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Something pulled on her hair, and Corrie jerked awake, peering up at the man leaning over her. Mando, encased in his full armor, sighed and said, “I’m sorry. I was trying to get the scarf off without waking you up.”
“Didn’t work,” Corrie mumbled sleepily, noting the gray quality to the sky through the window. “What time is it?”
“Five. I’m going to slip back to Brama’s and check on the kid.” He sat down on her bed as she sat up and curled her arms around her knees. “Since we’re going to be here on Lifeday, I was, uh, wondering what to get your mom and your kids.”
“Oh!” Corrie blinked, trying to wake up enough to think. “That’s not necessary. We understand you didn’t have a chance to go get anything.”
“I know, I just thought if there was something, I might be able to get it still.” He rose and said, “I’m gonna get over to Brama’s.” He hesitated and asked, “Is it okay to be seen leaving your house?”
“I’m a widow, I get to go what I want.” Corrie shrugged at his head tilt. “I mean, I’m kinda joking, but I’m not looking to get married again, so it’s not like I need to care what people think of me.”
“I’m fine to go out the window,” he said, waving vaguely at it. “I don’t want to mess up your life or anything.”
“I promise, the back door is fine.” Corrie watched as he left, then flopped back onto the bed. She felt good, relaxed and vibrant even. It’d been a long time since she’d had a night like that. Loren had been a good lover but marriage and children had reduced the heat of early exploration into sweet sensuality. Neither was better than the other, but it had been a while since she’d enjoyed the former.
Her alarm rang out, and Corrie shut it off. She showered and dressed, then started a hearty gravy for breakfast. It was a Lifeday Eve tradition for their family, and by the time Brama came over to start the mini-breads, Corrie felt like it was almost a normal LifeDay Eve. To her surprise, her mother had Mando’s son with her.
“What are you doing with the baby?” Corrie asked as her mother shoved the soft loaves into her warm oven.
“Mando said he had to do something.” Brama frowned. “I thought he was working for you.”
“No.” Corrie wondered if he had run off to find gifts somewhere. She glanced out the back window, but his ship was still parked next to the barn. Then Raina came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes and hungry, and there wasn’t time to discuss the situation any longer.
Lonneric showed up as soon as the bread came out of the oven and the warm smell filled the house. They ate together, with Mando’s alien kid sitting in Raina’s old highchair. He seemed to love being up high and at the table, and Corrie wondered again about the story there.
After, the kids ran off to play outside with the alien baby, and Corrie and Brama were able to resume their day’s plans. That included putting the finishing touches on a few gifts, and preparing most of tomorrow’s meal so that they’d be able to cook as little as possible. Then they turned to lunch and dinner preparation.
“I’m glad you were able to convince the bounty hunter to stay for Lifeday,” Brama said suddenly as they were braiding cinnamon loaves for breakfast.
Caught off-guard, Corrie felt her cheeks warm as she said, “His job isn’t done, yet, Mom. That’s all.”
“He certainly seems more comfortable here now.” Brama had stopped working the dough, but Corrie knew her mother’s tones -- and what this particular one meant.
“Yes, he does,” Corrie said innocently, wishing her face wasn’t getting so hot. Her mother cast a knowing glance at her, and she added, “I’m sure you like having the company around.”
“I’m not the one who was recently widowed.” Her mother abandoned subtlety for a direct strike.
Guessing her mother had been heading to this point, Corrie just said, “Unless you want me to start going into embarrassing details about my personal matters, I’m going to ask you to drop this.”
“Of course, darling,” Brama said as if Corrie hadn’t just confirmed everything for her.
Sighing, Corrie glanced at the chrono and said, “It’s about my shift for the day. Are you okay to finish this and watch the kids?”
“Of course, darling,” her mother replied, her smile and tone exactly the same as the last time she’d said it.
“Thanks, Mom,” she replied and grabbed a bowl of soup for a quick lunch. She changed and walked to the Hall, the snow crunching under her boots. Koda waited inside the erstwhile jail, brightening when she pushed past the gurthide that was the front door.
“How’s it been?” she asked him as he rose from his chair and stretched.
“Quiet. Kend’s still gone to Port Citrun, and everyone else is enjoying Lifeday Eve.”
Nodding, Corrie said, “Go on. I’ve got it.” Koda wagged his communicator at her in a silent ‘call me’ gesture and she waved acknowledgement. Then he was gone, and she stood alone.
Corrie took a look around her new Jail. Even with the stove someone had set up, the Hall was still cold, and Corrie pulled her coat a little tighter around herself as she stirred up the fire. Koda liked it colder and Corrie had to throw a couple of logs into the pit before she started to feel warm.
The kettle of water on the stove still held heat from the last time someone had warmed it, and Corrie brewed herself a cup of hot tea. Then she had nothing to do, really. Kend had taken the Zabrak woman to Port Citrun to send her off-world, and any other work that she could have done had burned in the Jail. Sighing, she angled a chair to see out the gap in the gurtskin door and stared down the sliver of main street visible. Her town was blissfully quiet, with the occasional shout from a kid or a bleat from a gurt. All the normal sounds of the day were diminished, as if tucked away under the snow.
The day dragged on, and shadows lengthened steadily. Corrie did a couple of patrols around Libu, but nothing was amiss. In the twilight, the day had taken on an expectant quality, and the first villagers started to gather at the Hall.
I wish I could have protected you better , she thought to them as the people she’d guarded her entire adult life appeared. If only she’d been able to get Maneater caught, so they’d be able to sleep in peace tonight. So all those killed could rest easy.
They were still gathering when she heard shouts of alarm. “Sheriff! Sheriff!” The Auxley twins pushed through the crowd, and Corrie had her blaster out before they were in view.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“He-- the Wookie!” the boys panted as one, pointing behind them. Corrie ran, hearing others following. The twins had pointed down the main street, and she could, once she was clear of the crowd, just make out a tall dark form coming toward her town. Cursing under breath, she redoubled her efforts into a full-out sprint.
Only, the Wookie wasn’t carrying a weapon, and he was limping badly. Corrie slowed aand squinted, taking a longer look at the monstrous alien,and realizing it wore restraints. And behind it, a man walked, blaster trained on the monster. “He did it,” she murmured, breaking into a run again.
Maneater snarled at her when she joined them. She ignored him to ask Mando, “Are you okay?” She couldn’t tell if the blood trail in the snow behind them was just coming from the Wookie.
“A little battered,” he admitted. “Wookies aren’t my favorite bounty. Uh, Happy Lifeday.” He waved at the Wookie. “It’s the only thing I could give your town.”
Corrie stared at him, wondering how one person could have done so much for her people. He hesitated and asked, “Is that okay? I remember you said that having them stand trial--”
“It’s the best gift,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “It’s all I wanted, honestly.”
That year, the Lifeday songs and hot chocolate had to wait a bit. The trial was short, and the verdict reached quickly. The sentence had been known since they found Vinor’s bones, and Corrie carried it out immediately, after marching him to the hanging tree.
Once the last prisoner died, there was truly peace on Zalzus. As the people of Libu stood in their Hall, they sang of joy and hope and life, putting the weeks of fear and death behind them. Corrie sang with tears of joy in her eyes, standing next to the silent bounty hunter, and counted it one of the best Lifeday Eves she’d had in many years.