Anakin is insanely curious to know what Mando might want to talk to Mom about, but he doesn't ask. It was obvious that it was meant to be a conversation strictly between the two of them, so he takes Grogu to his room and begins showing him around after setting him on the bed. "I build things," Anakin tells him enthusiastically. He doesn't know if Grogu can really understand him or not, but he doesn't care either. It's nice to have such a willing, seemingly interested audience. "I'm building my own droid. See?"
He pulls away the cloth covering C-3PO, and Grogu coos with interest leaning towards the workbench. After a moment, the child reaches out a hand demandingly. "What?" Anakin asks confused. "What do you want?"
Grogu waves his hand again, and Anakin approaches him. The baby eagerly grabs one of Anakin's fingers in his tiny fist, before his eyes fall partially closed in... concentration? There's a strange prickling that Anakin can sense suddenly, but it doesn't feel dangerous. It feels... well, he's not really sure how to describe it. Perhaps it's as if there's something strange and foreign and warm poking his head. But there's nothing there.
He tries to shake it off and dismiss it as nothing when – hi. The word slips into his mind, and it's definitely not his own. It's different. It sounds younger, more childlike. His eyes snap to Grogu in surprise. The child is sitting there with an open look of delight on his face.
"Is that you?" Anakin asks. He didn't know that Jedi could do that. That is so cool!
Grogu giggles. Who else?
Okay, this is weird, but it's definitely not the strangest or worst thing which has happened to him. It's actually kind of fun. "Can you do this with Mando?" He's curious, okay? He knows that Mando isn't a Jedi, of course, but he is definitely very close with the toddler.
Said toddler shakes his head. He's not sensitive, he elaborates.
Anakin frowns. "What do you mean? Sensitive to what?" He strokes the back of Grogu's hand absently with his thumb.
The Force. Jedi use the Force. You have the Force too. It's strange that the words aren't entering his mind as words per se, so much as they're entering as a series of thoughts and impressions which a part of him is interpreting and putting into words.
"You mean I could be a Jedi?" Anakin can barely hide his surprise and glee at that thought. There is so much he could do as a Jedi, starting with freeing all the slaves on Tatooine. He promised his best friend, Kitster Banai, that he would help free everyone on Tatooine someday, and that's a promise he has every intention of keeping.
Somehow, Anakin knows that Grogu isn't happy by that thought. He can do that sometimes: sense how other people are feeling. Maybe it's because of the "Force," whatever that is. You could be, but you shouldn't be.
"Why not?! Jedi help people! And why don't you want me to be a Jedi?" He's honestly confused. Why would anyone not want to be a Jedi? Laser swords are cool, and they would be such helpful weapons, from what he's heard. He recalls how, earlier Grogu had seemed quite adamantly against Mando taking Anakin to the Jedi. It doesn't make sense.
You won't be able to see your mother anymore, Grogu explains. Whisps of a memory flash into Anakin's mind, and he can't help but be awed by the abilities that Grogu has. He wants to be able to do this too. It's cool to speak in someone's mind without words, and being able to share memories? Wizard!
Anakin doesn't really see it as much as he gets the distinct impressions of the moment in the past and the words – some of them anyways – that were spoken.
"The Mandalorian wanted you to have this. ... give you a choice. This... is a lightsaber. ... may choose only one. If you choose the armor, you'll return to your friend, the Mandalorian. ... giving in to attachment to those that you love and forsaking the way of the Jedi. ... will take you many years to master the ways of the Force, and you may never see the Mandalorian again because, Grogu, a short time for you is a lifetime for someone else. Which do you choose?"
The meaning is clear, and his excitement dims a little at that. He doesn't really like the idea that he'll never be able to see Mom again if he becomes a Jedi. "But why?" he demands, confused. "That doesn't make sense. What's wrong with me caring about Mom... or you caring about Mando?"
It's attachment. It can lead to bad things for Jedi.
