Last time: Cien settled in. Kitsu congratulated Kyr. Sasha and Viran found out they were having a girl.

Now: Sasha and Cien talk.

Chapter 20- Sisters

As the amazing dinner Oppie made was wrapping up for the evening, people were still too excited about Sasha and Viran's gender reveal and the return of Kyr and Cien to go to bed now. So Kitsu thought it was best to break out Sabacc and get a family game night going. Everyone except for Cien was up for it as she still didn't know how to play, even though everyone offered to teach her. Which was kind of everyone, but a little overwhelming to hear the rules from several different people. So Sasha also opted to sit this one out as she thought that maybe it might be a little too soon to get Cien involved in game night. Once the table was cleared and the cards came out, Sasha grabbed Cien by the arm and led her away from the dining room. She led her down the hall towards the living room and out onto the balcony that overlooked the valley and the little town far below. The sun was gone by this point and the night air was chilly, but comfortable with a jacket. Sasha walked over to a couple of chairs that sat on the balcony and took a seat in one of them. She then gestured to the one next to her for Cien to use.

Cien sat in the chair, relaxing back into it. She was not used to being around so many people, and having a break from that was all but necessary at this point, as much as she appreciated being welcomed.

Sasha smiled at her. "It gets a bit noisy in there when they start playing," she said as she relaxed in the chair. "And as much as I love having the family back together, I need a break from them too. Plus I thought that maybe you should wait to learn how to play when only one person has to describe the rules." She chuckled at that last part.

Cien smiled. "Yeah. And I wanted to wait for you to teach me."

Sasha blushed slightly at that. "I still don't think I'm the best player around, but I would still be willing to teach you sometime." She then thought for a moment. "Maybe when the others are too busy to butt in. Then you can really surprise them the next game night." She said with a chuckle.

Cien laughed, "oh yes, thank you." She said with a smile. "Besides, learning the same thing six different ways would be exhausting."

"Yeah, especially when Tac is one of those people telling you how," Sasha said as she laughed.

"I need to learn droid, probably." Cien said. "After he hugged me it only feels fair."

"It doesn't hurt to know it," Sasha agreed. "But I've been trying to learn Tac speak for a while now. Mando'a is easier. Though I am able to catch what he says sixty percent of the time… kind of."

Cien looked at her mischievously. "You mean Tac or Kyr?"

"Both," Sasha said with a grin.

"Yeah, you kind of get a crash course in Mando'a around Kyr." Cien replied, "I have picked up quite a bit over the last three months since he's like having an immersion course in it. Also helped to spend two and a half weeks with that cult group, too."

"Oh you mean the place where you got your armor?" Sasha asked, recalling that bit of the tale.

"Yeah." Cien said, looking out at the forest in the valley.

Sasha studied Cien for a moment before looking out too. "You've both been through a lot these past few months. I mean I can still remember you asking me if Kyr would talk to you again," she said as she shot a glance behind her to the house then back out. "Now he can't seem to keep his eyes off you," she teased. "What happened, if I may ask?"

Cien's cheeks took on a rosy hue, whether it was from the cold or a blush it was hard to tell. "It's your fault." Cien replied, looking away.

"Wait, me?" Sasha asked, confused as she looked at her. "What did I do? All I said is that he liked you. That was it."

Cien looked back at her. "That had never been a part of my life, any of that. And when you told me it shocked me. I realized why I had been so angry at him, and why I had missed him so deeply when he left all those years ago. We had a chance to talk before we arrived at the Bloodstorm, and then I asked him to stay with me when I was laying there. And he stayed." She said, looking away again, but with a smile.

"Well whatever you talked about seemed to have worked," Sasha said with a similar smile. "When Kyr said he was going to stay and find a way out, which of course we know the truth of what happened now, but it made me realize how he truly felt towards you. And you him. Though, I am a bit curious," she leaned in closer as if others could hear even though they were alone. "What did you show him in the mindspace?"

Cien definitely blushed this time, and looked away. "It was a short but meaningful conversation."

