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Part Three

1

Orion Quadrant, 2621

Astra gasps, leaning her head back against Khai's shoulder as his arms wrap gently around her body, his lips hot on the side of her neck, nipping in time with each slide of his fingers. Heat and sweat slicks their skin, and their quarters are awash in the sharp scent of sex. Her breasts are swollen, growing from the pregnancy, and particularly sensitive, which Khai takes advantage of as his hands drift upwards to tweak a nipple. A shudder races down Astra's spine, her back arching in response to the oncoming orgasm, acid churning in her stomach-

"Stop!"

"Adun'a?"

Astra shakes her head, hands already covering her mouth as she scrambles to get up and away from the heat of Khai's body, stumbling towards their utilitarian bathroom with just enough time to retch into the toilet. Any fanciful thoughts she'd had about early-morning pleasure were quite literally flushed down the drain as she weakly wipes at the corners of her mouth, forehead clammy, hair stuck to her forehead. Khai, bless him for his logistical prowess, comforts her silently, offering a cool hand on the back of her neck and careful sips of water from a proffered bottle.

"The sickness persists," he says quietly. "Astra, I am uncertain as to the condition of your health."

Astra is inclined to agree with him. Pregnancy had not been easy – in fact, after her seventh week of being pregnant, Astra's morning sickness had surged with little relief, and she began to have an upsetting dislike of all Twi'lek foods, which had always been her favorites. She seldom ate much more than vitamin and protein packed shakes that Khai designed and input into their Replicator index, and even then, there was the high probability that she would be purging the contents of her stomach an hour later for any number of miniscule reasons, such as the smell of Carl's cologne, or the scent of the grease Rosy was prone to use down in Engineering. She had hoped that breaking into her second trimester would cure her of this persistent sickness, but it had not, and as such, she had an appointment with Carl in the next half hour in order to determine if she was healthy. Outside of Khai's intimate knowledge of her metabolic functions and the careful monitoring he did of the fetal bond to their child, Astra's confidence in her abilities to create and sustain life were severely diminishing.

"Carl will know."

"Yes," Khai agrees after a prolonged pause. "Because his knowledge has been reliable in the past."

Astra looks sharply at her husband, the strong angle of his jaw, the cool steel of his eyes. "Was that sarcasm?"

Khai ignores her question in favor of helping her from the bathroom floor, long fingers curled around her naked hips, eyes resolutely focused on the slow-swelling bump of her abdomen.

She feels a bubble of amusement, though. "You are reading the book Emet sent to you."

"I have no idea to that which you are referring."

Through the vague sense of nausea, Astra smiles slightly. Her husband was so very curious about social interactions, and Emet knew this – Khai might try to deny reading the material that was sent to his Pad, but she had caught him quickly flipping through the electric pages on more than one occasion. One day, she would get him to admit it. "Of course you don't," she placates, carefully allowing the tips of their fingers to touch before turning to the medicinal cabinet beneath their sink and crunching a mouth-cleansing pill between her teeth.

"You will keep me updated on the progress of your medical appointment-"

"Yes."

"And in the event of complications-"

"-I'm healthy, Khai, there are no complications-"

"-the infirmary is instructed to inform me immediately-"

"-Even though you're on the Alpha shift-"

"-regardless of my being stationed on the bridge."

Astra sighs, exasperated, and utterly touched at how sweet his overprotective, very obsessive antics were. "Yes, adun."

Khai nods. "Satisfactory," he says, before methodically stripping out of his sleep pants and stepping directly into the sonic shower with an affectionate nudge at their bond.

"You're impossible," she tells him as she slips out of the bathroom, seeking their closets in order to lay out their uniforms.

I assure you, t'hy'la, I am quite possible.

I regret buying that book of Terran jokes.

A shot of Khai's muted amusement is the only answer Astra receives, which is just fine. She had been very pleased to discover exactly how sarcastic Khai could be, once the newness of their bond had settled and she'd had time to peruse the plains of his mind. He denied having a sense of humor, but it was there, even if it was as dry as sandstone.

