Outer Rim
Planet: Yavin 4
Rebel Base One
...2 Months Later...
Luke sat cross-legged in front of Silre on a patch of grass not far from their special waterfall; the sound of its rushing waters and the feel of its cool mists drifting towards the spot where they were seated. Silre remained still in both mind and body, concentrating on the three small rocks that sat between them. Subtly, and somewhat shakily, the rocks began to teeter upwards, lifting into the air just a few inches off the ground. Just as soon as they rose into the air, they fell with a solid thump back onto the ground.
Silre opened her eyes, a puff of frustrated air leaving her lungs. "Shit."
Luke smiled. "It takes time. You're getting there, though."
"Yeah. Maybe someday I'll eventually progress past a bunch of rocks" she said with a sigh, though the humor dancing in her eyes proved she wasn't as exasperated as she let on.
"Want to try again?"
Silre considered it a moment. "No...it's fine. We've been out here too long as it is."
Luke made a face. "Come on, one more time." He gave her his best attempt at puppy eyes. "For me?"
With a growing smirk, Silre rolled her eyes. "Well, when you put it that way..." Her grin was as guilty as his. "Okay, one more time."
Clearly pleased, Luke settled back into his seated position and resumed a straight spine. He waited as Silre did the same, watching as she once again closed her eyes and began to steady her breathing. She knew the process by now, especially after practicing with him for the past month on various ways of using the Force. It inspired him to teach more, particularly since she was such an attentive 'student', and was also an incredibly fast learner. Her Force sensitivity was a gift, but it was still rough around the edges. Yet Luke could see that day by day, lesson by lesson, it was smoothing out.
It only took a few moments before Silre was lifting the three rocks off the ground again. This time, they rose quicker and a little higher than the previous tries. They wobbled less as well, which was a good sign. Luke could feel his pride swelling as he watched her, knowing how gratifying it was to perform something like this for the first time. He wanted to tell her right then and there how proud he was, but he didn't want to break her concentration.
Eventually, the three rocks dropped out of the air as if a cord had snapped, tumbling and rolling onto the grass. Silre opened her eyes and Luke gave her a reassuring nod. "Every time we do this, you get a little stronger. I'm incredibly proud of your progress."
"I appreciate that. So much more than you know, but..." Her shoulders sagged as she rubbed her face. "I just feel off today."
"Don't be so hard on yourself. You barely slept last night," Luke reminded her. There was compassion in his voice, but the look in his eyes told Silre he would have traded places with her in a heartbeat if it meant she felt better.
In truth, Silre had been up for a large portion of the night, tossing and turning despite her efforts not to wake Luke. In total, she wasn't sure just know how long she'd been awake, but she knew it was a lot longer than she'd been asleep. Today her body felt run down; her concentration weaker than it normally was. Even with Luke's praise, she still wished she could do more with the amount of time they'd been devoting to her lessons.
Exhaling, Silre ran her hands through her hair. It had grown out enough now that the shorter side had almost extended past her ears, and she silently cursed herself for not bringing a method in which she could pin it back. She could feel the sweat on the back of her head starting to run down the center of her spine, adding to her overall discomfort.
Luke studied her with growing concern. "You sure you're all right?"
Silre forced a smile. "Yes."
"Silre..."
"Hmm?" She played innocent, knowing damn well it was futile. When Luke merely sat there giving her that look paired with that smile, she gave up trying. "Okay, maybe it's the lack of sleep."
Luke cocked an eyebrow.
"Or it's the heat," Silre added with a shrug. "Not like these are doing much to help with that." Her gaze wandered up to the towering canopy of trees that were doing very little to help filter the sunlight today. To her, it felt more humid that usual. Not even the occasional mist floating their direction from the waterfall had done much to help how overheated she felt.
"Let's head back then" Luke said, rising to his full height. He extended his hand to Silre, helping her up gently.
As they began to head back to the Base, they both halted before the waterfall to admire it as they always did before leaving. This spot had become a refuge for them; a place to come and spend time together away from the busyness and noise of the Base. It had become a bit of a routine for them to spend a moment in quiet contemplation of the golden waterfall before they left, and this time was no different.
Silre leaned her head against Luke's shoulder, eyeing the long feathery lines of luminescent water as it traveled over the polished black stone around it. "Still so beautiful," she uttered wistfully.
"I really am glad you love it here as much I do." He kissed the top of her head, tightening an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon. Let's get you back so you can take a nap."
