The Razor Crest cruised silently through hyperspace. Threads of space warped around the gunship's silver hull, bathing it in a soft blue glow. Inside, its occupants had yet to awaken, though the journey across space was soon coming to an end.

Din's comforting warmth was the first thing you felt upon stirring from slumber. His body was pressed against yours with his back to your chest, as the sleeping quarters were rather snug for two grown men. You yawned softly before laying your hand on his broad shoulder, feeling the warmth of his bare skin beneath your fingertips.

After a few moments, your eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the minimal lighting. You could scarcely make out Din's figure in the darkness despite the fact that he was right in front of you. It wasn't much of an issue, though.

Slowly, you moved your hand towards the spot where his helmet met the base of his neck. Your fingers glided across his skin until they came into contact with soft curls of hair that stuck out from under the helmet. You teased them a bit, smiling to yourself, until Din let out a soft groan and shifted in his sleep.

Feeling bad for disturbing him, you gave the back of his neck an apologetic kiss and nuzzled your face against it, deeply inhaling his scent as your eyes closed once again. You moved your hand away in search of his, eventually finding it close to his chest. Your knuckles brushed against his and surprisingly, his fingers uncurled from a loose fist and ever so slightly intertwined with yours. Letting out a heavy sigh, you drifted back into a blissful slumber.

Unfortunately, the peace didn't last.

Several minutes later, the distinctive cry of a child pierced the once serene atmosphere. Although it was fairly muffled due to the room's soundproofing, it was still loud enough for you to hear. Din, who seemed to have the hearing of a Massiff, was already starting to get up.

"I'll get him." You murmured before he could, giving his neck another kiss before you pushed yourself into a sitting position.

Din mumbled something along the lines of 'thank you' and curled back up with a long sigh.

After ducking out of the sleeping quarters, you shuffled into the cargo bay where the child's bassinet hovered close to the wall. Tears streamed down his little cheeks and his blanket had been kicked aside in his fit of crying.

"Shh..." You soothed as you lifted him out of the bassinet and cradled him against your chest.

Assuming he'd been woken up by a nightmare, you decided to take him up into the cockpit to see if you could calm him down and give Din a few more minutes of peace and quiet. You tucked the child into the crook of one arm and climbed the ladder that led to the cockpit. Once in the cockpit, you sat down in the pilot's chair and settled him in your lap.

"It's okay, little one. I'm here. You're safe." You murmured, gently stroking your thumb across his forehead.

He started to calm down after a little while, his cries dissolving into soft whimpers. His dark eyes, brimming with unshed tears, gazed up at you with innocence and curiosity. You smiled and offered him your finger, which he gripped in his tiny hand.

"I think you'll like where we're going." You said, turning your gaze to the windows of the canopy. Long trips through hyperspace were comforting and still left you with a sense of awe. "There's a lot to explore and plenty to eat, which I know is important to you."

The child gave a soft coo of approval. As he continued to grow—even if it was at a slow pace—his appetite had grown with him. You and Din had your hands full when visiting a planet, as he liked to wander off and stick anything he found in his mouth. That included edible and non-edible things, plus the occasional foreign object that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Something on the dashboard caught your attention and you leaned forward in your chair to get a closer look. The navigation terminal stated that the Crest was approaching its destination, so it was time to start getting ready.

"Looks like it's time to get moving." You told the child, rising to your feet and heading over to the ladder.

In the cargo bay, Din was already in the midst of suiting up. He had his boots on and thigh armor attached, but had yet to attach the upper pieces of his armor.

"How is he?" He asked as you approached.

"He's okay. Just had another nightmare, I guess." You answered, taking the child over to his bassinet and placing him inside. "I wish I knew what they were about so I could help."

Din clicked his belt into place and rested his hands on it. "They've been happening more frequently. Perhaps we should have him looked at."

"It could be beneficial to get someone else's opinion. I've tried everything I can think of. Having technology at our disposal would definitely help."

"We have some time before our meeting with the client. Let's see if the starport has anything useful."

•
•
•

The starport settlement of Cantune was bustling with activity. Gunships, starships, and freighters alike entered and left within minutes of each other, taking any available spaces before competition arrived.

Din managed to secure a spot before one of the smaller, more nimble starships beat him to it. The roar of the Crest's dual engines dulled to a low hum as they powered down and excess heat escaped in the form of steam through vents in their plating.

As you walked down the boarding ramp, you took in the sights around you. Cantune was probably the busiest place you had visited since joining Din on his journey. He didn't like busy starports—and for good reason. However, this was where the client was, and neither of you could afford to bail out on them unless something spectacularly horrible happened.

