Sailing Little Boats – chapter 3
After a cursory security check – for the Temple was still not open to regular visitors yet – and while Aubé dashed into the refresher Kay'leb closed his eyes and reached out for Toa, his apprentice and life partner, to check on the Princess. Even for Jedi, their bond was an unusual one for through it, Kay'leb could actually see the Healer's center and all it's surroundings, including the Princess herself as she arrived. After assuring Toa that he would be back long before he himself was actually needed, Kay'leb turned his perception to his immediate surroundings.
The Force sang and danced all around him here, like a living thing unto itself, and although Kay'leb's memories of his first visit to the Temple were hazy at best, his late father Schurke had regaled the family with stories while Luke had quietly discussed his plans on how to bring it back to life. Some of the Elder Jedi Masters had been visibly displeased and while others had fully embraced the idea, and now, less than a few weeks away those plans would finally be brought to fruition…
His thoughts were interrupted by the return of his sister, who was adjusting her tunic and cloak and perhaps anxious to be gone, until she paused, seeing the look of pure joy on her brother's face.
"What is it?" Aubé asked.
Kay'leb only smiled, and turned her to look into the Grand Foyer and beyond, and in that instant; Aubé finally realized the truth about the legacy they had been born into.
"Oh, by the stars…" she gasped. "Kay, it's… wonderful…"
**
Toa and a small assembly of administrative aids were waiting for the Solo's speeder as they arrived into a private landing pad at the med-center, Threepio in the back with Leia's baggage.
"Princess, we're honored to..." one of the bureaucrats started.
"Cut it, kid and just grab the bag, would you?" Han Solo interrupted, helping his wife out of the speeder. "I wanna get the Princess inside before the holo-shills know we're here. We don't want the circus going right now."
"As you wish, General."
"How are you feeling, Milady?" The young healer asked, as he guided the couple towards the facility where Master Kampher and the rest of her team were getting everything ready. "Do you require additional assistance?"
"I'm fine, Healer Toa," Leia Organa Solo shook her head, as she waddled heavily at her husband's side. "Although I feel like the hybrid of a Hutt and a Star Destroyer..."
"... with a cleaning compulsion..." Han quipped nervously, automatically dodging the inevitable elbow to his ribs all the while scouting the skies for the inevitable press scouts. "We should have used Winter's suggestion of a decoy…" But the expected jab never came.
"You said the pains stopped, Milady?" Toa asked mildly, unmindful of the commotion surrounding them, and it seemed his very presence had a soothing effect on the Princess. "It is to be expected – "
See-Threepio bounced helplessly against Han Solo's back when he stopped dead in his tracks. "AGAIN?" He gasped.
"Madam!" one of the other bureaucrats burst in excitedly. "We have a full team of Medi-droids and resident physicians on call..."
"That won't be needed, at this time," a strong female voice cut across the throng, a smile belying her no nonsense tone. Kampher Canaille, Master Healer and Luke's mother-in-law stood at the doorway, waiting. "Come in, family Solo, for this is where your great adventure begins…"
**
In sharp contrast to the chaos outside, the activity within the Temple was more structured, more organized. Work crews and cleaning droids were putting the last touches on signage in a hundred different languages, which would direct visitors to different areas of the structure. Light streamed through crystal windows, despite the temporary dust cloth coverings, and everywhere, there were places to sit, to take in the revitalized splendor of it all – places just to be…
Aubé stood there, mouth agape, while Kay'leb stood at her elbow, grinning.
"Amazing, isn't it?" he said softly. "There's a state of the art Healer's center that will surpass the one we have on Corellia, enough information in the archives to keep a thousand scholars busy for a hundred years – maybe even longer… An agricultural center that will has the potential to feed half the city – and teach others to feed themselves…"
"But Kay," Aubé interrupted him suddenly. "What you're talking about… even if every Jedi in the Galaxy came back – "
"But that's the beauty of it, sis," Kay'leb murmured. "Don't you see? It will be open to everyone! Well, most of the Temple anyway – parts of it will still be limited to 'Jedi' access only, but the general public won't even be aware of those places. There's even a separate entrance, somewhere around here, I think..."
