Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It felt surreal jumping out of hyperspace outside the Mandalore system in amongst a swarm of starfighters - all returning home from their victorious battle allied with the Rebellion against the Empire.

An Empire that now lay in ruins; its two leaders dead, the second Death Star destroyed and millions killed.

It was over.

They had won.

More than that, they did so without Din having to pay the ultimate price of losing his beloved Riduur.

He glanced over at him where he sat in the co- pilots seat.
The Tooka’s post-coital calm was beginning to slip and he looked nervous.

Paz had hitched a ride home with Koska’s brother, Axe, in his starfighter when they left Endor.
He complained that he and Luke would most likely be wanting to celebrate in the way couples do, and he didn’t want to be around for that.

He had not been wrong.

After taking the cargo ship back to the Rebel Fleet base to retrieve their own ship and jumping into hyperspace, Din and Luke had spent almost the entire time making passionate love.

First on the pilot seat, then in their small bedroom that Din’s larger class of Com’rk fighter came equipped with.

But now, with their arrival imminent, Din could read every thought and emotion that crossed his pretty face.

He was keen to see Grogu again but also anxious about what they would tell their citizens.

“What part of the public debrief is troubling you, my little Rawn’ika?”

Luke blinked and turned to him, biting his lip.
“I…I don’t know. All of it? Part of me thinks that they deserve to know about my…my father, but part of me wants to keep that within the family.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, he fidgeted with his ear.
“I’m also…nervous about telling them that I’m a Jedi. Knowing about their history with Mandalore… I just don’t want them to view me differently now.”

Din was silent for a moment as he steered the ship towards Concordia.

They would only have a few minutes of peace before the hero’s welcome that surely awaited them as soon as they stepped foot outside their ship.

“You will need to tell them about being a Jedi but I believe it’s fair to keep the truth of your parentage to only a close few.
It’s not like you were raised by the man he became or were allied with him in any way.”

When Luke winced and stared out the viewport again, Din continued.

“Yes, there is a history with the Jedi, but I don’t think they will judge you based on that. You are loved by the people. They know you. They know that you are loyal to them.
Just make it clear that you only received training not long ago for the purpose of fighting the Empire, and that you haven’t secretly been a fully trained Jedi this whole time.”

He nodded thoughtfully but changed the subject.

“Do you think Grogu is alright? It was Koska looking after him, wasn’t it?”

“Grogu will be fine, Cyar’ika. Koska is very reliable and he is used to her from all the times she has babysat him before. Don’t fret.”

Sighing, Luke ran his hands through his hair. “I just can’t wait to hold him again. Each time we have left for a mission or confrontation, I’ve wondered if it will be my last time seeing him. It was the same with Bespin, but for both of you.”

Din was silent for a moment. “I understand, Luke,” he said quietly. “Grogu will be in your arms again very soon, and he will be ecstatic to see you.”

It mollified Luke for a time, until they breached the atmosphere of Concordia and began their descent towards the docking station, Din having confirmed their identity via comms.

As soon as they were low enough to see the swarms of citizens rushing towards the docking station to greet all their returning warriors, he became antsy again.

“Din?” He asked, after helping with the landing sequence and post-checks. “I know it’s too late for another Mandalorian courage injection, but can I get some of your Alpha pheromones?”

“You don’t even have to ask,” he replied, opening his arms in invitation for his tiny Riduur, who all but jumped into them.

Pressing against him, Luke purred as he rubbed his face against Dins’ mating gland to cover himself in his scent. Then he rubbed their necks together, scenting him, before latching on to suckle up his Alpha pheromones.

Din moaned in pleasure at the sensation, as he always did, reaching up with one hand to massage the gland on the other side of Luke’s neck.
The trilling mewl he emitted in response made him hard again, and he quickly stopped, despite the whine of protest.

“The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can take you to bed again, my little Rawn’ika.”

Luke huffed but went willingly when Din stood to walk them over to their entry ramp.

As soon as it had lowered and they were met with frenzied cheering, Din and Luke were soon swept away, leading the procession of warriors back to the huge courtyard outside the palace.
The crowds parted for them but were still loud and emphatic in their jubilation at their triumphant return.

Din stood on the raised platform at one end of the courtyard, his arm around his mate, watching as Bo-Khatan informed the people of the victory over the Empire and the part Din played in the destruction of the second Death Star - to uproarious cheers.

When it was time for Din to address the people as Mand’alor, he gave Luke’s shoulder a final squeeze and stepped forward.

The people fell silent, eager to hear what he had to say.

This part of the job was always the most difficult - a far cry from his life as a stealthy hunter, working in the shadows.
Having the full attention of thousands of people was never something he got used to.

This time, however, the words came easily.

[“Children of Mandalore. It is true; the Empire has been defeated, thanks to the efforts of the Rebellion, our skilled starfighter pilots led by Bo-Khatan, and the crew that myself, the Mand’cyare and Paz Vizla joined to shut down the protective shield around the second Death Star.”]

Switching to Basic, he continued. “At this point, however, we should also acknowledge someone who has been very instrumental in the Empire’s downfall.
The identity of the Rebel X-wing pilot who destroyed the first Death Star has now come to light and been verified by the Rebellion.
This pilot is the same person who helped bring down the Emperor in the culmination of this war.”

A quiet anticipation followed his words, as though everyone were holding their breath.

Din half-turned back towards Luke and held out his hand.

Hesitantly, his little Tooka came to his side, a flush creeping up his cheeks at the shocked silence he was met with.

“Um…hi…” he started meekly, ears sticking out to the side in discomfort.

He rubbed the seam of his prosthetic hand.

“I know this is the last thing anyone expected…and I’m sorry to have kept my identity a secret from you.”

The rosiness of his cheeks deepened and he looked to Din for approval before continuing.

“I…also need to tell you that…in order to prepare myself to face Darth Vader and the Emperor… I had to train as a Jedi. It’s where I have been when…the Mand’alor and I… kept going off world for several weeks at a time.
I didn’t know about the history between Mandalore and the Jedi until after starting my training. All I knew was that a Jedi was needed to stand a chance against the two Sithlords, and I was born with strong abilities in the Force.
I…am loyal to Mandalore. I love my Riduur and my home. I love my people… I will always fight to protect you, and… I hope that you can understand that. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

For a moment, no one moved or said anything.
Then slowly, everyone sank to one knee and bowed their heads.

Luke’s ears flicked up in alarm. “What’s happening?” He whispered to Din.

It took him a second to answer. A lump had formed in his throat and it was hard to find his voice.

“They…are honouring you, Cyar’ika,” he said finally, heart pounding in his chest.

“Ohhh” he breathed, clearly at a loss for what to say.

Din wrapped his arm around him again and leaned down to pull him into a Keldabe Kiss.

“I’m so proud of you, my little Rawn’ika.”

And he was. He continued to be proud when Luke sat by his side at the celebratory feast that followed, with Grogu on his lap.

He continued to be proud when music started playing and a gaggle of younglings engulfed him and pulled him onto the dance floor.

Again, he was able to enjoy watching his beautiful Tooka swaying his body and swishing his tail to the beat - only this time, he was holding Grogu and surrounded with children, which made it even hotter.

Din allowed his mind to wander, thinking about one day seeing his Riduur dancing with little Tooquai children…ones with his caramel fur and blue eyes…maybe Din’s curly brown hair…

“Geez! I can see your cluckiness through your helmet!” A familiar voice piped up next to him.

He sighed and turned to the insufferable woman who had plopped herself down in Luke’s vacated seat.

“Hello Cara.”

She smirked at him. “Good to have you back, Mando!” Gesturing at Luke, she just had to keep on going.

“Nice, by the way! Not only a cute little Omega but also a powerful warrior who destroyed the Death Star?? How come your balls haven’t exploded?”

“They have,” he replied flatly. “Many times.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Silly me, I should’ve known!”

When she helped herself to the pitcher of tihaar on their royal banquet table, Din knew she was getting settled in to see the celebrations through to dawn. Paz even came up and sat on his other side.
The two of them drinking together definitely spelled trouble.

Fortunately, as he eyed up his gorgeous Riduur dancing with their son and the other children - the night he envisaged for the two of them took quite a different course.

He watched and waited, politely engaging with those who came to offer gratitude and congratulations to him. His gaze never strayed far from his clan, and the moment Grogu started to look sleepy, he approached.

“Are you ready to turn in, Cyar’ika?” He asked, coming up behind him and placing one hand on his shoulder.

Luke beamed up at him, eyes sparkling with understanding of the carefully disguised undercurrent in his voice.

The group of children had started to thin out, the younger ones having been taken home to bed already, with only the older children remaining.

They thankfully seemed none the wiser and excitedly babbled at Din for a bit before he was able to gently disentangle the three of them and usher them home.

Grogu was already asleep in Luke’s arms when they crossed the threshold of their living quarters for what was hopefully the last big homecoming.

Din had had quite enough big epic adventures and dangerous missions for awhile.

Now he was ready to enjoy a far less eventful life, rebuilding Mandalore and having quality time with his family…

…Maybe even expanding it…

Easily tucking Grogu into bed without so much as a stir, he started impatiently tugging at Luke’s robes even as he dragged him from their son’s nursery.

The Tooka let out a breathless moan. He grasped at his chest plate, wrapping one leg around him to pull their bodies as close as possible.
Their teeth clashed in a messy, frantic, desperate kiss, walking each other backwards into their bedroom.

When the back of Luke’s legs hit the bed frame, Din shoved him down and attacked him, ripping the clothes from his body with an impassioned growl.

It wasn’t until much later, when his knot started to deflate, that Din felt able to use human words again.

He kissed the sweaty lock of blonde hair curling on Luke’s forehead and leaned up on his elbows to look at him.

The sweet Omega was still catching his breath, neck and chest littered with Dins’ bite marks. His nipples were red and swollen, as were his abused lips - but he didn’t look like he minded in the slightest.

“What are you thinking, Din?” he asked him, peeking up through his lashes like the seductive little minx he was.

“I’m thinking,” Din began, putting on his most authoritarian Mand’alor voice, “that it’s time I demanded something in return for enabling all your shenanigans, Mr Jedi Knight.”

A look of guilt flashed across his face but Din kissed it away.

“What did you have in mind?” He asked at length. “I’ll give you anything you want.” There was no denying the sexual invitation in his words, especially coupled with the sultry, half-lidded gaze he was levelling at him.

“A week away,” Din said firmly, making Luke’s eyes pop open in surprise.

“What?”

“A week away,” he repeated. “Maybe even two weeks. There is a cabin I have acquired in the forest that was always used by the reigning Mand’alor as a hunting lodge for getting some time away from royal duties.
I’ve never gotten round to using it but I think we have earned a holiday. I want us to have a break from responsibility and galactic or planetary affairs, even society in general. I want some time with just you, me and Grogu.”

His stare became heated. “Then, I want some time with just the two of us. You will not be allowed to wear any clothes from the moment Grogu gets picked up, until we leave.
I will fuck you over every surface in that cabin several times over, and I will fuck you outside under the stars - just like you wanted. What do you say?”

Luke’s cheeks started to flush his rosy pink as he spoke, and his eyes became glazed.

“Y-yes!” He cried, stumbling over himself in such a rush to give his assent. “When can we go?”

“Soon, my little Rawn’ika.” Din’s lips stretched in a feral grin as he bent his head to take Luke’s bottom lip between his teeth in another bruising kiss that made him whimper.

“I’ll organize it first thing tomorrow.”

Luke just laid beneath him purring.

Chapter Text

Luke keened loudly, his feet on either side of his head as Din folded him in half on the dining table.
Each pump of his hips rocked his tiny frame, punching the air from his lungs.

Their past week with Grogu in the cabin had been lovely and relaxing. They enjoyed lavishing their son with attention, taking him for walks through the forest or to the lake, where he terrorised the frog-like creatures.

At night, before getting him ready for bed, they sat outside on the crude log benches around the fire pit, huddled together under a blanket to look at the stars.
While Grogu sipped his little mug of warm milk, they regaled him with some of the legends and fairytales they had been told as children from their respective cultures.

Another wonderful gift that had come from having Luke as his Riduur was that he could act as ‘translator’ like the other Jedi, Ahsoka had - telling him the thoughts that he projected in order to communicate.

Din had started to get better at this as he strengthened his own Force-sensitivity, but he could still only get vague feelings from him. Not full sentences or visuals like Luke could.
It was wonderful to hear about the little quips and comments Grogu made at certain parts in the storytelling.

After he went down for his nap each day or was taken to bed in the early evening, Luke and Din made use of the time to connect with each other.

It often started innocently enough; holding hands as they sat chattering away on the couch, a loving squeeze here and there as they helped each other prepare some food.
But at the end of the day - they were young, in love, and had just survived a harrowing war in which they had nearly lost each other… so it didn’t stay innocent for long.

With a baby in the close quarters of the cabin, even one that slept as heavily as Grogu, they still had to keep their voices down and confine it to the bedroom with the door locked.

On more than one occasion, Grogu had woken up early from his nap wanting food, and toddled over quite happily to his parents room to make his desires known.
It was fortunate that he was too young to suspect anything was amiss with their hasty explanations of ‘play-wrestling’ and ‘armour-less sparring.’

As soon as Koska had come to pick him up, however, and they had waved goodbye to his retreating form on the back of her speeder; all caution was thrown to the wind.
Din made good on his promise - not only to ban Luke from wearing clothes, but also to fuck him on every available surface.

Which is how Luke found himself in his current predicament with his ankles behind his ears.
When Din hit just the right angle, he came with a wailing cry over his own chest and face.

Not long afterwards, Din growled and shuddered as his knot inflated, locking them together.
He rocked into him, whispering sweet nothings into those big Tooka ears while he stroked them, making Luke trill prettily.

By the time he had finished, the Tooka was a whimpering mass of jellified limbs and he sagged even more as Din pulled out.
“Shall we plug you up, baby?” He asked, eyeing the dribbles of cum leaking out from between his rosy folds.

“Haaa…mmmmhng.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” With a soft self-satisfied chuckle, Din grasped one of the pussy plugs he tried to keep close at hand whenever they had sex and gently inserted it.

Luke’s back arched off the dining table and he moaned.

Especially when Din used his thumb to collect some of his spend that had already made its way out, pressing it to Luke’s mouth for him to lap up like a hungry kitten.
He then took his discarded cape still hanging over the back of one of the dining chairs and used it to mop up the drying cum from his face and chest, despite Luke’s grumbles to leave it.

Eyes glazed, he lifted his arms towards him in a tired, clumsy plea to be picked up and Din couldn’t help but comply, heart melting.
Those arms wrapped around his neck as soon as he had his Riduur nestled against his chest like a baby. “Hold me for a bit, Din.”

Din smiled and pressed a kiss into his hair between his ears before carrying him over to the couch.
Using his free hand that wasn’t cradling Luke, he grabbed the throw blanket draped over the backrest, tucking it around them as he sat down.

His sleepy, satiated mate curled into him, purring, head resting against his chest. The end of his tail protruded from the blanket and flicked slowly from side to side in contentment.
A small hand took Din’s and brought it up to his mouth again to suckle lazily on one of his gloveless fingers.

Since the war ended, Luke had been allowing himself to give into his Omega nature more when alone with his clan; which included suckling and even gentling.
Not because he was angry or distressed - just for the sheer pleasure of it and the intimacy it afforded them.

Din watched him indulgently, grinning when the little darling huffed in protest each time he playfully wiggled his finger or pretended to start pulling it away.
With a cute growl, Luke held his arm tighter with both hands, even wrapping his tail around it and digging his pointed canines into his flesh enough to convey a warning not to remove his hand.

It just made Din love him even more. He sighed like a sappy fool and continued to drink in the precious sight.
He knew that his skin released some amount of Alpha pheromones all over his body, but hadn’t realised just how much until after Luke began suckling on his fingers.

While it wasn’t quite as potent as the skin around his mating gland, Luke confirmed it was enough to send him into “fuzz land” - how he referred to the sub space that Omega’s could enter into with the right care.

Fortunately not so much that he became incoherent, like he did after being gentled or sucking on his mating gland too long.

When the suction inside his mouth weakened and Luke’s head tilted back against his shoulder with the grip on his arm going slack, Din took the opportunity to caress his face.
“Don’t go to sleep yet, my little Rawn’ika” he crooned, jostling him softly in his arms until those glazed eyes opened again. Only a fraction - mere slits with a dash of blue.

“Tell me something about you that I don’t know. Maybe about your childhood on Tatooine? You mentioned you had friends who went to the Imperial Academy?”

“Mmmm…” Luke blinked a few times and yawned wide, showing off his cat fangs that Din loved so much.

“I…didn’t have any friends at first. Getting into that group was hard-won.”

Din frowned at that. “Even before you presented as an Omega at puberty?”

“Mmmmhmm,” he nodded, stretching a little.

“Why?”

“You’ve been to Tatooine, right?” Luke answered his question with one of his own.

At Din’s affirmative nod, he continued. “You know what the people are like there. The environment is rough - and I’m not just talking about the dry, barren desert. It’s survival of the fittest.
Only the strong are considered attractive or desirable in any way, not just romantically. Anyone who is weak will be unable to protect their family and homes. The general consensus is that they are going to die much sooner than most, so why invest time or valuable resources into them?”

It made Din wince. He could see where this was going. Thank goodness his Aunt and Uncle hadn’t felt that way, or the two of them may have never met.

“I was small and, as Mon Mothma put it, ‘delicate.’ That’s how I appeared at least. I didn’t realise there was anything different about me until I was old enough to accompany my Uncle to the closest village, at four years old. It was still out in the desert, away from the bigger towns. Just a small collection of moisture-farming families that lived relatively close to each other and had a sense of collaboration.
The kids were all friends and played together. I was excited to see other children, and ran over asking if I could play with them.”

The way he sighed had Din tensing up, already fearing what would happen next.
“At first, they just stared at me. They had definitely never seen nor heard of a Tooquai before. That much was clear when they came up to me and started pulling at my ears and tail, asking what I was. I said that I didn’t know, and they asked why I had ‘weird furry things’ attached to me when my parents didn’t. I said that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru weren’t my parents.
They asked if my parents abandoned me because I was a freak. I told them that they hadn’t, and they had died. Bad thing to say to people so indoctrinated with the concept of natural selection.
They all chased me away; saying I was too small, scrawny and weird to play with them, and I was just going to die soon like my parents, so I should stop wasting their time.”

“Ohhhh, Cyar’ika,” Din gasped, his heart breaking for the child Luke had been. “That is horrible.”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed, snuggling up to him again. “I was pretty devastated, but I managed not to cry until we got back home.
Anyway, long story short; after many failed attempts to get into the group each time we went to the village, I had come to notice that one of the boys was kind of like the ringleader, whom all the other children naturally followed.”

“Was that Biggs?” Din guessed, then shrugged at Luke’s astonished look.
“What? I remember you mentioning him a few times, and that he was an Alpha while all the others were Betas.”

“Y-yes,” Luke said, raising an eyebrow. “I bet that memory for details really served you well as a bounty hunter.”

Din smirked. “Carry on.”

“Well, I realised that the group wasn’t going to accept me until he did. So I focussed all of my attention on him instead - watching and waiting until there was an opportunity to get him alone. He was pretty dismissive for the first few months or so.
I had my big break when I saw him working on a broken vaporator. By then, since I didn’t have any friends, all of my free time went towards building and fixing things in my Uncles workshop, and playing virtual pod racing. I had gotten really good at it, so I came over and offered to help.”

”Let me guess, he was a prick?” Din drawled, voice laden with cynicism. As much as he loved kids, he was well aware of what shits they had the potential to be.
The second the words left his mouth, however, the memory of this boys’ eventual fate made him want to stuff them back in.

Luke surprised him by laughing, fond and nostalgic, despite how truly horrendous these kids had been treating him. “Yeah, Biggs tried to shoo me off. But I was persistent and, as soon as he relented just to get me to shut up, I pretty much had it fixed in minutes. He was impressed and thanked me, but told me not to get any ideas. And you know what? He said that to me every time I helped him fix something.
Then he even enlisted my help, getting me to fix stuff for the other kids. They, like me, had chores they had to complete each day before they could play - and children always got the less dangerous or physical jobs, like fixing broken equipment.
Me practically doing their chores for them in record time was really handy for them, so they begrudgingly let me hang around them in exchange. I still wasn’t really considered part of the group at this point though. More like their employee who they were obliged to tolerate.
Sure, I was aware of this but, to be honest, I didn’t really mind. I just liked engaging with other kids and not being insulted or chased away.”

“So, how did you become a member of the group then?” Din had to ask. Luke’s stories, while horrifying at times, were very interesting and always got him engrossed.

Luke smiled. “It was a slow process but gradually, certain things endeared me to them, little by little. There were two other main things that really tipped the scale in my favour though. One came about maybe a year or two later, when they were old enough to be allowed to get into pod racing. Again, I had already developed my skills in this area because we only went to the village a couple of times each week and the rest of the time when I was home, and had finished my chores, I played virtual pod racer religiously.
Plus I had already started building myself a real pod racer from spare parts by the time they were all getting into it. Maybe that was Uncle Owen cutting me some slack…or maybe he just knew that letting me have hobbies which kept me indoors was better then me growing bored and sneaking off for shenanigans outside, where he couldn’t keep an eye on me as much. Or where I could be seen by travellers passing through, which I picked up from a young age, was his worst fear.”

The thought had Luke staring off into space for a moment, before remembering himself. He perked his ears and grinned up at him.
“Anyway, being the best at mechanics and pod racing really earned me some points, and proved that I wasn’t a waste of time or resources.”
Flippantly, he added “then there was the time I saved them from a sand worm.”

“You what?!” Din asked incredulously.

Sand worms were nasty things. As venomous as they were vicious, with a mouthful of teeth, they could grow as big as the pythons of jungle planets.
Like the much larger Krayt dragons; they hunted by burrowing at speed under the sand, then launching straight up right next to their prey in a horrifyingly rapid strike-ambush manoeuvre.

Unlike Krayt dragons, you couldn’t feel or see any sign of them coming.

Luke’s boisterous grin turned feral. “We had strayed a bit far from the village to play, even though we were told not to. A sand worm shot up and grabbed Camie. Everyone panicked and started throwing things at the worm to get it to let her go without having to get too close to it.
It didn’t work and, since it was quite a small sand worm as far as they go, I just jumped in and did what I would always do if one popped up anywhere near our own farmstead.”

“What was that?”

“I ate it.”

Din leaned back to gape at him. “You ate it?!!”

“Yep,” he raised his chin smugly. “I ate it. You know, they are actually very nutritious and contain a lot of moisture. I didn’t need to eat again for days after getting one of those things down.”

Narrowing his eyes, Din peered closely at him, trying to see if he was joking.

“I’m serious!” He insisted. “If ever we go back to Tatooine, I’ll try and catch one for you!”

All Din could do was shake his head in befuddlement. “I can’t believe that in all our time together, you neglected to mention that you eat kriffing sand worms!”

“It never came up in conversation until now” Luke said defensively.

Din sighed. “Any other special skill or talent I should know about?”

“Not that I can think of right now.”

Another sigh. “So, what happened then? Did your iron gullet make you a hero?”

“Well, I suppose so. Everyone was a bit shocked but once we got back to the village and were all spanked for disobedience, Camie got her bleeding arm patched up. Her parents noted that it looked like a sand worm bite. Thankfully it hadn’t injected any of its venom yet but they were very interested to know how we escaped.
When the others excitedly told how I had eaten it, they were also in shock. At first I thought I was going to be called a freak again, but they were very thankful and actually started calling my uncle to bring me over if ever any of them had a sand worm infestation.
It’s how I got the nickname ‘Wormie.’ Though I was mostly accepted by that time, after that I was actually sought after and the group would even brag about their sand worm-eating friend when we went to hang out at Tosche station.”

“Gods,” Din muttered. “I’m beginning to think that part of the reason your uncle wouldn’t let you go was because you were just too damn useful to have around. Wait till the Mandalorian population hears about this!”

Luke giggled. “Will they find it attractive?”

“Oh yes, Cyar’ika. You are already a national treasure, but that might just elevate you to god-like status.”
Leaning back down again, Din kissed him until he moaned. “That must have affected your standing in the group?”

“Yeah, things were pretty good with my friends from then on…until we hit puberty.” His brow furrowed in consternation, eyes distant.

“Luke?”

“Oh, sorry just…remembering.” He offered Din a sad smile. “In typical Omega fashion, I presented last. Which was good…bought me a bit more time with them. Even though he and Aunt Beru obviously already knew, Uncle Owen became extra protective once it was un-disguisable that I was an Omega.
I couldn’t take my speeder bike over to the village to hang out with them anymore. In fact, I wasn’t allowed back to the village at all. If my friends wanted to see me, they had to come to our farm and Uncle Owen would make sure he could see us at all times.
It was worse with Biggs because he was an Alpha, so Uncle Owen no longer trusted him around me. Out of everyone, he was my closest friend and we were no longer allowed to have sleepovers, just the two of us. Things had started to get a bit weird between us anyway so that definitely did not help.”

“Weird how?” Din prompted, but he was pretty sure he knew.

Raising his eyes to meet Din’s, his sweet Tooka looked almost apologetic when he answered.
“I had started to have a crush on him…in fact, I thought I was in love with him for a long time. While I wanted to keep my independence and dreamed about becoming a rebel pilot, the only times I would fantasise about being claimed by an Alpha, it was always him.”

“And what about Biggs?” Din asked, unfazed. He certainly did not feel threatened by this man, even if he was still alive. “Did he return your feelings?”

Luke sighed. “I…don’t know. We were barely ever alone after that so we weren’t able to have the same level of ease and closeness with each other.
He was…a lot more careful around me. I never knew if it was because he was aware of my crush but didn’t feel the same way and didn’t want to give me false hope, or just because of how much we were scrutinised and watched, as if he was going to force himself on me at any moment.”

Luke fidgeted his hands together, eyes averted.

“He left for the academy at sixteen, same as the others. They came back home only a couple of times each year and we caught up as a group. I had to sneak out to see them. Biggs was always friendly, yet stand-offish. Like he was keeping me at arms length.
I thought it was because he had outgrown me but didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Not hard to imagine; here he was, now a worldly and well-travelled, educated man…while I was still a farm boy who had never been anywhere further than Mos Espa.”

Pressing his lips together as though he didn’t know whether to grimace or smile, he kept going, but now he was quiet and subdued.
“I’ll admit, I became quite depressed. It felt like I was losing everything important to me and would live out my days as a bored, lonely insignificant nobody.
I kept thinking about the shitty future I had to look forward to. Once Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru passed away and I took over the farm, there wouldn’t be anyone left in the whole galaxy who cared about me. I became very resentful of Uncle Owen and blamed him for ruining my life. I even told him so on several occasions…”

Luke’s face scrunched up with guilt, but he took a breath and the rest started pouring out like a confession.

“Three years after Biggs leaving, when we were nineteen, I got the chance to see him alone when he came back. It was…just like old times. We laughed together and reminisced. He was the only one who believed me about seeing an imperial Star Destroyer overtake a rebel blockade runner through my macrobinoculars.
Then he took me into his confidence and told me how he was close to realising that childhood dream of ours: defecting to the Rebellion. He hadn’t told anyone else yet because he wanted me to be the first to know. I was touched and overjoyed to realise that he did still care about me.
One thing led to another and…he took my virginity round the back of Toshe station, behind the moisture sheds. While we fixed our clothes back into place, he promised to come back for me and get me into the Rebellion, even if he had to kidnap me. He said I would have to disguise my secondary gender, as they wouldn’t allow an Omega to fly, but he assured me that he would do whatever it took to get me in. I longed to be there by his side, though I doubted I would ever actually get into the Rebellion without any formal training.
For the first time since he left, I started to hope that even if one of my dreams would never come true, the other would…that Biggs might feel something for me and that when he came back again, he might claim me as his Omega. Then I could at least go with him wherever he went. Maybe as a mate instead of a pilot, but at least I’d be getting off that dusty hell-hole.”

When Luke started to worry his bottom lip between his teeth, Din took his chin in his hand, freeing that lip with a gentle swipe of his thumb. “Then what happened?” He prompted.

“You know the part of the story about how I ended up in the Rebellion,” Luke replied. “Well, when I got there, I was reunited with Biggs again.”
He fell silent for a moment and Din waited patiently, allowing him to collect his thoughts.

“He was…very happy to see me and gave me a hug, asking how I made my way there so quickly. We were both suited up for our first mission. Han had already given me a dose of Omega hormone suppressants on our way to the Rebel Base after rescuing Leia. I told him it was a crazy story, which I would be happy to share when we both got back to base.
Biggs looked for a moment like he was going to say something, then stopped himself and agreed that we had a lot to talk about…but he gave me this meaningful look as he said it. I knew he had something important to tell me but it wasn’t the kind of thing that could be rushed before heading off into a war zone. Then the siren calling all pilots to their x-wings started blaring and we had to cut it short.”

There was an expectant pause before Din said “Well, what did he want to talk about?”

“I don’t know,” Luke answered sadly. “That was the Death Star mission and Biggs never made it back.”

Din’s heart stuttered in his chest. “Luke,” he whispered, voice soft as he stroked his hair. “I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine your loss.”

“Thank you,” Luke said, leaning into his touch. “But as much as I grieve the loss of my best friend from Tatooine, I realised with more time and emotional distance from what happened that…while I did love him, I wasn’t in love with him.
It was like I was in love with the IDEA of him and what he represented: an alpha who saw and valued me as a person, not just as an Omega. One who would treat me as an equal. One who would give me the freedom and self-agency to pursue my own ambitions.”

After giving him an affectionate nuzzle, Luke gazed up at Din, ears twitching and a flush colouring his cheeks.

“It’s actually how I came to realise my feelings for you…I remember that night I found you going through those data pads about the Tooquai.
After you let me read them, and I thanked you…I looked at you and thought how no one had ever made me feel what I was feeling then - not even Biggs.
I thought about how I would feel if you died and…I knew I wouldn’t be able to…still function, like I could after Biggs passed away. That’s when it hit me that I was in love with you.”

Din’s chest clenched with raw emotion at Luke’s words. His eyes felt damp and he cupped his husbands beautiful face, pulling him in for a kiss.

“I love you too, my little Rawn’ika. Thank you for sharing more of your story with me.”

“I’ll share everything with you,” Luke gasped into their kiss, tiny hands finding their way into Dins’ hair. “I’ll give you everything.”

A rumble sounded deep in his throat, tingles running down his spine to his hardening cock.
There was no way, he could hear such an admission from Luke and not get horny again.

Standing rapidly from their warm cocoon of blankets, Din started carrying him to the bedroom.
“I’ll hold you to that, my feral little Jetii. Are you ready to demonstrate your sand worm eating technique?”

“Please don’t make sexual innuendos likening your cock to a sand worm” Luke begged, though his pupils were dilated and his cheeks were now completely red.

“It seems to be doing it for you though…Wormie.”

“Shut up” Luke rasped and smashed their lips together again.

“Not far now, Cyar’ika. Stop pouting.”

“I am NOT pouting!” Luke retorted hotly, and as if to prove his point, he pouted some more in a way Din knew was absolutely unintentional and he had no idea he was doing it.

He chuckled. “You’re an insatiable and demanding little brat.”

“Hmph!”

The tiny Tooka looked adorable bundled up in his arms with his ears flat against his golden hair and wrapped in a blanket to keep the chill off his naked body.
Behind the blindfold, his eyebrows were twisted into a a distinctive scowl and he folded his arms crossly against his chest.

Din had learned quickly in the early days of their sexual relationship that he did NOT like to be kept waiting once his sexual desire boiled over a certain point.
But, while Luke wanted to ensure Din knew the depths of his displeasure through his body language, Din just found it endearing - which annoyed him even more.

Amused, Din carried him through the forest until they reached their destination. It was the following day after Grogu was picked up and he had planned something special for his sweet love.
He carefully set Luke down on the picnic blanket and removed the blindfold. “Here we are.”

Luke blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light then looked around. “Oh…Din. You did all this?”

Everything had been set up perfectly. They were in a small clearing near the edge of the forest on the side furthest the city.
Fairy lights were strung through the trees around the perimeter. In the centre was the picnic blanket that Luke now sat on, complete with a vase of red roses, a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine with two glasses.

Directly in front of them, thinning tree trunks framed a view of the neighbouring valley with its rolling hills, the afternoon sun hanging low over the horizon.

Smiling, Din nodded proudly, warmed by the delighted surprise on his Riduurs’ face.
“I was thinking we could watch the sunset together then make love under the stars - which I know is something you want to do again after those times on Endor.”
His smile morphed into a smirk at the memory of that first night in particular, when they were caught by a bunch of oblivious Ewoks.

“Din, this is…wonderful! I can’t believe you did all of this, I…I…” his gushing trailed off as he looked around with huge eyes, ears twitching.
When Din came and sat down next to him on the blanket, Luke gave him an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry I was so bitchy when you were trying to give me a gift. I didn’t realise and was just impatient to get you inside of me again.”

With a bark of laughter, Din scratched at the base of one pointed ear, eliciting a happy noise from the Tooka.
“It’s quite alright, ner kar’ta. You never have to apologise for being hungry for my cock. I actually find it very cute.”

He scowled again, cheeks flushing red with embarrassed indignation, and socked him lightly in the arm.

Sniggering, Din moved closer and started to peel back the blanket wrapped around his lover.
“Now, let’s do something to help you out with this first.”

When his naked body was exposed, revealing the dark pink cock that throbbed against his flat stomach, Din smiled indulgently and took it in a loose grip.

“Ah!” Luke cried, jerking at the sudden touch.
He exhaled a gusty puff of air and laid back on the covered ground, while Din pumped his fist in a lazy rhythm.
A bead of pre-come appeared at the opening of the engorged tip and Din gathered it with his next stroke to help lubricate the movement of his hand.
After a few more strokes, he gave in to his own desires and positioned himself between the Tooka’s legs to swallow his cock whole.

“Diiiiiiiiiiiiin!” his husband cried, flexing his hips up to meet him.
A moment of inspiration left Din wondering if he could also fit his balls in his mouth at the same time, and he had to try it.
Holding Luke steady, he widened his lips on his next pass downwards and sucked those little man berries into his moist cavity.
‘Hmm, they actually can fit,’ he mused as Luke convulsed beneath him.

Using his tongue, he massaged both balls and cock, while Luke yanked at his hair with strangled cries.

After a moment, he pulled back, letting them slip out of his mouth, turning his attention to the end of the pussy plug nestled amongst the wet pink labia. Grasping it, he tugged it roughly from Luke’s body, making him scream and jerk again.

Din wasn’t listening. He was too busy lapping up his own cum that oozed out, thick and congealed, groaning at the blend of bitterness with the sweet taste of Luke’s slick.
With two fingers, he spread the innermost lips to access his entrance and tongue fucked him hard, while his other hand rubbed against the furled muscle of his rim.

Just as he pushed a finger inside it, Luke came spectacularly, squirting slick into Dins eager mouth even as he coated his belly with cum.
The scream he aimed at the heavens was loud enough, Din was sure it could be heard back in the capital.

He swallowed the slick and laved the flat of his tongue over Luke’s clit, continuing to thrust his finger into the rim a few times as the little blonde rode out the smaller aftershocks of his orgasm.

“Better?” he asked lightly, when Luke went limp on the blanket, panting like he had run a marathon.

“Uh huh,” came the breathless reply.

When he was ready, Din helped him get cleaned up and wrapped him in the blanket again.

Luke smiled blissfully as he pulled himself into a sitting position in time to take the freshly poured glass of wine Din handed him. “T-thank you” he managed to croak, voice hoarse.

“Anytime, my little Rawn’ika.”

They snuggled close, sipping wine and feeding each other chocolates as the sun sank lower towards the valley, scorching the sky a deep blood orange hue.

Conversation dropped away altogether as it began to set. Out of the corner of his eye, Din admired the way the colour interacted with the gold of Luke’s hair and the dot of orange reflected in the skyscape of his eyes.

The faintest flash could be seen when the sun finally dipped behind the hill, leaving soft dusky blues and pastel pinks in its wake.

Din and Luke let out a collective sigh.
“That was beautiful,” Luke said, reaching for his hand.
Interlacing their fingers, Din brought his hand up to his lips to plant a soft kiss on his knuckles.

“It was alright. I had a better view to enjoy.”

The look he received was half flattered, half exasperated and he grinned, rolling one shoulder in a shrug.

“Before we move onto our next outdoor activity, I need to go water the plants. Won’t be long.”

He stood in one fluid motion and stretched his legs then wandered a short distance from the clearing to relieve himself.

As he returned, traversing the line of trees with their twinkling fairy lights into their darkening makeshift observatory, he stopped short.

Luke had the vase of roses on his lap, still staring at the post-sunset vista while he idly plucked a stem from the bunch.
Raising it to his lips, he chomped down on the crimson bloom as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

A second later, he looked over to where Din was frozen, completely non-plussed, and said “the stars are starting to come out.”

It took a moment for Din to respond. “Um, Cyar’ika?”

“Mmmm?” He hummed questioningly, even as he selected another rose and devoured it.

“I…uhhh…what…are you doing?”

The Tooka raised an eyebrow in confusion before he seemed to realise his error. “Ohhhh! Sorry! They were my first two, I promise! Of course I was going to save some for you!”
He held a rose out to him. “Come on, we can finish these before we have sex.”

Not for the first time, Din felt totally at a loss when it came to his mate and didn’t know what to say.

“Uhh…no thank you, they are…all for you.”

Those ears quirked. He watched Din closely as he came to sit back down and it was easy to see from the worried look on his face that he thought Din was mad at him for starting to eat the flowers without him.
Putting the vase down, he ran a hand through his hair and pulled nervously at one ear.

“Look, I’m sorry. I should have waited. I’ve just never tried them before and I wanted to make sure I liked them before you got back so I didn’t embarrass myself or hurt your feelings by reacting badly if I didn’t. Please don’t be upset with me.”

“No, no! It’s not that, Cyar’ika,” Din assured him, squeezing his shoulder. “I’m just…surprised, that’s all. I guess I shouldn’t be after what you told me yesterday. I…didn’t know that you eat flowers too.”

“What?!” Luke’s head snapped up, ears standing to attention as he gawked at Din. “You mean…that’s not what they are for??”

“No, my love.” He couldn’t help the little chuckle of amusement.

The Tooka’s mouth fell open and his cheeks reddened. “Well…what are you supposed to do with them then?”

“Uh, nothing,” Din shrugged. “They are just meant to look nice…give a certain ambience. Like these lights.” He gestured to the strings of fairy lights he had woven through the trees.

Luke’s face contorted into a look of pure horror. “Are you saying…I was EATING your decorations??!”

“Well…yes,” Din rubbed the back of his neck, unsure how to let him know gently without embarrassing him further.

It didn’t work.

Groaning, Luke covered his face with his hands and flopped down on his side facing away from Din. He burrowed deeper into his blanket, trying to cover his head.

“It’s alright, my love. You can eat the roses, if you want to,” Din crooned, shuffling closer so he could rub a reassuring hand down his side.

His Riduur just curled in on himself tighter and let out another groan. “The one time I wish there was sand around for me to bury myself in…”

“Hey!” Din laughed. “It’s not that bad. I’m your husband! You can’t possibly get embarrassed in front of me!”

“Can,” he huffed in a tiny muffled voice.

Din groped his hand into the opening of the blanket until he found his ears and the top of his fluffy head, which he proceeded to stroke.
“Oh, Luke. Are you going to come out?”

He could feel him shake his head. “Nope.”

It made Din smile to himself but he kept up his tender ministrations.

“I don’t get it,” Luke whined after a few minutes.
“Leia told me about the rose flavoured desserts she used to eat on Alderaan. Why would there be a dessert of something you can’t eat??”

Din bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “Umm, it’s not that you can’t eat them. They aren’t bad for you or anything…but usually when one does consume anything with rose, it’s either a tea blend that has a few petals mixed in, or desserts made with rose infused water. You don’t generally just…eat the rose straight off the stem.”

“Oh, gods,” Luke sniffed. “I’m an idiot.”

“No, you aren’t,” Din disagreed. “You had no reason to know, Cyar’ika. Don’t be embarrassed. Come on out now. I miss you…please?”

He must have sounded earnest enough because, after a moment of hesitation, Luke begrudgingly rolled over and peeked out from the blanket.

“There you are, my moon and stars,” Din crooned pulling him into his lap and pushing the blanket down enough to see his pretty face.

He still looked mortified, eyes wide and cheeks red with his hair a fluff of dishevelled tangles.

“Talk to me, Luke,” Din entreated with a soft boop to his nose. “Why are you so embarrassed?”

The Tookas’ nose twitched adorably when he touched it and he sniffled.
“No one’s ever given me flowers before,” he told him, sounding as despondent as he looked.
“I never even saw them growing up on Tatooine. Leia told me how she was often gifted them on Alderaan and it sounded…nice. I did just assume they were for eating though. I never thought to ask… I…guess I never dreamed that anybody would one day give me some.
It was special and I didn’t want to ruin the moment…but instead I end up making myself look like a stupid, uncultured desert bumpkin to the man of my dreams. How are you ever going to find me sexy again now?”

Feeling himself melt again, Din kissed him, plunging his tongue into his mouth. Luke squeaked a bit in surprise but succumbed to the kiss, letting his eyes flutter shut.

When he pulled away, Din smiled at him and nuzzled their noses together.

“Luke, you really have to trust me when I tell you that you are the hottest, sexiest, most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen - even when you are eating roses. Nothing is going to change that.
In fact, your quirkiness is one of the things I love about you, so when you do something quirky it only makes me more attracted to you. Just relax, and stop worrying about how I see you.”

He opened his mouth to say something but Din placed a gentle hand over it to silence any protest he would have made.

“You know what? I’ve never given anyone flowers before, so that was a first time for both of us.
And I couldn’t have asked for it to have gone any better.
You make me happy, Luke. Yes, you confuse the hell out of me sometimes - but I enjoy that. You are Luke the Unpredictable. You are amazing and unique. Don’t stop being you, ok? Not even for a second.”

Luke’s eyes shimmered and became glassy so he blinked a few times to clear them and bit his lip before saying “ok, Din…thank you.”

Relieved, Din pressed another kiss to his lips, unable to contain his smile.
“I have something else for you too, which might help to cheer you up. Do you want me to get it for you?”

“Yes, please” Luke said, sweet and polite even when he was recovering from his embarrassment.

Din set him down on the picnic blanket and stood up. “Alright, close your eyes then. Don’t peek! I’m still Force sensitive enough to know if you do.”

Obediently closing his eyes, Luke pressed a hand against his face. “I won’t, Din.”

It only took a minute to grab the box from inside the nearby log where he had stashed it earlier before going to get Luke.
His lovely Riduur sat still with his hand over his face, even when Din sat back down again.

“Ok, you can open your eyes now, baby.”

He dropped he hand and looked down at the box Din held towards him. “Din, I…haven’t got you anything.”

The guilty expression had returned but Din waved away his concern. “Don’t be silly. You acquiescing to my wishes on this holiday is all I wanted from you. Now, open the box. I’m dying here!”

Luke carefully lifted the lid and let out a squeal, hands covering his mouth in surprise. “Din!” He cried. “You remembered!”
With eager hands, he lifted the collars from the velvet lining inside the box.

One was black leather with a wider strap and studded along the outside with small Beskar spikes. One was a thinner, plain white leather strap. Both of them had a secure looking buckle to do them up and two Beskar items attached to what would be the front: a round tag embossed with the Mudhorn signet, and a plain ring for attaching another present Din had made for him.

As Luke’s thumbs ran over the tag and ring for the collars in each hand, Din retrieved something from one of his belt pouches and unwound it.
It was a leash, made from fine black woven material.

His whole face lit up even more when he saw it.
“I can’t believe it, Din!” He chirped, practically vibrating with excitement. “You really are going to collar me! And leash me!”

Without warning, Luke launched himself onto Din, nearly knocking him flat on his back.
“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” He gushed between each kiss that he peppered all over Dins face.

Laughing happily, Din just let him until he thrust the black collar right under his nose.
“Can you collar me with this one now?! Please! Please! Please!”
And he wagged his tail as if to emphasise how badly he wanted it.

“Of course, Cyar’ika. Calm down.” He placed the white collar back into the box and got Luke to hold still while he fastened the black collar around his neck.

Once it was secure, the Tooka felt it with both hands and literally swooned.
Din was also getting excited. It looked deliciously erotic against his creamy gold skin, with the white lightning scars along his torso left over from the Emperor.

Roughly grabbing him by the collar, Din attached the leash and his beautiful mate responded with a sweet trilling mewl, rubbing his head against him.

“Present yourself, Omega,” he commanded in a stern voice, made huskier by his burgeoning lust.

Luke couldn’t get himself out of his blanket fast enough but was still face down on the ground in record time, ass in the air and knees apart.

Din ran a hand over one plump round cheek then brought it down in a stinging strike, hard enough to leave a mark. He watched with dark pleasure as the flesh rippled and bloomed red.

Luke keened, lifting his ass higher in a plea for more and Din’s lips stretched wide in a feral grin.

“Listen well, Omega. Here’s the rules for when you are wearing the black collar…”

Later that night, after sharing a warm bath, Din laid his incredibly satisfied Tooka down on the bed and rubbed a soothing balm into the welted skin of his buttocks.

“You did so well, my little Rawn’ika,” he praised him. Luke just purred in response.

Both collars were back in their box now. They agreed that the black collar was for Dom/Sub play and the white one was for everyday wear but only when Luke wanted it.
For safety reasons, he was not to wear them whilst sleeping.

When he was finished, Din closed the jar and settled down on his side of the bed, while Luke snuggled up to him.

A thought crossed his mind, and he smiled cheekily down at his Riduur.

“So…can I ask a question?”

Luke’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Depends what it is.”

Trying to look innocent, Din began. “Well…you know how you were called Wormie because you ate sand worms…?”

“No,” Luke said firmly. “I know where you are going with that, and no! Absolutely not!”

“What?” Din laughed holding up his hands in placation. “I think Rosie is a lovely nickname!”

Luke blushed and his eyebrows drew together crossly. “No! I hate it and I will NOT answer to it! If you try to call me that I’ll bite you so hard! …And no, you will not enjoy it!”

The last part was added when he saw the seductive glint in his eye.

Falling back against the pillows, Din cackled loudly with his own wicked humour, while Luke pummelled him.

“Ok! Ok! No calling you Rosie, I get it! But now that we have moved on from it, can we at least joke about it now? You know how I feel about you, come on!”

Huffing a sigh, Luke relented. “Fine! I suppose.”

“Good, because I really need to know…weren’t you even the least bit suspicious that the roses were in a vase of water?? When have you ever heard of food being presented like that?”

“I don’t know!” Luke cried defensively. “I thought it was some kind of…fancy salad.”

“F-fancy salad??!” Din repeated, biting his lips in an unsuccessful attempt to hold in the roars of laughter.

Pouting, Luke rolled away from him and primly dragged the covers up to cover his chest.

“Come back here,” Din ordered, still laughing as he pulled the grumpy little Tooka back into his arms.
Luke hissed at him, ears back and puffed tail poking out of the blanket.

“Oooooh! Are you trying to seduce me, little minx? It’s working.”

“No!” Luke snapped, pushing at his chest. “You aren’t getting anymore sex out of me while you’re being a massive dick! Let me go!”

“Luke,” he spoke his name like a caress, sobering instantly. “If I actually upset you, I apologise. I haven’t felt this alive and playful since…well since I was a young child.
You just make me happier than I ever thought I could be. You make me want to laugh and enjoy life again, instead of it all being about honour and sacrifice.
Perhaps I haven’t learnt yet to realise when I’m taking things too far. I’m sorry, Cyar’ika.”

The little blonde softened at his words, locked arms going slack where they had been pushing against him.

“You’re so incredible, Luke” Din told him, cupping his face as he looked at him in awe. “I was already the luckiest person in the galaxy when you married me. To think I get to marry you again!”

That made Luke frown in confusion. “What do you mean again?”

“Like I told you when we exchanged vows in Dagobah. We need to have another ceremony that is public for our people to witness…that is, if you still consent to it?”

“I…” Luke faltered, more than a little stunned by this sharp turn their conversation had taken.
“Yes, you know I would marry you as often as we need to. I love you…even when you are making fun of me.”

Overcome with his own love for this beautiful Tooka, Din trailed his hand down to his waist beneath the covers and leaned his head forward.
“May I kiss you or are you still mad at me?”

To answer, Luke pinned him down on his back and climbed on top of him.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

Luke smiled as he ended the holocall with Leia. After coming back from their lovely nine day forest vacation, Din had a lot of work to do and they also had to start planning their wedding.

He had a few hours home alone while Din was on duty and Grogu was away for his lessons, so he decided to call Leia and tell her about it.
In typical Leia fashion, she decided she was going to come to Concordia and ‘help’ - which anyone who knew her well enough understood to mean ‘take over.’

She told him she would be there in a week, so now he had to let Din know and mentally prepare him for the force of nature that was soon to be arriving in his capital.

A soft bluish light behind him distracted him from his thoughts. At first, he guessed it would be Obi Wan or Yoda, but the Force signature felt…different.

He froze.

“Is…is that you, Father?”

There was no reply, so he turned and felt his heart seize up at the sight before him.

The Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker in those same distinct Jedi style robes, albeit darker in colour, stood watching him, silent and solemn.

His ears pointed outward horizontally from his head, betraying his uncertainty, and there was a look on his face that Luke wasn’t able to read at first.
So many emotions bubbled behind his blue blue eyes and his aura was in chaos.

For a long moment, they just stared at each other. It wasn’t until Anakin bit his lip in the perfect imitation of Luke’s signature nervous habit that Luke choked on a sob.

“Father,” he whispered, taking a tentative step forward. “You came back to…see me?”

Anakin also took a step forward, a single tear tracking its way down his face.
“Of course I did, I would have come sooner but… I didn’t know if you would still want to see me…”

“I do want to see you,” Luke insisted. “I will always want to see you. I want to know my father…my real father. I…needed you so much growing up…I didn’t even realise how much until I saw you on Endor.”

The older Tooquai gasped, reaching a hand out to him. “Luke…”

Raising his own hand, Luke touched their palms together - his small and solid, his fathers large and transparent.

“I never stopped loving you and wanting you. When I was told of your mothers death, I…I thought you had gone too.
I’ve never known such agony. I wanted to rip my own heart out, but turned that pain onto the galaxy instead.
I know nothing can ever make what I did better, but I want you to know that I’m so so sorry. I’ll always be sorry.”

Hearing those words was like a lightsaber through his gut. Luke buried his face in his hands and cried. He sensed more than felt Anakin coming closer to him and placing his hands over his shoulders.

When he was able to talk again, he wiped his eyes and looked up at the man he had always dreamed of meeting.

“We have so much to talk about, but first, I really must know…who was my mother? Aunt Beru told me she thinks it was a woman named Padmè who came with you to Tatooine years before I was born. Is that true?”

Anakin jerked in surprise, eyes widening. “Y-yes…she…um…yes, Padmè was your mother…is your mother.”

“Can you…have you seen her? Since you died?” Luke asked hesitantly.

A teary smile graced Anakin’s handsome face. “I have, and she met me with so much love and joy that I’m not at all worthy of. She truly is an Angel. I always knew she was.”

Luke smiled too but it faded as he asked his next question, nerves making his chest tight. “Does she…know anything about me? Does…does she ever…watch over me?”

“Of course she does,” Anakin replied fervently.
“She loves you and Leia with everything she is. She has watched over you all your lives.
In fact, she wanted me to tell you that she is proud of you and eternally grateful for bringing me back to the light.”

After another time-out to cry some more, Luke latched onto something that peaked his curiosity.
“You know then…about Leia? Before when we were…fighting…you read my thoughts and found out I had a sister…I didn’t know if you realised then who she was.”

A look of pain flashed across his face. “I didn’t at that point. I wasn’t able to get that out of you. When I died, I was met by Obi Wan and Yoda. They told me. Then they took me to see my mother and…and Padmè.”
He sighed. “I don’t think Leia will ever forgive me as you have. What Darth Vader did to her…what I did to her was…far worse.”

“She said you tortured her,” Luke said looking up at him. “How?”

Anakin closed his eyes tightly against the tears that threatened to spill out, lips twisted in a grimace of sheer anguish.

“I injected her with a mind altering hallucinogen that makes one very susceptible to suggestion. Then I made her live out several scenario’s to break her mind and give the location of the Rebel Base.
Worse than that, when she proved too mentally strong to succumb to that form of torture, I let Grand Moff Tarkin take over. I stood idly by and let him destroy Alderaan…and I’ll never forgive myself for it. All those innocent people…”

As the tears flowed freely down his face, Luke floundered helplessly, not knowing what say.

Because, in all honesty, there was nothing to say.

There was no way for the deceased Jedi to fix the past actions of his corrupted self, and Leia was within her right not to forgive him.

“Father,” he said softly, stepping forward again.
“I can’t speak for Leia. These things are between you and her. As my sister, I’ll support her in whatever she decides…but I forgive you for the things that are mine to forgive.”

The love and fatherly pride in Anakin’s eyes nearly broke him again, but he held his gaze.
“You are so like your mother,” he said at last. “I knew it as soon as I saw you for the first time in Bespin.”
Sighing, he brought his hands up as though to cup his face. “Luke…my kit…my little boy.”

That did them both in and they stood crying together for a time.

“So, you knew that my mother was pregnant then?” Luke said finally.

“Yes,” Anakin replied. “We had been secretly married for several years by that point. No one knew - or so I thought. I came to realise not long before my fall that Obi Wan and Master Yoda had figured it out.”

That opened up a whole bunch of questions, but Luke focussed on the simpler things that he had wondered about his whole life. “How did you meet her?”

“I was a nine-year old Tatooine slave boy working for a junk dealer in Mos Espa. Padmè, Obi Wan and his master, Qui Gon Jinn, landed with a broken hyperdrive needing repairs. They came to my boss, Watto, looking for the parts needed to fix their ship…”
His eyes became distant, a reverent smile pulling the corners of his lips. “I’ll never forget the first moment I saw her. She lit up everything with her presence. I thought she must be one of the Angels from the Moons of Iego I had heard about in legends from the deep space pilots that came through Tatooine.”

Luke started at the familiar sentiment. “Din said the same thing to me. I couldn’t speak to tell him my name when we first met, so he called me Rawn after-”

“Rawnde” Anakin interrupted, a look of wonder on his face. “It suits you. It has a fissure that is the same colour as your eyes.”

“Our eyes” Luke corrected. “You’ve seen it?”

“Only in passing,” he said with a grin. “Obi Wan and I went to Iego on a mission during the Clone Wars.”
His smile softened. “I’m not at all surprised he drew the same comparison. You may be a Tooquai with my hair and eyes, but you have your mothers’ radiance. The only reason I could believe such a perfect being was my son is because you are hers too.”

“…Father.” Feeling his lower lip wobbling dangerously, Luke quickly looked away.

Anakin raised his hand again to ghost it over his face and Luke could almost feel it. Maybe not the same as he would register a physical touch, but definitely something.

“Why couldn’t you talk when you met Din?” He asked, probably as a way to distract him so he didn’t cry again, but he could also feel his genuine curiosity behind the question.

“Well,” Luke sniffled. “I had been conditioned not to by this group of slavers who-”

“Slavers?” Anakin cut him off.

An ominous feeling overcome him and he glanced up at the other man in concern, suddenly aware that this was not a good thing to tell his former slave father.
“Um…” His mind faltered as he frantically searched for a way to backpedal from this topic.

“I can practically hear you trying to get out of telling me,” Anakin told him flatly. “What slavers?”

Perturbed, Luke continued with caution. “I…uhh…got kidnapped by some slavers awhile after blowing up the first Death Star.”

His fathers face slackened in shock before a steely glint appeared in his eye. “What?”

Luke bit his lip and shifted back a step. “Uh…Father?”

“My son was taken…by slavers…MY SON?!”

The room dropped in temperature and Luke jerked in alarm, hurrying forward again to try and snap him out of whatever dark place he was going to.

“Stay in the light, Father!” He begged, desperately waving his hands in front of his face. “I can’t lose you again!!!”

Anakin gasped and stumbled back, his eyes back to normal as the temperature returned.

“Luke!” He cried, seeing him as though for the first time. “Luke! I…I’m sorry! Thank you for bringing me back.”

“That’s ok, Father,” Luke said, trying not to show how rattled he was by the experience.
“Don’t be angry. In hindsight, I’m actually glad it happened because otherwise I wouldn’t have met Din. He rescued me and killed them.”

Rubbing his eyes as though to stave off a headache, Anakin then glanced down at him and pursed his lips thoughtfully.
“Not that I’m in any position to ‘give my blessing’ or anything, but have I mentioned how much I like your Mandalorian?”

It broke any remaining tension left over from his little ‘episode.’
He laughed. “Not yet, I don’t think. Is it true he threatened you whilst building your funeral pyre? Could you hear him?”

Anakin laughed as well. “Hard not to! He was very…loud about it in the Force. The man’s got balls, I’ll give him that! He also clearly worships you, so he definitely scores mega points in my book!”

As Luke beamed at him, the significance of the moment hit him. Here he was talking happily to his father about his husband - like a normal father and son would.
That alone was enough to make tears well up in his eyes again. “Hey, Father…thank you.”

“For what?” Anakin blinked, frowning in confusion.

With a vague gesture, Luke shrugged. “For…coming back to the light, for saving me…for coming to see me now and…just for this…this moment.”

Those blue eyes shimmered and he could see the love boring into him from the way the older man looked at him, as much as he could feel it like a warm blanket wrapping around him in the Force.

“No, son…thank you.”

They stared warmly at each other until Luke’s excitement prevailed.
“Please can you tell me the rest of that story from how you met? What happened then? Why was Mother with two Jedi? That must be how you were taken away to become a Jedi as well!

“It is,” Anakin confirmed with a chuckle. “Padmè was rescued by Obi Wan and Qui Gon from the Trade Federation invasion on Naboo. I didn’t realise at the time, but she was the queen in disguise as one of her own handmaidens.”

Shock electrified his senses making him stiffen up, rigid as a Beskar suit of armour. “QUEEN??!”

“Oh yes,” Anakin grinned amused. “You are high-born, son. From the age of fourteen, your mother reigned as elected Queen Amidala of Naboo, serving the maximum two terms under the title before becoming a very popular Senator in the Republic.
Few people knew that Amidala was a regnal name, which she kept for her entire career. Her real name was Padmè Naberrie.”

“What??” Luke exhaled, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.

Anakin’s grin faded into concern. “Alright, I think you need to sit down.” He gestured to the nearby couches in the lounge and ushered him over.

Plopping himself down gracelessly, Luke turned to the ghost where he sat beside him, the cushion not sinking under his weight as it had for him.

“My mother was…the Queen of Naboo??”

With all amusement gone now, Anakin just nodded, eyeing him worriedly as though unsure whether or not he was going to faint.

If he was being honest with himself, he probably wasn’t far off.

“When…when did you find out??”

The handsome man bit his lip again, considering. “This whole thing is a bit of a saga and if I don’t tell you everything from the beginning, I feel I might end up confusing you more. Do you have time to hear it?”

Luke nodded, still feeling somewhat numb, but he listened eagerly as his father began to talk again.

He sat wide-eyed, on the edge of his seat while Anakin repeated Obi Wans account of being sent by the Republic with his master to negotiate with the Trade Federation viceroy; escaping their murder attempt and fleeing to Naboo, their rejected plea to the Gungans to aid the planets surface—dwellers, their journey to Naboo’s capital to rescue Queen Amidala, their escape on her Royal starship with the plan to reach Courscant and request back-up, the ship getting damaged as they evaded the Trade Federation blockade, and their resultant forced landing on Tatooine with a broken hyperdrive.

Then Anakin took over with his own memories of his first conversation with Padmè while Qui Gon spoke to his owner about buying a replacement hyperdrive, saving their Gungun friend, Jar Jar, from being shanked in the street and inviting them back to his home for shelter from an incoming sandstorm.
When he heard of their predicament, with Watto refusing to take Republic credits for the ship parts they needed and having nothing else of value to trade - essentially being stranded on Tatooine while on their way to an important mission, he offered to help.
Knowing Watto’s weakness for gambling, he suggested that Qui Gon enter the pod racer he had been building into a big upcoming race, with him as his pilot and make a wager with Watto for the parts. Qui Gon agreed and Anakin told him about winning the race in great detail.

Luke was utterly enthralled and revealed that he too had been obsessed with pod racing, especially after being told by Aunt Beru that his father had been a champion.
It made Anakin glow with pride, and Luke swallowed the lump in his throat.

“What happened after you won the race?” He asked, and Anakin’s smiled faded.

“Qui Gon revealed that he had made another wager with Watto. If I won, I would be freed. He tried to wager for my mother too but, Watto would only allow one slave to be bartered.
Then he gave me the choice to either stay or go with him when they left Tatooine, to be trained as a Jedi Knight. It had been my dream for as far back as I can remember.
I decided to go, but…nearly backed out of it when we were leaving my home and I turned to see my mother standing sadly in the doorway. I ran back to her and said I couldn’t leave her. She encouraged me to follow my dreams.
It was ultimately her bravery and self-sacrifice that ensured I became a Jedi…sometimes I wonder if it would have been better for the galaxy if I’d stayed; living and dying in obscurity on Tatooine…but then…you wouldn’t be here now…”

His expression became pensive. Luke didn’t want to interrupt his thoughts and sat quietly, waiting.
Then his father seemed to remember what he was doing. He let out a breath and smiled at him.

“Where was I? Oh yes! We got attacked by a Sith Lord on our way to the outskirts of the city where their ship was parked. He had come to kidnap Queen Amidala, who still had one of her handmaidens posing as her.
Qui Gon fought him off and we managed to leave. We get to Courscant and while Padmè went off to rejoin her handmaidens and prepare to talk to the Senate, I’m taken to the Jedi Council.
Qui Gon asked for permission to train me but they refused, saying I was too old and my attachment to my mother made me vulnerable to the dark side.”

He sighed. “While part of me wants to say that I wish he had listened, I know I can’t blame him or circumstances, or anything but myself.
I was warned time and time again about attachment and many attempted to council me on how to prevent these feelings from clouding my mind. I resisted them. I was arrogant enough to think I knew better…”

After falling silent again, he glanced over at Luke and pulled himself out of it.
“My apologies, son. I’m getting ahead of myself. Queen Amidala was frustrated by the inaction of the Senate due to all the political bureaucracy, and was convinced by the Naboo Senator of the time, Sheev Palpatine, to push for a vote to get him replaced.”

It was hard not to notice a distinct wave of sourness and hostility when he mentioned the Senators name, but he decided not to pry about it just yet.

“When the Queen decided to return to Naboo, Qui Gon and Obi Wan accompanied her, taking me with them. They sought out the Gungans to form an alliance.
It was only when we were all brought before the Gungan king, Boss Nass, with who we thought was the Queen, surrounded by her handmaidens, that Padmè stepped forward and revealed herself as the real Queen Amidala.”