You needed the money. Badly.

Upon entering the bustling marketplace, you noticed that people seemed to give the two of you a wider berth as you passed through the crowd. They also gave some questionable looks, though most of them were directed towards Din. He was wearing full beskar armor, so it obviously had something to do with that. Still, you didn't like being stared at.

"Try to ignore them." Din said to you upon noticing your tense posture. "We don't want to get mixed in with the wrong crowd."

"Do people always stare this much?" You asked, glancing around. "It's like they've never seen a Mandalorian before."

"They probably haven't."

After exploring the marketplace for a couple minutes, you came across a small clinic on a street corner. It didn't appear to be too sketchy, which was relieving, but you kept your guard up just in case.

The waiting room—if you could even call it that—was fairly empty, with a few people sitting here and there. Din approached the front desk and accidentally startled the woman who was sitting there.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." She said, nervously adjusting her glasses as she looked up at him. "How can I help you, sir?"

"I need someone to check him over." Din said, gesturing to the child, whom you were carrying.

The receptionist peered over the desk, then returned her gaze to Din. "What seems to be the problem with him?"

"He's been having frequent nightmares that interrupt his sleep schedule." You chimed in. "I've tried everything I can think of, but I'm not a psychologist."

"Oh, are you a doctor?"

"Yes, I—"

"I suppose we can take him in, then, considering we aren't very booked today. Take a seat over there and someone will call you back shortly."

"Thank you." Din said, already turning to walk over to the chairs she had pointed to.

You held your tongue instead of saying something stupid and silently followed Din over to the chairs. Sensing your annoyance, he subtly touched your arm to get your attention once you had sat down next to him.

"I'm fine." You murmured, watching the child play with your finger.

He continued to stare, his hidden gaze pressing you in a way you couldn't ignore. Your annoyance only grew. You had to remind yourself that he just wanted to help. He couldn't read your mind, so he wouldn't know what was bothering you unless you told him. Not telling him would only worsen the problem.

"I didn't like the way she treated me, like she wasn't taking me seriously." You finally said, though you kept your voice down. Your fingers fidgeted with the hem of the child's cloak. "I may not have gone to a proper medical school, but I have the same knowledge as them."

"She's a stranger. Her opinion doesn't matter." Din replied. He gaze shifted to vigilantly scan the waiting room and he brushed his knuckles against your thigh as a way to provide comfort. "The sooner you understand that, the better."

You gave a slight nod in agreement. Adjusting to the social part of Din's lifestyle was proving to be more difficult than expected. He was a cold and hardened bounty hunter that knew how to handle people, while you were still clinging to bits of your warm-hearted, small town self that wasn't used to dealing with rude strangers. You supposed you could never truly lose that part of yourself, though. It had been engrained so deeply within you that erasing it was nearly impossible.

Some time passed. People came and went.

Mothers tugging along a child or two. Dockworkers rushing to return to their shift so they didn't lose credits. Normal, everyday people.

People-watching had become one of your favorite pastimes not only because it allowed you to practice the scouting techniques that Din had taught you, but also because you could catch a glimpse of other peoples' lives. Before you left with Din, you had grown so used to being sheltered and isolated from the world. Now, you were exposed to a variety of cultures that you would've never known existed, both good and bad.

A gentle tap on your leg pulled you back to reality and you blinked a few times to reorient yourself.

"Come on." Din murmured, gesturing for you to follow as he rose to his feet.

You did the same, your eyes naturally following his figure until they landed on the nurse standing near an open door that led to the exam rooms.

The hall was narrow and smelled heavily of bacta and some sort of cleaner. It was so quiet that you could hear the clink of Din's armor as he walked. The child cooed softly in your arms and looked up at you as if he were somehow able to sense the waves of anxiety that were rolling off of you.

"Don't worry, kiddo. We're gonna figure out what's going on." You reassured him, though it was mostly reassurance for yourself.

The nurse led the three of you to an exam room and left you alone. Din elected to lean against the wall with his arms crossed, while you sat down in one of the chairs and placed the child in your lap. You noticed that the stark white paint was faded in some spots and one of the overhead lights buzzed incessantly, providing white noise.

"Doing okay?" You asked Din, noting how his trigger finger twitched—a nervous habit. Clinics made him uncomfortable and more often than not, you were the only medic he fully trusted.

Din let out a soft huff and squeezed his arm a little tighter to stop the twitching. "I'm fine." He said, though the unease in his voice betrayed him.

It brought some relief that you weren't the only one who was nervous. Although it was for different reasons, facing it together was better than facing it alone.

