“R2, you’re going to stay behind and look after the ship.” Luke knelt and pointed at the rough sea. “We don’t want to risk you shorting out.”

        R2 beeped and seemed to walk in place, each foot taking tiny, quick steps.

        “Don’t feel useless,” Luke said, standing. “We’ll probably need you when we find the hidden base, especially if it’s high-tech.”

        “Beep, beep.”

        Luke adjusted his glove over his right hand. “We’ll be careful.” He wiggled his fingers (Mando wondered if they ever got rusty).

        Luke approached Mando, saying, “I’m ready now.”

        Good, because Mando’s head was beginning to hurt again. He needed to lie down soon. He even stumbled a little on the way to the ship Esther picked out, but Luke caught him.

        “You can lie down as soon as we’re on the ship,” he said.

        God, Mando hated being hurt. It was interfering with his duty on the mission—and his duty to Grogu. Having a brainwashing helmet glued to his head only made everything worse.

        The ship Esther had prepped was a little smaller than the ones that had stopped Mando and his allies in space, but it still had the same basic design, with brownish-golden sails bearing the image of a giant snake.

        Mando, Grogu, Luke, and Rotta hustled up the ramp onto the longboat.

        “Wait, we’re not flying?” Mando asked Esther. He didn’t know how he felt about crossing the ocean when he was in charge of a child.

        “We fly when we’re in space,” Esther answered, opening her pod at the bow. “The New Republic base is about sixty miles from this spaceport. Our sails adjust to the environment.”

        Mando still had a kid, though.

        “Just hold him close,” Esther said, looking at Grogu. “I’m the captain; I’ll make sure we get across.”

        Mando’s focus returned to the sea, the sheer rocks and cliffs, and the powerful waves. He needed to get the helmet off to save himself and Grogu, so he nodded sheepishly and told Grogu, “Make sure you stay near an adult, kid.”

        Grogu saluted.

        Rotta was already looking a little queasy. He closed his eyes and inhaled.

        Mando didn’t blame him.

        Esther started toward her pod but not before saying, “We have some hammocks below deck if anyone needs to rest.” She focused more on Mando than the others.

        He was about to head below deck, but then the ship groaned. He looked over the side to see the oars slicing through the water as they began to stroke.

        Mando expected the journey out of the cove and into the ocean to be a little rougher, but Esther knew what she was doing. It was a lot smoother than he thought it would be. He waited for it to rain, but the sky remained overcast—no more glimpses of the nebula for now. Also, was it just him, or did those rocks and cliffs get taller the further out they sailed?

        After about ten minutes, Mando saw Grogu peeking over the edge of the ship with Luke and Rotta. The lump returned to his throat, but he swallowed it. Grogu was safer with them than with him, so he backed away and sought out the hatch to the lower deck and hammocks.

        Mando soon found himself in a tight space, hammocks on either side, as well as a weapons room that blended into the ship’s wood and metal. It was hot there, but he noticed a few vents, so hopefully that wouldn’t be for long.

        Mando approached one hammock and pushed down on it to check its stability. He wouldn’t fall asleep again; he would merely lie down for a bit.

        Mando started to get into the hammock, but it flipped, taking him with it. He landed on his front, arms outstretched, legs bent. Great, now he couldn’t even get into a hammock? Mando just wanted to be himself.

        He rose and tried again, moving more slowly that time and lying on his back rather than his front. Before long, he rested in the hammock, which swayed back and forth like a cradle.

        Much better. Mando’s headache eased, and he set his hands on his belly. He wouldn’t fall asleep; he wouldn’t fall asleep, but his brain was asking for it; he was so tired. And please say that his tummy didn’t just rumble and he smacked his lips.

        Don’t think about food and water, Din.

        So Mando didn’t. Instead, he tried figuring out Esther in his head and why he felt so odd around her (not romantic, just odd). That nebula was mysterious, too. Something inside Mando told him that he and his allies were so close, yet so far away from solving the mystery. They would, hopefully, solve it at the base.

        Mando almost fell asleep several times, but forced himself to stay awake. What if, when he woke again, the brainwashing would be complete? No, he couldn’t risk that. He had to keep fighting, even though he grew more exhausted every minute.

        Mando was nearly tossed out of the hammock when it felt like the ship went over a wave. Not only that, but loud screeching, accompanied by what sounded like hissing, belted outside, causing his ears to ring.

        What was that?

