" lovely "
Once Cara, Mythrol, Karga and Lana reach the dock they came in on, they are met with enemy fire. The four hide behind one of the crates, struggling to get a shot in. Lana jumps up, taking blaster shots to her armor. Before she's able to make a single shot, she is thrown down by a shot to her helmet.
As she hides behind the crate trying to regain calmness, Mythrol yells "We're trapped." Panting, she looks around them, spotting the ship Mythrol had gotten so excited about earlier. "Cara, can you drive one of those things?" She asks, gesturing to it.
"I like your thinking Lana." She takes another shot. "I'll cover you go, go!" She yells jumping up again as the three sprint toward the ship. She struggles to get shots in as she is getting pelted with blaster fire. With every ping off her armor she continues to stand her ground and fire continuously. She hears the engine start; she smiles under her helmet. The ship comes speeding toward her, she runs backwards to it, still shooting at the troopers.
"Let's get the hell out of here!" She yells jumping in behind them. Cara fires the engines, only to be met with a closing door in front of them. Blaster fire rings off the ship as she makes a full one eighty. Lana desperately holds onto Cara's seat as she's being swung around.
"You're not seriously considering going over..." Mythrol shouts. Cara just smiles in response, "Hang on!"
They fly over the edge, all four of them screaming as the hit the ground, crashing on Mythrol's speeder. They are all sprung foreword from the impact. As Cara puts the ship into high speed, they are thrown backward. Lana and Mythrol landing in the back, with Mythrol sprawled over her. "Sorry, sorry." He says awkwardly standing up.
"Man the guns." Cara tells Karga. Lana runs to take his seat beside Cara. She watches intently on the landscape in front of them, hoping to see the city coming up close. From the corner of her eye, she sees a scout trooper coming up beside them. She quickly draws her blaster and blasts him off his bike. From the other side, the other trooper climbs a top the ship. Lana catches this and runs off to the door.
She glimpses to the top of the ship and sees the trooper standing with an armed bomb. "Oh no you don't." She says, sneaky behind him, he struggles to keep his balance. With one swift kick Lana knocks him off the ship. The explosion from the trooper falling off the ship knocks her into the side of the cliff. She grunts, turning on her pack and speeding toward the ship. She begins to panic; she barely knew how to use her pack but she was desperate to survive for Din and the child.
The ship begins to get further and further from her. She balls her fists, pressing more power into her pack. She had struggled to get balance, but she knew there was no way she wasn't going to make it back to the Crest today.
She feels the impact of a blaster shot ring off her shoulder plate. Right before she reaches the ship, he turns her back to fire at the last scout trooper, knocking them off their bike. She's within arm's distance of the ship, she reaches out and pulls herself into the door. She sprints back into her seat, panting beside Cara.
"Have fun?" Cara asks grinning. "We're headed home boss." Cara yells behind her shoulder to Karga. Lana and Cara both hear the disappointing sound of Tie fighters behind them. "That may have been premature."
"Take evasive! I got this!" Karga yells back. As they are speeding through the valley, they are being met with shots left and right to them. "What is going on back there?" Lana yells.
"Can't you get this thing to go any faster?" Karga yells, struggling to get a shot on the Tie fighters. Cara desperately tries to speed up the ship, making it more difficult to steer around the winding corners. Karga is finally able to get a shot in, but the half-destroyed Tie fighter plunges into the ship, the impact pushing them all forward. Karga runs to the front, "We're almost there!" Mythrol yelps.
As they continuously zig-zag across the plain dodging the enemy fire, they see the three fighters fly in front of them. All four look at each other confused as they see it being blasted down. Then, just above them the Crest flies over. Lana can't help but smile. "Yes!" She yells pumping her fist.
Once they're back to the city, Lana jumps out watching the Crest soar through the air. Even if she wasn't with Din, she could feel the excitement from where she was standing.
She jumps up and down once she sees the final Tie fighter explode in the air, the other three join her. "That was some pretty impressive flying, Mando." Karga says through the comm. What do I owe ya?"
"With the repairs, let's call it even."
"Can I at least buy you a drink?"
