten. Ten Jetii – or nine, since Count Dooku is apparently not a Jetii anymore – to face off this… Sith Master. How dangerous do they think he is if they're bringing so many people here?
Din dismisses that from mind, focusing instead on the best strategies as he looks around. The Queen chose the location well, because it's a private place back here, surrounded by fences on all sides. It will be a shame to ruin the landscaping, but probably better here than inside somewhere. There's enough shrubbery around that it will conceal some of them from sight while they wait for the right opportunity.
Something nags at him as he leans against the side of the Palace, watching the entrance and waiting. It feels like he's missing something, and Din wants to chalk it up to nerves or anxiety or even Palpatine's threat, when he notices the Jetii stiffening all around him, heads turning upwards towards an upper floor of the palace. Something is wrong. Din might not have magic like they do, but he can still tell.
Suddenly, glass shatters, and Din looks up to see someone falling from a window higher up in the Palace. Anakin. His heart skips a beat, and he flies into the air, catching him before he can hit the ground. "What happened?" he demands as he lands again, holding Anakin securely. But before the boy can answer, there's a startled yelp and Palpatine comes tumbling towards the ground. No one moves to help him, but he lands skillfully on his feet, eyes filled with rage.
"I think," Anakin says quietly, staring wide-eyed at the dar'jetii, "That he wanted to kill us. Grogu probably threw him out the window after he threw me out."
Din will ask for the full story later. He knows that their quarters don't overlook this garden, so what happened? What did Palpatine do? Answers which he'll get later. "Run," Din tells Anakin. There's no way the boy can get back inside the Palace, not with Palpatine standing there near the entrance, but he can still hide elsewhere. Anakin looks at him, eyes filled with fear, but he does as Din tells him, scampering behind Din and disappearing somewhere into the bushes.
Windu steps forwards. "Senator Palpatine, you are under arrest for conspiring with the Trade Federation to overthrow the rightful monarch and government of Naboo."
"On what grounds?" he questions pleasantly, as if he didn't just use some… dar'jetii magic to keep himself from being killed from the fall. Can Jetii do that too?
"On the Queen's command," Windu replies, hand falling on his lightsaber hilt. "Give up."
Palpatine sneers. "I don't think so," he retorts. "The Queen has fallen under the sway of that Mandalorian." He jerks his head towards Din. "He is a mercenary hired by the Trade Federation to destroy Naboo and kill her."
"Funny. It seems like he must have changed his mind when he killed your pet," Obi-Wan calls, mockingly. "I hope you didn't want him back."
"Surrender or be destroyed, Darth Sidious," Count Dooku orders coldly.
Palpatine narrows his eyes, a slow, dark smile spreading across his face, and for a moment, Din can see the Emperor in front of him, even if the Senator isn't wearing a hood. It seems as if he's given up feigning innocent for whatever reason. Sidious. Insidious. That name really fits him. Din can almost feel the waves of evil and malice radiating from him. It will be his pleasure to off such a person. Even though he never enjoys killing… this might be an exception.
"How curious that you would choose this path, Count Dooku," Palpatine says mockingly. "Are you sure this is what you want?"
Dooku doesn't flinch, doesn't so much as twitch. "You want to burn the galaxy to the ground and remake it as you see fit. You know that's not what I wanted."
"I'm the only one who can help you control your new powers," goads Palpatine smugly.
The Count raises his head. "I don't need your help. I can do it on my own." And then, with those words, he ignites a… red laser sword. Shocked murmurs ripple through the Jetii, but Dooku has eyes for Palpatine alone. "I'm not a Sith, not yet, and not ever now. I'm not joining you Sidious. You tried to fool me once. I won't fall for it again."
There's a sense of finality in the words, and with a snarl, Sidious flicks his wrists, and two laser sword hilts slip into his hands. He ignites them, blood-red blades hissing to life. Huh. Maybe red is the color that dar'jetii always choose. Around the garden, the Jedi draw their own lightsabers. It's a sea of blue and green, one lone purple blade standing out. Windu's. Din lingers in the back, igniting the Darksaber, knowing that it'll be his best and most effective weapon right now, but he waits. He will have to fight Sidious too, he suspects, but the Jetii can take the first shot at him.
The duel is wild and vicious. Palpatine seems unfazed by the opponents rushing him, and he's constantly twirling and jumping, forcing them to chase him as he moves. The clash of laser swords is almost the only thing that Din can hear. It seems like it drags on for hours, and maybe it is a while, he doesn't know, when the first Jetii – Mundi, he thinks the Cerean's name was – falls to Palpatine's blades. Palpatine, it seems, is making every move to injure or kill, which makes sense, and the Jetii aren't not doing likewise.
