Solivagant-The Mandalorian

44

" the strength "

It had been a few weeks since they left Morak. Lana kept off her leg to let it heal. As she was healing, they managed to track down one of the Lambda transports which came from Moff's cruiser and found the coordinates for Bo-katan to convince her to join them.

A few hours before they were to ambush and board the shuttle, everyone was resting, except for Lana. She made her way up the ladder, her calf was able to take the pressure of her steps much better after the bacta began healing her. She entered the cockpit, seeing Boba manning the craft. "Lana." He greets her.

"Fett." She smiles, sitting behind him in one of the passenger chairs. He turns to face her, "What can I help you with my dear." She holds her helmet in her hands, she looks up to him. "I see you got a new coat of paint, I was wondering if you had any white left over?" Fett nods, standing from his pilot seat and walking out of the pit.

A few moments later, he comes back, reaching his hands out to reveal a chrome container and a few brushes. "Here you are."  Lana takes the container and the brushes from his gloved hands. He sits back down in the chair, still facing her.

"Doin' some touch up on the armor too?" He asks putting his arms over his chest. Lana peels off her piece of armor which sat on her shoulder. "Adding to it actually."

She puts her helmet on the ground bringing her knees to her chest and letting the piece of armor rest on her knee as she begins the outline of the mudhorn. "Like his." Boba says watching her brush slowly move to form the outline of the horn.

Lana looks up to meet his visor, "Like his." She repeats. Boba turns back around to check on the ships control systems. Lana stays silent as she focuses on the mudhorn. "When I saw you and him on Tatooine you didn't have that armor. Was it your mothers?" He asks turning his head.

"It was, like that was your fathers." She nods back to his freshly painted armor.

"Indeed. He was killed in battle when I was very young. I kept the armor until I was able to grow into it." he turns back around to face her. "I'm sorry to hear that. My father was killed as well." Her voice grew weaker.

"Your pain echoes through these walls little one." Boba says reaching a handout to touch her arm. She lets the tears swell up in her eyes. She looks up to his visor once again. "You are strong, my dear. When I lost my father, I gave up all hopes of having a family again. I see the way you care for Mando and your passion for bringing the child home. You have the strength I never had."

"The strength?"

"The strength to care for someone again." Boba's deep voice slows into a whisper. Lana looks to him with her glassy eyes. "It's not too late."

He slowly drops his head. "Maybe it's not." Lana pulls to put the paint and the piece of armor on the floor beside her, slowly rising to give Boba a hug. He holds his hands out awkwardly, before bringing his hands to rest on her upper back. Lana had her love, but what she so desperately wanted was a father figure again. Although they had not traveled long together, Boba seemed to grow on her, and him the same.

Lana sat in the pit behind Boba until they approached the shuttle. She continued painting her shoulder piece until its matched Din's. Once it was dry, she gave it one last look before pressing it back into its place. "What do you think?" She asks as they begin getting closer to the craft. "Looks perfect, my dear."

Boba began blasting at the cruiser in front of them, Lana watched as they easily maneuvered around it, striking it with an ion canon, shutting down all systems. "Lower your shields, disengage all transponders, prepare for boarding." Boba says over the comm. He turns his head slightly, Lana nods, walking back down the ladder and landing in front of Din as the ship connects to the other.