They made their way back through the forest along the dirt path that wound back towards the Base. As they emerged from the tree line, they watched as a fleet of X-wings taxied out of the hangar and formed a line along the runway. One by one the ships increased speed and ran the length of the tarmac, their engines firing hot orange as they lifted up and away, forming a V-shape in the sky before disappearing out of sight.
"Where are they headed?" Silre wondered aloud. By the bend in Luke's brow, she knew he was asking himself the same.
"I'm not sure" he answered, eyes still focused on the sky. "Green Squadron wasn't supposed to take off for Jakku for another week or so. That is, unless..."
The couple looked at one another, and the concerned look in Luke's eyes deepened.
"Maybe you should go." Silre patted him on the chest. "We can meet up later."
"Your place?"
She nodded, and their lips met briefly. "Don't forget to bring your appetite." She watched Luke as he began to back away, catching the flash of mischief in his grin and the sparkle in his eyes.
"Can't wait. See you then." He took off at a jog towards the base, the ends of his hair bouncing with each stride. He turned and jogged backwards just to give her a wave, then made straight for the hangar.
Silre laughed as she watched him go. Luke was every bit the man she grew more and more in love with each day. He was incredibly strong and controlled, something that fueled her desire as much as it fostered her admiration for him. And yet, there were always moments where the youthful son of Tatooine with too much intelligence and too much talent would appear, with his lopsided grin and his dimples and his floppy hair that was always just a little bit askew no matter what he did with it. Seeing that side of Luke never failed to bring a smile to her face, and watching his backwards jog and his excited wave was no different. It left her with a state of contentment, despite the current weariness in her bones.
Drawing the back of her hand across her forehead, Silre wiped away another fresh layer of sweat, feeling almost light headed as she stood there. It occurred to her that maybe a runway tarmac wasn't the best surface in which to linger when the heat was as stifling as it currently felt, so she quickly made her way towards the entrance of the base that would take her straight to her apartment. In the months following her arrival on Yavin, she'd become a pro at finding her way around not just the temple in which Base One was located, but also the layouts of the other temple buildings. She'd done enough work in all of them to not just know her way around, but to know all the shortcuts and by-passes the more regular residents used. It made her feel like she'd been there a lot longer than just a half a year.
She wound her way back to her apartment and felt a rush of relief when she slumped down onto her bed. She lay there a moment, arm draped above her head on the pillow, staring blankly up at the ceiling. The dizziness she had earlier still remained, making the room feel like it was wobbling a bit on some invisible axis. She had to close her eyes to make it stop, though her stomach continued to feel unsettled.
Water, she thought. I'm dehydrated.
It took her a moment before she forced herself back upright and went into her tiny kitchen. She poured herself a glass of ice cold water, drained the liquid without taking a breath, then refilled and drained the second round just as swiftly as the first. She set the glass down with a heavy exhale, wiping at her mouth as her dizziness abated. Thank goodness, she thought, feeling cooler already. She refilled her glass a third time, then brought the drink with her back to her bedroom. Once she settled onto the bed and lay flat on her back, she felt a hundred times better.
When she closed her eyes this time, she fell asleep almost instantly.
Luke could feel the energy of those inside the Base's central briefing area before he even entered. There was a frantic feeling all around him in the hallway leading up to it, making the air feel jittery and nervous. He felt his sister's Force signature strongest of all; her usual poise and confidence momentarily rattled in the way her energy flittered across their bond and into his own body.
When he pushed through the door to the briefing room, Luke found it full of bodies hurrying this way and that. Some were dressed in flight suits, others wore their usual Rebel attire, though his sister stood out among all of them. She stood in the middle of a group of generals huddled around one of the comm units, listening as Shara Bey Dameron's voice filtered through the receivers.
"We can bypass the Corellian Hyperspace and take the northernmost route to save time" Shara relayed. "Though it will bring us past Coruscant."
"It's not a chance worth taking" Leia radioed back. "I know it would buy more time, but they're still too hostile and unpredictable there, and it remains home to too many Imperials who would love to try and take your ships down. Do not go anywhere near their atmosphere."
"Roger that, General Organa. We'll rendezvous at the Capitol for fuel, then head for Jakku from there."
Luke approached quietly, easing past a few of the pilots who stood near the rear of those listening. When they noticed he'd arrived, they parted to give him room. He made his way towards the generals near the front of the group, noticing the look in Leia's eyes when she and Hera both spotted him.
"There you are," Leia said, relief in her voice. "I sent for you a half hour ago."
Luke acknowledged Hera with a nod, then gave his sister an apologetic smile. "I was training with Silre. What's happening?"