Luke had to ask. “How did you respond to the news?”

The smirk that Anakin gave him was disarmingly boyish. “You know that face you made not long ago when you found out? I’m pretty sure I looked like that too.
After the edge of the shock wore off, I was actually quite crushed. I knew when I first saw her that I was going to marry her but knowing that she was actually a queen…made it feel impossible.”

“So you were a nine year old freshly liberated slave boy going after an older woman, who you thought was a handmaiden but turned out to be a Queen. Nice.” Luke said, with only a hint of sarcasm since he knew he eventually succeeded.

“What can I say? I’ve always dreamed big,” his father laughed before seamlessly continuing with the story.
“Padmè managed to win over Boss Nass and he agreed to an alliance, using their army to fight back against the Trade Federation.
It was an very intense battle and I kind of accidentally ended up in a Naboo starfighter and joining their fleet, staving off an aerial attack.
We won but Qui Gon was killed by the same Sithlord who attacked us on Tatooine.
Obi Wan, now appealed again to the Jedi again for the right to train me as it had been Qui Gin’s dying wish, and this time it was approved.
After the celebrations, Obi Wan took me back to the Jedi temple. He had been promoted from padawan to Jedi Knight after killing the Sith and so he was able to begin my training.”

Luke frowned. “Were you able to stay in touch with Mother after you started your training?”

“Unfortunately not,” he answered. “It was ten long years before I saw her again. Now a Senator, there had been an attempt on her life and it was Obi Wan and I who the council sent to protect her.
At that time, the state of affairs in the galaxy was messy. There was a Separatist movement at war with the Republic.
While Obi Wan went off on a mission to investigate, I was tasked to stay behind and act as her bodyguard. I was already in love with her, like I had been as the young boy who was enchanted back on Tatooine - while she fought against our growing connection. Valiantly, might I add.
I took her with me back to Tatooine after I had a vision of my mother in pain. I wanted to help her but she wasn’t at our old home. I found Watto who told me he had sold her to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who freed and married her.”

“Uncle Owens’ father!” Luke piped up. He was finally hearing the other side to the story he had been told by Aunt Beru.

“Yeah, that’s how I came to be on Tatooine with Padmè, as your aunt told you. Did she say anything else about our visit?”

Luke racked his brain. “Aside from Padmè accompanying you and the two of you being quite vague about who she was and why she was with you…no, nothing.
I assumed something really bad must have happened because Uncle Owen shut down whenever I asked him about you. He even lied to me, telling me you were a navigator on a spice dealers ship.”

Anakin raised his eyebrows. “A spice dealers -? Are you kidding me?”

When Luke shook his head, Anakin shrugged. “Well…if only you were so lucky. And you’re right. Something really bad did happen. When I tracked them down to their moisture farm, I asked to see my mother. Cliegg told me she had been taken weeks earlier by-”

“Tusken raiders!” Luke finished, eyes widening again as the pieces started to click into place and he realised that two mysteries of his family were about to be laid to rest.
“I know it was confirmed somehow that she had been killed but even Aunt Beru wouldn’t tell me the story.”

When Anakin hung his head in shame, Luke’s patience broke. “Please tell me, Father!”

“I tracked down the raiders who took her and found her alone in one of their tents, strung up and flogged. I cut her free and held her in my arms as she died. She was happy she got to see me again one last time and her passing was…strangely peaceful despite the abuse to her body.
It was the first time I fully lost myself to the dark side. I slaughtered the whole village in rage before returning to the farm plagued with horror at what I had done.
Cliegg, Owen and Beru were horrified too…and distraught by her confirmed death. Padmè and I left quickly after that, but I made a vow to myself that I would find a way to prevent the deaths of those I loved.”

“Oh, Father.” Luke sighed and looked at him sadly.

“You have her fur, you know,” Anakin told him, tears in his eyes. “My mother’s.”

“I know…”

In a bid to change the somber atmosphere, Anakin hurried on. “Obi Wan had found Padmès’ would-be assassin. A bounty hunter called Jango Fett.”

“Fett?” Luke repeated in astonishment. “Any relation to Boba Fett?”

“His father,” Anakin smiled. “Along the way, Obi Wan also discovered a clone army being produced on Kamino. They were made using Jango’s genetic material, as was Boba.
He followed Jango to the planet Geonosis, where he discovered the alliance between the Separatists - lead by a Sith named Count Dooku - and the Trade Federation, as well as their army.
He sent his findings to the Jedi council before being captured by Separatist droids. Padmè and I went to Geonosis to rescue him but we got captured too.
As we were being taken to our execution, Padmè confessed her love for me, since she believed we were about to die - but we were saved by the Jedi showing up with a battalion of clone troopers.
Obi Wan and I got injured trying to stop Dooku’s escape. It’s how I lost my hand, the first time.”

“So that’s how the Clone wars started,” Luke mused, utterly bewildered once again. “Obi Wan once that mentioned the two of you fought in those wars together. He didn’t say anything about being so intimately involved in their origin!”

Anakin sighed. “You have no idea. Remember that Senator Palpatine I told you about? After Naboo won against the Trade Federation, he was appointed the new Supreme Chancellor for the Republic and was granted emergency powers to sanction the clone army. He…he’s a whole other story.” His face darkened.

“Where did the start of the Clone wars leave you and Padmè?” Luke asked him then, as their relationship had been the point of all this backstory in the first place.

“Pretty much as soon as I got fitted with a bionic hand, that’s when your mother and I got married in secret on Naboo.” Anakin smiled again, reliving the moment.
“It was only us, our celebrant, who was one of her close confidants, and our droids: R2-D2 and C-3PO.”

“What?!” Luke leapt to his feet. “R2 and 3PO??!!”

“Yes, and you can’t imagine how surprised I was to see them with you!” He told him, chuckling. “3PO was Padmès’ protocol droid and R2 served with me all throughout the Clone wars. He was my little buddy. Often got me out of some hairy situations.”

“R2!” Luke shouted. “Get your rusty butt in here!”

Some annoyed beeping sounded a room or two away and a minute later he rolled in looking very disgruntled for an expressionless astromech.

Putting his hands on his hips and glaring down at him, Luke asked angrily “were you ever going to tell me that you were my FATHERS’ DROID?! Or that you witnessed my PARENTS getting MARRIED?!”

The snide reply in binary made Luke’s jaw drop as his father laughed where his still sat on the couch beside him.

“I never asked?! Seriously??”

“Why don’t you see if he still has our wedding in his memory banks?” Anakin said quickly to diffuse the situation.

“Great idea!” When he passed the request onto R2, he went silent for a moment as he searched through all his stored data, then beeped affirmatively before projecting a scene in front of them.

Two people stood facing each other on a beautiful marble terris over a lake.
Luke recognised a younger version of his father, with shorter hair, but all his attention was taken up by the slender woman in an elegant yet non-elaborate white wedding dress and matching veil.

He gasped.

She was beautiful.

There was no way to deny it. Her features were soft and feminine and…angelic, as his father rightly described her.
As he watched her lean in to share a romantic kiss with Anakin, he couldn’t help but notice all the ways in which she was lovely.

His lip wobbled. “She’s…she’s…” All the words left his head so instead he finished lamely “… my mother.”
He couldn’t believe he was really seeing her, even if it was through an old holoprojection.

Anakin leaned forward, just as transfixed. “Yes, she is. I told you she was radiant.”

Luke didn’t realise he was crying again until he felt the trickle of tears on his cheeks. “Thanks R2. You can…turn it off now.”

When the scene faded, he patted his dome and slumped heavily back down on the couch.
“Sorry, Father. It was just…overwhelming.”

“I understand,” he said quietly.

They sat in silence for a bit until Luke’s comm buzzed with a message from Paz reminding him that he will be taking him to his first Mando’a lesson soon.

With a rueful smile, Anakin reached out and ran a finger over his ear in that strange almost-touch that Luke could somehow still feel.

“I know I need to let you go soon, but before I do, I have some more messages to give you.”

“Messages?” Luke sniffled, rubbing his eyes.

“Yes. You have a lot of people wanting to talk to you on the other side, Luke. I said that I would only deliver one message this first time as seeing me would be…uhh, taxing enough, and I didn’t want to overwhelm you.
I also didn’t know if you would even be willing to talk to me.”

That peaked his interest. “Which message did you bring for me?”

“A very insistent young man demanded I take his message first. Biggs, I believe his name is.”

“Biggs?!” Luke repeated disbelievingly.

Anakin nodded, face drawn as though uncertain whether he should deliver it.

“He said he never got to tell you that he loved you.
He only realised his feelings after leaving for the academy and every time he came back, he was too scared.
When he was on the verge of defecting, he planned to get you into the Rebellion first and then tell you when you were there with him - but of course, you found your own way there ahead of schedule.
Then he was going to confess when you both got back from your first mission. As he was being gunned down, his only regret was dying without telling you.
But he is glad you found Din and he wants you to be happy.”

Luke just stared at him blankly, not knowing how to feel. In the most surreal twist of fate, his deceased father was the messenger telling him the things that he had spent so long wishing to hear from his now also deceased best friend.

One would think it would bring him some peace or closure to finally know how Biggs felt and what he had wanted to tell him only a relatively short time ago, but which already seemed like an age.

Instead, as he squinted at what was going on inside him, trying to bring it into any degree of focus or clarity, the main emotion he could decipher was…guilt.

Guilt that he had thought Biggs had outgrown him. Guilt that he had always assumed the worst.
Guilt that he hadn’t gotten to the Rebellion sooner.
Guilt that he hadn’t stayed to listen when he got the feeling Biggs wanted to tell him something important.
Guilt that he hadn’t been able to save him in that aerial battle.
And most of all, guilt that, as it turned out, Biggs’ feelings had run deeper than Luke’s own had in the end.

Watching him grapple with that revelation, Anakin gripped his shoulder as best he could.

“Let yourself feel your feelings, Luke…and then allow yourself to let them go. Take it from an old Jedi who failed to do exactly that.
And I know it’s hard, but don’t feel guilty. You didn’t do anything wrong by him. He is at peace now and he wants you to be the same.”

Luke sucked in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. “Thank you, Father…will I see you again soon?”

“Whenever you want, Luke. Just call me. I’ll hear you and come as soon as I can.”

He already started to fade as he leaned down to kiss the top of his head. All too soon, he was gone and it was just him and R2.

Moving gingerly, he sat down on his vacated seat, staring off into space.

When R2 rolled over and beeped at him to ask if he was alright, Luke sighed and patted his dome. “I will be, R2…thanks for asking.

Then the droid beeped at him again to remind him that Paz would be arriving in ten minutes.

Looking down at himself, he decided his black pants and blue tunic were presentable enough for his Mando’a lesson.

“Thanks R2. I think I might sit here and wait for him to arrive. I have a lot to think about.”

As the droid whistled in acknowledgment and spun around to tootle off towards his power station, a thought occurred to Luke.

“Hey, R2!”

When he turned to face him again, he bit his lip then asked “I never thought to run it by you…you do know about Force ghosts right? And that’s what I’m doing when I’m seemingly talking to no one?”

R2 begrudgingly told him that he had been fitted with the ability to pick up ESP which effectively allowed him to hear what Force ghosts were saying, but not to tell Anakin that, as he had a bet going with Obi Wan.

With that, he spun round and rolled away, leaving Luke staring dumbfounded.

Then he laughed.

Chapter Text

Din only had an hour or so of blessed solitude during the working day, between throne hearings and clan meetings and all the other tedious chores he had to do each day.
He enjoyed the silence and the chance to catch up on report reading so he was less likely to have to take any work home with him.

So he could be excused for the groan of annoyance when he saw a familiar eerie blue light appear somewhere behind his left shoulder.

“Master Yoda, with all due respect, now is really not a good time for a Force lesson or some cryptic Jedi prophesy.”

“Good thing I’m not going to give you one then.”

The sardonic retort was spoken in a completely unfamiliar voice, and something told him it wasn’t Obi Wan.

‘Please don’t be who I think it is’ he prayed to the Force. With movements strained and slow, he turned his head, ever so slightly, and peeked out the corner of his eye.

Sure enough, there was Anakin Skywalker, leaning nonchalantly against the wall of his office like he had been there many times before.

Din let out a long-suffering sigh. Very glad he hadn’t taken off his helmet once he shut himself away, he placed the data pad he was reading carefully down on his desk and swivelled to face him.

“Well, if it isn’t the demigod of family drama himself, here to wreak havoc on the tenuous structure of my working day.” He was impressed with himself that he was able to appear so calm

The other man scoffed in amusement. “You know, of all the ways I’ve been announced, that one is kind of my favourite…is that weird?”

A vein spasmed in Din’s brow.

“No,” he replied drily. “What’s weird is having the Force ghost of one’s father-in-law, the infamous Anakin Skywalker - who operated until recently as Darth Vader - show up in one’s office while reading a progress report on the revived Beskar mines that he helped destroy.”

Anakin winced. “Yeah, good point.”

“What do you want, Skywalker?” He himself wanted nothing more than to cut right to the chase so this could be over sooner.

“Skywalker?” the Tooquai repeated questioningly, his ears standing up on his head.
“Straight to using my last name already? This feels almost like talking to Master Windu when I was in trouble…or actually most of the time. He never really liked me very much.”

Din levelled a very unimpressed glare at him through his visor. “Shocking,” he deadpanned.
“I don’t know who that is, but if you are here to see Luke, he is at home. Although he is due to have some lessons this afternoon.”

“Oh, I’ve already seen him,” Anakin replied cheerily. “I’m here to talk to you.”

And suddenly, he had to resist the urge to beat his head against the desk. “Lucky me,” was all he said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

The other man raised an eyebrow. “Well, don’t be too excited now.”

“I’m tolerating you only because it’s important to Luke, but I’m under no obligation to be happy about it.”

“That’s fair,” he conceded, a trace of guilt pinching his features. “If you don’t want to see me again after this, I can definitely understand - but you must listen to me first.”

“Or what? You’ll wink at me again?”

Anakin tilted his head at him. “What was wrong with that? I just felt the situation called for a wink, that’s all.”

“Well, it didn’t!” Din snapped, rounding on him. “The situation did NOT call for a wink. It was weird - THAT was weird. Don’t do that again.”

“Whoa! Alright!” He raised his hands, palms out, placatingly. “No winking. Deal.”

When Din just gave a brusque nod of acknowledgment, an awkward silence lapsed between them. The Force ghost was the first to break it.

“I suppose I should be thankful that, of all the things you could fixate on, that was what you chose. A little odd, but it’s fine.”

Din crossed his arms tighter over his chest.
“It weirded me out. No, it wasn’t called for. It was, in fact, very out of place and did not belong anywhere near that situation…just like you, in my office, right now.”

When Anakin opened his mouth to say something, Din cut him off.
“And by the way, that was just the lid atop the Death Star-sized trash compactor of my issues with you. So, now that we have sorted that out, and since you want to talk so badly, let’s do this! Let’s dive right in.”

He leapt to his feet. “Cutting off your son’s arm - when you KNEW he was your son! What in the ever-loving KRIFF was that about?!
You have NO idea how much I wanted to tie you down with Force restraints, beat you to a bloody pulp and slowly step on whatever cyborg fuckery was keeping your lungs working! Just for that alone!”

In the wake of that revelation, Anakin stared at him blankly. Then he crossed his own arms and bowed his head, face drawn.

“Wow,” he said finally. “I’m honoured that you already feel you can be so open and honest with me.”

And the worst part was, he sounded completely genuine.

Din blinked. “What?” He asked, non-plussed. “I…I literally just told you I wanted to step on your life support.”

“Yeah,” Anakin nodded with a pleased grin. “I really think we are making progress in getting things resolved. I’m glad you are open to having this hard talk with me.”

Roaring with frustration, Din spun on his heel and threw his arms up in the air.
“Just once, can you react like a normal kriffing person?!”

“Uhh…” Anakin scratched his head. “Ok, I’ll try. What does that look like?”

The wall on the other side of his desk just looked so inviting, Din had to go and thump his Beskar-covered head against it a few times.

“Is…is that a demonstration?”

“Just shut up for a second,” Din told him tiredly, still leaning his forehead against the wall.

Footsteps sounded outside the door to his office and it opened without any attempt at knocking.

“Din?” It was Cara. “I heard banging and shouting. Are you ok? Who were you talking to?”

He peeled his head from the wall to look at her square on through his visor. “My father-in-law,” he said flatly.

Cara glared back at him. “Karking hell! I was only asking! You sure are a sarcastic mofo today! You really need to go home and knot that pretty little cat twink of yours.”

“What the kriff did she just call Luke?!” Anakin demanded, his voice behind him getting closer as he strode towards them.

“That!” Din spun round and pointed a finger at him. “THAT is how a normal person would have responded!”

“How a normal person would have responded to what?” Cara asked, brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you even pointing at?”

Sagging back against the wall, he couldn’t think of anything to say for a moment, so he just shook his head. “…Nevermind, Cara. I’ve just…got some stuff I need to finish here before my next meeting.”

She hesitated in the doorway, torn between accepting the polite dismissal and staying to ensure he actually was ok.

“I really thought your little holiday would do you good and help you unwind, but right now you are acting stranger than ever.
All innuendos aside, are you sure you didn’t eat something you shouldn’t have? Some funky looking plants while you were in the woods? Maybe even got stung by something?”

“No, Cara. I’m fine. Thanks though.” He sighed and she finally looked like she was going to leave.

“Alright, just…call out if you need anything. Maybe swing by the medical centre for a quick scan on your way home.”

“…Sure.” He said it more to settle her concern than because he had any intention of actually going through with it.
He couldn’t very well tell her that the origin for the pain in his ass was standing a few feet away from him, invisible to those without Force-sensitivity.

With one last worried glance, she backed out, closing the door behind her.

They both listened, waiting for her footsteps to fade completely before Anakin asked “seriously though, what’s a twink? Is that an insult?”

“No, it’s slang for - you know what? Nope! I’m not having this conversation with you. Go ask your son.”

The Force ghost scowled but seemed to back down. “Fine, later then. Where were we?”

“You cutting off your sons hand,” Din reminded him sourly.

A look of genuine pain and remorse crossed his face and he held out his hands.
“I have no excuse, no explanation I can offer you, Luke, or even myself. If you want to hate me for that, I won’t try and stop you, because I will always hate myself for it.” He paused for a moment and looked down at his feet.

“I…can’t really describe what it’s like to be so corrupted by the dark side… but I should have been strong enough to break that hold to protect the child I never stopped loving…”

Din narrowed his eyes at him as he digested what he was saying. “How long did you know you had a child? Had you abandoned him for most of his life until you decided you wanted him back?”

“Force, no!” Anakin cried, aghast. “When I was told that my pregnant wife had died, I was certain I had lost our unborn child as well. I didn’t even know we had twins.”

“How did you find out that Luke was your son then?” This wasn’t making sense.

Running a hand through his hair, he heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping.
“Not long before Luke came to face me on Bespin, both the Emperor and I felt a disturbance in the Force. He contacted me and said that we had a new enemy - the young Rebel pilot who had destroyed the Death Star.
He then told me that he had no doubt that this boy was the offspring of Anakin Skywalker…”

Those blue eyes became haunted and unseeing as he trailed off but Din wasn’t going to wait for him. He still had many questions.

“You and the Emperor spoke of your previous self as a seperate person?”

“Yes,” Anakin answered. “Like I said, it’s hard to describe what being corrupted by the dark side is like. The only way I can think of is… have you even been delirious with some kind of deadly fever or illness? From poison or something similar?”

“Can’t say I have,” Din said tersely.

“Well, it’s like being lost in a haze of pain that makes everything foggy and excruciating.
The weird thing is, it’s like your consciousness is split and there is a part of you that is writhing around, talking nonsense, saying and doing crazy things.
Then, there is this other part of you that is more disconnected from the body and only vaguely aware of what the other part is saying and doing - and is just as bewildered by your actions as anyone else present who is witnessing you in that state.”

He bit his lip then took a deep fortifying breath.

“When I was still Anakin, but the dark side was starting to creep in, it was like the early stages of that kind of fever, where you can feel it coming and you’re frantically trying to get help before it hits and you know you are going to be taken under.
But when you are poisoned - either from a substance or from having been bitten by something venomous - the more scared and panicked you are, the faster it spreads through your system because your heart is pumping it quickly through your blood vessels
That’s what it’s like with the dark side of the Force. Fear only feeds it and makes its hold over you stronger. When you are in a panicked state, you are also less able to listen and take on board the help and wisdom that others try to offer you.
I…went to Master Yoda while first struggling with the dark side…but I was already too far gone to understand the wisdom behind what he was telling me…I thought he was being dismissive, that he didn’t understand or care.”

Din started, remembering all too well the very similar experience he himself had with Yoda when he felt he had lost Luke after he had sneaked away to Bespin.
The reminder of just how close he had also come to being seduced by the same corruption in his own grief was both shocking and humbling.

“It was like a virus or parasite was taking over me,” Anakin continued. “We were fighting for dominance over who got to control the host body.
I lost that battle. When the dark side took over, it was like I was shunted aside to the furthest recesses of the mind and this ‘new’ personality took over. They believed they had killed me.
It was something that I as Darth Vader often said - that Anakin Skywalker had been weak and so he had killed him.
It’s hard to describe because Darth Vader both was and wasn’t me. It was like all my vices, all the worst aspects of my personality were suddenly amplified to the point of developing their own form, but we were still connected in a way.
Now I was the parasite in what was once my own body. Most of the time, I was asleep, drifting in the fog. Every now and then, I woke up and could see the things that Darth Vader was doing.
I tried to shout at him to stop but he either couldn’t hear me or was ignoring me.
Sometimes I could break through enough that I know he heard me and he hesitated a moment but then he fought off what little influence I had.
The times we were able to come together the most were the moments he spent in solitude thinking about Padme and our child, as much as he tried to avoid it. We both wallowed in our shared grief…until he shut me out again.”

The raw agony in his eyes made Din have to look away for a second.

“So…um… to answer your question…yes, I was spoken of like a seperate person. When the Emperor dropped that revelation, I started to wake up more out of the fog. Like when we came together in our grief, Darth Vader and I also came together in our shock.
He voiced what I was also thinking - that it wasn’t possible for this pilot to be the son of Skywalker.
The Emperor told him to search his feelings and we both did, simultaneously finding the truth of what he was saying.
Then the Emperor said how this boy could destroy them.
I knew where he was going with that as much as Vader did, and while I screamed in defence of our son, he calmly tried to reason that he was just a boy and no longer had Obi Wan to help him.
The Emperor replied that the Force was strong in him and that he must not become a Jedi.
Vader wanted to save him as much as I did, but to my horror, he suggested turning him to the dark side to become their ally.
The Emperor was appeased and asked if it could be done, to which Vader replied that he would join them or die.
I was very much awake after that, plaguing his mind to try and stop him from hurting our son or trying to turn him into this…vile thing that we had become.
Darth Vader didn’t listen and continued to spring a trap for Luke on Bespin.
When we saw him for the first time…it a double-edged sword. The intense love I felt made me stronger…but simultaneously, the stab of pain from how much he reminded us of Padme…made HIM stronger too.
We fought each other while Darth Vader fought with Luke. When Luke continued to fight him despite his demands to surrender…the anger and frustration he felt at our son’s stubbornness putting him in the position where he may have to kill him gave him a surge of power. He broke out of my hold and in their next clash of sabres, cut off his hand.
I screamed as Luke did and he paused, also feeling guilt as he then tried to offer his hand to Luke. That’s when he told him that he was his father and ask that he join him to rule the galaxy as father and son.
I was proud when Luke resisted and managed to escape, and I continued to torture Vader over what he did.
Like I said, I should have been strong enough to hold him back, to stop him. For that, I’ll always carry this terrible regret.
My Luke…my poor sweet boy…I wasn’t able to save him then. Nor was I able to save him quick enough from the Emperors Force lightning when he turned himself in on Endor.”

Silence followed his admission. Anakin clenched his eyes shut in pain and bowed his head.

It left Din floored and conflicted, his rage wavering as he took it all in.

“I know it can never even begin to make up for it,” Anakin said quietly then, opening his eyes and pinning him with the most heart-wrenching sorrowful expression. “But I truly am incredibly sorry about Luke… and what happened to Mandalore…just…all of it.”

His own chest ached terribly from what he had just heard. Taking a deep breath, Din blew it out in a gusty sigh. “I…believe you. Have you told Luke all of that?”

“No,” Anakin shook his head. “Not yet. But I will. I didn’t know how my visit would go or if he would be open to seeing me…but he was so loving and forgiving - even without hearing my story.”

Din huffed a laugh. “That’s Luke all over…too pure for this galaxy.”

Eyes dancing, Anakin beamed at him. “Yes, he sure is. He gets that from his mother, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Din agreed with another soft chuckle.

“In fact, that was the main topic he wanted to ask about first, after the shock wore off - his mother. I told him all about her and how we met and eventually got together, but I’ll leave that for him to tell you.”

At Din’s nod, Anakin hesitated. “Do you…have any other issues to talk about…in your, uhh, Death Star-sized trash compactor?”

He thought for a moment but all the grievances he had with the man before him had evaporated away with the realisation that it hadn’t really been him who did all those things, and that he had also fought the being that was Vader to try and stop them.

“No…I think we are good for now.”

A smile, tiny and hopeful, touched Anakin’s lips.
“So…would you…be willing to talk to me again sometime?”

Din sighed and gave a tiny smile back, though he was unsure if the other man would be able to sense it. “Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

It made the Force ghost light up, another beaming grin taking over his whole face. “That’s great! I look toward to it!
As much as I don’t want to come on too strong here and ‘weird you out’ again, I really like you. You are a strong and noble Alpha.”

While Din grappled for something to say to that, Anakin bit his lip then continued.

“Yoda told me about how you were able to learn the lesson of non-attachment and shake off the dark side even in the midst of your fears about losing Luke. At such a young age and with only minimal Jedi training, you are already a wiser man than I ever was - perfect for my son.”

“Uhh,” Din floundered, cheeks warming a little under his helmet and fighting the urge to shuffle his feet uncomfortably. “Thanks.”

His eyes softened, going crinkly at the corners.
“I also wanted to personally thank you for saving Luke from slavers…you don’t know what it means to me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Anakin smiled again and took a step back. “Right, well…you seemed like you were busy, Mand’alor, so I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.”

“Din,” he heard himself say on impulse, startling the Tooquai. “My name is Din.”

“Din,” Anakin said with a nod, ears perked and unable to contain his grin. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He had only just started to fade when he snapped back again, “oh I forgot! I still have a question I wanted to ask you.”

“What’s that?” Din asked warily.

The black-tipped tail swished behind him. “What’s a twink?”

A few hours later, when Din had finally closed his last meeting for the day and signed all the forms he had to, he left the throne room heading towards the private quarters he shared with his family.

What a strange day it had been. He was surprised he was able to concentrate at all on the meetings because he certainly hadn’t been able to get back into the data pad he tried to read when Anakin left.

After the embarrassing scenario of having to explain to his father-in-law what a twink is.
Fortunately, he wasn’t offended once he had been informed. The last thing he needed was Cara being attacked by an invisible assailant.

On stepping through the front door, he heard a clatter in the living room before Luke appeared, pouncing on him and wrapping himself around his torso.

“Din!” He sang happily, wagging his tail. “Great news!”

“What is it, my little Rawn’ika?” He asked as he lifted off his helmet and smiled down at him - though he knew perfectly well what he was going to say.

“My father came to visit me today, and we had a wonderful talk! He was able to answer so many questions about things I was never able to find out - including my mother! And guess what?!”

“What?” He played along indulgently.

“My mother was a Queen!”

All the air left his lungs and he felt his jaw hit the ground.

“WHAT??!”

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

Was it silly to be this nervous?

He couldn’t quite put his finger on why he felt like his stomach had twisted itself into a knot. A knot which only pulled tighter the closer they got to that door.

The one he’d only had reason to go down once before…

“Calm yourself, Cyar’ika.” The deep, husky voice of his husband rumbled over him, and a large warm hand pressed against his lower back at the same time as his heightened sense of smell picked up a rush of soothing Alpha pheromones.

With a sideways peek up at the tall man walking beside him, Luke tried to offer him a smile, but it must have looked as unconvincing as it felt.

The hand ran up his spine to settle like a comforting weight over his neck, the thumb gently circling one of his mating glands.
He could practically see the the warm molten honey expression through his helmet. It dripped off him in the Force, filling his aura with an amber glow.

If he knew what Luke could detect from him, he didn’t show it - just continued on with his calm, purposeful stride as he surveyed him.
“Unlike you, she doesn’t actually bite.”

Huffing a laugh in a very Din-like manner, Luke looked up at him again. “I know, and biting isn’t what I’m worried about.”

“What is it then?”

He folded his ears back in embarrassment. “It’s silly.”

His husband stopped walking abruptly and turned to face him, arms folded over his chest. “Try me.”

“Well…” Luke floundered, unsure where to begin. “She has a very strong…presence…”

“She does…” Din tilted his helmet at him.

“She is serene and composed, yet she feels like she is poised for attack at any moment, should the need arise.”

A brief silence elapsed as the otherwise stoic Mandalorian regarded him, but he didn’t sense anything negative coming off him.
“Hmm, that’s very astute of you,” he said at last.

Luke bit his lip. “Though I know this isn’t the sort of thing I should ever tell her, or anyone else here for that matter…she seems like she would have made the perfect Jedi…and the perfect Mand’cyare.”

Letting out a noise that was halfway between and laugh and a strangled groan, Din straightened up and reached out to pull him closer.
“Alright, there’s a lot to unpack there. Firstly, are you actually worried that there was ever anything romantic between us?”

“No!” Luke answered quickly.

“Good,” Din said with a firm nod. “Because our relationship has only ever been like that of an elder and their ward.”

His eyes widened. “How old even is she??!”

“I don’t know, but she was already an adult when I was was taken in by the Mandalorians at seven standard years of age.
I think she must be about eleven or twelve years older than me because she had not long been a fully-fledged Armourer, which doesn’t happen until you are at least eighteen - and that’s if you have started training for the position in early childhood.”

Pursing his lips, Luke thought about that as he idly flicked the end of his tail.
“So…if you are turning thirty-two in a few weeks, that would make her roughly forty-three or forty-four…hmm… it kind of fits. Although she seems simultaneously younger in body and a lot older in mind.”

“That’s a very good way of describing it,” Din chuckled. “She is an enigma to everyone, including her own people. It’s one of the reasons why she is best in the position she is in and not as a Mand’cyare.”

“What do you mean?” Luke asked.

He seemed to take a moment to gather his thoughts before answering.
“Cyar’ika, have you covered the role of Armourer yet in your Mandalorian culture lessons?”

“Not yet,” he replied. “I can tell it is a very high position though.”

“You would be right about that. To a warrior culture such as ours, with everything, even our spirituality centred around the art of warfare - the one who forges the armour and weapons from our sacred Beskar is the equivalent of a High Priest or Priestess.
As such, they are also classically trained in Mandalorian history and lore. Before the Purge, they were the advisors to the presiding Mand’alor, the judges for fighting tournaments and resolving any civil disputes.
But they had to keep themselves pure, constantly fighting against the inner battles of stagnation and corruption that could lead lesser beings astray. Because of this, they lived in solitude under the palace - still at the heart of everything and able to keep abreast of current affairs, as well as to be called upon quickly in times of need…but separate.”

“Like the Jedi in the Temple of Courscant!” Luke exclaimed.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right about that too,” Din said, and he could hear the smile in his voice.
“All I can tell you is that she definitely suits that role perfectly, not that of the Mand’cyare - who is meant to be more approachable and play a very social role.”

“Yeah…I guess…” Luke trailed off.

Din surprised him by laughing. “Your ears are in their thinking pose. Would the esteemed Jedi let this humble Mand’alor in on his thoughts?”

Giving him a playful shove, Luke blushed, consciously bringing his ears back into their normal default position, standing straight but relaxed on his head.
He wasn’t always aware of what his Tooka extremities did. It was like they had a mind of their own, and he hated that they gave him away so much. He could never play sabaac with Han, Chewie and Leia.

His sister, damn her, always had complete control of her ears and tail. It must have something to do with growing up as a princess and all that training in politics.

“I was wondering ,” he said, trying to disguise his annoyance at himself, “if the Armourer has ever acted as your advisor.”

“Oh, heaps of times,” Din supplied cheerfully. “Especially when I first took the throne. Not just about ruling but also about this thing.” He indicated the Darksabre at his hip.

“Though I didn’t consult her about it as soon as I perhaps should have. I thought I was going crazy.
It was both a relief and a worry when she confirmed that previous Mand’alors have talked about being ‘haunted by the spirits in the Sabre.’ Part of me really wanted to just throw it at the next warrior who challenged me for the throne.”

Luke couldn’t help but laugh as he imagined how that scenario would have gone down. Then he quickly sobered up and looked at Din, brows drawing together in seriousness.

“Din, she gives me the same strange feeling you did. I think…I think she is also Force-sensitive.”

He didn’t know what he expected. Not for Din to get angry necessarily…but certainly not for him to just nod and say “I think so too.”

He blinked, unable to hide his surprise. “You do? Really?”

“Yes,” Din shrugged casually. “If I was seen as having a creepy intuition amongst the covert - something which Yoda later told me was actually Force-sensitivity - then she was just downright scary.
She always seemed to know everything that was going on, how things would pan out, and everything that one was thinking or feeling.
After Yoda dropped that bomb on me, I put two and two together.”

When Luke just stared at him, he gently took his hand and started ushering them back on their way. “Come on, Riduur. We don’t want to be late.”

They walked in companionable silence for a moment, Luke’s head still spinning from Din’s admission.

“Is that why you were nervous then?” The Alpha murmured quietly after a minute or two. “You feel intimidated by her because you think she would be better than you at both your respective roles?”

Luke thought about the question. “Not intimidated, per se, just…I don’t know…admiring, I guess.
It’s childish but…I want her to like me. And I want to someday be as composed as she is.”

Turning his helmet slightly towards him, Din gently ruffled his hair. “She does like you.”

“She does?!” Luke perked up, gaping at him. “Did she tell you that?”

“No.”

He felt his shoulders slump in disappointment. “How do you know then? And don’t give me any of that Bantha shit about how ‘everyone likes me,’ or whatever.”

“They do,” his husband defended innocently. “But that’s not how I know. The Armourer and I have always had an implicit, unspoken understanding of each other. I didn’t know why until the aforementioned incident with Yoda and his truth bomb. We just get each other. And I could tell when you met her to have your Beskar claws made that she liked you. So, just relax.”

At that point, they found themselves standing outside the ominous looking arched door flanked by pillars on the lowest level of the palace.

There was that same Beskar plaque at the top bearing the Armourers seal of crossed Blacksmith hammer and tongs under a Mandalorian style helmet.
It gleamed eerily in the flickering light of the wall-mounted torches on either side of it.

Far below them, his ears picked up the rhythmic clanging sound of of metal on metal.

“Are you ready, Cyar’ika?” Din asked, tightening the grip on his hand.

He took a deep breath. “Yes. This is fine. I’ve taken myself off to face a Sithlord before. Twice. This is fine.”

“I think it’s cute that you’re so nervous,” Din said as he pushed the door open and stood aside to let him through first.

“You think everything I do is cute,” Luke grumbled.

They were met with the narrow stone stairwell, spiralling downward, with more mounted wall torches at regular intervals.

Just something about this whole aesthetic was very off-putting. In a way, it reminded him of going down into the dungeons at Jabba’s palace, but even that wasn’t as closed in as this stairwell.

The air cooled as they descended carefully down the steep, rough-hewn steps.
Din took the lead and held his hand, walking a step ahead of him with his other hand braced against the wall.

Luke tried to mimic him at first, on some instinct to maintain his balance - but the stone was literally alive with impressions and memories of countless people who had walked this staircase for centuries before.

A place of such significance as this was a lot louder in the Force, and the manoeuvre proved counterproductive, as touching the wall was far more hazardous to his balance.
He could even feel tingles in his feet and was thankful for his boots forming some degree of separation.

Fortunately, his eyes adjusted quickly and his Tooquai instincts kicked in, allowing him to traverse the steep, darkened space easily despite the heavy fog setting in from the over-saturation in the Force.

All too soon, they turned the last sharp curve to find the identical arched doorway at the bottom.
It was ablaze with orange light, ripping through the gloom along with the clanging of metal that was suddenly deafening. He flattened his ears to block out some of the noise.

Wrapping an arm around him, Din guided him through into the much larger space that opened out in a welcome relief from the very claustrophobic route to get to there.

It was just as awe-inspiring as the first time he saw it.

There were the stonewalls decked with racks of tools and shelves of projects in various stages of completion.
In one corner was a neat pile of Beskar slabs, stacked high against the wall and arranged according to size.

And there, in the very center, was an impressive forge, over which the equally impressive figure of a tall woman in a golden horned helmet, hammered away at a glowing piece of metal.

The high domed ceiling arched above her, tapering off to allow the fumes to dissipate through a vent at the top.

Just as before, she didn’t acknowledge them, and Luke followed Din to the low bench in the corner opposite the door.

Watching her work, he allowed himself to be whisked away into a state of almost meditation, forgetting his nerves for a time - until he realised that she had turned off the forge and was now standing in front of them.

When had that happened??

“Mand’alor, Mand’cyare,” she nodded at them both as she pulled off her thick brown work gloves.

Luke jumped to his feet, mouth going dry, and he looked to Din for support before blurting out “su cuy’gar!”

The amusement he could feel rolling off Din as he stood up more leisurely made him internally cringe. Had he not said it right? Was his accent terrible?

Looking down at the floor, he fidgeted his hands together as he urged himself not to panic.

So he hadn’t been able to impress the Armourer with his Mando’a. It wasn’t the end of the world. She couldn’t dislike him just for that, could she?

Surely she would understand that he was new to his language classes and it was the eagerness to learn that counted…right?

Only a few seconds had passed while he spiralled, after which he heard her respond to him with a soft ‘su cuy’gar.’ It was neither patronising, nor correcting - just a simple greeting.

He dared to peek up at her. She stood motionless, both gloves clutched in one hand and helmet tilted as though studying him.

Blushing, his eyes snapped back down to the floor, hoping she would attribute the redness of his face to the residual warmth of her forge.

What she said next nearly made him fall over.

“Forgive me for staring, Mand’cyare. I have not often found myself in the presence of an Omega, and I have never met a rare male one such as yourself. To know of your feats in battle garners even more respect. It is a great honour.”

Her voice was even and carefully enunciated as usual, but for the first time he was able to feel a trickle of emotion from her and he was surprised to find that it was…awe.

He straightened up quickly, his body going rigid in shock.

Was he reading this right?

SHE was awed by HIM??!

“Oh! I…uhh…” He opened and closed his mouth uselessly, trying to think of something to say, but his brain seemed to unplug from his body.

Looking between the two of them, Din stepped in to save him, saying something to the Armourer in Mando’a that he couldn’t quite catch.

“Osi’kyr,” she replied, sounding surprised. “Tion’jor?”

Din said something else and whatever it was, it made her go quiet for a moment - long enough for Luke to start feeling worried again.

Her helmet swivelled to look at him, then back at Din. “Kandosii’la,” she muttered finally.

Tucking her gloves away and folding her hands in front of her, she then addressed them both in Basic.

“I take it you are both here about armour for the Mand’cyare?”

“Yes,” Din replied, while Luke just nodded, still bewildered.

“Very well. I will need to take a scan to get your measurements, Mand’cyare. Please come this way.”

He followed her over to one of her work stations and stood there numbly, while she ran a scanner over his body.

Once that was done, she brought a holopad over to show them some basic design templates for each part of the armour.

There were sleeker, more lightweight designs, as well as bulkier forms for those involved in more heavy duty combat.

They decided to stick to the sleek designs as Luke’s fighting style required mobility and speed.

“If need be, I can always reshape your current pauldron to match, but I made it as generic as possible,” she told him.
Then she nodded at said pauldron where it was attached to his right shoulder over his tunic.

“How are you finding it?”

“Uh, great!” He replied. “I don’t even feel when I’m wearing it anymore.”

She hummed as she flicked through a few more designs. “That’s good. It’s how it’s meant to feel.”

There were a few logistical problems when they got to the helmet.

Luke didn’t like the idea of a helmet that accommodated his ears of inside it somehow, so in the end they kept it simple and got around the problem by just having two holes for his ears to poke through.

Using the scanner again, she mapped out where his ears were on his head and their range of motion, then uploaded the data to the holopad and made adjustments to the helmet design he chose.

When selections had been made for each piece of armour, she pulled them together. A projection of the finished suit of armour hovered above the surface of the pad.

Luke’s mouth dried up. It looked magnificent. He couldn’t believe he was actually going to have his own Mandalorian armour.

He could feel Din’s approval as he used his finger on the pad to turn the projection around, examining it from every angle.

“Kandosii’la,” he said finally, repeating the same word that the Armourer had used earlier.

Luke made a note of it to look up later. Outwardly, he gave the Armourer a shy smile. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

She nodded again. “I will make a prototype first in a lesser metal for you to try on and see if you want any changes made.
Then I will use that final draft to make your Beskar armour. I’ll notify you when I need you back here again. Now, if you’ll both excuse me, I must return to my work.”

At her polite dismissal, Luke and Din stood up.

“Thank you for your time,” he told her as she switched off the holopad. “And for doing this for me.”

She paused. “Your gratitude is not necessary. It is both my duty and my honour as the resident Armourer.”

“Well…” Luke floundered for a moment, trying to think of something to say to that. “Thank you anyway,” he finished lamely.

The golden helmet tilted again as though she found him fascinating.

Turning quickly in case he started to blush some more, he only made it a few steps when her calm voice stopped him in his tracks.

“I’m forty-four.”

Luke froze.

Beside him, so did Din.

They looked at each other before rotating partially to stare at her in shock.

She stared back for a second then continued tidying her work station like it was nothing. “I just got a sense that you had both wanted to know.”

His mouth fell open. She was definitely…she had to be…

Summoning his courage, he moved tentatively closer to her. “I…uhh…I don’t know how to say this but…um…I think you must be…Force-sensitive.”

He braced himself for her response, but she just looked at him again. Briefly, he wondered if he would have to explain what that meant, but then she nodded. “Yes.”

Both of them reeled back at her simple revelation.

“You…you know this?” Din asked, speaking one of the many questions swirling around Luke’s head.
“How…how did…?

“My parents were part of the Death Watch faction of Mandalorians.” She told them evenly.
“For a time, there was a darjetti whom they swore allegiance to, as he had won the Darksabre in combat.
When I was very young, he approached them, asking to take me as his apprentice. My parents declined and he killed them.
My Aunt was the Armourer for the Death Watch. After what happened, she took me, along with a few of our kin, and fled.
We made an underground covert on Daiyu. Because of this, we were nowhere near Mandalore at the time of the Empire’s genocide.”

It was a lot to take in, but something stood out to him that he just had to pry into further.

“Darjetii? That must be the Mandalorian word for a Sith. Do you know what his name was?”
He held his breath, hoping against hope that it wasn’t what he thought and too shocked to try and do the math in his head to work out time frames - but the Armourer shook her head.

“I do not. My Aunt renounced him and his kind, forbidding his name to be spoken out loud. I never found out what it was.
But when I was old enough to swear the Creed and don my mothers’ armour, she told me that the horns were symbolic of him because he was a Zabrak.”

A Zabrak? He exhaled in relief. Definitely not his father then.

“This…pleases you, Mand’cyare?”

“Oh! No, no, it’s not that!” He rushed to explain, kicking himself for his social clumsiness.
“I thought for a moment, that it could have been… a particular Sith, but it wasn’t.”

Her helmet remained fixed upon him, unmoving.
“You thought it was Darth Vader.” It wasn’t a question.

Luke flinched at the name, still emotionally effected by it and not at all prepared to hear it spoken by this mysterious woman.

“That was awhile before his reign of terror. If he was active as a ‘Sith’ at that time, then his identity was kept a secret.”
She cocked her head. “The darjetii still haunts you.”

She had no idea how simultaneously right and wrong she was. “Um…yes, I suppose you could say that…from a certain point of view.”

“Yeah, and he still haunts me too,” Din muttered darkly, but there was no venom behind his words.

The Armourer looked at him then back at Luke.

“Curious,” she mused. “I suppose we must all have secrets to keep. The first step learnt in the dance of survival, and the one that continues long after the music has ceased.”

The unwavering blackness of her visor was disturbing. For a second, Luke was convinced she knew the truth about him and his father.

He held her gaze a little longer, then inclined his head politely and made his way to the door, Din at his side.

But her words echoed in his head as they ascended the winding staircase, punctuated by the clanging of metal which started up again in their absence.

Was she trying to tell him something?

Even more chilling, another question made it’s way to the forefront of his mind.

Had the music really ceased?

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

As soon as he was relieved from his last lesson of the day, Luke rushed straight home to call Leia. He couldn’t wait to tell her the new information he had gleaned since his first proper talk with Anakin.

After a few seconds, his call was accepted and Leia’s beautiful smiling face appeared projected over his holocomm device.

“Luke!” She trilled with pleasure. “So lovely to see you! Not long now until I’ll be there in person!”

“I know! And I can’t wait!” He beamed back.
“Leia, I’ve got something I must tell you. Our father has come to visit me as a Force ghost!”

Her face instantly become stony and withdrawn, like watching security shutters came down behind her eyes.

He had already told her about the concept of Force ghosts and how he had received guidance from Obi Wan in that form.
It seemed she wasn’t too thrilled to know that their father had done the same.

“Please hear me out, Leia,” he begged. “As I told you before, he came back to the Light and was Anakin again when he died. Darth Vader was almost an entirely different person.”

“Don’t say that name to me again, Luke,” she said abruptly, and the loss of all affection from her made him shudder.

“Alright Leia,” he replied, cautious and uncertain. From all their interactions being soft and loving, suddenly felt like he was trying to walk on a tightrope in the dark.

“I won’t mention that name again but…I thought you would like the confirmation that he has been redeemed in the Force.”

“Well, I don’t and he’s not redeemed to me.”

The response came swift and without hesitation, nor any grounds for negotiation.

“Oh, uh, ok…that’s fine. I just want to tell you this one other thing and then I won’t talk about him again.”

Her deep brown eyes were dark as storm clouds as she glared at him.
“No, Luke. I don’t want to hear it. My only father is Bail Organa, the man who raised me and who died on Alderaan - no thanks to the Empire and your precious Anakin.”

The last part was said with a sneer and coated in venom.

It made Luke more desperate to get her to listen, as he could feel her own anguish at her parentage keenly in the Force.
He just wanted to ease some of that pain and guilt that she was feeling because of who she was related to.

“Leia, please just listen to me-“

“No, Luke. I do not care about Anakin. He may have sired us but he’s NOT my father. That’s the end of it.”

“But Leia-”

“ENOUGH, Luke! Don’t you EVER talk to me about him again!”

Her voice rang so loud, the comm device went fuzzy as it wasn’t able to deal with that level of noise over such a long distance.

Nor could it disguise the distinct Alpha snarl.

Luke shrank back as if he had been slapped, staring at her in shocked silence.

She had never snapped at him so harshly before, let alone snarled at him. They had never been at odds with each other to such an extent.
The only times she had ever been cross with him were when he had done something reckless and she had scolded him while hugging him close and licking his ears.
That anger was still warm and loving in its own way. He could feel her strong Force presence pulling him closer.

Right now, it was like she had firmly pushed him away, retracting her warmth and love.

For the first time, he felt like she was leaving him outside in the cold and he couldn’t find his way back in.

As much as he tried not to show it, his eyes pricked with tears and his lip wobbled. He ducked his head, unable to keep his ears from flopping.

After a few moments, he heard her sigh.

“…Luke, I’m…I’m sorry.”

He blinked quickly and took a breath but he wasn’t ready to look up at her again.

“I shouldn’t have snarled at you, I have never-”

She cut herself off and took a shuddering breath of her own.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. A distance had sprung up between them that had nothing to do with their physical locations.

The fingers of his prosthetic hand twitched towards the button to end the call, but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave things feeling so dire, but he also couldn’t bring himself to talk to her.

Never before had his Omega instincts urged him to run from an Alpha he considered family.

Never had he been so compelled to kneel and whimper for forgiveness.

“Luke, please…” Even without their Force bond, he could hear the distress in her voice, the bitter regret and horrified disgust at herself.

Still he bowed his head, as the tears trickled in scalding streaks down his face.

The feeling of despair and self-loathing coming off her intensified. She took another steadying breath.

“I’m so sorry, Luke…I understand if…if you don’t want me to come anymore.”

“No!” He cried out. That broke him out of his state of shock and misery to look her in the eye again.

She looked wretched; face pale and drawn, with her own ears drooping.

“I do want you to come, Leia!” He told her firmly. “I’m just…I’m really sorry that I made you upset and angry.
I just wanted to help you with your feelings of shame because of our…” He stopped himself before he could mention their father again.

Leia grimaced, a tear sliding down her own cheek.
“I know, Luke. Don’t be sorry. I was in the wrong. I let my emotions get the better of me and I ended up hurting one of the people I love most in the galaxy.”

“I…could feel you pushing me away,” Luke choked out, making Leia gasp again.

“I never want to push you away, Luke. Promise me that no matter how much of a bitch I can be, you won’t let me push you away.”

He let out a small teary laugh. “I promise.”

She pursed her lips, eyes troubled. “I can’t believe I used my Alpha snarl on you. I vowed to myself, I would never use my secondary gender against you.”

“It’s ok, Leia,” he told her earnestly. “Slip-ups can happen. What’s more important is that you learn from it and move on.”

She sighed. “If only everyone were as forgiving as you.”
And from the way she said it, he knew she counted herself in that statement as well.

“I love you, Leia.”

“I love you too, Luke.”

And he could feel the evidence of that in their bond.

The door that had slammed shut in anger, which she then kept shut out of guilt and remorse, now opened wide; allowing him to be cocooned in her warm love once more.

He closed his eyes, a blissful smile touching his lips.

They shared a moment of companionable silence before Leia spoke again.

“I’m…I’m just not ready to hear about Anakin. Someday, maybe. But not right now.”

He nodded. “I understand…um, does that…does mean you also don’t want to hear about our mother?”

“Our mother?” Leia asked, confused.

Pausing, Luke deliberated whether or not he should tell her. He decided it was best just to ask.

“I was given some information about her. Do you…want to know?”

“I-” she thought for a moment then nodded decisively. “I do.”

Luke braced himself. “Our mother died in childbirth, Leia.”

On the other end of the holocall, he watched her go very still, eyes widening. “What?”

“It’s true,” he said. “I have also spoken to Obi Wan since. He was there when we were born. He saw her die after naming us…the names that Anakin had wanted.”

“But then who…” She had turned very pale as she asked the question he himself had wanted to know.
Fortunately, Obi Wan had an answer for that too.

“Our mother was Queen Amidala of Naboo,” he told her carefully. Leia took a sharp inhale, eyes narrowing with recognition.

“She had a group of handmaidens who looked like her and would impersonate her sometimes as a means to keep her safe.
After she died, with the story spread that her child had died with her, one of her handmaidens went with you to Alderaan. Her name was Sabè. She posed as your birth mother and she was killed when you were very young. That is the woman you remembered.”

He left out the part where she was killed by Darth Vader when he came to see their mothers tomb.

Piecing together some clues, she and small elite group of Naboo patriots who were loyal to their former queen had come to the conclusion that Darth Vader had killed both Padmè and Anakin.
They did not know of his fathers fall to the dark side. They confronted him and he had wiped them out.

“I can’t believe it,” she said slowly, voice hoarse. “It…makes so much sense. My adopted parents and…and Sabè were always telling me about Queen Amidala, and what a wise compassionate leader she was, as well as the kindest person they had ever met.
I thought they all must have just hero-worshipped her…and maybe that’s true but…they were actually trying to make sure I knew about the woman who was my real mother…”

Luke watched her stare off into space, her frown deepening.

“I know it’s a lot to take in Leia. Did you want me to call you back later?”

Blinking, she turned back to him surprised, as though she had forgotten he was there.
“Y-yes, please… I think that’s for the best. I’m not going to be a great conversationist right now. Do you mind?”

“Of course not. Are you…do you regret letting me tell you?”

“No, no!” She said quickly. “I’m…glad to finally know the truth. It’s just…a lot.”

“It is,” he agreed. “Call me back whenever you are ready. No rush.”

A very faint smile graced her features, though she was noticeably still dazed. “Thank you Luke…and…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He held his hand out to the projection and she also reached out to where his own image would be floating above her holocomm pad a few star systems over.

Pressing the button to end the call, she faded away, leaving Luke in a strange internal limbo.

The rush of emotions and Omega hormones in response to an Alpha loved ones reprimand were still circulating in his system.
His mind knew that the altercation was over and there was no threat, but it was taking a while for his body to catch up.

It was very unsettling and disorienting.

There was only one person who could help him right now and his feet were moving, carrying him out of their private quarters towards the throne room before he had even made the conscious decision.

It was good that he could use the Mand’alors entrance at the back, rather than having to walk the length of the large hall and through all the attendants.
The extra scrutiny would have been more uncomfortable than usual while feeling as exposed as he did.

Tapping politely, he entered in the most non-intrusive manner he could - but the Clan leaders all stood to show their respect.
Luke barely noticed. He only had eyes for the majestic figure of his husband, sitting on the throne.

“Cyar’ika?” He asked, turning the silver dome of his helmet towards him.

Just the sound of his voice was able to calm his still racing heart.

Without a word, Luke approached him and crawled into his lap, curling up against his broad chest, as Din obligingly wrapped his arms around him.

He was glad it was just a meeting and not a throne room hearing, open to all the citizens.
Din’s lovely sheltering aura and delicious Alpha musk was going to make him purr involuntarily, even if he tried to quell it.

Sometimes Luke felt embarrassed by his Tooquai mannerisms, especially when he could feel in the Force how gushy people became when he did stuff like that.
There was still a part of him that didn’t like being seen as a ‘cute little Tooka hybrid’ - even more so when combined with the fact that he was an Omega.

It was still strange having it out in the open - the secret he had guarded so closely during his time in the Rebellion and his captivity with the slavers.

While his Omega hindbrain was overjoyed by the acceptance, the sometimes over-the-top positive attention he received, and how pleased everyone here was by his designation - part of his mind rebelled against it.

There was always that little voice in the back of his head telling him that he needed to not be cute, but be a warrior that commanded respect - a Jedi.

Din told him that the two things weren’t mutually exclusive and he had proven himself a powerful warrior regardless of how cute he was.
And he assured him that Omegas in Mandalorian culture were recognised for their fighting ability as much as anyone else.

Revealing his military achievements to their people had certainly helped his insecurity, but it still struck him every now and then.

After a minute or two, the sheer relief of Din’s presence was enough to smother his thoughts like a heavy blanket, and he allowed himself to succumb.

The talk around him had continued on, dulled to a background hum. Luke felt himself drift, nuzzling his face into the crook of Din’s neck to inhale more of his pheromones.

Just the act of letting go like this, of letting himself be nurtured and taking the help that was now freely available to him, had required a lot of work.

He was so used to having to mask his needs until he could self-soothe in private, of being an island and fending for himself.
Back in the Rebellion he used to hate it when the need to keep his true nature undercover had required him to get help from Leia and Han - no matter how much he appreciated what they did for him.
Still, he tried to keep any assistance he sought or accepted to a minimum.

Since meeting Din, he had been on an inner journey of self-healing and self-acceptance.
Now he could let him in and ask for help when he needed it because he had come to learn that relationships - especially of a romantic kind - were a partnership.

Din had overcome so much to allow himself to be vulnerable with Luke. He had opened himself up physically as well as emotionally, and done everything required to make their relationship work.
So, of course, Luke had to do the same - and as time went by, he felt more safe doing so.

Here in Din’s arms, it was hard to remember why he had fought against this when it worked so well for both of them.
It balanced him out like nothing else could and it also made Din happy.
He had come to realise that just letting his husband give to him was a gift to Din in and of itself.

Luke didn’t even realise he had fallen asleep until a rhythmic motion slowly jostled him awake.

Din was carrying him back to their quarters.

“Have you finished for the day?” He asked sleepily.

“I have,” Din replied, stroking his hair. “Is everything ok? I got the feeling you were out of sorts.”

Sniffling, Luke buried his face in Dins’ neck again.
“Leia and I had a sort of row - our first real one. We resolved it but I was still feeling off kilter afterwards.”

His husband was quiet for a moment. “So you came to find me?”

“I did. You always make me feel better.”

He could feel the quick rise and fall of Din’s chest against his body and the happy feeling that enveloped him in the Force.

“I am thrilled to know that, my little Rawn’ika. You always make me feel better too.”

With a soft hum, Luke went back to his nuzzling.

“Do you…want to talk about it? Your fight with Leia?”

“Not right now,” Luke answered. “Is it time to pick Grogu up yet? I think I’d like to go play in the park for a bit.”

Din gave him a little squeeze. “Anything you want, Cyar’ika.”

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

“You are definitely ok with this, aren’t you?”

Din looked up from the last report he was reading on his data pad as he lounged on the couch in their living room.

He had not long been home from work and Luke had informed him that Leia had commed to let them know that they were leaving. They would arrive in the Mandalore system in one or two cycles, depending on how smoothly their travels went.

When he had first been told about Leia’s plans to come over and ‘help’ them plan the wedding, he had honestly been relieved.
He knew absolutely nothing about weddings, other than the brief and simple wedding vows that Mandalorians exchanged.

To have a whole formal ceremony and wedding feast felt like overkill, but one he was willing to endure as Luke was very excited by it.
On finding out about the spectacle they would be expected to have for the sake of their people, Leia had filled his head with fanciful tales of opulent Royal Alderaan weddings.

As well as all the hype centred around the bride - which would of course be Luke.

It seemed all the admiring attention and compliments he had received from the Mandalorian citizens since he arrived on that slavers ship months ago had boosted his confidence. Just as it should have.

Din really wanted to provide him with the lavish affair he now had his heart set on - but he didn’t have a clue how to even begin.
And none of his equally practical-minded warrior people knew how to either.

The fact that Leia would be here sorting it all out took a major weight off his shoulders.

So in response to Luke’s question, Din gave him an authentic smile and held his hand out to him.

“Of course not, my little Rawn’ika. I’m glad she is coming. I just need to make sure that there is always someone keeping an eye on Paz.”

Luke giggled, taking his invitation to curl up against his side on the couch.

“They are adults, Riduur. We can’t try and stop them if they want to continue a sexual relationship. We can only encourage them to talk properly and work out the arrangement between the three of them.”

“That’s true,” Din sighed. “I guess I’m just worried that Paz will cause issues with your sister.”

“Are you scared of her?” Luke teased.

Dins arm wrapped tighter around him and he chuckled. “Not as much as I’m scared of you.”

His tiny husband giggled again, one of his most favourite sounds in the whole galaxy. Then he bonked his forehead against Dins.

“Seriously though,” Din continued, with a small grin. “I’m not afraid of her but she is now my family as well, and I don’t want Paz potentially ruining things with Han after he finally worked up the nerve to propose.”

“He won’t,” Luke said dismissively. “Now, since Grogu is having a nap…”

He trailed off suggestively as he pressed his lithe body closer, making Din growl low in his throat, pulling him onto his lap.

Leaning in, Luke took his mouth in a forceful kiss, nipping his lower lip which only made him growl more.

That well-known sensation of tightness is his groin area was steadily building and Din’s hands fumbled for the belt holding his black robes together, when a blue light flared to life somewhere to side.

They both froze and Din slumped forward to bury his face in Luke’s shoulder.
“Please tell me that’s not Anakin Kriffing Skywalker again.”

“Kriffing? Is that my new middle name?”

Of course it was too much to hope.

Din scurried to put his helmet back on his head as Luke leapt off him, hastily fixing his robes.

“Father! We…we weren’t expecting you!” He cried, cheeks turning pink.

“Clearly” Anakin eyed them both from where he stood with his arms folded into the long sleeves of his Jedi cloak.

To Dins utter horror, Anakin then grinned broadly at him and shifted to give him a very unsubtle thumbs-up.

He groaned.

“W-what, um…to what do we owe the pleasure?” Luke asked, flustered.
The rosy pink of his cheeks was now a flaming red as there was no doubt he saw the gesture aimed at Din.

When Anakin looked back at Luke, his expression softened with the reverent parental love that Din had glimpsed when he first appeared to them on Endor.

“Just wanted to see you again, my little sunbeam child.”

Luke’s ears and tail perked up at the sweet endearment.
Stepping forward, the Force ghost cupped his face with glowing transparent hands and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Suddenly, Din felt like he was the one intruding on the other man’s intimate moment with his son. He felt emotionally torn between happiness for Luke and annoyance at their own disrupted time together.

On pulling back, Anakin brushed a strand of hair back from Luke’s face and smiled at him.

“I also have something to tell you, sweet boy. You…kind of have an adopted Aunty.”

“I do?!” Luke gasped, ears flicking in surprise.

“Yes,” Anakin grinned. “My old Padawan. I didn’t want to tell you before because…well, we had a lot to talk about, but also…I hadn’t gone to talk to her yet, so I didn’t know how she would respond to…um…me.”

“Where is she?!” Luke asked eagerly. “WHO is she?! You say she is you’re old Padawan. Does that mean she is a Jedi?! Where can we find her?!”

It must have been subconscious, but the little Tooka had begun to wag his tail in excitement.

Anakin clamped his his lips together, eyes crinkling at the corners and Din could recognise his demeanour from how he himself was when faced with Luke’s adorableness.

“Uhh, actually, she’s already on her way here.”

“What?!” Luke and Din exclaimed at the same time.

The other man rubbed his neck sheepishly.
“Yeah, um, about that…as you can imagine…after raging and screaming at me for…awhile…she eventually listened to my story and was willing to talk to me.”

His face fell. “I have so so much to answer for. So much to try and atone for and hope that maybe one day it might be enough.”

He trailed off but on seeing them staring at him expectantly, he perked up again.

“Anyway, we had a lot to catch up on and of course you guys came up.
She was just as shocked as I was to know that my kids had survived.
She…kinda figured out about my relationship with Padmè and when she found out about her pregnancy, she guessed that you were mine. Although, she was not as in the loop at that stage since she had already decided to leave the order by then. As such, she also believed you had died with Padme.”

“Wait a minute.” Luke rubbed his eyes. “I have a lot of questions about everything you just said but I’ll save that for later. Can you skip to the part about her coming here?”

“Right,” Anakin nodded. “Well, I told her about you and Leia. I told her that you were the one who blew up the Death Star and that you saved the galaxy by bringing me back to the Light so I could destroy the Emperor, and that you married the new Mand’alor. So, now she is heading straight over here to meet you herself.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “She gets her stubbornness from me, unfortunately. I told her that she should probably comm you first but she just told me to head over myself and let you know in advance that she is coming.”

“This is wonderful!” Luke said, clapping his hands together. “Tell me more about her! I can’t wait to meet someone who trained as your own personal student! What is she like??”

