Chapter 45
-five-
Din read through the words Omera and Leia had written for him as it scrolled up his HUD. He had read through it at least twenty times in the last several hours. They were due to speak in half an hour and after the last two days, Din was thankful that Omera was with him. His beautiful, gregarious, well spoken wife was so good at all of this.
Last night, Leia had hosted several handfuls of senators and representatives she knew would be most likely to support them. Thankfully with his helmet on and Omera at his side to be sociable for him, he had gotten away with intimidating and to the point. He answered questions, did his best to imitate Omera's polite interest and was glad he didn't have to feign smiles.
By the time the evening was finally over he had talked to more people than he thought he ever had. Senators from two dozen different planets or systems had wanted to know everything he knew and much he didn't about his remaining people and their plans. Several had made poorly veiled inquiries as to whether or not they were absolutely sure the Empire had mined all the beskar there was on Mandalore and insinuating a trade arrangement should they stumble upon new veins.
The only truly interesting offer came from a scientist that had come with his spouse, the Senator from Naboo. He had spent the last five years studying the ancient technology of the Rakata with particular focus on terraforming. Recent successes made him believe he was ready to attempt a planet wide project. Unfortunately finding a planet with a willing population or the financial backing for such an endeavor was proving a challenge.
Din had already discussed the importance of searching Mandalore for previously undiscovered beskar with Skord and Bo-Katan. Reclaiming all of the beskar stolen during and after the purge was unrealistic and they would need more of it if they wanted to expand their population and uphold their culture. Nevermind the obvious need for funding if they were to survive. With the possibility of making the planet habitable again, the lucrative nature of beskar had just become an even higher priority.
None of that mattered today though. In one hour they would go before the Senate to plead their case for help to free their sector of remaining Imperial control. Din hoped enough of them cared about the threat of Empire resurgence enough to vote to help them.
Between the words that scrolled across his visor, he saw Omera come into the room. The night before she had borrowed a dress from Leia, but today she looked like the riduur of the Mand'alor. Dark green fabric—similar in durability to duraweave only much nicer and with a slight shine—had been tailored to her perfectly from her collar to her wrists and behind her to the floor and had been fitted so that her breastplate could be worn over it. Below the breastplate, a lighter colored flowy material cascaded around her stomach to the ground and a black cloak matching his own draped her shoulders. Her hair had been done in a complicated braid and hung down her back, swaying as she crossed the room to him.
Sliding off his helmet, Din smiled and took the hand she extended to him and brought it to his lips. She looked like some kind of ancient deity of fertility and war. "You are so beautiful, ner ka'ra."
"Thank you, Din." She smirked and eyed him pointedly. "You're not bad yourself."
He laughed once and leaned down to kiss her. "How are you feeling? Are you going to make it through this?" By the end of the evening the night before she had started having mild contractions again and had to retire early.
"I'll be fine, Din." She tried to smile but winced instead.
"No you won't. That's another one isn't it?"
Her drawn out hiss lasted half a minute before she sighed and pressed her forehead against his breastplate. "They're far apart and that wasn't as bad as it looked. This won't last all day and when it's over we can go back to our suite and wait for him to come."
Snorting a short laugh, Din kissed her forehead. "You're still sure it's a boy?"
Laughing, she nodded. "I am. Will that be alright?"
He kissed her again. "Of course."
A soft knock at the door drew their attention and Din pulled his helmet back on just before the Senator from Naboo—Thadlé—poked her head in. She had agreed to sponsor them as Leia was unable to as Chief of State.
"Are you ready? Oh, Omera you look lovely! You're going to make it through the next few hours alright?"
She nodded and took Dins hand. "Yes. Thank you."
The Senator smiled and gestured toward the door. "Shall we?"
Omera looked up at Din, eyes seeking his through his visor. Encouraged by her small smile, he nodded once and they followed the Senator out. As they walked through the halls of the Senate building Din thought of his family and the rest of his people and hoped they would be successful.