"It's exactly as you suspected: a convoy of ships have been spotted exiting from the Unknown Regions, their courses set for Jakku. Scouts dispatched from Hosnian Prime alerted the Capitol, who alerted us thereafter."
"Will Green Squadron reach Jakku in time to intercept?" he asked, knowing they were taking the slower of the two routes to the desert planet.
Leia nodded. "They should."
Despite the frantic murmur of Leia's energy, she spoke confidently, which eased a bit of Luke's initial apprehension. "What's the plan to support them?"
"We're readying a CR90 to transport ground troops and additional weaponry." Leia glanced back at the scuttling bodies and dressed pilots. "We're moving fast now, but they're not anticipated to leave for another 24 hours."
"Ground troops?" His gaze shifted between Leia and Hera. "You're not thinking of sending our people to the surface of a planet we know nothing about?"
"No," Leia replied. "We're not planning to. Not yet..."
"We're just being extremely careful right now," said Hera, her tone as steady as her gaze. "We don't think this will lead to anything besides more information, but we thought it better to prepare for the worst."
It was a premise Luke understood well. He'd done the same many times before; commanding others in battle or flying into them himself. Both positions lead to the same line of thinking: go in hoping for the best, but plan for the worst. It was a strategy well used within the Rebellion, though it didn't leave him feeling any more reassured. There was still so much left that was unknown despite the knowledge they'd gained, and that left him feeling uneasy most of all.
In the two months since he and Silre brought the information back from the database of The Inflictor, they'd discovered just who the main players were behind the Emperor's Contingency Plan. Many of whom, to Leia's surprise, had been posing as supporters of the New Republic Senate. More importantly, the data they decoded from the Star Destroyer proved there was a link between the Unknown Regions and Jakku, both of which were under control of Admiral Rax and his legion of supporters. The amount of weaponry on The Inflictor's manifest pointed to some kind of battle being prepped for, but where and when - they still did not know. Their best guess - and the most likely one - was Jakku.
But even within their well-traveled galaxy, there were still many regions left unexplored and unknown to even the best. Naturally, those who remained alive within the limping remains of the Empire would resort to utilizing the farthest, most mysterious locations to operate. As such, the revelation that they were withholding the majority of their fleet within the Unknown Regions came as little surprise. Given the extreme distance of the Unknown Regions, how incredibly little information anyone had on that vast portion of the galaxy, and the threats associated with all of it, The New Republic held off on sending anyone to investigate. It was just too costly, too far, and too risky. Instead, based on the data they received from Silre and a strategy developed by Luke, they positioned several scouts aboard well stocked cruisers positioned between Jakku's orbit and the entrance to the Unknown Regions. Here they could intercept any ships inbound to Jakku and in turn, give more information on whether or not Rax and the others were planning on waging a battle there.
So now, once again, Luke and the others would need to exercise patience and wait until Shara and the rest of Green Squadron could do their work and intercept whatever was coming out of the Unknown Regions.
"How can I help?" Luke asked of both Leia and Hera.
The corner of Leia's mouth rose sympathetically. "Right now, we just have to wait. But be ready. If this turns into something...something bigger than any of us currently suspect..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but Luke already knew the rest. There was a heaviness in Leia then; something he was all too well familiar with and felt just as strongly. The exhausting heaviness that came with realizing that there was always another fight. Another battle. Another enemy. There was always the waiting...the wondering...the fear that this time, maybe they wouldn't be so lucky. The New Republic was on the winning side now, but it didn't stop the fear that lingered at the prospect of losing the peace they'd fought so hard to win.
It was something Luke wouldn't allow. He would die fighting until his last breath to keep the galaxy's peace they'd fought so hard to win. They'd come too far, had sacrificed too many, to not keep fighting.
"You'll call me as soon as Shara and the others reach the Jakku?" Luke requested.
"Absolutely." With this, Leia silently excused herself from Hera and the others so she could follow Luke towards the exit. "I wanted to ask you how Silre's lessons are coming along?"
A smile immediately spread across his face. "It's progressing nicely. She's an incredibly fast learner, and very gifted. She just lacks the knowledge of how to really use her gift." He eyed Leia. "Not wholly unlike someone else I know."
"Mmm hmm, that's why I was asking" Leia joked. "Does she want to wield it the way you do, though? Has she ever said?"
Luke shook his head. "The only desire she's expressed in learning how to wield the Force is to protect herself. We're starting small, of course. Same as I did with you. But her abilities are progressing so quickly that I expect her to move from telekinesis to telepathy and concealment fairly quickly."
