Dagobah Slip Stream
Part Thirteen
"Is Kir really gonna be the father of your children?"
It was Nii. He was looking at her curiously.
She began to turn to glare at him, but stopped.
Syn had known not to ask once Cas had spoken on a subject. But she had been training Syn for more than seven years. She'd barely had Nii for more than seven days.
"I did say he and I would speak on it."
"Then speak to me." Kir's voice was soft but it held some strong emotion she couldn't put a name to, some emotions she had never heard before.
She turned to look at Kir. He was keeping himself at attention, even though he knew it wasn't necessary. It took her a moment but she realized he didn't want to see her reaction.
Did that mean he really had feelings for her and didn't want to see her reaction in fear of rejection? Or was he just not sure how to go down a possibly emotional path?
The door opened and they stepped out, walking down the corridor. The four of them entered the room adjoining Cas and her entourage's rooms. The Padawans quickly left to their own chambers.
She put her hands on her hips angrily as she looked up at him, "If you want to have this talk, here and now, you will break down and look at me, damn it."
He hesitated a moment. He had spent to long with a politician not to think before he spoke or acted. But in the end he turned his true brown gaze upon her.
She took a moment to study the would-be father of her heirs. And allowed herself to be studied.
She looked up and up, and up at him.
Okay, he was tall, but she knew that.
He was one of the few people that made her feel small, but for a human he was really tall. For a Dagobahian almost obscenely tall, just short of 2 meters. Just, as she was considered short, 1.52 meters.
Okay, so he made her feel like a Jawa standing beside a Wookie, but secretly she had always liked that. All her guards were really tall. She had meant it to make her seem more power hungry to her enemies.
But right now, none of that mattered. She was going to be analytical about this.
He had a strong back and broad shoulders. He was well muscled, but not too big. A sign of a hard worker, not menial vanity.
His skin was the color of light caf, no, more like Dagobah Sycamore bark she decided.
His eyes were brown with light green flecks. It seemed no child of Dagobah had solid color eyes. (Her own had been mutated by her father's magic before she was born, so that they weren't even human looking any more.)
His hair was short, curly and black.
He, himself, was honorable, but not powerful. Just a Highly respected member of a Highly respected House.
Suddenly she hoped she had boys for him, to add to his house.
Because if she had girls or if her first child was a girl, she would drag him, and their children, into her house.
Her house, she snorted, that was how they disassociated themselves from her and Quwil, and the other gathered Force-Strong orphans that were picked up around the Galaxy but didn't have a place to call home amongst the Dagobahn society. She and Quwil, her Brother-in-fur whom she was training, were too powerful to be ignored.
But many of those higher in the social hierarchy still wouldn't except her bloodline as one of theirs.
And some times Cas couldn't blame them for that. But most didn't even consider her Lady Cas, which, besides Knight was part of her title.
Jedi Knight Lady Cas Shik'rican, or just Jedi Lady Cas, or even Lady Jedi Shik'rican. There were many possible combinations, and there had been a day when she would have done almost anything to have one of them call her by one of those combinations. Even if it was just once.
But those days were gone.
In her maturing, as a Jedi and a person, she had gained self-esteem. What she thought of herself, what she wanted to be was the standard she now held herself to. It was part of what made her so great as a politician.
But then again if a Highly respected member of a Highly respected House excepted and mated with her, they would have to acknowledge her House or risk offending Kir's. And none of the Socially minded would make such a faux pas.
It would be unthinkable!
Boys and her blood enhances the respectable. Girls and her powerful line gains respect. Either way, and especially if she takes Kir as her permanent mate, she gains what she had once worked so desperately for.
She will become Jedi Knight Lady Cas Shik'rican. Or rather Jedi Lady Cas Shik'rican-Die'ril, wife of Jedi Lord Kir Die'ril. Or, if they had girls, he would be Jedi Lord Kir Shik'rican, husband of Jedi Lady Cas Shik'rican.
She shook her head as she and Kir entered her personal quarters, no wonder most Jedi women leave the gender of their children to nature.
Simply, letting the Force decide their future. Of course, most of them probably didn't put it in so many words.