DO
It had gone as well as they could have hoped. There was the expected push back; everything from polite inquiry to outright hostility from a few whose people had been wronged at some point in the last millennia by the Mandalorians. Thankfully they had been shouted down by those in favor of securing the outer rim.
When Leia had spoken her suggestion, the dissent was minimal. The civil war and the oppression of the Empire were still fresh in the minds of everyone. An opportunity to work with the small but efficient Mandalorian force to sweep the outer rim of any remaining remnant was overall a well received idea. The senate would be voting on it the next day.
Unfortunately they would not be in attendance.
Omera had survived the three hours in the cavernous senate chamber through sheer force of will. By the end, mild contractions stole her voice every few minutes. Thankfully she hadn't needed to talk by that point. Din had offered to leave early when he noticed, but this was too important so she refused. He settled for discreetly rubbing her back every time she white knuckled the rail.
"Should I send for a nurse droid?"
In the antechamber again, Senator Thadlé hovered anxiously as Din helped her through another contraction. They were growing rapidly more intense but she could still growl out a response around clenched teeth as Din supported her weight and answered at the same time.
"No droids!"
If she said anything else, Omera missed it as she focused on breathing through the pain. As it eased and she opened her eyes, she could tell even with his helmet on that Din was watching her closely. Sighing, she smiled weakly as he brushed away the loose hair from her eyes.
"Ok?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'll be alright. We just need to get upstairs to our room and Tanda, and I need out of this dress." Tapping a finger on his helmet, she smirked at him. "And out of this beskar. I want to see your face."
He tipped his head to the side and a low laugh made it through his modulator. "Will you be able to walk down the hall to the elevator?"
"Yes. If you'll help me."
Gently, he dropped his forehead to hers, the beskar cool against her flush skin. "Of course." He stood and she put her hands in his as he pulled her to her feet. "I sent Thadlé ahead to let them know we're coming."
Omera scoffed. "Thank you. She means well but her anxious hovering was getting on my nerves."
He laughed again. "I could tell. Are you ready?"
"Yes. Alright, we still have a couple of minutes. Let's go."
DO
An urgent knocking jarred Tanda from her pleasant nap. She had fallen asleep on one of the lovely sofas in the main room watching the children playing together while their parents were out. As she sat up and looked around for someone to get the door, Winta scooped up the little green child and watched the door nervously.
"Who do you think that is, Tanda? Do you think everything is alright with Momma and Dad?"
"Oh I'm sure they're fine dear."
Just as she decided she had better get up herself to answer the increasingly frantic sounding knocking, Asta came dashing into the room. Her helmet left wherever she had come from in such a hurry, she ran a hand through her mussed hair as she crossed to the door.
Tanda wondered if that grumpy young man that had come with them had something to do with her disheveled hair but dismissed it almost at once. He couldn't seem to get up the nerve to kiss her already… the poor dear. Maybe he felt self conscious about his lack of hair. That was probably why he was so grumpy.
"Sorry! I'm coming!"
As soon as the door was opened, a nearly hysterical woman with a ridiculously fancy hairdo let herself in. Tanda thought she recognized her as one of the important government people that had been over for breakfast that morning but she couldn't remember a name.
"Where's Tanda? I need Tanda!"
"Oh…" She stood and made her way between the furniture to stand before the distressed woman. "That's me, what's wrong? Has something happened?"
Waving her hands in front of her face as if she'd just witnessed something traumatic, she took a deep breath and stared at Tanda with wide eyes.
"It's the Mand'alor's wife, Omera, she's gone into labor! Oh! She does seem to be in so much pain. They're on their way up now, he told me to come ahead and tell you. Are you absolutely sure I shouldn't send for a nurse droid?"
She scoffed. "Oh of course not. Childbirth isn't the place for droids. No, I'll call for one myself if things go drastically wrong, but she's been healthy. I can handle it dear. I've been doing this longer than you've been alive." She turned to an excited looking Asta. "Go to my room and get my bag. The one I brought for this, yes the big one, and take it to Omera and Din's room."