"No combat training?"
"She's not shown interest in that kind of training, no. Why?"
"I thought it might be fun to work with her myself."
Surprise lit up Luke's expression. "Is that so?" He folded his arms over his chest, eyebrows raised. "I'm impressed, Leia."
Leia shrugged a shoulder. "She made me realize how rare it is for two Force sensitive women to live and work together like we do. It's a rare opportunity, and a missed one, if we don't take the time to practice together. I just thought it would be something we could bond over together."
Luke couldn't believe what he was hearing, and yet...he was never prouder. It revealed more than Leia probably realized, showing her dedication and her excitement over having the gift that she did. She certainly feared using it in a way that their father had, but this new revelation proved to Luke that there was a part of her that wanted to do more. To be more. Maybe Silre was the push she needed to see there was so much good she could do with her gift with the Force. Another woman to work with, to train with, to bond with. He never considered it before, but it made sense. He could see the desire in Leia's eyes as she looked at him, her smile growing.
"What? You think I'm crazy for suggesting it?"
"No! Nooo, quite the opposite." Luke's hands came to rest on the sides of her shoulders. "I think it's wonderful, and I think it's something we could work towards. Would you like me to discuss it with Silre?"
"Not yet, no..." Leia now seemed apprehensive. "I only wanted to tell you what I've been thinking."
"Well if you needed or wanted my support, you have it."
Leia's smile was both humble and grateful. "As usual."
"You always have my support," said Luke, eyes shining. "Maybe once Silre progresses a little more, I can bring it up to her then?"
"Maybe. Yes. I'd like that."
He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Don't forget to call me when Green Squad makes it."
They hugged briefly, then Luke headed back to his place to shower and change before dinner. He held on to hope that in a few day's time when Shara and the others made it to Jakku, they would find something favorable...not something fatal.
Silre sat across the kitchen table from Luke, pushing at her food with her fork. For the past twenty minutes she'd been fighting the desire to gag and she had no idea why. She made a perfectly delightful dinner, one that Luke seemed to really enjoy judging by his second helping. For her, she'd only taken three bites before feeling like she had to force the rest down. Now the food sat spinning in her stomach, the bile reaching up into her chest in a way that made her uneasy.
So far, Luke hadn't let on that he noticed. She hoped that whatever he detected he blamed on her still needing to catch more sleep. Which, all things considered, was true. Her nap earlier had done her wonders, but nothing truly replaced a full night's worth of good sleep.
Sliding another bite of food onto her fork, Silre pushed it mechanically into her mouth and began to chew. It felt thick and sludgy on her tongue; not at all the tasty dish she knew it to be. So instead of focusing on the food, she focused on the animation in Luke's face as he recounted a recent conversation between himself and Han. It was easy to feed off the joy he shared in telling the story. When he laughed, she also laughed. Luke just made her happy. It didn't matter what he was doing.
His laughter dwindled as he took a drink, though his eyes remained on Silre and the burp she silenced with a hand over her mouth. When Luke lowered his glass, a line formed between his brow. "Not enjoying the meal?"
Silre quickly smiled. "Yeah, I just..." She covered her mouth again, pushing down the feeling of sourness rising inside her. "...I'm not all that hungry."
"Did you eat beforehand?"
Silre felt her breathing begin to hasten, the turmoil in her stomach building. "No..."
Luke stared at her, watching as the color started draining from her face. "Are you su-"
Silre pushed out of her chair and ran for the refresher. The feeling of bile shot from her stomach into her throat as she hurriedly knelt, gripped the edge of the toilet, and unleashed a stomach full of horrific looking liquid into the basin.
Luke was right behind her. He approached slowly, kneeling behind her as she vomited a second time. He winced; hoping it didn't feel as painful as it sounded. "I'm here," he told her, rubbing her back. Again she vomited, her muscles clenching violently as she pushed out another wave of liquid.
Silre sat there for a moment panting, spit dribbling from her mouth as the nausea rolled in and out. Her stomach convulsed and she braced herself for another round, but all that came out was a dry heave followed by a lengthy cough. Luke's steady hand remained on her back, rubbing in slow circles and providing some much needed comfort given how disgusting she felt. When it seemed the vomiting had abated for good, Silre flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth. "I'm sorry..." she uttered weakly, slumping back against the cold porcelain.
Luke reached for a hand towel and wiped her mouth, his gaze tender and affectionate. "You're sick, Silre. There's no need to apologize." He swept his hand over her cheek, pushing back some of her hair. "Let me help you?"
