A Good Thing

-dread-

Chapter 25

-dread-

Bo-Katan's visit two days before hadn't seemed to ease Din's anxiety and Omera was more than a little worried. Something had disturbed her sleep that night and when she sat up she found herself alone. Panicking slightly, she threw the blankets back and left the room. She found him standing in the doorway to Winta's room, watching her sleep. When she stepped up behind him, he jumped slightly and grabbed her wrist as it slid around him.

As soon as he realized it was her, he sighed and dropped her wrist in favor of pulling her into his arms. "Ner ka'ra... I'm sorry, you startled me. I didn't mean to wake you."

It was nearly pitch dark but she could see the exhaustion in the lines of his face. "Din, sweetheart what are you doing out here?"

Pulling away to stare back at Winta, he shook his head. "I don't know, Omera. I just can't shake this... dread." He looked back at her. "I dreamed about Tython again. It was Winta this time." Pressing her cheek against his broad chest, she watched their daughter too. He had told her about his nightmares.

"What does it mean? I thought now that we've settled things with Bo-Katan you wouldn't be like this. You're so tense and you've hardly slept since she left. Din, you're starting to scare me." A breath that sounded ragged as it left his lungs stirred the tops of her hair.

"I'm sorry, Omera. I wish I knew what was wrong. It's just... I've already had to hunt down one bastard who thought he could hurt my family. I guess I'm just afraid it will happen again."

A fierce kick to her side where she was pressed against him stole their attention. "Hmm. I felt that one." Din's right hand traced a gentle line down her stomach. Omera smiled tiredly and looked up at him.

"Din, what if it's just stress? A new baby, helpless and small just like Grogu is going to be depending on you again. And everything with Mandalore? I'm sure everything is fine, you're just... struggling with the changes and maybe recent traumatic experiences are making it hard to cope."

Another sigh. "I don't know if I'd call Grogu helpless but... maybe you're right." He scrubbed his hand across his face before leaning down to lay a chaste kiss on her lips. "I am sorry I woke you."

A breathy chuckle left her as he continued to look down at her apologetically. "Me too. I'm starting to get tired more easily again. But it's ok. Come on, she's fine, as you can see. Come back to bed."

Yawning, he looked over at Winta one more time before following her. As he wrapped himself around her again, trying to fall asleep, Omera stared out their window to the sky and hoped she was right.

<DO>

Sitting in orbit around Sorgan, Xi'an had been nearly effervescent. It was one of the most backwater, outer rim planets she'd ever been to, it was no wonder Mando had been so hard to find. With her revenge so close she could taste it, they scanned the planet and decided where to land.

According to the tracking fob and planet readouts, it looked like he was hiding out in a small village. They stayed well clear of it as they broke the atmosphere so as to avoid being seen and landed a few miles west. Xi'an would make her way there alone to confirm that he was there and decide the best course of action. For all they knew the people could be armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.

What she actually found had shocked her so completely she had thought her chain code had been bad. It was just a fishing village. Normal, boring humans pulling krill out of ponds and laughing and living and completely peaceful. Watching from the edge of the forest, she didn't see Mando's trademark shiny bucket anywhere.