The young woman ran off and Tanda turned to Winta. "Did you hear that, Winta?" She nodded, smiling widely. Suddenly seeming to think of something, she looked down at the small child in her arms. "It's going to sound like she's dying Grogu, but she's not. It just hurts a lot. So you don't need to worry about Momma, ok?"
He looked up at Winta and Tanda felt a whiff of concern and excitement he must have been projecting to his sister as they chose a spot on one of the sofas. Tanda shook her head and turned back to the door to wait. She didn't have to wait long.
The door hissed open and Din stepped through, Omera leaning into his side. They didn't make it three steps into the room before she started groaning. Careful to hold her against himself just so with one arm, he reached up to rip his helmet off with his free hand. As Omera breathed through the pain, Din supported her weight and murmured comforting nonsense against her temple. After about forty-five seconds, she started to breathe normally.
"Din, dear, let's get her in bed."
Nodding, he looked down into his panting wife's face. "Can you walk still, ner ka'ra or do you want me to carry you?"
She shook her head. "Let me walk."
Tanda followed them down the hall and into their room where Asta was waiting. Once he had helped his wife into the bed, Din immediately began stripping off his armor. As he changed, Tanda helped Omera with her dress. "How far apart are they dear?"
Sighing heavily as she shrugged out of her stiff bodice, Omera frowned. "Three minutes. Very intense."
Nodding, Tanda helped her the rest of the way out of her dress and barely had time to wave a half dressed Din over before she was groaning again. Tanda smiled to herself as she watched them, foreheads pressed together as he held her where she kneeled on the edge of the bed. She hadn't ever doubted that Din was a tender and supportive partner but he was still handling this better than she'd imagined he would.
When the contraction passed, Omera collapsed against his chest. She sighed heavily as he kissed the top of her head and ran a hand up and down her back.
"Very good, dear. Let's just see where we are shall we?"
DO
He had come remarkably fast, Din's younger son. Barely an hour after they'd made it back to their suite, Din was sitting behind Omera—feeling more unnecessary than he'd ever felt in his life—holding her knee and muttering encouragement as she wept and groaned and pushed. Then suddenly Tanda was guiding Omera's hands to catch her baby. With one last push and a final cry, she pulled a splotchy, purple infant that was undoubtedly a boy to her chest.
They'd spent the next hour lying in bed together, Omera holding their tiny new son and Din holding her. He'd tested his lungs and had his first meal—and then his second. Omera had tearfully confessed how much it had meant to have Din there with her, not having to do it alone. He had kissed her tears away and told her that he loved her and that he wouldn't have been anywhere else.
The first time Din held him, he'd felt the familiar rush of love he had for his other children nearly overwhelm him. While Asta helped Omera to the bath, Din stared into his son's dark eyes and for the first time in years, he truly tried to remember his parents. His real parents, the ones that had died protecting him. Their names were lost to him but their faces as they said their last goodbyes were forever seared in his mind.
Would this little boy look like them? He already had a shock of silky dark hair. Din smiled as he brushed his fingers through it and dark eyes followed the movement of his hand. When he traced a finger down his soft round cheek, he turned his face, his tiny mouth searching.
"Sorry, son. Momma's busy."
Din laughed softly when a fist wiggled free from the blanket and grabbed his finger. It took a few tries but eventually he managed to find it with his mouth and gum it vigorously. Watching him with a tender smile, he hardly noticed when Asta brought Omera back to bed. Her soft laughter did attract his attention though.
"Hungry again?"
"Think so, ya."
He stood and brought him to her, dropping a kiss to her temple as he sat beside them. Safe in his mother's arms again, he cooed and nuzzled against her chest. "He's beautiful, isn't he?"
"He is."
Din watched her feed him for a few minutes before she looked over at him again.
"Go get Winta and Grogu, I want them to meet him."
Smiling, he kissed her again and did as she asked.
A/N YAY! baby mandomera is here! please everyone let me know what you thought!