"I'm sure there is," Aubé acquiesced quietly, and then her eyes brightened, and she gasped as an old friend came towards them, arms open in greeting. The older torgruta Healer had trained under Kampher during the early days of their childhood, and had been involved in the Canaille's life sporadically ever since. Behind her, dressed in traditional Apprentice robes, a young human boy hung back shyly.
"Gi? Is it really you?" Aubé cried fairly stumbling into her embrace. "I haven't seen you since before… Well, you know… since Pappa died…"
"May the Force be with him, yes," Gi sighed, placing a clawed hand on each of the Canaille children's faces. "Proud of you both, he would be," she said with a smile. "Proud of you all! The little one – arrive soon he will?"
"Not soon enough," Aubé grimaced, placing her hand reassuringly on her belly, then turning her attention to the young man standing quietly behind, even as Kay'leb knelt before him. "When did you take on an apprentice?"
"Not long," Gi started, but stopped mid-sentence as she and Aubé turned their attention to the boy and his reaction to Kay'leb. With the exception of Pemberian, many children seemed to be afraid of the young Healer, especially his milk white eyes and scarred features, but the young boy seemed actually drawn to him.
"What's your name, little one?" Kay'leb asked with infinite gentleness, wiping away a sudden tear from the boy's eye. "For one so young, you are strong in the Force…"
"Nico," he said softly. "Master Gi takes care of me since my Aunt died."
The little boy had blond hair and blue eyes that sparkled with unshed tears. "She died a little while ago and I miss her, still…"
"How old are you, Nico?"
"I'm ten, nearly eleven standard years old, but Master Gi thinks I'll make a good Healer someday." A small smile brushed his lips. "She's been letting me help out in the new Healer's center already."
"Have you seen the rest of the Temple yet?" Kay'leb continued. "Do you know where the Fountain room is?"
The little boy brightened. "Yes, sir!" he exclaimed. "I like to go there a lot! They have a place to light candles, and set them sailing in the lake – it's so pretty and peaceful there!"
"Well," Kay'leb placed his hand on his chin, in an exaggerated gesture of thoughtfulness. "Perhaps you would be good enough to show my it to my sister, while your Master takes me to the Healer's center? I need to get a few things for my other very important patient…" He winked at Aubé who only looked puzzled.
"I'd like that, very much," Nico whispered softly. "She looks a lot like my mom…"
"Walk..." Han Solo grumbled. "Couldn't we have walked at home?" He complained as they finished their eighth turn around the inner courtyard of the Healer's Center.
"How would I know they would stop?" The Princess retorted annoyed.
"I don't know... This is not the way it works in the holos!" He remarked dejectedly as he held the door to their suite open for her.
Leia Organa tried to place her hands at her nonexistent waist, then gave up and crossed her arms over the huge mound of her belly. "What, you thought they would just pop out? Didn't you read all those books I gave you?"
Her husband gave her a horrified look. "By K'ira, no! They were creepy..."
Oblivious to the audience of healers, the Princess raised her voice. "Creepy? Do you think that me giving birth to YOUR children is creepy?" Jabbing her index into Han's chest, she added. "You didn't think it was creepy when we were... starting this!"
"C'mon, you know I didn't mean it that way, Princess..." He pleaded, stumbling backwards again into the corridor. Suddenly he turned around and walked away.
"Wait, where are you going?" She asked, but he only turned his head enough to signal her to remain quiet. Drawing his DL-44, Solo tiptoed back to one of the windows opened to the courtyard.
"Gotcha!" He shouted happily as he discharged the weapon against something outside. "Spy droid," he explained smugly as he reholstered the blaster. "Damn things are worse than …" he trailed off, noticing his wife's blanched face. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"Nothing too major," she gasped, "but Han, I think my water just broke…"