Anakin huffs out a breath, narrowing his eyes. "And what about for non-Jedi? You have some training, right? What makes Jedi different?"
... I don't know. I wanted to stay with Buir. Buir is good, and he made everything better after the bad times. He's the best Buir ever! And he can help you too!
There's a childish earnestness to the words, and it makes Anakin smile. He's the same, honestly. He thinks it's probably natural and normal for children to be convinced that their parent is the best. But – "What does boo-eer mean?" He stumbles a little bit over the foreign word.
Daddy. Or mommy. It can mean either. Grogu's dark eyes are gleaming now, with a mixture of affection and excitement which Anakin can somehow sense. There's a momentary lull in the conversation before the child speaks again. Buir can take care of you. No one can hurt him! You don't have to go to the Jedi. Buir can teach you too! Not to be a Jedi, but he can teach you to be Mando'ade.
"Mahn-doe-ah-day?" Anakin sounds out. "Does that mean Mandalorian?"
Grogu nods with a coo, and Anakin finds that he... actually thinks the sound of that is interesting. Mando is cool, and he definitely cares about Grogu. He wants to become a Jedi, but he doesn't really want to be separated from Mom either. Besides, he has no way of finding the Jedi. Maybe becoming a Mandalorian wouldn't be so bad. It'll also mean that he can spend more time with Grogu which sounds fun. Maybe the toddler can teach him more about this "Force?"
And Grogu's opinion of Mando is probably not entirely accurate, but even Mom agrees that he's a good person. But first, Anakin has questions. A lot of questions, actually. He's heard many stories about the Jedi and about their heroism. He's also heard about Mandalorians, even if not as much. But now, he's really curious to know more. He's heard that Mandalorians are warriors, and that is clearly the truth if the armor and vast array of weapons which Mando has on him are anything to go by. Anakin might not have seen him in action, but no one would carry that many weapons unless they knew how to use them.
"What are Mandalorians like?"
They're warriors. Honorable warriors. They have so many cool weapons! At least Buir does. He won't let me touch them though. Grogu pouts a little at that.
Anakin is intrigued despite himself. "How many Mandalorians have you met?"
Not many. Buir is the nicest of all of them! The child pauses for only a moment. Do you want to stay with us? Buir is going to help you, and you can leave Tatooine with us. Your mother will come, obviously. But... you can stay with us! Buir can raise you by the Creed like he is me.
It's – well, Anakin isn't sure how to feel about Grogu's insistence that Anakin become a Mandalorian, and let Mando... adopt him? That makes him feel... He doesn't know actually. He's always wanted a father, always hoped that his father would someday come back for him. But maybe having Mando as a father would be even better, like Grogu is insisting. This is all too soon and too sudden for Anakin, but it doesn't seem like a bad thing. If – if Mando really wants him, then Anakin certainly won't object. As long as he belongs somewhere, as long as he's free, he'll be happy.
"I'll think about it."
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"I'll check on the kids," Din decides, excusing himself before Shmi starts another, difficult conversation. It's not difficult to find them, or maybe, he thinks dryly, it's just that he's developed a sixth sense when it comes to his kid. Grogu likes getting himself into mischief and likes doing things that he really shouldn't be. It is normal behavior for a child, but it also means that Din needs to be extra attuned to him to stop him.
Grogu and Anakin are in a small room that looks more like a workshop than not, what with all the tools and parts scattered around, and is that really a protocol droid? It's half complete and missing plating to cover the interior, but it still throws him for a moment before he resolutely ignores it and focuses on the two children. Anakin is crouched in front of the cot in which Grogu is sitting, and they're... sort of holding hands.
They both look at him in unison when he enters, and Anakin lets go of Grogu's hand. The kid seems extremely satisfied with himself, and there's a hint of mischief in his big brown eyes. Anakin seems a bit ruffled, more so than usual and certainly more than he was earlier, but he doesn't say anything. For some strange reason, Din gets the feeling that he just walked into a private conversation, which is ridiculous, because Grogu can't even talk.
