Chapter 46
-smugglers-
"So… let me get this straight. Omera—the wife of the dangerous king of Mandalore, ex bounty hunter—is the ghost you were running from when we met?"
Taking another sip of his drink, Migs eyed Han where he sat beside him at the bar and nodded. Mera had gone into labor the moment they'd returned from the senate and afterwards Tanda, the old woman they'd brought from Sorgan, had told them in no uncertain terms that no one was to bother the family until at least the next day. So naturally he had talked Han into a drink and some catch up. It hadn't taken much persuasion.
His companion downed the last of his own drink and laughed out right. "You must have been surprised to see her alive."
Huffing a short laugh of his own, Migs twisted the glass around in his hands. "Ya… there was some yelling and she cried... We're OK now though." He met Han's incredulous eyes and laughed to himself again, turning back to his half empty glass. "She's happy, and I'm… glad she's alive. Besides. I'm not the same green kid I was back then."
Scoffing, Han held up his glass to get the attention of the bartender. "Kriff I'd hope not. And don't think I haven't seen you eyeing that young Mandalorian gal your boss brought along." He smirked at Migs. "She's cute. What's the deal there?"
Migs shook his head. "I don't know… I thought when we met maybe… but when she thought too hard about Mera and I being ex-stormtroopers she freaked out. I'm over it and…" He shrugged. "We're friends I guess. And yes she is cute. She's pretty great actually. I just don't see how anything could work between us, what with her personal history with the Empire." Running his tongue along his teeth, he sighed and finished his drink. "So why bother?"
Han's laugh was almost mocking. "You're joking. Who says you have to 'work out' anything? There's no rule that says you have to marry every woman you hook up with."
When Migs only gave him a disgusted glare, he sobered instantly. "Huh… you really have changed a lot. Hey that's not a bad thing… Hell, look at me. I'm married." Migs rolled his eyes and nodded when the bartender reached for his glass.
"Even if that was all I wanted from her, I'm pretty sure Din would hunt me down and kill me. He treats her like a kid sister and I am not getting on his shit list again. Trust me, he may seem all soft with his family but the man is seriously dangerous."
"Oh…" Han nodded knowingly into his drink. "You don't have to tell me that. I've ran across another guy like him a few times." His voice lowered dramatically. "Fett."
It was Migs's turn to laugh at the other man's expense. "Boba Fett? No way! He seemed alright." The look Han gave him had him laughing harder. "Although, he wasn't trying to kill me."
"Don't tell me they know each other. "
"Obviously. What's the big deal? You got a bounty on you still?"
He scoffed. "Please. My wife is the head of the Galactic government. Hell, I'm in charge of an entire Galactic fleet. No… just an old grudge. But hey… we're not talking about me. This girl. What makes you so sure it wouldn't work out? You know I was a trooper too and Leia… shit she was the princess of Alderaan." Letting out a satisfied sigh after another drink, he shrugged. "To be fair, we met when Luke and I rescued her just after they blew it and then I spent the next few years helping her win the war but… still. And hey, doesn't seem to bother Din."
The ice in his glass clinked as he swirled its contents. He'd thought lately maybe she might be able to overlook his past but… For all of his bravado and tough sarcastic attitude, Migs was at a point in his life that he thought he wanted what Din had, what Han had. If anyone would have asked him before he'd been arrested the last time, he probably would have laughed. But after spending the last few months with Din and his family, he realized that he wanted that too.
Maybe not the kids, at least he didn't think so. But the constant lover to come back to every night, the friend and partner that was always in your corner… hell, he even wanted the arguments and the making up. The more he got to know Asta, the more he grudgingly allowed her in, he realized he wanted that with her. But if she didn't, or if it didn't work out… then he'd lose the only people in his life that gave a shit because he sure as hell wouldn't be able to hang around Mandalore anymore.
Sighing, he took a drink. "I'm just… don't think I should."
Han watched him thoughtfully for a moment over the rim of his glass. "This really means something to you… You know, she's gonna go marching off with the Mand'alor and the rest of their people to war, and you'll be stuck behind with your fucked knee and all the other invalids and children. If she doesn't come back all you'll have is your regrets and your lonely bed."
Migs frowned at him in irritated confusion. "Hey man, what the fuck? Is that supposed to make me feel better? You think I don't already know that shit?"
Holding up his hands in supplication, the other man looked contrite as he finished his drink and stood. "Look, Migs. I'm just calling it like I see it. And I see you ignoring what could be a great thing because you're scared." He threw enough credits down for both of their drinks. "Come on, it's late and if we drink much more I'll have to call my brother-in-law to levitate us back. You sure as hell won't be able to hold me up with that knee."
