Chapter 42

-travel-

With their long term future so uncertain, Omera had accepted the fact that their home wouldn't be a physical place for some time. She had known this was possible when she had agreed to marry Din. And she had meant it when she'd told him she didn't want to live on Sorgan for the rest of her life. All that being said, she hadn't been prepared for the sudden rush of homesickness when they breached the forest around the village.

It was early evening when they'd arrived so they decided they would stay the night. Hannah and Bojan had met them at the edge of the village and been so happy to see them. Omera hadn't tried to hide the tears at finally seeing her friend again and they had walked arm in arm to the common hall for dinner.

Once the rest of their party was settled in—Cara and Asta staying with Tanda, Migs and Paz with Stokes—Din and Omera had stayed up talking with Hannah and Bojan. They told them about the rescue, about how they'd ended up on Batuu and what they had found there. Din had shared excitedly about Chandrila and his opportunity to see his son again and their friends had been happy for them.

After checking on Winta, asleep soundly in her bed, Omera felt the emotions that had been nagging at her since they'd landed begin to overwhelm her. Frowning she pushed them down and went into the room she had shared with Din, digging a box from their closet. Setting it on the bed and sitting beside it, she threw it open and began sorting through it.

The box held what she had saved of Winta's baby things as well as several items she had been given by Hannah and the other women in the village over the last few months before they had left. Almost all of the little outfits her daughter had worn had been made on Sorgan. These people, these wonderful people had taken her in and given her a home and loved her and her daughter like family. She loved them and the life she had here both before and after Din. Now they were leaving for good for an uncertain and dangerous future.

Sitting there on the bed she had shared with her husband, in the home she'd lived in for a decade, suddenly all she wanted was the peace and ease this life gave them. For the last two months there had been so much to do, so many things to plan and people to get to know that she hadn't had time for the doubts and fears. Here though, this brief moment of peace in what had been their home broke the last of her will.

She was scared.

For her husband, for their children, for the rest of their people and their friends… No matter what happened in Chandrila, there would be war after. Omera had known this was possible and chosen it anyway because Din was worth it but that didn't mean it didn't terrify her. Now they stood at the edge. Tomorrow they were leaving this peaceful life behind them for good.

She didn't realize she was crying until Din was kneeling in front of her, prying the tiny clothes from her clenched hands and murmuring his name for her.

"Ner ka'ra…"

A strangled sob broke free as she slid from the bed and collapsed against him, burying her face in his neck. He didn't speak empty words of comfort as she wept against him, only holding her close, lips pressed to her temple.

Eventually she didn't have any tears left to cry. Sitting between Din's knees, she let him rub a hand soothingly up and down her back as she tried to calm down.

"I'm scared, Din."

His arms tightened around her.

"Me too."

She tipped her head slightly and kissed his neck. "I wish you didn't have to fight. I know you've done it countless times before but… you weren't my husband then."

Leaning back, he kissed her and pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, Omera." A small smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. "You were the one who convinced me to do this." She snorted but the brief humor faded and he ran his thumb along her cheek. "And you were right, but I wish that too. I'm terrified I'll be killed and leave you and our children alone and vulnerable."

The very idea was too painful to even consider. She'd been through that once before already and she couldn't fathom going through it again. "Please don't even say that, Din. When I was pregnant with Winta, when I had her alone… I didn't need Tauren to be happy and whole and raise my daughter. But I need you, Din. I don't know if I can survive it if you don't come home to me. I don't want to do this without you.

He kissed her chastely but it deepened even as another tear slid free. "I promise I will always do whatever it takes to come back to you, ner ka'ra. I promise."

She pulled back just enough to stare into his eyes. Din never made a promise he didn't intend to keep. If he was making this promise to her, she knew he would move the stars to keep it.

"Ok." Nodding once, she kissed him. "OK. I love you, Din—so much—and I trust you. Always."

Smiling at her, his eyes glassy, he nodded too and kissed her back. "I love you too, Omera."

DO

"You know dear, it's been decades since I've been off Sorgan." Tanda walked along beside Din, gripping his elbow as they meandered through the woods. Din wasn't sure how he had ended up escorting the older woman through the mildly overgrown path but here they were. "My husband used to be quite the well traveled man before we settled here. He took me to Scarif for our honeymoon. That was back before the Empire took it over. It was such a beautiful place for sexy young people."

Din held in a cringe as she patted his arm and gave him a pitying smile. "It's such a shame they blew it up. I'm sure you would have loved it!"

Nodding uncomfortably, Din looked up in time to see Omera laughing softly at them over her shoulder. Cara, walking just behind them, must have heard their conversation too.

"Are you saying Din is a sexy young person, Tanda?"

Tanda chuckled loud enough to cover Din's groan as he glared back at his friend. "Well of course! I know he's as taken as any man ever was but, a girl can still look." She giggled and made a show of looking him up and down.

Cara and Paz both laughed but Omera turned around and gave the older woman a stern look. "Tanda, what have I told you about ogling my husband? He's not some, Keyorin street flesh." She tsked when Tanda only shrugged.

"I'm sorry dear, but you have to admit Din is very handsome."

Rolling her eyes, Omera gave Din an apologetic look and started walking again. He sighed and looked down to see Tanda smirking up at him. "Don't worry dear, I only ever dream of my late husband. He was a sexy man."

