two chapters in one day woo! So after a glimpse at her mother and grandmother's pregnancies, I return you to Soniee remembering her own. It's been a year since the siege of Mandalore, Order 66, the birth of the Empire and the loss of Oron Kryze.

It was like being back at the academy before or after some big event, that air of excitement. Well, everyone was usually excited except for Soniee. Either her fellow cadets were anticipating a few days or weeks off from lessons or else they were just getting back and had to tell the others everything that had gone on when they were at home.

Soniee remembered the noise and the confusion and the headaches she would get and not understanding why no one else seemed to feel the press of all those minds in such close quarters. She understood it now, but it didn't make it any easier to shut out.

Above the city of Iziz prepared for celebration and whether beings were excited at the prospect or angry, the heightened emotion weighed on Soniee even down here in the cool relative quiet of the tunnels. It seemed to push at her even as the… whatever it was pulled her down. She hadn't given into that yet. And now that Saw had admitted that he was hiding the goods and material for a militia a level below the dorms she wasn't sure she wanted to have to go past all that to get at whatever lay beneath.

She felt caught between the Empire and all its allies, people shouting in the streets, flags waving and aircraft buzzing the stands, a few levels up, and the bombs, blasters, maybe even deactivators, which were now illegal, meant to fight back against them. She wondered if Saw understood that they weren't fighting against droids now. As much as she might not like the Empire, fighting back was going to mean hurting living breathing beings who only thought they were doing what was right. Beings like Alexsandr Kallus.

Sandr said he'd be watching out for her today. Not that he would be able to pick her face out in the crowd. But, she wondered, what if he noticed that she was missing from the celebration? Would he think she was disloyal to the Empire? Would he think that there was some reason she needed to be investigated by his security burrow? She couldn't afford to have anyone to go poking around in her past. He was already worried about her association with Saw.

And Saw… She begged him to be careful. Yes, she saw a need for resistance to a corrupt system but lashing out blindly wasn't going to do anyone any good. He'd only laugh and tell her he was always careful.

He promised her he wouldn't cause any mayhem today. Just to be sure she'd asked if they could go out flying again. She wanted to be as far away from the city as they could manage and if she could get him away from it too she'd feel that much safer.

He said he had a few things to do before they could head out. She could only hope that didn't meant he was assigning some of his deputies to wreak havoc in his name while he was gone.

So right now she had only to wait and endure the press of minds. She sat on her bed in the dorm with her holo notebook and her helmet beside her. She wanted to hide within it but she didn't want to be rude while the other girls were still milling around.

Chi'ann typed a message to her that appeared on her screen. "Are you sure you won't go up with us? It's going to be quite a party." Soniee knew the mute girl missed the life of performing before an audience, the rush of being on stage, and the applause and mingling with adoring fans, not to mention the thrill and danger of the espionage she'd been involved in. For her the day would hold a little of that old magic.

"No. Thank you." Soniee answered her aloud. "I think I had enough of parties after the ball."

"She's going out flying with Saw again," Werda said in a sing song voice. She had been more excited than any of the others to have had her theory proven correct at least in part. The princess whisked away by another Kira into the wilds to escape her evil family. She hadn't been told that Soniee was in fact a Kira herself or about the whole Force sensitivity thing.

So far the fact that the whole sordid affair had occurred during the dance of the three lovers was working out in her favor. Most Onderonian natives and those who were present for King Rash's none too short reign, viewed her as a tragic figure. She wished, however, that they didn't have any opinion of her at all. Yet another reason that she didn't want to attend the day's festivities. It was only a matter of time before Agent Kallus heard the rumors that generic girl on the street he had met and decided to befriend and maybe more, was in fact the niece of the one time ruler of the planet.

"Leeve Dara alone," Myat rolled her eyes. She was actually going above ground as well.

"We'll bring you back a fried meiloorun," Werda waved as she and Chi'ann made their way out the door.

Soniee thought Myat would follow the other girls right out and she started to put her helmet on before the younger girl walked over to her.

"Dara." She began. Sometimes she seemed so young but with her years as a slave she had also obtained a maturity that was far beyond her years. "Eet may not bee my place to advise you but as your friend. You and Saw have grown very close. Eef you and 'ee should… What I mean to zay ees, do you 'ave a plan for zome method of protection? Eef you need me to acquire zometing…"

"Oh!" No, Soniee had not expected to get his talk from the girl but with all she had been through she no doubt knew the value of taking control of one's own reproductive system. "I was actually given a hypo a… not quite a year ago. It's meant to last for about four more years."