"Grog'ika?" he says, stepping forwards. He's not sure what he means to say if anything at all, but something about the way that Grogu perks up, expression placid and innocent, is very suspicious. "What did you do?"
"He didn't do anything," Anakin interjects. "We were just talking."
What? "Grogu can't talk," Din objects.
"Not verbally. With... the Force," Anakin explains, as if that answers everything. It kind of does.
Oh great. Jetii magic. "You've never done that with me," Din points out, looking at his kid. He doesn't really know how that all works, but he doesn't know why Grogu wouldn't have spoken to him if he could.
"I um... I asked him about that," Anakin tells him. "He said it's because I'm sensitive to the Force and you're not."
Nice. Apparently, even Jetii magic is now trying to make his life more difficult. Not that he wants to have it, or anything. He can only imagine how much easier it would be if he could actually communicate with the kid. It doesn't matter though. He's worked through the communication difficulties all this time, so the fact that the kid can't talk to him with Jetii magic changes nothing.
Also, Din strongly suspects that their conversation probably had less to do with Jetii magic and more to do with him. Ka'ra knows how incredibly stubborn Grogu can be. By now, he's pretty much resigned to the inevitable outcome of... all of this. He'll free the Skywalkers, and he'll stay with them until he has enough credits to get them all off-world. Then, they'll want to stay with him, and he'll formally adopt Anakin. The end. Short and simple and... not at all what he had expected. It'll be different to have other people travelling with him though, and that might not be a bad thing.
The coverts always stayed in one place while Din traveled around on jobs, getting credits. Now, he imagines that they'll travel with him, like Grogu has been all this time. And he can't say he's not at least a little excited by the prospect of having a larger clan. He'd be shocked if Grogu hasn't already convinced Anakin to become a Mandalorian. He won't ask though, because if the kid hasn't, Din doesn't intend to encourage him.
Din glances around the room again, and his eyes fall on the droid. He keeps his distance, but he still looks at it, taking in its construction. "The droid –" he begins, and Anakin lights up.
"I built him myself!" he announces proudly. "I can fix anything. I was building him to help Mom." He darts across the room, rummaging through a pile of odds and ends, mumbling to himself before holding up the droid's photoreceptors; Din had wondered what happened to them. Anakin moves over to the droid, snapping them into place. "Isn't he great?"
Din inspects the workmanship and is impressed despite himself. For a mere child to have built such a thing, all alone and likely without aid... He can't help but look at Anakin in a whole new light. The child is brilliant. "It's impressive," he assures Anakin. If this was anything other than a droid, he'd probably take a closer, hands-on look.
Anakin grins, a look of delight in his eyes. "Watch."
He flips the droid's switch, and Din instinctively tenses when it turns on, photorecepters brightening. It stands, turning to face the occupants of the room. "How do you do? I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations. How might I serve you?"
"Good job with it," Din praises, and Grogu squeals. Din turns in time to see the kid jumping off the bed and toddling towards the droid.
"Oh my!" Threepio exclaims, sounding surprised. "I have never seen such a strange species in my life."
Well, maybe this droid won't be so bad after all, Din thinks, fighting the urge to smile. He knows that all droids aren't evil, but he still dislikes them – for the most part – and struggles to be around them. Grogu stops in front of the droid, cooing softly and looking up at it with curiosity.
"I'm building a podracer too," Anakin says, looking up at Din, "But Watto doesn't know. Only some of my friends do. And Mom. It's a secret. I can show you!"
Din reaches out, laying a hand on Anakin's shoulder for a moment. "Certainly," he agrees, "I would like to see." If only to see for himself more proof of how intelligent this child is. He doesn't need evidence, of course, but he finds that he would like to see more, to know more about Anakin. Anakin is – he is different than most people Din has met. He's brighter. He draws people to him, even if he doesn't realize it. He's good in a way that almost surprises Din because of how and where he's grown up.
"Later then," Anakin decides.