        Mando hopped out of the hammock. He searched the hold for a second before finding the hatch and hurried outside to the deck.

        The ship sailed in the open ocean, with no signs of sheer cliffs or rocks, but something moved within the waves. It had also finally started raining; raindrops bounced off Mando’s armor, along with a tinkling sound from each drop. He noticed that Grogu, Rotta, and Luke stood in a circle. Luke had drawn his lightsaber, and Rotta and Grogu held up their fists.

        “What is it?” Mando called over the rain, drawing his sniper.

        Esther remained at her post but turned her neck and answered, “A Migard.”

        “A what?”

        The screech sounded again, and Mando ducked on instinct.

        Grogu soon lowered his hands and whimpered. He clutched Luke’s ankle, and his ears drooped.

        A large, long figure swam under Esther’s ship, its blue, luminescent tint lighting up the navy-blue ocean. No, please tell Mando that it wasn’t another snake.

        It was. The serpent, at least ninety feet long, rose out of the ocean, showing off its forked tongue and glowing yellow eyes. Spikes covered its scaly face and ran down its greenish-blue back. That was a body that even a lightsaber couldn’t easily break.

        Esther drew a blaster from her suit and pointed it at the snake on the ship’s sails. “The Migards are the largest creatures on Oamia. We’re known as the Migard Tribe. Hold on.” She kept her blaster on hand and reached for the ship’s controls.

        Freezing, Mando and Grogu stared at the monster.

        It hissed, wiggled its tongue, and launched its head toward Mando.

        “Mando!” Luke yelled.

        Luckily, Esther quickly turned the ship, leaving the Migard to miss. She brought in the oars, yelling, “Solar power, activate!”

        The ship’s sails glowed yellow and pulsed. They pushed it through the water and over a wave.

        Mando, Rotta, Grogu, and Luke lost their footing and slid toward the bow.

        The Migard dove back into the ocean, its form soon appearing under the ship again.

        Esther dodged the gaping mouth at the last second and leaped over another wave, turning the ship in a circle a few times.

        “What are you doing?” Mando rose to his shaky legs and gripped the pod.

        “Disorienting it,” Esther calmly answered. “They’re not very smart and don’t have great eyesight. If we mess up its eyes, we can escape.”

        Its eyes. Mando examined his jet pack, sniper, and the creature’s towering form. The jet pack was the closest thing he had to the Razor Crest right now.

        Esther straightened the ship, but before Mando could turn on his jet pack, a large wave hit the ship’s side. It was so powerful that Grogu slipped from Luke’s ankle.

        He cried as he slid toward the ship’s side, hit it, and flew over it into the ocean.

        “Grogu!” Screw his injury and the monster! Mando pushed off the pod and sprinted toward where Grogu had gone.

        “Mando!” the others shouted behind him.

        But Mando dove off the ship. As soon as he got Grogu, he would activate his jet pack and shoot that serpent in the eyes.

        Mando’s armor weighed him down, but he kicked as hard as he could and looked for Grogu.

        There he was! The current pulled the little alien away from Mando, but Mando still heard him shouting and saw his little hand reaching out. A wave pulled Grogu below the surface, and Mando ducked under after him. His helmet protected him from the water, but Mando didn’t know how long that would last.

        Cheeks puffed out, Grogu sank toward the bottom of the ocean. He tried doggy-paddling, but that didn’t work.

        The Child watched as the ocean’s surface drew further away, as well as the serpent’s tail, which flicked.

        It wasn’t long before a figure appeared under him. Mando caught him and put Grogu on his shoulder. He headed toward the surface, but his armor was so heavy that it took longer than he wanted.

        No! Mando thought when Grogu began to drop limp onto his shoulder. He wasn’t going to lose him. He wasn’t going to lose him!

        A splash soon sounded above from the ship. A muscular figure landed in the ocean and moved his tail back and forth.

        Rotta hurried to Mando and Grogu. He grabbed Mando’s arm and dragged him and Grogu to the surface. They burst their heads out of the ocean.

        Rotta and Grogu coughed, Grogu spitting water as if he had choked.

        Mando saw Luke. With one hand, he held the snake in place; with his other, he lifted Rotta out of the ocean onto the ship. “Hurry, Rotta,” he said, his left hand twitching. “I can’t hold it for much longer.”

        Rotta leaned over the ship and gripped Mando, pulling him and Grogu over the side onto the deck.