Astra switches places with Khai, taking a very quick sonic shower, and dressing in her uniform in well-practiced, efficient time. She was glad that she'd yet to upgrade the size of her uniform to accommodate the growing life inside her body – they'd yet to tell anyone, save for Carl and Esmeralda, that Astra was carrying. She couldn't decide if she was frightened of the changes in her body, or if she was mesmerized. For the most part, pregnancy hadn't been as wonderful as all the books Khai downloaded onto her Pad promised it would be. Astra had the notion that her hybrid blood was the reason the pregnancy was so difficult – that maybe she was too Terran to carry a Giidas child, even if she had Giidas blood.

Carl, however, was quick to soothe her mind. "The baby will have your blood type from what the tests show," he tells her an hour later, eyes locked onto a purple holo-screen, where the sonogram was frozen, showing an odd bean-shaped image. Even though technology had advanced, sonograms were still sketchy at best; later on in the pregnancy, Astra and Khai would be able to have three-dimensional images of their child, but it was far too soon to be able to tell. "Right now, the fetus is healthy, thriving, though I do want you to take a folic acid supplement. Do you have any specific concerns?"

"The morning sickness," Astra says. "It's definitely not only in the morning."

Carl hums, tapping his feet in a three-fourths rhythm. He'd taken to being in space like a fish to water, especially when he was in his medical bay treating the various patients that strolled through his sector – engineers, for the most part, because they tended to be injured in one way or another more often than not. "That's normal. Expected, even," he tells her. "You are very young and this is your first pregnancy."

"I miss Twi'lek apples," Astra says mournfully. "I can only keep down Giidas food."

Doctor Carl grins, the corners of his too-blue eyes crinkling. "The fetus is smart already – and this tells us that your child might be inheriting mainly Giidas traits. Between Khai's genetic manufacturing and your own, it's likely that your baby will be a full-blood Giidas."

"But I'm half-Terran."

Carl shrugs, tapping his fingers against his knees. "True. But it's such a miniscule amount of Terran that the Giidas in your blood often overpowers your Terran genes, especially now that you've married-"

"-mated, Carl-"

"-a Giidas male. From what you tell me, the psychic-"

"-telepathic-"

"-bond between you keeps your Giidas blood constantly active. It's like if I had a magnet and two different metals, with only one metal polarized to the magnet. The more I use the magnet, the more that polarized metal will be drawn to the magnet. Your blood is operating in much the same way."

Astra nods in understanding – it made sense that the Giidas traits in her body would be amplified by direct exposure to a full-blooded Giidas, especially given how well acquainted she was with the Giidas in question. But, then again, she seemed to lose something during the pregnancy, an issue that had been digging in the back of her mind, and even though Carl wasn't likely to know the answer, she felt that she needed to get the problem off her chest to someone who wasn't Khai. She didn't want Khai to think she was weak, as irrational as the thought was. "My telekinesis…"

"Yes?" Carl asks softly, his bed-side manner rising to the occasion as his face shifted into something serene and trustworthy, even his constant twitching stopped.

Astra frowns. "It's…I don't have it anymore."

Carl's brows shoot up. "It's gone?"

"Since last month – not that it was terribly strong in the first place. But now I can't even lift a stylus."

Carl's eyes glint as he scratches at his ear. "That could be explained by a number of things, but I think the most likely reason for the suppression of that ability is due to energy reserves. You're creating life, Astra. I'm sure after the pregnancy is over, your telekinetic abilities will resurface."

Astra wasn't so sure, but she didn't say anything to contradict Carl, especially since she was already a half-hour late for her shift on the bridge. The fact remained that Astra's telekinetic abilities, unlike her omnilinguist capabilities, were late in blooming, and while she didn't have any comfortable level of control over them, they had disappeared. She had no idea what that could possible mean. Perhaps Carl's theory had merit.

Carl ends the appointment by sending copies of the sonogram to Astra and Khai's Pad while she hurries out of the med bay and into the turbolift with dread – being pregnant made her motion sickness worse. Even with the turbolift operating at a moderated scale, a setting that Khai had insisted on for one of the three turbolifts on the Nova, Astra needed to take several seconds to calm her stomach after stepping onto the bridge. Khai wasn't at his station, but rather in the Captain's Rooms, and his side of the bond was unexpectedly tense as she settled at the Communication's console.