Silre nodded, too weary to respond. Next thing she knew, she felt herself levitating as Luke lifted her into arms and carried her to the bedroom. With the utmost care, he placed her gently onto her back and positioned the pillows so her head was cradled comfortably. Afterward, he disappeared; returning with a pitcher of water and a glass which he filled and placed on the bedside table.
He took a seat next to her, his hand moving to caress her forehead. "More comfortable, at least?"
"Yes, though it feels like my muscles all gave up at once."
Luke smiled. "I can help sooth it for you." He raised his hands, indicating with his eyes to her stomach. "May I?"
Agreeing to his help, Silre shifted so he could sit a bit closer. She knew he meant to use the Force in order to alleviate her discomfort, and would need to place his hands somewhere on her in order to do it. He'd done it once before when she had a migraine after a particularly grueling work day. Whatever he'd done that day, however he managed to do it, his gift had brought a wave of relief like she never imagined. Far better than any medicine. If he wanted to do it for her again, she surely wouldn't turn away his kindness.
Luke closed his eyes and took a long, deep inhale and placed his palms flat upon her stomach. When he exhaled, Silre felt a warm sensation spread outward into her stomach, coating her from the inside like warm honey. The sensation spread in all directions, flowing outward from her stomach down through her legs and upward into her chest and arms, soothing her with every slow inch it covered. She could feel the cramp in her stomach dissolving as her muscles gave in to the relaxing sensation.
When Luke opened his eyes again, he saw the relief written in Silre's face, and it made him smile. "Better?"
"So much better. Thank you."
Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Drink some water and rest. I'll get the kitchen cleaned up, then we can lay together."
Before he backed away, Silre cupped the side of his face and let her forehead rest against his. "I love you, Luke."
His mouth twitched up at the corner, his eyes so close she could see the flecks of gold amidst the sea of clear blue. "I love you too."
Silre watched him go, forever grateful for his presence in her life. He was here because he wanted to be. He took care of her because he wanted to, and because he loved her.
A heavy sigh left Silre's lips.
She was tired. So tired. She felt more run down that she had earlier in the day, though Luke's healing abilities always seemed to make her a bit sleepy. It was like being wrapped in the warmest, comfiest blanket, except it was more from the inside-out rather than the other way around. Her mind felt whole, her body pieced together and secure.
She wanted to wait for him to come back, but she couldn't. She gave in to her weariness and allowed her eyelids to close, and it was only a matter of time before sleep overtook the rest of her.
When Silre still felt nauseous two days later, she took herself to the medical facility on base. During the height of the Rebellion, an entire level had been dedicated to functioning as a medical wing. There were enough bodies in need of medical help at the time, but all these months later, the need for such a large space had thankfully dwindled. Though still located on its own level within the base, the medbay itself had shrunken to just a few individuals rooms.
With her legs dangling off the edge of a medical cot, Silre waited patiently as the medical droid inserted a needle into her arm. She felt a pinch, waited a few moments, and then the droid walked away with a vial of her blood.
"Please wait here while I run the diagnostics, Miss."
Silre gave the droid a smile and rolled her sleeve back down. She waited, watching as its mechanical body went about placing her blood inside a small contraption used for bio-analysis. When her vitals started showing up on a nearby computer screen, she purposely looked away to avoid making herself even more nervous than she already was. The past two days had been a mix of anxiety and suspense; her emotions waffling between worrying what was wrong with her, while having an inkling that she already knew. Her intuition had been very loud the past two days. With every bout of sickness, every moment of dizziness, every hot flash and queasy feeling she had over the smell of food she normally would have salivated over, her intuition told her what she already suspected.
It didn't help that she was, officially, over a week late getting her period.
Glancing back at the screen, Silre saw a host of numbers and graphs littering the monitor, which forced her to turn her gaze away once more. She looked down at her legs dangling over the side of the cot, taking an interest in the boots she wore instead. She followed the line of her thighs up to her stomach, eyeing the fabric of her top that sat snugly over her abdomen.
Could it be true?
Could I be?
"Almost finished, Miss" said the droid. "May I ask if you are still exhibiting the symptoms of nausea you described earlier?"
"This morning I did, but not now" Silre replied.
The droid made no response.
