So here is the first chapter! I know this chapter it a bit slow, but it should hopefully pick up later on. Reviews are highly appreciated!

Prologue

The night air was cold, even for early winter. Most winters in this particular region of Shili never saw snow, but rain and cold winds were common. This night was no exception. Although the rain had ceased a couple hours before, the wind was bitter as it bit through the village of Kadin, which was inhabited by members of the Tano tribe. Most of the villagers were asleep as it was late. A small house at the edge of the village was one of the few exceptions.

"Breath, Lilac. Deep breaths," reminded the healer. A woman in her early thirties lay on a bed, grasping the sheets and crying out as another contraction took hold. This one was stronger. Both the healer and the woman knew it wouldn't be much longer.

The healer dabbed the perspiration on the woman's head with a cloth. As she did so, she couldn't help the gnawing feeling of worry as they awaited the child's arrival. It was too early, and she knew that the baby's chances of surviving low. Especially during such a cold winter.

/

Lilac and Khan smiled at the little bundle in their arms. A girl. They finally had a little girl.

"Mom?" came a tentative voice. Ty, their 10 year old son, stood unsure in the doorway behind a partially opened curtain. Their now middle child, a boy of 7, stood just behind him.

Lilac smiled at them and Khan ushered them in. The healer stood in the corner as she cleaned up the room from the delivery.

"Boys, meet your little sister," Lilac lowered the bundle so her sons could get a better glimpse.

Ty smiled and leaned forward. Kido simple scrunched his nose and let out a little huff, "I wanted it to be a boy."

"Kido," his father reprimanded.

The boy in question crossed his arms defiantly and pouted. His mother let out a small chuckle.

"What's her name?" asked Ty.

"We don't have one yet, remember? The babies don't get their names until they're a week old," Lilac reminded her son.

It was a tradition in the Tano tribe to not announce a new child's name until they were a week old. Then, they would be given a name in a community-wide ceremony. Kido gave a disinterested yawn, his eyes drooping. Khan began ushering the boys to their room for bed.

Left alone with her daughter, Lilac studied her daughter's face. Her skin was a soft tan. Her cheeks had a small white dot on each, while her forehead was graced with a small crown-like shape. Her nearly nonexistent lekku and montrals showed signs that they would be blue striped, like the rest of their family.

Despite the beauty of the small child, Lilac's face creased with worry. She had now given birth to a total of three kids. None of them had been nearly as early or small as the little girl in her arms. On top of that, the baby had yet to open her eyes. She was so still. So small…

Khan reentered the room and carefully sat on the bed with his wife. Seeing her worry, he asked, "Have you tried getting her to nurse again?"

"I was just about to," Lilac replied. Holding the baby up, she seemed to have a hard time suckling, as though she lacked the strength.

The healer, a middle aged Togrutan woman named Mica, watched nervously. She had seen infants like this before. None of them had made it to their naming ceremonies. This particular child, she hadn't expected to survive the first hour, but the moon's position had just proved that theory wrong. Still, the little girl had barely cried after birth. It was more of a soft whining noise. Being so early, her lungs weren't developed properly. Chances were she would be dead by morning. While Mica had accepted this, she was reluctant to share the news with Lilac and Khan.

The baby gave up her attempt to nurse and Lilac repositioned her carefully, sighing in disappointment. Mica sighed to, approaching the parents to deliver the bitter news.

"I… I am sorry to have to say this. But I think you two should prepare yourselves that the girl will not survive to her naming ceremony. Even surviving the night would be a miracle. Her lungs just aren't strong enough and she is too weak. Especially with the cold of winter. I'm sorry…"

Lilac choked back a sob, covering her face with one hand and pulling her daughter to her chest with the other. Khan placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, closing his eyes tightly. He took a breath and straightened back up. Then, to Mica's surprise he looked at her with set determination. "The little one will survive," he declared.

Mica's face filled with pity, but she said nothing.

"Just tell us what we need to do for her," he demanded respectfully.

Mica complied, keeping her silent disagreement to herself. "As I said, the child is weak. Chances are she won't wake up on her own to feed. So you will need to wake her every couple of hours and get her to nurse as much as you can. Keep her warm. She can't produce enough of her own body heat, so keep her wrapped and close to your chest. Your own body heat will be the best supplement. I'm afraid at her age, there is not much else."

