" reconvene "
Din is silent as they walk through the docks to return to the Crest. Lana knows he must be confused with all that he's learned in the such short period of time, but she was confused too. The child sat peacefully in her arm as they approached the crest. Din stops before it, examining the poorly put together crest. Lana sighs looking down at the child. He gives her a little smile.
The dock worker they met yesterday approaches them. "I gave you a thousand credits, this was the best you could do?" Din huffs.
The dock worker doesn't reply though, just holds a tablet up to Din for him to sign. Lana sighs, following Din into the Crest. The cockpit is covered in fishing nets and smells of something gross. Din takes his seat, looking at the controls with disappointment. "Mon calarmi." He grunts starting the ship up. Lana sits behind him, holding her helmet in her lap. "Unbelievable."
As they begin to take off, it sounded worse than it did before. Din turns to the child. "We finally know where we're taking you. But it's gonna be a bumpy ride." The child just coos in response.
After they've left the atmosphere, Din puts the ship into hyperspace, setting it up autopilot. He turns his chair around to face Lana. "Is there a reason you kept this hidden." He turns his head slightly, crossing his arms. "I thought you'd be able to tell me anything. Why would you keep this from me Lana?" His voice raises slightly at her.
Lana lifts her gaze from the helmet, "I didn't know until we were on our way to Trask. Before we left Sorgan I took one of my father's journals. As I read it revealed the truth." She explains quickly.
Din sighs angered, dropping his hands to his thighs. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before confronting Bo-Katan. It was just so overwhelming I didn't know when the right time would be."
"Don't apologize."
She doesn't respond.
"Lana." His voice becomes softer.
"Din." She looks up him with eyes of pain.
All the sudden, Din spills every thought that was going through his head. "I'm sorry. Listen, I'm sorry. What Bo-Katan told me was something I wasn't prepared to hear. All I've ever known was the Watch. It felt like a shock. I was raised by some group of religious zealots? There was only supposed to be one Way. This changes everything. And I thought after you found out Bo-Katan knew your mother I thought you'd leave me. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel knowing you wear beskar. You saw how I acted with Cobb Vanth, and I just- I just don't know Lana, I don't know." He rambles, dropping his helmet into his hands.
She rises from her seat, she moves to stand next to him, he immediately wraps his arms around her waist, resting his head on her stomach. "I'm sorry I raised my voice at you."
Lana rests one of her hands on his shoulder, the other atop the cold beskar of his helmet. "It's okay Din. I can't blame you for being stressed out. Just don't take it out on me okay?"
He lifts his head to look at her. "I won't. I promise you that."
She squats to reach eye level with him. "I would never leave you. And I can promise you that." She stands again, letting his arms wrap around her. "My mind is so full. I'm so overwhelmed. I hate this feeling." He says into her stomach.
"Why don't you get some rest? You're exhausted, I can hear it in your voice." Lana rubs his shoulder.
"I need to do some fixing on the ship. That dock worker didn't do much." He sighs.
"I'll wake you if we're gonna crash." She laughs. Din chuckles slightly in response.
He stands from his spot, keeping his arms around her. Under his helmet, he smiles at her. She was there for him always, and he hoped he'd always be there for her too. He was angry at himself for getting upset at her. Lana had never seen this aggression from Din directed toward her. She knew things couldn't always be bright, especially with Din. She knew he was struggling and would do anything in the world to help him.
Din drops his grip from her. "Close your eyes." He whispers through the beskar. She does, and once her eyes are shut, she hears the sound of his helmet depressurizing. She feels his soft lips kiss the side of her cheek. She smiles softly, touching the side of his cheek. "We can discuss all of this later. You can rest now Din."
Din didn't think Lana knew how much those words meant to him. Din was on high alert constantly, he never had time to deal with his emotions alone. This time, he had someone there for him, he was finally able to rest from the constant running and pushing away of his emotions.
•·················•·················•
A little while later, Din wakes from his slumber. He didn't know how long he had was asleep when Lana laid down next to him. She was changed out of her armor and into her typically all black clothing. She laid on her side, her back facing Din. He scooted over to be pressed against her, trying not to wake her. He laid his head on her arm, closing his eyes. "I hope for you to always be by my side." He says to himself. Din lifts his head, climbing out of the sleeping quarters he grabs the kid from his makeshift hammock. "We got some work to do buddy."
Lana's eyes flutter open when she hears Din's voice from the pit. She sits up, stretching her arms over her head, earning a slight wince from the pain in her side. She lifts her shirt to see a large bright purple bruise covering her ribcage. She sighs, dropping her shirt. She makes her way up the ladder, seeing Din looking through a small opening just outside the pit.
"What're you doing?" She asks yawning. He looks up from the opening, "I'm having the kid help me out. He's a little confused but he's got the spirit."
Lana finds her spot beside Din, looking down the opening she sees the child holding two wires. "Did you get the wire out? The red wire?" He asks the child. The child turns to the two, perking his little ears up when he sees Lana. "No, no, no. No, the red one. Show me the red wire."
The child coos holding up the wire. "Yes, good." Din praises him. "Now you're going to plug that red wire where the blue wire goes in the board." He gestures. "But don't let them touch."
"Din..." Lana draws out.
"See where you took the blue one off-" Din is cut off by the child grunting, "No, don't put the blue one back. Put the red one where the blue one was."
Lana laughs slightly beside him. The child holds up the two wires looking back and forth between them. "Be careful. They're oppositely charged, so keep them away from each other. Make sure you hold them apart... No hold them apart-"
Din and Lana both gasp as the child puts the wires together earning sparks and a cloud of smoke. Din sighs, "Are you okay?" The child coughs in response. Lana looks at Din with her brows raised. "Well it was worth a shot."
