Last time: Sasha and Viran returned home to learn Op and Kyr were grounded.

Now: Cien is feeling under the weather.

Chapter 13- The Scare

The afternoon light streamed in through the windows while Sasha and Cien lounged on the sofas. The boys were off doing something else outside, Kyr had broken the training blasters out of storage and they had disappeared into the woods. Sasha was reading and taking notes from the medical journals Kelce had given her. Cien was half reading an article about the Empire's use of kyber crystals, though she was distracted by some nausea she had been fighting all day since a little after breakfast. She was surprised when Reggie came padding into the room and settled on the sofa at the side of her leg. She absently petted the soft cat while she tried to keep her stomach under control.

"Do you think we should check on the guys at some point?" Sasha asked, breaking the silence.

Cien looked up at her, "oh, yeah probably." She replied distractedly.

Sasha looked up from her notes and over to Cien. "Everything okay?" She asked.

"Yes." Cien answered.

"Alright," Sasha said with a slow nod before looking back to her notes. She seemed unconvinced but didn't push the subject. "Well whatever it is they are doing, I hope they don't do anything stupid out there. The last thing we need is half the forest blowing up."

"Yeah, I think they just had the training blasters." Cien answered.

"Doesn't mean they still can't do something stupid," Sasha stated as she looked up with a smirk.

"True." Cien said, swallowing. She continued petting Reggie who was sitting like a loaf at her side.

Sasha looked at Cien as her brow furrowed. Something was definitely off. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem… out of it."

"Yeah." Cien answered. She reached over and grabbed her glass, finally taking a small sip of the juice she had poured herself. She immediately got to her feet slamming the glass back on the table and startling Reggie as she ran for the closest bathroom, covering her mouth.

Sasha watched her go at first with a raised eyebrow before she frowned, worried about her sister. Then she set her datapads aside and followed after Cien. When she reached the bathroom, she placed a gentle knock on it.

"Cien, you okay?" Sasha asked as she leaned in close to the door to listen for a response.

There was the sound of retching inside for a few moments until it quieted down. "No." Cien finally croaked out weakly.

"I'm coming in," Sasha announced before opening the door.

Cien was kneeling by the toilet and taking long breaths trying to steady herself. Sasha came over and knelt down beside her. She placed a hand on her back and rubbed gentle circles.

"It's okay, just take it easy," Sasha said soothingly.

"I'm not sure what this is from." Cien said, feeling a little better already.

"Okay, well let's see. How long have you been feeling nauseous?" Sasha asked.

"Since a little after breakfast." Cien answered. "I can't remember the last time I was sick like this." She said weakly.

"Okay, do you think it was something you ate? Something that didn't taste good or was expired? Something that could have given you food poisoning?" Sasha asked as she continued to think through what could have made Cien sick.

"No, nothing different from what everyone else has had." Cien responded. She got up, finally, a little shakily and went to go rinse her mouth out with water from the sink.

"What about those new berries we tried this morning?" Sasha thought out loud. "Could they have caused you to feel sick?"

"Like an allergy?" Cien asked after she spit some water out, looking up at Sasha.

"Maybe," Sasha said with a shrug. "Do you know if you are allergic to anything?"

She shook her head. "No, I've never had any allergies before."

Sasha nodded, thinking for a moment as she checked that off as a possibility. Then something else came to mind. Her eyes widened as she thought about it. "Cien… just a shot in the dark here, but," she paused for a moment as she tried to figure out how to phrase this. "Is there a possibility you could be… pregnant?"

Cien blanched as white as a sheet. "I…" She started and stopped, as her eyes widened and she looked away. "I…" She started again and just stayed silent as the possibility set in.

Sasha stood up. "Okay, we don't know for sure, right? Let's go down to the medbay and just see what's going on," she suggested as calmly as she could while offering Cien a hand, sensing the slight panic from her. "There's no need to panic yet, okay?"

"Okay." Cien squeaked as she stayed frozen at the sink.

Sasha guided her out of the bathroom and down to the medbay. When they got there, Sasha gestured to the nearest bed.

