It was now only two days from Hera's due date. The last week and a half had been fortunately uneventful; the only notable thing that happened was that the wound on her chest had healed all the way. She still couldn't believe no one saw her, Andrexis, or Kna'tzhuk during their failed escape attempt. There was no way Thrawn hadn't noticed two of his troopers missing their check-ins. Every day, she expected something to happen, but it never did.
Hera had spent lots of time talking and singing to the baby, thinking of names and what he would look like. Her excitement to meet him had only increased as her pregnancy went on, as did her excitement for it to end. She was tired of being swollen and sore all the time; her back had hurt constantly ever since she reached down to the floor compartment in the Ghost's cockpit for some credits to give to Sabine. She wondered how Kanan would have reacted to seeing their child for the first time, what he would have said. She wondered the same about her father and her crew. She hoped they were eager to help; she would need it.
Today, Hera's muscles were especially sore. She tried a few stretches while laying down on the bench to relieve some of the tension in her lower back and legs, bringing her knees up one at a time what little distance they could go. She made her breaths deep and exhaled slowly. Suddenly, her lower back and abdomen cramped, creating a dull pain around the area. Hera squeezed her eyes halfway shut and pulled back her lips, a little surprised by it. The worst of it lasted about fifteen seconds before she continued stretching.
Weird, she thought. The pain was similar to what she normally experienced during her monthly cycle.
Hera sat up on the bench and twisted her spine in an attempt to crack it. When she relaxed, she exhaled gustily through her mouth and brought her hands up to her belly. She hadn't felt the baby move as much during the last few days, which she was mostly grateful for; she was able to breathe more easily and sleep through the night for the first time in a long while. She realized it would probably be the last, too.
She wanted desperately to see her crew; her heart ached from not being with them every day. It got lonely in her cell, even with the baby and Andrexis to talk to. She missed muffled music coming from Sabine's room as she painted. She missed Zeb and Ezra roughhousing around the Ghost, always arguing over whose turn it was on the holotable. She missed hearing Chopper muttering from the cockpit when repairs weren't going well. One thing struck her, however: her longing for Kanan was no more. She missed him dearly, yes, but it no longer hurt to think of him. It was as if the wound on her chest healed her emotions, too. She had the baby to remember him by, now.
Hera decided it would be good for her to get some rest before her evening meal. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, moving her hands to sit on top of her belly, and dozed off.
After about twenty minutes, her lower back and abdomen cramped again. Hera pried open her eyes, still half-asleep. It was bearable for the first ten seconds, but gradually became worse. Hera grimaced and leaned forward, keeping her body still in an attempt to relieve the pain, but it only worsened. She slowly stood up and remained there for a moment, still bent over and holding her belly, then hobbled over to the wall to her left. She pressed her forearms against it and walked her feet back a few steps.
Thinking nothing of it, she tried a few more stretches and the pain dissipated. Hera stood there for a while, leaning her weight against the wall and extending her core muscles. She relaxed her neck and let her chin rest on her chest, sending her lekku sliding up her back and dangling above her head. The pull of their weight on her neck and upper back felt heavenly. She let out a quiet moan and slowly moved her hips in an elliptical shape.
As she shifted her weight to her right foot and held her hips to one side, Hera felt something pop inside of her. At first she thought it was her spine or one of her joints, but more subtle than she would have expected. She pushed herself away from the wall and stood up, putting her hands on her hips and arching her back. Then, as she relaxed, she realized the inside of her thighs felt damp. Confused, she frowned and tried to bend over, but couldn't see anything below her belly. She supported herself against the wall and lifted her left leg, but her attention was pulled to the increased flow of something warm trickling down them.
Oh, that's embarrassing, Hera thought with a sigh. She hadn't realized she'd lose a bit of control over her bodily functions in late pregnancy. She hurried to the head connected to her cell to clean herself.
When she unbuttoned the front of her uniform and slid her arms out of it, she was surprised at how heavy it had become. She glanced in the small mirror on the wall. The uniform was much wetter than she had expected, to the point where it looked like she had spilled a whole bucket of water on her lap. Her heart sank to her stomach when she realized what had happened, watching the stain continue to expand.
Oh, no, she thought, her body beginning to tremble. My water broke.
Hera gazed into the mirror for a while, hand over her belly, realizing her child's safety would soon come to an end.
After a long morning of doing maintenance around the base on Yavin 4, Ezra was finally on break. He decided to spend his afternoon meditating and recharging; the last few days had been rough. He kept waking up in the middle of the night, having nightmares about Hera and the baby's fates. He wished he felt like Sabine, who was excited to become a big sister, but he only felt fear. Fear of what would happen to them, fear that he would fail to teach Kanan's son or daughter as a Jedi.
Ezra walked up the ramp to the Ghost and pulled off his boots before climbing up the ladder to the upper level. He wasn't about to let all their hard work go to waste. The door to his room slid open and he sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor, placing Kanan's holocron and lightsaber in front of him. He closed his eyes, took in a couple of deep breaths, and reached out in the Force, searching for his master once more.
Kanan, he thought, I need your help. Please.
He paused for a bit and listened.
I'm afraid. Afraid of what will happen to your child. I'm not ready to train him.
Ezra paused again and listened for a long while, only hearing the blood rushing through his ears. He shook his head in frustration and opened his eyes. He partially expected no answer, but this time he felt even more alone. He picked up his master's holocron and turned it over in his hands, skimming his fingers over the metal detailing. He looked at it for a while, thinking of Kanan and what a wonderful master he was. He felt his throat begin to constrict and his eyes and nose become hot. If only he could provide the same love and selflessness for Kanan's child. Life would truly never be the same without him.
Ezra took a few more deep breaths and cleared his mind, the silence of the room amplifying his pulse. He reached out in the Force to check on the rest of the crew. Both Sabine and Zeb seemed joyful, happily doing their chores and looking forward to seeing Hera again, which made Ezra feel a little better. He took comfort in knowing that they were alright.
He realized he hadn't connected with Hera's Force signature in a while. He visualized Lothal and the Star Destroyers looming above it, and felt a presence that stood out among all of the life forms. He no longer felt sadness emanating from her, but instead great fear. She was deeply worried about something, but what? Her signature remained stagnant for a short while, but suddenly, Ezra felt a pang of intense pain. It knocked his focus away from her and ended their connection.
Ezra, said a voice. It's time.
Ezra was startled by the sound of the familiar voice. It had been so long since he'd heard it last. He looked up and saw Kanan, dressed in a Jedi tunic and tabards with a cloak draped over his shoulders. The scar across his eyes was missing, and his figure was illuminated by a gentle blue glow. Ezra was so shocked he couldn't find any words; he just sat there and stared in awe.
You know what you have to do, said Kanan with a nod. Go. The Force will be with you.