Corso felt himself slowly waking up. The bed Lana had found for them was amazingly comfortable, and they'd been sleeping well since they'd landed on Odessen a week ago. Even Mir has been resting, he thought. But not last night. He smiled to himself, I've still got it, he thought. She'll always have it. He stretched, eyes still closed, and reached for his wife. When he found the soft sheets empty, he sighed. So much work to do, he thought. After last night, I figured she'd still be asleep. He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the murmured female voices until he sat up. Still naked, he stretched again, the sheet pooling around his hips, and opened his eyes.
Miriah saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see her husband as he bared his sculpted upper body to her and the other two women who sat with her in their small apartment. She grinned when she heard Hylo's whispered "wow", and could almost feel the heat coming from Lana's blush. None of the three could tear their eyes away, and when Corso realized what was happening, he dove under the comforter. She could hear him muttering as he pulled on clothes under the covers, and she had to bite her cheek to hold in the giggle. Still, when he emerged, fully clothed, and made his way to her to kiss her head on the way to the shower, she saw the other two follow him with their eyes. Only when he was out of sight did she have their attention again. "Now, ladies, what are we proposing for supplies?"
"Um, I have some contacts lined up," Hylo volunteered, before taking a long drink of caffa. Hylo Visz was a smuggler who had risen through the underworld while Miriah had been in carbonite. "And I think Admiral Aygo has some as well. I can send a number of ships out, all of the captains are firmly on board with the Alliance."
"We also have some natural resources here," Lana told them. "Fresh water is plentiful, and the Jedi have already started farming some of the acreage behind the main base. Along with the Zakuul refugees, they've been very successful with their game hunting, too. We will work on getting more in, but that's where you come in, Commander." Miriah looked at her, unused to the title, before realizing Lana had been referring to her.
"What can I do to help?" she asked.
"The Doctor has someone he'd like you to recruit to the cause, a guy who can help him a lot," Hylo explained. "Your ship is fueled and ready, by the way, but I wouldn't head out just yet. We have several ships coming in over the next two days, and I'd like a chance to see what they've brought before I send you out to scout supply crates." Lana nodded her agreement, and within a minute, they'd adjourned their impromptu meeting. Poor Corso, Miriah thought, her face breaking into a smile as she went to find him.
Corso had finished his shower quickly and made his way to the mess hall, where he found Aric and Devin. He sat without a word, his plate full and the caffa hot. Only after he'd had a few hits of the steaming beverage was he ready to talk to his family. "Rough night?" Aric asked him, sipping his own mug. Corso only grunted. The other two left him alone, knowing he'd eventually spill. True enough, only a minute passed before he started to talk.
"I woke up to a conference in the apartment," he said, rubbing his eyes with his palms. "And I had no idea it would be happening." That was all he said, but Devin had to turn his face to hide his smile. He'd guessed what had taken place, and when Aric figured it out as well, he let out a loud guffaw.
"Oooweee man, that must have been a real eye opener," he said, wiping tears from his eyes. Corso couldn't help but grin a little at Aric. "At least you had the guns to do the show," Aric commented, making Corso blush.
"There's Mom," Devin said. "I was going to go get more food, but I'll wait for her."
"Don't bother," Corso grumbled. "She'll be stopped a million times before she makes it over here. Happens all the time lately." Aric shot his friend a look.
"Feeling a little ignored, buddy?" he asked, sensing that there was some truth in that question. Corso ate a couple of bites before replying.
"Not ignored, I mean, Mir doesn't shut me out or anything. It's just, well, everyone wants a piece of her. I knew they would, but it's a little hard to be patient with. Especially when I know she needs to eat, or sleep, or simply think. Other than when I drag her away at night to sleep, she's monopolized by everyone here."
"I totally understand that," Felix said, sitting down with them. "I felt that way every minute Mags was negotiating on a backwater planet." He sipped his caffa and winced, blowing on the mug. "It gets a little easier to be pushy when you know she's about to collapse in either exhaustion or hunger." Corso pointed at his brother in law.
"See? Felix knows," he said, feeling a little vindicated. "I'm hoping that when they get used to her being around, they'll be less intrusive." They watched as Miriah walked toward them, being stopped for a few words every table she passed. Corso saw her smile, but knew it was forced, and stood to go to her. He took her arm, kissed her hand, and led her to sit at the table.
"Whew. It's a chore just getting here," she said, and squeezed Corso's arm. "Thanks, sugar." Corso bent to kiss her, and Devin jumped up.
"I'll go get us both something, Mom. If you go, you'll never get to eat." Devin made his way to the line, just behind Mia, making Miriah smile.
"Look at that, just happened to find the one person that makes him smile," she commented, and the men laughed. She watched as Devin bent to talk to Mia, and felt her eyes well up. He's in love, she thought. He just needs to figure out how to tell her. She watched as Mia smiled up at him, and when she reached to touch his arm. She's right there with him, Miriah thought, even if she's unsure what to do with it. She turned her attention to the conversation, but kept the thought of her son and Mia in her mind.
Corso nudged his wife, and when she looked at him, offered her a bite of his pancake. She took it, and savored the sweetness on her tongue. I love that look, he thought, and when he realized they were being watched, turned away with a sigh. It's hard, he figured, to be on display all the time. Aric was asking about the next mission when Maura and Mags joined them, and the lively discussion left Corso with his thoughts for company. Miriah explained about the current status of supplies and sent an apologetic look to her husband. He said nothing, but the look in his eyes told her he was okay.