“Oh, stars! You will definitely like her! She always was a feisty, headstrong little spit-fire with enough determination to fuel an entire army!”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Din interjected drily. Luke just stuck his tongue out at him.

“Yeah, the funny thing is that it actually turns out you do know her,” Anakin said, turning towards him. “I call her Snips, but her name is actually Ahsoka Tano.”

Din stood up so fast he felt a bit light-headed. “Ahsoka Tano?” He repeated disbelievingly.

“How do you know her?” Luke asked, puzzled.

Before he could say anything, Anakin answered for him.

“When I mentioned to Ahsoka that through your husband you have an adopted son who is of the same species as our old Grand Master, she balked and asked if the Mand’alor has a Mudhorn signet on his right pauldron.
When I said that he does, she told me of how ‘Mando’ here came to find her on Corvys a few years ago, looking for a Jedi to teach Grogu.”

Luke looked questioningly at Din and he just nodded in confirmation.

Din himself was staring at Anakin, mouth agape as everything clicked into place.

He remembered Luke telling him that Darth Vader was has his father after returning to Dagobah with Leia after their confrontation on Bespin.

Confused, he had thought about all he knew of the Jedi and the Sith, trying to work out how it was possible. Which led to musings over his encounter with Ahsoka Tano and the reason why she had refused to train Grogu.

He had assumed she had been at the Temple and seen this once esteemed Jedi turning on his brethren.

It wasn’t hard to guess that he had been the one she was referencing when she told him she had witnessed what attachments could do to a fully trained Jedi - ‘the best of us,’ she had said.

The reality of the situation was far worse, as it turned out. To Ahsoka, he wouldn’t have just been another respected elder in the Jedi ranks.

He was her Master.

No wonder she had looked so haunted and on the verge of tears.

Anakin must have understood his quiet stillness and gave him a sad, rueful smile.
“I…take it that she must have referenced me in some way when she told you why she wasn’t going to train Grogu.”

“…Yeah,” he said eventually, because he didn’t know what else to say.

Looking between my he two of them, Luke quickly distracted his father with more questions.
“When did you get a Padawan? Did you enjoy being a teacher? And why did she leave the order?”

Anakin perked up again.

“I had actually resisted ever getting a padawan, but Yoda sneakily assigned her to me during the clone wars without my consent - the old troll!
Still, I’m glad he did. After a bit of a bumpy transition, having Snips was really good for me, in so many ways. But more than that, she became like a little sister to me.”

A hint of sadness crept into his eyes again. “She left after being framed for a terrorist attack on the Jedi temple. The council didn’t support her as they should have and were quick to strip her of her Jedi status and hand her over to the Courscant judicial system.
I found who was really responsible and cleared her name. The council invited her back into the Jedi but she was disillusioned…as was I.
When she left…it was like losing one of my anchors that kept me grounded, kept my mind clear. I missed her so much.”

“But she is coming here now,” Luke tried to reassure him. “She’ll be here with all of us and we can reconnect with her together.”

He smiled and wagged his tail again. Din could tell it was deliberate this time as Luke knew it made his father laugh.

Right on cue, Anakin chuckled and reached out a hand to ghost it over his ear.

“That’s true, my little supernova. And I know she is going to love you!”

“Do you think?” Luke asked, suddenly hopeful.

As always, Din could read him like a data pad.

The little Tooka had been so caught up in the revelation of this Ahsoka Tano and Din’s own acquaintance with her that he had completely forgotten to wonder how she would react to him.

He was the son of her old master who turned to the dark side, after all.
Thinking of it that way, he could imagine her having some unease, maybe even trepidation towards him - not that he would tell Luke that.

“Yes!” Anakin said firmly, amused by his sons lapse of doubt.
“She’ll be here in about an hour. You’ll see.”

(Luke POV)

Luke fidgeted with the sleeve of his indigo tunic.

“Do I look alright?” He asked, for the umpteenth time, making both Din and Anakin roll their eyes.
He just had to make sure because he felt they weren’t really giving this the consideration it needed.

At first he had thought he should wear his black Jedi robes and Anakin grinned, telling him how he had also gone against Jedi fashion by wearing black when he was in the Order.

Then he was offended when Luke immediately turfed out that idea.

“It was silly of me to even entertain the thought,” he explained carefully to the sulking Force ghost. “Not only will it remind her too much of you but…also of Darth Vader, as well.”

Anakin sighed, looking like a kicked Tooka. “I suppose you’re right.”

Instead, Luke threw on his more fancy outfit of black dress pants and indigo tunic with the Mudhorn belt.
After giving his black knee-high boots a quick polish, he brushed his hair, fluffed his tail and picked up Grogu, ready to head over to the docking station.

He was no longer cautious of having the infant with them when Anakin was around. On introducing them, it was clear Grogu didn’t recognise him from what happened in the Jedi temple all those years ago.
He just cooed and batted playfully at the blue glowing person, while Anakin gushed over him.

He smiled at the memory.

It was only as he walked, arm in arm with Din, while Anakin on his other side rattled off some funny stories from his time with Ahsoka, that self-consciousness really started to take hold.

Was what he was wearing inappropriate to meet his fathers old padawan? Was it too formal?
The Jedi were sworn to a simple life of service and forbidden to have any possessions besides their Jedi robes and their lightsabers.

Would she think he was a snobbish and materialistic pampered little aristocrat?
Would she deem him unfit for being a Jedi?

His stomach sank at the thought.

Dank Farrick, she hadn’t wanted to teach Grogu because of his attachment to Din!
What would she think when she rocked up to find Anakin Skywalker's son - a Jedi knight despite being MARRIED with an adopted child?!
And in such fine garments! His black boots were Chanel, for kriffs sake!

“Whoa, boy! Why are you panicking?” Anakin asked, picking up on his emotions and frowning in concern.

They had reached the docking station and were standing off to the side in the shade while Din commed security and informed them of their expected guest.
Grogu gurgled on his hip, having been taken from Luke when they arrived. He was able to feel his nerves and had started fussing.

“She’s going to hate me!” Luke exclaimed, wringing his hands together. “I have a family and I clearly have a great wardrobe! She is going to think I shouldn’t be a Jedi!”

Anakin stared at him. Din had just ended his comm and stared at him too.

Then they burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny!” Luke insisted. “She is my Aunt, and the first Jedi I will have met since Yoda died. She is probably one of the few who are left. What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Oh, my silly little sunshine kitten,” Anakin chuckled, stroking his ear again.
“If you remember, I’ve already told her you have a family and that didn’t phase her.
Also, don’t tell her I told you this, but she too was something of a snappy dresser while she was my padawan. Even more so after leaving the Order.”

He tapped him under the chin. “You two are going to get along just fine.”

“But-”

He was interrupted by Din’s comm crackling to life.

“Mand’alor, standby. Ahsoka Tano has been cleared by patrol units and is due to land.”

“Roger that. Thank you,” Din replied.

Luke’s mouth went dry. He would be meeting her any minute now.

Taking the opportunity, Anakin turned to them both. “I’m gonna be here but out of sight so I’m not too much of a distraction. Relax, Luke. You’ll be fine.”

With that, he faded away and Luke swallowed, turning to Din.

His husbands laugh was muffled by his vocoder.
“He’s right, Luke. Don’t overthink this. She is just wanting to meet her old masters son, not to judge you as a Jedi.”

Letting out a breath, Luke nodded and held Grogu’s little clawed hand as he sent him an apology through their Force bond.

The baby cooed at him, smiling brightly and wiggling his ears.

Before long, a shape appeared in the sky and got slowly bigger as it approached.
The ship came into view, small and nondescript.
It banked in the air above the docking station and proceeded to lower itself down into a designated landing zone some distance away.

Shooting a last unsure look at Din, they started walking over just before the entrance ramp began to lower.

Luke froze as Din took another few steps forward. He wanted to grasp onto his family for comfort but couldn’t bring himself to move, other than inching over to hide behind the Mandalorians much larger frame.
Unconsciously, he held his breath, not knowing what to expect.
He never even thought to ask what she looked like.
Was she humanoid? So many questions ran through his mind and he peeked out from the side to watch, curious.

The opening of the ship was in shadow as the ramp thudded down on the ground.
Then, before he could wonder more, a figure emerged into the sunlight.

The woman was indeed humanoid, swathed in grey loose-fitting robes, with the hood covering her head.
She saw Din and started making her way towards him with a purposeful straight-backed gait, her face still covered.

The way the hood sat over her head with two distinct points had Luke thinking for a split-second that she might be a Tooquai as well…

Until he noticed that the long tapering items with white and blue stripes protruding from either side of her hood were not part of her outfit - but were Lekku.

That must mean she was a-

At that moment, she lifted her hood and confirmed his suspicion.

There before them was a Torgruta woman, with orange skin, white markings on her forehead and cheeks as well as the very distinct head extensions that the species were known for.

For a moment, Luke forgot his nerves and zeroed in on on her magnificent striped Montrals and Lekku which looked like they could be an elaborate crown or headdress.

There was a Torgruta woman in the Rebellion who worked in ground control for the pilots. He had spoken to her a lot and she had told him how to estimate a Torgruta’s age based on their Lekku.
They didn’t age the same as humans so it could be hard to tell otherwise.

A quick look at the length and their many closely arranged stripes told him that she was in her forties - which was about right if she had been her fathers padawan.
Anakin had mentioned that he was fifty-three when had died.

Only a few seconds had passed as these thoughts flitted through his head.

Ahsoka smiled. “Its a small galaxy, isn’t it Mando? Or should I say Mand’alor.”

“Very small,” Din agreed.

Drawn in by his curiosity and the sound of her voice, Luke leaned further out from behind him to get a better look.

That’s when Ahsoka caught sight of him and she gasped, coming to a halt as her body went rigid.

Caught out, there was no way he could hide back behind Din now and he felt very awkward as he shuffled to stand at his husbands side like a guilty child, his cheeks aflame.

Her sharp blue eyes followed his every move. He had to resist the urge to squirm under her scrutiny.

For what felt like a long torturous amount of time, she stared at him, the orange shade of her skin noticeably paler than before.

Luke stood as still as he could and managed to hold her gaze, though he could feel his ears twitching nervously on his head as he flicked his tail.

Then, Ahsoka raised her hands to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.

She took a tentative and overly careful step forward. Then another. As though she was afraid he were a mirage that would disappear if she got too close.

“…Luke,” she whispered.

“A-Ahsoka?”

A sharp inhale, then she was reaching out to him with trembling fingers. They fluttered uncertainly but never made contact, giving him the impression that she didn’t know where to touch him or even if she could.

The waves of emotion buffeting against him in the Force didn’t hold any anger or negativity towards him…
…so he took a chance and closed the distance between them, putting himself firmly within her reach.

Ahsoka choked back a sob, the tears starting to spill from her eyes. She touched his face, staring at him intently.

When Luke leaned into her touch, the woman cried out in anguish and he found himself pulled clean off his feet, into her tight embrace.
She buried her head in his shoulder, weeping, hands clutching at his tunic.

“Umm, Ahsoka?” Luke entreated, tears pouring down his own cheeks. He returned her crushing hug as best he could but he couldn’t help feeling quite numb with surprise at how this meeting was going.

This wasn’t at all the reaction he thought he would receive.

Pulling back with a deep, steadying inhale, Ahsoka lowered him to the ground and gave him a watery smile.

“I’m sorry, I just…I can’t believe you are really alive and here and…” She waved her hand in a sloppy gesture towards him. “…And you.”

“Me?” He asked dumbly, not sure what was meant by that.

“Anakin was right,” she said hoarsely. “You are definitely Padmè‘s son. You are so pure and beautiful.”

Luke’s flaming hot blush returned with a vengeance.

Laughing a little at herself, Ashoka’s cheeks also became a slightly pinker. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I’m just… it’s been a crazy day since seeing Anakin again.
Everything is a lot to take in and then I saw you…I guess I forgot myself for a moment there.”

“It’s alright,” Luke said quietly, feeling absurdly shy again. The strange longing that had opened up in his gut rose to the surface where he could see it for what it was.

“I wish I had known her,” he sighed.

The Torgruta cupped his face more firmly now.
“I know it doesn’t replace actually knowing your mother, but she lives within you.
I tune into your Force signature, and I can feel her so strongly it’s like she is here with me again. Like she left a part of her spirit inside of you.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Luke looked up at her.

“Anakin said something like that too but…I didn’t know if he was saying that because he is my father and therefore biased. I’m surprised he doesn’t talk about me looking like him, because I have his hair and eye colour.”

“Oh no,” she waved the thought away dismissively. “Appearance wise, hair and eye colour is all you got from him, fortunately.
You are a solid ten out of ten like Padmè. He is a six, maybe a seven at best.”

“Hey!” Anakin piped up from behind him. “Get kriffed, Snips!”

Ahsoka placed her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at him over the top of Luke’s head.

“You know what they say about eavesdroppers, Skyguy. You’re bound to hear something you don’t like.”

“Don’t even start!”

His father sounded much closer now and Luke turned to find him stomping towards them.

“I’ll have you know, I am at least an eight or a nine out of ten! When the Jedi needed someone to go under cover and seduce information out of a woman, they always sent me!
And remember that mission with the Zygerrian Queen? She was totally into me!”

“You volunteered yourself for that role and made me play the part of your slave!” Ahsoka argued back.
“Besides, that Queen was nutty so her being into you isn’t the brag you think it is.”

The two of them started bickering over the top of him. Luke looked between them nonplussed then glanced over at Din.

He shrugged unhelpfully.

Turning back to watch his watch his father and aunt start flinging slurs at each other like a typical older brother and younger sister, a warm fondness bloomed in his chest.
He threw his arms around them (as best he could in Anakin’s case) and they both shut up.

“Hey Sunspot,” Anakin asked, love and confusion mingling together. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing,” Luke beamed at them. “I just love that we are a family.”

Anakin looked at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka looked at Anakin.

Then they both looked at Luke with tears in their eyes again and embraced him.

When Luke beckoned Din to join in, he politely declined. Lucky for Luke, he could be incredibly persuasive.

Wrapping his Force around his husband and son he crooked his finger and reeled them in.

He loved how Ahsoka and Anakin just shifted slightly to make room for them, without question. Grogu loved the the group hug. Din pretended to be ambivalent.

But he forgot that Luke could read him like a data pad.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

“You know, wearing a hole in my floor with your pacing isn’t going to make them arrive any faster?” Din told him casually from his desk.

They were in his office next to the throne room.

Din had cleared his schedule for that afternoon as Leia and Han were due to arrive, but he was still catching up on his reports until getting the comm from the dock security to notify them when they got here.

Or trying to.

Luke was anxiously walking up and down, fidgeting his hands together, which he could understand would be more than a little distracting.

Off to the side, Ahsoka lounged on the small couch in the corner.
“It’s a Skywalker thing,” she said flippantly. “So much energy, always need to be moving - especially when they are nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” Luke argued. “I’m excited.”

And he WAS excited. But it was Leia’s first visit to Concordia and he really hoped she liked it and got on with the Mandalorians. He also hoped that Han managed not to piss any of them off.

There was also the fact that it would be the first time seeing each other in person since their little spat and considering the fact that Ahsoka was here now…

The woman’s smirk pulled him from his thoughts and he narrowed his eyes at her. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she drawled infuriatingly, but her smirk only got bigger.
“Just thinking how much like your father you can be sometimes.”

“Because I’m pacing?” He asked.

“Well, yes, but also the fact that when you try to lie to yourself, your nostrils flare.”

Luke sputtered with indignation, feeling utterly seen through and called out. “That’s not true! They do NOT!”

Both Ahsoka and Din laughed. “You’re doing it again!”

“Ahsoka, don’t tell him or he might train himself not to do it anymore” Din chided.

Covering his nose with his hand, Luke glared at them and turned away, cheeks burning.

At that point, Dins comm went off and he quickly answered it.

“Mand’alor,” a male voice said on the other end. “As requested, I’m calling to let you know that Leia Organa and Han Solo have made contact and been granted permission to land.”

“Thank you, we are on our way.” He ended the call and stood up.

All at once, Luke’s nerves doubled. This was it. She was here.

He hurried over to the couch to retrieve his black Jedi cloak. “Now remember the plan, Aunty Soka?”

“Yes, yes,” she waved her hand airily.
“You guys are going to get them settled in first and then I can be introduced to them at dinner as a former Jedi who survived the Purge.
I’m not to mention I was Anakin’s padawan.”

“Right,” Luke nodded. “And, I’ll warn you now, if you think I’m like my father, I’ve got nothing on her. It may be a real shock to the system but please please refrain from outwardly comparing her to him because she will totally flip.”

“I got it, Baby Skyguy! Relax! I’ve been going undercover for missions since I was fourteen. I can handle a bit of secrecy.”
She made a shooing gesture towards the door. “Go see your sister, I’ll head over to my rooms and meditate for a bit.”

The three of them filed out the office but headed in different directions, Ahsoka veering off towards the guest wing.

The brisk walk to the docking station was uncomfortable, with Luke trying to hide the fact that he might in fact be a little nervous, while also being hyper aware of his nostrils.

When they arrived, they were surprised to find Cara there outside the control tower looking flustered.

“Cara?” Din asked. “What are you doing here?”

The butch, raven-haired woman started and looked round at them. “Oh…um…hey, Mando…Mand’cyare…”

Though he didn’t know her like his husband did, Luke had seen enough of her to know that this lack of confidence and bravado was very uncharacteristic for her.

She turned fully to face them and fidgeted with her vambrace, eyes cast down and to the side.

“Can I…may I please talk to you, Mand’cyare?”

Frowning with confusion, Luke exchanged a wary glance with Din.

“Uhh, sure.”

“Mando mentioned that your sister is coming to visit… Is it true that she is Princess Leia…From Alderaan?”

Luke both saw and felt comprehension dawn on the Mandalorian beside him, even through his Beskar. He, however, remained completely in the dark.

“Yes…” he answered cautiously. What was it to her who his sister was?

As if he heard the unspoken question, Din said “Cara is from Alderaan.”

“Oh,” Luke said, letting that sink in. “Ohhhhh.”

“Yeah,” Cara shifted uncomfortably.
“Anyway, I was wondering…I know she is here to visit you, and I don’t want to intrude on your time together but…do you think I would be able to meet her? I’ve…kinda always been a fan of hers.”

Luke blinked, taken aback by the raw vulnerability of the woman as she asked to meet her idol from her destroyed home planet.
It tugged at his heart and he smiled reassuringly at her. “Of course I can get her to meet you!”

“Really?!” She exhaled in disbelief. “You don’t mind? You don’t think she would mind?”

“No, no, not all!” He grinned. “Leave it with me. I’ll get her settled in then put it to her. I’m sure she would be very happy to meet a survivor from Alderaan!”

The relief and excitement in the woman was palpable. After a beat, she grinned back, wide and ecstatic. “Thank you! Thank you, Mand’cyare! I owe you big time!”

Waving aside her thanks, Luke shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything. It’s no trouble, really.”

Her energy was absolutely buzzing as she gave an awkward bow and took her leave.

They watched her for a moment, during which time, Luke picked up a wisp of amusement coming from Din.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, rounding on him.

Din shook his head. “Nothing, Cyar’ika. I just hope I can be there when they meet for the first time. I’ve never seen Cara like that before.”

He got a feeling there was something more but didn’t get a chance to press it further.
Off to the north-east, he could make out the Millennium Falcon approaching.

“Here they are!” He cried. The butterflies in his stomach doubling.

They watched as it landed in a large empty docking space off to the side and Luke couldn’t wait any longer. He broke into a run.

When the ramp lowered to reveal Leia in her signature white dress with the hood down, all his worry evaporated.

She was his sister, they loved each other, she was here to see him and get acquainted with his new home.

“Leia!” He called, sprinting towards her with a big boisterous grin.

She had perked up as soon as she spotted his fast-approaching figure. “Luke!”

Rushing forward to meet him halfway, they collided with each other, stumbling and laughing with the impact as they wrapped their arms around each other.
Luke lifted himself up on his tiptoes to bury his face in her neck, while she kissed him all over his head and ears as far as she could reach.

After a moment, they pulled back just far enough to look at each other.

“I didn’t know if you would still be so pleased to see me,” she said breathlessly. “I was going to give you space to regain your trust again.”

“Don’t be silly, Leia! You’re my sister. We just had a row, that’s all. I still trust you.”

And he did. Now that they were together again, that whole event felt so small and insignificant. He couldn’t believe he had also been just as nervous about their reunion.

Leia’s face contorted and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back tears.
“I am still so sorry about what happened, Luke.”

He gave the end of her ear a gentle nip. “Stop it. I pushed you and was bringing up your trauma even though you warned me to back off. You felt cornered. It was a natural response.”

“Please don’t blame yourself. You’re killing me!” Her big chocolate eyes were huge and filled with pain.

“No, Leia” he told her firmly. “Just because I’m an Omega doesn’t mean I’m never at fault.
It’s not like you physically attacked me. You snarled to get me off your case when telling me wasn’t working. It’s. Fine.”

She still looked so sad and guilty, he snuggled into her again and purred.
After a few seconds, she purred back, holding him close.

“I’d do what I used to do and tell you both to get a room, but that hits differently now that we know you are twins.”

Luke looked up from Leia’s shoulder to see Han leaning against the frame of the entryway in his usual cocky stance.

“Han!” He greeted happily, ignoring his comment as he disentangled himself from Leia to give him a hug.
As he did so, he was enveloped by that familiar Alpha musk that never did anything for him sexually but still felt comforting.

“Good to see you too, kid” he drawled, patting his head.

A roar sounded from inside the ship and along came Chewie from the direction of the cockpit.
He roared again when he saw Luke, throwing his shaggy brown arms up in the air.

“Hey Chewie!” Luke launched himself at the Wookie, who caught him like he always did and spun him around, making him laugh.

Chewie adored Luke and liked to carry him around, petting his ears and tail. It was something Luke had only ever allowed him to do.
No one else was allowed to pick him up like that, not even Han.

He shifted so that Chewie could carry him more easily as he lumbered down the ramp to where Leia and Han were greeting Din.

“Put him down, you big sook! We need your muscles to help unload the Princess’ special baggage” Han groaned at Chewie.

“Special baggage?” Luke asked, cocking his head while Chewie begrudgingly set him back on the ground.

Leia rolled her eyes at Han then smiled brightly at Luke. “There’s a lot to tell you and I also have a few gifts for you.”

“Oh Leia! You didn’t need to get me anything. Just you coming here is enough.”

“Trust me, you’re going to thank me when you see what I’ve brought.” She winked at him.

“We have prepared the main guest wing for you,” Din said politely. “Let us show you to your rooms so you can unpack and rest.”

“Ah, yes, and we also have some things to tell you as well,” Luke agreed.

“Great, lead the way.” She looped her arm through his and steered them in the direction of the dockyard exit. “Boys, be careful with those trunks!”

“Yes, your Royal worshipfulness!” Han called out snidely at their retreating forms.

“You actually went to Naboo??” Luke asked, flabbergasted.

They were all in the sitting room of Han, Leia and Chewie’s guest wing, with the trunks stacked against the wall.

Leia grinned, proud of herself.

“Yes, and the reigning Queen knew about us. It turns out the secret of their former monarchs’ children has been passed down from Queen to Queen since she died.
For our own safety, they did not know where we were - only that she had Tooquai twins called Luke and Leia, who had survived and were in hiding.
It was in case we ever came back, seeking answers about our mother.”

His jaw dropped. “So they gave you answers then? What did they tell you?”

“They have sort of like a small memorial museum dedicated to her. It documented her whole career, with holographs and holo-recordings of her as both Queen and Senator.
It also has her Royal outfits on display as well as certain things that belonged to her.”

Her eyes clouded. “The Queen also showed me her tomb. It had been partially destroyed by…Darth Vader, years ago. But it was restored to its former glory.”

Then she sighed. “Luke, she told me that Darth Vader killed her on Mustafar. She doesn’t know anything else or how we came to be born but she was pretty certain of that.

“He didn’t,” Luke said immediately, shaking his head.

She opened her mouth to say something, looking profoundly sceptical, but he held up his hand.

“No, hear me out Leia. It’s true. Obi Wan told me what happened. He followed Padme to Mustafar when she went to confront Anakin - which she did, but he didn’t kill her.
Obi Wan and Anakin fought, with Obi Wan chopping off his limbs and leaving him for dead beside a river of lava, where he was badly burned.
Then Obi Wan took Padme to a medical facility where she went into labour two days later.
She died soon after.”

A grave silence followed his words and they stared at each other, neither knowing what to say.
Din placed a hand on Luke’s knee, offering him wordless support.

It ended up being Han who broke the spell.

“Geez, that’s kriffed up.”

Coming back into herself, Leia pursed her lips.“If that’s what Obi Wan says then I believe you.”

The distinction was clear which Force ghost she was willing to listen to without needing to outwardly say it.

Then she rose to her feet. “But enough of that. I told you I had some gifts for you. Well, they aren’t from me but from the Queen.
While our mothers Royal outfits are on display in her memorial, they had put aside her more personal outfits and formalwear to pass onto her children.”

“T-they what?!” Luke cried, heart jumping in his chest.

Leia made her way over to one of the trunks and popped the lid. “Want to try some on? I figured we should each pick out the ones we like best so we can divvy them up between us.”

Quick as a flash, he was at her side, staring down at the pile of neatly folded fabric in all different colours. “Wow! I can’t believe it!”

“Here, try this one on first,” Leia said, plucking a soft pastel yellow garment off the top of the pile.
“It’s not my colour but it would look great on you, with your gold hair and blue eyes.”

He took it gingerly in his hands. Despite how soft and light the material was, there was something weighty to it hidden inside the folds.

His sister rummaged until she found something black and pulled it out. “Come with me to our bedroom, we can help each other.”

Looking over at Din, his husband gave him an encouraging nod before he was pulled away.
Once in the bedroom with the door closed, Leia shed her white dress, tossing it onto the bed.

In just her lacy white panties and bra, she turned to Luke with her hands on her hips.
“Don’t tell me you’ve gone shy. We have undressed in front of each other before.”

“Yes, but that was in the military barracks before we knew we were siblings.”

She scoffed. “Even less reason to be embarrassed then. We’re family! Now strip.”

Still uncomfortable, he did as he was told, taking off his boots, pants and robe-style top.
Thank goodness he was wearing his plain black boxer-briefs today, instead of some of his own lacy lingerie.

Leia grabbed the folds of pastel yellow and shook it out to reveal a gorgeous flowing dress that transitioned into rosy pink towards the bottom.

The thing he had felt giving it weight turned out to be a metal choker from which the front on the dress fell, looking like it would leave the back bare.

He loved it.

“Alright, arms up” she told him, gathering it to place over his head.

It cascaded down over his skin like an early morning breeze. She attached the choker around his neck and helped him put his arms into the sleeves. Then she arranged all the draping material so that it fell around his body like it was meant to.

Luke’s heart was in in his throat the whole time. He was wearing something his mother had worn, feeling it caress his skin like it had hers.

Casting a critical eye over it, Leia circled him and hummed in scepticism when she reached his back.
Just like he had thought, it was left bare.

“I think on our mother, the open panel here would have reached her lower back, but because you are so tiny, it’s coming right down to the top of your ass. Any underwear will be visible and just look silly. There’s only one thing for it.”

Without warning, she bent to loop her hands up underneath the hem of the dress, grabbed his boxer-briefs and roughly pull them down.

“Leia!” He gasped in shock. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not?” She asked, nudging him to step out of his underwear, then cast them aside. “There, see! That looks so much better.”

Luke blushed, feeling horribly exposed and ashamed. “But these are our deceased mothers dresses! Being naked in them just feels…wrong.”

His sister just threw him an exasperated look and clucked her tongue.

“I have been to Naboo before as a Princess of Alderaan, you know. The two planets have a long history of being allied and there’s some similarities in our cultures.
Nudity isn’t seen as anything bad or shameful. And we both placed quite a high emphasis on fashion.
I think Mother would be more upset by her children wearing her outfits in a way that made them look silly than being naked in them.”

“I…I don’t know…and it’s awfully revealing.”

With the way the dress barely touched his lower half and being unable to look behind him, he couldn’t tell how much of his butt was on display, but it felt like a lot.

Leia scoffed again. “It just shows the top of your ass and a hint of crack, it’s fine. Especially with your tail in the way.”

He had to move his hand down to check and she was right. The opening of the dress came to a sharp V point under his tail and just below where the crease of his ass began.

“You look stunning,” Leia told him sincerely.

Twirling a little to see how the dress moved around him, he sighed. He did feel very pretty in it, even if it was a bit too airy without anything on underneath it.

“Wait for me to put this on, then we can go out and show everybody.”

Luke just nodded, swishing the dress around him experimentally.
He looked up again when Leia had the long fitted skirt on, just as she pulled off her bra.

“Leia!” He cried again, pivoting quickly to look away.

“Oh, don’t be such a prude!” She told him.

After a few rustles and softly muttered curses, she said “ok, you can look now.”

He turned towards her and his mouth fell open.
The ensemble fit her perfectly, hugging her slender frame and feminine curves.

The skirt was long and tight with a bit of a train, made out of a shiny patterned charcoal fabric.
A tight strapless top with matching sleeves over the forearms complemented the skirt in plain dark grey. It left her décolletage, shoulders and upper arms bare.
Finishing the outfit, was a thick beaded choker that wrapped around her neck then trailed in a straight line down the centre of her body, almost to the floor.

It was a dark, sultry fashion statement.

Even more shocking, with her brown hair and eyes, so much like Padme’s, for a very surreal moment, it felt like she was standing in front him.

The breath caught in his throat and his lip wobbled.

Leia’s face fell. “What’s the matter? Is it that bad?”

“No, no! You look amazing,” he scrabbled to assure her. “It’s just…I’ve seen holo’s of our mother and I…it looked like you could have been her just then.”

“Oh, Luke,” she reached out and pulled him to her chest, kissing his head.

“We’ll be ok.” Leia whispered. “We have each other now…and our husbands.”

“I know,” he sniffled into her shoulder. “Just took me by surprise.”

She took a moment to rock him gently. “Thanks for the compliment, by the way. Our mother was a very beautiful woman.”

“You’re a very beautiful woman too.”

Chuckling, Leia ruffled his hair and stepped back, taking him by the shoulders.

“Shall we go out there and blow them all away?”

“You can,” Luke said, a edge of discomfort returning. “I’m a bit underdressed.”

She rolled her eyes. “For kriff’s sake, Luke! Everyone out there has seen you naked. Come on!”

For the second time that day, he was yanked by the arm like a well-loved teddy bear.
Leia dragged him through the door and back out to the sitting room, where the stilted conversation between Han and Din abruptly ceased.

“Well?” She asked, holding out her hands and turning slowly. “What do you think?”

Chewie roared his approval while Han raised an eyebrow and let out a slow whistle. “Daaaaamn!”

Only Din had yet to move or say anything, but Luke could feel his intense gaze burning through his visor. A thick musk of sexual desire rolled off him towards Luke, making him squeak a bit then flush bright red.

“Go on, Luke give them a twirl like you did earlier,” Leia encouraged.

Eyes downcast, he spun around quickly in two complete rotations, allowing the dress billow around him in rippling beauty.
He felt like a flower with many silky petals fluttering in the wind.

The musk from Din intensified and as he came to a stop, he heard him shift in his seat.

“Lookin’ good!” Han eyed him up and down with an expression Luke remembered from when he used to knot him.

“Doesn’t he look like something right out of a fairytale?!” Leia gushed. “With his pretty features and golden hair, isn’t he gorgeous!”

“You better not go out anywhere too public in that without your husband and a full entourage of bodyguards. You could cause a riot, kid!”

As if he wasn’t squirming enough, Leia turned him around and lifted his tail. “It’s a bit low on him but he really pulls it off. He thinks it’s too revealing. What are your opinions?”

Another whistle from Han. “Nope, that’s just the right amount of revealing.”

A rumbling growl reached his ears and he jerked at the sound, spinning towards his Alpha who had materialised by his side.

Gloved hand grasped his shoulders, then ran over his arms and round to press against his back.
He shivered, suppressing the urge to keen at the attention.

“Hang on there, Mand’alor,” Leia said calmly, but with enough sense not to come too close.
“We aren’t finished yet. I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that later.”

Din’s helmet tilted slightly towards her and he nodded before facing Luke again.
The burning lust didn’t disappear but was pulled back and forced down to a simmering heat.

“I’m a patient man,” he said in a low husk that felt like a promise. It sent tingles down Luke’s spine and he almost whined when Din retreated back to his seat.

They tried on a few more outfits - which Luke was pleased he could keep his underwear on for.
The next one he wore was a dark blue poncho-style outfit with rainbow accents on the front and sleeves. He liked it and Leia said he could definitely have it as it wasn’t her style.

After that there was a light blue midriff dress with a long wrap-around skirt and long-sleeves top with matching blue head piece. It also came with a semi-transparent white shawl/cape that he liked.
Leia tried it on too but conceded it looked better on him.

Then there was a light blue loose, flowing dress with wide straps and folds of fabric that rippled down the back like a cape. Everyone agreed it brought out the blue of his eyes.

His last piece for the evening was a very practical looking grey and blue outfit with boots and trousers.
It wasn’t at all as pretty or showy as the last ones, but it was comfortable and there was just something about it that called to him, that felt special in its own way.

He asked if he could keep it on and Leia laughed at him. “It’s yours now, silly. You can wear it whenever you like.”
She gave him a small trunk to take the rest of his new clothes back to their room.

It was only as they were leaving to let the three of them get unpacked and settled before dinner that Luke remembered.

“Oh! Leia!” He spun round in the doorway to face her again. “I almost forgot! One of Dins’ friends who has since become a Mandalorian was originally from Alderaan. She asked if she could meet you?”

Her eyes widened and her brown ears perked straight up. “From Alderaan?!” She cried. “Yes! I would love to meet them!”

Chuffed, he promised to introduce her to Cara after dinner.

They had not long got back to their private quarters, with Din helping him hang the outfits up in his wardrobe, when Anakin showed up.

Seeing the light in the room change to that blueish glow, Luke turned with a happy smile.

“Father! You’re here!” He chimed. “I take it you know Leia has arrived?”

The other Tooquai was just staring at him with an awe and barely restrained emotion that had the smile faltering on his face.

“Father?”

He shook his head a little to break himself out of his trance. “I’m sorry, I just…um…” he cleared his throat, eyes watering.

“That…is what your mother was wearing the first time I laid eyes on her in Tatooine.”

A jolt went through Luke and he froze. “What?”

Crossing the room towards him, Anakin brushed his transparent hand down one sleeve, then over Luke’s hair.

“It looks perfect on you.”

He smiled at Luke’s dumbstruck face. Diverting his attention to the dresses now hanging in his wardrobe, his touched the soft yellow and dusty pink one which was Luke’s favourite.

“She wore this when I was acting as her bodyguard on Naboo. We took a boat ride to a small island and walked down this lovely promenade by the lake while she told me about her childhood.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was so divine. It was actually the first time I made a move on her and kissed her. She kissed me back but then pulled away. She said that she shouldn’t have done that and I could feel her in the Force pulling away from me. She kept me at an emotional arms length until confessing her feelings on Geonosis.”

Then his hand trailed over to the dark blue poncho dress. “This is one of the dresses she wore when she went back with me to Tatooine to find my mother. Her hair was loose but held back from her face and falling in beautiful curls over her shoulder.”

Moving over to pull the blue midriff dress with its sheer white cloak, he continued. “Also during the time I was her bodyguard, she took me to meet her family. This is the outfit she wore and it was the first time I saw her in something that showed off her flat stomach. I was in agony the whole time, especially when her sister told me I was the first boyfriend she had ever brought home and she was quick to correct her, saying we were just friends…. Ahhh, and this one…”
His fingers came to rest on the very loose flowy light blue dress, caressing it gently. “This one she wore whilst she was pregnant with you and your sister.”

Luke just listened, too numb to react as Anakin gifted him with the history of each outfit, all of them involving his relationship with his mother in some way.
He hadn’t realised his mouth was hanging open until the older man grinned and used the wispy pressure of his ghost finger under his chin to close it.

Hands came to rest on his shoulders and Luke looked up at him, at a loss for what to say.

His fathers eyes softened. “You looked beautiful in all of them.”

Surprise made him stiffen and let out an embarrassing squeak. “You saw?!”

“Your mother and I came down to see you try on her clothes. She went with you and Leia but I stayed in the sitting room with Din…and that smuggler.” His face turned sour at the mention of Han. “At least I like one of my son-in-laws.”

He nodded at Din, who had backed away to a respectful distance to give them space.
“Good to see you, Din. Pardon my rudeness, I was distracted by my son.”

Din nodded back. “Understandable. He is distracting.”

Luke blushed. “What did Mother think?” He asked quickly.

“Padme is ecstatic that you both have her clothes and that Leia went to Naboo to find out about her. She cried at pretty much every outfit that you both tried on.
Oh, and she told me to tell you that Leia was right about what she said regarding how to wear her outfits, and that she also thought Leia looked like her in that first one she wore.”

A look of discomfort crossed his face and he coughed a little. “Which reminds me, you aren’t…actually going to go out in public with this yellow dress on, are you? Surely that’s something you will just wear for Din?”

“I don’t know yet,” Luke frowned in thought. “Why?”

“Well, um…” He fidgeted. “Your mother believes I’m being overprotective but…I agree with you that it is a bit too revealing. Maybe you can get it altered to cover your butt more?”

“I like it,” Din spoke up then. “We will not have it altered, but it’s up to Luke if he wants to wear it out…as long as I’m with him, of course.”

Anakin scowled while Luke flashed him a grateful smile.

“I can see I have no fatherly authority here,” he grumbled. “Just be careful. I’m worried about there being more abduction attempts if other people see you in that - especially Alpha’s.”

Luke snorted.

“It will only be here in the Mandalore system, and I can assure you, no Mandalorian would dare try anything on Luke,” Din told him.

Folding his ears back, Anakin huffed in defeat.

After eating together in the private antechamber so Din could remove his helmet, their little clan of three filed into the dining hall to take a seat at the Royal table just as other people started trickling in.

Ahsoka was one of the first to arrive and took the seat on Dins other side.
Luke and Din sat in the middle with Grogu in a high chair between them.

“How was it with your sister, Baby Skyguy?” She asked with an affectionate ruffle to his hair as she passed behind him.

“Wonderful!” He beamed. “Everything was fine between us. She also went to Naboo before coming here and came back with a bunch of our mothers personal outfits, which we tried on.”

“I’m sure you both would look amazing in them,” Ahsoka replied warmly.

Leia, Han and Chewie were among the last to enter the hall and they came over to their table.

Jumping to his feet, along with Din and Ahsoka, Luke said “Leia, I have someone to introduce you to. This is Ahsoka Tano, a former Jedi who survived the purge.”

A hint of shock crossed her face before she schooled her expression and held a hand out elegantly to Ahsoka.
“Pleased to meet you Ahsoka. I’m glad you have made acquaintance with my brother.”

“As am I, Your Highness,” Ahsoka greeted smoothly, shaking her hand. “And the pleasure is all mine. I’ve heard of your great contribution to the Rebellion.”

Leia’s smile turned from polite to genuine satisfaction. “There is no need to use my title. Please, call me Leia.”

“You didn’t let me call you Leia when we met,” Han snarked.
Leia shot him a look before introducing Ahsoka to her husband, and Chewie.

“Chewbacca?!” Ahsoka repeated in disbelief, staring at the big Wookie.
“I thought you felt familiar! We met years ago during the Clone Wars! We were both captured to be hunted for sport by Trandoshan hunters, remember?”

The rest of them stood motionless, completely floored as they watched Chewie let out loud emotional roar and sweep her into one of his crushing bear hugs.

“What is it with you space wizards and knowing everyone in the galaxy?” Din muttered quietly to Luke, who didn’t have an answer so he just shook his head.

The revelation really served as a great ice-breaker though. Han, who was usually aloof with new people, warmed up quickly to the woman who had helped save his best buddy long before they met.

He and Leia eagerly asked her to tell them that story as none of them had ever heard it from Chewie - who now insisted on sitting next to Ahsoka with his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

The meal passed very pleasantly indeed, with everyone feeling like long-time friends when it was over.

There had only been one tense moment, when Leia asked Ahsoka if she had known a Jedi named Obi Wan Kenobi.

The Torgruta choked on her drink, staring down hard at her plate as she fought to compose herself.

“Yes, I did. He was one of the Jedi Masters I worked with closely. A wise man…and a good friend.”

“I…am terribly sorry.” Leia looked contrite. “I was only wondering because he was a friend to my father…and he has come to my aid several times in my life - including when he reunited me with Luke, though we didn’t know it at the time.”

“It’s alright, Leia” Ahsoka said quickly. “I am deeply sorry for your loss too. I met Senator Organa quite a few times. He and your birth mother were among the best and most noble-minded politicians in the Republic.”

Leia’s eyes misted with tears and she squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you.”

After dinner, when Ahsoka bid them an early goodnight and Han and Chewie wandered off to the Cantina to find a game of Sabaac they could join, Luke thought it was time to fulfill his promise.

Taking Leia’s hand, he guided her over to one of the tables where he had spotted Cara with a bunch of Mandalorians he didn’t know.
All throughout the evening meal, he had seen the woman casting glances over at his sister from across the hall.

He came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, noticing how the other Mandalorians stood respectfully when they saw him.

Cara turned and when her eyes slid over from him to Leia, she blushed then also stood.

“Leia, this is Cara. Cara, Leia” Luke introduced.

The taller, armoured woman opened and closed her mouth, blush deepening.

Fortunately, Leia was her usual forthcoming self.
“I’m always happy to meet another from Alderaan” she said, grabbing her wrist.
“Come on, my husband is at the cantina and I’ve got some bottles of Naboo wine in my room. We’re having girl time.”

Then she dragged her out the main doors to the hall. The look of giddy bewilderment Cara shot over her shoulder at Luke was priceless.

He couldn’t help but laugh, especially when strong arms wrapped around him from behind and Dins’ deep chuckle sounded in his ears.

“Looks like someone just met their celebrity crush,” Din rumbled.

“Yeah, the poor woman. She has no idea what she’s in for.”

“Mmm,” he hummed in agreement before turning his helmet into the side of Luke’s head. “Now…since everyone is off doing their own thing and it’s time for Grogu to be put to bed, how about I demonstrate just how much I appreciated you in those dresses.”

A shudder went down Luke’s spine, followed by a tingling heat settling between his hips.

“I said I was a patient man, Cyar’ika…but my patience has reached its limit.”

Luke had to try very hard not to keen in the middle of the dining hall.

“Of course it needs decorations,” Leia said firmly.
“Sure, it’s nice on its own but this is your wedding! It has to look even better than it usually does.”

They were in the throne room, with Leia casting a critical eye up and down its length.

Since she had arrived with Han and Chewie just over a week ago, the woman had been a machine - not to mention a scrupulous drill sergeant with Luke, Din and their terrorised Royal staff.

First, she harassed the cooks until a three course meal that met her approval was planned for the reception, even going so far as to oversee the food ordering.

On finding out that Luke would be expected to wear his new Mandalorian armour instead of a gown, she insisted on seeing the Armourer. She wanted to be filled in on every detail of the design that had been settled on.

Luke cringed, pleading with her not to be so abrupt and bossy with the woman who held such an important status in Mandalorian culture.
She had somewhat complied, but the unflappable Armourer still tilted her head a few times at his extremely assertive sister.

They left with a holocopy of his armour design in order to consult the Royal Seamstress, with Luke mouthing profuse apologies to her over his shoulder as Leia dragged him from the underground forge.

The Royal Seamstress was the only person who seemed to appreciate Leia and her ways.
The two women shared a passion for fashion and the seamstress was more than delighted that she would now have a part in the making of Luke’s bridal outfit.

He himself felt a bit like a doll, being made to constantly try on garment after garment while each was discussed in front of him as though he weren’t there.
Once the Armourer had made the first draft of his armour in a lesser metal, after each part was scrutinised, he was made to wear it as he tried on short-listed bridal outfits to see how well they could be integrated together.

With work on his bridalwear underway, Leia had next turned her attention to decorations for both the throne room and the dining hall - which is where they were now.

Din sighed after his latest round of berating from his sister-in-law. “What do you suggest then? It doesn’t need to be too fancy because it still has to reflect Mandalorian culture.
We aren’t posh core rim folk with all their frippery and etiquette. We are warriors.”

“Hmm,” Leia hummed, tapping a finger against her lips. “How about just some strategically placed draperies, candles lining the outer-edge of the hall and a few arrangements of roses?”

“All of that sounds good, except for the roses” Din said and Luke narrowed his eyes at him, wondering if he was going where he thought he was.

“What’s wrong with roses?” Leia asked, confused. “Are Mandalorians too badass for flowers?”

“No,” Din shook his head. “Only that Luke will probably just eat them.”

“You NERF HERDER!” Luke cried, rushing at Din to attack him.

His infuriating husband laughed as he parried Luke’s kicks and punches. When he tried to pull him into a hug, Luke hissed at him, puffing up his tail and snapping at his gloved hands.

“Easy, my starlight, I was only playing with you” Din chuckled.
He managed to scoop him up to his chest like a baby and touch their foreheads together while Luke emitted a tetchy growl.

“I’m obviously missing something here,” Leia remarked, raising an eyebrow at them.

“I once gave Luke a vase of red roses and he ate them thinking they were salad” Din told her, grunting as Luke proceeded to bite his shoulder.

“Oh, Luke” Leia said as she pressed her hand against her mouth, trying to quell her own laughter. “That is incredibly cute.”

He made a very pissy cat noise and broke out of Dins’ arms. “I’m out!”

Red-faced, he stomped out of the hall, ignoring Din and Leia’s sniggers.

Outside, he bumped into Paz.

“Vod!” He cried happily. “You’re a sight for sore eyes! Are you busy?”

The big blue Mandalorian looked down at him. “Wedding planning getting too much for ya, huh?”

“Yeah, plus Din and Leia are ganging up on me” he grumbled.

Paz laughed. “Well, your big brother has got you. Wanna blow off steam with some laser tag?”

“Hell, yes!”

They went down to the training grounds where Mandalorians of all ages could practice their battle skills in a playing field set up like a war zone, with bases and tunnels, etc.
They spent over an hour stalking around, trying be the first to shoot each other with the harmless low level laser guns.

Luke had an unfair advantage with his sensing abilities through the Force, and his unnatural Jedi jumps.
Once he had beaten Paz, the big man whinged about his space wizard powers, then asked how high he could actually jump.

When Luke admitted that he had never actually tested that out before, they experimented with him seeing how high he could jump, both with and without a run-up.
This quickly devolved into combining his Force jump with Paz hurling him into the air.

It was great fun and very educational…
But it all came to a screeching halt when, after landing from a particularly high throw-enhanced jump, they heard Dins’ both terrified and furious bellow from across the field.

“PAZ!!! WHAT THE KRIFF ARE YOU DOING TO MY RIDUUR?!!”

Chapter Text

(Val POV)

It was his first night shift rotation on palace guard duty - a mandatory requirement of every citizen at least once for a couple of months at a time.

Usually, he worked the morning shift either at one of the main entrances or the corridors branching off from the foyer that led to the throne room.

Val was only too happy to oblige, grateful to have made it to Concordia where his people were rebuilding their great nation under Mand’alor the Triumphant.

After the second Death Star was destroyed and the Emperor killed, the Imperial presence on the mid-rim planet where he and his covert were hiding out had been pulled back - allowing them to finally escape.
They came straight to the Mandalore system, where they were welcomed with open arms.

After settling in and being cleared by the medics, all able-bodied adults were assessed in fighting ability and given training for the different types of guard duty. This included patrolling the edge of Mandalore air space.

That was the next assignment he would fulfil after completing his assignment as a palace guard.
He was excited about it, having been unable to experience what it was like off-planet for most of his life.

Still, being a palace guard had its advantages. It was a relatively easy job and it meant he would often catch glimpses of the Mand’alor and Mand’cyare, to which he owed so much.

The Mand’alor was an impressive figure in his pure, unpainted Beskar’gam. He exuded an effortless power as he strode around with the fabled Darksabre attached to his hip.
But he was also a quiet man. Apart from his very concise speeches and required input with throne room hearings, Val had never heard him speak.

Then there was his Royal Consort; the Mand’cyare.

Who didn’t love seeing the small, beautiful man with his golden hair and bushy tail?
He was like a ray of light. No matter how sore or tired Val was after a training session and a long shift, he always felt uplifted after even the most fleeting glance of the Tooka hybrid.

Finding out that he was a Jetii left him in awe. He had grown up with whispered tales of these sorcerers that could deflect blaster bolts with ease and wielded an invisible magic.
They had been enemies with Mandalorians in the past, which somehow made him all the more special to the Mando’ade.

Here was a powerful Jetii, the last of his kind, who loved their Mand’alor and aligned himself with their kingdom.

The Mand’alor must truly be a sacred individual, sent by their ancient gods.
Not only had he won back the Darksabre, united the clans and reclaimed their ancestral home - he had also turned an ancient enemy into more than just an ally, but one of them.

Intertwined. Joined together for a common goal, in allegiance to their people.

As if that wasn’t incredible enough, the Mand’cyare was a sacred Omega.
Could the gods have sent any greater sign that the Mando’ade had entered into an age of prosperity?

Val had vowed to himself that no matter what happened, he would serve this Royal family until he drew his last breath.

He threw himself into his guard duty, even arriving early to his shifts. Like tonight, for instance.

The on-shift supervisor rolled her eyes at him as she always did but said their was no harm in him going to his post fifteen minutes early.

He marched his way happily to the corridor she directed him to.
It was a little further from the throne room than he usually was but it didn’t bother him.
While waiting for his shift-partner, whoever it was, to arrive, he went through the usual checks then stood alert against one of the pillars.

Only a few minutes had passed when he had the sudden eerie feeling that he wasn’t alone.

Stiffening, he tried not to make any noise while he switched his helmet to night vision and scanned up and down the cavernous hall.

He couldn’t see anything, but the strange feeling didn’t abate. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he fought back a chill.

Again, he scanned up and down the hall, peering into corners and between pillars.
Despite what his eyes were telling him, something wasn’t right.

Someone was there.

Instinct and training kicked in. He pressed a button on the paging device guards used, sending a silent signal with his location back to the guards headquarters. He switched the signal to code orange, meaning that there was something suspicious that he was investigating and they should stand by to send him back up if needed.

Then he unholstered his blaster and raised it cautiously, pointing to the ceiling.

The night vision function in his helmet wasn’t the best quality and made everything a bit fuzzy, so he switched it off and with his free hand reached for the torch on his vambrace.

The high-powered light source illuminated a wide area when activated, which is what he did then…

…just in time to see a shadow streak passed to his left out the corner of his eye.

“Stop there!” He yelled, spinning towards the movement and rushing down the side corridor they disappeared into.

Heart-pounding and adrenaline coursing through his veins, Val gave chase.

Through the comm on his vambrace he called directly through to the guards base.
“This is Val, requesting back up! We have an unidentified intruder! I’m in pursuit!”

Ending the transmission, he kept running after the flashes of movement he saw at the edge of his torches beam, up ahead.
Whoever they were, they were fast; able to keep out of the far-reaching light, darting around and jumping from wall to wall.

What was this? What kind of creature could move like that? And what were they up to in the palace this late at night?

Was it an assassin sent by an imperial remnant to kill the Mand’alor?

Val double-down his efforts to catch this foe, skidding round the corner of yet another side corridor after them.

Before long, they had done a complete circuit and Val found himself charging back into the foyer to the throne room.
Casting his torch wildly about, Val scanned around in a frantic search for the intruder, desperate not to lose them.

When the edge of the beam skimmed over a shadowy silhouette with glowing eyes hanging onto a pillar near the high arched ceiling, he jumped back in horror. A shocked yelp tore its way out of his throat.

Pulling himself together, he quickly aimed his torch over the same spot to find it had vanished, but this time he was able to spot the blur of its fleeing form escaping down another corridor that branched off from the foyer.

Again, he launched himself after it, fumbling for the device to change his signal into a code red. All he could do was hope that his back up arrived in time.

As he kept his eyes on the shadow up ahead, he passed the opening to a junction that led back to the palace guards base and ran smack into someone who also appeared to be in a hurry.

“Oof!” He cried as his lighter form bounced back off the massive immovable hulk of the other man’s body.

He managed to save himself from falling over by flinging an arm out to brace against the wall, but only just.

Then, when he recognised the blue armour, he would have gladly done all he could to disappear, were it any situation other than a security crisis.

“Alor Vizla,” he gasped breathlessly, glad the helmet hid his shameful blush, especially at a time like this.
“There is an intruder! Some kind of demon with glowing eyes that can climb the walls! We must hurry, it’s getting away!”

“Ah…” The bigger Mandalorian said, for some reason seeming to relax a bit.

Did he not hear what he just told him???

Val knew it wasn’t his place to try and tell one of his superiors what to do, but the lack of action on his part was alarming.
“Alor?” He said hesitantly. “Surely we should be pursuing this creature?”

“That’s…not an intruder, or a demon” the other man assured him, seeming a bit uncomfortable.
“That’s just my little brother.”

Val could’ve sworn he heard his own brain come to a screeching halt. He gaped at Alor Vizla.

Alor Vizla gazed back, visor aimed down towards him. Then he commed the palace guard.
“False alarm on the code red,” he said gruffly. “Stand down. I’ll take care of it.”

“Roger that,” came his supervisors voice over his comm. “Was it what I think it was?”

“Yeah,” Alor Vizla replied, sounding mildly irritated.

His supervisor sighed. “You really need to have a word with him. This isn’t the only time it’s happened and young Val is on his first night shift. I forgot to explain when he arrived.”

Val was at a loss but couldn’t help feeling somewhat ashamed, as if he was in the wrong - although how, he didn’t know.
All he could ascertain was that there was something they knew which he didn’t, and he had made himself look like a fool.

He swallowed back his shame and embarrassment to deal with later, unable to do anything but stare at the head of the Vizla Clan, who had also been one of his trainers.

After ending the transmission, he looked down at his feet, scratching the back of his neck as if he was the one who ought to be embarrassed.
“Um…I’m sorry. I should have done more to make sure everyone was up to speed on…well…him.”

“Your…little brother?” Val asked, unable to help himself.

When Alor Vizla sighed and gave one abrupt nod, Val let out the breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

How was that even possible?

“I don’t understand,” he ventured cautiously. “This creature could move unnaturally fast and I saw it climbing up one of the pillars, right by the ceiling. How could it be your brother?”

“Uhhh…” he scratched the back of his neck again. “Come on, you’ll see.”

Gesturing with his head in the direction this mystery sibling had gone, Alor Vizla started lumbering down the darkened passageway.

Val holstered his blaster and followed after him, his head in a whirl. Nothing was making sense.
He was almost too bewildered and confused to focus much on the fact that he was alone with the man he had developed a crush on during his training.

Almost.

The way his heavily muscled body moved in his armour was still more than distracting. He quickly forced his gaze straight ahead, not allowing it to drift.

It’s not like he had a chance with this man anyway. He was a Clan Head with close ties to the Mand’alor and was part of a team that helped destroy the second Death Star.

According to rumor, he had also slept with the Princess of Alderaan after she killed Jabba the Hutt.

There was absolutely no reason why he would look twice at a nobody like him, who spent most of his life hiding with his underground covert.
He shouldn’t torture himself like this.

At that moment, Alor Vizla interrupted his thoughts by letting out a shrill whistle that crackled through his vocoder.

“Hey Vod!” He shouted. “Where are you?! Get your ass here!”

A noise above them made them swivel and Val just had time to see a shape descending rapidly down the wall mere meters away, to their side.

Those eerie glowing eyes peered at them from the gloom.

Val stepped closer to Vizla, wary and consciously fighting the urge to grab his blaster again.
This was his little brother, apparently.

If the other man noticed, he didn’t show it - just folded his arms and leaned back, looking very unimpressed with the disturbing entity before them.

“Vod, stop being all mysterious in the shadows over there. You have caused another incident, and the on-duty supervisor for the palace guard is getting fed up of you scaring newbies on night shift.”

“Oh,” a surprisingly soft voice said, and feather-light footfalls could be heard as he padded towards them.

Val stumbled back in disbelief when none other than the Royal Consort himself stepped forward into the moonlight streaming through a nearby window, head bowed in shame.

“Mand…Mand’cyare??” He gasped. Remembering his manners a second too late, he bent forward in an awkward bow.

Before either of them could say anything more, Alor Vizla rounded on the Tooka Hybrid.
“What have I told you about your nighttime zoomies?”

“Always announce myself to any guards I come across,” Mand’cyare replied, ears drooping guiltily.
“I’m sorry, I just…with everything that’s happening and having the sudden need to run, I forgot.”

He could practically see the glare through the large blue helmets visor as he tilted his head skeptically at him then gestured towards Val.

“Well, here’s your latest victim.”

Anguish filled those big blue eyes as the Royal Consort looked up at him, clearly devastated. It pulled at his heart.
“Please don’t be too hard on the Mand’cyare,” he rushed to interject. “It’s not a problem, really.”

Now the blue helmet snapped towards him. “No, don’t you go too easy on him. Just because he is married to the Mand’alor doesn’t mean he can get away with thoughtlessly scaring people and causing security alerts.”

“He’s right,” the Mand’cyare said quietly, face flushed and eyes tear bright.
If possible, his Tooka ears drooped further as he shuffled towards him, wringing his hands together with remorse.
“I’m sorry for scaring you. I didn’t mean to. I’ll…I’ll be more mindful from now on, I promise.”

Nothing had prepared him for receiving such a genuine, heartfelt apology from the Mand’cyare; someone he had only seen and idolised from afar.

“No, no! It’s fine, Mand’cyare. I…Please don’t feel bad.”
Val didn’t know what to do with himself and fidgeted awkwardly with his vambrace just to have something to do with his hands.

Still looking crestfallen, the Mand’cyare peered up at him, shuffling even closer with an expression like a scolded loth kitten.

There was some sort of hopeful expectation in his eyes, which turned into dejection as Val stared at him, trying to figure him out.
He looked to the other Mandalorian beside him and back again.

“He wants a hug to let him know he is forgiven,” Alor Vizla explained.

“Oh!” Val cried in surprise. “Am I allowed?”

The Mand’cyare’s ears perked up eagerly.

Alor Vizla chuckled. “Who’s gonna make a rule banning him from receiving hugs from his people when he makes that face? Certainly not the overly doting Mand’alor.”

“Oh,” he repeated dumbly, heart pounding at the thought of actually hugging the beloved Royal Consort.

Hesitant, he opened his arms and the Mand’cyare walked into them, leaning his head against his armour.
Val wrapped his arms loosely around his shoulders, unsure what might be considered going too far.
Then a rumbling sound reached his ears, vibrating through his chest plate.

The Mand’cyare was purring!

He looked at Alor Vizla again for instruction, not knowing what to do next.

The big man had relaxed and completely lost his stern demeanour now. “He likes it when his ears are rubbed,” he supplied helpfully.

Raising one hand, Val lightly stroked one long silky ear. He couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“No, like this,” Alor Vizla told him, unfolding his arms and casually reaching over to take the base of the ear closest him in hand. He used his broad thumb to massage it rigourously.

The Mand’cyare purred louder and let out a little mew, turning his head towards the source of the superior ear rub.

Quick to comply, Val took his other ear and mimicked the movement, making the Tooka hybrids eyes roll back into his head with bliss.

They both stopped after a moment and the Mand’cyare gave him a beaming grin.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

He cocked his head at him. “Uhh, Val.”

“Val,” the Mand’cyare said with a nod. “I’m Luke.”

It was lucky he was still loosely holding his shoulders, or Val might have fallen over for the second time that day.

Had the Mand’cyare really just given him the honour of using his name?

“L-Luke?”

He nodded brightly and Val felt lightheaded.

“Alright,” Alor Vizla laughed. “If you are done making friends, perhaps you should get back to bed before your Riduur wakes up and gets worried.”

The Mand…Luke smiled and stepped back from Val.

That’s when his shock-addled brain caught up with him.

“Wait, you two are…brothers?”

“Adopted,” Paz said with a shrug. “I properly met this little nuisance not long after he and the Mand’alor got together, and he snarled at me… but I only really got a chance to hang out with him after they were away for a few months and he got injured.
That’s when we got to know each other and decided we were brothers.”

He grazed his knuckles against the little blondes jaw with obvious affection.

If it weren’t for Luke’s delighted laughter, Val would have been more taken aback by Alor Vizla calling the Royal Consort and Mandalore’s sacred Omega a nuisance.

It must have been one of the insult/endearments he used for his adopted younger brother.
Seeing them like this together, he couldn’t help but feel it was sweet.

He almost didn’t notice when Alor Vizla started speaking to him again.

“Luke has been a bit stressed lately with all the planning for the wedding and trying to cram learn Mando’a as much as possible.
Sometimes he has too much anxious energy which he needs to work off, or he can’t sleep.
We call it ‘a case of the nighttime zoomies.’ You are not the first guard on night shift he has accidentally terrorised.”

Sympathetic, Val hummed in acknowledgment. The upcoming Royal Wedding was going to be the event of the century and he was overjoyed to be able to attend.
But he could see how there would be a lot of pressure involved that would cause undue stress.

Alor Vizla ruffled the Tooka hybrids hair. “Think you can go to sleep, now that you’ve given us all nightmares?”

“I think so,” Luke laughed. Turning back to him, he smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you, Val. I’ll see you around.”
And he was off, sprinting back in the direction of the Royal chambers.

They stood watching him until he was out of sight and then some awkwardness returned between them.

“Uhh, so… I guess you need to get back to your post?”

“Yes,” Val replied, looking down at his feet, feeling shy again. “Um, thank you…for filling me in…and taking me to meet the Mand’cyare.”

“Don’t mention it,” Alor Vizla said gruffly.

They just looked at each other in silence, Val trying to think of how to end the interaction politely without giving himself away.

“Ret’urcye mhi, Alor.”

The other man gave him a brusque nod. “Ret’urcye mhi, Val.”

They both spun away from each other, walking quickly in opposite directions.

It was with mixed feelings that he returned to his post where all the mayhem began.

On the one hand, he was more than thrilled to have met the Mand’cyare and been gifted his name.
But the interaction with Alor Vizla and his stiff manner towards him was crushing. He obviously didn’t feel comfortable around him.

Did he find him dull? Boring? Annoying?

Was he counting down the minutes until he could end their little encounter?

It didn’t matter, he told himself. There would never be anything between them. The sooner his traitorous heart accepted that and moved on, the sooner he could be at peace.

Val sighed.

Alor Vizla was right, he would be having nightmares when he was able to finish his shift and get some sleep.

But it wasn’t because of the Mand’cyare’s nightly activities.

It was because of broad shoulders, blue armour and that rumbling masculine voice which haunted his sleeping and waking hours.

Chapter Text

“Luke, stop squirming” Leia told him for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.

Unable to explain the nerves and apprehension and excitement that were all folded in on each other and thrashing about in his gut like a nest of sand worms, Luke just let out a mewl which he injected with all his current emotions.