It felt more impersonal than it should have. Silre could almost remember a time when humans took care of other humans. Now, most of the work was done by droids. It was the same on Kuat as well, and just about everywhere Silre had ever come in contact with medical facilities. It was faster, yes, but she missed the interpersonal aspect of having someone other than a droid helping her in times of need. It didn't help much that medical droids were some of the most impersonal looking droids manufactured across the galaxy. Even an Astromech had more personality than a medical droid, and it didn't even have a true humanoid-shaped face.
"Bio-analysis complete." The medical droid turned on its heels, the white lights of its eyes focusing on Silre. "When comparing your current results to that of the blood drawn when you first arrived on Yavin 4: you have a 20 percent increase in red blood cell count and volume. Your white blood cell count has also risen rather dramatically: about 35 percent. Your plasma volume has increased 15 percent. Most notably, and rather impressively, your Midi-chlorian count has quadrupled."
Silre stared at the droid. "Midi-chlorian count?"
"The microscopic, intelligent life-forms that live inside the cells of all living things" replied the droid, its voice as dull and statistical as ever. "Midi-chlorians are what connects humans and other sentient beings with high numbers to the energy field deemed the Force."
Silre had never been told this. Based on all the things she learned so far from Luke, she thought her Force sensitivity came from some invisible source within her body and mind. She supposed, in a way, that's exactly what these Midi-chlorians were. "Is that why I've been so nauseous?"
"No, Miss" replied the droid. "Your nausea is due to your pregnancy."
Time screeched to a stop. Silre stared at the droid as all the air left her lungs, though she felt the corner of her mouth inch upward into a smile. "Pregnant..."
"Yes, Miss."
She hadn't asked it as a question, it merely came out of her mouth as though she was in a dream; a dream where her intuition had been right again.
I'm pregnant.
She lowered her gaze to her stomach, too awestruck to speak.
I'm pregnant.
"Would you like me to summon General Skywalk-"
"-No" Silre said, holding out her hand. "No. I will tell him." She felt a jolt of electricity spark through her body, resuscitating her heartbeat which felt as if it had been suspended inside her chest for the past minute.
Luke and I are going to have a baby.
She placed her hands over her stomach, a barely audible laugh full of surprise and happiness shaking free from her chest.
I'm going to be a mother.
She felt her emotions rise quickly to the surface, initiating the sting of tears that burned hot and wonderful and vibrant in her eyes. She and Luke...they had created a life.
"My Midi-chlorian count..." said Silre, her voice wobbling with emotion, "is it high now because Luke and I are both Force sensitive?"
"Yes, Miss. But even so, the number in your blood is exponentially higher than any recorded within the database."
Silre blinked. "How big is the database?"
"It spans the galaxy."
"The galaxy!?"
"Your child will be gifted," said the droid matter-of-factly. "Assuming he or she decides to utilize their gift."
Silre looked down at her stomach with wonder, an explosion of joy consuming every inch of her. The news came as a surprise even though her intuition had been screaming at her, but it did little to detract from the overwhelming awe she felt sitting there. She felt so many things at once that it was hard to focus on which emotion she would honor first.
Staring down at her abdomen, she moved her hands directly over her navel and closed her eyes.
I will love you to the ends of the galaxy.
Everything that happened in the past six months had lead up to this moment. The baby inside her - her and Luke's child - was the fate that awaited them. The will of the Force had brought them together, their strange but wonderful bond becoming something so much more: a beautiful life that was growing inside her.
You meet the people you're meant to in this lifetime.
Back on Lothal, Silre had told Luke she thought there was something she needed to see through to the end with him. At the time, she thought it was his journey to speak with his father's Force ghost. But now, as she sat on the medical cot with her hands over her stomach, Silre realized she'd been wrong. Their child was what she needed to see through. She and Luke were meant to have this child. She had never been surer of anything in her life.
The child would be gifted, yes, but the child would be loved. Infinitely loved and cared for, and Silre swore it then and there. She didn't care about Midi-chlorian counts, galactic database stats, or whatever else they could analyze her blood for. All she cared about was the child inside her and the love and protection she and Luke would provide. It wouldn't matter if the baby was born with the gift of the Force or had no Force abilities at all. Silre would love him or her all the same.
You are the gift I never saw coming, but knew all along I'd one day meet.
A tear rolled down Silre's cheek and came to a stop on her lips when she smiled.
Your father and I will give you every ounce of our love, Little One. And should any harm ever come to you, I will protect you with my very life. This is my promise to you.
Author's Note: Welcome to the story, tiny fetus Rey. :)
Thank you again to everyone who is following this story and enjoying it so far. And a big thank you to everyone who has favorited this story and has provided reviews/comments. It's appreciated more than you know!
