"There is absolutely no reason for you to go to the front lines," Aric said, and winced, his voice louder than he'd intended.
"I was asked to meet with the major there. General Daeruun said she's expecting me." Miriah wore her stubborn face, and Aric knew he really didn't stand a chance of changing her mind. But, Caly might. Turning, he addressed the group.
"You're feeling good today, but what if you get there and suddenly are back to where you were last week?" he asked, and saw Caly gasp. "Why can't we monitor the situation from here, and you can holo the major?"
Miriah smiled at her family. "I know you're worried, Aric," she said softly. "I'm not going out, blaster blazing. I'm going to the command center, to do what was asked of me. I can stay at the outpost."
"But will you?" Aric asked, and Miriah knew he was only trying to be sure.
"I will. Unless there's some unforeseen circumstance, I will stay within the outpost barriers." She moved to where he stood, his hands on his hips, and hugged him. He stood still for a moment before hugging her back.
"I only want you to be safe," he said, his words only for her. She nodded and stood back, seeing Corso's worried face. She went to his side and took his hand in hers, almost grimacing as his fingers threaded through hers, squeezing hard.
"We should have troops on the way from Odessen, and the governor has sent two companies of militia," Maura said, having already called the capitol, and Miriah felt Corso's grip loosen a bit. "Let's give them a day to arrive, and two for our own troops, then go down."
Miriah nodded. "Reasonable. Yes, I like it. Let's do that." She felt Corso's grip loosen again to normal, and she looked up to see him staring at her. "We'll be just fine, sugar."
"I believe that I agree with you," he said, but his eyes still held the fear and worry. Caly's face mirrored her dad's, and she took a deep breath.
"Torian should be back in an hour or so," she said. "Then we can have dinner and tomorrow we can plan for a trip." Miriah hugged her daughter then, and felt the slight tremble. This is all new for her, she thought. The sudden change in plans, the possible threat. I'll try to take her feelings into consideration on all of this.
Torian had the repaired shuttle airborne and was not long for the ranch. The Commander will want to be here, and that means probably Caly, too. She won't want to stay on the ranch when everyone else is south. Maybe I can take the freighter up and use her guns. He was thinking about the upcoming battle for most of the flight, and was pleasantly surprised when the nav comp told him his destination was ahead. Landing on the auxiliary pad, he saw Caly running to meet him.
"I'm so glad you weren't hurt," she said, breathless from her sprint.
"I'm just happy to hug you, sweetheart," he told her, and she lay her head on his shoulder.
"I think we're all staying put until there's militia and our troops present," she told him, and he nodded. That would be the best option, he thought. Linking his arm with his wife's, they made their way back to the house.
Devin had only gotten to the office when he saw the official request for troops from his mother. They must have found some evidence, he thought, and checked the time on Dantooine before hitting his holo. "Mom, you're looking well," he said when she materialized. "I have notified Solasta of your request, I imagine they're halfway to the ships already."
"I'm sure they are," she said with a smile. "I'm sending an action report to you about the drone mission, just for our files. Everything else going well?"
Devin assured her it was. "The munchkins miss you, but I'm so glad you seem more yourself." They signed off, and Devin wondered how extensive the infiltration of Dantooine went. Settling himself in front of the computer, he searched for more information on the planet and officials there.
Theron had gotten just a few bits of further info on the Nova Blades on Dantooine. Apparently, the Empire had financed their operation there, but they were by no means friendly with each other. His message this morning had been that the Nova Blades were fighting the Sith special forces unit that had been deployed there, and he'd almost laughed out loud. Still smirking, he'd forwarded the message to General Dinn, hoping she'd find it as amusing as he had. Whistling, he made his way into the mess hall, and joined Missy at the table. "Theron, how are you doing?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"I'm feeling very well," he answered, and they enjoyed their breakfast. He'd noticed that she seemed to be taking her meal breaks at the same time he did, and briefly wondered about that before dismissing it. Surely, their friendship was just that, friendship. They were leaving when she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"Theron, I'm done waiting. I'm asking you out. Dinner? Drinks? Both?" she asked, and he felt his body heat with a blush.
"Missy, are you sure you want to start something with me? I'm not exactly the best loved person on Odessen," he told her, but she took his hand in hers.
"We had a good time, years ago. Who's to say we might not enjoy each other again?" He almost stopped walking to look at her, but she pulled him along.
"I… we… Missy..." he stammered, but she pulled him to the side of the security checkpoint.
"It's only a meal. One where we have someone bring us food, rather than gather it ourselves. That's all I'm asking, for now." She met his eyes and he nodded, slowly.
"Tonight?" She nodded yes. "I'll pick you up once your shift is done."
"Perfect." With that, she sailed through the checkpoint, but Theron opted to sit outside. The sun was warm and the day clear, and he let his thoughts work through the morning, surprised in the end to be looking forward to the evening.
Miriah sat in the ranch office and looked through the handful of documents that Devin had sent to her, making minute corrections and sending them back. She was ready to rejoin the family when Corso came in, and crouched beside her. "Darlin', are you sure about this?" he asked, referring to her desire to go to the southern tip of the planet.
Miriah trailed her fingertips over his cheek. "Everything will be just fine. I'm not going there to fight, but we will drive both the Nova Blades and the Empire off this planet." He could hear the determination in her voice, and sighed.
"Promise you'll stay in the base," he asked, and waited for her to look into his eyes. When she did, she leaned over to kiss his nose.
"I promise," she replied, and he stood, pulling her into his body.
"Then let's enjoy today. Aric has a plan for us to go down tomorrow."
