Chapter 31

                                    

                                          
It feels like an eternity of waiting before Mando finally starts to drift off in his spot on the bench. 
He sighs, letting his body sink into the hard surface of the bench as his eyelids flutter closed. The flight here was, he had to admit, perfect. His new starfighter is snappy and unbelievably fast, giving him the first feelings of real joy he'd had in eight long months. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he couldn't wait to show it to the kid. 
In truth, he was relieved when Peli's spontaneous test drive went so well on Tatooine. He'd grown fond of the ship after spending so much time building it. The ship flew him here in half the time the Razor Crest might've taken, which helped since now Boba Fett awaits his return. 
But that's all for nothing if he never gets off this bench. 
A twig snaps and Mando shoots up, his blaster poised to fire. He's surprised when he sees a familiar Togruta Jedi in his view. 
"You," he grunts, sitting up on the bench and tucking away his blaster. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Ahsoka Tano smiles at the ground, the expression laced with sadness he wouldn't associate with a smile. "I'm an old friend of the family." He gets the feeling there's a lot more behind that statement, but he doesn't pry. It's not what he's here for. 
"I thought you weren't going to help train Grogu."
"I'm not. Master Luke is," she says, a startling hint of pride in her voice. 
Mando shakes his head, pushing himself to his feet. He glances down, noticing that the R2 unit that brought him here is now conveniently awake. "Then what are you doing here?" 
"That's my question for you," Ahsoka replies, raising one eye marking. 
"I'm here to see the kid," Mando says, earning a mischievous laugh from the Jedi and a conspiratorial chirping from the droid. 
"That's why R2 brought you to me instead."
"What is this place?" Mando asks, pushing past the shared joke between Ahsoka and R2. They both turn to gaze at the rock structure surrounded by scurrying droids on the hill above them. They work like a hive, all bent on performing their one task for the good of the whole construction project. 
"It's nothing now," Ahsoka explains, crossing her arms delicately over her chest. "But someday it will be a great school. Grogu will be its first student."
Pride should swell in his chest at the idea of the kid reaching his Jedi potential and paving the way for others like him, but it doesn't. "I'd like to know how he's doing," Mando says, pushing down the guilt from that thought.
Ahsoka narrows her eyes at him in a way that makes his heart sink. "He's doing fine."
"I want to see him."
He sounds like a petulant child, even to his own ears, but his words are only met with a patient sigh from the Jedi. "I know you do," she says, taking a few steps back into the forest. "Let us take a walk."
They fall in step beside each other, lost in the busy quiet of the forest. Creatures buzz and chirp through the air, and they can still hear the distant hum of droids working, but there are no words. Mando delves into his thoughts unwillingly, plagued by memories of the last time he saw Ahsoka Tano. He hadn't prepared himself for this, hadn't been expecting it. He was finding more and more often lately that he needs to prepare himself for situations that might involve Tara in any way. 
"I warned you when we met that your attachment to Grogu would be difficult to let go of," Ahsoka says, breaking the silence. 
Mando sighs under the helmet, not willing to lose this fight with her. He needs to see the kid. He's all he has left. "He was a Mandalorian foundling in my care. I just want to make sure he's safe."