Jatij
Grogu narrowed his eyes at the dog-headed being promise.
Of course, he didn’t come out from where he had hidden.
The kid trusted no one except his Buir, his Master, R2, Peli, Mr. Boba, and Mrs. Fennec.
They were safe. The others weren’t.
“Sharat (child)” the hooded man raised his voice again “I know you can use the Force. My grandson and you have used it together. He is… or was for a short time your Master. Use it to perceive whether or not I can be trusted”
From being almost closed, Grogu's eyes became wide.
Was that man a relative of his Master?
How could it be possible?
It didn't seem to be the same species of his blond guide.
“His name is Luke” the figure continued softly “He loves the smell of rain at sunset, he can spend hours meditating in peace, he doesn't usually eat on time, his droid is always scolding him and he has an unhealthy obsession with certain clothes he wears”
Okay.
Grogu had to admit that the man knew who he was talking about.
That was an apt description of his Master.
Therefore, the little boy took a deep breath and allowed the Force to expand from his body until it touched the stranger's.
“That’s it sharat” the kid heard him say “Read my aura, make sure that I'm not a threat”
Grogu gasped softly as he touched the alien presence with the energy. The man was an acquaintance of the Force. She hugged the man intensely and sang as she held him close. The Force loved that sir and transmitted to the boy joy and happiness, as well as sadness and compassion, because the man was alone and the Force could do nothing for him, except comfort the guy and tell Grogu that the man was a friend, that he shouldn’t be afraid and that please help him.
The little Jedi, after that, came out of his hiding place near the ship, to then approach the figure in small steps.
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Anubis grinned as he saw the little boy walk quickly until he was in front of the god.
That image brought back so many memories.
From times past, in the main temple of the Order, with another child. Yoda.
One who had been able to see Anubis, unlike all the other Masters.
And, as with that young student, the god sank down on his knee and extended his hand to caress the head of this green one child.
“Thank you for your trust sharat” he said to the padawan “I promise to honor my promise”
The boy looked up smiling and opened his mouth to utter a series of sounds, which didn’t sound like words from that universe.
Anubis raised an eyebrow upon hearing him say something along the lines of “patoo”.
Which, although it was tender, was not very conducive to establishing communication.
“Forgive me to ask sharat” the god interrupted the kid “but you… can't you speak in standard?”
The boy shook his head and made gestures that led him to understand that he couldn’t, nor had he ever been able to.
“That’s… strange” Anubis murmured extending his hand “Will you allow me to examine you sharat?”
At the padawan's nod, the jackal-headed god slid his fingers over the boy's neck. His powers read back to him that there was nothing wrong or strange with the child’s physiology. Simply, the kid didn’t know or something prevented him from using his voice.
“Has anyone ever taught you to speak?”
Anubis asked and received a negative answer.
“Do you remember someone of your kind?”
Again, the boy shook his head, to which the god could only sigh.
Either the Jedi had preferred to communicate with this padawan through the Force, because it was easier, or they hadn’t had the means to do so, or, as his grandson had discovered in his time in training, the child Jedi's repressed memories prevented him from using that knowledge to speak.
“Sharat” Anubis explained to the Padawan “If you allow me, I can help you talk”
The youngster's eyes widened and began to gesticulate excitedly, causing the god to laugh enthusiastically. He hadn't understood a single sound, but since he wasn't stupid either, he had perceived his intention in the Force and the word father was painted in all that speech.
The green boy wanted to be able to talk to the Mandalorian.
Which made Anubis go from laughing to smile delighted.
He could perfectly understand that need.
The god fingers rested on the boy's throat again, while his lips slowly recited the formulas that called on his powers to transmit the necessary knowledge, to adjust the vocal cords, to allow words to flow for the first time.
As he finished and withdrew his fingers, the boy's tiny hands went to his own throat in amazement.
However, before the child could say his first words a blaster shot crossed between Anubis's arm and head.
“Grogu! Run! Now!”
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Ten minutes.
Din had left the boy alone for ten minutes in the ship, while he went down to the nearby river where they had landed to load up on water, since on the way to Mandalore, there would be no nearby sources and he hadn't wanted to risk go to the planet without the proper supplies.
And he'd come back and find a guy whose head looked like one of the Tusken Raiders mastiffs, choking Grogu.
“Peace jatij” exclaimed the guy standing up with his hands up “I am also a father, I would never harm your sharat”
The Mandalorian kept aiming after the shot.
“Grogu” he said to the little boy who turned his face to see the Mandalorian “Come here. Get away from that man”
The child smiled from ear to ear and ran to his side to hug one of his boots, but before his father could ask him what he was doing, Grogu looked up and opened his mouth to say.
“Buir!”
“Gro… Grogu?”
Din asked as he heard a raspy, high-pitched voice coming from Grogu's mouth.
“The sharat will nedd to practice, although I would suggest not abusing. Unlike him, my powers don’t include healing. They only helped him to have the necessary knowledge to manipulate his voice and not using it for so long will take a recovery period”
The guy commented smiling at the little boy.
“Buir! Listen Grogu?”
“I… yes… I hear you…”
“Grogu love Buir”
The Mandalorian sat down in astonishment upon hearing his child express in his little voice, finally what he had always wanted to hear.
His blaster slipped from his hands to the ground and these held his kid, to attract him to his chest and hug him with affection.
“Gar buir kar'taylir darasuum gar balyc ad (your father also loves you son)”
He whispered into one of Grogu's ears, stroking his back.
He had so many questions.
Who was that guy? How had he managed to help Grogu? How did Grogu know the word for father in Mando'a?
“Uhmmm...” explained the half animal man approaching him “My name is Anubis and I’m a God of knowledge among other characteristics. The species of your sharat requires a special understanding to learn to emit words in standard or... in any other language of the Galaxy. I just sped up the process by which he would do it. With respect to your language… I guess my grandson Luke, was the one who taught him, his sister is considered royalty among their kind and is fluent in several languages and must have helped his brother to learn yours”
“Luke?” Din asked raising his helmet to fix his eyes on the stranger “Are you talking about Skywalker?”
“Exactly”
The man replied, and his visor swept over the alien figure.
“Excuse me for saying so, but... I wouldn't be seeing the family resemblance”
The stranger who had called himself Anubis, burst out laughing and uncovered his head, showing the most exotic countenance that could be shown.
His face was not that of a human being. Nor that of any species that inhabited the Galaxy that the Mandalorian knew of. It was similar, but not the same, to that of the mastiffs. The skin on his head was a lustrous black fur and his eyes were like the night, dark and deep. His body, on the other hand, was similar to that of humans. Very muscularly defined and partially covered in tattoos, in a language that the readers of his helmet didn’t identify either. His hands, neck, ears, and nose were adorned with a golden metal that emitted energy. His clothing, in contrast, was white and delicate.
“I don't deny it” expressed the almost man when he finished laughing “Their father Anakin, as well as Luke and Leia, take their good looks mainly from their grandmother and mother. Shmi, like Senator Amidala, were extremely beautiful women. My genetic contribution is more on the side of intelligence than of good looks”