Leia must have understood, because she put the hair straightened down.

“Hey, Luke. It’s ok. You are already married, Din will think you look gorgeous no matter what, and you don’t need to worry about anything all day because I’ve taken care of everything.
All you have to do is show up, look pretty and say a few lines.”

“Wherein lies the problem,” he groused, voice shaking. “Listen to me! I can’t even speak Basic without wobbling all over the place.”

“That’s just the pre-wedding jitters,” she told him firmly. “Once you get there, that will fade away. Just remember to breathe. Speak slowly and clearly and you’ll do fine.”

Luke wasn’t convinced. “What if I kark it up?” He asked, panic written all over his face.
“I’ll be the laughing stock and Din will be so disappointed. The Mandalorians will wish he had found someone else to be the Mand’cyar- ow!”

Tired of the same old speech, Leia had pinched his ear. “Stop that! Everyone knows you are nervous and that you have just started learning the language. You’ve been practicing like crazy and Paz told you that your pronunciation is good. If you make a mistake, take a breath and start again.”

She manipulated him back into position so she could continue straightening his hair.

“You know as well as I do that Din would never be disappointed in you,” she continued. “He is totally wrapped around your little finger and as far as he is concerned, the sun shines out your arse.”

He flinched as she twisted the straighteners sharply at the end of one golden lock then quickly inserted another.

“And the people here aren’t much better. You are Mandalore’s sacred Omega consort. Now, hold still.”

Fortunately, he managed to keep his upper body straight, but his tail swiped back and forth in agitation.

Soon his hair was done and she brought over the beautiful crown of Millaflowers she had sent for from Naboo.
Luke loved all the care and detail she had put into everything. He just hoped Din appreciated the gesture of the Millaflowers as much as he did.

Placing it carefully over his head so that it accommodated his ears, she adjusted his hair until the whole thing met with her satisfaction.

“Alright, up. Now for the final piece of the ensemble.”

He stood obediently and Leia retrieved his bridal gown-coat…thing from where it was hanging up.
As he held out his arms for her to arrange it around his body and tie it into place, a strange floaty feeling overcame him.

This was really happening. After the past month of being dragged around by his powerhouse of a sister, listening as she crafted and planned everything right down to the most minute (and frankly, ridiculous) detail, the big day had finally arrived.

Numbly, he gazed off into space while she fastened the coat like the seamstress had showed her, open at the front so it showed off his gleaming new armour that was making its debut appearance today.

Even though Din had been there for choosing the designs, Leia insisted that he not see the end result until the wedding.

Luke hoped he liked the finishing touch that Leia had suggested. Din’s more formal set of armour was nearly identical to his everyday wear, only the plain silver Beskar was accented with gold.

Conversely, Luke’s Beskar was polished with a shiny golden finish and accented around the edges with silver.

Leia had said that not only was it beautifully symbolic, it would also match his golden hair.

Working with the design of the armour, she and the seamstress had come up with a garment that would act like a wedding gown without going against Mandalorian tradition.

It felt heavy and he was glad it was not something he would have to wear again. The huge train would be quite cumbersome.

Interrupting his thoughts, Leia attached his pauldrons over his shoulders and handed him the bouquet of Millaflowers that matched his crown.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked him over.

“I’m a genius,” she sighed happily. “Ok, you can turn around and look in the mirror now.”

With a deep inhale he turned gingerly, his movements slow and restricted, until he faced the full length mirror in the dressing room of Han and Leia’s guest wing.

Blinking, he silently regarded the lovely, regal Tooquai who stared back at him.

They looked like some kind of Prince. Certainly not the farm boy he still thought of himself as.

The golden armour looked perfect on him and made him feel majestic despite his tiny stature.

Not conflicting with this image, but somehow enhancing it, the red dress coat gave him a decadent air he had never experienced on himself before.

It both did and didn’t look like him…but in a good way.

Stepping closer, his eyes took in all the little details of the embroidery, as well as the subtle hints of makeup Leia had used - a bit of black liner on his eyelids and some dusting of reddish pink eyeshadow in the outer corners.

She had done a very tasteful job of combining the bold and subtle elements of his whole look. It was perfect.

“Leia,” he breathed. “This is wonderful! Thank you so much!”

Leia’s reflection joined his own in the mirror, grinning broadly.
“My pleasure! You look incredible - Din is going to just die when he sees you!”

Luke opened his mouth to thank her again when a firm knock sounded against the door.

“Hey, are you guys done yet? The Mando’s are getting antsy to leave,” Han called.

“Coming!” Leia called then took his hand and escorted him over.

On opening the door, Han did a double take.

“Look at you, kid! Someone scrubs up real nice! Leia, you did a great job.”

“Thanks, Han. You too,” Luke smiled at him.
He did look quite dashing in his black dress pants and cream coloured shirt and vest which matched Leia’s elegant dress.

Together, they exited the guest wing to find Chewie, Paz and Koska waiting outside.

They all jolted at the sight of Luke.

“Hey Vod, nice armour!” Paz said approvingly. “The rest of it is pretty too.”

More professional, Koska inclined her head. “Su cuy’gar, Mand’cyare. You look beautiful.”

Chewie roared, placing his hands carefully over Luke’s pauldrons. Leia had obviously told him he couldn’t muss Luke up in his wedding outfit.

Luke’s heart warmed. “Thanks guys.”

“We should get going” Koska told them, gesturing in the direction of the throne room.

Han and Chewie helped him with his train as they made the relatively short walk, and Luke was certain they would all be able to hear his heart pounding in his chest.

At the foot of the steps leading up to the large double doors of the throne room, Bo-Khatan stood waiting with Grogu in his decorated floating crib.
Like Paz and Koska, her blue armour gleamed, freshly polished.

She nodded at them. “Su cuy’gar, Mand’cyare and family. Now, this is how the ceremony is going to happen.”

Luke did his best to listen as she filled them in on their roles and the order in which the would enter the hall, where they would stand, etc.

Meanwhile, Grogu held his hands out to Luke cooing and Luke smiled at him as he stroked his fuzzy green head.

They were told it would be a few minutes until the ceremony started so they needed to wait there for a bit.
Bo-Khatan walked off just out of earshot to communicate via comms with someone inside.

That’s when Luke heard a “Psst! Luke!”

Swivelling slightly, he saw the same trio of Force ghosts that he saw in Endor appraising him from the side of the foyer.
His father was in the centre, waving very enthusiastically and unnecessarily.

“No one else can hear or see us, Anakin,” Obi Wan told him with an exasperated sigh.

With a happy grin, Luke toddled closer to them, taking Leia and his friends by surprise.

“Just give me a moment,” he said, aiming a meaningful look at Leia, who understood and ushered the rest of the group away to give them space.

The uncomfortable look on her face wasn’t lost on him…or their father, judging by the flash of pain he quickly hid as he refocused on Luke.

“My son! You are the most beautiful thing in the universe! I’m so proud of you!”

“I am happy for you and your family,” Obi Wan told him with a genuine smile as he stroked his beard. “No one deserves it more than you. Thank you for all you have done to save the galaxy…and restore my friend to the light.”

Yoda gave him a serene smile of his own. “Offer our congratulations, we must.”

“I appreciate it,” Luke told them sincerely. “I didn’t know if I would see you again, Master Yoda. You haven’t visited since Endor.”

“Left you space to connect with your father, I did,” Yoda explained.

Obi Wan glanced sideways at Anakin. “Indeed, as we shall again now. We’ll remain to watch the ceremony though.”

After saying their goodbyes, the two of them faded away, leaving Anakin there beaming at him.

“Padme is here, of course,” he told him excitedly. “As are your Grandma, Aunt and Uncle. Din’s folks have come too. Lovely couple! We get on well with them.”

A lump rose to his throat and he had to blink rapidly to dispel the tears threatening to form.
“Oh,” was all he felt able to say.

Anakin's smile softened. He reached out to cup his face. “You look gorgeous. I’d tell you again how much like your mother you are, but I’m sure your sick of hearing it by now.”

“Never,” Luke replied, shaking his head.

There was that misty-eyed look again as Anakin took in his appearance from head to toe.

“Everyone has messages for you - mostly telling you congratulations and how stunning you look. I’ll pass them on properly later as I know we don’t have much time.
I will say Padme wants me to tell you that you are a vision and the most wonderful son she could have ever wished for. I second that notion, by the way.”

Luke exhaled raggedly and dabbed at his eyes, careful not to smudge anything.
“Um, thank you. I…don’t know what to say to that right now. It’s overwhelming. Please, no more. I’m going to ruin my makeup before the ceremony.”

“Alright, darling boy,” Anakin chuckled, also wiping away stray tears. “I’d better go join your ghostly cheer squad anyway. We’ll all be right here, but us Jedi will keep out of sight when you say your vows so we don’t distract you.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he looked at him again. “My perfect baby sunshine kit…all grown up. A Jedi knight and Mandalorian royalty. How did that happen?”

“Long story,” Luke said with a teary laugh.

His father laughed too and chucked him under the chin. “You’ll have to fill me in some day. But for now, good luck! You’ll do great. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Luke whispered as Anakin also faded away as his masters had done.
Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he rejoined Leia and the group just as Bo-Khatan came over.

“It’s time,” she said. “Everyone into position. Mand’cyare, I’ll buzz the comm on your vambrace when you need to start coming up the steps.”

“Ok,” Luke nodded, mouth going dry and nerves returning. He gave Grogu another caress. “See you soon, buddy. Go help calm down your Buir.”

“Bah!” His little green baby cried out affirmatively.

{Yes, Buir! Not too long, ok! Miss you! Want to be with both Buire!}

Unaware of their silent conversation, Koska used the control on her vambrace to start steering Grogu’s crib away with them as she, Paz and Bo-Khatan made their way up the steps.

{You’ll have both of us with you soon! I promise!} Luke mentally called after him.

Not long after they disappeared from sight, music started playing, getting louder as they heard the large double doors open.

The slightly suppressed gushing in hundreds of voices meant that everyone had just seen Grogu, who did look particularly adorable in his little red outfit.

Leia quickly checked him over, adjusting his coat and hair once more as they waited, then hissed instructions to Han and Chewie to make sure they looked after his train properly.

The signal from Bo-Khatan buzzed through on his vambrace far sooner than he had expected, but everything felt like it was going too fast today.

Looking over at Leia, he nodded and she took his arm in hers.

They began the ascent, Leia keeping him steady as he could barely register the movement of his feet.
Over the music, he became aware of a faint ringing sound in his ears and he swallowed, trying to regain some moisture in his mouth, which had gone quite dry.

The weight of his train lifted as Chewie raised the end of it in his arms to keep it from scraping against the stairs.

“Breathe,” Leia reminded him quietly.

He took her advice, inhaling and exhaling slowly through his nose and just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

Next thing he knew, they had cleared the top of the stairs and come to the landing before the double doors…through which a clear path lead straight to the dais where he saw Din waiting for him.

Luke’s heart stuttered then overflowed with love.

Here was his husband, who loved him so completely.

He looked so majestic and larger than life, silver and gold Beskar glinting in the light pouring through the large arched windows.

All the faces and Beskar helmets turned towards him and the sea of awestruck wonder coming at him in the Force suddenly seemed far away - muffled down to a background noise by the joy and adoration radiating from that lone figure on the dais.

Luke couldn’t take his eyes off him and he could feel the intensity of his own returning gaze through the visor.

This was the man who had rescued a dirty, beat up Tooka hybrid slave who couldn’t even talk.

A king who could have had anyone in the galaxy, could have used both his physical and authoritative power to make him submit.

Instead he treated him with kindness, respected his boundaries, took the time to earn his trust and patiently waited for his consent with every progression of their relationship.
He supported him through everything, taking him to Dagobah to train as a Jedi, helping the rescue mission for his friend and even joining the Rebellion - all without question.

All for him.

It always made Luke want to cry whenever he thought about it. How did such an Alpha exist?
How did such a person exist, period?

And how come Luke was the one they fell in love with? It boggled the mind.

Din held his gaze through his visor as he and Leia drew slowly closer, their gait measured and even to be in time with the music that he barely heard.
He was relying on Leia to set the pace and he just followed her lead.
The love pouring out of his husband was more than a little distracting.

It was funny how before, everything seemed to be going so fast, but now with his husband only a short distance away, the journey towards him felt like it was taking forever. All he wanted was to break protocol and run into his arms.

Leia must have felt his desire because she squeezed her arm tighter around his where they were linked together.

After a torturous age, they finally reached the dais.
He came back down into himself to return the hug Leia gave him, infusing it with as much love and gratitude as he could.

A lump rose to his throat when she then pulled back and gently but deliberately placed his hand into Din’s.
The message was clear ‘I’m officially transferring guardianships over to you.’
Though he and Din had already been married for some time, it still felt very final: the end of an era.
He thought back to Leia acting as both his mother figure and protector in the Rebellion, and though he knew it was silly because she would always be his protective sister, he couldn’t help but feel emotional.

Then Leia took his bouquet and stepped away to take her place in the front row, and all other thought crumbled as Din took up his whole vision.

Gorgeous, kind, loving Din. His mate and Alpha.
His husband.

He engulfed Luke’s small hand with his much larger one, linking their fingers together.
Time stood still as they stared at each other, drinking each other in.

Though Din had grumbled about it, Luke was so glad that tradition pushed for them to have this ceremony.
It certainly felt a lot more weighted than their hushed exchange of vows spoken during a private moment of sexual intimacy on Yoda’s living room floor in the middle of a swamp - not that he didn’t also love said private marriage.

He didn’t even think to feel overawed by the Armourer like he usually was when she came towards them to take Din’s spear and address the crowd.

He didn’t really pay attention when he was personally announced along with his accomplishments against the Empire.

The one thing that did break through his trance was when the Armourer instructed them to say their vows.

For a moment of sheer panic, his mind went blank and he couldn’t remember the carefully practiced words for the life of him.
Grounding himself, he took a deep breath as Leia had told him to if he got nervous and they did start to filter back.

He swallowed. His mouth felt dry and his heart was accelerating to the point where he felt dizzy.

Then Din was guiding him gently through and he focused on him, hearing the words rolling off his own tongue from pure muscle memory as his head still felt bereft of conscious thought.

“Mhi solus tome.
Mhi solus dar’tome.
Mhi me’dinui an.
Mhi ba’juri verde.”

In the hush that followed, Luke blinked, a pressure easing in his chest.
It was done. The thing he had been agonising over and frantically practicing for, envisaging all sorts of humiliating outcomes.
Over within a few seconds without a hitch.

He really needed to learn how to get out of his own head like Yoda had tried to teach him.

The thought had barely flitted across his mind when the Armourer spoke up again.

“With the Gods and Mando’ade as witness, I now proclaim you both as Mand’alor and Mand’cyare - the Royal Riduure.”

From the silence that had preceded, the throne room was suddenly a deafening clamour of cheers.

Luke folded his sensitive ears back to protect them from the noise, just as Din leaned down to rest their foreheads together, the Beskar cool against his flushed skin.

A ‘mirshmure’cya,’ Luke remembered the Mando’a word for the Keldabe Kiss which Din had told him ages ago and he had forgotten until it was reintroduced in his language lessons.

He also remembered another phrase that felt pertinent for that moment. He whispered it quietly, hoping Din could hear it still over the cheers.
“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum.”

When Din whispered it back he smiled into their Keldabe kiss, moisture gathering again under his closed eyelids.

There was only one part left of the ceremony, something that Luke strangely hadn’t been nervous about. It was only one line of relatively easy Mando’a to remember.

After the Armourer gestured for quiet and the cheers died down, Luke turned to smile at little Grogu, who had been watching avidly from his crib, big dark eyes shining.

The adorable baby knew what was coming and raised his arms up, eager to be held.
How Luke loved this sweet little thing accepted him right from their first meeting under Din’s bed.
It was clear from the way he had mentally connected and immediately started showing him memories of his fathers heroic feats, that he wanted Luke to like Din so they would get together.

Lifting him gently from the crib, Luke nestled his comforting weight against his chest but leaned him back enough so that the could see each other.

Grogu sent a wave of happy feelings to him, staring up at him with a tiny encouraging smile.

It was hard to resist kissing his little nubby nose.

“Grogu,” he said confidently. “Ni kyr’tayl gai sa’ad.”

Joy sparkled on his face and in his aura. He squealed and bonked his head against Luke’s in a clumsy, heartwarming Keldabe Kiss.

{Yes, Buir!} That little voice burst through their Force connection. {Always my Buir too! Grogu’s family!}

{Always} Luke promised back, worried he might start crying again. This whole day felt like he had been on the brink of tears, needing to pull himself back otherwise he wouldn’t be able to stop.

Soon it was time to walk back down the aisle but neither Luke nor Grogu wanted to put him back in his crib.
Instead, he shifted Grogu to hold him with one hand on the side of his chest while he linked his other arm through Dins’ as they turned to face the crowd.

Through the hollers and cheers that had started up again with a vengeance, he spied the holographer snapping away.

Taking more of his attention was Ahsoka in a striking blue outfit, Montrals and Lekku standing out in a sea of helmets, dabbing at her eyes while her lips wobbled in a watery smile.

And there at the back of the room were the three glowing Force ghosts.
Ben and Yoda clapped demurely while Anakin jumped up and down on the spot, beating the air with his fists and cheering as loud as the oblivious Mandalorians.

He heard Din’s chuckle. “Your father is a doofus.”

“Yes,” Luke beamed, feeling happier than he could ever remember with his family all around him. “He is.”

The musicians started up again and they walked together down the aisle, with their citizens shouting their congratulations and clobbering them with handfuls of rose petals.

‘Leia didn’t tell me about this,’ he thought. With his hands full and unable to brush the petals off him, he turned his head and gave Leia a look.
She, Han and Chewie were taking up position behind him, the latter lifting his train again.

Shrugging, Leia rolled her eyes and sent him an apology through their Force bond, which she was getting better at using.

{It was a surprise but I gave instructions for them to shower the petals over you like confetti, not pelt you both with them.}

{Mandalorians will weaponise anything} he sent back with a smirk.

Once they were outside, the crowds moved onto the huge palace courtyard where rows and rows of tables were set up for the reception and wedding feast.

The holographer called to them and the ‘bridal party’ to stay for a private shoot that was apparently part of their package that Leia arranged.

It consisted of an hour of taking holo’s of them altogether, then they were dismissed so he could just take some of him with Din and Grogu.

Luke was overjoyed that they would be getting all these wonderful keepsakes of their wedding, and made a mental note to thank Leia.

When they were eventually able to head to their reception, they were again met with cheers as they entered and filed through to the beautifully decorated bridal table.
The rest of their party were already there, with the two middle seats left vacant for them.

Once they sat down and food started to come out Leia handed him his bouquet and winked at him.

Luke took it, nodding his thanks and turned to Din.

“Riduur?”

Din turned his head towards him, running a hand over his shoulders and up to his hair. Happiness radiated off him in the Force.

Clearing his throat, Luke handed him his bouquet and Din took it without question, though he felt his confusion as he looked down at it.

“They are Millaflowers,” Luke told him. “Native to Naboo. In our mothers culture, they were gifted to special people or to commemorate important events…in this case both.”

A small gasp came out of his vocoder. “You are gifting me something from your mothers culture?” He asked, sounding choked up.

“Of course,” Luke told him, then waved a hand down at his beautiful armour. “You have gifted me a part of yours. I only wish I had more of both cultures to give.”

The hand in his hair drew him close to press their foreheads together. “Thank you, Riduur.”

Luke was blushing a little when they pulled apart.
“It was Leia’s idea. She found out about it when she went to Naboo on the way here and she organized it after suggesting it to me and I said yes.”

“You wanted to give it to me. That’s what matters.”
He stroked a few petals of his flower crown then caressed his face.
“Cyar’ika…I haven’t had a chance to tell you how incredibly beautiful you look.”

“Yeah, you too,” Luke giggled.

A thumb traced over his bottom lip, then Din looked over Luke towards his sister.

“And thank you, Leia.”

She scoffed. “It was nothing. Keep your eyes on your husband, Mand’alor.”

Din gave a playful growl and cinched Luke in closer to his side. “Don’t mind if I do.”

The after party following the feast was a true Mandalorian affair; with alcohol flowing freely, live music, dancing and lots of friendly sparring.

Many came to give their congratulations to the Royal couple, and Luke was also approached citizens wishing to shower him with praise -
a vigorous and hearty praise that became more unfiltered and slurring as the night wore on.

He was finally able to shed the dress coat after dinner, which was taken to be cleaned and pressed, leaving him free to dance with the children again.

They loved his golden armour, pressing their little hands against his chest plate and pauldrons.

With Grogu, babbling excitedly in his arms, he danced along with them, laughing at the crazy jigs they came up with.

He even managed to get a dance out of Din when a much slower melody played. It’s was nothing more than standing and swaying on the spot, Din’s arms around his shoulders and his own around the much taller man’s waist.
The height difference between them must have been made all the more visible, but Luke didn’t care. He rested his head against him and purred quietly enough that only Din would be able to detect it.
People stopped to watch and Luke vaguely noted the Holographer (who had been stalking about taking candid shots of partygoers) stopping to focus in on them, but all Luke saw was his husband. He laughed when the song finished and Din surprised him by picking him up and twirling him around.

It was maybe an hour before midnight when they unanimously decided that they had enjoyed enough of the party and were now ready to move onto…other things.

Grogu was sleeping soundly in Chewie’s arms despite the loud music that continued playing and Leia assured him that they would look after him and take him back to their guest wing with his floating crib.

“Leia, this was all so perfect! I can’t thank you enough!” He gushed as they embraced.

“It was my pleasure,” she replied, pulling back to give him a cheeky grin. “Enjoy your official wedding night.”

“Yeah! Go get laid, kid” Han agreed, coming up to give him a hug.

Chewie engulfed him in a one-armed hug, warbling quietly so as not to wake Grogu.

“He said congratulations, and you make a beautiful bride” Han translated.

Luke smiled up at the big Wookie. “Thanks Chewie! Good job on being a bridesmaid.”

He let out a snuffly bleating laugh and patted his head. That’s when Din stepped forward.

“Thank you all for your help and support. Leia, you did a magnificent job and took a lot of stress off us. We couldn’t have pulled off something like this without you.
And you were right. I’m glad you convinced me to get the Holographer. I want to be able to look back on this day for the rest of my life.”

When Leia beamed and yanked him into a hug, he didn’t even seem surprised and went willingly.

After shaking hands with Han and Chewie, they both kissed their sleeping son and wove their way through the revelry towards their private quarters.
The party would persist all through the night but they were not obligated to stay.

The haste to get through their front door intensified with every step.
As soon as they were in and made sure it was securely bolted, Luke released the seal on his helmet and pulled it off, dropping it carefully on the couch.
Then he was hoisted up with his legs around Dins waist as they bumbled clumsily through to the bedroom, lips locked together so they could barely see where they were going.

A gasp escaped him as his back collided with the wall of the passageway leading to their room.
Din pinned him against it, rutting his hips into him as he bit at his lower lip, making Luke moan.

Surprisingly, when they actually managed to get to their bedroom door, Din sobered up and put Luke down.
“After you,” he said, with such politeness one wouldn’t think he had been grinding into him with his tongue down his throat mere seconds ago.

Luke raised an eyebrow at him, confused by his sudden change of pace, but obligingly opened the door and turned on the light.

Only to stiffen reflexively at what, on first glance, appeared to be three women standing in their bedroom.
After a beat, he realised that they were mannequins and they were each wearing a different coloured variation of his mothers yellow-pink dress.
The one his father told him she wore when they walked together alongside a lake on Naboo.

On the left was a dress in soft pastel green at the top, which morphed into lilac pink as it descended. The right most one was white, transforming into a striking crimson red.

The one in the very centre was sky blue that only deepened into the darker blue of a starless nighttime vista.

All of them had Beskar chokers fashioned identically to his mothers dress, except for one feature - the Mudhorn signet engraved at the centre.

They were beautiful. Luke felt his lip wobble as he stared up at Din.
“You…you had these made for me?”

“Yes,” Din replied, his gorgeous brown eyes soft and shimmering with hope.
“Do you like them? That dress of your mothers’ just suited you very well and you seemed to really like it, so I thought you should have more in different colours.”

He blushed. “Also, I found it incredibly hot, but I knew you wouldn’t feel right about me fucking you while you are wearing it, so…” Gesturing at the dresses, he looked down sheepishly at his feet.

Gods! How Luke loved him!
He pounced on him, sending him staggering backwards while smushing his mouth hard against his.

“I LOVE them! And I LOVE you!” He rasped. “You’re the best Riduur ever!”
He kissed him emphatically again until Din moaned, then he let himself slide down his body until his feet touched the floor again.

With a seductive flutter of his eyelashes, he issued his command. “Pick one.”

“What?” Din asked, lips swollen and eyes slightly glazed.

Smirking, he elaborated. “Pick the dress you want to fuck me in first.”

Din’s gaze cleared with understanding and he glanced over at the dresses before looking back at him. “The blue one.”

A small giggle escaped his throat and he nodded.
“Right. Help me out of my armour then.” He knew Din loved him being bossy in the bedroom.

The Alpha hurried to comply, guiding him over to the second armour stand he had gifted to Luke the night before, knowing that he would need it when they next returned to their rooms.

Silently, he got to work, his hands only shaking a little as he worked the straps to remove each piece, setting it careful in its place on the stand.

Arousal coiled in Luke’s gut and hips as he watched him, the large battle-calloused hands as gentle and reverent with his armour as they were against his flesh.

When each shining Beskar item was put away, Luke asked him to remove the rest of his clothing.
He was already hard when his boots were removed and his shiny formal flight suit was peeled away from his body.

Din knelt and mouthed at his cock through the soft lacy red g-string he had been wearing underneath.

After their first trip to the markets together months ago, Din had said that while he was working, Luke could come to markets by himself (with a guard) and buy whatever he wanted. The vendors all knew to put his purchases on the Mand’alors tab.

Since he and Din first became sexually active with each other, he had sneakily bought some lingerie from the stall next to the one that sold sex items.
It was two sisters - Connie and Maxine - who ran those stalls along with their husbands. The two businesses worked well with each other.

He had been so embarrassed first going there with Koska, still unable to speak, and had to point at the rack with the g-strings hanging up.
When he made his selections and Connie wrapped them then placed them into a bag for him, she and her husband looked thrilled, knowing that their Mand’alor was getting some action.

As time went by, however, he got braver and the embarrassment left him.
He liked whenever both sets of merchants brightened to see him coming back for their wares and they were always very courteous.

Luke knew he had to get something special for their wedding night.
The piece he currently wore was red silk with see-through lace in strategic patterns to show as much as possible while still leaving the most important parts to the imagination.
At the back, the lace rose up between his cheeks, covering the little surprise that was hidden there.

It was evident that Din liked his choice in underwear, growling his appreciation as his fingers whispered over the waistband and he continued to mouth at his erection.

Soon, he was grasping at the material and pulling it down - slow and measured as though savouring a present that he was unwrapping.

As his mouth closed over the head of his cock, his fingers came round to pry his cheeks apart and stroke his hole - only for him to stop, eyes opening with a frown.
He leaned back and looked at Luke as if asking for an explanation for the foreign body he had felt.

Smirking again, Luke turned around and lifted his tail, allowing him to inspect, while he watched over his shoulder.

Reaching out to pry his cheeks apart again, his look of concentration changed quickly to surprise and then mirthful delight.

“You actually got the Armourer to make this for you, Cyar’ika?”

“Leia had to ask her for me because I was too embarrassed to ask myself,” he replied with an answering grin.

His husband leaned closer to inspect her handiwork.
Nestled towards the apex of his cheeks was the round, flat handle of a butt plug, also engraved with the Mudhorn symbol.

The sound of his deep rumbling chuckle skittered up his spine.
“That is a well branded Riduur.”

“I thought you would enjoy it,” Luke said, grinning.
“But we are leaving it in for at least the first round.”

Extracting himself from his grasp, Luke headed towards the centre mannequin and started to remove it.
Din came to help him and soon, he was ensconced in the folds of fabric, the low back coming to a point just under where the crack of his ass began - like the original.

He curled his tail and spun around quickly to watch the skirts billow out, feeling very airy underneath.

As it settled back around him, there was a lump at the front where it tented over his erect cock.

Looking up at his husband again to see if he approved, he was struck by the intensity of his gaze as his eyes devoured him.
When Din came closer, he turned into his arms and allowed himself to be carried out to the balcony.

Here, they were close enough to see the soirée bustling in the palace courtyard and central streets without being immediately visible up on their darkened alcove.
However, should anyone look deliberately towards their private quarters, they would be able to make out their figures and get the gist of what they were up to.

Luke’s cock throbbed at the thought of the potential to be seen and he knew this was yet another way in which Din was accomodating his sexual fantasies.

Before he could say anything, Din plopped him down and spun him around, bending him against the railing that faced towards the party.

He let out a whimpering moan and widened his legs, bracing his hands against the railing.
Beneath his dress, his cock jerked at his position.

“Shhhh,” Din crooned, lifting the back of his dress to expose his ass to the evening air. “Don’t want to get everyone looking over here now, do you?”

If that wasn’t erotic enough, Din spread out his cheeks, which partially opened up his outer lips, then toyed lightly with the handle of his plug.

A strangled noise came out of him as he bit down on the needy whine he so wanted to let spill into the night - but his husband obviously wasn’t planning on making this easy.

Two fingers slipped in and pried both pairs of labia open. A light breeze could be felt at his inner entrance, his most private core that only two others had ever seen.
Breathing heavily, he spread his legs wider, loving the feeling.

Din took his time drinking in the sight of him. “Look at you. You love baring yourself like this out in the open, don’t you? My perfect little slut.”

This time, Luke couldn’t contain himself, mewling his assent.

“So noisy,” Din chided. “You aren’t going to last. Especially when I do this.”
Here, he gently took the hood of his clitoris in two fingers of his other hand and pulled it back.
His sensitive nub was now on view and also subject to the elements.
He squealed before biting his lip again, and Dins hand came down in a sharp slap against his open pussy. The feeling was sublime.

He jolted and shuddered, swallowing his noises with great difficulty.
For a time, Din just held him like that, letting him feel the breeze on his hyper-exposed genitals.

Only when Luke could stay completely silent, without squirming, did he continue.

With the two fingers he had been using on his clit, he brushed them over his opening, collecting some slick between his fingers.
“You are ready for me, aren’t you, my slutty little Riduur?”

“Y-yes, Din! Please!”

“Good boy” he said, and rewarded him by slipping one finger into him, thrusting lightly in and out.

“Ah! Ah!” Luke gasped. He tried to rock back to take it deeper but the finger pulled out and he felt another smack on his slick-wet folds.

“No, Omega” he was told sternly, and one large hand wrapped around his neck, making him squeak.
It was soooooo good! He was worried he would come before Din even penetrated him.
He felt the Alpha loom close over his shoulder.
“Behave,” he rumbled against his ear.

Luke shuddered again in ecstasy but kept still, only whimpering a little when Din inserted two fingers into his vagina, scissoring him open as if prepping his asshole.

When he successfully passed the test, Din grunted in approval and kept one hand on his neck as the other left him altogether.

Luke heard the zip of his flight suit crotch opening and then the warm thick head of his cock pressed against him.

He whimpered again as it breached him and the enormous cock slid into place, stretching his inner walls.

He held him steady against the railing then slowly, languorously started to thrust.
It was all Luke could do not to rut back against him and keen so loud, he would draw all eyes their way.

Din picked up the pace, slamming into him with increasing force. He had to brace himself against the railing to avoid pitching forward into it.

The brisk night air on his practically naked body was almost as thrilling as the warm hard length spearing him open.

When Din popped his knot, filling him with hot cum, Luke did scream but fortunately the loud music drowned it out.
Still, Din grabbed his neck and squeezed lightly in warning, even as he continued to rock into him.

As he felt the last spurt taper off, Din sagged against him, burying his face in the back of his neck.
“Ahhh…” he sighed, replete. “I’ve wanted to do this since I first saw you in that dress. It’s been my latest fantasy. I couldn’t wait for these ones to be made so I could gift them to you.”

“It was a beautiful gift, Din. Thank you. You know I’ll happily indulge that fantasy whenever you want.”

Din kissed his bare back then carefully pulled out, making them both hiss with the overstimulation.

Cum immediately started to dribble down Luke’s legs so he remained bent over to lessen the flow.

Still with his softening cock out of his pants, Din looked him over with a satisfied smirk, parting his lips to admire the mess he had left.

Without warning Luke was then scooped up and turned so that he was upside down, bent legs resting on Din’s shoulders and face pressed against his cock.

“Ahh! What are you-?”

He broke off in a sqwark when Din’s tongue dipped into his pussy like a Tooka cat lapping from a bowl of cream.

“Oh! Ohhhhhhh! Din!”

The surprise gave way to bliss, and he followed his lead, taking the head of Dins’ cock into his mouth.
It was still wet with his sweet slick. He murmured softly, feeling his arousal build again.

While his skirts flowed down over him, covering his face, he was very aware that his lower half was exposed and this time up in the air instead of hiding behind the railing.

It was such a vulnerable position, being suspended upside down in his first 69, out here on their balcony with a party taking place within view.
His own cock started to harden again and he moaned.

Din gave him a parting lick before shifting him again and carrying him, bridal style back into their bedroom.

He went not to the bed, but towards the bathroom, where he plopped Luke down and whipped the dress back over his head.

Dazed, Luke watched him start running a bath. Once the warm water was flowing into the sunk-in tub, Din turned towards him with a glint in his eye.

“Turn around,” he ordered and Luke hastily complied. He growled and bent him over, opening his cheeks again.
“You had your wish, little minx” he rasped as he toyed with the handle of his butt plug again. “We kept it in for the first round. Now, I would like to partake of my Riduurs’ sweet hole.”

The feeling of the plug moving inside his ass when he was already overstimulated was too much, but Luke keened without concern now that they were safely inside their chambers.

Slowly, it was pulled free and Luke heard it being placed aside before Dins’ tongue was at his hole, licking over it while his cheeks were held apart.
When that tongue started to poke inside, with a finger coming down to hold his tight rim open, Luke jerked and came again, taking himself by surprise.

His knees buckled and Din quickly caught him around the middle. “Easy, little one. I got you.”

Limp and exhausted from coming twice so close together, Luke allowed himself to be lowered into the tub.
He rested his head back against the rim and soon, his now naked husband clambered in beside him.

They basked in the deeply relaxing sensation for awhile, then started to clean each other tenderly, murmuring adorations to each other.

It was only when Din turned and started to climb out of the tub, presenting him with his glorious tight-muscled backside, that a thought occurred to Luke and he reached out to stop him from moving further.

“Cyar’ika?” He said questioningly, looking back at him over his shoulder.

“I’ve just realised that I’ve never…done anything with your ass,” Luke told him, feeling a little shy.
“May I?”

Those beautiful midnight eyes twinkled mischievously at him. Then Din settled himself down on all fours at the edge of the tub in a way that only emphasised his lovely physique and musculature - not to mention the impressive man meat dangling between his legs.

Luke wet his lips, aware that not every Alpha would be so secure as to get into that position for their Omega.
It was just another reason why he loved him and knew he was lucky to have him.

He wanted to show him his gratitude and, hopefully, let him experience the pleasure he had given to him on many occasions. So, he parted Din’s cheeks the way he had learned by feel.

In contrast to his own creamy gold skin and pink hole, Din was olive skinned and his hole was a deeper tan colour.

Luke leaned down and gave it an experimental lick with the flat of his tongue.

“Ah!” Din shuddered, the muscles in his back rippling.

Pulling back, Luke peered round at him. “Are you sure this is ok?”

“Yes, Cyar’ika. More than. Just…new.”

“New?” Luke asked. “You’ve never had this done to you before?”

Din shook his head. “Before you came along, I’ve topped some Beta’s, and even been both top and bottom for other Alpha’s in my covert, but I’ve never received this before.”

“Oh,” Luke said thoughtfully. “Do you…like it so far?”

“Yes, it’s…intense.”

Luke snuffed back a bubble of laughter. “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Now I can have a go torturing you with intense pleasure as you do me.”

There was a soft chuckle and then Din was giving him a small wiggle. “Get to it then.”

He turned his attention back to his Alphas’ hot ass and laved over the hole again.
Going back over his memory for each manoeuvre Din had used on him in this position, he tried it out, relishing in Din’s grunts and jerks.

He brought his finger into play, holding him open so that he could poke his tongue in, as Din had done earlier. The bigger man cried out, rocking forward to pull his ass away and panting hard.

“Riduur…if I don’t take you to bed and fill you right now, there’s going to be a LOT of cum to clean up off the bathroom floor.”

Pride swelled in his chest to see his tight balls and rock hard cock between his legs.
“Yeah…” he drawled, slyly. “So you won’t mind us doing this again then, Alpha?”

The next exhale out of his willing victim was ragged and strained. “Get. Into. Bed. Now.”

Giggling, Luke climbed out and dried himself off on a towel from the rack.
Next thing he knew, he was tucked under Din’s arm as he carried him to the bed!

“H-hey!” Luke cried, kicking his legs. “Just because I’m Tooquai doesn’t mean you can just carry me around like a house cat!”

He landed on the bed with a thump and tried to turn around to yell at him some more but Din was on top of him.
Pinned on his back, his legs were pulled a part and dragged back so he was folded in half.

Din loomed above him, eyes glazed with lust as he buried himself to the hilt in just one thrust, drawing a wail out of Luke.

The scoldings died on his tongue. Instead, he closed his eyes and moaned, rocking with him as best he could.

In no time at all, Dins’ knot had popped and he was spilling into him again.
Clearly he had been telling the truth about being close to cumming.

When this breeding drew to a close, Din flopped down beside him and Luke rolled contentedly into his arms.

The next time they were up to another round, fireworks had started up outside.

Luke looked up at Din, enjoying the way the different coloured lights coming through their open window played across the planes of his handsome face as he moved deep within him.

They both came together at the crescendo.
This time, when they settled down, it was to sleep in each other’s arms.

But Luke had some unfinished business - something he had been saving for this moment to surprise his husband.

“Din,” he said softly, nudging his chest to rouse him.

He opened his eyes and rolled his head to peer down at Luke where he was plastered to his side.

“Yes, Luke?”

“Riduur, I…” He bit his lip. “I do actually have something else to give you.”

Din perked up in interest. “Mmmm?”

This was it. He took another breath.

“I wanted to save it until our wedding night to tell you that…I’m ready to have kits.”

Those beautiful brown eyes widened in surprise and he sat up, bringing Luke with him, and turning so they faced each other.

“What?!”

“I-I’m ready to have kits when I next go into heat.”

He was a bit worried when Din just stared at him, mouth open and face pale.
Maybe he wasn’t actually ready for them yet and Luke had just freaked him out?

Then his eyes filled with tears and he pulled Luke forward into a kiss.
“Ohhh, Luke…Rawn’ika…” he sobbed, sliding his head down to the crook of Luke’s neck. “A-are you sure?”

“Yes,” Luke replied firmly. “I’ve never been so sure of anything as I am about you and wanting to expand this family with you.”

Strong arms encircled him and crushed him close.
“Thank you, Luke. Thank you. This is the best wedding gift you could ever give me.”

He let out the breath he was holding, relieved, and stroked his curly brown hair. “I’m glad, Riduur.”

Din pulled them back down into a laying position and turned to face Luke, holding his hand up to his lips to kiss over his knuckles.
The twinkle had returned to his dark, dark eyes, making Luke feel weak.

“I’m going to stuff you full of kits, Cyar’ika” he growled in promise.

Luke smiled, letting him place both hands against his toned stomach.

“You’re going to be so fat with them, ready to burst.”

“Yes, Riduur,” he answered indulgently. “Now let’s go to sleep. I’m knackered.”

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

The morning after the wedding, Luke and Din stayed in bed, getting up only to retrieve the tray of breakfast brought to their door.

Come lunchtime, they were still in bed, cuddling between bouts of lazy, gentle sex - and fortunately more food was delivered in the same fashion.

Luke was, however, insistent that they show up for dinner in the main hall, despite Din’s protests.

So, after eating in the antechamber before everyone entered the main hall, they took their seats at the Royal table.

Mandalorians cheered as they filed in and saw them, as did their family members who greeted them both enthusiastically.

With Grogu in her arms, Leia sat down next to Luke, pulling him in to kiss his head as she passed their baby over to him.

Ahsoka gave him a knowing smirk and ruffled his hair.

“Did you have a good time getting railed, kid?” Han asked, taking a seat on Leia’s other side and starting to load his plate.

“I did, thanks” Luke replied cheerfully, not one to be baited by his teasing.

“Well, thank you for coming down off your Mando-cock throne to grace us commoners with your - ow!” He cut off as Leia very obviously stomped on his foot.

“Remember what I said about being lewd in front of the baby - who can understand us even if he doesn’t talk back.” She snapped, giving him a dangerous look.

“Yeah, yeah Princess,” he rolled his eyes then turned to Din.

“Hey Mando, you’re lucky that your Tooquai is an Omega. Alpha’s can do this tail whip thing, which I hate and Leia uses it against me all the time.”

Luke and Din both stiffened up, looking round at Han sharply.

“What?” He asked, looking worried he had somehow put his foot in his mouth. “Was it something I said?”

“Our tails are different based on secondary gender??” Luke asked, incredulously.

Now Leia and Ahsoka stopped eating to stare at them.

“Y-yes,” Leia said haltingly, guilt clouding her face. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have just assumed you knew.”

“That wasn’t on any of the data pads” Din mused, almost to himself.

“Huh,” Luke mulled it over. “I always thought it was just a genetic thing like fur colour and hair colour.”

“Well…I guess it’s not general knowledge outside the Tooquai, and even then you would need to grow up having interaction with others of our species in order to know,” Leia said thoughtfully.
“There were plenty of other Tooquai amongst the nobility of Alderaan.”

“Yeah, don’t beat yourself up, kid. I only know because of Leia. Didn’t really come across much of your kind in my line of work,” Han assured him.

Luke exchanged a glance with Din through his visor, then turned back to them.
“Anything else I might not know about my Tooquai features?”

“That’s really the main thing,” Leia said, ears twitching. “Alpha’s have long thin, hypermobile tails with short fur, which can be used as another appendage for striking out at any threat.”

She raised her own thin brown tail behind her, taking on an aggressive strike pose in demonstration.

“Omega’s - evolved to be small, soft and nurturing - have very fluffy tails. The fullness and glossiness of their fur is an indicator of health and the more fluffy the tail, the more fertile they are believed to be.
Not only is it appealing to Alpha’s, but it can also be used to keep one’s kits warm.”

He digested that for a moment, then curiosity got the better of him. “What about my tail?” He asked. “How does it compare with other Omega’s?”

A smirk flickered in the corners of her lips.
“You have one of the fluffiest tails I’ve ever seen,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“It’s one of the reasons I was so protective of you. Even though you were on pheromone blockers and no one else in the Rebellion knew about Tooquai tails, I couldn’t help being worried.”

Before he could think of something to say to that, a low growl issued through the vocoder of Din’s helmet and Luke was assaulted by his arousal - both in his scent and via the Force.

Leia and Han shot a cautious look at his husband. As the only other Alpha’s at the table, their presence could antagonise Din if he started to feel territorial.
Even Ahsoka, a non-threatening Beta, emitted a slight current of unease, though she kept her face blank.

They needn’t have worried, however. Din reigned his scent in and gestured with his hand to let them know it was fine.

The tension dissipated and they continued with the meal and strong alcoholic drinks that were served afterwards.

Luke was pensive as they made their way back to their private quarters a few hours later, Grogu asleep in his arms.

After tucking him in and getting ready for bed themselves, he finally decided to ask Din the question that had been forming in his mind.

“Din?” He ventured, sitting up in bed and watching as his husband carefully put away his armour on the stand against the wall.

“Hmmm?” Din hummed back.

“Do you think…you would have still wanted me straight away if I wasn’t a Tooquai…and didn’t have my ears and tail?”

“What?” He asked, stilling in his movements and rotating to look at him.

Luke rushed to explain himself. “I know you wanted me before finding out I was an Omega…but what was it that first drew you to keep me?
Was it because of my ears and tail? Despite not knowing what my tail meant?”

He felt bad when Din looked genuinely affronted.
“No, it wasn’t.” He said quietly. “I’ll admit that I did love your ears and tail, but I still would have wanted you if you were fully humanoid.”

“What did you like about me?” He pried, but his voice sounded small and timid, even to his own ears.

Folding his arms, Din gazed at him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you serious? I actually wanted you before I saw you. When those slavers spoke so fearfully about you and how ferocious you were.”

He came to sit next to him on the bed, eyes riveted to his. “When they pulled you out of that sack, with you hissing and snarling, you were…magnificent.
So fiery and spirited, despite how scared you were. You were going to fight them to your last breath - a true warrior. Which is a Mandalorians’ dream.”

His large, warm, calloused hand caressed his face.
“But you were also hurting and so very vulnerable.
I would have moved the stars themselves to take away your pain and make you feel safe.”

Luke felt his eyes flutter shut as he leaned into the warmth of his hand, his heart full. “Din…I’m sorry. I didn’t doubt you, I was just curious.”

“I know, my little Rawn’ika. It’s alright.”

That hand moved up to rub deliciously at the base of his ear and, like always, it felt sooooooo good.
His head lolled, allowing Din easier access to repeat the gesture on his other ear simultaneously.

Really, it was unfairly incapacitating how orgasmic just having his ears rubbed could be, especially by his Alpha.
He wondered briefly if all Tooquai had that weakness, not just the Omega’s.
Or if humanoid Omega’s had something similar.

“You did…did…make me…feel safe,” he mumbled, hoping he was still coherent.

The low rumbling chuckle that followed nearly had him undone with the way it poured over him like melted chocolate.

“That is good, Riduur. Now, I’m going to bury myself inside my lush, fertile Omega and fill you up with my seed. How does that sound?”

Feeling quite drunk and warmed from within as if he had downed a significant amount of rum, Luke made a little pleading whine.

“I need verbal consent, ner Riduur.”

“Please, Alpha!”

Din threw the covers back and shifted to the centre of the bed. Grasping his slender calves, he gave a good yank, making his little Tooka squeak as he was jerked roughly further down the bed into a fully reclined position.

Then the much bigger Mandalorian was on him like a ravenous wolf.

Pausing in the ministrations on his scent glands, Din leaned back and grinned savagely at him.

“Good boy.”

Chapter Text

Din sat at the controls of the generic grey starship staring out the viewport at the blur of hyperspace.
He had to fight the urge to keep comming Luke to check in on him, even though he knew he would be alright - most likely meditating to get himself ready.

The door behind him whooshed open and Cara strode in to plonk herself down in the co-pilots seat.

“How are you holding up there, Mando?”

“Fine,” he grunted. A lie.

His friend may have been rough around the edges but she was loyal and annoyingly perceptive.
“Mmmhmm,” she hummed sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him.
“Thought I’d better check coz, y’know… the nature of the mission we are on, and the fact that your husband is currently in a transport crate.”

He huffed a sigh. “Yeah, ok. I’ve been better.”

“He’s a tough lil’ guy,” she assured him. “Probably just in there chilling…or doing that meditation…thing that Jedi seem to be fond of.”

Looking round at her, he just nodded then turned back to the viewport. “You are most likely right…still…”

“Oh no, I get it” she said leaning back in her seat. “He shouldn’t have to come on this kind of mission, what with his history. On the other hand, I can just as easily understand why he wants to.
So what exactly are you worried about? That he will be re-traumatised or that he will get hurt?”

‘Good question,’ Din thought.

Considering it for the moment he said “the first one.”

“Good, coz you know I’d punch you for thinking he’s anything less than overpowered against these guys.”

“True,” Din nodded, “but I also think he’s just your favourite person now since introducing you to his sister.”

She smirked at him. “Guilty as charged.”

Then her look turned serious. “Honestly though, I think it’s more likely the opposite effect. Sometimes in order to fully heal your trauma, you have to face it head on…or some shit like that. You get what I mean.”

There were times when the stuff that came out of Cara’s mouth could be surprisingly profound. This was obviously one of those times.

He tilted his head at her as he thought about it.
“I hope so,” was all he said.

The glorious whirlwind that was Luke entering his life was more than a blessing - but one side effect was that it thew a bit of a wrench into one of their projects.

Opening up trade with slavers all those months ago had been a two-fold operation.

Yes, they wanted to liberate children from slavery and adopt them into their culture; providing them a safe home and their growing kingdom an increase in numbers.

But they also had another objective that would take awhile to come into fruition.
One that required patience and the building of trust with an organisation they would otherwise want nothing to do with.

Disgusted by the slave trade that flourished in the outer rim - which the Empire had allowed to operate and the fledgling New Republic had no intention of addressing - the Mandalorians had decided to take matters into their own hands.

But it was a secretive and insidious weed of corruption that was hard to root out.
Shutting down peripheral bases or killing the odd team of slavers here and there did nothing.
More just sprung up in their place - more distrustful and hard to find than before.
In order to kill this snake, they would have to find and cut off the head.

So began a long operation of establishing trade and gaining a reputation as well-paying customers who slavers would jump to do business with.

The more slaver teams left with their pockets full of credits, boasting to their contempories of their bountiful run in with Mandalore, the better.

Except for one team that did not make it out to spread the word.

The very same team that had brought along one beautiful Tooquai, who changed everything.

After seeing the knife wound trailing up the side of Luke’s neck to his hairline, Din gave them the pretence of letting them go.

The surreptitious nod to Paz signaled for him to follow them then carry out a coded protocol: shoot out their hyperdrive, weapons and comms, board their ship, kill them, search their ship for other slaves, take their valuables and leave, making it look like an attack by pirates.

Then, when the medical report revealed the extent of their abuse towards Luke, he had changed the plan altogether and ordered Paz to bring them into custody.

Din wanted the pleasure of interrogating and killing them himself. Which he did.

The operation continued slowly under the command of several trusted individuals, Paz and Cara included.
However, when news of the Empire rebuilding reached them, everything was put on hold to focus all efforts on preparing for war.

Now, after the Empire was destroyed, it had been reopened and progress had been made in getting through to the slippery slave trade inner circle, known enigmatically as ‘The Hive.’

Din was eager to execute the final stage of the operation, since the debacle of the Royal wedding had been and gone.

Naturally, Luke had found out about it and stubbornly insisted on being a part of it.
So together with all his people who had been involved, they came up with a plan.

It wasn’t too much longer before they reached their destination and Din dropped them out of hyperspace.

The planet Daiyu looked like a hive in and of itself - perfect for an shady underground operation that didn’t want to be found.
He plugged in the co-ordinates for the docking station they were told to land at.

As soon as they were down and the landing sequence complete, Din powered off and met the rest of the team in the cargo hold.

They were assembled already near the large durasteel cargo crate where Luke was hiding and stood to attention when he entered.

“Let’s go over the plan again before we head to the rendezvous point,” he said then nodded at Paz to do the honours.

His brother nodded back then squared his shoulders, easily taking over as the team leader - which was the role he was playing to throw attention off Din.

“Right so, we are going to haul this crate to a particular spot where a small team of hive members are going to meet us and take us to the secret entrance of their headquarters. Stay on your guard but don’t make it obvious.”

Then he looked round at them. “I’m the Alor who our king put in charge of slave acquisition and Cara is my 2nd in command.
No one must know who the Mand’alor is.
Once we get in there, let me do the talking. You all just do as I say.”

“What about when we release the Super Floof?” Cara asked and Din bit his tongue to keep from scolding her for referring to his Riduur as such.

Paz, however, let out a gravelly laugh. “When I inform them of the slave we wish to offer, and give the order to open the crate, all of you just be ready to join in the chaos. We have one shot at the element of surprise and we want to make it count.”

Everyone nodded their heads and Cara hit the button to open the rear entrance ramp while Paz activated the hovering platform on which the crate was strapped.
Controlling its movement, he lead the team as they surrounded the crate disembarking down the ramp into the relative quiet of the isolated docking station.

The walk through several wide allies was tense.
They were off the main streets with its hustling crowds and gaudy neon signs, but they still encountered plenty of shady lurkers eyeing them up.

Evidently they had enough street-smarts not to antagonise a bunch of armoured Mandalorians and knew not to let their eyes linger.
Still, Din drew his cape closer around him to hide the silver glint of his pure Beskar. That would be enough to make him particularly memorable.

Finally, they came to a stop under a by-pass, out of sight from the street. The walls were littered with graffiti, as were many of the walls and boarded up backstreet slums they had passed.

Paz held up a hand, gesturing for them to stop.

[This is where we were told to meet.] He said in Mando’a. [Be on the look out. This could still be a trap.]

They waited in tense silence for a few minutes, switching their helmets to infrared to see an approaching heat signatures.
Then, they saw several approaching from either end of the narrow ally before they stepped into view, allowing them to turn off their infrared,

Dressed in black leather, both groups looked quite sinister composed mainly of Zygerrians and Devaronians, but with a Trandoshan or two among them. Still not enough to intimidate a group of Mandalorians though.

The groups came to a stop on either side of them, effectively blocking their exits. One figure stepped out from the group to the right, a burly Zygerrian with multiple scars on his face.

“Welcome, Mandalorians. I am tasked to bring you to my superiors, but talk of business may only occur once we have reached a more secure location. Now, what have we here?” His eyes narrowed on the crate.

“A gift of our goodwill,” Paz told him.

The Zygerrian took out a scanner. “Apologies, friends. Protocol is protocol.”

Paz lifted one shoulder in a shrug and gestured for him to go ahead.

After scanning the crate, the Zygerrian pursed his lips on reading the results - which would reveal the heat signature of one small life form and a small amount of metal, naturally presumed to be their cuffs and/or collar.

“Very well, come this way.” He lead them to a hidden door disguised into one of the graffitied panels at the base on one side of the by-pass. It opened to reveal a wide stone staircase, heading down.

This lead to a steel chamber with yet another hidden door to a large warehouse style lift.

There were several stops like this going down descending levels and at each point, the lead Zygerrian pressed his hand against a pad then typed in a sequence.

They knew when they were finally going to enter the headquarters itself because he paused and turned to look at them.

“The Hive Masters have extended you a high honour by inviting you into the heart of our operations. You must address them as ‘Lord’ and pay upfront in credits. No IOU’s. No traceable transactions. You know the drill.”

“Understood,” Paz grunted.

The Zygerrian nodded and typed in the code, allowing the final thick durasteel door to slide open, revealing a wide suspended walkway over a cavernous chamber to a large glass elevator.

Looking down, they could see the whole complex below them like the inside of a hornets nest.

Each level was arranged in pods, with the glass walls showing the chambers that faced into the centre.
Some had frosted glass and were probably the living quarters of various members, but most had clear glass and showed a variation of holding cells, training areas and intelligence rooms with rows of devices manned by Hive operatives.

They were lead over the walkway into the elevator, all of them filing into its overly spacious interior. It had clearly been designed to accommodate large shipments of slaves.

With another set of codes from their lead host, they were soon descending.
Din grit his teeth to see how many slaves filled the various cells they passed on the way down; all in chains with their heads bowed.

There were humanoids, Torgruta and Tooquai as well as various other species, but the majority of the slaves were unsurprisingly Twi’leks. And of those, most were women - either pre-pubescent or in their prime.

Because of course, out of all departments of the slave trade, the most lucrative was the sex industry and the galaxy seemed to fetishise Twi’lek women.

It made Din’s stomach curdle in disgust.

When they reached the bottom and the elevator doors opened, the Zygerrian then lead them onto a round platform in the very center.
From here, the rounded walls surrounded them, rising up to the domed ceiling close to the walkway where the entered.

There was stark white lighting at the top and along the walls between the windows, but it became more sparse towards the lower levels until the ground floor they were on had no lighting features at all.

Once they were all on, the platform turned as it lowered into an even deeper subterranean chamber.

The room they found themselves in was also dimly lit, this time with warmer orange lamp fixtures, but decidedly lavish.
It had elegant dark wood panel walls, expensive rugs and the walls were lined with old style paintings and tapestries.

Sitting before them at a long ornate desk were five distinguished Zygerrian men. They ranged from middle-aged to elderly and were finely dressed in silks like core world royalty.

The team of thugs that escorted them down all bowed, making that comparison more acute.

“Good evening, Mandalorians, and welcome to the Hive,” one of the Masters said. He was seated in the middle of the table. “Which of you is the one known to our underlings as ‘Chief?’”

“That would be me,” Paz said striding forward. “It is a pleasure to meet with you in person, lords.”

All eyes turned to him and the first Master scrutinised him with narrowed eyes. “Forgive my rudeness, but you are not the Mand’alor. We were hoping that by inviting you into the heart of our organisation, we could meet leader to leader.”

Din became very still where he lingered at the back of the group, close to the crate.

“I am kinsman to the Mand’alor and he has put me in charge of foreign affairs. In our culture, family is everything and sending a trusted family member is akin to sending an extension of oneself.” Paz assured him.

The Master pursed his lips. “I see. Very well then. Before we get down to the business of purchases, I would like to make a proposition for you to discuss with the Mand’alor.”

Paz cocked his head. “Go on.”

The Master in the centre stood and gestured at the complex above their heads. “Tell me, what do think of our hidden base, Chief?”

“It’s impressive,” his brother replied flatly.

An ironic smile twisted the Masters lips. “It is all that remains of our once great Empire. Our people were wealthy and powerful, running a successful slave trade throughout the galaxy, out in the open with no need for secrecy.”

His voice hardened with barely restrained anger.
“Then the Republic outlawed the business of slaves and the Jedi shut us down within their territories. They confiscated and freed our slaves, arrested our officials…
We had to retreat to the outer rim and conduct any business within Republic territory through the underworld and black markets.
But now that the Empire is gone and the New Republic young and fragile, there is enough of a power vacuum for a new Empire to rise in its place.”

The gleam of dark ambition shone in his eyes, mirrored by his contemporaries as he turned fully towards Paz.

“With the help of Mandalore, we could subdue the galaxy together, ruling with our conjoined and expanding kingdoms. You will have power and territories of your own and an endless supply of new additions to your Creed.
We will have your protection against anyone who tries to rise against us, though with the Jedi gone, there will hardly be any opposition worth worrying about. It will be an easy feat if we work together.
What do you say, Chief?
As a Kinsman to the Mand’alor, who must surely be a wise man to have achieved what he has, will he look kindly to our proposal?”

‘Kriff, no!’ Din thought, glad again for his helmet to hide his nauseated expression. ‘Putrid demagolka!’

“He will definitely be interested,” Paz replied. “I can promise you that you’ll meet him in person very soon to hear his response.”

“Excellent,” the Master exclaimed with satisfaction. “We have waited many years to revive our people to their former glory.
Our Grand Master Raney here had himself fought against the Jedi during the clone wars.” He indicated the oldest among them, a frail and wizened Zygerrian with cloudy unseeing eyes who nodded towards Paz.
“For him to witness our restoration before he passes would be an honour indeed.”

“And it would be an honour for the people of Mandalore to assist you in gaining the position you deserve, good lords” Paz said calmly.
“In the spirit of our new relationship, let us bestow our gift of good will.”

“Oh?” The Master enquired, curiosity piqued. “What is this?” They all turned their attention to the crate and the burly Zygerrian leading the team which had escorted them down there stepped forward.

“Our scanners found a single life form, my lord.”

“Just the one?” the Master asked, now eyeing the crate very eagerly indeed. “It must be something very rare and unique.”

“Oh, trust me. You’ll not find another like it in the galaxy,” Paz replied smugly with an underlying dark tone that no one but their fellow Mandalorians would pick up on.

“You are too kind, Chief,” the Master said unable to hide his excitement. “That is a very bold claim to make towards ones such as we. I cannot wait to see what you have brought us that makes you so confidant.”

Chuckling, Paz turned towards them and nodded for the crate to be opened.

Their team came forward and spread out under the guise of creating a blockade to stop the occupant of the crate from escaping once released.
From Dins new position, he had a clear view.
The two Mando’s on either side of the crate unlocked the door and pressed the button allowing it to lift up, exposing the interior.

Due to the depth of the box and the dim lighting, the inside of it was in complete darkness.
For a moment, nothing happened. Not even the slightest movement or sound.

Then a strange thrum passed over them, scrambling all the slavers devices.

“What-?” One of the Masters started to say before they cried out in fear; an invisible force lifting them slightly and paralysing their limbs.

Then, in the inky black rear of the crate, a single long green beam of light ignited.

A look of horror and recognition passed over the old Grand Masters face.

“T-that sound!” He croaked fearfully, as the subtle hum of the lightsaber filled the air. “What is that s-sound?!”

“That,” Paz began, coming to stand behind him, bending his helmet closer to his ear, “is the sound of your Empire dying.”

Din broke formation and strode towards the Master in the centre, igniting the Darksaber as he did so.

“The Mand’alor formally declines your proposal.”

Some time later, with their ship in hyperspace, Luke made his way to the holding cell where their prisoners were bound.

All five of the hive masters were present along with the surviving members of their escort team.

The Mandalorian keeping watch over them stood and saluted him, then went back to his data pad.

“Evening, gentlemen” Luke addressed them cheerfully.
They only glowered in response.

“I thought I would come and let you know where we are heading.”

“Let me guess,” one Master sniffed. “Back to Mandalore for a public execution?”

Luke tsked. “How unimaginative. No, Mr Hive Boss. We believe it best if we transferred you into the custody of the planet your slave Empire has wronged the most. We are heading to Ryloth.”

Shock gave way to nervous glances shared between them and he grinned.

“Mandalore has been quite busy working towards this moment for while now.
After each purchase of child slaves that helped bring them closer to the inner ring of your organisation, the children who wanted to go back home were taken back. Naturally, this has lead to many positive interactions with Ryloth, as you can imagine.”

He didn’t feel the need to mention all the children who had nowhere to go back to because their homes were destroyed and their families either killed or also taken, then separated from them.

Like little Selene, the pink Twi’lek girl who’s brothers death still haunted him.
She had no living family members left and wanted to stay on Mandalore with her new adopted parents.

The Hive members just stared at him and he could feel their discomfort in the Force.

“We made the governing officials aware of our plans. They have been on standby to send some ships for gathering up all of their own people from your complex.
It was also agreed that you would be handed over to them. I don’t know what that will entail for you but one thing I can tell you is that their Supreme Judge for Criminal Law is a woman whose mother and older sisters were taken by your slavers when she was a child - so make of that what you will.”

He let that sink in for a bit.

“All the other staff present in the Hive have been rounded up too, and will also come to justice, either on Ryloth or on other planets that were impacted by your activities. I know Kiros is one of them, just off the top of my head.
Oh! And by hacking into your encrypted database using the information I was able to pull from your minds, we have the locations of all your other hidden bases throughout the galaxy as well as remote control of said bases.
There are ships of Mandalorian warriors heading off to dismantle them as we speak.”

The look of utter despair on their faces almost made him feel sorry for them.

“Cheer up, we have exciting plans for these bases - the Hive on Daiyu especially. They will become sanctuaries for liberated slaves and prisoners of war with no homes to return to.
They will be provided with healthcare and education, as well as training in self-protection - everything they need to start a new life for themselves, wherever they choose.”

