Chapter Seventy-Seven

Aalea sat outside Healer Sklar's office. She'd heard Cian had been seen in the Temple and, after asking around, discovered she was meeting with the healer. Aalea was waiting to see if she wanted to have dinner with her.

As she waited, Aalea's thoughts whirled. It had been two weeks since she and Obi-Wan had returned from Sylvonna. However, they hadn't had much opportunity to spend any time together, except for the picnic they'd gone on the other day.

As Aalea thought about the picnic she smiled. When she had casually mentioned to Cian that she'd never been on one, Cian had quickly planned it. She had then invited Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and, when the two finally found some free time, the four of them took a speederbus over to one of the hundreds of large parks which dotted the surface of Coruscant.

While in the park, a holophoto-droid had floated by and taken a picture of the four of them just as Aalea was pretending she was an empty-headed baronesses from one of the Old Republic holovids Obi-Wan loved so much.

She had started out by teasing Obi-Wan about his taste in holovids. She had then playfully grabbed him and pretended, like the actors in the vids, that she was making passionate love to him, her arms about his neck, her head thrown back in wild abandon. Obi-Wan got into the spirit of it and pretended to kiss her wildly, all the while proclaiming his undying affections for his lady love. Cian clapped at their pantomime, Qui-Gon laughing beside her.

When the droid displayed the picture of their antics, Aalea hadn't thought it worth purchasing, but Obi-Wan had quietly handed over his credit-chit, then slipped the holophoto disk into a pouch on his belt.

Aalea then frowned, for she also found herself thinking about the recent news from the Senate. Tension was heating up throughout the Republic as the Trade Federation continued their blockades of planetary systems. The latest to be blockaded was Naboo. Aaela had never heard of Naboo, but its representative in the Senate, a Senator Palpatine, had called for immediate action from the Chancellor.

She sighed. And then there was the mysterious disappearances of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Neither had been seen in the Temple since early yesterday. She had even tried reaching out to Obi-Wan through their bond, but either he was shielding against her or he was very far away.

She had finally gotten the courage to ask Master Windu about their absence when she had seen him striding through a corridor, just before she had come to the Healer's Wing. He had looked down at her for a moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Then he told her Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were away on a mission, something for the Chancellor, and would be back in a few days. She had wanted to ask him more, but he had quickly excused himself and walked away.

Aalea reached up and tugged on her padawan braid. She had taken the ribbon Obi-Wan had given her out of her hair months ago. It was now in a small black lacquered box on her nightstand. Of late, before she went to bed, Aalea would take the ribbon out of the box and run it through her fingers and, as she did, she would think about that, as Nadira had so accurately predicted, magical night on Sylvonna two weeks ago when they had made love. Since their return to the Temple, they had refrained from expressing their love physically, but they often sent fervent messages of passion to each other through their bond.

Suddenly, Aalea realized she missed him terribly.

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"And you're certain, Healer Sklar?" Cian asked again.

The woman nodded, her almond-shaped eyes regarding Cian with empathy.

"Yes, Cian, you are pregnant."

Cian shook her head. She had stopped in to see Sklar for her final counseling session. The Jedi healer had been helping her deal with the Force-related traumas of her ordeal on Jalat. The physical that Sklar had gave her had merely been routine. Cian had had no idea she was pregnant.

"But that's not possible," she said. "I can't be. I know for a fact that Qu--, that we took precautions."

Sklar shrugged. "No contraceptive is a hundred percent reliable, Cian. May I ask you a personal question?"

"Yes, of course."

"Your lover? He is Force sensitive?"

Cian swallowed. She didn't think Sklar knew it was Qui-Gon, but she wasn't ready to voluntarily reveal to anyone, especially not to a member of the Order, that she and Qui-Gon were lovers.

"Yes, he is."

"Very strong with the Force?"

Cian nodded.


"And so are you, correct?"

"So I've been told."

Sklar looked down and punched the keys on the datapad in her desk.

"According to your records you have a very high midichlorian count."

"I don't understand," Cian said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Before I answer that, how long have you and your lover been intimate?"

Cian cleared her throat. "Well, uh, these past six months."

"And how many times have you been intimate?"

"Healer Sklar, I don't see---"

"Please, Cian. If you want me to help you understand what's happened, I will need such information."

"Of course, I'm sorry. Um, well, we've been intimate," she colored fiercely, "just about every night when he's not on a...when's he's around," she finished softly.

Sklar's brows raised. "And more than once a night, yes?"

Cian fidgeted in her chair and blushed even harder.

"Yes. More than once a night." She laughed self-consciously. "I guess you could say we've been making up for lost time, but I can assure you," she said quickly, "we've been careful. Every time."

Sklar folded her hands on the desk. "I'm not questioning that Cian; however, I have seen this happen before, although it is rare. Sometimes, when two people who are very strong with the Force become intimate, that joining of body and spirit can, in effect, neutralize any type of conception regulator." Sklar shrugged. "It's almost as if the Force intervenes and brings about the conception. And, based on what you told me regarding," and she delicately cleared her throat, "the frequency of your lovemaking..." Sklar shrugged again. "It was probably inevitable."

"Are you saying the Force wants me pregnant?"

"What I'm saying, Cian, is that the Force embodies life and life finds a way. I'm not as spiritual as most of my brothers and sisters in the Order, therefore I can't fully explain the metaphysical aspects of it. But, I can tell you this for certain. You are with child."

Cian took a deep breath and lifted her fingers to her mouth. This couldn't be happening. What was she going to do? She had always wanted a child, had always longed that it would be Qui-Gon's, but she had hoped to discuss it with him first.

Sklar gazed over at Cian. She then leaned forward.

"Cian," she said in a gentle voice, "if you would like to terminate..."


Cian's eyes widened and her hands flew instinctively to her stomach. "No! No, I don't want to do that."

"I understand." Sklar quickly punched the keypads on her desk. A sheet of flexpaper slid out from the side. She tore if off and handed it over to Cian.

"Here's some advice on prenatal care. You have a regular physician?"

Cian slowly nodded. "How far along am I?"

"Only a few days. But you should start taking care of yourself right away."

Cian stood. "Yes, of course." She reached out her hand. Sklar took it.

"Thank you, Healer Sklar" Cian said.

"If there is anything I can do to help, Cian, please do not hesitate to contact me."

Cian nodded. Then she slowly turned and walked out of the healer's office.

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The door to the healer's office opened. Cian walked through it. Aalea took in a sharp breath. Cian's eyes were wide and her face was drawn as if she'd been up all night.

Aalea stood and went over to her.

"Cian, are you all right?"

Cian started, then looked over at Aalea. "Aalea? What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to see if you'd like to have dinner with me."

"Dinner? No, I'm not very hungry, dear."

Aalea reached over and took Cian's arm. "You don't look so good, Cian. Let me take you home."

Cian reached over and patted Aalea's hand. "Thank you, yes, that would be nice of you."

As they walked through the corridors towards the entrance to the Temple, Aalea noted Cian kept glancing around her as if she were looking for someone.

"Are you looking for Master Qui-Gon," Aalea asked.

"What? No, I mean, yes, I suppose I should talk to him," she murmured.

"I'm sorry, Cian. He's not here. He and Obi-Wan have gone off on some mysterious mission. I don't know where, but Master Windu said they should be back in a few days."

"A mission? Oh, well, then I'll see him when he gets back."

Aalea watched the emotions which sped across Cian's face. She could see something was bothering her. As they made their out of the Temple to the speederbus terminal, Aalea hoped Cian wasn't having a relapse from her ordeal on Jalat. She had been doing so well.

To be continued....