Sasha's mouth gaped slightly at that as her smile grew. "Okay… Don't tell me," she teased. "But whatever it was, I have never seen you two happier. And I am happy for both of you."

"I am happy." Cien said after a moment, that combination of words so alien to her. "You were right." She said, turning to look back at Sasha, "I was alone. And not being alone anymore has changed everything." She said. "Thank you."

Sasha smiled at her. "It's no problem at all. I'm just happy that you are here with us now, a part of the family."

"Me too." Cien said, and she looked at Sasha, "thank you for seeing in me what I could not."

"Of course," Sasha said. "Oppie and Viran have always said that I always seem to bring out the good in people. Though I know one day, that kind of thinking will get me in trouble." She laughed at that. "But I am glad that it allowed me to get a new friend." She said that as she held a hand out to Cien.

Cien reached out and grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "You want to know the worst part about that whole experience though?" She said, quietly, her tone darkening as she brought her hand back to her lap.

"What?" Sasha asked curiously.

Cien looked at her with a grave voice. "When we were on that star destroyer, when we got aboard…" She looked away, as if having trouble continuing.

Sasha frowned and leaned as close as the armrest and her swollen belly would allow. "What is it? What's wrong?" She asked gently.

Cien looked over at her, her face stricken. "We had to enter through the garbage chute. Have you ever had to clean the trash of a crew of fifty-thousand people off of armor? The smell, it was horrible." She looked away with a smirk.

Sasha's frown dropped and her face went blank for a moment before slowly a smile grew and she burst into laughter. Sasha collapsed back against her seat, laughing. "Oh my… did you just make a freaking joke?" She said through her laugh.

"Don't laugh. My fighter doesn't have a way to launder clothes. And I was stuck in there with Kyr for days after." Cien said, trying to stifle her own laughter.

"I'm sorry!" Sasha exclaimed as she kept laughing. "It's just… you sounded so serious and upset. And then you just dropped that on me. How can I not laugh right now?"

"I know, I had such a fun time messing with Kyr. When he and I were on the beach, I-" She stopped, realizing she had let that slip. "I mean, uh…" She trailed off, looking away.

Sasha gasped. "Beach? What beach? Did Kyr take you out on a date?" Sasha asked, curious for details. "Is that where you guys were after dealing with the Star Destroyer?"

Cien recoiled deeper into her seat. "Yes we went to a beach." Was all she would say.

Sasha smiled as she brought her hands to her face as if trying to hide it. "Was it a nice beach? With a great view?"

Cien just recoiled deeper. "Yes." She smiled a little bit, though.

"Well sounds like a nice little break before coming back," Sasha said, teasing and a big grin on her face. "I promise not to tell anyone about your brief stop on the way back."

"Thank you." Cien said blushing. "So where did you guys pick the name Lana from?" Cien asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, well," Sasha sat back a little and looked out at the valley, her smile still present on her face. "We had talked about a few different names. Viran had come up with a few while he was searching for us. Mainly names if we were going to have a boy. And I had thought of a couple too when I was back in that room in your old palace. Lana was one of the ones I had come up with. It means 'light' on Naboo, my home planet," she explained. She then turned her head slightly. "We actually considered at one point after we thought we had lost you two of naming them after either Kyr or… You. But we didn't know if Cien was your real name or a nickname or something."

"Yeah, I guess a lot of Sith choose names to sound more sinister. Mine is just a shorter version of my full name, my master insisted on shortening it." Cien looked away, distantly at that, genuinely this time. She looked back at Sasha, "That means a lot to me, especially after what happened." She paused, as the memory from her childhood revisited her, "my full name is Cienestra Swanseae." She admitted, and looked away.

"Wow, that's such a pretty name," Sasha said as she stared at Cien with raised brows. "I like it. Does it mean anything?"

Cien smiled when Sasha said her name was 'pretty', it seemed like the reaction everyone had upon hearing her name, for some reason. "Kyr says it's from a language called Polinae, and it means 'Spirit of the Sun'. Which seems incredibly ironic. It gave me the idea for my armor coloring, though." She said sheepishly.