Their silence was deafening. He could feel their revulsion at the idea and had to release his spike of anger to the Force.

“Does that idea offend you? You know, one of our past rulers, Mand’alor the Destroyer, once said ‘those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and, under a just God, cannot long retain it.’ You guys are long overdue to face the consequences for your actions.”

Still they said nothing and he sighed again.
“Of course, Zygerria still has its slave trade operational, so Mandalore will at some point launch an attack there as well. Usurp the present king - Sono, I believe? Then bring it under Mandalorian occupation.”

That got a reaction out of them. They cried out in horror, paling considerably.

“That has nothing to do with me of course, but is a national military issue, so I won’t be involved.
Jedi are peacekeepers and diplomats, not soldiers.
I will not have anything to do with invading Sovereign states.
What you were doing throughout the galaxy, however, is classified as a crime against sentient life and breach of sentient rights.
You took innocent people from their homes and oppressed them. That is in fact something that calls for Jedi intervention.”

The door opened behind him. “Vod, I think you are needed more out here calming down the Tooquai.”

Luke turned to him. “Sure, I was pretty much finished here anyway.”

“You Mandalorians have made a grave mistake,” the main Hive Master told Paz angrily.
“We could have ruled the galaxy together! Your people could have had it all! Vast territories under your control! Instead you betray us in favour of some feeble-minded morality!”

Paz tilted his helmet at him. “That is very backwards way to think. We ARE building the universe that we want - but not just for our own people.”

Smiling, Luke playfully punched his arm and they left the prisoners behind, heading to the main deck where some of the recovered Tooquai huddled in the corner, avoiding eye contact with the Mandalorians.

Among several adults of varying ages, there were a few children who hid behind them. Their ears were down and their tails between their legs, shaking in fear.

They all looked far too thin and haggard, but shied away from the Mandalorians attempts to give them food.

When Luke moved slowly to kneel on the floor in front of them, they peeked up at him briefly and he heard their suppressed gasps of surprise.

“Hello,” he smiled.

It took a while of speaking gently to the Tooquai and showing them that he and the Mandalorians were friendly before he was able to get them to calm down some what - and even longer before he could convince them to eat.

Only when he felt they would be ok without him did he head over to the cockpit to visit his husband.

Din looked round at him as he entered. “Riduur,” he held a hand out to him.
Luke took it and allowed himself to be pulled into his lap.

“Tell me honestly, how are you feeling after that whole ordeal?” He asked, always so sweet and concerned for him.

Luke lazily knocked his forehead against the front of his helmet. “Tired, emotionally rung out, but… happy. Like there’s a weight off my chest and I’ve done something good to help people.”

“I’ll say!” Anakin’s voice came out of nowhere as a blue light filled the cockpit.

He heard Din sigh a little and bit back a laugh as he turned to his father.

The Force ghost was positively beaming, his light shining much brighter than usual and he looked so excited, like he might start jumping for joy.

“You two are the best! You’ve done something incredible and wonderful today. I honestly can’t thank you enough! Did I mention that you’re the best?”

It was hard not to grin at his fathers obvious happiness. “Thanks Father, but it was a team effort.”

“Yes, yes! Of course! My gratitude extends to all the Mandalorians involved. I’d ask you to pass on my thanks but it will probably freak them out.”

“Probably?” Din asked, tone layered with sarcasm.

“Well, you know what I mean” Anakin shrugged. “Hey! You know - Obi Wan, Ahsoka and I once fought against the Zygerrian slave Empire ourselves. I recognised that Raney guy. He was a complete douche!”

“You’ll have have to tell us all about it later when we are less tired, Father.”

“Him,” Din clarified quickly, pointing at Luke. “You’ll have to tell HIM all about it later.”

Luke and Anakin both cracked up laughing.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

That morning started just like any other. Luke and Din woken up with their alarm then laid in bed for a few minutes kissing and holding each other before getting up to start their day.

Then they got up to shower and dress, after which they crept into Grogu’s room to wake him up and take him downstairs for breakfast.
The little tyke would only behave for his morning bath in his little baby-sized tub if he was sufficiently fed.

It was only when Luke parted from Din to take Grogu to school that he started feeling a little antsy, but he couldn’t put a finger on why.
On this cycle each week, when Din went to work, Luke had a morning to himself before going for his language lessons in the afternoon.

Since getting back from handing over the slavers to Ryloth two weeks ago, things had been very busy.
The dismantling of many other bases after hacking the Hives encrypted database made it worse.
There were many displaced people who needed to either be taken home or found somewhere to stay.

Fortunately, some had been operating illegally in the underworld of the New Republic territories, so after notifying the appropriate authorities, they were seen to by their own forces.

There were still many who opted to come back to Mandalore, including all of the Tooquai once word spread about the Royal Consort.

Luke had been working round the clock to get them settled in, using his free time between lessons while Din was working and even a few evenings when needed.

Today was his first actual time off since then.
He had arranged for him and Paz to hang out and swing by the markets on the way to the docking station to do a service on his ship.

It was something he had been looking forward to, so he couldn’t understand the reason behind the niggling feeling.

He consulted the Force to see if there was any danger heading their way and there wasn’t, but the niggling feeling wouldn’t abate.
In fact it only got worse after Paz met him outside the school and they headed off together.

Where he normally enjoyed everything about his big brother, now he just seemed too big and loud, too brash. It was all Luke could do not to snap at him.

Then, when they got to the markets, the crowds felt too thick and suffocating, the noise and smells and colours of peoples armour just too much.

Until a particular smell caught his attention and he lurched to a stop so fast that Paz bumped into the back of him - which sent him staggering forward.

“Paz! For kriffs sake! Watch where you’re going, you giant lumbering Wampa!” He hissed up at him in annoyance.

“Haar’chak! Don’t just stop right in front of me then!” Paz shot back defensively.

“Shh!” He held up a finger to silence him, having caught another whiff of that amazing scent. “I smell something!”

“Maybe it’s the big stick up your arse” the other man grumbled but Luke ignored him, sniffing the air until he caught the trail of his mysterious quarry.

Without a word, he sped off; brisk walk turning into a jog as the scent got stronger. He barely even heard Paz yelling at him to slow down.

After clearing the entire length of the market strip, Luke caught sight of the location he was being pulled towards: the fish stall.

His eyes skittered over each variety of fresh and smoked fish on display, wondering if he would be able to find the one that gave off that particular aroma while overwhelmed by all the others.

The man who ran the stall was a kindly gentleman in his fifties, with light green armour. He saw Luke making his way towards him and waved cheerily.

“Mand’cyare!” The fish vendor cried out. “A new delivery arrived this morning and I have a cooked Naboo freshwater trout here for you to sample. Please take it home and share it with your family.”

The moment the close-up scent of cooked fish hit his nostrils, something happened to Luke.

Thoughts of anything else going on in his life evaporated and he was completely in the present, primed and focused.

And all his focus narrowed onto the delicious smelling foil-wrapped package the vendor held out to him.

Saliva filled his mouth. His canines itched with the need to tear into that fishy goodness.

He wanted it. All of it.

Moving like a viper, he snatched the package from the fish vendors hand and sprinted towards the trees and bushes that surrounded the park where the markets were held.

“Luke?!” He heard Paz yell after him. “Vod! What are you doing?!”

Distrust uncurled in his chest and he ran faster. His brother was a big man and he would want some of his fish.

Diving into a thicket of brambles, Luke crouched down, ripping back the foil to bite a chunk out of the creamy white meat.
His eyes rolled back into his head. It was pure heaven.

So caught up was he in savouring the succulent treat that he didn’t notice the heavy footsteps coming towards him until the protective thorny vines that covered his little crawl space were lifted.

His treacherous brother stared down at him.
“What has gotten into you, Luke? You’re acting weird.”

Anger boiled over inside of him. He puffed his tail up, unsheathed his claws and yelled “MY FISH!”

Or at least, that’s what he had meant to do.
Instead, a furious animalistic screech came out of his mouth and Paz stumbled back in surprise.

Not waiting for an answer, Luke grabbed the fish with his teeth and darted out of the thicket towards the palace, skirting around everyone in his path.

The shocked faces streaked past him as he left them all behind, not slowing for a second lest someone take the opportunity to steal his fish.

Paz was in hot pursuit and he couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt at how hard he trying to take what was rightfully his.

He NEEDED it! Couldn’t Paz tell that? Didn’t he care?

The palace came into view and Paz even tried to turn the guards against him, yelling “stop him!”

The startled guards quickly blocked the entrance he was running for, so Luke changed direction and scaled the wall until he came to a small alcove a few floors up.

He squeezed himself into it, with just enough space to curl protectively around his prize, tucking into it with a smug sense of victory.
No one could try to take his fish after he had eaten it! That’ll show them!

Another creamy mouthful slid down his gullet as Paz called up to him.
“Vod! Something is up with you! Come down here so I can take you to the medical centre!”

That was a low blow; feigning concern about his health so he could steal the fish when his guard was down.

Luke’s hackles raised and he turned on the big blue Mandalorian below, hissing and spitting in rage.
‘MY FISH!’ He tried to scream. ‘GET YOUR OWN! THIS IS MINE! GO AWAY!’

Again, he could tell that what came out didn’t match what he had intended, but he hoped he still got the message across .

There was a crowd gathering but Luke didn’t care. He would fight all of them to keep his fish if he had to.

“You silly Tooka!” Paz yelled in frustration. “I don’t want your stupid, stinky fish!”

Luke scoffed. That’s exactly what someone who wanted his fish would say!

Turning his backside towards them, with his tail still puffed in anger, he attacked his fish until the whole thing was gone - bones and all.

After licking the foil clean, he burped with satisfaction and curled up again to wait out the throng of nasty fish-bereft citizens.

He didn’t respond when his brother tried uselessly to get him down. “That’s it! If you won’t listen to me, I’ll call in someone who you WILL listen to!”

‘Do your worst,’ Luke thought, lazily resting his head on his folded arms.

Sometime passed while he dozed without a care in the world. Then a familiar voice snapped him out of his near sleep-like state.

“Cyar’ika?”

Tingles went down his spine and he suddenly felt very warm. He lifted his head.
When did such a small action require so much effort?

There, standing beside Paz was his Riduur, his Alpha.
Never before could he remember feeling such intense longing to be in his arms. He mewled down at him weakly.

The gorgeous man tilted his helmet at him in that way Luke adored. How he wanted!

Nothing prepared him for what happened next.

Din straightened up to his full height and addressed him with such exquisite authority.
“Omega. Come down here right now.”

A compulsion took hold of his body, along with an almost painful lust.
Before he even registered what he was doing, he had landed on the ground and was scuttling towards his Alpha with arms outstretched, whining to be held.

Din lifted him up into a loving embrace so Luke could wrap his arms and legs around his torso, nuzzling feverishly into his neck.
The scent of his Alpha musk was the most intoxicating heavenly thing he had ever experienced, and his cool Beskar armour was sheer bliss against his too-warm body.

Luke mewled and whined pitifully, not caring who was around to hear him.
He needed his Alpha, needed to be as close to his Alpha as possible.
Pawing at the neck of his cape, he let out a whimper, desperate for skin against skin.

“It’s ok, everyone,” he heard Din address all of the onlookers that Luke had already forgotten about.
“He’s just going into heat.”

‘Heat?’ A part of his mind that was still somewhat conscious thought. ‘That make sense.’

Din murmured something to Paz and then he was being carried somewhere - he hoped to their bedroom.
As they walked, Luke heard him speaking to people several times on his vambrace comm unit, but his head was too fuzzy to make out what they were saying.

The gods were merciful! When Din finally set him down, he blinked and peered around, recognising their bedroom.

Din was next to his armour stand removing his armour.
“I’ve notified our medic,” he told him gently, on turning to see Luke’s wide-eyed stare.
“Yes, we had already told her that we were wanting to try for kits with your next heat, but I needed to update her in case we need her for any reason.”

The words felt a bit fuzzy and he blinked quickly, trying to focus.

“All other arrangements have been made, including Paz looking after Grogu. So, you don’t have to worry about a thing,” Din continued, bending to take off his thigh guards.

“Tekla said that it would take about two heats to normalise your cycle after being on blockers for so long, which you have now had.
If that’s the case, then your full heat should hit around tomorrow afternoon, which will trigger my rut.
We have until then to eat and sleep as much as possible. Koska and the Head chef will deliver your fish soup and milky electrolyte drinks soon.”

He had finished with the armour and was now peeling off his flight suit, the large bulge at the front very visible.

All that bare pheromone-filled Alpha skin on display made him restless to bury himself into it.
He gulped when Din pulled down his boxer briefs.

“Be patient, my little Rawn’ika,” Din chided, seeing the hungry expression on his face.

He folded his flight suit and put it away, turning to step towards the bed.

Luke whined and reached for him, but Din ignored his wandering hands to start undoing his robes.

A familiar sense of relief came over him when he too was naked.
Din bundled them into bed, turning him on his side to cuddle up behind him and slot his hard cock into Luke’s silken folds.
He hadn’t realised how much slick he had been leaking already, but having that warm comforting stretch inside him instantly made his muscles relax and his conscious mind return somewhat.

“Din!” He gasped. “This is it. This is really happening! We are trying for kits!”

“Yes, Ner Kar’ta,” Din soothed, kissing the back of his head. “We are. Do you still want to? Are you sure you are ready?”

“Yes!” Luke cried, tears springing to his eyes as the full gravity of the situation hit him.
“Yes, I do! You had better keep your promise and stuff me full of kits.”

Din tilted his head round so he could lean down and kiss him, grinning against his lips.

“With relish, my Riduur.”

When Luke next returned to the marketplace the day after his heat fully subsided, he had his Clan with him; his arm interlinked with Din’s, and Grogu in a birikad tied across his chest.

The Mando’ade all knew, obviously.

It was hard not to blush at the reverent stares and overly respectful greetings. Like he had just done something monumental rather than spend the past five days with his ass in the air, being pounded into dust.

Still, he had something that he needed to do, so it wouldn’t be right to leave until he had accomplished his goal.

They approached the fish stall, trepidation growing with every step.
Luke was expecting the vendor to be icy or at least annoyed with him, after how uncivilised and boorish he had been when he was last here.

But, inexplicable as it was, the vendor saw them and broke into a genuinely cheerful grin, waving with untempered enthusiasm.
“Su cuy’gar, Mand’alor and Mand’cyare! I trust I find you both well? How wonderful to see you!”

Luke tilted his head, confused.

“H-hello. Um, thank you. It is good to see you too.”
He took a deep breath and steeled himself.
“I… came to apologise.”

“Apologise?” the vendor asked, frowning in equal confusion.
“Whatever for, Mand’cyare? I don’t understand.”

Rubbing the seam of his prosthetic nervously, he hung his head.
“I was horribly rude to you when I was here before, and you had just been so kind as well, giving me a free sample of fish.
I’m very sorry. I hope I didn’t disrupt your business with my shameful display.”

“Oh!” The vendor laughed. “No, not at all, Mand’cyare! Quite the opposite, in fact! Business was very profitable for the rest of the day.
Not only did everyone present want some of the fish that our beloved Royal Consort seemed to like so much, but the Head Chef put in a large order of fish to make the soups that see you through your heat. Just like the last two instances.”

He beamed with pride. “Mand’cyare, may I say, it is an honour to have my wares nourish you during such a sacred time. I never thought I’d live to experience such a blessing.”

Luke blushed, his ears flicking up. “S-so you’re not mad at my rudeness at least?” He asked.

“Rudeness?” The vendor looked amused. “Mand’cyare, you were going into heat. And it was one of MY fish that you craved so passionately!
I was delighted, even if I didn’t find out until later about the condition you were in.”

As silly as it was, he had to bite his lip to keep it from wobbling. Damn his post-heat hyper emotional state!

“Um…thank you for understanding,” he said shyly.
“I was wondering…do you have any more of that fish which we can buy?”

The vendor laughed again. “You are in luck! Business has been so good that I’ve had to order another shipment earlier than usual. It arrived last night. How many did you want to buy, Mand’cyare?”

He swished his tail in excitement. “Uhh…maybe three? I want my family to be able to taste it.” Looking away, mortified, he confessed.
“I’m afraid they didn’t get a look in with the one you gave me to share with them.”

“That is quite alright, Mand’cyare.” He assured him, already wrapping up his order.
Din gave him the credits but before he could take the bag, the vendor took another three out and wrapped them, placing them inside. “On the house,” he smiled.

“Oh! Thank you, Sir, but we couldn’t possibly-” Luke started, but he held a hand up to cut him off.

“Nonsense! Your vigorous endorsement of my produce was very good advertising.
If you will not accept it as a gift, then consider it payment for being such a good marketing manager, however unintentional.”

Gratitude for the man’s good-natured act warmed Luke’s heart.
When Din nodded and took the bag with a polite “thank you,” Luke darted around the table bearing rows of fish to curl his arm and tail around him in a sideways hug, conscious of Grogu strapped to his chest.

The little darling baby also reached out to clutch at the vendor with his clawed hands.

“Oh my!” The vendor exclaimed in surprise before bringing a hand up to gently stroke the back of his head.

Luke purred softly, tilting his head in encouragement to rub his ears - which he obliged. “I appreciate your generosity and understanding, Sir.”

He could feel the man’s flustered joy through the Force. “Please, Mand’cyare. I am not a ‘Sir.’ Call me Doegen.”

“Doegen,” Luke repeated. “And you can call me Luke.”

A short gasp sounded and Luke pulled back to see that Doegen was flushed now too. “I would be honoured, Mand- …Luke.”

A weight had lifted off his chest when they parted to head back home with their spoils.

As they left the market, hand in hand, with Grogu babbling eagerly at the bag, Din tilted his helmet down at Luke.
“You just make friends with everyone, wherever you go, don’t you?”

He could hear the smile in his voice.

Luke shrugged. “In my experience, Mandalorians are just nice, honourable people.”

“Most of us are,” Din agreed. “But you also have the advantage of being such an adored public figure - and not just because of your Royal position or your Tooquai charm.”

“Because I’m an Omega?” Luke asked.

“Well, there is that too,” Din nodded. “But also because you are lovely to the people, a wonderful family man and a formidable warrior.
All things that are valued above all else in our culture.”

A happy sigh passed his lips as that warm contented feeling overtook him again.

“I’m glad they feel that way, and they have the good grace to put up with me being a monster before my heat.
I really need to apologise to Paz too, but I feel he is hiding from me. I was awful to him and it was meant to be a fun catch-up.”

Din chuckled. “He’s a big boy, I’m sure he will come out of his sulk eventually.
Come on, my pretty little monster. It’s nearly dinner time and both Grogu and I are excited to try this Naboo trout that caused such a ruckus.”

Luke swatted his arm and laughed.

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

Despite how absolutely euphoric Din was about Luke successfully falling pregnant with his last heat, there was an undeniable distress at seeing him so violently ill.
Especially when there was little he could do to help.

But as bad as that was, there was something extra terrible at still having to go to work and leave him at home, because he was the Mand’alor and there was so much to do.

Right now was a particularly bad time to get off work, with the new infrastructure being built to accommodate their increase in numbers. Plus everything else that it entailed.

He had also booked himself for a period of paternal leave after the kits were due to be born, so he had to get as much done as possible until then.

When Luke would wake early in the morning, beginning their pattern of frequent dashes to the refresher for him to vomit his guts up, Din could just about stay strong to comfort him.

Then came the dreaded time when, after several hours of very broken, interrupted or just plain non-existent sleep, he had to get up and get ready to go to the throne room without his Riduur.

The tearful expressions of anguish and lamenting cries that ensued when Din actually had to say goodbye to him were multitudes worse.
He could hear his sobs even after leaving their private quarters.

It broke his heart anew, every single day.

Even though Luke had his guards and Mand’cyar’tomade with him, nothing could replace the presence of his Alpha.
Also, they could not share his nest with him and the only other being who could was Grogu.
However, Luke didn’t want to impact his schooling by getting him to stay back with him everyday.

Just when it seemed like it couldn’t possibly get any worse, after about two weeks of that, their chief medic delivered some horrifying news.

Luke’s condition was weakening.

Not only was his severe case of morning sickness taking its toll, but he had also developed separation sickness from having his Alpha away from him for so long each day.

If something didn’t change soon, she feared his body might terminate the pregnancy due to stress.

Only twice before could Din remember feeling so utterly destroyed - the times Luke had run off to face Vader and it was uncertain if he would ever see him again.

They held each other, Luke mewling brokenly into his chest.

Din turned frantic eyes onto Tekla, the chief medic, through his visor and begged her for help and guidance on what to do.

“Until Luke’s morning sickness clears up, you are going to have to work no more than four hours away from your mate, then do the rest of your work from home,” Tekla told him.

“There is one other thing you can do. As strange as this sounds, if you get a large stuffed toy or Plushie that you can rub your scent onto so Luke can cuddle it, that may make the time you are away more bearable and less damaging.”

“I’ll do it!” Din said, nodding emphatically. “Anything to help Luke and our kits.”

Once Tekla left and he had gentled Luke to sleep, he commed Bo-Khatan to explain the changes that needed to be made to his work schedule.

She was cross at first, telling him that he was shirking his responsibilities in a time of increased need. But when he told her what Tekla had said about Luke’s separation sickness and the possibility of losing their kits, her face fell.

“Of course, Mand’alor. Whatever you and the Mand’arpatbaar need,” she then said, oozing concern and guilt.
“Hopefully his morning sickness abates soon and he can accompany you again.”

“I hope so,” Din replied.

She offered him the next day off to look after his mate and he accepted it gratefully.

The following day, after staying in bed with Luke all morning to saturate him with his scent and Alpha pheromones, Din snuck out while he was sleeping to go to the markets.
He had a mission to find Luke a cuddly toy that could help with his separation sickness.

He perused up and down the aisles of tents and stalls until he ended up at the little toy stall with which he had made several purchases for Grogu.

It was run by a mature woman named Denora.
Her son had grown up and had children of his own, but he and his Riduur had been killed in a conflict with the Empire, leaving her to raise the grandchildren.

They were now in their teens and at school/training a lot of the time, so she had used her new freedom during the day to run her own stall.
She had loved making toys for them when they were young and didn’t want to stop now that they had outgrown such things.

All the toys she made herself. She was proficient with both woodwork and sewing.

When Din wandered over, she looked up from her counter-turned work table where she was painting a wooden starship.

“Su cuy’gar, Mand’alor! Did you need any assistance or are you happy to browse for a moment?”

“Just browsing for now, thank you Denora,” he told her drifting around her tent.

He ignored the section of wooden toys to focus on the stuffed animals.
There were the ever-popular Mythosaurs, some Rancors, a Kowakian monkey lizard that was very accurate in its ugliness, a Porg, a Sabre-cat and a few life-sized Ewoks.
These were added to her range after word spread about their alliance with the natives of Endor in their last stand-off against the Empire.

Grogu had two and was very fond of them.

Turning a critical eye on the Ewoks, Din assessed them for their potential.
Yes, they seemed like the right size and they held a positive significance to Luke…but something about his Riduur sharing their nest with a stuffed Ewok that smelled of him didn’t feel right.

Nothing here was really grabbing him, no matter how masterfully they were made.

He turned to thank Denora and bid her good day, when something in the corner at the very back of the tent caught his eye.

It was sitting on another work bench behind the long shelf of toys that separated the shop area from her production space.

Something about its shape was familiar and when Din zeroed in on it, he could see why.

Laying in an unfinished state, with its facial features missing and only partially stuffed, was a brown spotted Tooka cat.

“What is that?” He asked quickly, pointing at it.

Denora looked up and followed where his finger was pointing until she spied the Tooka.

“Ah,” she said, putting the starship and paintbrush down to stand and come towards him.
She wiped her hands on her apron, giving him a sheepish little smile.

“An experiment,” she answered cautiously.
“I hope you don’t mind, Mand’alor. It was not meant to be any form of disrespect.
After the Yaihadla Sarad came along and became popular with the children, I have spent a while perfecting the pattern for a cuddly Tooka cat soft toy. That one is the nearly complete final draft.
It has a bean bag insert in the centre which can be heated up and put inside to make it warm to cuddle.”

“That’s perfect!” Din cried excitedly, making her jump. “May I see it?”

She frowned at him as though unsure if he were joking or not, but nodded dutifully.
“O-of course, Mand’alor.”

She ducked around the shelf to go and retrieve it, holding it carefully to prevent any stuffing from falling out.
When she came back out, she handed it to him, still seeming uneasy as she watched him inspect it.

It was nice and large, the perfect size for Luke to wrap both his arms around.
Even better still, it was made of a soft, fuzzy material that was already designed to imitate the pattern of spotted Tooka fur. The fabric and stuffing would hold scent very well.

It was made to look like a Tooka cat lying down with its legs stretched out behind and in front of it, leaving what would be it’s belly accessible.
He could see where she was going to insert the zip for the removable bean bag.

What an inspired idea!

This was even better than anything he thought he would be able to find.
The warmth would soothe Luke even more and help him feel like he had a living being beside him. It was more than perfect.

“How soon can it be finished?” He asked.

Denora perked up, only now starting to fully accept that he approved of her work.
“I can have it finished for tomorrow morning, Mand’alor. Is it for Prince Grogu?”

“No,” he replied, but didn’t elaborate. “Name your price. I’ll happily pay anything you want for it.”

That made her eyebrows raise to her hairline.
“I haven’t even thought of a price yet. How about I consider it tonight while I finish it and tell you tomorrow morning when you pick it up?”

“That is acceptable,” he conceded. “Apologies for being so insistent, but how early can it be ready tomorrow? Ideally, I would need it before I go to work.”

“I’m sure I can manage that, Mand’alor” she nodded but her brow crinkled slightly with curiosity.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what is the occasion that has brought on such urgency?”

Din sighed. He didn’t really want to talk about it but the poor lady deserved to know why he was making such demands of her at short notice.

“It’s for my Riduur.”

When she blinked and cocked her head, non-plussed, he explained the situation to her and Tekla’s recommendation.

Her eyes widened as he talked and she had paled considerably when he spoke of the risk to their kits.

She looked so stricken, in fact, that Din feared he knew exactly what her response would be.

“Have it for free, Mand’alor!”

Sighing again, he shook his head. “You have spent a long time working on it. I refuse to take it for free.”

“It would be my honour to gift it to Yaihadla Sarad in his time of need!” She argued.

“And my Riduur would not feel right about accepting it for free either, knowing how much effort has gone into it,” Din retorted.

They haggled back and forth until they reached the compromise of Din only reimbursing her for the cost of materials as long as he told Luke where the toy came from - and reported back to her whether or not he liked it.

Satisfied, Din paid the credits upfront.

“If it helps, I can put my other orders on hold this afternoon so that I can try and get it finished tonight,” Denora offered. “Would I be able to deliver it to your guards?”

“Yes, that would be very helpful, if you can,” Din nodded. “I’ll let the guards know to expect you.”

She grinned. “I’ll get right on it, Mand’alor! Would you like it gift-wrapped too?”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you, Denora. This is much appreciated.”

Sometime after dinner, while both Luke and Grogu were sleeping, Din got an audio comm from Paz and slipped out of the bedroom to take it.

“Hey Vod, the lady you told us about with the special delivery has arrived.”

Din smiled, glad that Paz was on duty as one of Luke’s inner guards that night.

“Excellent. Get one of the palace guards to escort her to your post outside our front door and you can take over from there.”

“On it,” came the concise reply.

He quietly went to retrieve his helmet from the couch in their bedroom where he was reading reports.

When a quiet knock sounded at the door a few minutes later, Din was ready nearby.

He opened it to find Denora, with Paz standing beside her.
She was grinning from ear to ear as she held out a large package wrapped in sparkly lilac paper and tied with a large satin purple bow.

“Denora, you are a life-saver! And I mean that literally. Thank you so much for going to the trouble to finish this so fast for Luke.”

“My pleasure, Mand’alor!” She told him. “I know you have a lot on your plate, but please remember to let me know how it’s received by Yaihadla Sarad.”

“You’ll be the first to know,” he assured her.

She bowed and headed over to where the palace guard was waiting nearby to escort her back out.

Paz watched her go then turned to him and looked down at the package.

“Sooo, what is that? Isn’t she the toymaker at the marketplace?”

“She is,” Din said, then looked at the other inner guards lining the walls outside their private chambers.

“Come in. You can be our resident in-house guard for a bit. I need to tell you something.”

He opened the door wider. Paz hesitated, looking worried before stepping through.

“I’m afraid things have happened quite fast since our chief medic came over yesterday evening and I haven’t had a chance to talk to you on your own.
I don’t really want everyone to know because it could cause a panic, which won’t help the situation.”

“Is this about Luke being sick?” Paz asked quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Din knew he did that when he was anxious, to hide his hands shaking.

“Yes,” he replied and started to explain.

Paz got more and more agitated, breaking away to pace after Din told him what Tekla had said about Luke’s body possibly terminating the kits.

“So, the medic really thinks a Plushie with your scent on it could help?” He asked, and his voice wavered a little.

“That and me only working a half day at the throne room and the rest from home,” Din affirmed. “Until his morning sickness clears up, which could be another few weeks yet.”

His brother let out a shuddering breath. “I really hope so. If there is anything more that you need which I can do for you…” he trailed off, looking down at the floor as he rubbed the back of his neck.
The news had hit him hard too.

“I’ll come to you,” Din finished for him. “I know I can rely on you to do whatever you can for Luke.”

Paz hesitated. “And for you too, Vod. Don’t forget that. You didn’t stop being my baby brother just because I got a better one.”

The playful jab made him laugh and broke the somber air around them, even if just for a moment.

“Go,” Paz said, waving him towards the stairs. “Go give it to him. He needs you both. I’ll be right here.”

Din squeezed his shoulder gratefully then turned to head up to the bedroom.

Entering quietly, he turned the bedside lamp on and placed the package in the nest. Then he removed his armour, including his helmet, stacking it neatly on its stand.

He climbed into the nest in just his flight suit, taking a moment to gaze down at Luke, all curled up on his side, hugging his fluffy tail where it came up from between his legs.
The blankets had fallen down to just below his waist which showed he must have been tossing and turning during Dins’ absence.

The thought made him swallow back a whimper of guilt, as did his noticeably pale skin and dark circles under his eyes.

Gently, he stoked his hand down his side and gave him a little jostle. “Luke?”

“Hmm…Din?” His sweet love murmured, squinting as he opened his eyes and raised his head.

“I’m here, my little Rawn’ika. I have something for you.”

Now fully awake, Luke spotted the package and sat up as quickly as his weakened state would allow.
“Is that my Plushie?”

“It is,” Din smiled lovingly, handing it to him. “I hope you like it.”

His beautiful Riduur looked like an excited child as he untied the ribbon and peeled open the pretty paper.

When he caught sight of the finished Tooka, his eyes widened and his ears jolted up.

“Din!”

He lifted it from its wrapping and held it up facing him.
Din couldn’t help but feel proud of his purchase. Even for a toymaker of her calibre, Denora had outdone herself.

The Tooka had proper dark black glassy inserts for eyes and a very cute, friendly looking face, with its big mouth stretched into a smile.
It’s spotted brown coat continued up into its ears, which she had tipped with a bit of white, like Luke’s.

She had also made its tail big like Lukes’ Omega tail and tipped it white as well.
The dark brown feet were less thin and sharp than a real Tooka cat’s - looking more like a ducks webbed flippers.

Lastly, she had made its underbelly a nice cream colour in the same fuzzy material, and colour matched the zip that stretched horizontally across its middle.

“Ohhh, he’s wonderful!” Luke cried with genuine happiness, a bit of healthy colour returning to his face as he lit up.

“It has a bean bag insert that can be taken out to be heated up so that he is warm to cuddle,” Din told him, pleased by his reaction.

Luke beamed at him. “He is perfect, Din! I love him!”

“I’m glad, Cyar’ika,” Din told him, releasing the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.
“Did you want me to heat it up for you?”

Luke nodded eagerly and Din unzipped it’s belly to retrieve the bean bag.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he assured him, grabbing his helmet.

When he got to the door, he looked back to see Luke cuddling the Tooka and felt a hopeful pride in finding something he liked so much.
If this worked, he would be forever grateful to both Tekla, for the suggestion, and Denora for her creative genius.

“What’s wrong?” Paz lept up, alarmed to see Din back downstairs so soon.

“Nothing. Just heating up the bean bag,” Din told him reassuringly. “Luke loves his new cuddly toy.”

“You get back to him. I’ll heat the bean bag and bring it up to you,” Paz said.

Din handed it over and recited the instructions Denora had given him. “Thanks, Vod.”

He got back to the bedroom to find Luke sitting with the Tooka in his lap, stroking it like a real cat.

“He’s so soft!” Luke exclaimed happily, eyes shining. “Where did you get him?”

“You remember Denora’s toy shop at the markets?” Din asked as he removed the helmet and climbed back into the nest.
“It’s the first final draft prototype of a Plushie she has been trying to perfect. He was actually incomplete and I asked her if she could finish it for you tonight. She arrived while you were still asleep.”

“I must go thank her personally,” Luke mused as he lifted it to look him over again.

“She would love that.” Din told him. “You know, you were the inspiration for him, since all the children here love you so much.”

Luke flushed with joy. “Aww! That’s so sweet!”

“Did you want me to rub my scent on him now, Cyar’ika?”

“Yes, please!”

Din took the proffered Plushie and rubbed it thoroughly over his neck to get the concentrated scent from his mating glands.

When he handed it back, Luke buried his face in it, breathing deeply, and began to purr.

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

“Come in, Paz,” he called, hastily plonking his helmet back on.

The door opened and their big brother ducked in, the bean bag looking ridiculously tiny in his huge gloved hands.

“Hey, Vod! Come and look at my new Tooka!”

Paz looked over at them and tilted his head when he saw Luke, proudly holding the toy aloft like it was the best thing ever.

“Dank farrick, that’s cute.”

Once the bean bag was zipped into place, Luke snuggled it again, purring louder.

Paz stood by the bed and gave one of his ears a rub, which Luke leaned into, smiling contently.

Then he held up the Tooka to admire him again.
“I think I’m going to call you…Jasper,” he said, nodding decisively.

“After that Terran rock which it’s Natives have dubbed ‘the supreme nurturer?’” Din asked, impressed. “Fitting choice.”

Luke shrugged. “I didn’t know the bit about the supreme nurturer. He just looks like he would be a Jasper. It feels like his name.”

“Seriously, Vod. How do you even know this stuff?” Paz asked Din, shaking his head.

It was Din’s turn to shrug. Luke loved his Plushie and that was all he cared about in that moment.

Just like he hoped, the addition of Jasper worked a treat.

Luke ADORED him and, though he still wasn’t happy when Din left for work in the morning, he was no longer distressed.

Din would rub the Tooka with its freshly heated bean bag insert over his mating glands then kiss Luke goodbye.

His mate would then hunker down to sleep, curled around Jasper and nuzzling into him.

The Mand’cyar’tomade who were on duty reported that he was a lot more settled and calm during the day.

The combination of Jasper, and Dins shorter contact hours away reduced Luke’s stress, which in turn made his morning sickness less severe.

He still wasn’t able to come with Din to work, but the nausea wasn’t as bad and the frequency of his dashes to the bathroom lessened.

He was now well enough to get up and mosy around the house, but Jasper always went with him. Wherever he went, the Tooka was fastened to his side, under his arm.

Unsurprisingly, Grogu loved him too and would also hug the stuffed cat when he joined Luke in the nest after school.

Luke laughed one day and told Din how Grogu said that he wanted one for himself, stroking their baby where he huddled against Jasper, making his own version of a purring noise.

A week after introducing him, Luke was well enough to accompany Din to the markets and visit Denora - with the Tooka in hand as always.

The woman did a double take when she looked up to see Din with his whole family entering her shop.

“Yaihadla Sarad! Mand’alor! And little Prince Grogu! What a surprise to see all of you here!” She blurted, hastening to her feet and wiping her hands on her apron, looking flustered.

Then her eyes zeroed in on Jasper under Luke’s arm and she beamed. “I trust you find the Tooka cat to your liking, Yaihadla Sarad?”

Luke closed the distance between them and hugged her, rubbing his head and ears against her arm.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He gushed profusely, and Denora went bright red again, eyes wide and unseeing for a moment as she stared straight ahead in shock.

Then she recovered herself and gingerly patted his back, casting a glance at Din to check she wasn’t overstepping a boundary.
He gestured at her to go ahead and hug him, so she did, grinning wider than he had ever seen.

“It was my utmost pleasure, Mesh’la Yaihadla Sarad. I hope it has helped you in the way you needed.”

“It has,” replied, smiling up at her. “I feel much better.”

“Both his morning sickness and separation sickness have improved a lot,” Din elaborated. “Yes, I’m away from home a lot less, but Luke is dealing with my absence far better now that he has the Tooka.”

Denora let out a genuine sigh of relief. “I am so happy to hear that.”

“I’ve named him Jasper,” Luke told her, looking fondly down at his Plushie and stroking its head with his free hand. “Grogu loves him too.”

“Which brings us to another reason for our visit,” Din said, glancing down at the bright, eager eyes of their son as he held him in his arms.

His sweet Riduur looked up at Denora with a big grin, ears and tail springing up.
“We came because I wanted to thank you in person, but Grogu also wants to know if we can commission one for him too? He would like to have it with him in his crib.”

The woman laughed happily, eyes dancing with pleasure. “Of course I can rustle one up for Prince Grogu.”

“If you are able, he said he would like his to be green with yellow feet and orange eyes - like a tree frog,” Luke told her.

The kindly woman turned to give Grogu’s ears a stroke. “I’m sure I can manage that, Little One.”

“On one condition,” Din added. “This time you let us pay the the full price.”

A week later, they went to pick up Grogu’s Tooka Plushie, as arranged.

Denora, while happy to see them again, also appeared a bit frazzled and over-caffeinated.

They didn’t say anything at first, instead focusing on the delightful tree frog-coloured Tooka cat that she brought out with a flourish.

Grogu became very animated, bobbing in Din’s arms and cooing as he held out his grabby little claws towards it.
He obviously loved it, snuggling into it and purring as soon as she brought it over to him.

It was only after they thanked her and complimented her on the fantastic job she had done that her jitteriness became more obvious.
She bustled about finding them a cloth bag to take it home in and sorting out the payment.

Before Din could open his mouth, Luke beat him to it. “Denora, are you ok?”

“Fine, fine!” She waved a hand cheerily, brushing off their concern. “Great even! Business has taken off since you came last week.
Everyone with a young child who saw you with your Tooka wanted one. I’ve had many orders coming in! So many in fact, I’ve had to look into getting more hands on deck to help me fill them.”

“Oh, that is wonderful!” Luke said, genuinely happy for her. “I’m glad your creation is getting the hype it deserves. I do hope you find someone soon though. You can’t fill all the orders by yourself.”

“I may already have someone!” She told him, quite proud of herself. “A lovely young man named Val. He apparently used to sew toys for the children of his covert while in hiding.”

Luke started at the name. “I know Val!” He cried.
“That’s great! I’m sure he’ll be brilliant. When does he start?”

“Hopefully in a few days. I sent him home with the pattern and some cheap materials for him to do a few practice runs. Also gives me a chance to assess his skill level.”

“Good thinking,” Din said. “I’m also happy to know that people are loving your idea. Just be sure not to overwork yourself.”

She smiled gratefully at him. “Thank you, Mand’alor. At least all my other product sales have waned a bit so I can focus on filling these orders.
I’ve decided to market this toy as the ‘Mandalorian Snuggle Puss.’ What do you both think?”

Luke glanced over at Din, then down towards Grogu, who was very content hugging the Tooka that was practically the same size as him.

“I think it’s perfect.”

Chapter Text

Drabble 1.) Jealous Big Brother

When Paz asked where he wanted to go for his daily half hour outing before Din came home, Luke excitedly told him he wanted to visit his adopted Buir.

So, after lunch, the Mand’cyar’tomade helped him get up and dressed. Paz and a bunch of guards then escorted him to the Forge.
This time, he left Jasper the Plushie in the nest, worried he might get damaged by stray embers.

Paz told the other guards to wait by the door, then scooped Luke up and carried him down the winding staircase.

The Armourer was busy hammering away over an anvil.

Fortunately, Paz didn’t need to explain that she couldn’t just stop what she was doing to see him. Luke happily went to stand a safe distance away to watch her work.

A few times, she paused in her work and tilted her helmet towards him. On these occasions, he perked up, wagging his tail hopefully.

Then she resumed hammering, and he resigned himself to wait again.

When she finally put the finished piece aside and turned off the forge, that tail went crazy.
She pulled off her gloves and began walking towards him.

Luke meowed like an attention-starved kitten, shifting around, unable to stay still as she approached.
He looked up at her and stretched up on his tiptoes to ram his head into the hands that came down to pet him.

The Armourer proceeded to fuss over him the way she never had with any of their covert - not even Djarin, who was clearly her favourite.

It made Paz’s teeth itch with an uncomfortable sensation as he watched the display.
The longer it went on, the more the sour feeling fermented in his gut until he was internally seething.

After their time was up and they said their goodbyes, Luke obediently trotted towards him where he had been leaning on the wall by the door.

Despite how mad he was, Paz still had a duty to him as his guard, so he begrudgingly lifted the Tooka up against his chest and began the long trek back up the stairs.

He said nothing to his ward as he escorted him back to his room, the other guards falling into formation around them.

Luke must have taken the time out of his self-centered little bubble to notice something was up.
He politely asked the other guards and his Mand’cyar’tomade to leave them alone for a moment.

As soon as the door closed and he heard their footsteps recede, Luke turned to him with big worried eyes.

“Vod, what’s wrong?” He asked

Paz grit his teeth. If anything, the question combined with use of their affectionate familial term for each other only fuelled his anger.

“Nothing,” he grunted brusquely.

Blue eyes scanned him quickly and Paz couldn’t tell if he was using his Jetii magic or just reading his body language.
Either way, he didn’t appreciate the scrutiny and straightened up, folding his arms across his chest.

“Do you need anything else, Mand’arpatbaar?”

Perhaps using his title was a bit cruel. He hadn’t meant to be. He just didn’t think he could call him Vod, or even Luke, without choking on it.

Regardless, Luke flinched away as if Paz had raised a hand to him. Those blue eyes turned mournful and his ears drooped.

Paz almost caved.

Then he took a deep breath and schooled his hurt expression into one of calm reason.
It made him look like a damn Jetii. He hated it.

“Paz,” he said in a tone that made it sound like they were having a mild disagreement about the weather.
“I understand that something is upsetting you and I respect your desire for space. I would, however, like to remind you that I can’t help us come to a resolution if you don’t tell me what the problem is.”

The carefully enunciated little speech made Paz see red, and it was all he could do not to throw something in his anger.

“Don’t use your stupid, wanky peacekeeper shit on me!” He roared, feeling something in him snap.
“Treat me like a Mandalorian! Not like a Jedi, and not like some pompous politician!”

If nothing else, it managed to break that annoying façade.

“So what do you want me to do then?!” Luke yelled back with some anger of his own.
“Grunt and hit you with the nearest heavy object?!”

“Or just shout and swear and be kriffing real! Stop pretending to be something you’re not!”

“I AM shouting!” Luke countered, raising his voice as though to prove his point. “And I AM a Jedi! Whether you LIKE it or not!”
Now his cheeks were flushed and his eyes blazed in challenge

Paz could feel himself becoming unhinged but in that moment, he didn’t care.
“You are NOT some hippy, child-snatching peacekeeper! You are a WARRIOR!”

His last words only incensed Luke more and he glared at him with such intensity, it could have bent his armour.
“KRIFF YOU, PAZ! I CAN BE A PEACEKEEPER IF I WANT TO BE!!!

“NO, KRIFF YOU!!! GO BE A PEACEKEEPER THEN! BUT YOU WON’T BE A KRIFFING MANDALORIAN!!!”

They turned away from each other, panting heavily, their throats hoarse from screaming.

Just when Paz was about to excuse himself and storm out, calling another guard to take over his shift, Luke spoke again.

“Why are you mad at me?” He asked in a small, timid voice from behind him.

It pulled at Paz’s heart, upending all his rage until only hurt, guilt and a simmering resentment remained.

He crossed his arms over his chest again and refused to look at him.
“You wagged your tail for the Armourer,” he admitted gruffly.

There was a pause.

“What?” Luke asked, non-plussed.

“You wagged your tail for the Armourer,” he repeated. “But you never do for me.”

Then he heaved a massive sigh, feeling the pain of that statement.

“I could understand when I thought it was something you only did for Djarin. He’s your mate. But then you wagged it for her…”

Haar’chak! He wasn’t going to get all teary over the stupid Jetii Tooka and his stupid tail! He wasn’t!

Luke sounded completely flummoxed, and he couldn’t blame him.
“Paz…she is my adopted Buir and I barely ever get to see her. I see you everyday.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Paz yelled, turning on him then.

“I’ve followed you into battle! I’ve trained with you and your Jedi Master! I mourned him with you when he died! I stayed by you through everything!
And you’ve never wagged your tail for me! Not once!”

He stopped abruptly and faced away, determined to get his traitorous near-to-cracking voice and watering eyes under control. Thank the gods for his helmet!

All was quiet for a moment.

The atmosphere had become unbearably awkward, but he couldn’t think of a dignified way to flee.

“You’re right,” Luke said quietly after a while.
He went and sat on in the bed, running a hand through his hair.

“Everyone here treats me like a princess…like a ‘sacred Omega’ - always telling me how cute and beautiful I am.
You never do and I like that about our relationship.
I like us being Bro’s and doing mechanics and laser tag. Things that Alpha’s and Betas do together.
I guess I just… wanted you to see me as cool, instead of a needy Omega.”

The earnest confession eased the pain in his chest. Paz let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

“I do see you as cool, Vod” he told him, swivelling a little to look at him out the corner of his visor.

“You survived the fighting pits, blew up the Death Star, went to duel a Sith Lord by yourself - twice!
And you faced off against those douchey Rebellion Generals.”

Paz knew he had probably made his point but it was like a damn had broken and he had more to say.

“You eat sand worms, kick my ass in laser tag, take out entire bases of slavers, then calm down slave children enough to help them eat.
You snarled at me when we first met and then…”
He choked back a sob.
“And then you became my best friend… you’re the coolest person I’ve ever met.”

The tears were running freely underneath his helmet now and he sniffed loudly.

“That doesn’t mean I should be excluded from enjoying you being cute though… I want to call you cute sometimes, even if we are doing mechanics and laser tag…and goddammit, I want tail wags!”

“Paz!” Luke cried, face splotchy with tears. He ran at him and leapt up into his arms.
Catching him, Paz enveloped his tiny body in a tight bear hug.

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like I love or appreciate you any less,” he rasped.

When that fluffy tail wagged erratically behind him, Paz laughed with child-like joy.

“Thanks, Vod.”

******************
Din stepped into the room around ten minutes later to find them watching funny holonet videos on the couch with their arms around each other.

“Everything ok?”

“Yep,” they answered in unison, as Luke gave him an easy grin.

“Really?” Din pressed. “Because the Mand’cyar’tomade and other guards reported shouting not long ago.”

“Pfft! Yesterdays news, runt! We’ve already moved on from that” Paz told him dismissively.

“Yeah, we decided that Paz also gets tail wags,” Luke added, eyes bright.
“I’m not supposed to tell you that he called me a ‘tail slut’ after we came to that conclusion.”

“Oi! Snitchy!” Paz cried and gave his ear in a playful tug.

They laughed and Din looked between them, at a loss.

“Right, well - now that your Riduur is back, that’s my cue to leave,” Paz announced, pulling himself to his feet. “See ya tomorrow, tail slut!”

He thumped Din on the shoulder as he passed him then pointed at Luke.
“Did I ever tell you, this guy’s wayyy out of your league, Djarin?”

Drabble 2.) Annoying the Pregnant, Sleeping Kitty

Paz and Cara stood at the side of the bed, whispering excitedly as they looked down at the sleeping Tooquai.

He was looking particularly adorable; curled up on his side, hugging his Tooka Plushie with his tail wrapped around them both.

His PJs were loose booty shorts and matching long-sleeved tee in a soft white material.
The golden mane on his head was a bit longer, and nestled amongst it, his big Tooka ears twitched as he dreamt.

The thing that drew their attention the most, however, was his tail.

Din had mentioned that their medic, Tekla, informed them of certain quirks to expect in an Omega Tooquai’s pregnancy.

But it was another thing to actually see it.

Nearing the end of his first trimester, Luke’s already fluffy tail had poofed up more - the fur longer and even softer than usual.
It was like a caramel coloured cloud floating behind him when he walked.
When laying with it curled around him, as he was then, it looked like he was ensconced in an aura of fluff.

The Mando’ade were losing their minds over it.

Whenever he left the Royal chambers for a walk to the markets or around the city to get a bit of exercise (always with his Tooka Plushie), he caused a stir.

Especially when children flocked to him and he met them with his sunny charm, even letting them stroke his tail when they asked, without any of the inhibitions that an adult would have.

Anyone in viewing distance would practically combust at seeing the Mand’arpatbaar being so sweet to the children while also showcasing such a divine tail.

He was the talk of Mandalore. The pinnacle of beauty and desirability.

But to Paz and Cara, he was their adorable baby brother who they could have fun pestering.

“Soooo cute!” Paz gushed, stroking a gloveless finger against his twitching ears.

Cara gently uncurled his tail and stroked it between her hands. “It’s the softest thing I’ve ever felt!”

A squeaky little growl sounded as Luke began to stir under their ministrations.

“Aww! Even his growl is cute!” Cara exclaimed. “Hey Preggo Floof! Rise and Shine!”

“Mmph!” Luke huffed, raising his head to glare at them with sleepy eyes.

“Awwwwww!” Both Paz and Cara melted.

Luke flopped his head weakly back onto the pillow. “Lemme sleep.”

“C’mon, Vod!” Paz whined. “You’ve been sleeping all morning! Besides, the Head Chef is gonna deliver your food soon.”

“Yeah, and then Mand’alor the Overprotective will be home, which means we can’t have any fun!” Cara added with a pout.

“Mmm good,” Luke mumbled, stubbornly clenching his eyes shut.

Cara blew a raspberry at him. “Fine! Be lame and sleep! I don’t need you awake to bury my face in your tail.”

“Don’t snot on my tail!” Luke cried, very much awake now as he ripped it out of her hands.

The woman opened her mouth in shocked offence.
“Why is me burying my face in your tail akin to ‘snotting’ on it?!”

“Because you always go overboard and I can see you accidentally blowing snot onto it while sniffing it. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you doing that…you weirdo.”

“Yeah ok, I’ve sniffed your tail!” Cara shrugged. “So sue me! It’s your fault for smelling so delicious. Whaddya gonna do? Tattle on me to your hubby?”

“I don’t need Din to kick your ass! I can do that just fine by myself - pregnant or not!” Luke retorted.

Cara scowled at him. “I bet your sister would let me sniff her tail.”

Luke rolled away from them. “Yeah, well go ask her. I bet you’ll get tail whipped.”

A gleam came into her eye. “She can whip me to a bloody pulp if she wants, and I’d still thank her for it.”

“Yeah,” Paz chuckled. “Me too.”

“Princess Leia Thirst Club!” Cara shouted, raising her hand in a high-five.

“Princess Leia Thirst Club!” Paz repeated, smacking his own enormous hand against hers.

“Ew!” Luke groaned in protest. “Anyway, Cara - aren’t you pissed off that Paz has already slept with her?”

“I was at first,” she admitted. “But I still reckon I have a shot. Especially after you were kind enough to introduce us, like the sweet lil’ Angel you are.”

Luke gave a very undignified snort before rolling back over to face them.
“Hey, I never did get round to asking what you guys actually did that night. Was it really just drinking Naboo wine and reminiscing?”

A genuinely surprised look crossed his friend’s face. “Oh, kriff no! We also talked shit about all the men in our lives, laughed at their expense, and then she modelled some of her dresses for me.”

An uncomfortable suspicion crept over Luke.
“And…I’m guessing she demonstrated her usual Princess-like degree of modesty…which for her means none at all?”

“Yeah,” She smirked, staring off into space as she relived the memory. “Dank Farrick, your sister’s got a perfect pair on her!”

“Can you not?”

Both Paz and Cara laughed again.

Grumbling, Luke found the edge of his discarded blanket and pulled it over him. Once fully concealed under it, he hugged Jasper tighter.

“Maybe if they can’t see us, they’ll forget we’re here and go away,” he whispered to his Plushie.

“Fat chance,” Cara snickered.

“Yep,” Paz agreed, gently poking him through the blanket. “You can’t get rid of us that easy, Vod.”

Drabble 3.) Return to Duty

It was hard to tell who was more delighted out of the two of them when Luke’s morning sickness FINALLY cleared up and he was able to accompany Din again.

The boredom of staying at home all the time with only one or two short outings each day was really grating on him.

Tekla had to give him a check-up to make sure he was definitely fit to attend court again, but she was happy with his progress and overall health.

“Should…I carry him or have him in a wheelchair just to make sure he is safe?” Din had asked nervously.
Both Tekla and Luke raised an eyebrow at him.

The broad, armour covered man cringed under their scrutiny.
“What if he starts feeling nauseous or dizzy again?” He said defensively, trying to explain his concern.

“I don’t want to risk him falling. Also, will his feet become more sensitive with pregnancy? I don’t want him to be in any pain and you know he’s too stubborn to say anything if-”

“Mand’alor,” Tekla cut him off then softened up a little. “Din…I know you are feeling very scared for his health and that’s making you more protective.
It’s only natural for Alpha’s when their Omega mates are pregnant.
Also, considering what happened with your unplanned pregnancy, as well as Luke’s separation sickness, I would be surprised if you weren’t as uneasy as you are.
But you need to remember that just because Luke is pregnant doesn’t mean he is made of glass.”

Luke nodded emphatically.

“I know he’s not delicate, but I just…” Din trailed off, unable to find the words for what he was feeling.

Luckily, Tekla seemed to understand the gist of it.

“The idea of Omega’s having sensitive feet or that their feet become more sensitive with pregnancy is a myth. It came about because of Alpha’s wanting to justify being so overprotective of their Omega’s, especially while pregnant.
No, the healthiest thing for Luke is to get a decent amount of exercise by walking around as much as possible, as long as it’s not to the point of exhaustion.
It’s good for blood and lymph flow to avoid fluid retention, which will be even more important as he gets bigger. It will also help soothe the kits as they develop.”

“What about if he falls over?” Din asked.

“He should always have you or a guard holding his arm. That’s protection enough against falling.
Also, he is past the point of pregnancy where he is vulnerable to miscarriage.
From here on, the body has several mechanisms to protect the foetuses.
If, however, he does become exhausted while walking, then you should carry him.”

Armed with their chief medics’ assurances (as well as Luke’s entourage of Mand’cyar’tomade and guards), the two of them dropped Grogu off at his lessons then made their way to the throne room.

Luke was looking radiant in a classical Mandalorian style outfit. The Royal Seamstress had made it specially in the two colours he was to wear throughout his pregnancy.

It was halfway between armour and clothing, with white knee-high boots and a white flight suit-like under layer.
A mantle of stiff red leather over his shoulders tapered into a sharp V shape in the centre of his chest, matching the belt at his waist with the long strip of red fabric descending from the centre.

The mantle was designed in such a way that he could still wear his pauldrons. They shined their beautiful burnished gold on his shoulders, just like the vambraces over each forearm.

Din could tell he felt more confidant in this outfit. He held his head up high, looking very much like a Royal Mandalorian warrior on his way to a formal event.

“You look amazing, Riduur,” he complimented. “Very strong and self-assured.”

Luke beamed at him. Though he hadn’t said anything about it, Din hoped it repaired any damage he may have unwittingly caused to his pride with his fretting earlier.

When they reached the throne room, the few Clan leaders who were there early saw them and quickly stood to attention.

“Mand’arpatbaar!” They clamoured, bowing profusely to him before greeting Din with their usual politeness.

Din smirked under the helmet.

While pregnant, Luke technically outranked him in importance, just not the ability to rule.

Something that every Mandalorian made glaringly apparent, not that he minded.
It was actually a relief to have him take all the attention, as opposed to just most of it like he normally did.

Meanwhile, poor Luke looked a bit taken aback.
True, Din had warned him about this part of Mandalorian culture - and there had even been a grand feast held in his honour when his pregnancy was announced - but his confinement for the past few weeks must have led him to forget.

Even the over-enthusiastic greetings from their citizens when he went to the markets could possibly have been passed off in his mind as being due to his significant absence from public view.

In contrast, this blatant difference in the way they were addressed by the clan leaders in an official setting would have been a harsh reminder.

He could sense his mate faltering for a moment before graciously returning their greetings.
They took their place at the throne, with Luke sitting on his lap.

Bo-Khatan had been waiting by the throne and for the first time, she ignored Din altogether, turning to nod at Luke.

“Su cuy’gar, Mand’arpatbaar. It is good to have you back. I’m glad you have recovered, and both you and your kits remain in good health.”
She finished with a smile that amazingly didn’t appear forced.

That was probably the most shocking thing of all.
The stern red-haired woman had always been polite and professional towards his mate, lacking any kind of warmth.

Luke had even asked Din if she disliked him, but he had assured him that she was like that with everyone - himself included.
Though he had let the subject go, it was clear that Luke didn’t believe him.

Now, he gaped at Bo-Khatan as if she had just sprouted Tooka ears.

Before either of them could say anything, more Clan leaders arrived and hurried over to bow to Luke, who only became increasingly bewildered.

The meeting proceeded without a hitch and he was content to just sit on Dins’ lap and watch.

Then the throne hearings began and a buzz of excitement spread as citizens arrived and saw Luke there.

Word must have spread that he was back because as the hearings went on, Din could have sworn the hall became much more packed than he remembered it being for the past few weeks.

It was a long day for Luke and he drifted off to sleep on Dins’ lap, head resting against his shoulder.

When it was over, Din gently woke him up and scooped him into his arms.
People jostled on either side of the aisle to get a better look at the sleepy little Tooka and wish him well as they passed.

Luke was stunned and obviously didn’t know what to say, so he just stared at them with wide blue eyes, fluffy tail swishing where it dangled underneath him.

Taking advantage of his dazed state, Din managed to carry him all the way back to their bedroom and tuck him into their nest.

“Alright, Mr Popular. You need to rest for a bit. I’ll leave you with your crew while I go pick up Grogu.”

“That was…that was crazy, Din” his little mate said, looking up at him while Din tucked the blankets around him and Jasper.
He absently grabbed the Plushie and cuddled it to his chest.

Din shrugged. “You’ve just been away from all that for a while. I’m sure you’ll get used to it again.”

“I still don’t understand it,” he shook his head. “You are the literal king who is rebuilding and ruling Mandalore, AND you are the one who impregnated me.
All I did was get hammered into the mattress for several days until my eggs were well and truly fertilised. Why do I get more respect than you?”

Throwing his head back with surprised laughter, Din ruffled his hair.
“Remember that pregnancy, childbirth, adoption and the rearing of children is sacred to us, Cyar’ika.”

He pulled him into a Keldabe kiss. “You are carrying my seed, making our babies right now and nurturing them inside your body.
It is magical and divine. Being that it’s the Mand’alors children you bear in your womb, you are like a living deity of fertility.”

“Oh, joy” Luke grumbled. “I’m sure I’m gonna love all that extra attention when I’m fat and uncomfortable later.”

Din laughed again. “I bet you are going to look even more mouthwatering when you are fat with kits. I don’t know how I’m going to cope. Or the rest of Mandalore, for that matter.
Maybe I’ll make you get carried around in an enclosed litter so that no one can see you.”

Luke shoved him, trying but failing to look pissed off. “Go and get Grogu, you pervy Mandalorian!”

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

It had been a few days since Luke started coming back to court again.
While it was better than being without Din for several hours and he was glad to snuggle close to him all day, it still wasn’t an ideal situation.

As much as he wanted to be a more active Royal Consort and keep up with all the politics, as well as support Din…it was boring.

He wished he didn’t feel like that but he did.

Just sitting there on his lap all day through meetings and hearings, unable to do anything to try and entertain himself because he was so visible at all times.

That in itself was another thing he didn’t like.

While he had always received lots of attention as Din’s consort as well as an Omega (then latterly as the Jedi pilot who destroyed the Death Star), now the intense scrutiny was suffocating.

He was stared at and pretty much worshipped wherever he went. People even started flooding the throne room during hearings just to get a look at him.

He felt so awkward and exposed that he didn’t want to face the sea of eyes glued to him, so he snuggled into Dins neck instead.

However, just because he tried his best not to look at them didn’t mean he couldn’t feel the stares, the emotions, all the awe and adoration centred fully on him.

He ended up just letting the boredom and the desire to mentally check out of the situation lull him to sleep.
It wasn’t ideal to be watched while sleeping but it was better than having to consciously sit through it.

Only a few days in, and Luke was already unsure how many more he could take.
At least at home he had privacy and could move about and do what he wanted.

He had to say something to Din. Even though he would be disappointed, Luke knew he would understand and maybe they would come up with a compromise of some sort.

So, that night, Luke gently broke it to Din how he was feeling.

His husbands’ reaction was not at all what he was expecting.
Far from the look of sad understanding and acceptance, with a hint of disappointment - Din almost looked… pleased.

Luke blinked at him. “Uh, are you sure you are alright, Din? I was expecting you to be more upset.”

“Oh, don’t worry” Din waved off his concern. “I figured as much. Take the next couple of days off, and then I may have a solution for you.”

The secretive smirk he gave him piqued Luke’s curiosity. “What solution?”

“Don’t worry about it, Riduur.” That look on his face was maddening.

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Luke studied him closely. “What are you up to, Din Djarin?”

He shook his head and an innocent smile curled the corners of his lips. “You’ll see.”

Luke took the next two days off, as planned.

The day that he was next accompanying Din, his husband was noticeably excited.

When they got to the throne room, he finally understood why.

On the raised platform at the head of the hall, against the wall to the left of the throne, was something big covered by a sheet.

Only Bo-Khatan and Paz were there.

When there were Clan meetings, as one of the few remaining members of the Vizla Clan, Paz was appointed its leader. As such, he couldn’t be rostered for guard duty during that time.

He was also vibrating with excitement under his armour.
Luke looked between Din, Paz and Bo-Khatan, then to his guards walking in formation around them.

What was going on?

Luckily, Din didn’t make him wait too long to find out.

They arrived at the raised platform where the other two Mandalorians waited for them.
Then Din turned to him and Luke could practically feel his grin through his helmet.

“After what Tekla told us about what to expect for your pregnancy, I realised you would need something to help you cope with coming to court with all your symptoms.
So I had this made for you. It’s taken awhile but I think it will help.”

He jutted his head encouragingly towards the mystery object. “Go on, Cyar’ika. Have a look.”

Intrigued, Luke approached it and grabbed a handful of sheet. He looked back at Din before giving it a tug and pulling it off.

It fell away to reveal what must be a little den for him.
It had a large carpeted base and on the right side was a sizeable box-like structure raised a bit off the ground on a thick round column.

