"Watch your hands Mical." Raina called patiently from atop a plastisteel container against the far wall of the cargo bay. That blonde Jedi glanced at his gloves and then at her, questioningly, while Atton let his mock sabers fall to his side. "Look at where your hands are placed on that saber." "If you were holding a real one you'dve cut your fingers off." Atton smirked and Mical shifted his hands upward. "Better." "And mind your footwork." "You don't want to trip over yourself while you're trying to sidestep a Sith's blow."
"Yes master." Mical said, ever respectful. "Shall we go again?" He was looking at Atton now and Raina wasn't sure who he was speaking to. Nevertheless she replied.
"No, that's enough for today." "You've shown a lot of improvement Mical." "But you overthink it." "Remember, allow the force to guide your movements and your saber." "Reach out and feel the battle, your opponent." "Become one with both." The bewilderment on Mical's young face convinced Raina to cut the lecture short. "It's alright." She said. 'It comes with experience and time." "One day you'll understand." "Now go get cleaned up and report to the mess for dinner."
Raina watched the men file out and then hopped lightly down from her container. She could still feel Mical's frustration in the Force and she smiled. This was his first saber lesson and she had an idea that he'd expected it to be easier than it was. He was proficient with vibroswords, though not on a level with Atton, who was a master of the Echani technique. But vibroswords were not lightsabers and expertise with one would not help you with the other.
In fact, Raina did not think that Mical would ever be a saber master. He lacked the speed, grace, and agility to ever be a really exceptional fighter, not the mention the stomach for it. His talents lay in the medbay. He was an extremely skilled healer and that was what the Ebon Hawk needed more than another swordsman.
Raina gathered her own sabers and switched off the lights before leaving the cargo bay. Today's practice had gone well and neither of her students had seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. Even when she'd changed up their routine at the last minute, giving Atton the role of teacher for once, they hadn't objected. In fact, Atton had been so compliant that it was suspicious and she wondered if somehow he already knew her secret. He was so intuitive it was hard to keep things from him. But she wasn't ready to share it with the rest of the crew yet. She wanted it to be private for a while longer, as so few things on the Hawk were. There was only one person she would confide in, and he was at the workbench in the garage.
Raina did not holster her sabers. The smooth, cold metal in her hands gave her something solid to hang on to, to grip tightly as she tamped down misbehaving nerves on her way down the narrow corridor that led to her destination. It wasnt great timing, she had to admit. Given what they'd been through and what they were headed towards, she had ample reason to be apprehensive. But she also felt a sense of pure happiness, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. A small smile played over her lips as her hand ghosted over her midsection. She paused before the door of the garage and then continued in.
Bao Dur was indeed sitting at the workbench, his muscular back bent over a small glowing object. Raina drew closer to get a better look, and she found herself looking over one broad shoulder. "Hello." Bao Dur said, without looking up, his voice soft and silky as always. "Done with the lessons?"
"Yes, I had Mical and Atton practice together today." Raina replied, sitting down beside the Zabrak. She could see now that the object he was working on was a lightsaber crystal. He was polishing and shaping it. It was a lumenescent white, shot through with strands of silver. A sapith. They were relatively rare and very powerful, greatly intensifying the energy beam of the saber.
"That could have turned into an actual battle." Bao Dur pointed out with a smirk. Raina smiled.
"Atton was surprisingly patient and Mical was very eager to learn from him." She explained. "Perhaps they've finally put aside whatever differences they have." Bao Dur raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm not saying they'll ever be friends." She added quickly. "I think they're too different to do much beyond mutually repsect each other." "But even you and Mandalore have come to an understanding."
"Yes." Bao Dur agreed. "And I would say that our differences were far greater than Atton and Mical's are." "I have an idea of what their quarrel is about and if they haven't worked it out themselves, I think you and I could put a stop to it."
"You're right." "I think it's time." Raina agreed. Bao Dur put down the crystal and turned to face her.
"What's changed?" He asked, searching her face with his golden brown eyes. His large hands rested on his long, muscular thighs and Raina reached for them. He met her halfway, folding his fingers, living and durasteel, gently but firmly, around hers. Raina pulled his living hand toward her and pressed it flat against her stomach. She felt the warmth of it through her thin gray shirt, his fingers spanning from her waist band to just beneath her breasts, and it was pleasant. But her eyes remained locked with Bao Dur's. His eyes widened in comprehension and fell to her stomach.
"Do you feel it?" She asked, voice barely audible. "Our baby?" Bao Dur could only nod and she felt shock and fear and most strongly joy rolling off of him in waves. He smiled then, a beautiful, bright smile that shone through his eyes and set his tattoos dancing.
"Our baby?" He repeated, his always soft voice softer still. "Dxun?"
"I think so." Raina nodded as Bao Dur drew closer, pulling her into his lap.
"How do you feel?" He asked, recovering his composure and putting his strong arms around her.
"Scared, excited, happy." Raina giggled a little, blinking back tears as she slid her hands around his neck and linked her fingers together. "Mostly happy." "I know this is bad timing but it feels so right and I love you." "I love this part of you in me." "I can't remember ever being as happy as I am now, with you and with our child."
"I can't either." Bao Dur admitted. "Even before the war." "I never felt like this." "I love you too and I want this so much." "But I'm also scared." "I think the worst of this business with the Sith is still ahead of us." "And I think you're going be at the center of it all."
"I feel it too." Raina nodded. "But I won't let it overshadow our time together now, our happiness." "We'll be careful I'll do everything I can to protect the baby." "Bao, we'll come through it."
Bao Dur did not reply but he pulled her closer and kissed her. Somehow he couldn't be as sure as she was. Maybe it was just cynacism but there was a cold, dark feeling inside him that said they wouldn't all get out of this alive. But for this moment, this single peaceful, bright moment, he pushed it aside and gave himself up to the joy of holding his mate and child close, and pretending that their future consisted of nothing more complicated than decorating a nursery, picking out baby names and watching their child grow up. It was a beautiful dream.