•·················•·················•
After Din had caught some sleep, the atmosphere felt lighter. He cooked the three up some dinner. They sat in the belly of the ship discussing how they would make it to find the Jedi. Din sits down beside Lana and the child. He gently hands the child one of the metal bowls he balanced in his hands, handing the other to Lana. She accepted the bowl with a soft smile, crossing her leg over the other. The child slurps down his bowl, starring up at Din.
"There's no way we're making it to Corvus in this shape." He lifts his helmet just slightly so that he can get a sip out of the bowl. Lana keeps her eyes faced forward. "Din!" She exclaims. He exhales, "Is there a problem?" he glances to her, under his helmet a smirk is painted across his face. Lana looks to him, he watches her as he lifts his helmet again, only his neck and chin barely visible. She quickly shifts her glance to the ground in front of her.
"Din! I saw, I saw-" She rambles.
"You didn't see my face Lana. It's okay." He says dropping a hand on her knee, chuckling. She rolls her eyes at him taking another sip of the soup.
"You know, I think we need to visit some friends for repairs." Din shifts his glance to the child. "So how would you like to go back to Nevarro?"
•·················•·················•
The Crest had some trouble landing once again, not as bad as landing on Trask, but definitely not good. Once they landed right outside the gates of Nevarro, they opened the ramp. As they walked down it, they saw two familiar faces greeting them. The ramp only opened so far, Din jumped down first with the child, then lending a hand for Lana.
"Looks like someone could use some repairs." Greef Karga smiles. As the three approach Cara and Greef Karga, Lana can't help but notice the life blooming inside the city gates. There were people everyone, not a trooper or Moff Gideon in sight.
Karga reaches out and shakes Din's hand, "How's our credit around here?" He asks.
"I think something can be arranged. Isn't that right, Marshal?" Karga glances to the smiling Cara. Lana reaches out to grab Cara's forearm, she does the same. "I'm sure we can work something out."
"I'll get my best people on it." Karga turns to two men behind him, "Hey fellas, let's fix this man's ship! I want it as good as new." Karga turns to the child sitting peacefully in Din's arms. "And you, come here little one!"
He lifts the child from Din's arms, "Have they been taking care of you huh?" He turns to the two, "Have you been taking good care of him?"
"Of course." Lana says putting a hand on Din's back. They follow Karga through the gates. The town was beautiful now, so full of people no longer living in fear. The destruction that took place was now like it never happened. "Looks like you two have been busy." Din speaks from the side of Lana and Cara.
"I myself have been steeped in clerical work. Marshal Dune here is to be thanked for cleaning up the town." He says speaking to them as they continue to walk the busy streets.
Din turns to Cara nodding in response. "Your ships not looking too good."
"We had a run in with the New Republic." Din says.
"They should leave the Outer Rim alone. If the Empire couldn't settle it, what makes them think they can?" Karga says as he walks into the cantina that Din and Lana know all too well.
"I'm surprised to see this place is still standing." Lana half-jokes. Looking at the frame above the door, Lana is flooded back with the memories of nearly losing Din. The thought made her sick to her stomach.
"Wait till you inside." Cara says.
As they walk into the cantina, the rows of desks filling the inside of the space. Lana raises her eyebrows. "A school?" Din asks.
"A lot has changed around here." Cara smiles.
"We're gonna leave the little one here so we can talk business." Karga says stepping toward one of the empty desks. Din is quick to protest "Wait, wherever we go, he goes."
"Mando please. Where we're going you don't want to take a child. Trust me."
Lana trusted Karga, but she knew Din had lots of distrust in his heart, especially when it came to the child. They both had much fear about his safety. "He'll be fine here. You have my word." Cara says to the two.
Karga leads them to another building, most likely his office. They're met by a bright blue man waiting at the front desk. "There is no registration on the ship, I'm pretty sure it belongs..." Right as the man looks up and sees Din, he is mortified.
"I believe you two have met." Karga jokes, looking between the two.
Din turns to Lana, "He was a bounty of mine." Lana nods her head, makes sense why he was terrified. "I'm surprised to see you here."
"Right back at you." The man says shakily.
"Mythrol here's taken care of my books since he was a pollywog. But then he disappeared one day after a bit of 'creative accounting'." Karga spits.
"Magistrate Karga here was generous enough to let me work off my debt. Thank you by the way." He chuckles.
"Three hundred and fifty years, but who's counting."
"Well if he runs off on you again, let us know." Din stares down the man.
"I assure you, I do not wanna spend any more time in carbonite. I still can't see out of my left eye."
"Can we talk business?" Cara says from behind them. She walks over to a holographic map.
"We're only here for repairs." Lana says putting her hands to her hips.
"Which'll take a while." Karga says. "Which means you two will have free time right?" Karga looks to Cara. "We could really use your help."
"Help how?" Din asks.
"This is Nevarro. We're here. This entire area's a green zone. Completely safe." Cara points on the map. "But over on this side is the problem."
"It's an old imperial base." Karga adds.
"It's where all those troops came from when we defeated Moff Gideon. This base has been here since the Imperial expansion. It's got a skeleton crew but, it hasn't been abandoned." Cara says.
"There's a lot of heavy weaponry in that place the black market would love to dismantle and get their hands on." Karga says.
"And you want to mop up the last of the Imperial force before they do."
"Mando, I just want them off my planet. If we could take out that one last base, Nevarro would be completely safe. We could be a trade anchor for the entire sector." Karga says.
"And the planet would finally be free." Cara says.
Lana looks to Din, back to Cara. "What're we looking at?"