Under the Beskar

Battle Scars and Broken Homes

NIA'S POV

The evening was long and tiresome. Storms rolled in from the west as heavy rain and thunderstorms poured down onto the streets of the partially damaged village. The clinic was packed with injured residents. Several broken noses, some lacerations, a few puncture wounds, and many others with burnt skin, bruises and cuts. Maya and Caid did their best with those who had minor injuries, while Nia focuses on the more critical treatments.

However, being a skilled Force-healer doesn't change the fact that it still drains her energy. Her master's healing crystal has definitely helped speed things up, but it's still very exhausting. Today, sons are left without fathers, and mothers are left without a sons. Several residents have died and homes were damaged, but still, the battle could've ended very differently. The whole town would have been destroyed if Mando wasn't here to help her, which she is utterly grateful for.

When she walks out of the clinic for a quick break away from the mayhem, she is surprised to see the Mandalorian helping to lift up a large pillar of lumber with a group of men. He's clearly not used to manual work, but he's reliable and a fast learner as he helps repair one of the mangled homes. Nia couldn't help but snicker to herself after seeing him curse while he keeps having to redo the same wall over and over again. He has to be very uncomfortable out there in the rain, especially with all that armor on, but he gets it done. She has to admire his honesty and warm heart. He was a good partner today, had her back even though she is literally his bounty. He is an honorable man and compassionate in the right moments. However, she didn't realize she was staring when Maya walked up from behind, starling her and making her jump.

"Hey, is there something going on between you two?" She asked with a huge grin on her face.

"I don't know what you mean," Nia snapped back, wanting to prevent the older woman from questioning her further.

"Oh come on Asra. I'm 75 years old. I see how you look at him and how you two behave around each other. I don't think I've ever seen you like this before."

"He was a big help today, that's all. Could not have saved the town without him, and of course Max and the others."

"I think it's more than that, isn't it?" Maya says as she nudged her shoulder.

"Oh don't be ridiculous," Nia rolled her eyes as she headed back inside.

DIN'S POV

This sucks. Why does it have to rain right now? It's been a rough few hours for Din as he was asked to assist with the repairs on one of the homes from the battle. He's not used to this type of work, although he's used to rough conditions and can withstand intense high and low temperatures, but this is not the same thing. Last time he had to go through manual labor like this was when he got punished as a young teenager during his days in the Fighting Corps.

He's never actually put up an entire wall on a house before and it's really frustrating him. He has used tools many times before whenever he's repairing his ship, but not trying to keep a wall up from falling over! The rain is making everything slippery and difficult. The residents are in a hurry to get this up to avoid further water damage. After several hours, the house is finally covered from the rain and safe for the family to move back in. There's more work to be done in the town tomorrow, as well as his ship, but at least he's not stuck inside that clinic all day doing nothing.

Thinking of the clinic, he wonders how Nia is doing with all those injured people. They way she interacts with people, the way she waits until the right moment to say the right thing. How well she reads people and makes them feel at ease. He knows all too well how her presence can soothe a lonely heart. She is thoughtful and trustworthy at her core. She healed a reluctant and hostile man, a fierce bounty hunter who she knew was looking for her, and she did it without question or hesitation. She is dedicated to her values and he respects her tremendously as a capable fighter, a devoted healer, and as a woman. What more could he ask for?