Here we go, no chapter. Enjoy.


Jace sat in his office, deep in thought. He was happy his morning schedule was light, it gave him more time to wrap his brain around everything. He was still in shock about the baby. He certainly hadn't planned to be a father again. He had figured his only blood relative would be Theron and he had come to terms with the idea years ago. Overall, he was happy about the development, but he only wished he and Kia were in a better place. At least she had agreed to try his idea to make things work. Jace was choosing to be optimistic.

"Commander? Captain Dorne is here to see you, Sir." Lilian said over the intercom

"Send her in." He replied.

Dorne came in, looking composed, but slightly confused as to why she was being called into the supreme commander's office. True, she reported directly to him, but his orders were usually conveyed through holos or lower ranking generals. She gave him a sharp salute and stood at attention.

"At ease, Captain. Please, have a seat."

"You wished to see me, Sir?" She said, taking a seat.

"I did. Relax, you've done nothing wrong. First, I want to thank you for returning to the Republic, rather than following Commander Wryn. I know you were close with her."

"It was the obvious choice, Sir. I spent years fighting to become a Republic citizen. It seemed in poor form to simply walk away. I'm totally dedicated to the Republic, Sir."

"I know you are, Captain, and I appreciate that. Now, the reason I called you here today is something of a personal nature. You're not working on any active assignments and I thought you might help me out with something. This is not an order, Elara, please feel free to say no if you're not comfortable with my request." Jace said, using her first name as a show of less formality. Soldiers often considered all requests from the supreme commander as orders, regardless. He was hoping to avoid that with the captain.

"Of course, Sir. What can I help you with?"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed yet, but Master Wryn and I are together. We've been in a relationship secretly for over ten years now." Jace began. This was the first time he was openly telling someone about his affair with Kia. It felt strange, but he liked being open, for once.

"I heard rumors during the mission to Iokath, Sir, but I hadn't thought anything of them. Some people like to spread untrue gossip. It was none of my business, anyway."

Jace smiled at her. "Well, I thank you for your discretion, but we're not trying to hide it anymore. We did in the early years, for obvious reasons, but the validity of what you heard has nothing to do with my request."

Elara nodded. "Of course, Sir."

"We have recently found out that Kia is pregnant."

"That is wonderful news, Sir. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Captain. This is a bit of a shock, as you can imagine. We certainly didn't plan this, but we're both happy, I think. Anyway, Kia is currently in the process of packing up her apartment and moving in with me. She says she's being careful and following her doctor's orders, but I'm concerned she's overdoing it. She's under a great deal of stress right now, with everything that's been happening in her life and this pregnancy might be complicated, considering her mixed heritage. I'd like for you to check up on her while she's packing. I truly trust your medical judgment."

Elara actually chuckled. "I'm honored you'd trust me with this, Sir, but if Master Wryn is anything like Commander Wryn, she won't be happy you're asking me to look in on her."

Jace nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was starting to get a stress headache. "I know, but…" He stood, pacing. "...I know nothing about pregnant women or pregnancy. I'm sixty five years old, Captain. I thought I was done walking into the unknown by now, but this is totally uncharted territory for me."

"I could send over some literature about the topic, if you think that might help." Elara offered, feeling some sympathy for her CO. Jace Malcom was legendary for being a stern commander, who was completely unshakable. Seeing him like this actually made Elara respect him more. It was nice to know even the hardest soldiers had softer sides. She felt even more honored that the commander was sharing this with her.

"Actually, that would be very helpful. Thank you." Jace said, returning to his seat.

"I'll also go check in on Kia. I'm friends with her sister and she'd want me to help out where I can. Does the commander know yet?"

"I don't think so, so you might want to keep this news to yourself."

"Of course, Sir. This conversation won't leave this room."

"I really do appreciate you doing this for me."

Elara stood. "If I have your leave, I'll head over to Kia's apartment. This might actually be interesting. I do know a thing or two about mixed heritage studies."

"You're dismissed, Captain, and thank you again."

Elara left and Jace leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He wasn't sure if sending Elara to watch over Kia was the right thing to do, but Kia was the most important thing in his life. He was willing to take the chance.


To Be Continued...