Khai? What's wrong?

It is…nothing of concern, t'hy'la. I trust the appointment was satisfactory.

We're healthy, she tells him, wary of the stunted cadence of his direct thoughts in contrast with the whirl of his racing mind. The data is on your Pad.

Thank you, adun'a.

Astra smiles softly at the swell of affection originating from Khai's side of the bond, drawing the attention of Makenna, a quiet Ensign that Astra had handpicked from the Communications crew to be her maternity-leave replacement. Makenna was proficient and quick, a dedicated learner who had the ability to notice Astra's cues without Astra needing to offer further direction. Astra liked Makenna, if for no other reason than the Ensign was just shy of nineteen, the youngest Ensign in the bunch. With Makenna's help, Astra was able to implement and integrate software capable of translating the most obscure of dialects in case of emergency – during free time on the bridge, Astra continued to tweak the program, unerringly thorough, fueled by some instinct that she couldn't name. She was metaphorically elbow-deep in the program when Khai and Charles Godric came out of the Captain's Room, their expressions heavy. Instantly, the atmosphere of the bridge became oppressive in the extreme, each officer turning from their stations to watch the Captain tread to the center console, face etched in serious, harsh lines.

Charles Godric, more serious than Astra had ever seen him, taps his finger against a sleek button on his chair, calling up the ship AI system. "We have received orders," he says, his message spreading through the entire ship. "The Federation is currently in negotiations with the Republic in the hopes of forming a united alliance. As such, it is important that each species of intelligent life be cataloged properly. It is our mission to retrieve doctors from the Intergalactic Database and transport them to a planet in the middle-zone between the Federation and Republic borders. Specialized orders will be administered in the next several minutes. That will be all."

There was a distinct bustle, a synchronized motion that echoed through the entire ship as the bridge exploded into well-trained tasks; Astra and Makenna began fielding communication files, forwarding certain instructions to the proper departments. This mission was a big deal in a way that others weren't. Regardless of the primary function of the Nova, which was to explore new space and dismantle supernovas, the large ship was built with diplomatic purpose in mind.

Astra wasn't surprised, then, when she came across orders directly from the Federation Admiralty – orders that stated she would be acting as a diplomatic liaison for the Database doctors until their arrival on-planet. In the back of her mind, a growing sense of unease clicked into place. Astra had been feeling on edge and now she knew why – the Intergalactic Database, where Carl had initially sent her hybrid-damning blood, was coming onto the Nova. Paranoid, Astra was sure they were coming for her and she would be their diplomat for at least a week. She wouldn't be able to avoid them.

Khai must have noticed her thoughts, because he was quite suddenly behind her chair, boldly cupping her shoulder to garner her attention. "Lieutenant, I have a matter to discuss with you."

Astra nods, standing, glancing at Makenna for a moment.

Makenna tucks tumbling auburn hair behind her ear. "I've got it, boss. You go ahead."

As soon as the white doors of the bridge slide closed behind them, Khai envelopes Astra into his arms, firm and secure. "They have no permissible concern over you, adun'a," Khai says coolly. "It would be highly illogical for any fixation to come upon you."

"It's the hormones," Astra replies shakily, trying to convince herself of Khai's assurances, trying to convince herself that there was nothing to fear.

Still, the very thought of the Intergalactic Database coming onboard her ship, her home, while she carried a child of hybrid parents – it was enough to keep her on edge for days as the Nova traveled to Starbase 312. She has trouble sleeping and Makenna picks up her slack, discreetly supplying Astra with various Giidas juices during the Alpha shifts while Astra's mind wanders to worse and worse scenarios. Khai, for his part, remains a steady, logical presence on the edge of her mind and Astra comes to the realization that she isn't sure how she ever lived without their bond.