"Like I haven't heard that before." You replied in a slight teasing tone. When he didn't respond, you sighed and glanced down at the child. "We can leave if you don't think this place is safe for him. They may not even be able to help."

"If I thought this place wasn't safe for him, we wouldn't be here." Din said. "He needs help. I'd rather take a chance here than wait until he gets worse."

Good point. You thought as you ran your fingers through your hair.

If they could help, great. If not, you'd find someone else who could. It wasn't an urgent manner by any means, at least not in the sense of 'life-threatening injury', but it did need attention. The difficult part was figuring out a way to deal with the issue that wouldn't put the job in jeopardy.

Luckily, you weren't given much more time to worry about things.

The door opened with a quiet whoosh and a Mirialanian woman stepped into the room. She wore dark-rimmed glasses, a crisp white uniform, and held a datapad in one hand.

"Greetings. I am Dr. Lillex." She said with a curt bow. Her gaze passed over you and Din before eventually landing on the child. "What seems to be the issue with this little one?"

Din directed a small nod towards you as a way to say 'go ahead'.

"He's been having nightmares that frequently interrupt his usual sleep schedule." You explained to her, absentmindedly stroking your thumb over the child's hand. "Sometimes I can put him back to bed fairly quickly, while other times it can take longer."

Dr. Lillex made a few notes on her datapad. "I see. Is there a specific time that these nightmares occur?"

"No, but I've noticed they happen more during late night hours." You replied. "However, the most recent one was in the early morning hours before we had even arrived on the planet."

"Does anything in particular help him fall back asleep?"

"Warm tea usually helps, as well as lullabies or being held."

"So he's not too fussy, that's good. Would you say these nightmares are violent or minor?"

You felt your emotions tug at your heartstrings as you recalled each time you pulled him from the bassinet screaming and crying in absolute terror. Whatever visions were going on inside his mind seemed far too violent for a small child to be having. It didn't sit right with you.

"...Violent." You answered, nearly recoiling at the word.

"Why do you say that?"

Her question made you feel nervous, though perhaps nervous wasn't the right word. Worry was probably the better term to describe the unpleasant sensation you were currently feeling.

"I've dealt with children having nightmares in the past and none were this severe." You felt Din's knowing gaze on you and it brought a small amount of comfort. "The way he wakes up screaming like... like he's being attacked.. It isn't right. Something isn't right."

Dr. Lillex nodded, still jotting down notes. "I understand." She said. She paused for a moment, glanced at you over the rims of her glasses, then shifted her eyes to look at Din. "Based on what you've told me and from what I can assume, I have reason to believe that his nightmares may result from your line of work."

Your brows furrowed into a frown. Din pushed off the wall and tilted his head.

"What?" He questioned, almost sounding offended.

"You're a bounty hunter, correct?" Dr. Lillex asked Din. "A mandalorian one, at that. Mandalorians are hunters known for their violent tendencies. Bounty hunting is a graphic, barbaric sport. Not something a child should be around."

"Do not speak of my people in such a manner." Din's tone was tight and sharp. "The child has been exposed to violence long before he came into our care. Not once did he show signs of nightmares. If not then, why now?"

"Perhaps he was exposed to a particular scene that scarred him in some way. It can happen to any person of any age." Dr. Lillex told him.

"Nothing he's seen in the past few days or even weeks has been any different from what he usually sees." You chimed in. "To develop these nightmares so abruptly means there must be another source—something that isn't tied to us."

"I understand that you don't want to blame yourselves for causing such a thing to occur, but you must consider that your lifestyle may be a key factor."

She was starting to get argumentative. You didn't like that she appeared to have a closed mindset and wasn't open to other ideas, perhaps because of her ego.

"Maybe it is, but we still need to consider other possibilities as well."

"I don't agree—not when the evidence is right in front of me." Her eyes were fixed on Din when she said that. "If we considered every possibility, we would be here all day. I have other patients with more pressing issues to attend to."

"We'll leave, then." Din said as he abruptly made his way over to the door.

You rose from your seat and followed him, casting one final look of disapproval at Dr. Lillex before stepping into the hall. 

"That was a waste of time." You muttered, shaking your head.

Din seemed too upset to speak and remained silent even after the two of you had left the clinic and begun walking down the street. He had wanted to resolve the issue at hand, but he supposed it would have to wait for now.

•••

Welcome to the long-awaited sequel to State of Grace! If you haven't read it, I would recommend doing so! You don't have to, but it would make things easier to understand.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to keep updating whenever I can.