Mica excused herself and collected her things. Khan went to walk her out. As she stepped out the door, she tried to reason with him one last time. "Khan, you need to be prepared for the worst. I've seen infants like this too many times to have hope for her. Please, don't give Lilac false hope."

Khan only thanked her for her opinion and moved to return to his wife and daughter. He didn't know why, but he was filled with firm belief that his daughter would be a survivor. He just knew it. He had to believe.

/

Lilac watched closely over her very young daughter throughout the next several days. She did indeed survive the first night, much to their relief and Mica's surprise. She did not exactly get better, but she didn't get worse either.

Getting the infant to eat was a feat. Keeping her warm required constant holding. Not that Lilac minded. The baby was so fragile, she was almost always holding her, even as she slept. Khan held her the few moments Lilac couldn't, but sometimes getting Lilac to hand their daughter off was like trying to convince the clan leader to step down. He didn't take this personally. He knew his wife's fear. That if she put her baby down or took her eye off her for more than a moment, the girl would fade away.

The child was almost six days old now. The sun was lowering on the fifth night. Lilac couldn't bear to be without her daughter for more than a couple of minutes. Every hour, she was sure they would lose her by the end of the day. She still hadn't opened her eyes. She never cried. Occasionally she would make a soft pitiful whining noise and seemed to have trouble breathing. She was always so still…

After five days of Lilac barely eating, sleeping, or putting the baby down for more than two minutes, Khan and the healer had finally convinced her to go for a walk with her husband and sons. Mica would remain in their house to care for the baby as it was too cold and wet for her outside.

At first, Lilac had adamantly refused to leave her daughter. Not even for the half hour walk. In the end, it was for her two other children that she agreed to go. Khan had gently reminded her that the boys needed their mother too.

The family walked through the tall grasses that surrounded their village. Ty and Kido were having a fine time chasing the small creatures that lived in the turu-grasses. As the boys gave chase to a large beetle, Lilac smiled softly at their antics. The smile was quickly replaced with a look of sorrow. Her daughter might not live long enough to get to play with her brothers.

Khan studied her face and guessed what she was thinking. Placing an arm around his wife's shoulders, he tried to give her comfort.

"The little one is still hanging in there, Lilac. She has not been weakening or growing worse. You must have some hope," Khan tried to explain.

"She hasn't gotten any better either, Khan. She never cries, barely moves, and hasn't even opened her eyes," Lilac's eyes filled with tears. "One way or another, I just want to know! I can't stand just waiting every day, not knowing if she will still be there the next morning."

Khan didn't say anything for the next moment. He didn't know how to convince his wife of his conviction. She wanted proof and he had none. None other than what he could just feel in his gut.

It was then that his eyes spotted it. A tiny blue flower, peeking out from the ground. It was an Ahsoka flower bud. They were strange but beautiful flowers on Shili. Although they were incredibly small and seemingly weak, they were the only flowers not to die off with the cold winter winds and flooding rains. Rather, the flower buds would stay closed up, giving them the appearance of tiny blue blades of grass. Come spring, these flowers would bloom full force. The buds would open up, the flowers would double in size, and their beauty was always astounding.

Khan bent down to pluck the flower bud. Straightening, he handed the delicate treasure to his wife.

"Lilac, if these tiny flowers can survive even the coldest winters against all odds, then our daughter will survive too. These flowers stay shriveled up almost all winter. They are small, delicate. Still, every spring, they bloom when they are ready. Our daughter will be the same. "

She didn't respond to this, but closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. She wanted to believe Khan. At the same time, if her daughter was going to die, she had to be prepared. She couldn't do that and still have such hope as Khan's, could she?

The family returned to the warmth of the house. Lilac wanted to go to her daughter, but Khan volunteered to see to her while she put the boys to bed. As Khan walked into the room, he set the Ashoka flower bud on the table next to the cradle where the girl had been laid.

Picking her up, he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"You are going to be just like those Ahsoka flowers aren't you little one? "he asked her.

To his surprise, the little girl gave a happy coo, and the faintest of smiles. Khan smiled too. The smile froze on his face with what happened next. Slowly, the child in is arms blinked opened her eyes for the very first time.

They were the same brilliant blue as the Ahsoka flower on the table.

So I hope that wasn't too sappy for you! I really liked the idea of having her named after a flower, so I just went with it.