The box had a small round window hole, just large enough to stick one’s head out. Then on the right side, it had a shallow ramp leading to a little door that he could crawl in and out of and shut completely.
The whole thing was covered in a soft, fleecy material.

In the back left corner, a tall post rose up past the height of the box. Another post rose from the back left corner of the box and they both culminated in a small, flat carpeted platform, big enough for Luke to sit on.

He noticed the posts were also covered in the material used to make scratching posts for pets with claws.

Din must have remembered him complaining awhile ago about finding it hard to find something to sharpen his claws on.
And he knew that he would want something private where he could play or sleep without everyone being able to see him all the time.

The box looked easily big enough for him to have a little nest inside of it and still be able to stand up.
The little window was at standing height to make it more private.

“Din!” He gasped, finally able to overcome his speechlessness.
“I LOVE it! I can’t believe you came up with all this without me saying anything! You’re so thoughtful!”

Din seemed to puff his chest out with Alpha pride.
“I’m happy you like it, Cyar’ika. Come have a look inside.”

He went over to the ramp on the side of the box and opened up the little door.
Luke ambled over excitedly and crouched to look in, then squealed with pleasure.

The fleecy material also covered the walls and floor inside, and there was already a mound of soft fluffy blankets and cushions ready for him to make a little nest.

“Oh, Din!” He bounced up and down on the spot then threw himself into his husbands arms.
“It’s perfect! The best gift you could have ever given me! Thank you! Ori’vor’e! Ni gedeteya!”

That delicious warm, rumbling chuckle washed over him as Din held him close and stroked his ears. “You are more than welcome, my little Rawn’ika.”

At that moment, the other Clan leaders started filing in.

“Can I…” Luke looked down, unsure if it was ok to ask. “Can I please start using it now? I’m excited to build my nest.”

“Of course you can, ner Kar’ta.” Din ruffled his hair.
“Do you want someone to bring you Jasper?”

“Oh!” Luke brought his hands up to his mouth. “You’re spoiling me.”

Din laughed. “You deserve to be spoilt” he told him, then nodded towards Koska where she stood with the other guards.

She turned and strode out of the hall.

At Din’s urging, Luke crawled inside his den. He trilled happily as he ran his hand over the soft material of the wall, then felt the different textures of the bedding.
Din knew exactly what he liked. He was such an attentive Alpha!

“The walls are Beskar plated, behind the soft material” Din said as he watched him from outside the door.

Luke crawled back over to scent him with boisterous affection.
“Always wanting to protect me,” he crooned. “Always wanting the very best for me.”

“You are my heart,” Din said simply.

“And you are my life-giving sun,” Luke replied, kissing his helmet where his mouth would be.
He lowered his voice down to a whisper.
“How I wish I could drag you in here and make all the Clan leaders wait for you while I ride your cock.”

Din made a cute sputtering sound. “Maybe during the break.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Riduur” Luke said, nuzzling him.

Din brought their foreheads together in a Keldabe kiss before reluctantly pulling away.
“I’d better get the Clan meeting started. You enjoy building your nest.”

Then he stood and headed the short distance back to his throne. Luke watched him till he sat down and Bo-Khatan started reading out the agenda for the days meeting.

Closing the door, he turned back to his mound of blankets and let out a few soft mews as he started arranging them.
There was something so comforting about nesting.

When he was about halfway done, there was a knock at his little door and when he opened it, Koska held Jasper towards him.
It took a surprising amount of restraint not to squeal again. He thanked her and took the plushie into his arms, breathing in Din’s scent.

The warm fuzzy feeling of Omega headspace had started creeping in as he built his nest, but now the scent of his Alpha and something warm to cuddle really sped it up.

He hurried to finish his nest then curled up with Jasper in the middle of it, purring.
At some point, he must have fallen asleep because he awoke to Din reaching in and gently nudging him.

“Wake up, my pregnant little Tooka. It’s time to go to lunch.”

Luke yawned and rolled over, giving him a groggy smile. He crawled out of the nest over to where Din was crouching by the door.
His Riduur scooped him up and started towards the dining hall.

“I take it you are enjoying your den?”

“It’s perfect,” Luke said, burrowing his head under Din’s chin. “Thank you.”

The ‘Tooka den’ as Din had taken to calling it, was just what Luke needed.

Having the option to retire into a private, cosy space nearby whenever he wanted made accompanying Din with his duties so much easier.

Much to Luke’s delight, his den did indeed get consecrated with their love making during breaks, as it was big enough to fit them both in.

The only thing that continued to perplex him was people’s attitude towards him.
He hoped that the pandemonium centred around him would die down after people got used to seeing him again, but if anything, it only got worse.

He would never forget the time he had retreated to his den partway through a public throne room hearing.
Having dozed off for awhile with Jasper, he woke up and decided to have a look at what was happening outside.

Casually, he stuck his head out his little window and everything came to a standstill.
The current speaker before the throne paused mid-sentence and all eyes in the hall turned expectantly towards him.

He blushed bright red and hastily ducked back inside, and Din’s calm voice called out to him.

“It’s alright, Cyar’ika. Did you need anything? Attending to you takes priority over the proceedings.”

Luke flushed more, glad no one could see him.
“N-no, I’m fine!” He called out meekly. “Just wanted to watch.”

“Are you sure?” Din pressed and Luke screwed his eyes shut with embarrassment.

“Yes! Carry on!”

He learned not to stick his head out after that

He also learned how far the sound of his purring apparently carried.

Shutting himself away in the den had given him the illusion of complete privacy, but that was shattered with one Clan leaders’ remark at a meeting.

Luke was in his nest with Jasper, feeling particularly comfortable and purring away without a care.

He was only partially listening to the goings on outside when someone remarked how agreeable and less aggressive they all were lately in their meetings.

“I believe we owe that to our Mand’arpatbaar,” another vaguely familiar voice said, and Luke’s ears perked up at the mention of his current title.
“It’s hard to get frustrated or angry with him purring nearby.

His eyes shot open and his purring stuttered a little but he forced himself to continue so it wouldn’t be so obvious he had heard.

“Yes, it is very soothing” someone else agreed.
“Mand’alor, you must thank Yaihadla Sarad for his exceptional service to our people.
We have managed to settle disputes and get more done since he has provided such a peaceful atmosphere for us to work.”

“I’ll be sure to pass on the message,” Din said, but Luke picked up an undercurrent of amusement in his voice as if he knew Luke was already listening.

Embarrassed, he pulled the blanket over his head and buried his face in Jaspers’ warm belly.
He had to keep this sound issue in mind if ever he decided to pleasure himself in his den!

When he and Din left got home with Grogu at the end of the day, Luke rounded on him.

“You never told me that you could all hear me purring!”

They were in their bedroom without anyone else present, so Din was able to take his helmet off.

The infuriating man smirked at him. “I didn’t realise that you weren’t aware. Just because it’s Beskar-plated doesn’t mean it’s soundproof, you know.”

“I know it’s not soundproof,” Luke insisted. “I just didn’t think everyone would be able to hear me quite as much as they can.”
A thought occurred to him. “Hey, could you also hear me mewing when I was building my nest?”

Dins’ smirk softened into his sappy besotted expression. “Yes.”

Groaning, Luke covered his face with his hands.

“Don’t be embarrassed, my little Rawn’ika. Your noises make us happy…make me happy most of all.”

Then Din picked him up and carried him to the bed, throwing him down into the nest.
“Speaking of, there’s a few other noises of yours that make me happy as well.”

If there were any other remaining thoughts and concerns, they were soon well and truly gone from his head.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

Leia and Han were due to arrive that day for an extended visit and Luke was incredibly excited.

When he first broke the news of his pregnancy to them over a holocall, they were ecstatic but were regretfully unable to come due to Leia’s commitments helping to establish the New Republic.

Now, in his fourth month, they were finally able to come see him and Leia promised him lots of ‘twin sessions’ to make up for lost time.

As he, Din and Grogu walked to the docking station to meet them, he couldn’t help but think wistfully of Aunty Ahsoka and wish she was there as well.

She had left a week or so after their wedding but popped back for a few days visit every couple of weeks.
Luke’s happiest times were when his entire family were with him, including the Force ghosts.

Her reaction to his pregnancy announcement was very much like his fathers: jumping around and whooping for joy then lifting him off his feet in a big bear hug.
It was clear that her Master had rubbed off on her.

Coming back to the present, Luke looked around as they entered the docking station.
He was surprised that neither Paz, nor Cara were there - with the amount both of them drooled over his sister. Maybe they were letting him have a private reunion with her.

It wasn’t long before the Millennium Falcon came into view and landed in its regular spot.
When the ramp lowered, he and Leia let out identical shrieks and did their usual running/hugging/crying routine that they couldn’t help doing after not seeing each other for awhile.

“Oh, Luke! Look at you!” She cried happily, holding his hand as she stepped back to see him properly.
“You look radiant!”

An appreciative whistle drew their attention over to Han, who was also looking him up and down.
“What happened to your tail, kid? Decided it wasn’t fluffy enough, or something?”

“Apparently, evolution decided it wasn’t fluffy enough for my kits,” Luke retorted with an easy grin.

At that moment, Chewie appeared and did a double-take then roared excitedly, charging at Luke.
He picked him up with one hand while the other petted his tail with feverish intensity.
When he growled something at Han, the smuggler rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I can see that, Chewie! It’s kinda hard to miss!”

Luke laughed. “Me and my tail are happy to see you too, big guy.”

Turning away from them, Han glanced over at Din. “Good to see you, Mando. Although I’m surprised you let your husband out looking like that.”

A scoff crackled through Don’s vocoder. “Bold of you to assume I have any control over him. If Leia was an Omega, do you really think you would have more dominance than you do now?”

‘Which is to say none,’ was the part left unspoken but loudly implied.

Han opened his mouth to say something, then frowned and closed it again.

Looking between them, Leia smirked and folded her arms. “You are a very wise man, Din. No wonder Mandalore is flourishing under your rule.”

“Thank you, Leia. Or should I say Senator Organa-Solo?”

“No, I like you so just Leia is fine.”

“It was ages before you let me just call you Leia!” Han complained.

“I know,” Leia said simply then turned to Luke. “Come on, you have to fill me in on everything from when we last spoke.”

“You too,” Luke smiled. “Tell us about how the New Republic is going.”

Nearly three weeks since they arrived, Luke was feeling more than a little frustrated and upset.

Everything was great at first. He had a lovely time catching up with everyone as a group, as well as his one-on-one time with Leia.
He had taken a break from going into court during the day to make the most of their visit, so he was usually seeing them during the day.

When Paz or Cara were rostered as his guards during that time, he was happy to see how easily they all got on with each other and that there was no awkwardness between them.

But towards the end of the first week, he had begun to notice the differences.
They had started off small and easy to shrug off in the beginning.

The first time he had invited the three of them over for a private dinner at home and Leia gently declined, he didn’t think anything of it.
She and Han probably wanted some time together as husband and wife, which was fair.

It was soon the case that they declined more often than not.
Luke supposed he couldn’t blame them. They spent time with him during the day, so the evenings should really be theirs.

Han and Leia would come to dinner at the dining hall but excuse themselves immediately after they finished eating.
Only Chewie stayed behind, which Luke was grateful for, even if his Shyriiwook was still quite rusty.

He had even once suggested that they have a day to themselves at least once a week so that they could do an evening meal with him instead - which they were immediately averse to.

If that wasn’t strange enough, both his ever-loving big brother, Paz and his new bestie, Cara also seemed more and more unavailable outside of their guard shifts nowadays.

Luke did automatically assume that they all might be doing something together, but immediately shot that thought down.
Why would they all keep that a secret from him if it were the case?

There must be something else going on.

What was infinitely worse however was when Leia started to seem distracted while she was with him.

True, they had started their usual bonding time a little later than usual because Luke’s presence had been requested at an important Clan meeting that morning - the time they usually hung out.

So when it came to late afternoon and Din commed to say he would be home late, Luke asked Leia if she wanted to stay a bit later with him and watch a holomovie.

She agreed but he could see it was reluctant.
During the movie, he noticed her checking her chronometer often.

“Did you have something important you needed to do?” He asked her but she assured him it was fine.
Still, she seemed a bit restless and was definitely in a hurry to go as soon as the movie ended.

Luke tried not to feel hurt, especially when peculiarities like that kept happening.

And it still wasn’t just with her but with Han, Paz and Cara also.

By this time, Luke was starting to feel like a chore that was being shared between them rather than one of their friends.

The hurt mixed with his pregnancy hormones made him a bit snappy when things started to get weird and strained.
He tried to keep it reigned in, lest it become another reason why none of them genuinely wanted to spend time with him anymore.

He had given them all a few days break from coming to see him then, when he felt enough time had passed that it wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask to see Leia and Han, he commed them to do just that.

When still they seemed hesitant, he couldn’t help himself.

“In the future, I’d like to see your apparently busy schedule so I know when I can and can’t ask to see you!” He had snapped then hung up the call.

For a little while, they did outdo themselves trying to make up for it, but now those tendencies were starting to show up again.

It even got to the point where Han and/or Leia were bailing out on pre-arranged plans.

The saddest part was that after being cancelled on by them, both Paz and Cara were also not available to come over and see him either.

Luke thought back on all his interactions with each of them to try and decipher if he had been annoying or unpleasant in any way - at least enough to warrant this kind of avoidance.

As it went on he became more depressed, crying in Dins’ arms when he held him late at night after Grogu had gone to bed.

Finally, he decided enough was enough.

He told Din that he was coming back to court full time and, when Leia arrived for their usual morning catch up, he turned her away.

“I don’t know what you are up to but whatever it is, you should just go,” he told her as he stepped out with Din and his guards.

“Ok,” Leia sighed. “Shall I come back this afternoon instead?”

“No, you misunderstand” he called over his shoulder. “I meant just go home.”

He felt her crushing pain and regret through the Force but didn’t allow himself to waver as he continued walking.

Because he knew what he was going through, Din let him stay in his Tooka den all day without the obligatory appearance for citizens at the throne room hearing.
He wallowed in his hurt as he hugged Jasper close for some comfort, too upset to purr.

The fact that Paz was there in the beginning for the Clan meeting made him even less willing to come out.

The people were worried, including his guards and Mand’cyar’tomade - despite the latter knowing what was going on.
Neera, the cake lady, and Maxine, the sex stall owner - both of whom were on handmaiden duty that day, tried to cheer him up with the promise of gifts from their market stalls.

Ultimately, it was all in vain.

Luke asked Din if they could stay home for dinner that night and he agreed, organising to have their food brought to them like in the early days of their relationship.

Only Chewie had stayed with him throughout the whole ordeal, so he was welcomed in when he turned up from having found them absent in the dining hall.

After dinner, when Grogu had been put to bed, there was a knock on the door.

Luke, Din and Chewie were in the living room watching a Holomovie; the two bigger males pressed up on either side of him while Luke sat in the middle with Jasper, wrapped in a blanket.

He stiffened when he felt the Force presence of Han, Leia, Paz and Cara outside.
“It’s them,” he told Din. “I don’t want to see them.”

Din had been doing a marvellous job of protecting and doting on him.
Luke could tell he was incredibly angry at them for their behaviour but he was keeping a tight reign on those feelings to avoid causing Luke any more emotional turmoil.

With a gentle squeeze to his arm, he got up, made his way to the front door and opened it.

Luke wrapped his blanket tighter around him and leaned into Chewie, but perked his ears up, listening.

“Luke doesn’t want to see any of you,” Din said, and his low calm voice paradoxically only highlighted how angry he was rather than concealing it. “And neither do I.”

“Please, Din,” he heard Leia say. “We have to make things right with him.”

“No,” Din replied firmly. “It’s needless to say how furious and disappointed I am with each and every one of you. I had trusted you all to have Luke’s best interests at heart, especially while pregnant.
I will not have you causing him anymore distress.”

Their answering guilt and despair in the Force made him wince a little.

“I understand your feelings, Din, I really do - but please give us another chance. We made a mistake and have lots of explaining to do.”

The feeling of having been kept in the dark for so long and being offered a glimpse of illumination was suddenly too tempting and he just had to know what was going on.

“Din,” he called. “I want to hear what they have to say.”

His husband paused, conflicted, before letting them in.
“If anyone upsets him again, they’ll be forcibly removed from Concordia” he warned.

He heard their footsteps as they filed in and then they appeared in the living room - a sad, sorry motley bunch with red eyes and pale downturned faces. Even Paz appeared to have shrunk several sizes in his armour.

Din was quick to take his place at Luke side again and drape his arm around his shoulders while the others found a place to sit down.

They all looked like they wanted to rush towards him but held themselves back.
Leia struggled the most with knowing she couldn’t approach him. She fidgeted her hands together and her ears drooped even more.

Luke steeled himself against them, keeping his face blank.

After a moment of awkward silence, Leia was the first to speak.
“Luke, I’m…we’re so sorry! Our intention was never to hurt you. We thought we were doing the right thing by not adding to your stress with the truth, but we see now that we had been wrong in doing that.”

“And what is this ‘truth’ you keep referencing?” Luke asked, tone flat and impatient.

All of them seemed to waver and glance between them. Luke knew before they had to say anything but still wanted the confirmation.

“Well…” Leia began, unsure how best to tell him. She gestured between herself and the others.
“We all got on together so much that we became caught up in a sexual-romantic relationship with each other.”

Again, Luke just stared blankly at them. “And? What made you think you had to keep this a secret from me?”

She flushed a little and lowered her eyes. “We didn’t want to stress you out by making you worry about us…and we didn’t want you to think that we came here with a hidden agenda.
Our visit really was purely to see you. This just…happened.”

“That’s fine. I believe you,” Luke told her. “I didn’t expect you to be hanging out with me the whole time. You should know that you’re free to have a social life here outside of me…but why did you think I would be ‘stressed’ by learning of your relationships?”

“Because you care so much about all of us. You would worry about whether it would effect me and Han’s marriage or if each of our needs were being met.”

Sighing, he looked her directly in the eye. “If I was doing something that I knew would make you worry, would you want me to just not talk to you about it and keep it a big secret from you?”

His unflappable ferocious Alpha sister flushed and bowed her head in shame. “…No.”

“If I may interject,” Din started, drawing all eyes towards him.
“When you first came to Concordia, I was worried about things with Paz putting strain on your marriage and Luke told me that you were all adults who could consent to and navigate a poly relationship if you wanted to.
You do not give him enough credit for his emotional levelheadedness, and I believe there is perhaps some subconscious secondary gender discrimination there.”

That got a reaction out of them. Luke could feel their shock as clearly as he could read the horrified expressions on their faces.

“Maybe…maybe you are right…” Leia admitted, guilt straining her features. “I-I’m sorry, Luke! It’s my fault. I was the one who pushed to keep it a secret. It’s just…”
She trailed off and seemed to grapple for composure for a second before starting again.

“It’s just…I remember seeing you after…what happened with your last pregnancy.
I was so scared of anything like that ever happening again and would have done whatever it took to prevent it. I wanted to keep you safe from anything that might cause you worry-”

“So, you act all weird and distant while shutting me out instead?” Luke cut her off, raising an eyebrow.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you all bailing on me all the time? And when we were together, making it obvious you would rather be somewhere else? How do you think that that felt?
I’ll tell you. It felt like the people I consider family view me as a chore. Someone they are obligated to put up with.
That was multitudes more distressing than finding out you are in a relationship!”

It was as if someone cut the strings keeping them all upright and they sagged in their seats.
Leia covered her face with her hands and let out a few whimpering sobs while a grim-faced Han reached out a comforting hand to her shoulder.

Luke sighed and softened his tone, addressing all of them this time.
“Look, I can see now that you guys did care about me and it was a case of doing the worst thing with the best intentions.
I’m inclined to forgive you this time. But from now on, let me know when you plan to do stuff with one another so that we can plan around it.
And don’t agree to spend time with me if you aren’t actually in the space to, because I can see when that’s the case.
I‘m not going to ask to see any of you for awhile. I’ll leave that up to you when you reach out.
However, if you arrange to see me then treat me like an obligation, then I will be less forgiving. Does that sound fair?”

They all agreed. He could feel their answering hope and gratitude as they nodded to him.

“Great,” he said. “Now each of you, please give me a hug then, with all due respect, get out.
I want to finish this movie with Din and Chewie then go to bed.”

Things improved drastically from then on. Following his first stilted catch up with each of them after their talk, they were able to ease back into their usual close friendship.

Leia was still riddled with guilt and going above and beyond to make it up to Luke, but he didn’t mind all the extra cuddles - even allowing her into the nest in his Tooka den.
She genuinely enjoyed fussing over him as she used to in the Rebellion, and by this stage in their relationship, he knew it was a kindness to let her rather than modestly try to stop her from over-indulging him.

It was also a kindness, when he extended the ‘privilege’ of brushing his tail to Han, Paz and Cara as well - though Leia and Chewie got miffed about not being able to do it as much now that they had to wait their turn.

He was also very happy to see them all so taken with each other.

Less so, when he walked in on Leia and Cara making out passionately in a supply closet.

Apparently, Leia was now dating both Paz and Cara. Meanwhile, Paz and Han were enjoying a bit of sexual exploration but had more of a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement.

Whatever it was, the situation obviously suited them all very well. There was even talk of both Paz and Cara taking turns to visit Han and Leia in Courscant after the kits were born and they could apply for a bit of leave.

Everything was going well again.

There was only one fly in the ointment.

Paz seemed to have taken the notion of being ‘open and honest’ with him a bit too far, and he could feel the tension building within him again.

Luke was glad to have cleared the air between him and his adopted brother.
And he was happy for him regarding what he had going on with Leia and Han, he really was.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to keep having evidence of it shoved in his face.

Between having been so laid up with morning sickness, then dealing with the overwhelming adoration of his people when he just felt like he wanted to be invisible and THEN period of stress with his boneheaded family members - hanging out with Paz was refreshing while he waited for Din to finish his work.

He hadn’t realised just how much he needed this really chill space with him until it seemed like he didn’t have it anymore.
It was a huge relief that they were back to being ok with each other.

Unfortunately, with this new development, Luke found himself having to take deep calming breaths often to keep from lashing out in hormone-fuelled anger. Succumbing to it would undoubtedly make things weird again.

Though, try as he might, when Paz continued to groan loudly every time he got up to fetch a tool and sat back down next to him again, he felt his restraint begin to fray.

“Oh come on, Paz! Why can’t you just suffer in silence?”

The big man’s blue helmet tilted towards him as he worked on the opposite side of his ships turbo-thruster that they were adding modifications to.

He shrugged. “I can’t help it. I haven’t taken an Alpha’s knot since I was teenager in the barracks if the Fighting Corps. I’d forgotten how sore you feel afterwards!”

Pausing to concentrate on a fiddly bit of wiring, he then added, “still, it’s more than worth it to keep nailing your sister.”

The casual air with which he delivered that statement made Luke grind his jaw.

Really?

Yes, he was glad to have a Mandalorian besides Din who wasn’t constantly bowing and scraping towards him.
Even so, could he not have at least some respect?

“Y’know, I found you hot at first. Not that you aren’t still very attractive, but you’re too much my brother now to want to bang you.
I wouldn’t have, of course, coz you’re with Djarin…but you know what I mean.”

Luke sighed. Apparently not.

Oblivious to his increasing annoyance, Paz blundered on.
“Dunno if you remember when we met at the shipyard and I started talking to Din about the ‘mysterious pilot’ who blew up the Death Star and how I would challenge them to a spar for their hand in marriage if ever I met them?”

Luke nodded stiffly, keeping his gaze down on the tube he was replacing.
Yes, he remembered that extremely awkward situation just fine without needing to be reminded.

“Well, I then said in Mando’a that at the very least I would suck their cock.”

His eyes darted over to Paz then and he surveyed him uneasily. “Where exactly are you going with this, Vod?”

“Hey, hey! Nothing like that!” Paz defended, raising the hand holding the spanner.
“Just that I never could have imagined I’d be saying that in front of the man himself. This galaxy sure is a crazy place! Especially with anything that includes your space wizard shit.”

Releasing the breath he had been holding, Luke felt himself relax. If that’s all he had to say on the matter then he could take it.
Even the comment about his ‘space wizard shit.’

Despite trying to explain the Force to him many times, it was like Paz wanted to remain wilfully ignorant. While he knew the Mandalorian was a bit freaked out by it all, there was definitely an element of just wanting to wind him up.

There were a few minutes of blessed silence before Paz had to work his mouth again.
“Yeah, I was so embarrassed when Din brought you back after those weeks you were gone and told me it had been you all long! After I had recovered from the shock, that is.”

“Yeah,” Luke muttered. “Too small to fly an X-wing, my ass!”

Paz snorted a laugh. “Sorry, but have you seen yourself?” He asked, waving the spanner at him. “You’re tiny!”

Maybe it was the hormones but he couldn’t let that one slide. “I’m big enough to put you in the dirt. Remember Dagobah?”

“Hey! That doesn’t count and we don’t talk about it!”

It was very satisfying to get one over him after all the bantha shit he’d had to listen to since finding out about Paz’s nighttime activities.
For a moment, Luke thought he may just have subdued him into abandoning his chattiness that more often than not became quite uncomfortable as of late.

All hope of that was dashed when the hulking form began shaking with repressed laughter.

Luke tried to ignore it at first but then he rolled his eyes and turned to Paz. “What?”

Shaking his head, Paz sat back on his haunches and wiped his bare hands in the rag beside him.

“Just remembering that when I was able to talk again, I said to Din that since there was no way I’d be sucking your cock, could I nibble the end of your tail instead!”

He had to admit, that was kinda funny. He laughed along with Paz and they both lapsed easily back into companionable silence.

Their banter had gone relatively alright considering it’s very dubious start.
Luke’s mood felt a lot lighter and he let out a short purr, leaning forward to get a better look as he screwed the panel cover back into place.

Paz grunted, finishing up with the wiring.
“If I’d known back then that one day, I’d fuck that pilots sister instead, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been happy with that too.”

Aaaand good mood gone.

Luke let his head drop forward, banging into the panel he had just put back on his end of the turbo-thruster.

When he heard Paz start to talk again, something in him snapped and he just couldn’t hear a single word more. He. Just. Couldn’t.

Leaping to his feet, he rounded on Paz, cutting him off from whatever he’d been about to say.
“You know what?! You’re about to be even happier, because I will a hundred percent stuff my tail into your mouth to get you to SHUT UP! Now, get ready for it!”

He pounced, sending the two of them sprawling onto the shipyard floor.

“WHA-!” Paz yelled in shock as his back hit the ground and he struggled against the Tooka that was suddenly bearing down on him. “Luke, what the fuck?!”

“That’s it, Ori’Vod, open wide! Here it comes!” Luke grabbed the end of his tail and started to feed it under the bigger mans helmet.

“No! Stop it!” He tried to sit up and push Luke away but he used the Force to pin him down.
When he realised what was happening and that he couldn’t move his upper body, Paz started to panic a little, kicking his legs uselessly.

Luke shushed him and proceeded with threading in his tail. “Shhh. Easy! Settle, Petal. I know you’re excited but let me get it in there for you.”

Held tight by the invisible weight around him, Paz couldn’t even turn his head away. All he could do was kick and shout in protest.
“You CRAZY Omega! Get off of me!”

“There we go!” Luke exclaimed, using the opportunity to slip the end of his tail that he had just managed to squeeze past the seal into the pinioned man’s open mouth.

He immediately tried to spit it out, yells muffled by his thick fur, but Luke was unrelenting.

“Eat it!” He cried, straddling Paz’s chest with one hand on his tail and one hand braced against the blue helmet. “Come on, Eat it! You know you want to! Om nom nom!”

Bucking his lower body in a vain attempt to unmount him, Paz screamed louder. “Aaaaaggghhh! Luke!”

“Yeah! Call my name!”

Luke could feel the warm wetness of his mouth and the movements of his tongue as he worked frantically to try and eject the appendage, all the while sputtering against his fur.

Only when he managed to get the end of his tail fully inside and Paz started to gag did he pull back.

With a smug grin, he stood, releasing his Force grip as he did so and held out his hand to help him up.

Paz just laid there for a bit, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath.

Then he lifted his head weakly and mumbled “you…you’re a madman, you know that?”

Luke shrugged. “What can I say? I’m my sisters brother. I thought you liked her brand of crazy.”

“Not the same,” he replied, flopping his head back on the ground and looking utterly wrecked. “She’s never tried to choke me with her tail.”

“Pity. Maybe you should make a special request next time you go at each other,” Luke commented sniffily.

Paz exhaled in a loud huff and turned his helmet to look up at him with the least amount of effort. “I actually can’t believe you. Din was right to give you the title ‘Luke the Unpredictable.’ Gods!”

Mention of that name made Luke smile. He loved it when Din called him that.

Suddenly Paz coughed and rolled onto his front to lift himself into a crouch, where he made hacking noises into his helmet.
“Ugh! I’ve got your fur in my mouth!” He tried to spit the hairs out, shaking his head vigorously in frustration. “Ugh! Ughhhhh! It tastes weird! What shampoo do you use? Pyeh! Ugh! What is that?!”

“That, my friend, is the sweet taste of poetic justice.”

Paz cocked his head at Luke in a way that told him there would be a very pissed off look underneath his helmet just about then.
That and the waves of irritation coming off him in the Force.

He pulled himself to his feet, groaning again.
“I need to go into my ship to take helmet off and get them out.” As he shuffled away, Luke distinctly heard him mutter “bitch,” under his breath.

“I heard that.”

“Good! You ARE a crazy little bitch!”

“Love you, Ori’Vod!”

Paz flipped him off before closing the ramp to his ship behind him.

Luke laughed, feeling better already.

Until Paz came back looking very sorry for himself and loudly protesting each movement.

“I still can’t believe you attacked me like that! Especially when you know how sore I am.”

Oh, kark! Not this again! He rolled his eyes from where he had already moved onto preparing the next installation.

“Paz, please! Don’t be such a baby! I’ve taken a knot bigger than Han’s and my ass is significantly smaller than yours!”

“Ughhh!” His friend recoiled in disgust. “I do NOT need to know about Din’s knot!”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed triumphantly. “Just like I do NOT need to know about any of my sisters body parts, nor what you do with them.”

Paz lifted a finger to argue but stopped himself short. He was quiet for a few seconds considering, then his shoulders slumped.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just… thought you wanted us to be open.”

“Not that open!” Luke admonished. “I meant I don’t want you to lie to me or keep me in the dark about what’s going on!
All I needed to know is that you guys have a sexual relationship that everyone willingly entered into and you’re all happy. I don’t need any lewd details.”

He put his hands on his hips. “Like, I let you know about my sexual history with Han but I didn’t go into a blow by blow account or make any smutty quips. Imagine how you would feel if Han tried to do that about me.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Paz sighed. “And Han did try to do that once but both Leia and I smacked him.”

Smiling, Luke put the pliers down and came to sit next to his brother. “Exactly. Sooo…are we good?”

“We’re good.” He held out his enormous fist for Luke to bump with his own.
Then he sighed again. “To be honest, I guess I just kinda enjoyed having someone to talk to about sex. I have lots of buddies, just not really any other close friends besides you and Din - and trying to get anything sex-related out of him is like trying to squeeze water out of a rock!”

Luke chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve noticed he is very private with everyone except me. Would you believe when it’s just the two of us, he can be quite verbose?”

“Djarin? Verbose?” Paz scoffed. “Didn’t think those two things belonged in the same sentence. That’s some power you’ve got there, Orikih Jetii.”

That made Luke grin. He glanced over at the other man thoughtfully, biting his lip, then swivelled around to face him.
“I’ll tell you what. I’m ok with sex talk regarding pretty much anyone except Leia.
She’s just… it’s not only because she’s my sister. She pretty much acted like a mother to me after rescuing her and…after Aunt Beru died…”
He trailed off, feeling his throat closing up at the thought of his Aunt.

Paz must have seen what he was thinking, because he warmly grasped his shoulder. “I get it. Mother figures need to be kept sacred.”

“Yes!” Luke cried, glad his friend was able to concisely breakdown what he was struggling to convey.

“Does that mean we can even talk about Han?” Paz asked hopefully, and Luke had to laugh again.

“Yes, we can even talk about Han.”

“Great!” He cried, putting down his tools and also swivelling to face Luke.

“So, I gotta ask. When Han used to knot you, did he ever…” he gestured vaguely with his hands trying to find the words.

Fortunately, Luke already knew what he was referring to.
“Talk to you like you’re the Millennium Falcon? Yeah, every time.”

“Right?! Yeah! That’s definitely what it feels like!” Paz snapped his fingers at Luke then shook his head. “I’m actually kinda relieved it’s not just me. He doesn’t do it to Leia.”

Luke huffed. “No, he doesn’t. I’ve asked her about that before and she said the same.
I’m guessing because he’s actually in love with her and it’s not just a ‘friends with benefits’ situation. Either way, she gets a completely different Han Solo experience.”

“I wonder if it's on purpose or if he doesn’t realise he’s doing it.”

“It was hard to tell sometimes.” Luke shrugged.
“I always swayed more to the belief that it was subconscious, but there were instances when I came away not really sure. It seemed way too blatant to be anything other than deliberate.”

Positioning his hands in front of him like he was holding invisible hips, he imitated the smugglers drawl.
“Come on, baby, give me just a little more leverage. That’s it, nice and smooth. Work it for me. A little more power in the thrust. That’s it! Yeah! Yeah!”

Paz flopped down on his back, roaring with laughter. “Gods! It’s scary how well you do that!”

“Trust me, when you’ve heard it as often as I have, you could re-enact it in your sleep,” Luke grinned wickedly.

With another mirthful hoot, Paz sat up again and ruffled his hair.

“Do you get to nail him too?” Luke asked curiously. “Or is it a one way thing?”

“At the moment, it’s a one way thing.” He replied. “Leia said to keep it that way until Han relaxes into the new dynamic more. She said that, though he would never admit it, I make him feel a bit insecure.”

“I figured,” Luke nodded thoughtfully. “Seeing you two blowing up Jabba’s barge, it was easy to pick up on the attraction between you.
Also, Han’s always been quite touchy about the fact that he isn’t particularly big for an Alpha.
A huge Beta like you is always going to trigger his shit.”

Paz grunted. “Apparently, it was Han who suggested that she seek me out for sex on the journey back to the Rebel Fleet after Tatooine.
He was too sick to do anything with her and he was aware that he had been out of it for several months. He wanted her to get her needs met still.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” Luke raised his knees to his chest and rested his arms on them.
“He can be quite selfless in the moment when it comes to Leia, but then his insecurities eat away at him afterwards.
He probably also thought that they wouldn’t be seeing much more of you after that.”

“Hmm,” the bigger man nodded thoughtfully.

Luke bit his lip, deliberating over whether to bring up a related sensitive topic.
His brother was a typical Mandalorian in that he could be quite volatile in his emotions, but this was a perfect opportunity to broach it, and he didn’t know when he would be able to organically bring it up again.

‘Oh, kark it!’ He thought, and cleared his throat.

“So…it’s great that you have this sexual relationship with Leia and Han, but… what are you going to do about Val?”

He was, of course, referring to the pretty, raven-haired Mandalorian Beta male with the yellow armour. The one that he met after an unfortunate incident a couple of months ago.

The one who made Paz become uncharacteristically shy and quiet.

As expected, Paz’s demeanour abruptly became closed off and he picked up his tools again, bending his head over the turbo-thruster.

“What about him?”

“Come on, Paz!” Luke exclaimed, nudging him with his foot. “I know you, and you can’t hide the fact that you like him from me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Paz snapped, then in a small sulky voice added “he doesn’t feel the same. End of story.”

Luke had to clamp his mouth shut to avoid yelling at him for being an oblivious, dumb idiot.

It was pretty clear to everyone that Val had it bad for Paz.

Everyone except his stupid brother, that is.

Mind you, Val was equally oblivious, mistaking Paz’s gruffness and aloof manner for annoyance or dislike.

Luke had tried on multiple occasions to encourage them to talk to each other, without giving away how the other party felt, as that wasn’t his place.

Each time he ended up wanting to bang his head against a wall.

Which was beginning to look inevitable yet again.

Instead, he took a deep steadying breath and asked “what makes you think that?”

Paz fiddled with his spanner sullenly, gaze averted.

“He just sees me as his superior. Nothing more.
He won’t let go of all that hierarchical bantha shit, calling me ‘Alor’ even after I gave him my name a few weeks after you met him.
He is holding me at arms length, which tells me quite clearly that he wants to keep things professional.”

“What if he’s just shy and doesn’t know how to try and talk to you without the framework of hierarchical bantha shit?” Luke countered, but his brother just scoffed.

“I doubt it. And it’s not just that…” He sighed.
“He is so pretty and young and brilliant. I’m a big oaf from a strict creed that doesn’t allow me to show my face to anyone who isn’t Clan.
Why would he have any interest in an old relic like me when he can be with someone his age with all the freedoms that he has?”

A headache was coming on. Luke rubbed his temples and pressed forward.
“You are only ten years older than him. That’s the same age gap between me and Din. Also, you are making a lot of assumptions about what he wants.”

“Why wouldn’t he want a man closer to his age who can take his kriffing helmet off so they can kiss or even share a meal together in public?” Paz said angrily.
“Why wouldn’t he want someone more sleek and agile, like him, instead of a cumbersome metal-headed tank - whose face he can’t see until after marriage! And that’s even assuming he prefers men! What if I’m not even the right gender?”

Luke didn’t mean to laugh, he really didn’t, but Paz seriously believing that Val was in anyway attracted to women - let alone preferred them over men - was hilarious.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He wheezed, trying to bring himself back under control as Paz made to stand up and leave.

“Sit down, Vod. I just found that funny because Val is…well, Val is like me: incredibly gay and attracted to larger men that can dominate him.”

Paz faltered before sitting back down as he was told. “How do you know?”

“Because we’re friends now and we talk,” Luke told him matter-of-factly.

“And he told you that?” He asked, perking up a bit.

“More or less,” Luke shrugged.

He sat still, considering it, then shrugged. “It still doesn’t mean he will like me specifically.”

If Luke wasn’t pregnant, he would have Force-thrown him into the nearest solid object.
Kriff, he was so frustrating!

“But,” he started with strained patience, “you now know you are exactly his type.”

He switched tactics. “Look, having sexual partners is all well and good but I know you want a Riduur of your own, and I know that Val is who you had set your heart set on.
Just try asking him out. The worst he can say is no and then you can go though the motions of healing and moving on. At least you’ll know and never wonder what could have been.
OR you gain a romantic partner who you can be happy with. Either way, it’s better than doing nothing.”

Paz sighed. “Maybe…I’ll think about it. Can we just drop it for now and talk about something else?”

“Sure,” Luke answered simply, glad to have said his piece and planted the seed in his mind.

It carried on like that, the two of them chatting easily about sex then drifting organically to talk about other things as they finished up the modification and installed the turbo-thruster back into Paz’s ship.

They continued their discourse as Paz walked Luke back to the Royal chambers. The sun was starting to set and Din would be home by now.

As Luke started to type in the code on the wall consul to open the front door, it suddenly opened in front of them.
The imposing figure of his husband, still in full armour loomed in the entryway.

“Ah good, you’re both here. Can I see you two in my office for a moment?”

Luke and Paz looked at each other briefly then nodded. Something in his voice gave Luke pause and he could feel his prickle of anticipation mirrored in Paz.

They followed him to the office, all the while Luke trying to get a read on Din, but he had become very good at masking his emotions when he wanted to, because he got nothing.

When they got there, Din sat down at his desk and navigated his screen to find something. Then he turned the screen around for them to see.

What they saw was the shipyard from a raised view overlooking the end where Paz’s ship was parked. They could see it there now, and in front of it sat themselves tinkering away on the turbo-blaster.

Security footage. Luke winced.

A second later, he watched as he stood up and yelled at Paz, then jumped on him and started forcing his tail under his brothers helmet.

“The shipyard security found this when going back over the footage,” Din explained calmly in his low voice. “They sent it to me in case it was something I should see. Care to explain what’s going on here?”

Luke looked at Paz.

Paz looked at Luke.

“I have to tell him,” Luke said apologetically.

“No!” Paz shook his head. “You don’t. I’m putting it on the banned list.”

“You can’t just put it on the banned list after it’s been caught on security cams.”

“I just did.”

“But we had already been called out on it.”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s on the banned list.”

“My Alpha has given me a direct request. I literally can’t resist that. It’s against my biology.”

“I’m pretty sure you could, you just don’t want to.”

“I’m telling him.”

“No! Don’t you-”

He didn’t get to finish. Taking a deep breath, Luke turned back to Din and let it all out.

“Paz was annoying me by harping on about sex with Han and Leia and then he happened to tell me that when you told him I was the pilot who blew up the Death Star, he asked you if he could nibble my tail. He pissed me off so much that I decided to stuff my tail in his mouth to get him to shut up and it did actually work because then we had a talk about feelings and stuff and worked out some healthy boundaries, so really you should be proud of us.”

Din just stared at him for a second and Luke really wished he could get an inkling as to what he was feeling. He looked between him and Paz then sighed in exasperation.

“Well, Paz, you did deserve that - but Luke, you know you shouldn’t be rough-housing whilst pregnant. You need to think about our babies.”

Part of Luke wanted to argue that it wasn’t really rough-housing because he held Paz down with the Force and nothing he did was strenuous or impacted his womb.
However, a little voice in his mind told him that he had still been a little too reckless and worried his husband, who was just as nervous about the baby as he was after what happened with his last pregnancy.
Plus there was the fact that he should be abstaining from using the Force as much as possible until after giving birth.

So instead, he hung his head in remorse.
“I’m sorry, Din. It won’t happen again.”

“Thank you, Cyar’ika,” Din accepted his apology and reached out for him.

When Luke scampered into his arms, Paz did his usual opt out.

“Yeesh, I can see where this gonna go. Later guys, I’m going to find go find one of my own lovers.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Luke called jokingly to his retreating form.

Paz turned to stare at him in confusion. “After today, I don’t even know what that list includes anymore.”

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

Feeling annoyed and put out by his friends was very unbecoming of a Jedi, Luke reminded himself for the hundredth time that day alone.

Then again, according to the old Jedi order, so was getting married and knocked up - yet here he was.

He tried so hard to maintain his compassion and understanding, but between his own health issues and all of his family’s bantha shit these past few weeks, his patience was being stretched to its limit.

Just as one situation was cleared up and he thought that he could finally FINALLY relax, another situation took its place where he had to be the emotionally mature adult guiding his loved ones.

Dank Farrick! It just wasn’t FAIR! Why was it so hard to catch a break?!

He was the Omega AND pregnant! Why couldn’t HE be the one regressing into an unreasonable ball of emotion or losing his shit while someone helped HIM through his experience??

Why was he constantly having to play baby-sitter to these grown ass Alpha’s and Beta’s??
Din was right: he didn’t get nearly enough credit!

After salvaging the visit from Han, Leia and Chewie when some secret shenanigans nearly derailed the whole thing, they had managed to have a wonderful time together.

But unfortunately, they had left to go back to Courscant a few days ago.

Which meant that there was very little to distract his big brother from how unhappy he was about his seemingly unrequited feelings for another Beta.

Luke knew better.

The other Beta in question did indeed return his feelings and was suffering from his own erroneous sense of being spurned.

Sweet, beautiful Val was lovely and so perfect for Paz in every way.
How he wished they would just cut the crap and get together already!

It tore him apart to see each of them so heartbroken over each other, something that had only been getting worse.

When Denora, the toymaker who made Jasper, revealed that Val had been hired to help her fill orders for the Tooka Plushie she designed, Luke excitedly asked him about it.
Val sighed despondently, telling him how he had bumped into Paz while going home with a basket of materials to practice.
He feared Paz thought he was silly and ‘lame’ for making toys instead of devoting more time to honing his warrior skills.

In contrast, Paz was devastated all over again from being confronted with how sweet Val was, and how he would make the perfect Buir for any foundlings he adopted.
He lamented his ‘fruitless’ dream of adopting foundlings together and watching Val be soft and loving with them.

Luke would never forget how, after weeks of trying to get them to talk to each other, Paz had started his recent poly arrangement with Han, Leia and Cara.
Of course, Val caught wind of it and had been utterly crushed, despite Luke’s assurances that Paz still wanted a committed long-term relationship outside of that.

The whole situation was ridiculous but Luke couldn’t talk sense into either of them.
He felt so helpless and churned up inside after each interaction with them that he could feel his little developing kits getting restless too.
It was then a job to settle both himself and the kits down, releasing all their emotions into the Force.

At first, he thought it best not to tell Din about it as he didn’t want to worry him - but his very astute husband could always tell when something was up.
When Luke confessed what was going on after Din could feel the restless thrumming inside his belly, he was indeed worried.

“If they aren’t going to listen to you, Cyar’ika, then maybe you should detach yourself from the situation. You have enough to deal with right now.”

Luke sighed. “But I would still be able to feel their misery in the Force and worry about them.”

To which Din had no response.

And so it continued with Luke trying in vain to steer the two idiots towards each other.

Until one night at dinner when he caught them throwing looks of abject despair at each other from across the dining hall and, finally, the last of his patience ran dry.

“Back in a minute,” he said to Din as he gently deposited Grogu into his lap and marched with a purpose towards Val.

He ignored the hasty bows and intonations of “Mand’arpatbaar” as he made his way over to the long table towards the back of the hall where the young man sat with his back to the Royal table.
It was surely an attempt to block out the sight of Paz, who was allowed to sit there as both Din and Luke’s adopted brother.

As such, Val didn’t see him coming until he was practically upon him, grabbing his arm to wrench him from his seat. “Ah! Luke??”

The young warriors he sat with jumped in surprise then scrambled to stand and show him proper respect.
Luke didn’t pay them any mind except to politely excuse him and his quarry, noting that some of them he recognised as Val’s siblings.

Without any explanation, he turned tail back the way he came.
Fortunately, the general hubhub continued in the rest of the hall as Luke dragged the hapless Mandalorian after him to the Royal banquet table.

Val obviously had only been watching him because after Luke shoved him down in the empty seat at the very end of the long table next to Paz, he froze up when he found himself in such close proximity to the object of his ardour.

Luke took a second to glare at them, noting Val’s reddened face and the tense set of Paz’s shoulders as he ducked his helmet.

“I’m so sick of you two and your pining!” He told them angrily.
“I’ve tried to push you to talk to each other but you’re both such stubborn kriffing Beskar brains who won’t let go of an idea once you’ve made your mind up!
Well, now I’m tired and hormonal and cannot be doing with this bantha shit anymore!”

With a fortifying breath, he singled out his first victim. “You!” He pointed to Val, who shrank back in his seat. “You have feelings for Paz, don’t you?”

The young man’s face flushed deeper into a shocking crimson hue and he looked away, letting his loose black hair fall into a curtain obscuring himself from Paz’s view.

“Yes…” He said quietly, mortified.

“And you!” Now Luke swung his finger in his brother’s direction. “You also have feelings for Val, right?”

Paz cleared his throat, sounding like he was choking on his own saliva. “Y-yeah.”

The look on Val’s face as he snapped round in his seat to gawp at Paz would have been funny if it hadn’t been SO LONG overdue.

“Great!” Luke chirped with mock cheerfulness. “Now, please can the two of you just…” He waved a hand between them.
“Talk! And, for the love of Manda, shag! Your sexual tension and hurt puppy emotions are stressing me out - which is stressing my kits out!
If I wasn’t pregnant, I could block it with the Force but right now I can’t, so I’m stuck with it until you two doofuses get your shit together!”

With that, he turned away from them and stomped back to his place beside Din in the middle of the table.

His husband had, of course, been watching the whole thing and tilted his helmet towards him in that way he did when exasperated.

“It was a bit of a low blow to tell them they were stressing the kits out,” he chided quietly.

“Maybe,” Luke agreed. “But I wasn’t lying. You’ve also witnessed how much they are tossing about in my tummy and kicking me lately. It’s always when I’m agitated by their idiotic self-sacrificing crap.”

Din hummed thoughtfully and took his hand, interlocking their fingers together.
“Well, hopefully them hearing each other’s forced admissions will have put an end to it now - for all our sakes, as well as the kits.”

“It had better,” Luke grumbled, leaning into him.

They continued to feed and play with Grogu, but Luke was pleased to see the infuriating pair were actually talking when he chanced a glance in their direction.

The feelings coming off them were lighter; more surprised and hopeful rather than the perpetual doom and gloom they had been.

Luke was pleased with himself - especially when they got up together and headed towards the door, Paz giving him a surreptitious thumbs up on the way.

Laughing, both he and Din gave a thumbs up back.

“A Royal Consort, a Jedi and a matchmaker,” Din chuckled. “All while pregnant as well. You’re a little powerhouse.”

Luke giggled. “Sometimes I even surprise myself.”

The next day, their little clan of three had breakfast in the antechamber as usual before coming to sit at their table again in the main hall.

They were surprised when Paz was one of the first to make it to the hall - very much alone.

Luke’s stomach sank. Had last night not gone well?
Reading his energy and body language, Paz didn’t seem upset at all.

As soon as he got close enough to their table, Luke jumped up out of his seat. “What happened? Where’s Val?”

“Uhh,” Paz rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Still asleep.”

Allowing that to sink in, Luke stared at him.

Then a slow grin stretched across his lips.

“If that’s the case, Vod, how come you’re here instead of wrapped around him?”

“I…” Paz cleared his throat, all but squirming under his scrutiny. “I thought I would get some breakfast and bring it back to him. He might still be…sore.”

He faltered as he said the last part, as if he had accidentally let something slip that he hadn’t planned to, and both Luke and Din cracked up.

“So, it went well then, I take it?” Luke asked.

“Yeah,” Paz replied, sounding like he was still getting his head round it himself. “He really is very agile and…flexible.”

“You’re welcome, by the way,” Luke said smugly.

Paz shuffled his feet a little, then said in a low, sincere voice “seriously though, thanks Vod. I can’t…tell you enough.”

Luke could feel himself beaming from ear to ear. “My pleasure! Though you weren’t a fan of my methods at the time, you have to admit: I’m the best wingman!”

“Yeah, I guess,” Paz huffed a laugh. “And my favourite baby brother.” Turning to Din, he said quickly “Sorry, runt.”

Din waved the apology aside. “No offence taken. I wouldn’t have the patience to deal with your pining, so he should definitely be your favourite.”

After sharing a laugh and getting his hair affectionately ruffled, Luke helped Paz get some breakfast put into takeaway containers then sent him on his way.
“Go feed and satisfy your new lover,” he said with a wink. “If he’s being a workaholic and tries getting up, tell him it’s a direct order from the Royal couple.”

Paz gave him a lazy salute then was on his way, and Luke went about the rest of the day feeling like a million credits for having helped two people he cared about get together, ending their suffering (as well as his).

It wasn’t until the afternoon that Val emerged, fresh and glowing, running up to Luke to attack him with the biggest hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m so happy!”

“I’m just glad to see you smiling,” Luke told him, returning the hug.

When they pulled apart Luke smirked, eyeing him up and down. He recognised the look of a well-fucked twink from his own reflection in the mirror most days.

“So? Breakfast in bed? Morning sex? Was he good to you?”

“Yes to all of the above,” Val giggled. His hazel-green eyes gleamed with mischief.
“I’ll admit, after ‘pining’ for several months, I was a bit demanding. He called me a brat.” He said it proudly like it was a badge of honour.

Then his smile softened. “He asked if he could officially court me. He is such a big softie - so traditional and chivalrous. It’s really cute!”

“Yeah, my brother is adorable - whether he realises it or not,” Luke agreed. “Can you see now why I was nagging you to just talk to him?”

“I can,” Val stated, expression dimming into an apologetic grimace. “Luke, I’m so sorry for any trouble I’ve caused you. You know I would never want to hurt you or your kits.”

A twinge of remorse burned in Luke’s chest. “I know, and maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I was just so frustrated. But I don’t want you and Paz to feel guilty when you were going through pain.”

Val flashed him a grateful smile and pulled him in for another heartfelt hug, which Luke returned.
When they pulled back he ducked his head then shyly glanced up at him.

“So…I’m guessing that Paz sometimes spoke about me?”

Luke bit his lip to hold back his wicked grin. “He did.”

“Would you…tell me what he said?”

Folding his arms across his chest, Luke shook his head. “Nope. I’m no snitch…not for free anyway.”

Val leaned forward conspiratorially. “Name your price.”

Thinking about it for a second, Luke perked up his ears and tail. “Some blue milk and a Tooka Plushie for each of my kits when they are born, and you’ve yourself a deal.”

“Consider it done,” the other man shook his hand and they snickered like teenagers.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

1.) Revenge

In hindsight, Luke should have known that his deal with Val would come back to bite him.
He was chilling on the couch one afternoon and said good bye to his guards as they clocked off from their shift ready for the next lot to start.

Barely a minute later, Paz’s booming voice made him jump.

“Vod! Did you tell Val all the things I said to you about my feelings for him?!”

Luke looked up with wide eyes, a flush spreading across his cheeks as he realised he had been caught out.

“Um…y-yes - but only after you guys got together! I promise! I was being really careful not to tell either of you about the others feelings before that!”

His brothers massive bulk loomed in the doorway, arms folded across his chest as he tilted his helmet down at him.

“That doesn’t matter! I told you that in confidence! I didn’t want him knowing all those sappy things I said. At least not this early on in the relationship!”

“I-I’m sorry!” He cried, and he really was. “He kinda cornered me and asked me directly. I didn’t think you would mind if you now both knew of each others feelings and were courting.”

“Well, you should’ve asked me first!” Paz groaned in frustration.
Embarrassment leaked through his armour and Luke cringed in remorse.

“I really am sorry, Vod. I will definitely ask in future.”

The big man’s shoulders slumped as he let out a hearty sigh. “I believe you are sorry, and I guess I’m not mad anymore. However, this is not over.
I need to make sure you’ve learnt your lesson.”

Luke’s stomach sank at those last words and he flicked his tail in consternation. “What…what are you going to do?”

“Ohhhh, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, Vod” Paz drawled and Luke could practically hear the smirk that was no doubt on his face.

Needless to say, Luke was worried.

He didn’t have too long to wait to find out though.

Only a few days later, he was strolling with Din through the markets when they noticed a bit of a crowd gathering by the flower stall.

Both were intrigued at what could possibly be attracting so many people, so they headed over.

It seemed that everyone was excitedly purchasing bouquets of roses. Luke blinked and looked up at Din.
“Is it some kind of Mandalorian holiday that involves roses today?”

“…Not that I know of” Din replied, sounding equally confused.

As if to answer their question, the flower merchants voice rang out across the market.
“Only a dozen Mand’arpatbaar salads left! First come, first served!”

Luke froze, realisation like a cold sinking weight in his gut. “Noooo…” he breathed in disbelief. “He didn’t.”

They got close enough to see the banner advertising their new special for ‘Mand’arpatbaar salads’ with a picture of a rose bouquet.
To add insult to injury, their was a little disclaimer underneath that read ‘not actually for consumption.’

Shock gave way to anger. “Paz!” He seethed.

Din glanced at him, his nervousness tangible even without the Force. “I promise you, I didn’t tell him, Cyar’ika.”

“No,” Luke said slowly. “But you told Leia.”

It was his husbands turn to freeze up. “Ah.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not blaming you” Luke assured him. “Let’s go. I need to find that mofo and go full berserker mode on his big blue ass!”

He stomped off back in the direction of the palace with Din trailing worriedly behind him.
“Remember you are pregnant, my love. You can’t get physical or use the Force on him.”

“Ha! I won’t need to. You can come spectate if it makes you feel better. Just don’t try and tip him off.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Riduur” Din said, and he sounded earnest.

A brief visit to the palace guards central office showed he wasn’t on duty. Since Val currently was, they knew they weren’t together.
Luke could hazard a guess where he was though, and sure enough, when they found his ship in its usual spot at the docking station, there were his legs sticking out from under it.

“What are you up to, Vod?” Luke asked casually as he sidled up to the part of the ship under which Paz was working. “Doing repairs without me?”

“No, just basic maintenance and now an oil change. Nothing interesting” the big man replied, dangerously unaware of the trap being woven around him.
“Since you’re here though, you can help pass me some stuff. I want to finish up and get out of here as grime-free as possible. Got a date with Val once he’s finished his shift.”

The perfect opportunity for revenge presented itself, and Luke seized it with relish.

As Paz carefully opened the nozzle with a bucket poised underneath to catch the dirty oil, Luke gave him a good hard kick - catching him by surprise and jogging him enough that oil poured over his chest plate.

“Kriff Luke! What the karking hell do you think you’re doing?!” Paz shouted.

“You told everyone about the rose thing!” Luke screamed back at him. “Now I’m the laughing stock of Mandalore and the flower merchant is using it as a marketing gimmick!”

Paz swung himself out from beneath the ship and stared up at him, one hand wiping uselessly at the mess on his armour.
“You told Val about private feelings I confided in you!”

“Yes, I admit that was bad - but it was telling ONE person about things that they kind of already knew the gist of now that you confessed your feelings to each other and are together!
You blabbed one of my biggest embarrassments to everyone!”

“I only told the merchant!” Paz argued.

“Yeah, knowing that they would tell everyone and use it to their advantage!” Luke raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
“You took your ‘lesson’ way too far and humiliated me to the whole kingdom!”

“I did no such thing!”

The stared at each other breathing heavily.

Then Paz grabbed a cloth and started mopping at his chest plate. “Look, I didn’t tell them the whole story, ok? I told them that it was an inside joke between you and Din - calling a bunch of roses a salad because of how edible they look.”

Luke wavered. “So…no one knows about what actually happened…about me eating Din’s roses?”

“No,” Paz sighed. “Just thought it would be funny to freak you out for a bit, thinking they did.”

Letting that sink in, he felt a twinge of remorse for his actions. He grabbed another cloth and also started wiping oil off Paz’s chest plate.
The gaps in his armour showed that his flight suit underneath had also been sullied by the oil.

“I’m sorry about your armour and clothes. I hope it doesn’t ruin your date with Val.”

His brother huffed a small laugh. “The Beskar should be fine. It doesn’t stain. I’ll have time to give it a quick wash and change into another flight suit before I see Val. This flight suit is probably ruined though.”

“Bring it over on the way to see Val, and I can wash it for you” Luke told him. “Wearing all light colours in the desert while also doing a lot of mechanics meant I learned all the tricks in getting rid of oil stains.”

“Thanks, Vod” Paz chuckled, nudging him lightly with his elbow since his hands were full of oily cloth.

Luke nudged him back, a tiny smile on his face.

“And thank YOU for just standing by like a useless sack of shit, Djarin!” Paz called over to where Din leaned against the wall in the shadows some distance away.

“I just let him come and watch because he was worried I would get too physical with you whilst pregnant,” Luke spoke up in his defence.

“Oh, I see. No concern for your brother then? Eh, runt?”

“Nope,” Din scoffed. “You would have deserved to get your ass kicked.”

Luke laughed at Paz’s offended spluttering.

True to his word, he did manage to get the oil stains out of Paz’s flight suit and the whole episode was amicably put behind them.

Though they still liked to get little digs in to tease each other about it now and then.

A week or so later, Luke and Din passed Paz in the hallway as Din carried him home after a day of meetings.
Paz was holding a bouquet of roses, obviously on his way to meet Val.

“Oooh, nice!” Luke waggled his eyebrows at him. “Off to woo your boyfriend, Vod?”

Paz tilted his head at him in mock confusion.
“No, this is my dinner. What are you on about?”

“Right, that’s it!” Luke snarled, thrashing in Dins arms to get back at him as the blue giant laughed his booming laugh.

“Just you wait till these kits are out of me!” Luke called to him over Din’s shoulder as his husband clamped down and hastened to get them both away.
“I’m gonna come at you like a kung-fu monkey lizard!”

“That…actually sounds horrific,” Din muttered, while Paz’s retreating laughter faded away behind them. “Monkey lizards are little bastards.”

“Well if you tell anyone else about the rose incident, you can expect the same,” Luke told him snarkily.

Din chuckled and pressed their foreheads together.
“My feisty little Tooka.”

2.) Ultrasound

It was a big day for the Royal Mudhorn Clan. Luke, Din and even Grogu were quiet as they made their way to the medical centre, a few guards following at a distance to give them some privacy.

Today was the day when Luke would have his scan to show how many kits they were having.

Ever since finding out he was pregnant, he had been happy and excited but it hadn’t really sunk in. It felt like some sort of dream.
Now that they were going to get the second trimester scan done, it had suddenly become all too real and his mind was going in circles thinking about everything that could go wrong.

Luke felt his stomach twist into knots the closer they got to their destination, and his own nerves were mirrored by Dins through the Force.

There were so many emotions, it was hard to sort through them.
Of course, he would be happy with only one child if that is what they were blessed with - but he knew how much Din wanted a whole litter of kits.
Would his husband be disappointed in him if he only bore him one?

Would he be a failure as an Omega?

Almost as scary was the prospect of a huge litter.
Not just for the birthing but also…was he ready to go from having one child to many?
It would be a huge adjustment! What if he was bad at being a parent?
What if he was a defective Omega and the parent instinct didn’t naturally kick in like it did for other Omegas?

Looking down at Grogu in his arms, he bit his lip in worry. What if Grogu hated having siblings and didn’t get on with them?

“I can feel you overthinking everything,” Din told him gently, interrupting his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”

Luke pouted up at him. “You are nervous too!”

The unfairly sexy man’s deep rumbling chuckle poured over him like golden syrup.
“I’m nervous excited, but I’m not overthinking like you. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Biting his lip again, Luke looked down for a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Would you be disappointed if I’m only bearing one kit?”

This time, Din laughed outright. “Of course not! They will be our child to love and raise as our own.”

“But you want a big litter,” Luke protested. “Don’t try and lie and tell me you don’t.”

“A big litter would be nice, Cyar’ika,” Din replied calmly. “But each child is sacred and precious in their own right, regardless of how many siblings they are born with. Is that all you were worried about?”

He looked down again and took a deep breath.
“What if we have a litter that’s too big and we can’t cope? You are a king so you can’t be home as much. What if I’m a crap parent and we only find out after the fact when it’s too late?”

Din stopped him and turned them so that they were facing each other.
“First of all, don’t forget that you have a whole team of Mand’cyar’tomade to help you, even after the kits are born. And I’m sure you’ll have willing volunteers among your family and close friends who would love to pitch in.
Yes, I’m a king, but my family comes first and you know we can work things out - like we did during your separatIon sickness.”

His expression wavered. “Cyar’ika, how can you think you would be a crap parent? Look at how you are with Grogu? The moment you met, he laid down in your arms and you two have been inseparable ever since.”

“That’s different,” Luke argued. “Being able to parent one baby is not the same as being able to suddenly juggle a whole litter!
Everyone is so confidant that this Omega instinct will magically take hold of me as soon as they are born and I’ll just transition easily into it, but what if it doesn’t?”

Gently, Din took his free hand and in that way where Luke just knew he was smiling behind his helmet.
“Then, like with all the trials and tribulations we have faced before, we will work it out together.”