Both of them are distracted by Grogu when he grabs onto Anakin's leg, hugging it, and stares up at Din with a pleading whine. The gesture might be lost on Anakin, but Din is quite certain that he knows what the kid is asking for. "Ad'ika, we already talked about this," Din reminds him. "It's not my choice."
Grogu pouts adorably, before turning his head to look at Anakin. The boy's expression is dubious to say the least. "What does he want?"
Din hesitates. He doesn't know if he wants to start trying to explain to Anakin what Grogu wants. Grogu coos, waving a hand up at Anakin, and Din watches as Anakin kneels, letting the kid grab his finger again. Jetii magic. He watches warily as some unspoken communication passes from Grogu to Anakin. Anakin's eyes flick up to Din then, some unidentifiable emotion in his blue eyes.
"What did he say?" Din asks curiously.
Anakin purses his lips, and he looks like he's trying not to laugh. "He says you're being stubborn," he translates.
"I'm being stubborn?" he repeats incredulously. He isn't sure if he should be amused or offended at that. "And you're not stubborn at all, right, buddy?" He knows how obvious the sarcasm in his voice is. Grogu giggles at the teasing, and he lets go of Anakin, turning back towards Din. "Uh huh," he continues with a smile. "That's what I thought." He scoops the kid up, and he squeals.
When Din finally manages to make himself look away from the baby in his arms, he catches sight of a flicker of... longing? on Anakin's face. Surprisingly though, or not, considering that he's a slave, Anakin is good at hiding his feelings. "Grogu also told me that he thinks I should be a Mandalorian," Anakin blurts out. "Could I be?"
Din just barely resists a sigh. "Yes," he answers, "Yes, you could be, but... I don't –" He cuts himself off before deciding to try explaining more about his people in the hopes that Anakin will understand. "It won't be an easy life. It's strict. We are warriors, and there are no exceptions to that. Everyone is trained to fight. Weapons are a part of our religion. We don't seek out fights for the sake of battle; we are not without honor. But we never run away from a fight. I am no longer in contact with my covert. If I was, I could take you there, and you could be raised as one of us. But that is not a possibility, and I am a bounty hunter. That is no life for a child."
"I've seen worse," Anakin counters determinedly, eyes lingering on Grogu for a moment. "What about him?"
Din's grip on the kid tightens instinctively, and he looks down at the wide-eyed look of adoration on Grogu's face. "It's not safe for him either, but he is only one person." Din isn't going to simply give up the life he's lived, because he doesn't know how else to live, how else to get credits given his skillset. But at the same time, he's being more careful and taking less risks than he once did. He doesn't think he could bear to be separated from his kid again.
"I know how to take care of myself," Anakin tells him.
"I'm sure you do," Din replies, and he means it. Anakin has been a slave, and more than that, he's learned how to do things – like build a podracer – without his owner knowing. That shows intelligence, courage, and skillfulness right there. "The kind of life I have is... not one I think you should be a part of. You can be a Mandalorian, if you wish, I have no dispute with that, but it's not safe for you or your mother. If – if you truly wish it, then... speak to your mother about it. If she agrees," – she undoubtedly will – "Then, yes, I am willing."
Grogu babbles something incomprehensible, though his excitement is unmistakable. Din doesn't need Jetii magic to figure out what it probably has to do with. He feels a fond exasperation as he smooths a hand over the kid's head. He isn't even upset at Grogu for using his abilities to try and persuade Anakin to join him in pushing Din to adopt the boy.
Maybe this is another "the Force works in mysterious ways" thing. He doesn't know, and he's not a Jetii – nor does he know one to ask. It's no longer up to him anyways. The choice is now Anakin's and Shmi's.
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Mando'a Translations:
Buir - father, mother
Mando'ade - Mandalorian (literally, sons/daughters of Mandalore)
jetii - Jedi
Ka'ra - stars (ancient Mandalorian myth - ruling council of fallen kings)
ad'ika - little one