Eighteen Years Old
"What do you mean, you're pregnant?" Jaren asked in a quiet voice. Leia looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I, I can feel another life within me, I think that it was last night or the night before, but it is new and alive," The princess was on the verge of tears. "Jaren, we aren't married and you're only 19. I am 18 Jaren. We're both younger than 20. And we're gonna have a baby! It's too much," She muttered, becoming slightly frightened. Jaren reached to comfort her, holding her as he had so many nights when she needed reassurance. Only now, he needed reassurance too. "What about when Daddy finds out? The Emperor?" Leia whispered, scaring herself even more.
"Leia, it's ok, calm down sweetheart. We'll be ok," He did his best to calm down his girl, his love, maybe even his future wife. At that moment, Mara and Luke burst into the door, Mara with red eyes and Luke with a serious face.
"Leia, me and Luke, well, I'm pregnant," Mara whispered before leaning against Luke for emotional support. Leia and Jaren just stared at Luke and Mara, their best friends and in the same predicament as they.
"Mara," Leia went up to her friend to hug her, "I'm pregnant too." There. It was said and done with.
"Oh Sith, you just realized it too?" Mara asked with worry in her voice. When Leia nodded, Mara hugged her with all her might.
"What happens when Vader finds out, or the Emperor?" She whispered in fear.
"Girls, it'll be ok, we'll take care of you," Jaren reached to hug Leia as Luke took Mara into his arms. The four teenagers were determined to get through this new trial together. At that moment, there was a heavy knock on the door to Leia and Jaren's home. Leia and Luke shared frightened glances, guessing who the knocker might be.
"I'll get it," Luke muttered as he slowly got to his feet and walked to the door. There Darth Vader stood, a tower of darkness and fear, especially in the case of the four teenagers at his mercy.
"What is your plan of action?" He asked in that deep voice.
"Raise them," Leia whispered. Vader looked at her and she met his eyes. He saw fierce determination that blazed with a strength he could not equal. * We will raise them whether or not you and the Emperor approve * Leia's Force voice echoed through his head.
"And you shall raise them, with all of my resources at your disposal," Vader loved his children dearly, but this was one of the rare occasions in which it showed.
"Thank you Father," Leia whispered as she went up to hug him. Vader nodded, then left. "Thank the Force," she muttered as she made her way back to Jaren's embrace.
That night Mara was busy worrying about how she would be able to raise her child while Luke was searching for records on the training of Jedi children. Leia and Jaren were talking about what impacts the child would have on their future. "Should we get married?" Leia asked softly. Jaren looked at her.
"Eventually, I suppose," he muttered in response. "You want to now?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair.
"Like you said, eventually it'd be nice, but we are so young still. It would be . . . awkward. I am happy now just living with you," Leia replied, snuggling closer to Jaren.
"Then let's get married in a few years, when our baby is older," Jaren whispered.
"She'll be beautiful," Leia muttered a few words before drifting of into a peaceful slumber in her lover's arms.
"You're beautiful," Jaren whispered in her ear as he too submitted into a deep sleep.
"What do you mean, you're pregnant?" Jaren asked in a quiet voice. Leia looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I, I can feel another life within me, I think that it was last night or the night before, but it is new and alive," The princess was on the verge of tears. "Jaren, we aren't married and you're only 19. I am 18 Jaren. We're both younger than 20. And we're gonna have a baby! It's too much," She muttered, becoming slightly frightened. Jaren reached to comfort her, holding her as he had so many nights when she needed reassurance. Only now, he needed reassurance too. "What about when Daddy finds out? The Emperor?" Leia whispered, scaring herself even more.
"Leia, it's ok, calm down sweetheart. We'll be ok," He did his best to calm down his girl, his love, maybe even his future wife. At that moment, Mara and Luke burst into the door, Mara with red eyes and Luke with a serious face.
"Leia, me and Luke, well, I'm pregnant," Mara whispered before leaning against Luke for emotional support. Leia and Jaren just stared at Luke and Mara, their best friends and in the same predicament as they.
"Mara," Leia went up to her friend to hug her, "I'm pregnant too." There. It was said and done with.
"Oh Sith, you just realized it too?" Mara asked with worry in her voice. When Leia nodded, Mara hugged her with all her might.
"What happens when Vader finds out, or the Emperor?" She whispered in fear.
"Girls, it'll be ok, we'll take care of you," Jaren reached to hug Leia as Luke took Mara into his arms. The four teenagers were determined to get through this new trial together. At that moment, there was a heavy knock on the door to Leia and Jaren's home. Leia and Luke shared frightened glances, guessing who the knocker might be.
"I'll get it," Luke muttered as he slowly got to his feet and walked to the door. There Darth Vader stood, a tower of darkness and fear, especially in the case of the four teenagers at his mercy.
"What is your plan of action?" He asked in that deep voice.
"Raise them," Leia whispered. Vader looked at her and she met his eyes. He saw fierce determination that blazed with a strength he could not equal. * We will raise them whether or not you and the Emperor approve * Leia's Force voice echoed through his head.
"And you shall raise them, with all of my resources at your disposal," Vader loved his children dearly, but this was one of the rare occasions in which it showed.
"Thank you Father," Leia whispered as she went up to hug him. Vader nodded, then left. "Thank the Force," she muttered as she made her way back to Jaren's embrace.
That night Mara was busy worrying about how she would be able to raise her child while Luke was searching for records on the training of Jedi children. Leia and Jaren were talking about what impacts the child would have on their future. "Should we get married?" Leia asked softly. Jaren looked at her.
"Eventually, I suppose," he muttered in response. "You want to now?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair.
"Like you said, eventually it'd be nice, but we are so young still. It would be . . . awkward. I am happy now just living with you," Leia replied, snuggling closer to Jaren.
"Then let's get married in a few years, when our baby is older," Jaren whispered.
"She'll be beautiful," Leia muttered a few words before drifting of into a peaceful slumber in her lover's arms.
"You're beautiful," Jaren whispered in her ear as he too submitted into a deep sleep.