Luke did start to feel better as he let that sink in.
For a man reputed to be so silent and uncommunicative, Din sure did have a way with words.

{Buir good! Buir good! And Grogu want kits! Very happy!}

The words shouted through their Force bond made him jump a bit, but he giggled as he looked down at his baby’s little earnest face.

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Grogu. I’m glad you are happy about having some brothers and sisters.”

“Patoo!” Grogu cried, waving his arms with an impish grin, making both of them laugh.
Din stroked his ear. “Our little cherub,” he said proudly. “Thank you for talking some sense into your Buir.”

It was with a much lighter heart that they finished the last leg of their walk to the medical centre, though Luke did still have some of his jitters return as they walked through the door and were met by Tekla.

“Good morning, Mand’arpatbaar, Mand’alor and Prince Grogu. Please follow me to your room.”

They followed her to a private clinic room with a medical bed in the centre.
Once inside, she became a lot more personable and smiled warmly at the three of them.

“I trust we are all well today?”

“Yes, just a little nervous,” Luke replied with a shaky laugh.

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” she said, grabbing a hospital gown and handing it to him.
“Please disrobe and make sure you have no metal on you, then lay down on the hospital bed. I’ll be back in a moment.”

After she ducked out of the room, Luke passed Grogu over did as he was told. It was only as he reached for the hospital gown that he noticed Din’s visor directed at his mid-section and looked down.

Since the Tooquai kits are so small, even after birth, he wasn’t exactly showing yet - but his usually toned and slender belly had lost its definition.
More so, he was starting to look slightly bloated - like he did after overindulging in food in the early stages of his heat.

As usual when his belly was exposed of late, the waves of admiration coming off Din made him blush.

“You are going to be impossible when I actually have a baby bump,” Luke groaned as he pulled on the gown. This one tied up at the front, not the back so he could open it down to his waist if needed.

Before he could wrap it around himself, Din came forward to place a reverent hand over the tiny swell, caressing his soft skin.
“Most likely,” was all he said.

At that point, Grogu waved his hand, babbling his desire to mimic the action.

{Feel kits?} He asked.

“There’s nothing to feel yet, Grogu” Luke giggled. “Your Buir is just being all gooey and romantic.”
Even so, Din obligingly held him closer so that he could put his tiny green hand against his lower belly.

The moment was so sweet, Luke could have just stood there practically naked all day watching his husband hold their baby close so that he could try and sense his unborn siblings.
Unfortunately, a knock on the door sounded Tekla’s return and he scrabbled to cover himself.

“Come in” he cried as he finished tying his gown and climbed up onto the bed, Din and Grogu taking position at his side.

The medic came in, all business, and floated a device over.

“Lay down please, Mand’arpatbaar. This will only take a moment.”

He laid down as she positioned the floating device over his abdomen and turned it on.
After pressing some buttons and seemingly fine tuning things on the machine, she activated a second screen and swivelled it round to face them

It was hard to tell what they were looking at. All Luke could see was layers of body tissue in varying shades, and what at first looked like an irregular shaped blob in the middle.
Then he noticed that the blob was pulsing, ever so slightly.

“This is the inside of your womb,” Tekla told him. “If you look here,” she indicated the blob with her finger, “these are the foetuses clustered together. I’m counting one, two, three heartbeats.”

Her finger indicated each one in turn as she counted and suddenly Luke’s mouth went dry and his heart beat so fast he felt dizzy.

“Three?” He asked, voice hoarse with emotion.

“Yes, Mand’arpatbaar” Tekla told him with kind smile. “You have three kits. They look like they are developing nicely too.”

“We have…” he choked up and tried again. “We have three kits?”

“You have three kits,” she repeated with a nod.

Luke let out a sob. “Din! We have three kits! We have three kits!” Such wild joy overtook him and he wanted to run and leap and touch the clouds. He felt like he was already walking on air.

Din’s hand that had been resting on his arm squeezed tight and he finally tore his gaze from the screen to look up at his Riduur, who looked like he was shaking.
The emotions coming off him were intense but there was mainly a fierce, blinding happiness and awe. Plus what Luke had come to recognise as Din’s Alpha protectiveness; when he was wanting to shield its recipient from all the troubles in the galaxy.

When Luke took his hand, Din looked down at him and pressed their foreheads together.

“I’ll take a holopic of the scan and send it to you both,” Tekla told them.

“Please,” Din murmured, not moving his head away from Luke’s.

A few moments later, the medic nodded and moved the device away. “Done. I shall step outside and leave a note on the door for no one to enter so you can have a moment to yourselves.”

Luke shifted a little to give her a tearful smile. “Thank you, Tekla.”
She had, of course, given him the gift of using her name - which he reciprocated, but she still called him by his title when he came to the medical centre.

With a small bow, she dutifully left and closed the door behind her.
No sooner had she done so did his husband wrench off his helmet and pull him into a passionate kiss, both with tears streaming down their cheeks.

“Luke,” he whispered hoarsely into the kiss. “My perfect Riduur. You have given me three kits!”

Luke let out a wet, weepy laugh and wiped his eyes. “I think you were the one who gave them to me,” he countered playfully, making Din also choke out a small laugh in reply.

“You are the one making them and birthing them, Cyar’ika.”

“I…guess I am.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. The giddiness was making him lightheaded.

“How do you feel about there being three, in regards to what you were saying earlier?” Din asked, pulling back to look at him.

Taking a deep breath, Luke closed his eyes and willed his mind to work so he could consider the question.
“Honestly? Great. I think that if there were only one or two, I would have still been happy but worried I wasn’t giving you enough. Four or five would have felt very daunting. Three is…just right. Perfect even.”

Din smiled his stunning, heart-stopping smile with his beautiful dark eyes crinkling at the corners.
“You’re silly. But I agree, three is perfect.”

“Ba!” Grogu heartily concurred, making them both laugh again as he made grabby hands for Luke.

“What do you think, Grogu?” Luke asked as he took the baby into his arms. “You’re going to be an older brother to three kits! How does that make you feel?”

{Grogu happy! Want to be big brother! Want three kits!} He cried happily through their mental connection, waving his arms for emphasis.

Luke relayed that to Din, who grinned down at their son.
“Being a big brother is quite a responsibility, Grogu. You’ll be in charge until they are old enough to fend for themselves. And you’ll need to help your Buir teach them about the Force.”

Grogu perked his ears up as he looked at his father from his place against Luke’s chest.
{Grogu can do it, Buir! Grogu can be a big brother and help teach kits!}

Again, Luke relayed this to Din, then held up the little green infant to nuzzle their faces together. “I have every faith in you, Grogu.”

Din went quiet as he watched them for a moment, then he shifted and pulled them both into his embrace.
“I have every faith in all of you.” One hand came to rest again on Luke’s belly. “My Clan…my family.”

3.) Uncomfortable truth

The change in Luke’s demeanour was instantaneous after the scan.

From having started to become withdrawn and anxious, he bubbled with excitement as he showed Paz, Cara, his guards, the Mand’cyar’tomade, and anyone who asked (which was most people he came across) the holopic, pointing out the three kits.

Of course, he holocommed Leia almost immediately when they were out of the medical centre and she shrieked with happiness and told him she would be back there as soon as possible.

The Millenium Falcon landed in Concordia the following morning.

Now that Leia had done her bit in helping to establish the New Republic, with Mon Mothma as its new Supreme Chancellor, no one could keep her away from her pregnant brother for long.

She visited as often as she could, even if she could only get away from her duties as Senator for a few days at a time.
Han and Chewie came too, of course. The big Wookie was very vocal in his excitement to be an uncle for a litter of Tooquai kits.
Apparently, he was even starting to nag Han about giving him nieces and nephews.

Luke had learned sometime before his abduction that Chewie had a wife on Kashyyyk, but their kids had long since grown up and had families of their own. He saw his family, including his sizeable brood of grandkids whenever he was back home between adventures with Han.

“Would you believe the big furball is the cluckiest person I’ve ever met?!” Han complained one day at breakfast in response to something growled at him by his friend.

“What actually are your feelings around having children, if you don’t mind me asking?” Din ventured politely as he addressed both Han and Leia.

Sipping his tea slowly (since he wasn’t allowed caf), Luke glanced over at Leia. He had already had this discussion with them of course, but he wondered how they would explain it to his husband.

Leia dabbed at her mouth with the napkin and turned to smile easily at Din.
“We do want children but after things have settled down a bit. Though we had a bit of a mini impromptu wedding on Endor after destroying the Death Star, we do want to have a more official affair. Nothing too big or fancy, just something among friends and family, with only one other politician in attendance to act as witness.
I would like to have it on Naboo and wear our mothers’ wedding dress.
Then once that is behind us, with the New Republic more established and things hopefully being less hectic for me - then I would like to have a litter…if Han isn’t still too nervous by then.”

“I’m just…it’s a big leap, Y’know?” Han tried to explain himself. “Up until joining the rebellion, I’ve only ever been a smuggler. How will I know how to raise children? Fatherhood…yikes!”

“I can understand that feeling,” Din replied, looking fondly down at Grogu in his high chair.
“I was just a ruthless bounty hunter when I found this little guy. I was the least parental person you could imagine, but…when you meet your child… something inside you changes.
You may not know what you are doing at first when you fall into it, but the love and desire to be what they need you to be just helps you find your way there. You’ll be fine.”

Warmth and lust hit Luke simultaneously in the gut as he watched the gorgeous man go all soft over Grogu. He squirmed a little, trying to wrestle those feelings down, hoping no one noticed.

Fortunately, everyone also seemed preoccupied with Din and his words.

“That…actually helps a lot knowing that. Thanks Mando!” Han grinned at him.

Din shrugged and changed the subject. “So I take it that it has to be a New Republic politician acting as witness and the Mand’alor doesn’t count?”

“Pretty much,” Leia replied. “I’m thinking of asking Mon Mothma, since we know each other well for the Rebellion, and no one would question her validity as witness.”

Han, Luke noticed, had gone rather tense then sagged a little in relief.

The astute Wookie also caught it and looked down at his friend. He roared something, which made the brunette scowl. “Shut up, Chewie!”

“What’s going on?” Luke asked, eying the two of them suspiciously.

“My guess is it has something to do with a few generals-turned-Senators that Han has issue with” Leia said innocently, but her lips turned up in a smirk.

“Have issue with?” Han repeated incredulously. “Leia, they actively tried to court you throughout the Rebellion - even after we were mated and married!”

“Ohhh, those guys” Luke said. “I remember them. Arrogant pricks.”

“That is a terrible insult,” Din remarked stiffly. “As a Mandalorian, I would have challenged them to a duel for such a slight.”

“Yeah well, I’m glad you understand why I hate them and don’t want them at our wedding,” Han groused, sawing vigorously at his steak as if it too had personally wronged him.
“The princess has far too many admirers for my liking.”

“Oh, and I never had to threaten any women who took a fancy to you?” Leia teased.

“Not as much,” Han insisted. “Besides, travelling around with a Wookie companion, he got way more attention than I ever did!”

It was true non-humanoid aliens all seemed to universally appreciate the Wookie form as the peak protector/provider.
Poor Chewie was always having to fend off amorous advances, wherever they went.

Normally, Luke would have laughed at such a topic, but something weighed heavy in the pit of his stomach and he looked away while everyone else laughed.

Din’s warm hand grasped his shoulder. “Cyar’ika?”

“What’s wrong, Luke?” Leia asked, tilting her head in concern.

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Luke said hastily. “Could just be my silly hormones acting up again.”

“Nothing that troubles you in any state is silly, my love” Din insisted, squeezing him gently.

“I was just…” Luke struggled to explain it. “I was just listening to these stories of you guys having all these admirers. I know Din had them too because Paz and Cara told me about them - and I just couldn’t help but feel…” He sighed.
“I’ve had lots of people here tell me I’m beautiful…but no one has ever been romantically or even just sexually interested in me besides Din and Biggs.”

Silence greeted him and he blushed, squirming in his seat again. “I told you it was silly.”

After a second, the shocked expressions gave way to snorts of barely restrained laughter.
At first, Luke was mortified, wanting nothing more than to disappear, but Din pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him.

“Ohh, my sweet kitten” he crooned, resting his helmet against Luke’s head.
Confused, he looked at his friends for an explanation.

Han was the first to speak. “Wow, kid! You really don’t know??”

“Don’t know what?” He asked in dismay.

“You had all the young pilots and soldiers after you in the Rebellion,” his friend told him, smirking.
“Leia had to keep scaring them off. I once caught some plucky Alpha bigshot trying to sneak onto the Falcon where you were sleeping. I trapped him in the storage hold and commed Leia.
She came storming in like some Harpy-demon fresh out of a horror story. Told him that if he ever so much as tried to look at you again, she would nail his knot to the Falcon's hull and get me to fly through an asteroid belt.”

Luke’s mouth fell open. Both at the revelation and the horrifically gruesome threat coming from his sister, through they didn’t know of their relation at the time.

The beautiful yet evidently ferocious woman in question nodded to confirm what Han had said.
“Watching your back was a full time job. Why do you think I insisted I go with you everywhere?”

“Because you liked my company?” Luke said in a small voice, flicking his tail in discomfort.

She chuckled. “Of course I did! But I wouldn’t have been quite so protective and clingy if I wasn’t worried that some opportunistic scum might try to make a move on you as soon as I was out of sight. And we had to make sure no one found out you were an Omega as well.”

Luke let that all sink in. “I can’t believe it… I actually had admirers? I thought no one…” he trailed off numbly and shook his head.

Frowning, Leia bit her lip. “I’m so sorry, Luke. I didn’t tell you because I thought it might stress you out. I had no idea that you were feeling unattractive.”

“I…” he blushed again. “Don’t worry about it Leia. Like I said, it’s just my hormones. I’m sorry if looking after me made things hard for you in the Rebellion. You already had so much responsibility on your shoulders.”

She waved his apology away. “Looking after you was no trouble at all. I wanted to.”
Then she gave him a look. “I thought you would still have had some idea of the effect you were having, with the way all the pilots especially were always jostling to help you and do things for you.”

Cocking his head thoughtfully, Luke tried to remember as much as he could about his interactions with the other pilots.
“That first day, I thought they were just being welcoming because I was friends with Biggs. He was always very popular wherever he went.
Then after that, I assumed it was because I blew up the Death Star.”

His friends all shared a glance with each other and Leia sighed. “Even with the Force, you are completely oblivious.”
She turned to Din. “How did you manage to get it through to Luke that you were interested in him? Was he clueless at first with you too?”

“No,” Din shook his head. “But I did tell him the first day we met that I was courting him because I intended to marry him.”

“Yeah, figures one would have to spell it out like that,” Han drawled sarcastically.

Stiffening in Din’s hold, Luke wanted to argue that he wasn’t as stupid as that but he didn’t feel he could back it up with any proof so he just looked down and said nothing.

Unsurprisingly, Din came to his rescue again.
“I think we need to be fair to Luke here and remember that he was raised in a culture that actively told him he was unappealing. That kind of conditioning is hard to shake.”

The others mumbled in begrudging acquiescence and Luke flashed Din a grateful smile.
He always knew what he wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for in the moment.

Din responded by giving his ears an affection rub.
“I will also add that I announced you were my consort within minutes of you being revealed by the slavers that first day you were brought here.
After that, no one would dare pursue one publicly claimed by the Mand’alor.
If not for this fact alone, there probably would have been a civil war break out from everyone fighting for your hand.”

All these things he was hearing quickly became too much and he ducked his head into Dins’ chest, overwhelmed.
He just wanted to have had a few admirers in his pre-marriage days. He didn’t want to have had half the Rebellion after him or to be the cause of a potential civil war!
As nice as it was to know he was attractive enough to have turned a few heads, part of him wished he hadn’t said anything and was still none the wiser.

A rumbling chuckle vibrated through Din’s chest plate. “Ok, I think someone needs a moment to process.”

“We’ll leave you alone for a bit, Luke” his sister told him kindly.

They went on to discussing Han and Leia’s future wedding, which helped Luke relax and he listened eagerly while leaning against his husband.

It was only later that night, as Din was tucking him into bed that Luke asked “you weren’t serious about the civil war thing were you?”

Din grinned at him, climbing into the nest to plop himself down beside him.
“It was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but there certainly would have been a lot of challenges and sparring going on for some time. Is that what has made you so quiet today?”

Thinking for a moment, Luke sighed and shook his head. “No, it was…the whole thing, I guess. You were right about the cultural conditioning.
I’ve just always assumed I was too small and silly-looking as a male to actually be viewed as attractive.”

“Silly-looking?” Din frowned and shook his head as if it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.
“Anyway, I’ve been telling you everyday that you are beautiful - as have the citizens of Mandalore.”

“Yes, but you love me so you are biased” Luke argued. “And the citizens are just complimenting the Royal Consort. Then there’s the whole thing about Omega’s being sacred as well. I kinda just thought it was because of that.”

A sadness passed over Din’s features. “I didn’t realise you still had doubts about your beauty. Now that you know the magnitude of how many people have wanted to pursue you - even without knowing you were an Omega, will you believe me and our citizens when we compliment you?”

Luke felt his face heat up again and he folded his ears back in embarrassment. “Yes.”

“Good,” Din nodded before a familiar gleam crept into his eyes. “Lay down, my little Rawn’ika. I think you need to be worshipped for a bit to make sure it’s cemented into that stubborn head of yours.”

“Ohhh!” Another sensation coiled in his belly and he started to tremble. “Please be gentle!” He squeaked as Din pulled him down into a lying position and braced himself over him.

By the time he was finished, Luke was a dopey purring mess but at least he could no longer remember any feeling of unease, or even any events of the day at all.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

When Tekla had mentioned to him that he would start to feel aggravated by clothes as he transitioned into his second trimester, he hadn’t really believed her.

But, as usual, she was right.

It started off slowly as a vague sense of discomfort that he could drown out or ignore.
Then, it started growing and niggling at him as he became more aware of how constricting they felt. Each unpleasant rub of fabric against his skin seemed increasingly harsh and itchy.

First, he stopped wearing PJ’s at night.
Then the day came when he finally decided to shed his clothes altogether.

It was a cycle that they had off from Din’s Mand’alor duties.
Grogu had gone down for his afternoon nap and they had been given some space to hang out in their bedroom, just the two of them.
The Mand’cyar’tomade and inner guards remained downstairs in case they were needed.

Luke huffed where he was sitting next to Din in their nest watching a holo flick that Luke had wanted to see.
He sat up and untied his robe, tossing it over to the couch. Then his pants and underwear quickly joined it.

Pausing the flick, Din’s gaze swept over his naked body.
“Do you really expect me to still concentrate on this when you are laying there like that, Cyar’ika? Or is this an invitation?”

With a sensual curl of his tail, Luke stretched out and rested his arms behind his head. He gave him a mischievous grin. “It’s whatever you want it to be, Riduur.”

Suffice to say it was a while before they resumed watching the flick.

Luke remained unclothed for the rest of the night and pouted when it was time to get dressed after their morning shower the next day.
Now that he had been free of his clothes for awhile, he was adverse to the thought of putting them back on again.

“Luke, my love” Din sighed. “You can’t come to the throne room naked. At least put a loose robe on and you can take it off in your den.”

That mollified him a little. He chose the lightest, softest red and white robe he had, but decided to forego any underwear.

Din gave him an exasperated look but didn’t say anything, just rubbed his scent on Jasper and handed him over.

When they got to the throne room, Luke was allowed to stay in his den for the initial Clan meeting but had to be present for at least the first hour of the throne room hearings.

It was annoying, having to drag himself from the comfort of his little enclosed nest with Jasper and don that wretched robe again as he sat on Din’s lap.

Being so close to his Alpha also brought on another discomfort.
He smelled so good and his… broadness was even more captivating than usual. The large hands holding him were lovely and warm against him.
A sudden longing to have those hands gliding up the inside of his thighs overtook him, and he tensed at the warm tingly feeling that unfurled below his waist.

Din’s helmet tilted down to him and he felt his answering desire, assuming that his husband was simply picking up on it through the Force.
However, only minutes later, all of the seated Clan leaders and Alpha’s standing in the audience towards the front of the hall moved further away from them - some looking uncomfortable, others with their heads bowed politely.

Distracted for a moment, he watched them then turned back to Din in confusion.
“You’re scent has changed,” he whispered. “They can smell your arousal and are moving away out of respect for us both.”

Luke froze in shock before flushing red and hiding his face against Dins’ chest, mortified that everyone was picking up on his reaction to his mate.
He curled up a little to conceal any other tell-tale signs. The last thing he needed was to have an obvious erection so publicly - especially while naked under his robe.

Warm, soothing fingers found their way to one of his mating glands and slowly rubbed over it in a circular motion.
Almost immediately, all his embarrassment and worry abated, replaced instead with a delicious lightheaded floaty feeling.
There was just enough time to understand what was happening and feel a rush of gratitude towards Din before he allowed himself to disassociate into Omegan subspace.

His whole body felt like sun-warmed honey, sluggishly congealed into a pile on Dins’ lap.
Movement became slow and heavy so he tried not to move at all, just melted into his Alpha and trusted him to take care of him as he always did.

All noise became a muffled background hum. Nothing bothered him. He was safe with his Alpha and it was ok to just relax and feel good as those fingers continued to caress his gland.

In this state it was impossible to keep track of time, so he didn’t know how much had passed before Din was shifting him gently so that he faced him as he straddled his lap.

“Luke? Omega?” That gorgeous deep voice stirred him from his trance.

He blinked until he could see his mate through the pink and orange clouds misting his vision.
“…A-Alpha…?”

“Yes I’m here, little one. Are you?”

Luke didn’t understand the question for a moment. How could he be talking to him if he wasn’t here?
Then, as his brain started to wake up, he realised Din was asking him if he was lucid and present enough to talk.

“Yesss m’here, Alpha. Mmm’just need a second.” The words came out dazed and slurring with how clumsy his jaw and tongue felt.
He blinked a few more times and shook his head to clear it.

That’s when he noticed that the hall was empty.
“Where…?” He tried to ask but he couldn’t quite summon the words to finish the question.

“They have all gone to the dining hall for lunch, ner kar’ta. We have the throne room to ourselves.”

Luke nodded, unsure what else to say.

A soft chuckle drew his attention back to Dins’ helmet as he raised a hand to caress his face.
“So…do you want me to satisfy your needs in the Tooka den or here on the throne?”

The hot throbbing sensation returned with a vengeance and Luke suddenly remembered the reason why Din put him in Omega space to begin with.
Keening, he rolled his hips on Din’s lap and arched his back.

“Here please, Alpha! Take me here!” He cried, fumbling with the belt of his robe. As soon as it came undone, he threw it off like it was shackling him and pressed himself to Din’s chest plate.

The Alpha gave a low rumble, pleased with his response and Luke keened again at the thought of making him happy. Of being a good Omega for him.
Pawing against the cool Beskar, he started to nuzzle into his neck, seeking the delicious Alpha mating gland hidden beneath his cowl.

Large hands gripped his waist. Din returned the gift of scenting, albeit much calmer than Luke; who had begun to get worked up in his need.
He shifted them both again, manhandling Luke in a way that was as firm and authoritative as it was gentle - something Luke adored.

He whined as Din unfastened the crotch of his flight suit to free his cock and all at once, the Alpha musk he exuded threatened to drown him.
Luke started to go slack again at the sight and smell but Din wouldn’t let him falter when they were both in such need of release.
He grabbed Luke by the hips, lifting him to bring him down on his cock.

The slightly rough treatment and abrupt intrusion of his inner walls had Luke screaming in ecstasy.
He bounced up and down on Din’s lap while the gloved hands on his hips helped him keep the dizzying pace they had set.
When he at last felt that perfect knot pop inside him, he mewled his own release, rocking his hips gently even after collapsing against Din’s chest.

“There we go, Omega. You’re being so good for your Riduur,” Din crooned, lightly stroking his mating gland.

Still dazed with hormones and lust, Luke wasn’t able to verbalise how happy his praise made him - so he just purred as loud as he could until the soft rolling of his hips slowed and he fell asleep with his face still buried against that potent source of Alpha pheromones.

At some point, he roused briefly as Din carried him back to the Tooka den and tucked him into his blankets. Then he was drifting off again, filled with his Alpha’s cum and surrounded by his smell.

From that time on, Luke’s libido skyrocketed and gave him an extra supply of energy throughout the day - another thing Tekla had forewarned them about, and it happened just as suddenly as she said.

Not only did Luke continue to hate wearing for clothes for comfort reasons, his hormones and Din’s amorous attention made him feel very beautiful, especially as his tummy swelled into a little baby bump.
Both he and Din loved it and they caressed it often. He wore the white and red version of his mother’s dress most days when outside of their private quarters. It was light and airy and fell nicely around his bump.

Din proudly showed him off to the Clan leaders, their citizens in the marketplace, anyone really.
And Luke preened at all the admiration he received. He fluffed out his (now incredibly fluffy) tail, curling it sensuously as he held his belly and beamed at everyone.
People told him that he was glowing and he believed it. He felt his happiness and passion lit him up in the Force so that even non-Force sensitives could sense it.

He also craved the company of children even more.

So now, he had a new daily routine, which included mandatory morning sex before having a shower together and breakfast with Grogu.

Since Din maintained that he can only be naked at home at home and inside his Tooka den (which he reluctantly agreed to), Luke still came with him to meetings in the morning wearing nothing under his robes and dresses.

When everyone left for lunch, Luke would take his robe off and they made love on the throne with the door unlocked because he still had a kink about the thrill of being caught.
After sharing lunch together, and he had been sexually satisfied for the time being, Luke would go and visit the children at their school.

This worked well until Luke’s sex drive heightened to the point that their morning romp wasn’t enough to sustain him until lunchtime.

At first, when he started to get frisky, he would mewl at Din until he dismissed the Clan leaders for a quick break so he could attend to his needs.
It wasn’t long before he started getting bold enough to literally drag his Alpha over to his Tooka den to get his point across.
While the Clan leaders were very understanding and no one wanted to deny him anything, productivity started to dwindle.
Bo-Khatan respectfully asked if they could find another solution. Especially since he was due for paternity leave after the kits were born and they had a lot to get done before then.

When possible, they forwent their pre-shower sex so they could get to the throne room before anyone else and have Din pop his knot inside of him. Then Luke acted as his cock-warmer, their union hidden beneath the long skirts of Luke’s garments as he sat on Din’s lap.
Without the rocking motion to milk his knot, it took a lot longer for it to go down, and kept Luke satisfied longer.

However, there were times when this was not viable. Such as when going over building plans and the like required Din to get up and pore over blueprints or holoprojections.

This was where having Maxine, the lady who ran the sex shop, among his Mand’cyar’tomade came in handy.
She provided him with a vibrating dildo and butt-plug so he could retreat into his den and bring himself to orgasm as quietly as he could.
It didn’t give him the full relief that coupling with his Alpha would, but it tied him over until the throne room adjourned for lunch.

Which made things a lot easier for everyone.

After spending an hour or two with the children, he would then come home to relax for the relatively short time he then had to wait for Din to return.
It was guaranteed that by the time he made it back to their quarters, his accelerated libido was back in full swing.
He would shed his garments, completely unbothered by the presence of his inner guards and handmaidens (whom, he reasoned, had all seen everything by then anyway) and take himself off to the bedroom to have some fun.

This ‘fun’ usually entailed sending nudes and pornographic holovids to Din. Lucky they had already set up an encrypted link that can only be opened by Din inside his helmet and viewed on the screen superimposed over his visor.
It ensured that when his mate did get home, he was worked up up the point of a sexual frenzy.

Which suited Luke just fine.

After he had enough orgasms to keep him going until then, however, was when he would call his father to come visit.
Since the start of Luke’s pregnancy, Anakin had been almost as gushy as Din and wanted to be around him as much as possible. He hadn’t been bothered by Luke entering his naked phase.
“You’re my kit,” he had reasoned. “I helped make all of this.” And he gestured to all of him.
Luke hadn’t been bothered either. There was a small circle of people who were allowed to see a fully grown Omega naked, and parents were part of that circle.

It had, however, been a problem when Luke’s libido ramped up, as the likelihood of Anakin popping in while Luke was engaged in some very private activity - either by himself or with Din - increased drastically.
So Luke explained this to Anakin and asked him to only come when called, as he would be mortified for his father to find him in such a state.

Anakin respected his wishes and things ran as smoothly as possible.

Again, this was all very well and good. Until Paz started to get rostered on for this time slot which he usually missed, being a Clan leader.
But at some point, things were changed round so he could take on this new rotation.

His poor Vod had quite the shock the first time he escorted him home after his visit to the school.
As soon as the front door closed behind them, Luke quickly scrambled out of his robe to reveal he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.

“Ah! L-Luke! What are you doing?! We’re still here!”

“I know,” Luke shrugged. “But our private quarters is the only place I’m allowed to be naked.”

Paz was looking down, trying adamantly not to see his little brother in that state.
“But we’re here! It’s not technically private if you are surrounded by Mand’cyar’tomade and guards!”

Luke walked into the kitchen, unconcerned. “My handmaidens bathe and dress me. I’m sure they don’t mind.”

“Well, I mind!” Paz bit out in a strangled voice. “Put some kriffing clothes on!”

“What’s your problem?” Luke asked as he poured himself a glass of blue milk. “Don’t siblings ever see each other unclad in Mandalorian culture?”

Paz seemed to struggle with a comeback. “W-well, yes, but-! But this is different. You are still the Royal Consort! No one but your Riduur, your medics and your Mand’cyar’tomade should see you this way!”

“Koska,” Luke turned to the other head of the inner guard where she took her place by the door.
“Does it bother you or break any rules that I’m naked in my own home?”

“No, Mand’arpatbaar” she answered dutifully. “Your comfort is of utmost importance and I’m sworn to protect you in any state you choose to be in.”

“Anyone else have any issues?” Luke posed the question to the room of several other guards and three handmaidens.

“No, Mand’arpatbaar” they repeated.

Luke nodded and shot a smug look at Paz. “Looks like you are on your own, Vod.”

The big mans shoulders slumped in defeat. It was hard not to be kind of offended at how much of an eyesore he made him out to be.
“Is the sight of me so terrible?” He asked, trying to inject some humour into his voice but unable to hide the hurt completely.

“No!” Paz cried, a little too quickly. “But you are my baby brother. I don’t want to…” He gestured wildly at him, floundering to get his point across.

Luke took a sip of his milk and raised an eyebrow.
“You didn’t want to know that I have a body under my robes? Didn’t want to have anything sexual connected with me in your mind?”

“Yes!” Paz sagged in relief that he understood and Luke laughed.

“Paz, you know I’m not a pure little virgin - I’m literally pregnant! You didn’t think that happened because of ‘Jetii magic,’ did you?” He shook his head in bewilderment. “You’ve seen me start to go into heat.”

His brother huffed a bit then shook his head. “No, but I was able to seperate you from that stuff in my mind…it was a simpler time.”

Luke laughed again. “Sorry Vod, but you would’ve had to face it eventually. You’re a big boy, I’m sure you’ll adapt.”
And he strolled out from behind the counter in all his glory heading for the stairs, ignoring the way Paz flinched and quickly turned around.

The ever-present urge inside him was building. It had already been too long since his throne sex with Din during the lunch break.
Politely asking for some time alone, he returned to his nest, retrieving his vibrating dildo from the bedside draw. To take pity on Paz, he pleasured himself quietly, swallowing down his moans so that no one downstairs would hear him.

Unfortunately, Paz continued to show a lot of discomfort on guard duty while Luke was at home in his preferred absence of clothing.

He missed their usual ease with each other so, a few days later, Luke asked if he would watch some funny holonet videos with him.
His brother agreed albeit reluctantly, and Luke promised to have a blanket over him.

Luke sat in his nest, while Paz pulled a chair up to the side of the bed with the holopad.
Gradually he relaxed and things seemed to be improving, until Luke got up to go to the refresher. When he came back in, Paz turned his head away.

“You may as well just look.” Luke told him as he walked back to the bed. “The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll get used to it and stop being uncomfortable around me.
Hesitantly, Paz did look at him. Then he tilted his head slightly. Luke knew what he was looking at.

“I know it’s small,” he said, clambering into the nest.

“Sorry for staring, Vod” Paz said. He sounded embarrassed. “I’ve just never seen an Omega cock before.”

“Neither have I, besides my own,” Luke replied. “Tekla said that all Omega males have very small cocks. If you think about it, it’s not like we use them much.
Although, Tekla said that we technically could reproduce with females if we needed to. Like, if there’s a shortage of Alpha and Beta males.”

“Hmm,” Paz grunted thoughtfully. “I didn’t really know what to expect. I guess I sometimes forget that you are an Omega.”

Luke smiled at him. “I know. And I like that about you. No one else does.”
He punched his arm playfully. “You gonna stop being all weird with me now?”

“Yeah,” Paz sighed. “Although, I really don’t want to see anything else!”

“I hadn’t been planning on showing you anything else!” Luke retorted. “But if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and accidents happen, you’re gonna have to be ok with that.”

“I suppose,” he grumbled.

Yet another thing that Tekla had told them would be a possible - and almost always happened with a Tooquai Omega’s first pregnancy especially - was a pseudo heat.

It came out of nowhere, unlike his normal heats once his body had regulated itself after being on hormone-blockers.
His body felt like it was on fire and the cramps were horrendously painful when he didn’t have Din’s cock in him.

Again, Din was only able to take half a day off because they were right in the middle of several projects that required his constant input.

Tekla said that he needed to find another means for orgasm while Din was at work, and that just a dildo wouldn’t suffice.
Pregnant Omega’s bodies in pseudo heat needed the thrusting sensation and actual touch from another living being - ideally their mate, but if not then another trusted individual would do. It wouldn’t satisfy their heat craving but it would lessen the pain until their mate was available.

Again, Maxine came to the rescue.

She was trained in something called ‘yoni massage,’ and said that if that didn’t suffice, she could order a ‘sex machine’ - whatever that was.
Luke didn’t like the sound of it but was in too much pain to be particularly picky.

Combing his fingers through Luke’s sweat-soaked hair, Din told her in a strained voice that she had his permission to do whatever was needed to bring him some relief while he was at work.

Still, he wasn’t sure what to expect when Maxine shooed out the other Mand’cyar’tomade and made a little bed on the floor of his room, telling him to lie down on his back.

Groaning at the sharp stabbing sensations in his abdomen, he gingerly obeyed and she got to work, talking through what she was going to be doing for the first few minutes or so until his nervous uncertainty faded away.
Not that he really listened much. The low, dulcet tones of her voice as she spoke in a deliberately soft cadence, and the feel of her warm hands gliding over his body as she spread an aromatic oil to work into his tight muscles, put him in a space that wasn’t the same as the Omega subspace Din put him in but calming nonetheless. And it did help the tension somewhat.
He relaxed under her administrations - only to yelp a moment later when she spread his legs.

Before he could protest, her nimble fingers were working their magic on his delicate needy flesh and he sighed, going limp again.
It wasn’t long before all discomfort at being in this position fled him. He began to whimper and writhe, desperate for the orgasm her expert touch was leading him towards.
When she inserted her finger and began to pump it in and out while rotating her hand, he moaned through a shuddering release.

For a moment, all he could do was lay there, panting and wondering what had just happened to him - but he noted with relief that the painful cramps were mostly gone, even if his sexual desire hadn’t been sated.

Maxine cleaned up his mess then covered him with a light soft blanket and knelt by his head.
After sanitising her hands, she began gently massaging his head and temples, around his ears. It was bliss and sooooo relaxing that he fell asleep - only to wake up again as Din entered.

His husband looked amazed to find him so relaxed. “Whatever you did, it worked. Thank you, Maxine,” he addressed the woman behind him in his delicious, low voice.

“My pleasure, Mand’alor” she answered dutifully, even as she finished up with giving his ears a slow, soothing rub.
He mewed softly when she got up, reaching out to her to try and thank her, but his post-orgasm lethargy and the arrival of his mate had put him in subspace again.

Luckily, Din knew him enough to be able to translate. “That’s his way of saying thank you when he has gone non-verbal” he told her.

The kind Mandalorian woman smiled down at him and caressed his face. “I’m honoured to have helped, Mand’arpatbaar. Whenever you need me, I’ll be here.”
She exchanged some words with Din before she left but Luke was too fuzzy and dissociated to make anything out.

Then the door clicked shut and Din was scooping him up off the floor to lay him down in their nest.
“Are you ready for me, Riduur? Or are you sleepy enough to just want cuddles?”

Luke rolled onto his side facing away from Din but reached back to paw at his crotch.
Again, Din understood what he was trying to say.

“I’ve got you,” he reassured him, disappearing for a moment but returning to slip naked into the blankets behind him.
His large warm hands held his hips as he thrust into him from behind, filling him up with his massive cock.
He pulled Luke flush against his chest and held him as he licked and suckled at his mating glands.

‘I must be the happiest Omega to ever live’ Luke thought in that brief moment of clarity it afforded him.

Din’s hands came round to hold his swollen belly. “You are beyond divine, my little Rawn’ika,” he rumbled against his ear, making Luke squeak.
“If I had my way, I would always be home, rutting into you. You have no idea what seeing you pregnant with our kits does to me. Sometimes I feel like my knot will never go down.”

Luke shivered and his desire started to build again. He tried to roll his hips back and forth but his body felt too weak and sluggish.
An amused chuckle sounded behind him and Din started to thrust. “Is this what you want, Cyar’ika?”

He trilled in response, receiving another chuckle. Sliding one hand from his hip down the side of his thigh, Din threw the blanket off and lifted his whole leg in the air, making it easier to plow into him from behind.

Unable to do anything but keen and wail, Luke was taken up over the crest of his next orgasm then sent crashing down again, spurting slick and cum all over himself.

Finally, the ache inside him was fully vanquished for the time being. He was about fall into a satisfied trance state when, as Din lowered his leg back down, a strange sensation in his belly drew his attention.

He waited a moment. Then he felt it again.

“Alpha!” He gasped.

Din snapped into a half-sitting position, looking at him with concern. “What is it, Luke? Are you hurting? Was I too rough with you?”

“Nnn…no. Alph…Alpha!” He struggled to say. His mind felt more alert now, but his tongue and body had not caught up yet. “Kits!”

“Kits?” Din asked, then he tensed up. “Is something wrong with the kits?!”

“N-no,” Luke scrabbled to find his hand and placed it back over his belly where he had felt the sensation.
For a time, everything was quiet and still. Both of them held their breath.

Then it happened again.

Din jumped a little then gaped down at Luke. “Was that…?”

“Kits!” Luke crowed triumphantly. “Kits!”

“Manda!” Din almost shouted in exclamation. “Our kits are starting to kick!”
He rolled Luke onto his back and placed his hands on his belly, face aflame with awe.

“Su cuy’gar, ner’adike,” he crooned reverently. “I’m sorry if I woke you up. I was only trying to help your Papa.”

They felt another answering kick, this one more like a jiggle inside Luke’s womb.

“Oh my gods!” Tears sprang to Din’s eyes as Luke half laughed, half sobbed. “Hello, I’m your Buir…your father.”

A strange emotion shot through Luke then, as his last words eerily echoed those of Darth Vader while he teetered above the central shaft in Bespin.
He shook himself a little to clear it. Darth Vader was gone and this was his husband talking to their kits. Of course Din was going to say something similar to his unborn children - as fathers all around the galaxy most likely did.
He just hasn’t thought about the possibility of hearing that combination of words again during this whole thing but now that he had, he needed to acknowledge it, and let it go.

Reaching out with his mind, he felt the energy of his fathers spirit out there somewhere in the Force and gave it a tiny pull.
{‘I’m not calling you just yet, Father.’} He told him, so he didn’t materialise in their bedroom then and there. {‘Just wanted to connect for a second.’}

The nudge back in the Force told him that Anakin heard his silent communication, letting him know he understood and was ready to come when he needed.

A sigh of contentment escaped his lips. Din looked up at him from where he was still fawning over his baby bump. He looked so happy, Luke had to pull him in for a kiss.

“I know your heat hasn’t broken yet, Cyar’ika, but we have to be more careful not to disturb our little miracles.”

“Yes,” Luke replied, lucid again momentarily as he cradled his belly.

“Our little miracles.”

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

Din couldn’t blame the Mando’ade, he supposed.
He was, after all in a very privileged position as Luke’s mate.
It was easy to forget that his people didn’t have the same access to Luke, in all his cuteness, that he did.

Still, he found the request rather odd.

He blamed Leia for putting the idea in their heads - with her nonsense about everyone receiving a copy of one of his and Luke’s wedding holographs.
Apparently Royal families of other planets had a formal family photo that their subjects could display in their homes to feel more connected to their Sovereigns.

Well, now everyone wanted holographs and holovids of his pregnant Riduur.
With himself and Grogu of course, but there was no denying that Luke was to be the star of the show.

It was true, Luke was especially gorgeous; with his rounded belly and ultra fluffy tail, floating around in his red and white dresses.

But more than that, it was his temperament. He was so joyful and radiant.
And his current stage of pregnancy was making him incredibly soft. He often slipped into Omega subspace just from being in Din’s presence or hearing his voice.

Then he went non-verbal and could only communicate with sugary sweet trills and mews amidst all his purring.

Like Din, the people loved this side of Luke as much as they loved his usual feisty self.
The Tooquai had everyone completely whipped. What’s more so, he didn’t even have to try. It was as effortless and involuntary to him as his heart beating.

Of course, he had to wait until he knew Luke was as lucid as possible to pose the request to him.
Luke had chewed his full bottom lip, ears quirked as he thought about it.

“As long as nothing is leaked outside of Mandalore,” he conceded.

“Do not worry about that, Cyar’ika.” Din had told him. “Mandalorians will fiercely protect anything they cherish, and are also very possessive.
You have found a place in their hearts, so that will definitely apply to you.”

And the sweet little thing blushed his rosy pink.

Now, on the arranged date, two warriors showed up at the front door to their private quarters, in full armour except for their helmets. One had a holocam and the other, a holovid recorder.
A youngish red-haired man and woman who were most likely siblings, or at the very least related.
They introduced themselves as Matthias and Jada, and their manners were impeccable.

“I hope you don’t mind us keeping to the palace gardens?” Din asked.
“My Riduur has been in his Omega subspace today, being in such close proximity to myself and our son, who is usually at school during this time.
He might be attracted towards people and be off making friends for the whole session if we take him outside.”

“No problem at all, Mand’alor,” Jada said. “In fact, it’s better for the holovid to have as little background noise from other people as possible.”

Din nodded. “Right well…I’ll go and get them. Just so you are aware, he is non-verbal at the moment so he can’t answer any questions.”

After receiving assurance that they understood, Din went to their bedroom to find his family.
Luke was sitting up in their nest cuddling Grogu.
Before becoming dazed by his Alpha pheromones, the Tooka had managed to get himself showered and dressed in his favourite red and white garment - the one modelled off his mothers lake dress.

His hair was washed and curling slightly at the ends, a bit longer than he usually wore it.
Obviously wanting to look his best, he had also applied a delicate touch of faint red eyeshadow to the outer corners of his eyelids.

“You look beautiful, my little Rawn’ika” Din told him as he leaned down to scoop them up, long skirts and all.
Luke chittered at him and nuzzled his helmet. Held against his own chest, their bright-eyed son cooed up at him.

“Alright, you two. Time to meet the holography crew. Are you going to be well-behaved?”

Luke purred in response and Grogu mimicked the noise, as he often did.

“That’s what I thought.”

When he carried them out to where Matthias and Jada were waiting, they bowed low to his Riduur.

“It is an honour to meet you in person, Mand’arpatbaar. Su’cuy’gar Prince Grogu.”

Adorably, Luke cocked his head at them, ears quirked. Then he let out a little chirp.
They smiled graciously back at him but Din could tell they were already smitten.

He led the way out to the palace garden, carrying Luke and Grogu, while the two holographers trailed behind; Matthias taking a few casual snaps of Luke peering curiously at him over Din’s shoulder.

When they came to a patch of lawn in the centre of the garden, Din sat them down on a little picnic blanket he had laid out earlier.
Luke was content sitting on his lap and looking around with misty eyes.

Meanwhile, Matthias and Jada set up little stands for their equipment. They took some holos and some brief footage of the three of them sitting on the picnic blanket.

“He will start moving around a bit soon,” Din told them. “He just needs to adjust to his new surroundings. Being outside makes everything seem really big and bright and sparkly to him when he is in subspace.”

Luke kind of proved his point by staring entranced at him as he spoke, then nuzzling into his helmet again. “Yes hello, Cyar’ika.”

This was accompanied by a few more snaps and noises from the recorder.

Those big Tooka ears swivelled at the sound. He looked over at them, eyes wide with wonder as he gazed at the two Mandalorians and their contraptions.
Turning back to Din, he pointed at them as though he hadn’t seen them before.

“Yes, I know. That’s Matthias and Jada,” Din said comfortingly. “They are here to take holos of you.”

He blinked, uncomprehending, and gave a soft ‘meow.’

The other two were unbothered by the lack of action, but Din wanted to move things along a bit.

“Which one of you wants to brush his tail,” he asked, procuring a special Omega Tooquai brush from one of his pouches. “He will feel comfortable faster if he likes you. And if you brush his tail, he’ll love you forever.”

Jada put her hand up a split second before Matthias, so he handed her the brush. “You first then.”

Setting her device to record, she eagerly came forward to take the brush.
Luke’s tail was already free and curling behind him, so she gently took the fluffy appendage in one hand and began to drag the brush through his long fur.

In his lap, Luke twisted round to watch her. When she looked up and smiled at him, he trilled happily and leaned his head down towards her.

“He wants you to stroke his ears” Din supplied. She lit up like a child on Life Day and was quick to oblige, beaming when he started to purr.

Grogu was also fascinated by what was happening. He stared at the two Mandalorians and their holo devices with extreme interest in his dark, liquid black eyes.
“Patoo!” He exclaimed and Din laughed.

“Looks like Ad’ika wants some attention too.”

Jada also laughed. “Of course, Little Prince.” It was an affectionate title the people gave to their foundling.
She stroked his wrinkly head and he gurgled in satisfaction.

With some amusement, Din could see Matthias was chomping at the bit for his turn, so he gave Jada another minute or two then switched them out.

The man was a bit more eager in his tail brushing, making Luke giggle and let out another series of chirps.
When he inclined his head to bestow the privilege of stroking his ears, Matthias took them both in his hands and rubbed the base of each with his thumbs. Exactly how Luke liked it.

A long, whining mewl escaped Luke, who leaned towards him even more, eyes rolling back into his head.

Since the holo recorder was still taking footage from its stand, Jada took over the holocam and took snaps from different angles. Then she switched back to her recorder.
At one point, she came up behind them, angling it directly down at Luke.

He swiveled in Din’s lap again to look right up into the lens, meowing curiously.

Now acclimatised to being outside, and comfortable with the two new people, Luke became more playful.

At Din’s encouragement, he ventured off his lap, with Grogu in tow, to scamper around looking at everything like they were somewhere totally new.
He investigated the surrounding bushes, enthralled by the textures of all the flowers.

Most of all, he investigated the two Mandalorians; following them about, peering into the lenses of their holo devices, sniffing at the air around them, shyly touching their vambraces and pauldrons.

Every few minutes, he scuttled back to Din to bury his face in Dins neck, covering himself with Alpha pheromones, then he was off again on his little adventures.

It was so precious, Din found himself glad it was as all being recorded for posterity’s sake.

Then a booming voice tore through the tranquil air, stopping Luke and Grogu in their tracks.

“I was told you guys would be out here! Hey Djarin, you realise you do still need a guard, right?”

Luke perked up, recognising the voice and the big blue figure that stepped out into the garden.
Wagging his tail, he ran back to Din and pointed as though asking his permission.

“You can go say hello, Cyar’ika. That’s your brother.”

With a happy grin, Luke ran over to him, stopping half a meter away to stare up at Paz expectantly, tail wagging in an erratic rhythm behind him.

“What do you want, ya little demon?” Paz asked, helmet tilted down at him.

Since Matthias and Jada were closest to him, Din could hear their shocked gasps.

Luke wasn’t bothered and just raised his arms the same way Grogu would when he wanted to be picked up.

“Wanna go up on my shoulders again, do ya?” Paz rumbled, stooping to grab him. With his help, Luke was able to scrabble up onto his shoulders, holding the top of his helmet for support.

The look on his face was one of supreme pride, as if he had just climbed a mountain.
“Have I told you lately, you’re a nuisance?” Paz asked, hands clutching his legs to keep him steady as he started walking towards Din.

“Mand’alor!” Both the red-heads hissed in alarm.

“Don’t worry,” Din chuckled. “That’s his adopted big brother, Paz. They always talk to each other like that. When he isn’t in subspace, Luke gives back as good as he gets. But he seems to really enjoy it when he is in subspace, even if he can’t retaliate.”

At that point, Paz appeared and towered over them, casting a huge shadow. “Someone ask for pest control?” He joked.

“Very funny,” Din said drily as he put Luke back down on the picnic blanket.
Nearby, Matthias and Jada stared open-mouthed at the newcomer.

Din made introductions but they didn’t seem to get used to Paz and his supposedly gruff manner with Luke.

Meanwhile, his Clan continued to frolic and play without a care in the world until they tired themselves out.
Then Matthias and Jada were able to get some great shots of the two of them curled up together, asleep on the picnic blanket next to Din with Luke’s tail tucked around them.

“I think we have enough now, Mand’alor” Matthias said, coming forward to shake Din’s hand. “Thank you for allowing this.”

“And thank you for the opportunity to brush Mand’arpatbaar’s beautiful tail” Jada chimed in.

“My pleasure,” Din replied. “I hope I will also receive copies of everything?”

“You and Mand’arpatbaar will be the first to get copies,” Jada nodded. “It gives you a chance to veto any that you don’t want the public to see.”

“That is considerate of you.”

Din left his sleeping family with Paz as he walked them to the palace exit.
The two bowed and bid him a rather formal goodbye, then were off on their way.

He returned to find Paz affectionately stroking Luke and Grogu as they dreamed, oblivious to his touch.

“If only the holographers were able to catch you being this much of a sook,” Din drawled.

“Dunno what you’re talkin’ about, Djarin.”

The holos were a huge hit among their citizens. Everywhere they went, people came forward to thank them both.
If Luke was lucid when this happened, he smiled shyly as a cute little blush coloured his cheeks.

The only time he was actually embarrassed though was when Cara - typical, brash Cara - came and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Great holos! But I’m amazed you didn’t try to take your clothes off at any point! Eh, Queen-Fluff-Strutting-His-Stuff?”

It was a nickname she coined for Luke since first being on inner guard duty while he was home in the afternoon and walking around in his most natural state.

“Cara!” Din snapped, coming to his Riduur’s rescue.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t be so overprotective, Big D. Queenie here can take care of himself.”

“Don’t think I’m unaware of what that ‘D’ actually stands for” he told her, tightening his hold on Luke. “And he isn’t a Queen. He’s my Royal Consort and Mandalore’s Sacred Omega.”

“With a mighty fine booty,” Cara added.

Din glared murderously at her through his visor.
“I swear I’m going to court-martial you one of these days.”

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

1.) The New Creed

As Luke started to need more care in his third trimester, the issue with Din’s creed regarding his helmet became more and more of a burden.

It had already been a nuisance not being able to walk around freely in his own home without his helmet on anymore due to the presence of Luke’s guards and Mand’cyar’tomade.
Then there were his steadily increasing visits from the chief medic.

Couple with that Leia and Han’s frequent visits and Leia’s refusal to leave Luke’s side when she was there and Din was pretty much wearing his helmet all day, only taking it off when he and Luke were finally alone for sleeping.

The lack of need for the helmet rule had been weighing on his mind for awhile prior to this anyway - now that the survival component it had surely been created for while in hiding from the Empire was null and void.

Eventually, with the accumulating burden it posed versus no benefit or gain, he finally came to a decision.
It had not been an easy one to arrive at, and would certainly entail some vulnerability as he got used to people seeing his face again after seventeen years, but it felt like the right one.

So, after running it over and over again in his head, he posed it to Luke one morning in the quiet time before their day was invaded by Luke’s various attendants.

“I’m thinking of adapting my Creed,” he said once the freshly awakened Tooka had given him a kiss good morning.

Luke blinked, understandably taken aback by this seemingly out of the blue statement.

“No, really,” he insisted. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot. It isn’t a necessary part of the Creed anymore and most Mandalorians don’t abide by it anyway. Just the few remaining Children of the Watch.”

He looked down at the blanket, away from Luke’s intent face, before continuing.
“I may later fully rescind it but I’m not ready for that yet. I’ve been thinking about first adapting my Creed to allow me to remove my helmet in front of family members who aren’t Clan, medical personnel and other specific people under specific circumstances - like your guards and Mand’cyar’tomade.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luke wince.

“I’m so sorry, Din! I know the whole thing with my guards and handmaidens has been hard on you with your helmet! I hope you aren’t sacrificing something that is important to you on my account! We can figure out a way to make it work without you having to compromise your Creed!”

Din held up a hand to silence the outburst. “It’s not your fault, Cyar’ika. We both agreed to have children and these are the Mandalorian customs that are a part of that package. You are just adhering to them, as am I. And I’m grateful for that.”

He sighed and ran his hand through his thick curls. “I have been thinking about it for awhile. The risk of adhering to the old Creed wherein I would no longer be considered a Mandalorian if I remove my helmet in front of someone who isn’t Clan, or if it is forcibly removed by another is too great.
Yes, this situation has brought these considerations to the forefront of my mind but it is not what caused me to think about it in the first place.”

Still, Luke peered at him closely, small fangs chewing his full bottom lip, before heaving a sigh of his own.
“Alright. I’ll support your decision regarding your Creed, if that is what you truly want to do.” He paused. “Do you think Paz and the Armorer will be angry?”

“Paz might, but he’ll come around eventually. It’s not like I’m forcing him to also adapt his Creed.” He shrugged.
“The Armourer…I’m not sure. As much as we can often be in tune, she still manages to surprise me. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen her truly angry. She is very practical and pragmatic, so I’m sure she will be able to understand my reasoning…”

One could hope. In all honesty, the Armourers reaction was one of the things he was most worried about.
Forcing a light-hearted smile to his face he said “if not, at least her currently pregnant adopted son can use his superior sway to win her over for me.”

“Sure,”Luke grinned back. Then he immediately looked pensive again, ears cocked in their thinking pose.

“A credit for your thoughts,” Din said warmly, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

“Oh! Sorry!” Luke looked a little abashed. “It’s not really relevant to the topic. I just remembered something.” He bit his lip again.
“Remember my ceremony where I had to choose my attendants and afterwards there was that fighting tournament to appoint the guards?”

Din nodded. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“Well, I…chose the Armourer to stand in as my Buir and Ba’Buir for the kits, since my parents are…you know…”
Blushing, he twisted his hands together in his lap. “Anyway, everyone went quiet and I thought I had done something wrong but you assured me that I hadn’t and said that you and the Armourer were quite touched but you would explain later. Then everything was happening and I guess we both forgot.”

He turned his big blue eyes on him in that way Din knew he would fall in with his wishes, whatever they may be. “Is now ‘later’ enough?”

Din chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Yes, of course, Cyar’ika.” Taking a few moments to gather his thoughts he sobered up a little. “It’s not a very happy story. Like I said before, she was already a fully fledged Armourer when I was rescued and adopted into the covert. That’s how I knew she had to be at least eighteen.
Originally though, she had also been married and fell pregnant not long after I came along.”

It was painful remembering what came after and he was sure something showed up on his face because Luke’s shifted into a look of dread.

“Then what happened?”

“There was an attack. Our original covert location had somehow been compromised and the Empire came down on us hard.
The Armourer was heavily pregnant at the time and her husband was one of the brave warriors who sacrificed themselves to hold off the Imps while the rest of us escaped. Due to the bodily trauma she incurred, the baby also didn’t make it.”

Luke’s eyes filled with tears and one hand flew to his mouth while the other pressed protectively against his own belly. “That’s so so…terrible!”

“It is,” Din agreed sadly. “She never married again or had another child, instead dedicating herself to all the foundlings and her sacred role of Armourer. She…did always carry a soft spot for me also.”
The last part was admitted with a hint of sheepishness.

“So…when I asked her if she would be my adopted Buir…?” Luke ventured.

“I imagine it gave her a lot of healing and joy to have a child to love as her own again,” Din finished. “Not to mention the promise of grandchildren, something that she would have resigned herself to never experience.”

Luke looked down at his belly, rubbing it thoughtfully. “I’ll go visit her more,” he said with conviction. “And I’ll help you present your case for adapting your Creed.”

Din smiled and kissed him. “Thank you, Luke.”

As it turned out, no utilisation of Luke’s Ad’ika status was necessary.
The Armourer had known, in that spooky way of hers, that Din would eventually have need to adapt his Creed after taking up the mantle of Mand’alor.

They worked out the parameters of his new Creed and then called both Paz (since he was a tribe brother) and his two Clan members to act as witness.

Din knelt before the Armourer, standing like a true High Priestess illuminated by the light of her forge.
He swore in his new Creed in Mando’a, which she confirmed through her ceremonial power - and it was done.

Tentatively, he acknowledged them as his kin and lifted his helmet.

The Armourer didn’t visibly react, just nodded and intoned “this is the way,” before turning back to her forge. A sure signal that the ritual was over.

Luke ran up to him with Grogu in his arms and the two embraced him.

Paz said nothing until they left the chamber to begin their ascent up the staircase.
Then he rapped on the back of his head and grunted “shame I’m doomed to have to see this ugly mug again.”

Luke swelled with indignant rage on his behalf but Din actually found comfort in the consistency of Paz during this new state of flux.

He still donned the helmet again before walking out of those heavy stone doors, but it felt much lighter now.

It continued to be hard removing his helmet for the first time in front of the people his new Creed accommodated.
Even after being informed of the situation and forewarned when he was about to do so, he was still met with some interesting reactions - which didn’t make it any easier.

The handmaidens all blushed and stammered for a bit, finding the situation almost as hard to get used to as it was for him.

Koska and a few of the inner guards raised their eyebrows right up to their hairline but remained dutifully silent.

He had one medic even say “whoa!” Before quickly shutting up and becoming hyper fixated on the medical device they were using.

At first, Din told himself it was the shock of seeing their Mand’alor’s face for the first time, but he started to become more than a little perturbed.

“Tell me honestly,” he said to Luke one night as they got into bed. “Is there actually anything wrong with my appearance?”

He hadn’t thought so because when he had first shown his face to Luke the day they met, he could tell Luke liked what he saw.
But maybe he just reacted to him purely as an Omega? Maybe he had reacted more to his scent than to his looks?

Luke smirked. “No, not at all. You are objectively handsome. Trust me.”

So he did.

Though it wasn’t until Han, Chewie and Leia’s next visit that Luke’s assurances were confirmed.

Since they were the sister and brother-in-laws to his mate, as well as close friends, Din classed them as family and told them about the adaptations to his Creed.

When he removed his helmet, Leia…LEIA - the most confidant and terrifying woman he had ever met - went pink in the cheeks as her jaw dropped.

Chewie roared in a manner even he was able to interpret as appreciative, and Han groaned like he was personally offended by Din’s face. “What is WITH you Mandalorians??”

“Godsdammit,” Leia breathed. “Luke, your husband is hot!”

And his little Luke just sat there, smug as a Tooka that had cream for dinner. “Told ya!”

2.) Paranoia

After a very enjoyable period where Luke was showing more of a bump and in a happy, frisky mood most of the time, Din first noticed the beginnings of change about halfway through his third trimester when Luke looked at himself in the mirror and frowned.

“What’s the matter, Ner Kar’ta?” Din asked.

“Do you…” The frown deepened and he bit his lip. “Do you think I actually look less like I’m pregnant and more like I’m just fat?”

“What?!” Din laughed. “No, Cyar’ika. I don’t. You look very undeniably pregnant.” He came up behind him then to encircle his baby bump with his hands. “And I love it!”

Luke smiled and twisted around for a kiss, seemingly appeased - but Din noticed him looking at his reflection more and more with a troubled look on his face.

At the same time, his desire to be naked when at home dissipated completely.
Din asked him if clothes still felt uncomfortable to him, since it stood to reason that this would only get worse, not better, as his baby bump continued to grow.

His Riduur just nodded quietly but didn’t elaborate, and Din instinctively knew not to push.

The next big clue as to the 180 degree shift in his body image was him wanting to wear a loose nightgown during sex.

Din tilted his head, scrutinising him. “It’s your choice, my little Rawn’ika. I love being able to see your belly, but I want you to be comfortable.”

His whole manner was quite timid and fragile as he turned away from Din to undress and put a nightgown on.
He continued to look uneasy as they began making love, so Din had to work extra hard to get him to relax and loosen up before he warmed to the activity.
If his sweet husband was feeling insecure, then it was his duty to shower him with adoration and tell him how beautiful he was until he believed it again.

This behaviour was starting to concern him. He hoped it was a phase and wouldn’t continue for the remainder of Luke’s pregnancy.

As time went on, however, these hopes were dashed.

Luke became so insecure about his body that he began to loathe the prospect of anyone seeing him naked.
Not only was Din included in this, but for some reason this applied especially to him!

It was nonsensical and he couldn’t get his head round it. Surely, as his mate and Riduur, he should be the one Luke felt most comfortable with?
But when he tried to reason with Luke, his little Tooka became teary.

“It’s not fair!” He lamented. “How come I’m the one who has to get all fat and ugly while you are still so fit and perpetually handsome?!
I can’t stand you seeing me like this while you look like…that!” And he gestured resentfully to all of him.

The outburst made Din’s jaw drop and his eyes boggle in shock.
Luke was the most divinely beautiful being in the universe and if possible, being pregnant just made him all the more irresistible!

But he wasn’t having any of it when Din tried to say as much. “Don’t even try to convince me that’s not the case! I have eyes, you know!”

“Then use them!” Din cried, waving to Luke’s faint reflection in the nearby window.

It had not had the effect he wanted.

Far from being able to see what Din saw, Luke took one look at himself and burst into tears, running to hide under the blankets in their nest.
No amount of coaxing or declarations of his beauty had been able to console him.

From there, things had deteriorated.

He now hated being bathed and dressed by his Mand’cyar’tomade - something he had previously enjoyed. So much so that he demanded only one of them have that same task each day to ensure as few people saw him naked as possible.

Since Maxine had been providing him with sensual massages to help tide him over until Din was home to satisfy his knot lust, he chose her for that job.
It meant that instead of a rotation, Maxine had to have the morning shift everyday, which she fortunately had not minded.
She saw it as an honour that the Mand’arpatbaar had wanted her alone to bathe him.

Unsatisfied with the coverage his current range of red and white pregnancy clothes gave him, he asked the Royal Seamstress to make him a red cloak to conceal his figure even more.

The red and white dress modelled off his mothers lake dress, which had been his favourite, was retired and stowed away in the back of the wardrobe.
Instead, he favoured his layered robes, now with the addition of his red cloak over the top.