"Sorry, once I pick up Lana, we have to hit the road before Gideon catches wise."
"Tell him I'll meet him up there." Lana says smirking under her helmet. "I hope to see you two again soon." Just as the Crest is overhead, Lana starts her pack, flying to the ship. As she soars, she can't help but smile.
•·················•·················•
Back on the ship, Lana and Din are in the belly. The child is resting peacefully in his hammock and Din is making them some dinner. She sits on one of the crates with her back against the side of the ship. She sits with her legs crossed, flipping through the pages of her fathers journal.
Din brings her one of the silver bowls. He moves to grab her helmet from the side of her so he can sit beside her. She sets down the journal, "Thank you." She says accepting the bowl.
They sit in silence for a bit. It's not awkward silence, but rather comfortable. The only sounds echoing around them are that of the child's soft snores from inside the sleep quarters.
Lana takes the final sip of the soup. "Din?" She asks softly.
"Mhm?"
"Do you look at me the same when I wear Mandalorian armor?"
Din sets his bowl down slowly. Turning his head to her. "Nothing could make me look at you any different. I've been thinking. It's your mother's armor, there's no one else who should be wearing it. Whether you were brought up in Mandalorian culture or not."
Lana breathes a sigh of relief. She taps the side of her bowl, trying to get the words out of her head. "How are you feeling with all that you've learned? Are you still overwhelmed? I'm sorry if I just added to it."
Din shakes his head. "No, no, no." He rests a hand on her thigh. "Having you here has helped me. If I was alone, I don't know where my head would be at. It's a lot to take in. Trying to make sense of it all will come with time. For now I'm focused on the child and you."
Lana sets her bowl beside her. "I love you." She says smiling.
"I love you too. Now come here." He says gesturing to his chest. She puts her legs over his thighs, resting her side on his chest plate. She presses her cheek into his soft jumper under his armor. Their touch felt so natural to one another. Din had been alone a long time; Lana was too in her own way. Once they found each other, it was like they were done searching for something their consciousness yearned for.
Lana turned her cheek to look to Din. He moved his head to look back at her. He moved his hand back and forth on her thigh. Under his helmet, he wanted nothing more in the world then to feel the touch of her lips on his. He moved her legs off of his, earning a frown from Lana. He stood up from his spot, turning and towering over her. She stretched her hands out to touch the spot on his upper arm that was baron of beskar.
He moved to pull her legs around his waist. Slowly, he brought his arms to her wrists, pushing them to drape around his neck. He drew circles on her thighs. "Is this okay?" He asks softly. Lana nods with a smile, "Yes."
He moves his hands under her bottom to lift her up, walking to the cot against the wall they slept on previously. He laid her gently onto the not so comfortable mattress. Her hands fell from his neck as he walked to switch off the lights. The hull was pitch black. She sat up, "Din?"
After a brief moment, he finds his spot next to her again, this time she can hear his breaths without the helmet's modulation. She lifts hand to his face, feeling her heart race as she feels the stubble lining his jaw. She pulls her hand down, expecting to meet his armor under her touch, but she doesn't. She feels his shoulder, his bare shoulder. She pulls away quickly, "Din." She gasps.
"I'm sorry, I can-"
"No. No, it's okay." She places her hand back his shoulder, pulling her hand further down his arm, feeling every curve. When she reaches his hand, their hands rise together in the air, interlocking their fingers. She smiles to herself, Din lifts their hands, to leave a peck on hers. Lana scoots closer, throwing her hands around his neck. She reaches forward, putting her lips on his. Din pulls her into his lap, not losing his lips on hers. Lana lifts her hands to his face, embracing every moment she's able to touch him. "Oh, lovely." He says between kisses.
"Huh?" Lana says into his lips. Din pulls away.
"You're just so lovely." He says, resting his forehead on hers. Lana lets out a small giggle. Din grabs her waist, pushing her back on the bed.
Lana had always wondered what her first time would be like, or if she ever would have a first time. She feared intimacy. But with Din, she wasn't afraid. It didn't feel forced or like she was pressured into it. It happened, and she wanted it to, as did Din.
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What did y'all think?