He was unable to hold back the shudder this time, but fortunately Cara rescued him. She was laughing again as she shoved him out of the way to walk with Tanda. Relieved, he took two long strides and put his arm around his wife. Omera leaned into him, smiling in amusement.

"Thank you for bringing her with us. I know she can be frustrating sometimes."

Laughing softly, he smiled down at her. "You need her, Omera. I can handle an old woman staring at my ass. What I can't handle is you not having who you need to get through this safely." He smoothed a hand over her stomach and she reached up to kiss his cheek.

"I love you."

The Cin Vhetin had been cramped. Eight people on a ship meant for six, for two days. Din was glad Migs and Asta had made up. He wouldn't have been able to handle grudges and bad attitudes on top of eight people crammed in a small space.

Omera might have been right about their tension. Watching Migs cast heated gazes in Asta's direction made him thankful he'd had his helmet the first two times he'd visited Sorgan. Migs was undoubtedly better at keeping his emotions from his face than Din was but he knew he wasn't the only one to notice. He would have been embarrassed on the other man's behalf if Asta wasn't just as bad. When he suggested telling her to put her helmet on, Omera had laughed and told him to leave them alone.

By the time they finally made it to Hanna City on Chandrila, Din had never been so thankful to get off of his ship. Paz had painted his new beskar'gam blue again and all three Mandalorians donned their helmets as they stepped off the Cin Vhetin ahead of the rest of their party.

The woman he recognized now as Leia, dressed in a practical blue dress, three men, and a Wookie walked down the landing platform towards them. Immediately on his guard, Din was more than a little tense when Omera stepped around him to greet them. Pushing down the desire to reach out and pull her back to his side when she seemed to recognize them, he followed behind at only a slightly faster pace.

"Leia!"

He relaxed minutely when the two women embraced and the other men and the Wookie looked relaxed. "Omera! It's so good to see you. By the force, you look like you could keep a moon in orbit!"

Omera laughed as they parted and she turned to the first man and took his outstretched hand. "Oh I'm sure I could. Hello Han, I'm surprised to see you here." She gave Leia a confused look as the man she had called Han rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I convinced her to marry me, for your information."

The other woman laughed at the shock on Omera's face. "I told you, there's a lot to catch you up on."

Scoffing, Omera cupped her stomach in a way Din had come to recognize meant she was in pain and she readily slid her free arm around him as he stepped up beside her. She looked up at him with a small, thankful smile. "I'll say. Leia, this is my husband and the Mand'alor, Din Djarin. Din, this is Senator, Princess Leia."

Taking her outstretched hand, he nodded once. "Thank you for meeting us."

She smiled curiously at his helmet. "Of course. I am hopeful we will be able to work together. And, as of a month ago, it's Chief of State, Princess Leia Organa Solo now." She nodded back towards the two soldiers behind them and sighed. "Hence the extra security."

Din wasn't sure what that meant but Omera seemed impressed. He gestured over his shoulder to Paz and Asta. "This is my brother, Paz Vizsla and this is Asta Skord." Both of them nodded and when he turned back to Omera so she would start talking for him again, Winta squeezed past the other two beskar clad sentinels and peaked around him.

Looking down at her, his hand on the top of her head, he almost laughed at the expectant look on her face. "Don't forget me, Dad!"

His smile was hidden but he thought his voice might have given it away. "This is Winta."

When he turned back to Leia, she was giving Omera a questioning look. She nodded once and the princess smiled down at Winta.

"Hello Winta. It's nice to meet you finally. The last time I saw your mother she was pregnant with you. I've often wondered who you turned out to be."

Grinning up at her, Winta stuck out her hand. "I'm going to be a Mandalorian just like my Dad. It's very nice to meet you."

Leia looked like she might have had something else to say to Winta but they were interrupted. Migs, who had been lagging behind had finally joined them and apparently found a familiar face as well.

"Han Solo, I'll be damned."

"Migs Mayfield? Is that you?" The two men shook hands.

"Man, have you aged in the last ten years."

Han smirked up at Migs' bald head. "It's the stress, but hey at least I have my hair."

Laughing as he leaned heavily on his crutch, Migs waved his free hand at the Wookie who had said something to him Din didn't understand. "Hey Chewie."

Not having anything else to say at the moment, both men looked around only to frown in confusion at the looks of expectant shock anyone without a helmet was sending them.

"What?" They said in unison.

Leia and Omera both shook their heads and shared an exasperated look. "Let's go. Once you're all settled in we can talk more over dinner."

They walked back through the city, Leia on Omera's other side as the two women chatted. "Oh, my brother will be here in the morning. I let him know you would be here. He said Grogu is excited to see you."

Din felt relief at hearing that. Despite what Omera had said, part of him had been worried that Skywalker would agree with Ashoka about attachments and wouldn't want them to meet again. Confirmation that they would get to see him relieved a small amount of the tension he felt being here.

"Good. That's good."

A/N I won't lie, I'm pretty excited about this little arc. also, I just wanted to say, that if you ever see something mentioned or referenced that sounds star wars-y it probably is something that I looked up and that exists in either cannon or legends. like Keyorin street flesh. apparently it was a place that was known for prostitution among other unsavory things. I have had so much fun searching for and adding these little details. lol anyway, let me know what you thought!