" opportunity "
Din woke from his slumber, on his side he was hugging Lana close to his body. Her back leaned against his chest, he felt her slightly stir in her sleep into him. Lana was in a deep sleep letting him easily slip his arm from out from under her.
It had been a couple weeks since the job with Ran. Ever since that night they haven't slept without each other. Whenever the child would fall asleep, the two would find themselves back on the tiny cot, cuddled into each other hoping to get a bit of shuteye before the baby woke.
Even when Din wasn't tired, he would have no complaints holding Lana until she was well asleep. Sometimes he would stay up and listen to her soft snores. Other times when he would fall asleep if he was truly exhausted, but that didn't happen as often as you'd think. The child would promptly wake him up when he was hungry, but the child never tried to disturb Lana's sleep.
When Mando turned his body slightly to peak over his shoulder, he saw the child standing before them with his little head turned to the side with his big ears perked up. Mando gently pushed himself off the cot and scooped up the little one, bringing him up to the pit.
Mando sets himself in the pilot chair placing the little one on his lap. He shifts the ship out of autopilot to use the hand controls trying to find another place for them to fuel up again. Just as he does, a familiar voice pops up dragging his head up to face it.
He's taken back by Greef Karga's voice. "My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive. You might be surprised to hear there but I am alive too."
Mando remembers back to when he shot Greef Karga over the child a couple weeks back.
How is he alive? What does he want from me now?
"I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown." As Greef Karga continues, Din hears the quiet sleepy steps of Lana coming into the pit.
She groggily steps to his side listening to the rest of the message. "They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize."
Lana tilts her head slightly as the man continues, she waits until she hears all of what the man has to say before asking her burning questions.
"So, here is my proposition. Return to Nevarro. Bring the child as bait. I will arrange an exchange and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the child and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism." With that, Greef Karaga ended the message, leaving silence to fill the air.
Lana drops to her spot crossing her arms over her chest. "Why does this guild want him? Why have we been running for so long?" She asks, almost annoyed.
Din pauses slightly before speaking. "He was my bounty. I brought him in but... They were going to hurt him, I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen. I raised some hell getting him out of there. They've been looking for us ever since. I have a way to clear my name. A way where you, me and the kid can live without running anymore. But I don't know if I want to risk it, to risk all of this." He breaths out. Lana can tell how stressed Din is, she hated seeing him get so tense.
"Din, I trust you with my life. If you think this is the right decision, run with it. If you think not, we can continue this life, we've made it this far." She says gently rubbing the area between his neck and his shoulder trying to ease the tension he had built up.
He nods under her touch. Toggling a few switches and putting in the correct coordinates, he knows what he needs to do. "We're gonna be okay." Din says touching the child's head gently as he coos at the two of them.
Lana pats his back a couple times to reassure him what he said was true. She smiles softly looking at the little green child on his lap. Mando looks up to Lana, as does the child.
"We need to make a quick stop in Sorgan."
•·················•·················•
In a blink of an eye Lana was back at her home planet. The Razor Crest landed in the familiar forests to try to find Cara Dune again. Din knew they couldn't take this man down on his own, she would be more help to their cause.
Lana almost couldn't believe she was back on Sorgan. She wanted to make a stop back to see Omera, but she knew that they didn't have enough time for that.
I'll be back again. I'll see her again.
Din and Lana walked the thick trails of wood to find the tiny restaurant tucked away in the woods.
"Are you sure it's okay we can't stop back at your village?" He questions her stepping over a fallen tree in their path.
Lana dips down to take the child into her arms for the rest of the walk. They could see the round building in the horizon.
"I left because I needed to get out. It's only been a couple months, I'm... I'm not ready to go back, not yet, even if I miss Omera." She says, keeping her eyes on her feet to avoid tripping over anything with the baby in had grasp.
Mando nods to himself. They could hear yelling from the inside and grunts of a woman who they pondered if it could be Cara.