"Just a bit," Sasha said with a chuckle as she agreed to the ironic part. "But that is so beautiful. And so is your armor, by the way. Now I can see why Kyr has fallen for you." She said with a wink.

Cien blushed and looked away. "So if you had a boy, does that mean you would have called him 'Death', or 'Ke'vaan'?" She looked back with a smirk.

Sasha chuckled. "I admit I forgot that is what Kyr stands for. I had to look it up years ago after we nearly lost him. But I think we were leaning towards Ke'vaan if we actually decided to do that. However, your sudden return made it a little easier to decide. I don't know about you, but I'm sure Kyr would have killed us if we used that name," she said with a giggle.

"Yes, you should have done it just to annoy him." Cien said mischievously. "I admit I have called him that once or twice just to fluster him."

"Oh that's mean," Sasha said as she snickered.

Cien put a hand to her chest, "What? Me? Mean?" She said, aghast at the thought.

Sasha laughed at that. "It is going to be so fun having you around," she said genuinely. "Cause then we can both mess with Kyr."

"Ah, so that's what I can do here to contribute to the house." She said, musing upon the thought.

"Trust me when Kitsu and Illara go off on jobs, I'm going to need all the help I can get with Viran, Tac, and the twins running around being goofballs," Sasha said jokingly. "Plus with Lana on the way, I'm really going to need all the help I can get." She was more honest about that statement.

Cien blinked a few times and looked away, trying to imagine herself helping with the child. That was definitely not something her life had prepared her for. "I'll do what I can." She said quietly.

Sasha noticed her reaction and smiled softly. "Don't worry. We are all in this together. It takes a village to raise a child." She pointed out.

Cien looked out across the valley, to the distant lights below this grand lodge. "Well, good thing there's one down there."

"True," she said with a chuckle. Suddenly, Sasha felt a pang on her side. She smiled as she laid her hand on her belly. "Hey Cien."

"Yeah?" Cien said, looking back at her.

"Lana is kicking," Sasha said as she felt another kick against her hand. She winced a little at that one. "Some hard kicks too." She chuckled slightly. "Do you want to feel?"

Cien stared at her with wide eyes and swallowed nervously. She got up carefully and walked over and knelt in front of Sasha's chair, "where?" She asked, still nervous.

Sasha held out her hand to Cien.

Cien held her hand out so her friend could take it. Sasha took her hand and guided it over to the side where the baby was kicking.

"Wait a moment, she'll do it again in a second," Sasha said.

As if on cue, Lana kicked again in the spot where Cien's hand was. Cien jumped as if she was startled, and looked up at Sasha, with a nervous smile. And a wash of guilt swept across her face. Only months before she had threatened to take this from her. She realized in that moment she would have to spend the rest of her life making it up to Sasha for that, no matter how many times she apologized, no matter how many times Sasha said she forgave her. "Thank you." She said softly. For forgiving her, for letting her share this, for being her friend. She felt tears brim in her eyes again.

Sasha smiled at her gently. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I should be thanking you," she admitted softly.

Cien looked at her in confusion, "for what?" She asked. Sasha had only ever been in danger because of what she had done in the first place, and another wash of guilt spread through her.

"You were kind to me while I was with you. You came back for me with my family in tow. And," Sasha placed a hand to her belly. "And you sacrificed yourself for us. I know you feel guilty about everything, but I have already forgiven you. Plus words cannot describe how grateful I am for a friend like you. Lana and I are still here because of you. So thank you." Tears were brimming in Sasha's eyes even as Lana gave another kick.

Cien's hand was still in place, and she felt it. She looked from Sasha's eyes down to her hand. She didn't know what to say. "You're both more than welcome." She settled on finally. "It was the least I could do for my friend and her child."

Sasha laid her hand on top of Cien's. "You're family now. It's more like sisters." She said with a smile.

Cien smiled, and looked back up to meet Sasha's gaze.

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