"I'm going to grab a scanner and a test," Sasha said. "Go ahead and take a seat."

"Okay." Cien said quietly, hopping up to the bed and taking a seat. She sat there shaking slightly.

Sasha walked over to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a scanner with the test on it. She scrolled through the menu as she walked back over to the bed. She glanced up at Cien as she scrolled.

"You okay?" Sasha asked.

She glanced up at Sasha and tried to say something and didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

Sasha lowered the scanner as she reached over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay," she assured her before bringing the scanner up. "May I see your arm?"

Cien absently pulled her sleeve up and extended her slightly shaking arm over to Sasha, the scars visible even though she tried to keep the sleeves over them as much as possible. Sasha paid the scars no mind as she placed the scanner onto Cien's arm.

"This might pinch," Sasha warned as she tapped the button for the test to take a blood sample. Cien didn't flinch as she looked down at the scanner as though it was about to explode. Once the scanner got its sample, Sasha pulled it away. "We should have an answer in a moment."

"Okay." She replied in a small voice, clasping her hands together again and looking down at them.

"Cien, there is nothing to be afraid of," Sasha said gently. "When I found out I was pregnant with Lana, I was just as scared as you are now. But it will be okay, no matter what the scanner says." She paused. "Would you be okay if it was positive?"

Cien looked up at her. "I guess so. I'm just not ready." She said in a very small voice. "We've only been married for a few months." She said weakly.

Sasha sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "No one is ever ready to be a parent. And I know you and Kyr are still getting used to being married and all, but you still have time to prepare. Besides, you are an amazing Aunt to Lana. I think you will make a great mom one day," she said reassuringly.

Cien said nothing as she looked down at her clasped hands and the time waiting for the scanner to finish seemed like it stretched into an eternity. After another moment, the scanner buzzed and Sasha looked at it. Cien tensed as if she was startled and closed her eyes. Sasha paused for a moment to see that she was reading the answer correctly before looking down at Cien.

"Alright, you ready to see what it says?" Sasha asked. "Or would you like me to tell you?"

Cien opened her eyes after a moment and looked at the scanner, and her shoulders slumped in relief as she saw the result. Negative. She let out a breath she had been holding without even realizing it as she brought her hand up to her face. "This is reliable? Do we need to test again to be sure?" She asked suddenly as that question came to mind.

"Yes, it's reliable. But if it would put your mind at ease to see if it stays negative, we can do it again," Sasha offered.

"Yes, with another scanner maybe, just to be sure?" Cien asked.

Sasha nodded. "Give me a second," she said as she pulled away and hopped off the bed. She walked over to the cabinet again and produced another scanner. Just like before she scrolled through the menu options until she found the right test. She then walked over to Cien.

"Ready?" Sasha asked as she held out a hand for her arm.

"Yes." Cien said, rolling up her sleeve again.

Once again, Sasha placed the new scanner onto Cien's arm and started the test. It took the blood sample and started calculating the results. After a moment of silence, the scanner buzzed and Sasha turned the scanner around to show Cien the second set of results.

Cien relaxed more as the tension bled from her. "Thank you." She said to Sasha.

"Of course," Sasha said with a smile. "But we should still figure out what was causing you to throw up like that. I'm going to run another test with the scanner and see if it answers it for us. I won't need another sample for this." Sasha scrolled through the scanner until she found another test. Once she found it, she chose the option to use the recent blood sample. It started the test, and Sasha then looked up at Cien. "So that was exciting." She joked after a moment.

Cien sniffed lightly and brought her hand up to her face, hiding a slight and troubled smile, but she didn't respond as she wiped her eyes.

"Hey it's okay," Sasha said with a frown. She reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to joke about that."

"No, it's okay." She said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Sasha asked, confused.

"I don't know how to handle this. I know Kyr and I talked about having children but nothing in my life has prepared me for that." She said quietly. "It's not something I'd mind, but I always thought it was far off enough I didn't have to really face it. Not for a while."