Amongst them, Din feels entirely out of place. He's a warrior, of course, trained and raised by the Creed, but he's not – he doesn't use Jetii magic. He's not like them. He can't move that fast, can't see the blade coming towards him in the same way they can. But he steps forwards finally, intercepting a blow that would have fatally injured Obi-Wan. The Jetii gives him a nod of thanks, taking a step back as he sucks in a breath. Din's focus, however, is entirely on Palpatine now. The dar'jetii's eyes are glowing yellow, and it's unnatural enough to freak him out.
Windu lunges towards Palpatine, only for the purple blade to be blocked as the Sith slashes towards Din. Red and black crash together, the sound different from what the other laser swords sound like, perhaps because the Darksaber itself is a different kind of weapon. Too bad that Din can't shoot Palpatine with his blaster. The fighters are moving far too quickly for that, unfortunately. Yoda spins forwards in a blur of green – Ka'ra, will Grogu learn to fight like that? If he does, he'll be one of the best Mando'ade ever – forcing Palpatine to flip backwards to avoid having his legs chopped off.
An invisible Force knocks Qui-Gon backwards, and he slams into a tree, head hitting the trunk hard enough that Din winces in sympathy as the Jetii falls to the ground, stunned or unconscious, he doesn't know which. Eeth Koth is the next to go down, Palpatine's laser sword nearly cutting him in half vertically. Din really hopes that Grogu – and Anakin – aren't watching this. They don't need to witness such brutality.
Dooku and Windu are holding their own against Palpatine, and Yoda, too. They're doing the best of everyone. Snarling, Palpatine extends a hand, lightning leaping from his fingertips. Din ducks barely in time, rolling under the blast and coming back to his feet before launching another attack on Palpatine when he gets the chance. Depa Billaba isn't as fortunate, and she goes down with a strangled cry as the lightning crackles into her body, though she's pushing herself up again only moments later.
"How did you know, Mandalorian?" Palpatine demands as he weaves between the many blades, all of which are twirling around him, a chaotic blur of blue and green and purple – and black. "How did you figure out who I was?"
"If it was meant to be a secret, you kept it poorly," Din replies, unwilling to give Palpatine any answers, even though he'll probably be killed here. Din owes him nothing, answers least of all.
The dar'jetii scowls at him, batting away Gallia's blue laser sword and Dooku's red one, before striking out at Obi-Wan. The younger Jetii ducks to the side to avoid being impaled, but he's not fast enough, and the red blade sears along his upper arm. He staggers back, groaning, reaching up to lay a hand over the burn. It doesn't look like he'll be fighting anymore. Palpatine is picking them off one by one, even though he's outnumbered. It seems impossible, and yet, it's happening. Maybe the Jetii aren't as strong as they – and Din – thought.
Palpatine sneers at him, as he leaps across the garden, slashing one lightsaber through a tree trunk, and unleashing lightning from his other hand towards the advancing Jetii. The tree begins crashing to the ground, but an invisible force catches it, and then, it's hurled towards them. Din rockets into the air to avoid the branches, and the Jetii scatter. Most of them evade it, but Din is quite certain he hears bones snapping as it lands on Luminara, pinning her and Gallia to the ground. Gallia is still moving through, trying to extricate herself, so Palpatine sends a blast of lightning into her prone body, letting up the attack when Dooku leaps towards him.
Qui-Gon is regaining consciousness now, but from the way he's acting, Din thinks he has a concussion. That leaves Yoda, Windu, Dooku, Depa, and himself to face off this deranged dar'jetii. Normally, Din would say that those odds are pretty good, but given that six of the Jetii are out of action… he's not so sure. And when Palpatine turns to look at him, yellow eyes gleaming with malice and glee, Din is really not so sure that they'll win.
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Mando'a Translations:
buir - father, mother
dar'jetii - Sith (literally: not Jedi)
Jetii - Jedi
aliit - family, clan
vod'ika - little brother, little sister
demagolka - someone who commits atrocities, a real-life monster, a war criminal (from the notorious Mandalorian scientist of the Old Republic, Demagol, known for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche)
Ka'ra - stars (ancient Mandalorian myth - ruling council of fallen kings)
Mando'ade - Mandalorian (literally, sons/daughters of Mandalore)