Han's smirk was all humor and despite Migs's annoyance at his perceptiveness, he finished his drink and huffed a laugh as he followed him from the bar.
DO
Having unofficially taken up the positions of Honor Guard for Din's family, Paz and Cara were off somewhere in the suite keeping watch over Winta and Grogu. Ben, happy to have other children around, had joined them to play. While the children were out, Leia visited Omera and Din, bringing with her lunch and news.
Before she even mentioned the senate, Leia held Cuyan so Omera could eat. They chatted about his birth and what the other children had thought of him.
"He's beautiful, Omera. Honestly, this hair!"
Laughing around a bite of her lunch, Omera reached out to stroke his head. "Thank you. Winta had not a strand when she was born. Those locks are all Din." She met his eyes across the room and he smirked.
Leia noticed and chuckled, speaking to the baby in her arms. "Are you going to look like your Daddy? Hmm?"
Omera laughed again as she finished her meal and took her son when Leia passed him back. "So, how did the morning session go? Did our motion pass?"
Sighing heavily, Leia smiled and shared the details from the senate meeting. As expected, they had passed the motion to work with the Mandalorians. Unfortunately, as Omera had feared, their required timeline would take Din from them sooner than they would like. Reminding them that the Mand'alor's wife had only given birth the day before and that there wasn't, strictly speaking a huge hurry, Leia had put them off for two weeks.
"I'm sorry it's so soon, I did the best I could."
Din hadn't said anything after Leia mentioned the timeline, just asked for his son and took him to stare thoughtfully out the window. They knew this was coming, and she knew he hated it. Watching him and knowing what he was feeling, Omera sighed and turned back to her friend.
"I know you did. Thank you, Leia. We knew this was coming. I don't like it but two weeks is infinitely better than days. We plan to head home tomorrow so we can have as much time together as possible. Din can coordinate our people from there so he won't have to leave earlier than necessary."
Smiling sadly, Leia nodded. "I assumed as much." She turned to Din. "My brother said he spoke to you last night?" Din only nodded, still watching Cuyan sleep in his arms. "I was able to have him assigned as Commander. They're sending more people than I would have imagined. Admiral Ackbar is anxious to secure the sector. Five squadrons of starfighters and five hundred ground forces."
Finally turning around to face them, Din looked up from his son and nodded to Leia. "Good. Hopefully it won't take long, there are only five primary planets… Maybe a month, two at the most?"
Omera's heart squeezed thinking about him gone for so long, but she knew it could be worse. It was unlikely that he would be able to come home at all until it was finished. She was thankful they were only fighting the remnant and not the full power of the Empire. A full scale war would last years. A small handful of people had been able to eliminate the remnants from two planets already. Surely with a thousand soldiers and five dozen starfighters and the ships Bo-Katan had, it wouldn't drag on.
Leia gave Omera a sympathetic smile and squeezed her hand. "Let's hope so." Standing, she gathered up their dishes. "I wish you could stay with us longer. When this is all over I will have to visit you on Mandalore."
When she was gone, Omera let out a long sigh and made room for Din on the bed beside her. She snuggled into his side when he wrapped an arm around her. "We did it. They're going to help us, Din."
He tipped his head to the side, resting his cheek against her hair. "Ya. I wish it wasn't necessary and that we could just go back to Sorgan but… I'm glad."
"With their help we'll be able to free our people to live in the open and finally have a permanent home."
His soft sigh stirred her hair and his arm tightened around her. "Omera… do you know what it means to me, how much you care about my people—our people? That you're here with me, that you're doing this with me?"
Shifting so she could see him, Omera cupped his face and smiled. "Din, I love you. Your people are a part of you, so I love them too." She kissed him chastely. "And I'm your wife, your partner, your riduur, of course I'm here with you. As long as I'm alive I always will be. This thing that we're doing, we're doing it together. Even though it's going to be difficult and I'm going to miss you like mad."
Pressing his forehead to hers, Din closed his eyes and just breathed her in. Knowing he just needed her, to feel her, to be reassured that she was real and there and with him, Omera closed her eyes too and savored the moment. She slid her hands down his face and around his neck, her thumbs tracing back and forth along his jaw.
"I love you, ner ka'ra."
She smiled and kissed him once more. "I love you too, Din."
"I'm going to go find Winta and Grogu. It's our last day here, Paz and I can take them around to see the city. Do something… fun."
The hesitant way he said it made Omera want to laugh. Wonderful father though he may be, doing intentionally fun activities was definitely not natural for him. "Good. They'll love that. We'll be napping."
His smile was lopsided and sweet as he tucked Cuyan into her arms and kissed them both goodbye.
A/N I had to throw in some Han solo of course. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!