Sasha looked away. "I understand that. Viran and I thought we would have a couple of years or so before kids. Lana was quite the surprise," she said then looked at Cien. "I know today was… a lot for you. But now you have an opportunity to be ready in case something like this happens again." She paused. "Besides, not every couple gets the chance to have children and some it takes them years of trying before they do. So don't worry, okay?"

Cien nodded. "Yeah." She said quietly. "I would still be a little surprised if I could have children." She said quietly. "With all the injuries I've had, all the time I've been hit with lightning." She said quietly. "When I found Selina she even hit me with an electrode there." She said, absently running her hand across her lower stomach.

"Well anything is possible," Sasha said simply. "And if you are able to have children, we will all be right here to help you along the way. But if not, there are always other options like adoption or…" Sasha trailed off. She had a thought cross her mind. One she has had before, but wasn't sure if she should ever bring it up. She hesitated.

"Yeah." Cien replied absently, not noticing Sasha's hesitancy. "I was so scared, just now." She said quietly. "But there was a part of me that was a little excited." She admitted quietly. "Being a mother was never something that entered my mind until I looked up the wedding vows, so I've had almost a year to think about it." She rambled quietly. "It's just something my life never prepared me for. But the last year with Lana has made me more comfortable with the idea. It's something I want eventually." She said quietly. "I hope I can, eventually."

Sasha smiled softly at her. "I totally understand," she said. "And…" She started to say then the scanner buzzed cutting her off. She looked down at the scanner and smirked. "You want to know what is actually wrong?" She asked.

"What?" Cien asked, looking up at her, then to the scanner.

"Turns out your stomach and body did not agree with those berries," Sasha said as she turned the scanner to Cien. "You had an allergic reaction to them. That's why you threw up. It was your body's way of telling you to never eat those again."

Cien stared at the scanner. "I will never touch them again. Even if they were really good." She said quietly.

Sasha chuckled lightly at that as she gathered up the other scanner to go put them away. "Well at least now you know for the future."

Cien just nodded.

Sasha put away the scanners before turning back to Cien. She grabbed an antihistamine from another cabinet before walking back over to hand it to Cien. "Here, for the allergy," she said, holding the pill out to her.

Cien took the pill and swallowed absently.

"So, what are you going to tell Kyr?" Sasha asked after a moment.

Cien considered for a little while. "I'll talk to him. We have… not been very careful these past weeks." She admitted. "I think both of us just want to be together for a while until we both feel ready. When that time comes then I guess we'll see." She said, unknowingly clasping her hands over her stomach.

Sasha noticed her hands and bit her lip. She hesitated again with this. "Cien," she started after a moment. "There is something I've been thinking about that I want to offer up to you. As something to keep in mind." She stated kind of vaguely.

Cien looked up at her in question.

"I know how worried you are about even being able to have kids," Sasha said as she rubbed at her scarred hand absentmindedly. "And I know there are plenty of other options out there in case you and Kyr are unable to. But something I have been thinking about for a little while. At least since the first time we talked about this. But…" She paused. "But if you guys are in fact unable to have kids, I would be willing to be a surrogate mother for you." She finished off nervously, still rubbing her hand.

Cien was quiet for a while. "Thank you." She said quietly as that offer sunk in with her.

"It's nothing," Sasha said, still anxious.

"It's not nothing Sasha." Cien said quietly, looking up at Sasha. "It means a lot."

Sasha nodded. "You guys are my family. Not by blood, but still my family. I would do anything for you. Especially something like this as it would allow you to have children of your own. So… yeah," she said, shaking slightly as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to Cien. Bringing this up was a big deal and she was happy she did.

Cien took her hand. "You're a good sister." She said quietly.

Sasha smiled at that as she squeezed her hand. "Thanks," she said kind of bashfully. She then cleared her throat. "We should probably get back upstairs before the boys get back. And probably take care of the bathroom," she said after a moment once most of her nerves drained away.

Cien just nodded and hopped off the bed.