"Eet was given by a medical professional? Because zee over zee counter…"

"Yes, it… it was given to me by a doctor. He said it would be better if I didn't … For my health."

Myat looked at her curiously. "I am zorry to pry. Only I 'ave known too many girls who did not zink ahead of time."

"Thank you for your concern, Myat." Soniee held her tears in check.

The Twi'lek nodded and as she left the room looked back once more. "Lock zee door when you leave, will you?"

"Yes, I'll remember." There was a catch in Soniee's voice and she cleared her throat, trying to smile till Myat was beyond the doorway.

Then she allowed the tears to come. Happy Life day, Oron, my sweet baby. If you're in the Force somewhere or the Manda beyond that Ordo'buir used to talk about. Maybe you're with your Ba'buir now. I'd like to think that someone was holding you since I never could .

She felt Saw's larger than life personality coming closer before she heard him whistling, seemingly without a care in the world. She was glad of her early warning system so that she could dry her cheeks and put herself in order before he knocked on the door frame and peered around the corner.

"Everybody decent?" he asked with a grin.

"No, we all make a habit of lounging around in our scantiest under things." She laid back on the bed propping herself up with one elbow.

"Man, I really gotta figure out the code for this door." He knocked the side of his fist against the door frame. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah." She sat up. "Just let me put this stuff away." She shut down her holo notebook and slid it under the bed along with her helmet and then grabbed her mother's journal.

"Good. I've got something special today."

"Are you going to tell me or is it a surprise?" She stood and walked over to him.

He shrugged. "Guess I can tell you. You know how your mom is always writing about that clearing where she met with your dad. It had to be big enough for her to land the cloud hopper and for your dad to land the ruping, right?"

"Ye-ah?" She closed the door and activated the lock while she waited for him to continue.

"I think I found it!" He nodded proudly. "Of course it might have grown over since they met there and then it would have all burnt down but from the way she describes the lay of the land, I'm pretty sure I know the spot." He led her toward a tunnel entrance that would put them well away from the parade and the crowds. "I thought we could have a picnic." He had left a backpack by the secret hatchway out to street level which he now retrieved. "And you can read me the next section. It's finally getting good!"

Soniee laughed. "Yeah because that whole episode with the holo star wasn't interesting at all."

Saw wrinkled his nose in disgust and gestured a negative with his hand. "Nah. Old news."

Just outside the city gate, 'Sky King' was waiting for them. Soniee greeted the animal and he nuzzled against her.

Saw stood back and watched her interact with the beast.

"What?" she asked when she caught him staring.

"Ah it's just… you look so natural with him. Just like your mom must have been with Frayl and Princess."

"I'm glad I got that from her at least." She gave the ruping one more pat on the snout, walked around to mount him, and waited for Saw to give her a leg up.

"I think you got a lot from her. You sure look a lot like that portrait we saw at the palace."

"Almost like a mirror." She agreed.

Saw climbed onto the ruping behind her, "Hey, at least you didn't get her singing voice."

"Yeah." She smiled, taking up the reins. "Guess I lucked out there." But then as they took to the air she frowned. Had they read something about her mother singing? She knew that her mother played the Onderonian flute. She had played a patriotic tune for the Bonteris when they came to discuss the betrothal. But Soniee couldn't remember her mother's singing voice being mentioned before.

Soniee remembered when she had sung for the Blackwells that day, Saw had seemed surprised at her singing. She remembered him singing that day as well. "You know your voice isn't half bad either. Did you get that from your parents?"

"I guess I did." She felt him shrug but didn't look back.

He hadn't told her the exact location where they were going yet so for the moment they just enjoyed being in the air.

"We did a lot of singing when I was a kid. I remember…" then he spat. "What? Did you not have time to tie back your hair again?"

She laughed and then, "Oh Kriff! Speaking of ties." She pulled on the reins and banked out of the path of one of the black fighters. "We had better get where we're headed or they're going to start using us as target practice for the exhibition."

He reached around her to take the reins from her hands and turned them in the proper direction. "The valley just over there." He pointed. "See?"

"Wish I could have seen what it looked like then."

"So do I."