Lana tightened her grasp on the child as they walked through the doors of the restaurant. She knew no one was as dangerous as Mando and Cara, there wasn't much to worry about on this planet anymore.
They found Cara breathless and with the heavy earnings in her hand. "Looking for some work?" Mando asks. Not even a "Hello" or "How are you?" Mando has a very blunt personality when it comes to people beside Lana, but sometimes even with her he can be very blunt.
Cara smiled large at the sight of the three together. She could easily tell they were thriving together, even if they were running. But she pondered as to why they would be back here so soon asking for her help.
Cara found her way to a table gesturing for the three to join her. Cara called a waiter over and ordered herself a glass of something, nodding to the waiter to get Lana one as well. It was a glowing liquid that intrigued Lana.
"It seems like a straightforward operation. They're providing the plan and firepower. I'm the snare." He says as Lana takes her first sip of the liquid. It burned her throat and she gaged a little. Earning a small chuckle from Cara and Mando.
"With the kid?"
"That's why we're coming to you."
"I don't know. I've been advised to lay low. And it looks like miss Lana here as turned into a bit of a badass since you left. I like the thigh holster." She winks to Lana; her cheeks grow a slight tint of pink at her compliment.
"If anybody runs my chain code, I'll rot in a cell for the rest of my life." She continues.
"I thought you were a veteran." As Mando finishes his sentence an angry man drops a few credits in front of Cara's cup. "Come back soon." She whistles.
She turns her attention back to Lana and Mando. "I've been a lot of things since. Most of them carry a life sentence. If I so much book passage on a ship registered to the New Republic, I'm..."
Lana cuts off Cara not trying to be rude, "We have a ship. We can bring you there and back."
"With a handsome reward. You can live free of worry." Mando adds in.
"I'm already free of worry, and I'm not in the mood to play solider anymore. Especially fighting some local warlord." Cara takes another swig of her cup harshly putting in back on the table in front of her waiting for the waiter to fill it again.
"He's not a local warlord. He's Imperial." It was like anything Mando could have said wouldn't have convinced her, but the moment Imperial left his mouth Cara knew this job was for her.
"I'm in." Is all she says grinning at the three of them.
•·················•·················•
Back on the ship, Mando tells Lana they're heading to another friend of his to aid in their journey. She doesn't ask any questions, she has trust in Mando's methods. As Cara, Mando and Lana walk to the belly of the ship, Cara opens the cabinet filled with Mando's weapons.
"Pick one." He states leaning against the wall behind Cara. Lana walks over to the cot next to the wall resting her legs for a little watching Cara's eyes light up at the weapons covering the wall.
"You trust the contact?" She asks Mando picking up and inspecting certain gadgets he had stored. "Not particularly." He says watching both Lana and Cara.
"He and I had a run-in last time I was there on some Guild business." He says walking over to the cot where Lana had been siting, taking the spot next to her on the cot. "So then why are we going?" Cara asks not acknowledging the two.
"I don't have a choice. You saw the bounty hunter on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters. The kid and Lana won't be safe until the Imp is dead." Mando rests a hand on Lana's knee. Cara turns attention to the two, walking in front of them she notices his touch.
"And you're okay with bringing him back there and Lana are you okay getting involved in this? This could dangerous."
"Not really. That's why I'm bringing you. I've taught Lana how to fight, I was hoping maybe you could teach her a couple more things." Before Cara can answer back or before Lana can chime in, the ship shakes abruptly flinging Lana and Mando to the wall beside the cot. Cara's gun that she had been messing with flies out of her hand trying to grasp something to hold onto during the ship's turbulence.
Lana grips onto the side of the cot, Mando fights through the rumbling and shaking of the ship to get to the pit. Cara follows cautiously behind him. Lana waits for the two to figure out the ship, hoping that they can.
Eventually, what she hoped for came true. The ship went back to its stable coast and she was able to release her white knuckles from the frame. Lana finds herself back in the pit with the two wondering what in the world happened. She sees the child more awake than ever cooing in his seat.
"He got onto the controller again didn't he." She sighs.