He sat down in his chair behind his desk with a heavy sigh. He was exhausted. Tired of dealing with stupid people on the daily. Honestly, just tired of people in general. And ever since the end of the war against the Empire there had been nothing interesting when it came to new bounties coming in for him to give to his hunters. Nothing to write home about. All of them were just hunting down war criminals or regular criminals or something else incredibly tedious and boring. The idea of an early retirement was starting to sound better and better with each passing day. But he didn't even make enough for that.

He reached into his dark brown long coat and produced a thin silver container from an inner pocket. Thumbing the release, he popped open the container to reveal several Ambrian cheroots lining the inside. He grabbed one, snapped the container closed, and placed the container back into his pocket. He then reached into another pocket and produced a lighter. He flicked his lighter to life and lit up the end of his cheroot. Taking a deep inhale in, he leaned back into his chair as he slipped the lighter back into his usual pocket for it and brought his dirty brown boots up onto the desk. Pulling the cheroot from his mouth, he blew out a cloud of pink herbal smoke as he relaxed.

Then a knock came from his door.

"Go away," he barked before placing the cheroot back into his mouth for another puff. "I ain't here."

"Sir," a mechanical voice sounded as the door opened. "Apologies for the interruption."

"Gee-three, someone better be dying out there or I will turn you into scrap metal," he threatened as he glared daggers at the droid and pointed an accusatory finger towards the bar beyond.

"No, sir," the protocol droid said as it walked in. The chrome plated droid closed the door shut behind it and came over to his desk. "You have an incoming transmission."

He groaned. "Another job request?" He picked the cheroot from his mouth and breathed a cloud of pink smoke at the droid. "Can I just get five kriffing minutes to myself?"

"I informed them that you were unavailable, but they were quite insistent," G3 said.

"Fine, put them on," he growled before placing the cheroot back to his lips.

The droid pressed a couple of buttons on his desk and a hologram appeared, but not of a person or a droid. But a symbol he did not recognize. He cocked an eyebrow up at that. A deep voice came over the line.

"Is this Von Signa?" The voice asked.

He reached over and tapped the mute button. "Who the hell is this?" He asked his droid.

"I do not know sir," G3 said. "I was not able to trace the signal."

He narrowed his eyes at G3 then at the hologram. He pressed the button again to unmute. "Yeah, this is he. And may I ask, who the hell is this?" He asked rather rudely.

"No one you need to concern yourself about. Just a prospective customer. A mutual contact of ours gave your information to me," the deep voice said. "They said you employ the best of the best in the galaxy for jobs. Am I correct?"

"That's right," Von said as he laid a finger on the end call button. "And you've got about five seconds to tell me what the hell it is you want with my bounty hunters or I'll hang up on ya right now. Time's a ticking. Start talking."

"Hm, aren't you impatient," The deep voice said with an amused tone. "Alright. What If I told you I need to hire your guild to take out a Jedi?"

Von burst into laughter as he pulled the cheroot from his mouth. "I'd say that you've gotta be the dumbest Gungan this side of the outer rim. There ain't no more Jedi. Aside from that Skywalker kid, but he's New Republic and I ain't gonna send my hunters in to mess with a higher up in the New Republic. Nice try, bub."

He was about to press the button when the voice spoke up again.

"There are other Jedi out there. I promise you. And the one I want you to catch is a rather… strong Force user. But what if I told you I'll pay you one million credits right now to get the right men for the job?" The voice butted in.

He paused.

"One million ain't a whole lot to split between me and the bounty hunter I think can handle your little job," Von said unimpressed.

"I wasn't finished," The voice hissed. "One million right now to only you. To hire your guild. You don't have to share it with a soul. And another million to give as the reward for the bounty hunter that succeeds in capturing the Jedi."

"Two million on the line?" He asked, his interest now piqued. And that was just enough credits to add to his savings to retire. A smile came to his scruffy, bearded face. "Alright, you've got my attention." He leaned forward, dropping his legs, and faced the hologram head on. "Tell me what you need me to do."

He popped the cheroot back into his mouth as he listened to what his new client had to offer.

Oh boy! The plot thickens! Review!