Chapter Text
When Din first encountered Bo-Katan on Trask, he held no particular interest in her or her objectives. He recognized that she diverged from the strict Mandalorian Creed he fervently upheld, and he saw no value in her quest to reclaim Mandalore or her pursuit of the Darksaber. His sole focus remained on returning Grogu to his own kind. Having achieved that, he found himself adrift in the expansive galaxy, feeling disconnected and purposeless.
The Darksaber, an object of little significance to him initially, now weighed heavily in his possession. Nights were spent in contemplation, pondering its implications and his role in wielding it. He couldn’t comprehend why Bo-Katan hadn’t challenged him for it. If she desired it so strongly, why not engage in honorable combat for its ownership? He acknowledged her superior combat prowess and would willingly offer a fair contest. Her devastation upon seeing him with the saber mirrored his own confusion; she had claimed it belonged to her, yet made no attempt to take it.
The lingering questions about Bo-Katan haunted him. What was she doing now, and what had become of her ambitions? He couldn’t shake his curiosity about her fate, nor the nagging feeling that his actions had unwittingly obstructed her goals. Despite his indifference towards her cause, he found himself drawn to understanding her motivations and the consequences of their encounter.
After parting ways following Luke Skywalker’s intervention and Grogu’s departure, Din never received word from Bo-Katan again. The thought of seeking her out to return the Darksaber crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it as a futile endeavor. Through their brief interactions, he had come to understand her as a resolute woman with unwavering determination. What she deemed necessary was non-negotiable, a trait he both admired and found exasperating.
The presence of the Darksaber weighed heavily on Din’s mind, a constant reminder of Bo-Katan and their unresolved conflict. Its presence denied him the peace he sought, akin to the shifter ball from his Razor Crest, a poignant reminder of Grogu’s absence.
Hence, upon reuniting with Grogu, Din’s primary objective became finding Bo-Katan and making amends not only to his covert but also to her. Recalling her invitation to join her in reclaiming Mandalore, he pondered how he might assist her. Despite his certainty that she wanted nothing to do with him, he felt compelled to assuage his guilt and address the concern stemming from their dilemma. Aware of the Armorer’s cautionary words about Bo-Katan, Din recognized her as a potential source of trouble. Yet, he realized that it was his own ignorance that had troubled her, and he was determined to rectify the situation.
As Din’s N1 touched down at Bo-Katan’s castle on Kalevala, he sensed an eerie quietness and somber atmosphere enveloping the palace. Apart from the droid that greeted him, there was no sign of Bo-Katan’s NiteOwls.
Entering the imposing structure, Din’s footsteps echoed in the empty halls, leading him to the grand throne room where Bo-Katan sat, a solitary figure amidst the vastness of the chamber. Her posture exuded a sense of detachment, her gaze fixed upon the distant horizon visible through the towering windows.
Din approached cautiously. “Bo-Katan, it’s Din Djarin,” he announced, his voice echoing off the stone walls. Recalling their last encounter aboard Moff Gideon’s light cruiser, where she had inquired about his name, he felt a strange sense of openness towards her. Despite his reluctance to reveal his identity to others he barely trust, he now found himself unburdened by the thought of her knowing who he was. Deep down, he suspected that this meeting wouldn’t be their last anyway.
“I’m here to join you,” Din declared, halting before her throne.
“There’s nothing left to join,” she replied, her tone devoid of life, mirroring the emptiness in her green eyes.
As she explained how her forces had deserted her upon her failure to reclaim the Darksaber, Din realized that Bo-Katan was now utterly alone. During their two years apart, she had been stranded here, much like him, with nowhere to go and no one to be.
At least Grogu had returned to him, had chosen him. But for Bo-Katan, there was no one. No one had chosen her, and it seemed unlikely that anyone would until she possess a mere blade. He remembered she was the last of her family line. No family, no friends. She has a home, a place to be, but she must be terribly lonely. And it was all because he hadn’t known any better.
He anticipated Bo-Katan challenging him for the Darksaber, but she remained silent. She could have pursued him across the galaxy to reclaim it, yet she didn’t. He had acquired it by defeating Gideon without killing him, so why the reluctance on her part? What was holding her back?
She even hinted at him leading her people, their people, as though her warriors would willingly follow a Mandalorian foundling, labeled by some as a child of the watch and a zealot. It seemed like a recipe for discord. Din had no desire to lead anyone, let alone an entire planet. It was her ambition, not his. And considering what the Armorer had warned him about her, perhaps it wasn’t just a desire for power; it might have been a deep-seated need driving her.
So why wouldn’t she simply take the Darksaber from him and end both their torment? Her actions, or lack thereof, spoke volumes. She seemed content to remain ensconced in her throne, brooding over what transpired, rather than taking decisive action to reclaim her weapon. Din couldn’t fathom this woman from the very first moment they met until now, no matter how hard he tried.
What’s evident to Din though is that Bo-Katan wants no involvement with him whatsoever.
Nevertheless, almost inexplicably, he found himself informing her of his intention to journey to Mandalore to seek redemption, as if she needed to be privy to his plans or she had any interest in his whereabouts for the next 24 hours.
Despite her obvious disdain for him and her skepticism towards his plan to go to Mandalore, she still was kind enough to provide him crucial information about the location of the Living Waters, simplifying his task. For that, he felt genuinely grateful.
After expressing his gratitude, she simply bid him farewell with a tone that unmistakably conveyed her desire to never see him again. It seemed she hoped to avoid any future encounters with him. If that was truly her wish, then she should take the saber from him, for as long as he possessed it, their paths would inevitably intersect. At least, that’s what Din believed.
For now, if solitude was what she sought, then solitude she would have.
Yet, as he contemplated his journey towards redemption, Din couldn’t shake the feeling that the force would eventually compel him to return the Darksaber to Bo-Katan. He held onto the hope that doing so would bring closure to their tumultuous connection, allowing them to move forward separately towards their own goals in this vast galaxy.
Perhaps then, he mused, he could finally rid himself of her lingering presence in his thoughts.