Devin had been keeping up with the conversation, but his eyes were on Mia as she made her way over to their table. He patted the open space beside him, and she shyly sat. When he put his hand on hers, she almost jumped up, and he smiled at her when she relaxed. Just seeing her with everyone makes it so clear, he thought. I need to find a way to keep her in my life. It's just like Mom said it would be.
Miriah cleared her throat. "We do have a pending mission," she told them all. "One I have to go out on." She filled in the details, saw them all nod. Mags finally spoke up.
"I'll stay, Mom and Caly should be here any day now," she said, and Miriah sent her a brilliant smile. It would be good to see them, she thought.
"It should be simple, in and out. It won't happen for a few days, so maybe they'll be here before then," Miriah answered. She saw Lana hurrying toward them, and stood. "Looks like my day is getting started." Corso looked up and saw the former Sith intelligence agent, and frowned.
"I just need to over some operations, and get your signature on a few things," Lana told her. "Shouldn't take long." Corso heard the words, but knew that, to Lana, and to most of the advisers she'd rounded up, Miriah's time was theirs, and "long" was a relative term. He tried to put on a smile as he stood and kissed Miriah lightly on her temple.
"See you soon," he said in a low voice, and she nodded at him, regret in her eyes, before following Lana back into the bunker.
"I'm going to go see about the training program me and Maura put together, want to come along, Cor?" Aric asked, knowing Corso needed a project. He saw the Mantellian shrug and turn to follow him. Together they worked with the ten handpicked sniper students, and Corso felt his mood improving with his hands busy.
Devin walked with Mia to the garden. "Looks kinda like the one on Dantooine," he said, looking around. Mia walked down the path to the small lake, Devin trailing along behind her. When they were sitting at the water's edge, watching the sun sparkle on the surface, Mia finally spoke.
"I have feelings for you, Dev. Ones I don't want to ignore any longer." Devin couldn't find words for a moment. "Will you teach me how this works?"
"There's nothing to teach, love. It simply is." He took her in his arms and gently kissed her. "We will go slowly and savor each other. Time is ours to use as we wish." Mia smiled at him, and he was lost in her eyes. He bent his head to kiss her again, and felt the rush of her emotions. They sat, in their own world, and were happy.
Lana and Miriah walked to the opening in the military hangar. "So, how are things really going with everyone?" Lana asked. Miriah looked at her and lifted an eyebrow.
"You mean, other than what happened this morning?" Lana blushed again, and Miriah grinned at her. "It's been different. So busy, with all the meetings and planning. I feel like I'm out of my league, and being pushed further out every day."
"That's not how it looks." Lana looked around them, making sure they were alone. "It looks like you were born to command forces, and that you are perfectly in control." Miriah thought about that.
"I couldn't do it without you and Corso, Lana. You keep me organized, and Corso keeps me sane," she told her friend. "I never thought I'd be doing this. It seems like yesterday we were working on military planning, with the kids all small, and the ranch." She sighed and used two fingers to rub her temples. "Honestly, I think I really just need a little down time."
Lana studied her for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "I've got the perfect thing. Go, find Corso, and then go the upper deck, out over the cantina." Miriah looked at her with a frown. "Just do it, and give me about fifteen minutes." Lana rushed off, and Miriah could have sworn she saw her skip, just a little. She shrugged and went back through the hangar, searching for Corso.
Corso had put away the ammo and stood, talking to Aric. When he saw Miriah heading toward him, he said goodbye to his friend and met her. "Hey there, darlin'. What's Lana got you doing now?"
Miriah smiled up at him. "Finding you." She took his hand and pulled him toward the cantina.
"Why?" he asked, following happily after her. She seems tired but not stressed, he thought.
"Don't really know," she answered, "but I'm following her instructions." They climbed the stairs to the tiny rooftop, opening what appeared to be an ancient door. Miriah gasped when she looked out, and Corso took the last three steps in one leap.
"It's beautiful," Miriah breathed. Before them lay the entire base, and above them the early signs of sunset streaked gold and peach in the sky. A picinc lay on a thick blanket on the green grass, complete with a bottle of wine. "Lana put this together in fifteen minutes? Remind me to have her organize our next party." They moved to the food and sat, Corso taking a few moments to kiss his wife as they settled. "I'm really sorry about this morning," she told him, and he gave her a sheepish grin.
"It was a little unsettling," he said. "I'll be more careful."
"No, sugar. I won't take any meetings in the apartment. That was a surprise this morning. We need our space, with no business in it. My fault," she replied as she leaned against him, his warmth infusing her. He hugged her to him, and fed her a bite of the food, and they were able to enjoy the little oasis for almost half an hour before she got a notification that her presence was requested on the main hangar deck. Sighing, she stood. "I guess all good things do come to an end," she said wistfully.
"Maybe it'll be something good," Corso said, and they bundled the leftovers together before taking them to the droid. "Take those to our place," he told the astromech, who beeped and whirred acknowledgment. They'd taken only a few steps out onto the main hangar bay deck when Miriah heard her name, and turned to the embrace of her daugther.