The Sweetest Taste

Chapter 19 - Mando!

It took Din, and the others, six long days to try and track down the Mandalorians.

With their mission a success, Bo-Katan had asked if him had wanted to join them on Mandalore for a while. But with his mind firmly on other things, Din had politely declined.

"Well if you ever need to talk you know where I am," Bo-Katan had told him pointedly as he had made for his N-1 with Grogu, ready to go back to Nevarro.

Din had thanked her, with a gracious nod of his head.

"And if you want my advice-" she had told him. "...just give her time."

And with that she had gone, walked away leaving Din with those words to ponder on his long journey home.

It had been good to get off-planet for a few days. The thrill of a challenge and new adventure taking his mind off Lysa's decision not to go with him.

Not that he had stopped thinking of her for barely a second.

But now, after arriving home, along with a good sleep and some breakfast, Din and Grogu found themselves here. In amongst the tall civic buildings of Nevarro, taking a stroll through the busy cobbled streets with Greef Karga.

"-and that's when I knew he'd done it. I had the Marshal send him on the first express ship to the New Republic Prison Complex the next morning," muttered Karga, as they walked side by side, with Grogu floating in his pram beside them.

After being away for a few days, Din always considered it good form to check on how things were doing when it came to his now-home planet.

But he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the new Marshal had been doing wonders for the morale of the City and its inhabitants. Working on cracking down on crime and improving communications between the local and not-so local tradespeople that flew in and out of the now-bustling city.

"Y'know, while we're on the topic of trouble, I'm actually glad I bumped into you," Karga continued, with a raise of his brows. "A little birdy told me that your name is on the hit list of quite a few of the scum propping up the bars around here all of sudden."

He looked to Din.

"So you wanna tell me what you'd done to deserve such an honour?"

His comment was wry and sarcastic, but there seemed to be genuine concern behind it.

Din gave a long sigh, scuffing his boots slightly as he walked. His hand lingering on the hilt of the blade at his belt, absent-mindedly.

"I thought I was doing the right thing" he began, giving a shake of his beskar-covered head as his helmet glinted in the afternoon sun. "...helping out a friend."

Karga stopped, giving a knowing smile, as Din slowed and turned to look at his old friend.

"That friend happen to be a baker by any chance?" Karga muttered, suddenly giving a nod at something over Din's armoured shoulder.

Din turned suddenly to look at what Karga was gesturing at, seeing a familiar face chatting to a stall-holder across the way.

Lysa.

Today she was dressed in a pale cream belted tunic dress that fell to the floor, with that same old large wicker basket swinging from the crook of her arm. Her hair was down, flowing behind her, catching the warm sun, making her look like a mirage to him.

A feeling of painful longing washed over Din.

A feeling that he tried to suppress as best he could.

Lysa was talking to the stall-holder with a small smile painted across her lips, her face bright and inviting. Like the warmth of the sun on a cold day.