His libido dropped off to a large extent - something that was very hard for Din to cope with due to his discovered pregnancy kink, even though Luke didn’t believe him.
They now only had sex once a day and always with Luke covered in layers. He also wanted to make the room as dark as possible so that Din couldn’t see him properly.

Their people had noticed the change in Luke too.

For a few months he had been so joyous and sweet - even twining himself around those he especially liked, with his full tail rubbing against them.
Tekla explained it was something Omega Tooquai did in the later stages of pregnancy. He was rubbing his scent on those he deemed safe enough to be close to him and his kits.

Everyone loved it and the gesture never failed to make its recipients beam with happiness, Din included. Luke twined himself and his tail around him several times a day and it never got old.

Now, in stark contrast, he was shy and withdrawn, often trying to hide behind Din.
When he accompanied him to the throne room each day, he went straight to his Tooka den and refused to come out.

He was excessively self-conscious, not only of his belly, but also the fact that he now had the distinct pregnancy waddle.
Never before had he felt so awkward and ungainly in the way he moved. As both a Tooquai and a Jedi who had always been so gracefully agile, it obviously injured his feline pride.

The visits to the school still continued though. Indeed, it seemed the only people he felt truly comfortable around were the children.
They never failed to soothe him with their boisterous, innocent love.

While Din was glad he had somewhere he could go where his debilitating shyness and insecurity didn’t plague him, it hurt more than he would openly admit that he was not able to provide that same refuge for Luke.
The fact that he adored him with all his heart and genuinely found him beautiful beyond comparison almost didn’t matter, as nothing he said or did made Luke believe him.

The helplessness he felt and Luke’s lack of faith in his conviction gnawed away at him, momentarily taking the edge off his excitement.
Though Tekla assured him it was common with all pregnant Omega’s and their Alpha’s (not just Tooquai) late in the third trimester, he couldn’t help but feel like he had failed Luke.
As an Alpha, to know his Omega felt insecure around him went against the very core of his being.

Tekla gave him some resources for Alpha’s specifically to help cope with this phase of pregnancy where their Omega’s shied away from them.
It helped somewhat but a tension had begun to form in the pit of his stomach, each day compressing more and more until it felt like a heavy lump of coal weighing him down.

For the first time since Luke’s pregnancy was confirmed, Din began counting down the days until he was due to give birth.

3.) Grumpy Kitty

The last month until the estimated birth date came with its own flavour of trials that were different again.

Luke was still antsy about his body but he was less shy now and more…belligerent.

This came with both pro’s and con’s.

He still wore his cloak over his robes all the time and only wanted Maxine to bathe him.
The difference was, he had certainly got his feisty spirit back (and then some). Which everyone agreed was good to see and far more preferable to his sad, timid demeanour.

He even wanted more sex with Din than he had while in his very self-conscious phase…even if it did take on more of a frantic, animalistic nature.
Din actually enjoyed the way his mate would growl at him and drag him into their nest to ride his cock. As a Mandalorian, he also enjoyed how Luke bit and scratched at him, snarling all throughout.

On the downside: Luke’s changing hormones, his lingering belief that he was fat, and the general discomfort he was feeling all throughout his body culminated in him being suspicious that other Mandalorians must surely be out to catch Din’s eye.

His recently adapted Creed that allowed him to show his face to more people wouldn’t have helped the situation either.
Where Luke had viewed people’s flustered states on seeing his Riduur’s face with a smug sense of pride, now it only fuelled his suspicions.

This naturally manifested as aggression and feeling very possessive of Din.

Though he would still rather not be seen, he remained stubbornly sitting on Din’s lap all throughout meetings and throne room hearings.
After parking himself on his Beskar clad thighs, Luke would spend the entire duration alternating between scowling at everyone in sight and obsessively rubbing his scent all over Din.

If anyone tried to speak to him directly, he just glared at them with a face like thunder.
If anyone spoke to Din, which happened a lot because he was the Mand’alor, he hissed at them then rubbed his scent on Din yet again.
Often this was accompanied by Luke twisting round enough to raise his puffed up tail, blocking Din from their sight.

When approached in order to pass Din some relevant datapads or documents to sign, Luke leaned forward and snatched them up so he could pass them to Din himself, avoiding the other person having reason to get too close.

Personally, Din loved his tiny pregnant Omega being so fiery and possessive over him.
As Mand’alor, it made things a lot harder and impeded the flow of their meetings.

One good thing about Luke being possessive was that he didn’t act up when Din gave into his overprotective inner Alpha and wanted to carry him everywhere, instead of letting him walk.
Indeed, he just used it as an opportunity to scent him more and throw challenging looks at people who he thought were looking at Din longer than necessary.

It was a huge relief that people also appeared to be pleased by this side of Luke.
They were all Mandalorians too. Their people were proud and possessive by nature, valuing family and a warrior spirit above all else - so of course they appreciated their Mand’arpatbaar being a little spitfire who jealously guarded his mate.

In fact, his antics were always met by a smile from those present and a flattering comment about his “spicy nature” or “zest for life.” Something that only seemed to aggravate Luke more.

There were times when he could see that Luke was getting too wound up and on the verge of having a temper tantrum that could totally disrupt the proceedings.
On these occasions, he had to firmly but lovingly tell Luke to go take a nap in his Tooka den. He learned the hard way that trying to gentle him would NOT be well-received.

Each time, Luke hissed and growled at him, digging his claws stubbornly into his flight suit, but Din perfected the art of selling it to him until he begrudgingly stomped his way over to the den and slammed the door shut behind him.
Once in the den, it was hard to get him out again, even after waking up from his nap, and he growled at anyone who tried - even Din. He couldn’t help but find it adorable.

Bribery was what they resorted to most.

Din, the Clan leaders, the Mand’cyar’tomade, and Luke’s guards alike all came to know the value of having a decent supply of offerings on hand ready to distract, diffuse and de-escalate.
Or just straight up use as bargaining chips to keep Luke from acting out too much, as well as convince him to take a nap.

These offerings included blue milk, fish snacks, chocolate biscuits (all his most popular food cravings), catnip, soft toys and scratching mats to sharpen his claws on.

Paz had even gotten him a kind of puzzle ball which he filled with sweets. It kept Luke quiet and well-behaved for a good two or so hours during a Clan leader meeting.

Impressed, Din asked him in private where he got the ball and if there were others available since Luke had now figured that one out.
He knew something was up when Paz tried to squirm around the question like a child who knew he was about to be caught out.
Eventually he admitted to finding a site on the holonet for pet Tooka cat enrichment toys and decided it was worth a shot.

‘I’ll be mad at him after the kits are born’ Din promised himself, even as he took the details for the site.

Though Luke now leaned more towards towards being fiery, he still had his moments of sudden crying fits.

Some of them could be predicted. Like when he was told he had to stay home until after the birth and was no longer allowed to visit the school.
Or after each one of Tekla’s visits, when she had to check his cervix for dilation to see if he was any closer to his water breaking.
The humiliation and loss of dignity that these visits entailed made him cry each time, without fail.
Another thing was the frustration and embarrassment from Din and his handmaidens needing to help him urinate.

Others were not so predictable.

After Leia, Han and Chewie arrived two weeks before the due date, his sister only left his side to sleep. Being twins, she was the only being beside Din and Grogu who was allowed into their nest.

Having her there was a godsend because it was another close adult family member who could share the burden with Din.
Now that he could take his helmet off in front of her, it was an extra bonus.
Din felt more able to collapse in exhaustion in the nest beside Luke knowing that Leia was there to watch over him.

However, the days following his due date when he still showed no sign of his water breaking were particularly trying.
Too stressed and tense to sleep, the helpless torment of seeing the love of his life in such a state of distress and not be able to fix it was taking its toll on Din.

While attempting to spoon feed Luke some food, the tetchy Tooka was proving to be extra uncooperative. No amount of pleading, begging, bargaining or using his Alpha voice got through to him and Din reached his breaking point.

“Luke! For the love of Manda! You need to eat something! I’ll not have you starving our kits for the sake of having a tantrum!”

The snarls cut off immediately. It was like he had dumped a bucket of water over Luke’s inner fire.
He flopped his ears and whimpered, huge blue eyes filling with tears.
Then, before Din could fully come to grips with what he had done, Luke cowered under blankets and sobbed in high-pitched wails, punctuated with choking gasps.

It broke Din’s heart and flooded him with the most awful suffocating guilt.

The next few hours were spent apologising and trying to make it up to him but even after he managed to get Luke to calm down, he still had tears running down his face as he obediently ate each spoonful Din held out.

He could feel his own sanity starting to fray.

‘Please’ he prayed to the Force. ‘Please help bring on childbirth and ensure our kits are delivered safely with minimal suffering for Luke.’

Selfishly he prayed for himself as well, asking for the strength he didn’t feel he had anymore.

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

Din and Luke’s private moment with their babies didn’t last long. All too soon, Paz was knocking on the door.
“Hey guys, can I come in? I’m dying out here!”

They looked at each other and grinned before Luke called out “come in, Vod!”

The big blue oaf came clattering through the door but froze when he saw the three kits they held between them; Padmè and Beru in Luke’s arms, Ra-Nea on Din’s lap.

Straightening up, he closed the door behind him and crept closer, moving more quietly than Din had ever witnessed of him. When he was close to the bed, he cocked his helmet at them.
Since he was being unusually non-verbal, Luke was the one to initiate dialogue by making introductions.

“Hey Paz. Meet Padmè, Beru and Ra-Nea.” He indicated each of them in turn. “Girls, this is your Ba’Vodu Paz.”

A gasp crackled through his helmets vocoder and he used his little finger to ever-so-gently stroke their fuzzy heads. His enormous hand dwarfed them almost comically.

Then he drew back and held his helmet as a strange, muffled noise escaped him.
Din and Luke looked at each other again in disbelief.

“Paz?” Luke asked as he arched one perfect eyebrow. “Are you…crying?”

A loud sniffle. “I can’t help it,” he replied brokenly. “They’re so tiny! And I thought I was dying before!”

Touched by his brothers emotional display, Din asked “do you want to hold one?”
At his silent but eager nod, Din urged him to bring the guests chair in the corner of the room up to the bed and hold out one hand in a slight cupping motion.
Then he carefully transferred Ra-Nea into his palm.

He was struck again by just how small their kits were. All three of them could probably fit quite safely in one of his brothers hands.

There was no doubt similar thoughts were running in though Paz’s mind because he choked out another muffled sob and used the little finger of his other hand again to stroke her face and ears.
Ra-Nea squeaked in annoyance, drawing her tiny eyebrows together in a scowl and he let out a tearful laugh. “She is as feisty as her momma!”

“Hey!” Luke hissed, careful not scare the girls. “I’m their papa, not their momma!”
He stopped and quirked his ears in thought. “I like that. I think I want to be called Papa, since Buir is taken.”
Here, he glanced at Din as though asking for confirmation, so he gave a short nod in response.

Paz scoffed at him. “You gave birth to them, you’re their momma.”

Looking between the two of them, Din couldn’t help but smile when Luke flattened his ears and bared his teeth at Paz.
“When our kits are sleeping in their bassinet, I’m gonna kick you!”

Their Vod just laughed in response.

The next half hour was spent with Paz holding each of the kits.
Leia acquiesced to Luke’s wishes that she go take a nap, since she had been up all night with them. She promised to bring Han and Chewie with her when she came back in an hour or two.

When Luke’s tummy rumbled, Din offered to order him some food, and his ears perked up as he asked for the cooked Naboo trout from his fish merchant friend.
After making the arrangements via his comms, Din went to find him a glass of water and took Paz with him to give Luke a chance to rest with the kits.
Since Koska was stationed dutifully outside the door, he didn’t feel too concerned leaving him for a few minutes.

Though no sooner had he and Paz found the staff common room with its large water dispenser and started filling a glass to take back, Koska commed him.

“Mand’alor, I think you should come back. The Mand’arpatbaar is acting strangely.”

They rushed back only to find Luke talking to the Force ghosts of Obi Wan and Yoda, as they peered into the bassinet where he had replaced Beru and Ra-Nea, while he held little Padmè.

A visit from his old masters at such an important time in his life as the birth of his first litter was something Din had been expecting at some point.

What he had not been expecting was to find the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker laying face-down on the floor next to Luke’s bed.

It took him a second to respond.

“What’s going on here? And what the Kriff happened to Anakin?”

“Oh, don’t worry about him” Obi Wan said dismissively with a roll of his eyes. “Anakin has always been hyper-dramatic.”

“I’m not being dramatic!” Anakin huffed into the floor. “I’m actually dying.”

“You know as well as I do that you are already dead,” Obi Wan told him in a bored voice.

“Yeah, well now I’m dying even more! I’m turbo-dead.”

Luke laughed openly at his antics while the two masters shook their heads at him and turned their attention back to the babies.

Meanwhile, Paz, who was only privy to one side of this exchange, swiveled his helmet between the two of them.
“Uhhh, I’m confused. What’s going on??”

“Remember that time we saw Luke talking to Obi Wan’s Force ghost on Dagobah?” Din asked. “Well, he is here again now with Master Yoda and Luke’s father.”

Paz stiffened up. “You mean Darth Vader is here?!”

“He has returned to the Light, so he is Anakin now” Luke said quickly, while the man in question groaned as if in pain and curled into the foetal position.

“Wait…” Paz said as if only just realising something and turning towards Din. “You can see them too??”

Din winced. “Ah, Kriff. I may have forgotten to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” His brother pressed suspiciously, folding his arms.

There was really no way to let him know gently, so he just blurted it out.
“It turns out I’m Force sensitive too and I can now see and hear Force ghosts.”

Paz jumped as if he received an electric shock. He turned to Luke as if for confirmation. When Luke nodded, he looked back at Din again.
“I KNEW there was something up with you! Especially on Endor when you knew exactly what Imp forces were coming!”

Then he squirmed with discomfort, scrutinising the ‘empty space’ next to Luke’s bed and the bassinet.

“Uhh, sorry Luke. If he is here plus some other ghosts…that’s just too weird for me. I’m going to wait outside until they are gone. Um…tell Master Yoda I said hi.”

“Greetings, Paz Vizla” Yoda said, amused.

“He returns your greetings,” Din told him and he visibly shuddered.

“Ugh! I’m out!”

And he left faster then Din had ever seen him.
They all watched him then after the door closed, Obi Wan turned to Din.

“Might I congratulate you on your three beautiful daughters, Mand’alor Din” he said kindly.

“Yes, very proud you must be” Yoda added.

“Thank you, Masters” Din replied, amazed at how well he himself was now handling such encounters.

Eventually, Luke was able to coax Anakin off the floor by offering to help him ‘hold’ Padmè.

“Is Mother here too?” He asked, hope shining in his big blue eyes.

“Of course,” Anakin told him, his own eyes unbearably soft as he stroked his grandchild that bore his wife’s name. “She feels very honoured and is totally in love with these kits.”

“Like someone else I know,” Luke said with a smirk to hide his sudden teariness.

Anakin blushed a little but didn’t tear his gaze away from little Padmè.

The three Jedi were so mushy with their kits, it made Din rethink everything he had ever heard about the Jedi being stern or emotionless with their younglings.

The cooked Naboo trout Luke ordered came in record time and Din watched indulgently as Luke ripped into it like a ravenous Rancor.
He saw his own expression mirrored on Anakin’s face too, while Obi Wan hid his smile behind his hand under the guise of stroking his beard.

When they eventually heard the Wookie roar from reception announcing the arrival of Leia, Han and Chewie, all of them seemed sad to leave.
“We had best go so that you can focus on your other guests,” Obi Wan said.

Anakin, Din noticed, was staring at the door to where his daughter must surely be approaching. He looked so distraught that he couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
It must truly be an awful thing to be forcefully estranged from one’s long lost child.
After the other two faded away, Anakin took an extra moment to hug Luke and kiss his three grandkits before he followed suit.

Barely a second later, there was a knock on the door and Leia poked her head in.
“Are you ready for more visitors?” She asked quietly, seeing Ra-Nea and Beru dozing in their little bed.

“Yes, definitely” Luke told her with a grin. “Come on in!”

Leia came straight to Luke to groom his ears, but Chewie and Han made a beeline for the bassinet.

The big Wookie let out a soft crooning sound and brought his shaggy hands up to his face in what could only be described as a gushing action.

Han was not quite as mindful of the noise he made. “Kriffing hell!” He exclaimed loudly. “They are no bigger than a ration bar!”

The kits all squeaked in protest at the sudden racket and wiggled their ears as they looked around blearily.

“Han! Would you shush! You are scaring them!” Leia hissed.

“It’s ok,” Luke assured them. “They are due for another feed now anyway and that will calm them down ready to be held some more.”

With Din’s help, he opened his robe and got Padmè and Ra-Nea up to his nipples, where they started suckling greedily.

Again, Beru was quite happy and chirped up at Din as he lifted her up.
“Do you want a hold first, Chewie?” He asked and he was met with an eager growling sound as the Wookie nodded and held out his two hands cupped together.

Once nestled in his grasp, Beru gave one of her sing-song trills as she reached her tiny hands up to his face and wiggled her ears.
The noise Chewie made then was like a pained whimper, and he looked down at her so reverently like she was his new foundling.

It didn’t escape Din how uncomfortable Han became after Luke started to breastfeed, fastening his gaze to Chewie and Beru to avoid looking in their direction.
In fact, he didn’t seem to loosen up again until all of the kits had been fed and Luke closed the front of his robe.

Still, he seemed a little edgy about holding a kit at first but after a moment of having Beru in his hand singing at him, he too was sold on the experience.

Cara came in next and looked at each of the kits in turn, then clapped a hand on Luke’s shoulder.
“They’re really cute! Nice work, Fluff!”

Din gaped at her in shock. “‘Nice work, Fluff?!’ THAT’S what you have to say to my Royal Consort after he has birthed our children?? Show some respect, Cara.”

Rolling her eyes, she turned to Luke and bowed deeply with a flowery flourish of her hand.
“Apologies! My sincerest congratulations for successfully ejecting the fruits of your loins, Your Royal Highness, Queen Flufflebum, first of her name! Best wishes to you and the divinely appointed brood!”

Luke snickered but Din nearly choked on his own saliva. “Cara! I’m gonna-!…You-! …Get out!”

“It’s ok, Din! I find it refreshing. Don’t send her out” Luke pleaded, and Din reluctantly backed down.

“Good thing you haven’t adopted any airs or graces since marrying up, kid” Han joked.

Luke’s smile vanished and he turned to Han, lifting his chin in a gesture of haughtiness.
“Excuse me! That’s Queen Flufflebum to you, peasant!”

The smugglers jaw slackened in shock and it was so comical, they all cracked up laughing.
“Yeah, yeah. Very funny” he huffed, but his scowl all but dissipated when Beru giggled and directed another chirp his way.

“Where’s Big Blue?” Cara asked, looking around.

Luke shrugged. “Probably still hiding from the Force ghosts. Hey Din, can you please comm him to let him know they are gone?”

He did so and a few minutes later, Paz peeked his head cautiously round the door. “You promise they are gone?”

“I promise, Paz. Get in here and hold a kit” Luke beckoned, the corners of his lips quirking up in a suppressed smile.

As he took his place among them, Han gave a friendly thump to his shoulder. “I’m with you, buddy. Too bad the kid and his mate can’t see how creepy the whole thing is.”

“Wait, hang on” Cara exclaimed, eyes widening. “I thought you guys were joking about Force ghosts all this time. You’re not…they aren’t actually real…are they?”

Luke and Din looked at each other and the Tooka bit his lip guiltily. “Sorry, Cara.”

The large Alpha woman paled and her gaze snapped over to Din. “So, that time I heard you shouting in your office and you said you were talking to your father-in-law…?”

Din nodded solemnly.

If possible, she paled even further until her skin became a sickly ashen colour.
“Excuse me.” And she hastily exited the room, like Paz had done before her.

“Don’t worry, she will acclimatise to the idea eventually” Din comforted Luke, who was looking at the door with his brow furrowed in concern.

Both Paz and Han let out a snort. “There’s no acclimatising to this freaky feline and his Jedi bantha shit” Han told him pointedly.

“Yeah,” Paz agreed, but he came over to Luke and ruffled his hair. “You just realise you love this little terror more than you fear the other stuff that comes with him.”

And the ‘terror’ mewed innocently as he started to purr.

Chapter Text

(Luke POV)

It was a relief to get out of the maternity room at the clinic and come home to their own nest.

Unbeknownst to him, Din had been told by Tekla to get a cat bed for their kits, which they could place on the bed between them.
Luke was thankful Din had listened to her, just as he was thankful they had decided not to tell him because he knew his crazy, hormonal pregnant self would have thrown a fit about it.

When they re-entered their bedroom, both excited to rest with the kits and Grogu in their cosy nest, Din had brought out the cat bed and nervously repeated the logic behind it as if he had rote memorised each word Tekla said.

He was surprised when Luke just smiled and said “that’s a good idea. Let’s try it.”

Turned out, it was indeed very handy for keeping them contained so they didn’t roll about and get lost in the blankets or possibly get crushed by Din if he rolled over in his sleep.

This little tip also meant they could keep a watchful eye over them as they slept and that Luke could breastfeed in the night without having to get up.

Adorably, Grogu coiled himself around the cat bed, taking his role as protective big brother to heart.
He was being so good - not an ounce of jealousy or resentment, just pure love for his new siblings.

In keeping with their own agreement they had made, Luke and Din made sure to give him lots of strokes and praise. They never wanted him to feel left out or shunted aside.

“You’re such a lovely little boy,” Luke whispered as he traced the shape of his ear. “You helped me so much while I was pregnant and you are wonderful with your little sisters.”

{Love Buire and sisters!} Grogu told him through the Force. {Want to help and protect!}

Luke chuckled. “Well you are doing an excellent job.”

Meanwhile, Din had also disappeared into their baby cupboard they had pre-prepared and came back with a pack of Tooquai nappies and three little pastel blue sleep suits for them, with the Mudhorn signet printed on the front.
The Royal Seamstress had made them, obviously having researched the size and measurements of newborn Tooquai kits.

Together, they carefully removed each of the girls from their hospital swaddle clothes, secured their nappies in place and buttoned them into their sleep suits.
Once they were curled up again in their cat bed, they were already falling asleep.

Beru had a way of worming herself in between her sisters so that she was always in the middle.
The eldest, Padmè, just nestled down and went to sleep without any problem, but Ra-Nea kicked her little legs and fussed a bit before she calmed down.

“I can already tell this one’s going to be a handful,” Din remarked as he played with the velvety black tuft of hair on Ra-Nea’s little head.
The way he said it sounded like he was excited by the prospect rather than dreading it.

“Yes, I think you are right” Luke agreed. “Lucky we will have the Mand’cyar’tomade helping us. With that one especially, I think we will need it.”

Trying to get to sleep that night was nearly impossible, despite how tired they were.
They propped themselves up on their pillows on either side of the cat bed and watched their babies, scared to miss a single expression on their face or movement of their tiny bodies as they slept.

Fortunately, Grogu had no such trouble. As soon as he felt assured that he was in the right place to protect them and he had both his Buire settled in beside him, he was fast asleep.

There were a couple of times in the night that one of the girls (usually Ra-Nea, of course) woke up and started making what he now recognised as their hungry cry, which woke the others up and they followed suit.
Each time this happened, he scooped them up and instinctively laid on his back as he settled them on his chest, letting them shuffle around until they found a nipple to latch onto.

It was on the second feeding that he managed to tear his eyes away from them to where he could feel Din’s gaze…
And found his Riduur staring at him with such an intense burning ferocity, he blushed from his head to his bellybutton.

“Din?”

“Cyar’ika,” he growled, broken and disjointed. “Seeing you breastfeed our kits like that makes me want to put another litter in you right now.”

“Um,” Luke gulped, taken off guard by the fervour in his voice. “P-please don’t. We have this litter to look after first.”

Closing his eyes and breathing through his nose, he watched Din bring his lust under control. When he opened his eyes again, they were clearer but still intense.
“I know, my love. And I’m more thankful than you’ll ever know for this litter.”
He shifted uncomfortably. “Uh…I may need to take a cold shower.”

As he climbed out of the nest, Luke could see his Alpha cock was hard as Beskar and angry red, the veins bulging like they did when he was really really worked up.

His own Omega body started to respond. “Wait!” He cried and Din froze, blinking, and turned to him.
“They seem to only drink a little bit at night,” Luke told him, feeling strangely shy. “They will be done soon…and then we could…”
He left it hanging as he gazed back down at their little angels suckling obliviously.

Din nodded and folded his arms, pacing a little as he resigned himself to wait.
The coiling pressure in Luke’s hips gnawed at him but he managed to be patient, rubbing the girls backs as they fed.
It was easier for him to contain his libido now than it ever was before. Already, his whole biology had adjusted to putting the needs of his kits before his own.

A few minutes later, the girls had all drank their fill and flopped against him contentedly.
He took his time placing each one back in the cat bed, Beru in the middle, and stroking them to ease them back into sleep as they woke up a little with the movement.
Grogu had not stirred at all, same as with the last feeding, and they weren’t worried about him waking up. Once he was asleep, he was dead to the world - something that had definitely served them well since they had started their sexual relationship.

He took another moment to look at their four children all huddled together, then slowly climbed out the nest to join his husband.

Din reached for him and pulled their bodies flush against each other, his cock pressing against the length of his chest while Luke’s own erection rubbed against his thighs.
“You are alright to do this here?” He rumbled and Luke shivered again at the lust in his voice. It was a heady combination, mixing with the very thick musk of potent Alpha pheromones he was projecting into the air.

“Yes,” Luke murmured. “None of them will wake up for awhile now and…I really don’t want to let them out of my sight.”

“Neither do I,” Din said, his brown eyes had turned completely black with how dilated his pupils were.
However, some concern trickled into his scent then.
“Are you sure you are healed enough? It has barely been forty-eight hours since you gave birth.

He was right; they had spent their first night and following day in the medical centre after the birthing so that both Luke and the kits could be monitored for any post-partum complications. They were only discharged on the second evening after receiving the all-clear.

“If you remember, Tekla said that I am safe to resume sex again since there was no tearing or strain in my birth canal,” Luke reminded him.
“One of the perks of being Tooquai and having much smaller babies than humans do.”

Din nodded. “As long as you’re sure.”

The amount of caring consideration Din gave him melted his heart, as it always did.
Luke pulled his husband down for a heated kiss and let out a moan when his larger tongue invaded his mouth, licking his pointed cat-like canines.

Warm hands came to rest on his shoulder and after a while pulled him back so they could catch their breath.

“Present for me, Omega” Din rasped, a suppressed growl buried beneath the words.

His little pink cock throbbed as he rushed to obey.
Since they were both already naked, they didn’t have to waste any time shedding clothes.
All his private parts were deliciously exposed where he presented himself on all fours with his head down and knees apart, ass in the air.

The weight of Din dropping down behind him filled him with anticipation, especially when he lifted Luke’s tail, which had already begun to curl involuntarily.

Luke had to clamp his hands over his mouth to stifle the whine that threatened to spill out when Din pulled apart his cheeks.
The action also made his outer labia peel away from each other where the first trickles of slick had stuck them together.

Gliding his hands lower, Din finished the job; using his thumbs to spread them completely, then repeated the motion for his inner labia.

Before he had a chance to become more hard just from the position alone, Din’s lips pressed against his vagina in a slow, lingering kiss and Luke’s eyes rolled back into his head.
The kiss was repeated again and again, made yet more maddening by every warm breath he could feel against his quivering flesh.

“Mmmm….” Din murmured between kisses. “This heavenly, magical, life-giving vulva…I want to worship it…”

“Ah!” Luke cried, arching his back. Din must have taken that as an invitation, because next his tongue circled the wet opening before poking inside.

His whole body shuddered in response. He had to bury his head in his arms when Din started tongue-fucking him in earnest; pausing every now and then to suck hard while large hands gripped his hips, holding him prisoner to his hungry ministrations.

The feeling was exquisite, ricocheting up his spine to set every nerve ending on fire.
“Din…Din…please” he begged, hoping this would never end.

The lusty Alpha then started a rhythm: round and round the entrance, several deep swirling probes, out and down to circle then flick against his clitoris, and back again.
He hadn’t even begun to use his cock yet, and already Luke felt like he was simultaneously being pulled apart and burning up. He didn’t know how much longer he could last.

“Please…please! I can’t…hng!”

“Apologies, my love” Din rumbled against him, the vibration making his toes curl. “I’m remiss for leaving this out.” And he lifted Luke’s hips off the ground, spreading his legs further as he trailed his tongue all the way up to his asshole.

Luke sqwarked then threw his hand over his mouth again, internalising his shouts until his body was wracked with spasms.
Still, Din’s brutal tongue didn’t let up. He circled, sucked and prodded, worming his way inside.

“This cute little pink hole,” Din crooned lovingly when he finally pulled back. “Poor thing has been so neglected, with its neighbour getting all the attention.”

“Good!” Luke puffed, “I didn’t want it getting any attention - these past few days especially!”

“Hmmm…well at least we can make up for it now.”
And he added his finger to the assault.

“Din!” Luke gasped, all his muscles going rigid. “Din, for the love of the Force! Get out of there and put your dank farricking cock inside me before the kits wake up again!”

“But I’m not done worshipping you,” his husband pouted.

Frustration roughened into a serrated edge on his patience. “Worship me with your knot!” He snapped, flattening his ears as he glared at Din over his shoulder.

The infuriating man laughed. “Can’t argue with that.” He rose up on his knees behind him, grasped his hips and lined himself up.
When the wide blunt head of his cock breached his entrance, Luke’s stomach clenched. He wasn’t going to last long at all after that dizzying foreplay.

Each thrust took Din deeper until he bottomed out, but he continued his shallow movements until Luke bucked to spur him on.
Then he let loose, thrusting with all his pent up sexual energy even after Luke whimpered and bit his own arm to stop himself from screaming.
Cum splattered on the bedroom carpet beneath him and Luke vaguely thought about how they should have put a towel down first.

However, Din was not finished yet and every thrust after pushed him deeper into overstimulation that danced over the line between pleasure and pain, blurring it irreparably.
By the time he came and popped his knot, Luke was coming again, so hard he blacked out.

When he came to, Din was pulling out and heaving himself to his feet.
Luke moaned weakly where he lay on the floor, having toppled to his side. He reached out blindly for him and Din chuffed from wherever he was nearby.

“Just a second, love. I’m getting your pussy plug to keep you from leaking.”
Moments later, he felt him kneel at his side again and gently part his labia to insert the plug.
His cock throbbed and let out another little spurt of cum as the plug slid into place. Then Din was scooping him up and carrying him back to the nest where he laid him down beside the cat bed again.

Stretching lazily, enjoying the sensation of the plug and the slosh of cum inside him, Luke looked down at their babies to find they had barely moved from how he left them.

After cleaning himself up and getting a wet towel to try and mop up the mess on the carpet, Din climbed in the nest as well and rested a hand over their three curled up daughters.

“Look at them. Aren’t they perfect?”

“They are. Like their Buir.” Luke smiled sleepily.

Din grinned at him. “Like their Papa, more so.”

Fatigue finally won out and he sighed, rolling onto his side facing Din and his children.
“Love you…” he whispered, eyelids suddenly very heavy.

Din said something back but it was fuzzy and Luke didn’t quite catch it as he finally succumbed to sleep.

Luke was only barely conscious of the times he fed the girls after that, waking for minutes at a time as Din placed them on his chest.
Each burst of lucidity was so subtle and fleeting, he wasn’t sure if they were dreams.

When he next woke up, Din was sitting up in bed in just his flight suit as bright sunshine spilled through the window.
Raising his head, he squinted at him, then down at the girls on his chest.
It took him a moment to realise that only Padmè and Ra-Nea were there, and Din was holding Beru.

“You’re awake,” Din said happily, turning Beru to look at him also. “Say ‘hello, Papa.’”
The darling actually smiled and reached out her tiny hands towards him as she chirped a greeting.

Tears sprung to Luke’s eyes. “Hello, baby…my sweet girl.”

“They have all fed,” Din assured him, holding Beru closer to Luke’s face so he could nuzzle her.

He then tried to sit up, holding the other two against him as he did so. “What time is it?”
Then he looked around, blinking at the flowers and other gifts that had materialised in their room.
“What day is it?”

“You’ve been asleep for two days,” Din told him. “I’m glad. You barely slept in the week or so leading up to the birth.”

Blinking, Luke shook his head a little to clear it. “Oh,” he said, because he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Din saw him looking at the gifts. “We’ve had a few visitors,” he explained. “Leia and the crew, the Armourer, Paz & Val. Some of these gifts are from your guards. The Mand’cyar’tomade have gifts too but they wanted to wait until you were awake.”

“That’s…so nice,” Luke said. He was still feeling a bit dizzy and out of it.
He threw back the blanket to stretch and became aware that he was wearing his white pajama shorts.

“I figured you wouldn’t want to be naked as well as unconscious when people came to visit,” Din told him when he saw him blinking down at his lap.

Luke nodded. “Thank you. Not that they haven’t all seen everything anyway, but I appreciate you looking out for me.”

His husband gave him one of those crinkly-eyed smiles he loved so much. “Always.”
A bit of embarrassment swept over him. “Force! I feel kinda bad though, being so out of it when people come to visit. You should’ve woken me up.”

“Nonsense,” Din shook his head. “They wouldn’t have let me even if I wanted to. They understand how exhausted you must be.”
Then his eyes became misty. “You looked so beautiful and peaceful, laying there sleeping with the girls suckling on your chest. It was like witnessing something divine.”

“Hey! Enough with the ‘divine’ stuff!” Luke groaned. “I’ve already put up with that bantha shit for nine months.”

Din’s smile became teasing. “I’ll keep it to myself then. But you can’t stop me from thinking it.”

After huffing at him, Luke had a thought and looked back down at Padme and Ra-Nea, sniffing the air. “Surely they would have needed a nappy change by now.”

“Oh, yes, they have. I’ve already sorted it.”

He shouldn’t be surprised, Luke thought. They both had plenty of experience changing Grogu’s nappy.
“Thank you,” he said quietly as an uncomfortable feeling unfurled in his gut. It wasn’t Din’s fault - he was only being a good husband and father, as usual.
But Luke had the distinct suspicion that he himself was the one falling short as a parent.
Not only that but all their guests would have witnessed it.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, red-faced again. “I shouldn’t have conked out like that. I should’ve been awake to help you.”

When Din pressed his lips together into a flat line and narrowed his eyes at him, Luke couldn’t help wincing with guilt.
“You were long overdue for a rest,” Din told him firmly.

“So were you!” Luke argued. “You didn’t get much sleep either.”

“I got more than you. Besides, I’m not the one who was literally making three babies inside of me, nor was I the one to birth them. And don’t forget about making all that breastmilk.”
He sighed. “Tekla did explain how taxing it is on the body and that you should be confined to bedrest for one or two weeks at least.”

Luke chewed his lip as he listened. He knew it made logical sense but he just couldn’t shift his sense of having not done enough.
“I know, I’m just…I feel bad you had to do everything on your own - looking after me as well as Grogu and our kits.”

Unnoticed by the two of them, Grogu was beginning to wake up, but he snapped to at the mention of his name. On seeing Luke awake, his ears perked up and he began to crawl over to him.

“Hey Grogu,” Luke said softly to him. “Thank you for helping Buir take care of our clan.”

“Yes, he’s been very good,” Din agreed. “Although, he does have something he wants to ask you.”

“Ba!” Grogu concurred, liquid black eyes bright with excitement. {Want milk, Buir!}

“Milk?” Luke asked, confused. He raised an eyebrow at Din, who started to explain.

“Grogu, here, decided that since he is also still a baby, he wants to be breastfed too. I told him to wait until you woke up to ask you, since it’s your milk and your body.”
Din shrugged. “Sorry to put you on the spot but I didn’t know what to say.”

“No no, it’s ok” Luke insisted, touched both by Din’s thoughtfulness and the fact that Grogu wanted to partake in such an intimate activity with him. “Are you hungry now, Grogu?”

“Patoo!” Grogu clapped his hands together with glee.

“Alright,” Luke chuckled. “Hang on, let me put these two back in their bed.” He sat up all the way and gently placed the sleeping kits into the cat bed, then held his hands out to Grogu.

The little green toddler chittered happily as he waddled into his arms.
Arranging him against his chest, Luke looked him in the eyes. “No biting, ok? You don’t need to use your teeth. Just suck like you do out of your sippy cup.”

{Yes, Buir!} And Grogu latched onto his nipple, suckling greedily.
“There’s a good boy,” Luke told him. His inner Omega was positively purring at being able to also feed his adopted child with his milk.
At some point, that transitioned into actual purring and Grogu hummed back, even as he tried to wring every last drop from Luke’s nipple.
He wasn’t concerned though, it didn’t take him long to replenish his supply and he often was still leaking milk after all three girls had fed.

“Gods! Look at this, Din!” Luke cried, beaming over at his Riduur.

“Ohhh, don’t worry. I’m looking,” the Alpha drawled back, tone verging on suggestive.

Luke rolled his eyes. “You and your pregnancy kink.”

“Don’t kink shame me,” Din mumbled, pretending to be offended.

Luke grinned wickedly at him. “Pervy Mandalorian.”

From that day on, they fell into a nice, relaxing rhythm.

Luke napped a lot, waking up to feed the girls whenever they got hungry, then dutifully feeding Grogu when they were done.
Between naps, he would sit in bed reading beside Din as he did some paperwork, or they would watch a holo-movie together.

The Mand’cyar’tomade would help him bathe each morning and there were always a few around, in case he needed anything.

One of them also gifted him a breast pump so he could have spare bottles of milk in the fridge.
This worked well for both of them because it gave Din a chance to experience the joy of bottle-feeding their kits, and it was nice to sometimes give his sore nipples a break.
Grogu had much more suction than the girls so they became red and over-sensitised a lot quicker.

One morning, Din had taken him by surprise. After waking up with milk dripping down his chest, he reached over for one of the small hand towels stacked neatly on the bedside for this very occurrence.
While he was looking the other way, Din leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth.

“Ack!” Luke cried and looked down at him in bewilderment. “Din, what are you doing?”

His husband didn’t answer, just suckled gently, flicking his tongue against the swollen bud.
Luke could feel the milk flowing out of him into the warm, wet mouth that was much larger than the ones he was used to supplying.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed when his cock hardened, creating a tent under the blanket. The hand he reached out on instinct paused and he wavered, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer, so he hung there as he arched his back - which only pushed him further into Din’s mouth.

The nonchalant smirk Din gave him when he pulled off from his nipple with an obscene wet sound didn’t help.
“Hmm…it’s sweeter than I was expecting.”

“Din!” He hissed, but the man didn’t look at all chastised.

“What? Doesn’t your Riduur get any of your delicious breastmilk?”

“It’s for our babies!” Luke protested. “And if you wanted some you could have done the normal thing of squirting a drop from one of the bottles onto your wrist. Besides, I thought you didn’t like sweet things.”

Brown eyes smouldered at him. “I believe I clarified that anything to do with you is the exception. You should know that by now. I could lap up your sweet slick all day.”

Luke choked and sputtered, which only made Din look more smug - damn him!
“You…you still shouldn’t have sneak-attacked me like that!”

“Oh?” Din snaked a hand under the blanket to wrap it around his cock. “You don’t seem to mind that much, Cyar’ika.”

“D-don’t use my body’s responses against me! You know very well that I’m going to get turned on by anything sexual my mate does!”

“Sexual?” Din tilted his head, playing coy. “I was just taste-tasting your milk, Ner Kar’ta.”

His tail puffed up with indignation as he felt Din backing him into a proverbial corner with the grace and skill of a seasoned hunter.
“Yes, but you also do that when…when you are…”

“Hmm?” The cruel man raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand what Luke was trying to say. “When I what?”

He took a deep breath and blew it out. Then he lowered his voice and answered, “you always suckle my nipples when you fuck me, ok! Of course it’s going to have that effect when you do it.”

Deep rumbling laughter poured over him like melted chocolate. “Then allow me to scratch that itch I brought about for you.”

He ripped the blanket away and pulled roughly at the waistband of his pajama shorts to free his erection. Then he bent down to take the whole thing in his mouth.

Whining, Luke threw both hands over his face to stifle his sinful noises and hide his flaming cheeks.
“Din…no! Not here, in bed right beside the children! What if they wake up?!”

“They won’t understand what they’re seeing,” Din said quickly before latching back on to dig his teeth lightly around his weeping head.

“Ah! Din! Ahhh!” the shameful arousal inside his hips unfurled its petals into full bloom and he came in Din’s mouth, clenching the bedsheets as hard as he could while Grogu and the kits lay mere inches to his side.
Even as he shuddered through the aftershock of his orgasm, he turned his eyes fearfully towards his children, but they remained blissfully asleep.

The breath of relief had barely left his lips when Din gathered him in his arms and deftly carried him out of the nest.
When he was placed on the floor again, it was right next to where the patch marking his last release was still visible on the carpet.

Ignoring his suddenly bashful demeanour, Din stripped himself off to reveal he was just as hard for him as he had been that first night they came home.
His giant cock bobbed as he swaggered over to him and Luke again felt like he was on the brink of combustion.

With a firm grip, Din turned him around and pushed him towards the wall, where he planted Luke’s hands in front of him.
Hooking his hands under his thighs Din lifted him so his hips were high enough then threaded himself inside.

The pace he set was a punishing one. Luke found it harder and harder to keep quiet as he braced himself against the wall.
Again he found himself coming again with Din, this time spraying the wall.
At least Din had the grace to lay him down as he rocked his knot inside him him.

Luke was well and truly boneless by the time he was tucked back into the nest.
“I’m still mad at you” he said grumpily when Din settled himself in beside him, with the brood still sleeping without a care in the world.

Din, of course, saw straight through him.

They definitely managed to get their sex life back on track after the three week interruption.
While Luke never exactly reached the same blazè attitude Din had about engaging in sexual acts in the same bed as their children slept, at least he stopped getting as anxious about it.

Sometimes they got the Mand’cyar’tomade to look after the girls in the bedroom after their evening feed, while Din bathed with Luke in their bathroom. If these baths also included some very quiet, clandestine sex as well, that was just between the two of them.
Fortunately, Luke’s handmaidens were far too distracted fawning over the girls to worry about what he and Din were up to.

Friends and family came to visit and Luke was very content chatting to them while they held the kits.

After a few days, Luke was feeling a bit more energised to get up and potter about the house, the girls in a floating crib like Grogu’s beside him.

Then, after a couple of weeks, they started to crawl.

Luke would never forget one of those first evenings after they picked up that ability.
Their whole clan were nestled inside their nest and Luke sat back against the pillows with Grogu to watch the three of them crawling all over Din.

The hopelessly besotted look on his face and the way his eyes sparkled with love and happiness made him swoon.
He thought back to that little bet they had made not long after the girls were born: how Din reckoned Luke would also want another litter in a few years time but Luke swore he wouldn’t.

Sighing, he conceded that he had well and truly lost the wager, even if Din didn’t realise it yet.
He knew he would give him as many litters as he wanted.

That man deserved the whole galaxy, and this was one way Luke was able to give it to him.

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

Despite still being on paternity leave, every now and then Din got called in for something that absolutely required the Mand’alors’ input.

Today had been such a day and Din was relieved to be going home in time to share a late lunch with his Clan.
Paz walked with him, since his presence as a Clan leader was no longer required after the main meeting adjourned. Being a lovestruck uncle, he wanted to see the kits before heading home to his own Riduur.

They conversed casually as they reached the door to the Royal residential chambers, and Din punched in the private key code.

As soon as the door wooshed open, he froze in his tracks. There was the sound of many voices coming from the main living area and it didn’t sound like the guards or Mand’cyar’tomade.

Was Luke having some kind of party?
He was sure he would have at least told him if that had been the case.

Curiosity and suspicion eating at him, he strode forward in the direction of the noise.
When he rounded the corner in the living room, he stopped in his tracks.
Nothing could have prepared him for the sight he stumbled across.

Force ghosts.

Dozens of them! All milling around and chattering excitedly as if it were the most natural thing ever.

He sagged against the doorframe in helpless dismay. That was when Paz approached him cautiously from behind.

“Uhh, Vod? Are you ok? What’s going on?”

Din just shook his head, words failing him at that moment. The Force ghosts happily continued with their little soirée as if he wasn’t even there and he was loathe to draw attention to himself, but at the same time, very much wanted an explanation.

Taking a breath, he stepped forward into the space. “Luke?!” He called out, only then seeming to be noticed by the invisible audience.

A burst of annoyance escaped him. Dammit, could he not come home and just enjoy some alone time with his family??

“Luke! Who are all these people in my living room??!”

Beside him, Paz stiffened up and looked about nervously as if he too might become able to see them if he tried hard enough.
Usually, Din sympathised with him. He knew full well what it was like to be involuntarily thrown headfirst into a bog of creepy Jetii shit and feeling completely out of one’s depth, not wanting anything to do with it.

Right now, however, he had more pressing things to worry about than his brothers’ sensitivities.

Luke chose that moment to emerge from the kitchen and beamed at him, seeming totally unaware of how bizarre and unwanted this situation was.

“Din!” He cried excitedly. “Isn’t this great?! The Jedi order surprised me with a visit! They wanted to come see the kits and give them their blessing! They are very strong in the Force and have caused quite a stir for the Jedi!”

’Great’ wasn’t exactly the word Din would have used. However, he could see that it had made his Riduur happy and didn’t want to spoil his pleasure, even if he himself was not amused.

The floating crib had followed him in and all three girls were sitting up, eyes wide and ears standing to attention on their little heads. Looking as if they had seen a ghost, he thought wryly.
On spying Din, they started making their little squeaking mewls and holding their tiny hands out for him.

With a soft smile, Luke moved the crib closer to him and Din rushed to take them into his arms, needing the comfort of their presence as much as they needed his.
“They missed their Buir today,” Luke told him as a series of “awwww!” echoed around the room.

He had to bite his tongue to hold back the snarky comment that threatened to come up regarding the onlookers.
Instead, he took a steadying breath through his nose, very thankful he had not yet taken his helmet off.

“Luke,” he began carefully. “Don’t you think we should continue this conversation later?”
Looking down at the girls he held against his chest, he added “and don’t you think this is all a bit…overwhelming for our several week old kits?”

“Oh, not at all!” Luke replied cheerfully. “They have been having a wonderful time playing with the Jedi. Little Ra-Nea has even been giggling as she has tried to swat at them.
They seem to enjoy all these glowing blue people around. Like they are surrounded by big sparkly toys. I can feel their awe and wonder in the Force.”

Din grit his teeth as his leverage for politely getting all the ‘glowing blue people’ to leave slipped away.
He sighed. “Where is Grogu?”

“In his high chair in the kitchen,” Luke smiled. “Father and Master Yoda are watching him and supervising his pre-lunch snacks.”

A loud shudder made them both look round at Paz, who had drawn his shoulders together, his whole body screaming discomfort.

“Ok, all this Force ghost talk is giving me the creeps. Paz out!” He abruptly turned on his heel and left.

They both watched him for a moment, Din wishing for the first time that he had the freedom to follow him.
That feeling was only subtle and fleeting. It dissipated instantly when he looked down at his starry-eyed kits who were still mewing at him as if he had been gone for days instead of hours.
Nothing would actually make him want to stay away from his family a second longer than he had to - not even a room full of dead Jetii.

With a sigh, he turned back round and kept his eyes on the girls as he said “Welcome Masters. I…would be lying if a said I was in any way prepared for this, but I thank you for your blessings toward my children.”

The Jedi murmured good-naturedly in response and Luke stepped forward, eyes dancing.
“Let me introduce you to the most recent Jedi Council members. You know Master Yoda and Obi Wan, of course. This here is Master Mace Windu. Oh and Masters Kit Fisto and Plo Koon…”
He indicated a bald humanoid man, a green Nautolan, and a Kel Dor Jedi in turn.

Turning and looking around, he spied two more who had come forward, two females: one a tall slender Torgruta woman with Lekku much longer than Ashoka’s, the other short and green - yet another member of Grogu’s mysterious species.

“Here are Masters Shaak Ti and Yaddle.”

Din’s attention lingered on the latter for a moment, fascinated to see another like their foundling son.
Meanwhile, Luke was looking round for more council members.
“Hmm, there were others here but they seem to be flitting in and out. That’s ok, I can always introduce you later. Oh! There’s a few important people left who you should meet!”

He gestured to a man with long brown hair and a matching beard, who had been talking to Obi Wan. “This is Master Qui Gon Jinn. He was Obi Wan’s Master and also the one who scouted my father.”
The man nodded his head politely and Din repeated the gesture, not sure he was capable of doing anything else.
He wondered how this genteel looking Master felt about being the one to bring the padawan who became Darth Vader into the fold.

Next, Luke pointed out a tall, thin severe looking woman with long grey hair tied back in a bun.

“This is Jocasta, who was in charge of the Great Library in the Jedi Temple. Oh! And this is Master Fey!”

A serene young woman in light coloured robes drifted over and smiled softly at him and the kits in his arms. Her loose blonde hair tumbled over her back and shoulders like a waterfall.

“She is a bit of an anomaly even amongst the Jedi!” Luke started to explain, his ears and tail springing up animatedly.
“Master Fey was so attuned to the Force that she followed it wherever it took her and became a wandering Jedi sage. In return, the Force gifted her with immortality until she sacrificed her life to save the other Jedi she was with on a dangerous mission.”

Before Din could wrap his head around this information, Luke continued. “Great news! She has recognised the same inclination in our Beru, so when she comes of age, if she chooses to follow that path, Master Fey has offered to be her teacher!”

Din absolutely did not have the mental energy to deal with that. He suppressed a sigh as he rubbed his temples. “Um…great…forgive me, I’m a little too tired to take this all in right now. Do you mind if I take the girls up to our room and lay down for a bit?”

“Oh.” Luke cocked his head in concern. “Sure, go ahead. I have a few more people to talk to and then Grogu and I can join you shortly.”

Releasing a breath of relief to be excused, Din mumbled a quiet goodbye to the Jedi and carried the girls upstairs.
After laying them down in their cat bed inside their nest, he shed his helmet and armour then laid down beside them.

He had barely had time to fully relax when yet another voice piped up from somewhere to his left. “Mind if I join you?”

Din did not need to look to know it was Anakin. Still, he cracked an eye open and considered telling him to leave him in peace, but the expression on his face gave him pause.
The man looked like a kicked Tooka; his ears sticking out to the side, and a visible troubled unease behind his sad blue eyes that were so much like his Riduur’s.

“Alright” Din conceded gruffly. “But I’m not in a very social mood so don’t expect me to be all chatty.”

Those ears instantly perked up. “Thank you! Thank you!” He floated into the nest and sat down beside him.
“It was getting a bit much for me down there too. I’ve already spoken to every Jedi to take responsibility for my actions and try to do what I can to earn their forgiveness - but imagine being at a party with a whole bunch of people who died because of you. Some of them I killed myself.”

It was hard not to be at least a little curious at that. Din opened his eyes again and looked round at him. “That does not sound pleasant. Which ones did you kill?”

Anakin hung his head in shame. “Mace Windu, Shaak Ti and Jocasta were the main ones out of the lot you just met. Obviously there were more.
I technically didn’t kill Obi Wan. He dissipated into the Force before I could deliver the killing blow.”

“Dank farrick…” Din muttered, unsure what else he could possibly say. Then he remembered something.
“What about that Qui Gon Jinn? Did you kill him too?”

“No,” Anakin shook his head. “He died when I was a child, otherwise he would have been my Master instead of Obi Wan.”

Frowning, Din thought about that for a moment, feeling drawn in despite his previous stance on not getting into a conversation.
“So, hang on…he died not long after scouting you?”

Anakin nodded. “He was killed by Darth Sidious’s previous apprentice, Darth Maul. Luke knows the full story, if you’re interested. Basically, he made Obi Wan promise to train me before succumbing to his wounds.”

This whole thing was getting into the ‘more mental energy than he currently possessed’ zone, so Din hummed politely then fell silent again.

For once, Anakin was content to follow his lead and shut up. He stroked his ghostly transparent hand over the kits’ fuzzy little heads and they all batted sleepily at it, making Din smile.

When Luke came in not long afterwards with their freshly delivered lunch in a carry bag and Grogu on his hip, he did a double-take.
“It’s great to see you two getting on so well, but I didn’t expect you to be nesting together.”

Anakin raised his chin defiantly. “Why wouldn’t we? Din is my favourite son-in-law. I’d nest with him and my grandkits any day.”

Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation, indeed the whole affair since stepping through the front door - but Din found himself laughing harder than he thought possible after finding his home overrun with Force ghosts.

Chapter Text

(Din POV)

“Are you ready, Cyar’ika?” Din asked, sitting on his throne in his ceremonial armour and red cape.

“Mmhm,” Luke hummed as he adjusted the shoulder strap of the birikad he wore over his red and gold embroidered robes.
The birikad was one designed specially to hold all three of the kits nestled against his chest.
He had his own cushioned chair now, positioned in prominence next to Din’s throne.

The girls wore little outfits almost exactly like the one Grogu wore at their wedding - red with the Mudhorn crest stitched into one shoulder and the Mythosaur symbol stitched into the other.

Grogu himself sat on Din’s lap wearing his red outfit and chewing on the Beskar Mythosaur pendant around his neck.

“How are they?” Din asked, resting a hand protectively on Luke’s shoulder.

With a glance down at the girls, Luke gave him a thumbs up. “Pretty chilled out at the moment. The fact that I’ve just fed them is helping, I’m sure.”

“That’s good, Cyar’ika,” Din said, then addressed Koska who was among the guards standing in formation around them on the dais of the throne room. “We have a supply of milk bottles ready in case they get hungry again, don’t we?”

“Yes, Mand’alor” she assured him. They are in a portable chiller case right here behind the throne.”

“Good,” he nodded. He took a deep breath. “Alright, we may as well begin. Open up the doors.”

At the foot of the dais, Bo-Khatan, nodded and gave the signal to the guards on either side of the huge double doors at the opposite end of the hall.

The quiet stillness of the large chamber was immediately ruptured by the excited ruckus of citizens stampeding into the hall, jostling for the best seats closest the throne.

It jarred their kits out of their post-feeding relaxed state and they perked their ears up, big blue eyes wide as they looked around at the confusing sight before them.

As their people spotted the three tiny forms strapped to Luke’s chest, they stumbled in surprise then gushed with a frenzied kind of adoration.

Din was proud to see Luke smiling kindly at the smitten Mandalorians, even as he raised his hands to stroke their kits.
His purring deepened, rumbling more forcibly in his chest in his attempt to soothe them and drown out the noise.

Soon, the ever calm and dependable figure of the Armourer stepped forward and just that action alone was enough to bring back a semblance of order.

Her voice carried that same effortless authority it always did as she addressed the room in Mando’a. After a formal greeting, she reiterated the significance of this joyous occasion and announced the birth of Mandalore’s three Mand’dral’dinuiise - the first since long before the Night of A Thousand Tears.

When it came time to introduce them individually, Luke and Din both rose to stand on either side of the Armourer.
Despite the formal setting, it was easy to see the love and fondness with which she took each kit in turn, holding them aloft and reverently uttering their full name along with their title.

The crowded hall of Mandalorians bowed their heads before each one, a hand fisted on their chests before raising their weapons to signify their loyalty and allegiance.

After their introductions to the people, their kits were baptised in the traditional way of any children born to a Mand’alor: with ash from the Armourers forge smeared gently across their foreheads and a few ceremonial words intoned over them.

Their reactions were quite priceless. Padmè, the first in line for such special treatment since she was the first-born, let out a soft ‘mew’ and wiggled her ears, making everyone gush yet again.

Their feisty little Ra-Nea tried to swat at the Armourers’ hand as she deposited the ash, giving her usual disgruntled squeak. This was met by a ripple of laughter and even the Armourer chuckled at her antics.

Sweet Beru cooed at the Armourer reaching out her tiny hands to wrap around her wrist and hold her close, nuzzling her head against her.
It was hard for Din to restrain himself from joining in the rekindled gushings, especially when Luke smiled tearfully at their daughter and wagged his bushy tail.

Once that part of the ceremony was over, all three kits were tucked safely back into Luke’s birikad.
The Armourer gave each of them a soft caress, still their adopted grandmother first and foremost.

This formal affair wouldn’t last too much longer. Soon they would adjourn to the palace courtyard, which had been decked out for a celebratory feast like on the day of their wedding.
But first, the Clan leaders had to come up and offer a gift on behalf of their Clans to their children.

Din sat on his throne, nodding approvingly and murmuring thanks to each leader as they came forward, bowed and deposited their gift at the foot of the dais.
These gifts of course included weaponry that was symbolic to each Clan.

When it was Paz’s turn to come forward, he subconsciously perked up, wondering what his brother would give as a gift, since he had no surviving Clan members and very little knowledge about any of his predecessors.

The blue giant stepped around the pile of offerings and climbed the short flight of steps to kneel directly in front of them.

At the nod from Luke, he greeted the girls in his usual way, with his little finger stroking their heads.

“My Vodu’adike,” he rumbled. “Clan Vizsla has been eroded away by history until only I remain. There were a few kinsmen among the covert I shared with your Buir growing up, but they fell in battle with the Empire when our secret location was revealed. As such, I have no remnant of my Clan to give.”

This was the most formal Din had ever heard him speak and the difference in him was sobering.
He was about to tell him that he understood and that he did not need to give them anything physical as the love of an uncle/Ba’Vodu was enough - but then the other man was talking again.

“So instead, I offer you some of me and your Buir’s personal history.”
From one of his pouches, he pulled out a small metallic item and Din jerked in recognition when he saw it, eyes widening under his helmet. It was something he never thought he would see again.

In Paz’s large gloved hand was an embarrassingly rudimentary metal pendant on a chain.
It was some kind of cheap alloy in an abstract shape that had been intended as a replica of the three-pronged sigil of Clan Vizsla.
Only, the pre-pubescent crafter of the item was not skilled enough to make it look anything like said sigil.

Din should know, as it had been he himself who brought about its shameful existence.
His eleven year-old self had attempted to make a gift for his best friends Name Day.
He had also suffered under the delusion that he might make a good apprentice to the Armourer.

Their covert leader had been kind enough to try and teach him some basics and let him play around with lesser metals.
That pendant marked the end of such aspirations - and he almost didn’t even give the wretched thing to Paz, he was so ashamed of it.

But somehow, he had worked up the courage to present it to him and was amazed when the bigger, slightly older boy had actually liked it.
Paz wore it over his clothes until swearing the Creed, at which point it nestled under his new armour.

The pair of them remained inseparable until Din was chosen ahead of Paz for the role of Beroya at the age of eighteen (though he didn’t finish his apprenticeship with the former Beroya and fully take over the title until he was twenty).

After that, a suffocating weed of resentment and tension wormed its way into their relationship, which proceeded to grow; spreading its roots deeper and deeper over the years until it was hard to remember what it had been like before in those simpler times.
Though Din told himself it was a sacrifice he had been honour-bound to make for the good of the covert and he should just let go of his childhood friendship, he never stopped missing Paz. He just learned to disguise the hurt from each antagonistic interaction behind a wall of stoic indifference.

Maybe that child who still lived somewhere inside of him never lost hope, because Paz continued to wear the necklace.
“Brotherhood is brotherhood,” he had grumbled, the one time Din had questioned why he still wore it if they truly were no longer friends. “Whether I like it or not. It’s one of the few things our kind has left.”

It was just another reason why he would never be able to forget the fight they had when he accepted that Imperial bounty. The one which led to him finding Grogu.
The one from which he returned to the Covert with a load of Beskar ingots as payment.

They were stamped with the Empire’s Crest and Paz had criticised him for taking a job from the ones who had destroyed Mandalore, continuing to persecute any survivors they could find.

Din knew that the one he still inwardly saw as his brother was speaking from years of hurt, anger and perceived rejection from not being chosen as Beroya. In fact, he had been inclined to forgive him.

Until Paz did the unthinkable.

He accused him of being a coward, the worst insult by Mandalorian standards, and tried to remove his helmet.
The Armourer had only just managed to break up the vicious fight that ensued.

That didn’t stop Paz from ripping off the necklace he had given him years earlier and throwing it on the ground, declaring that they were no longer kin.
It wounded Din far more than he would ever admit and he was glad the helmet hid his expression.

Not long after their altercation, when Din had rescued Grogu from the Imperials but was intercepted by the entire Bounty Hunters Guild on his way back to his ship, Paz had surprised him again by rescuing him in turn.

He and many of their tribes able-bodied warriors ambushed the Guild, allowing Din to escape.
But, as Din would find out in time, his people paid a heavy price for their aid.
Because they had revealed themselves, the Empire launched a full scale attack on their Covert.

Only Paz and the Armourer survived.

That stand-off on Nevarro was only the start of the crazy road that life had taken him down since then.
In all honesty, he hadn’t had much time to brood over it, and the unexpected initiation into fatherhood demanded most of his attention.
Still, the times he had allowed his thoughts to wander back to what had occurred between them, he felt a persistent, bone-deep sadness.

He had spent so long wanting to feel like he had a family again after losing his parents and not being claimed by anyone on joining the Covert, thus being shunted into the Fighting Corps.
But despite his best efforts to contribute to his peoples survival, he was always pushed away in some fashion or another.

His friendship with Paz had managed to survive the blip of distance after he presented as an Alpha at thirteen, while Paz struggled to come to terms with it. Still, it was not strong enough to survive him becoming the Beroya.
And after that conflict where it all came to a head in the Amourers Forge on Nevarro, it seemed like a burning of bridges which they would never be able to traverse.

They had only just begun to heal things between them after Din led the successful efforts to reclaim Mandalore.
However, even after resolving the main breaks in their bond here on Concordia, there were still spiderweb fractures running through it that were harder to address, as they were insidious in nature and hidden beneath the surface.

It took seeing that stupid necklace again to realise that it had been one of them.

As ugly and badly made as it was, as ashamed of it he had been, he had poured so much child-like love and hope into it.
The fact that Paz gladly accepted it had meant the world to Din.

It was like the popular older boy had seen all the defective, weak aspects of the scrawny young foundling that had latched onto him and said ‘I like and accept all of you. I’m happy to bear this physical representation of our kinship.’

When he threw it away and verbally severed their ties, it was the most painful rejection he could have ever dealt him.

Whats more, he could never be sure if Paz would have wanted to be brothers again if he hadn’t become Mand’alor and rebuilt their kingdom.
There was no telling how much of it was because of Din himself and how much of it hinged on what he had managed to achieve.

Now, Paz was bringing it out as if he had still kept it all along, which was the only explanation as he doubted it could have been found again amidst the rubble that remained of their underground home on Nevarro.

“You…you kept it…” he said quietly, his mouth had gone quite dry.

Paz nodded. “I did. I regretted throwing it away as soon as I had done it, and went back to retrieve it after you left.”
Sighing, he bowed his head in remorse. “I regret everything about my actions that day, Vod. I hope you can forgive me.”

Tears stung the back of his eyes and a lump rose to his throat. Outwardly, he grasped the other man’s arm, just below his pauldron.
“You are forgiven. And we accept your offering.”