"What's your verdict?" He asked bitterly, knowing she had analyzing her data from purely analytical angles.
She nodded. "You?" She held her arms in front of her and turned so he could get a good look.
He snorted and shook his head. "I've been watching your body for the past seven, more like eight years. That was not necessary."
"Sorry, old friend," She smiled, disparaged. "I have nothing to loose from this venture. In fact, I gain the respect I once would have died for. If anything you risk the chance of loosing."
He frowned. "Where do you gather that?"
"Do you really think that once you've spent a night in my bed, any other woman will want you?" She asked, the bitterness she would have felt over this subject years ago, washing over her.
"I'm the corrupted little Sith girl, remember?" She gestured to her eyes. Or what she called eyes any way.
Black slits sitting in lakes of puckish green, decorated with medically pink spots.
She normally wore image enhancers over them. Contacts that changed the appearance of entire eye. But it was considered an insult amongst the higher ranks of Jedi if you hid or altered your true appearance.
"Aren't you afraid your children will be…mutated, like I was?"
His face took on a sudden gentleness she had never seen. On any one, ever.
Not even her mother.
His hand slid up under her cheek, cupping it.
"You are the most intoxicating woman I have ever met. Your personality…You are strong willed, and I love it. You persevere even when those around you hate you, want you to die or Fail..."
He kissed her cheek.
"You're smart. You think thoroughly, at a pace a hyperdrive couldn't match. It makes you a great soldier and a better politician."
He kissed her forehead.
"You are beautiful. Do you really think any lesser human woman could pull off those eyes with the grace and style you do?"
He kissed her other cheek.
"And our children will be untainted. Even if the are some how marked by your father's black magic they will be beautiful and respected." He smiled.
"Living under the tollage you would give them, I almost pity the fool that would make fun of them… Almost." He gave her a rather smug smile at his own remark.
He put his other hand under her other cheek.
"Either house we are part of will be proud to have them."
He then simultaneously pulled her face up and lowered is head.
His lips met hers slowly, gently at first. Like he was unsure of himself.
Then he pushed on her lips harder and she couldn't quiet concentrate.
A man was kissing her.
But not just any man.
No not a rebel, or a smuggler, or a pirate, or an outlaw. That she had always been told was all she was worthy of.
Not a bounty hunter or a commoner. No, not even her concubine. Which, she had been told, were far too good for her.
But a Jedi Knight…
A fully trained and highly respected Jedi Knight!
She came back to herself slowly. She was still kissing Kir. In fact they were holding each other, almost desperately.
She pulled back from him and his intoxicating touch. She was shaking her head.
He looked at her, confusion evident on his features.
"I want to do this right, Kir. I want to know, before we start, what kind of birth defects we could face because of my mutation. I want to know if my body can handle child baring. I want to know if there's anything that I should eat differently, or do differently. I want to know what to expect, as it comes. Before it comes. Okay?"
He nodded. "I'm glad you care so much." He smiled brightly, and for the first time ever she allowed herself to really like it.
"Geez, this is the first time I've Planned Parenthood, wow." He sat down on the foot of her bed, looking almost winded. "You know if I'd known you'd except me, we'd have…five children by now." He laughed, out of genuine humor and self-recrimination.
She laughed with him, turning into a joke, not a putdown.
Then She walked over and kissed him.
"When you get up in the morning call a med officer, see if you can get an appointment for us to see him about one, Okay?"
He nodded and stood. "We should meditate. Maybe the Force will give us parenting tips." He said. Knowing she was going to meditate any way, like she always did before going to sleep. Dedication was part of what made her, like Yoda, great.*
He stood in her doorway and kissed her again then turned to leave.
That was the woman he had dreamed about. The woman he had wanted a good part of the last ten years of his life.
Had she really just agreed to bare his children?
And, he wondered to himself as he drifted to sleep, completely forgoing meditation, if she would marry him after all this was all over.
He hoped it would work out.
*Just clearing up something a little unclear: I am not saying she is equal with Yoda. I'm just Saying their dedication is what helped make them what they are (were).