"Excellent." They joined everyone in the sitting area off the kitchen, since it was raining outside. Corso had built a fire, and Miriah gravitated to it, holding her hands out. "I wish we had these on Odessen," she commented, and everyone agreed.
"Is it odd that this doesn't feel like home anymore?" Caly asked. "I mean, I love it here, and I have good memories, but it doesn't feel the same."
"I think our perception of home shifts over time," Maura said. "We've been here more than once since we moved to Odessen, but not once have I had the desire to go to our old house. It's not the same with the kids grown and everything. I get it."
"We'll be here until we can be reasonably sure that the Empire or anyone they sent is gone," Miriah said, and saw Aric nod, his mind already on the transport and what to do when they arrived. She knew he'd have a plan, and figured he'd lay it out when he was ready, so she left him alone.
"Home is always in your heart," Sarai said, and she smiled at the group. "I've lived all over, but my heart always says that home is where my family is. I loved my cottage here, and all the flowers, but I love my place on Odessen, too. I've been fortunate to be able to be with you all, wherever we go." Miriah hugged her then, and Maura and Mags held each of her hands in theirs. Caly, tears in her eyes, knelt at Sarai's feet, hugging her knees. They were all fortunate, she realized, remembering Torian's years of growing up an outsider.
Miriah sat back against Corso, and let herself relax. She was warm and getting drowsy, surrounded by those she loved. Corso felt her slide against him, and urged her lie down, her head on his thigh. Aric warmed a throw in front of the fire and draped it over her, gaining a smile of thanks. Before she registered that she had her eyes closed, she was asleep. Corso pushed her hair off her face and saw Caly's eyes.
"She still needs rest," she said, and Corso nodded.
"We'll keep her relaxed on the trip, and we have plenty of room on the ship for everyone," he said, and took Caly's hand. "Everything will be just fine, and if anything strange happens, we can hit orbit in just under three minutes." Caly grinned at that, and he did, too. Suddenly it all seemed manageable, like just an everyday thing to go into an active conflict. I guess it is, he thought.
Coleen woke from her nap, and almost panicked. She was on her sofa, but there was something large and warm behind her, and Caitlin was cooing in her portable crib. She jumped up and spun, and saw Ty there. He had held her as she slept, she realized. And that didn't make me nervous. Hmm, she thought. Since Caitlin's father, she had given up on the comforts of being held, never figuring that someone her age would be willing to be a stepfather. Now, Ty had all but told her he was in love with her, and she was beginning to trust him in ways she only trusted one other man in her life, her father. Oh, my, she thought. Dad definitely outranks Ty. That could be an issue. She went to Caitlin, lifting her up to change her, giggling and laughing with the baby girl as they cleaned up. When she returned to the main room, Ty had started cooking dinner and she sighed with happiness. How can you not love being in love with someone like him, she thought, and joined him.
Solasta had seen the young Mando go into Coleen's apartment, and now she waited. It had been hours, but she had eyes on the hallway of the building, and no one would escape her notice. Even with the upcoming push on Dantooine, she felt it was her duty to monitor the situation and, if necessary, notify Aric and Maura. She had almost given up, thinking that maybe she was being paranoid, when she saw them at the door. It was late, and she knew Aissa was already asleep, Gursan, too, most likely. She watched them kiss briefly and Ty made his way down to the barracks. Not too unseemly, she thought. Maybe this will be okay. Maybe Aric already knows, but I think not. She gathered her things and made her way home, hoping Gursan would think that her extra time at work was spent redoing schedules now that troops were on the way to Dantooine.
Corso snuggled close to Miriah, the rain still falling in a melodious pattern on the roof. He knew she was still struggling to get enough rest, and although he really wanted to kiss her, he contented himself with just being near. She turned into him, resting her head on his shoulder and he relaxed, seeing her still sleeping. Tomorrow would be full of uncertainty, and they'd set off late tomorrow for the southern tip of the planet. Aric had laid out his strategy, and Corso had agreed. Now, he thought, we just need to contain any threat to the outpost. Aric had a plan for that, too, but wanted to see the area before revealing it. Probably a good idea, Corso thought, since I'm sure Miriah won't enjoy being behind the lines. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift.
Magdalan had felt Felix near her all day, and only as she relaxed for sleep did she consider that he might be trying to tell her something. That thought made her sit up abruptly. Maybe I need to pay closer attention. Felix, are you concerned about something, she put out in the force. When the only answer she received was the continued warmth around her, she sighed. I need to be realistic, she told herself. If there was something that needed to be known, there would be other signs. She relaxed again, enjoying the closeness she felt with her dead husband, wishing he were beside her.
Aric sighed, and shifted again. Maura was sleeping soundly, used to his nocturnal movements. Unable to turn his thoughts off, Aric sat on the edge of the bed. He could find no fault in his plan, and had gone over it several times since he'd joined his wife in bed. Something else, he thought, is making me worry. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to let go of the tension that had banded around his head. When several minutes of self massage didn't work, he stood, wondering if he was the only one. As he made his way to the kitchen, he almost ran into Torian. When they'd recovered their balance, Aric saw the younger man grin. "Painkillers in the second cabinet, med kit," he said softly, and Aric reached for the small box. Handing Torian two of the small pills, he took two for himself. "Shoulder is sore from yanking on the yolk of the shuttle."
"I just can't relax enough to sleep," Aric admitted with a sheepish grin. He swallowed the pills and was on his way out when Torian's voice stopped him.
"It's a good plan, Colonel. Everyone will be safe," he said, and Aric nodded. It was solid, he thought, and when he slipped under the blanket, Maura at his side, he felt the tension ease, his headache with it.