On the morning that the Nova is due at Starbase 312, Astra wakes hours before Khai, his arm draped over the growing curve of her stomach, her own hands cupping the thriving fullness as she sinks into the blossoming bond in her mind, the one that comforts her with cooing innocents as her mind races with possibilities. Astra was never one for anticipation – she'd always preferred impulsiveness. Her mind continued to circle around the fact that Nanini had kept her away from doctors for a reason. The only time Astra had ever been in a medical facility before the Academy was because Nanini was dying and Astra needed to steal medication for her. The first and only doctor to examine Astra had been Carl – nobody else before then. Surely, there had to be a reason. Nanini must have known that even the barest possibility of the Database getting involved would be tragic. Nanini had her secrets and Astra was sure this was one of them.

Eventually, Astra finds herself hunched over the toilet again, heaving with Khai at her shoulder, and calmly soothing her nerves as best he could. He didn't understand her paranoia, her emotions about this – none of it was logical, none of it was proven. His reasoning was bland in comparison to Astra's rioting thoughts, so the most he could offer was the steel of his unflinching nerves.

Khai presses a kiss into her flushed neck. Hayal, he thinks to her. Calm.

Astra nods silently and her husband assists her into the sonic shower, bathing quickly with her, and then helping Astra dress in her uniform, carefully clasping her hooded cloak onto her shoulders, brushing his fingers against her skin.

All will be satisfactory.

I know, she answers, calmed only in miniscule amounts. That same instinct that had been nagging at her for weeks was strong – something akin to the inky swells of black possessive emotion in Khai's own mind, but orange and suspicious instead, swarming over the bond of the child growing in her womb, matching the color sharp color of her eyes.

And everything is instantly made worse by Mari'Ahlice's glazed rose quartz eyes gazing at her as soon as Astra and Khai exit their quarters. "Carry the li'lute," Ahlice murmurs in her native tongue, head tilted to the side.

Astra doesn't hesitate, darting back into her quarters to strap the case of her li'lute beside her saber, the foreboding weight of something unexplainable resting on her shoulders as the ship AI system makes the simplest and most dreadful of announcements.

"The Nova has docked on Starbase 312. Docked on Starbase 312."

A/N: So, this will likely be a long note. I have several things to discuss!

First, APOLOGIES! It's been a month and a half since my last update. Obviously, this is very unusual for me (this is the first time this has happened in over 2 years of writing fanfiction). Needless to say, real life has been something of a bitch – if you've found me on Facebook, you probably already know some of the gritty details. (Basically, I've got health issues, I have a full-time job, I go to school full-time, I've just transferred into a harder accelerated program in college, etc.). It's no excuse, of course, but I'm sorry the update has taken so long. Truly. I've beaten myself up a lot over it.

Second, WELCOME TO PART 3. Part 3 is very much a "tidy-it-all-up" section of NOVA. Lots of loose ends will be fixed here, as well as openings for other plots *coughasequelcough* More likely than not, the pace will be a bit fast. I don't see Part 3 being more than 5 chapters (possibly 8?), and the chapters themselves will probably be shorter than those found in Part 2. Part 3 may also give you many feels. We are, after all, bidding farewell to Astra and Khai. Brace yourself.

Third, I KNOW NOTHING OF BABIES. I've never been pregnant and I suspect (due to my fluid sexuality) that I won't be for a long while. I'm 19. Anything mentioned about pregnancy has been Googled and gathered from various fanfictions. Please allow some creative license, too, because, you know, aliens.

Fourth, TIMELINES! There was obviously a time-jump in this chapter. Astra is now about 4 months pregnant, Ahlice's father is back in Pixie-World, and Khai has settled back into his, er, logical ways. Any questions you might have about what happened in those 3 months? Assume Astra and Khai had a lot of sex, Astra threw up a bunch, and Khai put down some killer supernovas, like the badass that he is. Or, whatever. Maybe they slept. I don't know.

Fifth, THANK YOU for all of the reviews on the previous chapter. Ordinarily, I'd answer them, but given the circumstances, I think I'll skip it this time around. Truly, though, there were some hilarious gems in the mix, and I love reviews that make me laugh. So much in life is dismal.

As always, be brutally honest. I can take it.

~cupcakeriot