Chapter 39

I woke up alone, as I expected. "Gabrielle probably stayed with Dieter last night," I said to myself. I had recovered physically from the kinitite experience. Now I was ravenously hungry. I ate a huge breakfast after I remembered one of Master Yoda's lessons on the Force. He had told me that one of the most important differences between the Light and Dark sides of the Force was that when a Jedi of the Light side used the Force in a unusual or highly demanding task, all he, she or it needed was food and rest because the Light side used the kind of energy that is easily rebuilt.

On the other hand, when a Dark Jedi did the same thing, certainly food and rest helped rebuild the physical energy but the Dark Side fed off of the physical body making it weak and vulnerable, until all that remains is dark energy.

The post-mission debrief was slated to begin at 1200 so I arrived early as is usual for me and finished my report. At about a quarter to the hour, the rest of the staff started arriving. At 1200 sharp, the call came out: "Attention on deck!" We all leapt to attention as General Naz walked in. He said: "At ease everyone and take your seats."

We all sat after he did. He focused on me and said: "The fact that you're all here says that your mission was a success." Someone coughed discreetly as the General looked to see the seat between my XO and the XO of Gold Group, the seat normally occupied by Teeyara Bree, empty.

He said: "My apologies to everyone present. Let us observe a moment of silence in honor of our fallen comrade." A full minute later, he said: "Report please." I began to speak. I lost track of time as I related the sequence of events from mission start to mission end, (minus one stray punch of course).

When I got to Commander Bree's sacrifice, I said: "In conclusion sir, we had one casualty as you have noticed now. According to statements taken from the XO of Gold Group, the Commander's ship was damaged, she was injured and could have landed safely, but she chose to come back into the fight, saved two of her pilots and enabled the transport to leave by destroying the command tower. She is survived by a son, Dieter Bree. My wife, Lt. Cdr. Shase-Jayks is his godmother."

I sat back down as the General looked over a few points and then signed off on it and said: "Excellent work Commander. I am authorized to grant you and your entire team a one grade promotion for the successful completion of this mission." There was a collective intake of breath around the table. No one but the General and I were expecting this. I said: "I concur but for one point sir." The glint in his eye of anger was as unmistakable as his voice which had dropped a few degrees as he said: "That would be . . ."

I said: "I concur that the entire team and support personnel should receive this reward but as for my promotion, give it to Teeyara Bree; sir." The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. I could sense through the Force the amazement in the room directed at me for my audacity, as well as some gratitude. The General regarded me with a respectful glance as he said: "Done! This debrief is complete. You're all dismissed. Except you Jedi Jayks, remain a moment please."

The various department heads got up to leave. Page, as the NCO of the strike team came over to me and whispered: "Gutsiest move I've ever seen sir," and left. Ardra Dreel, now the CO of Gold group came over to me on the way out. She had a reputation for being blunt and to the point. When she whispered what she did to me, I knew that the reputation was well deserved. She had said: "Sir, you have got to have corusca gems between your legs to tell the Old Man that. I couldn't have. Gabrielle is lucky she gets to play with them whenever she wants." Blushing furiously I murmured: "Thanks."

I said to myself: "She couldn't have possible meant that. Corusca gems are one of the hardest substances known." After the room emptied leaving just the General and I, I started to apologize when he cut me off with a hand gesture. He said: "Skip it Jedi Jayks. I well remember the Jedi of the old order. Many of them, not all, but still many of them displayed as much humility as you have just now and on that count at least, you have done their memory proud. Teeyara Bree will receive her new stripe and yours, but I have to give you a promotion whether you want it or not. There is a rank title that is no longer used in any military organization. That of Commodore. It's honorary, no new responsibilities, no higher paygrade. It was normally reserved for the Navy but I think it is well-deserved in this case."

I said: "If you insist sir, but I'm not going to expect anyone to address me by it nor will I enforce it. No disrespect intended General." He said: "None taken and since I was expecting you to pull just this kind of stunt, I've already distributed the memo on it, I'm afraid you're stuck with it Commodore Jayks, dismissed."

Having received my orders, I stood and saluted him which he returned sharply. As I left, several references to the General's ancestry came to mind, none of them nice. He knew how much I didn't like recognition for just doing my job! He knew it! I wasn't angry at the man, far from it. I just didn't see then and still don't see now why a reward should be expected or offered for just doing one's job.

I swung by my office to make sure nothing had piled up. When that was done a couple of hours later, I had nothing else pressing for my attention so I went to the flightdeck to do some preventative maintenance on my fighter. Two or three hours later, I was in a pair of stained coveralls, lying on my back in the access crawlspace of my X-wing. I felt a presence nearby and felt a strong-gentle nudge on my foot.

Focusing in the Force, I recognized Chief Terraca and said: "What can I do for you Chief?" I'd picked up on some of her native language and the Force helped me to translate the rest as I looked down the length of my leg past my foot and saw her furry face next to my foot. She said: "Are you still moping in there Ronin?" I said: "I am not moping; I just wanted to stay busy awhile." She said: "Sure you are and I've got a life debt to Darth Vader. My crews stay on top of the maintenance for the fighters so come out of there before you ruin their morale, Commodore." I realized she was right and I was only making work for myself. I sighed and said: "As ordered Lead."

Given the natural strength of the average wookie, male or female, she was surprisingly gentle as she tugged my foot and I slid out of the access tube like a human torpedo. Catching myself on the raised hatch, I stopped short of flying out of the access and onto the floor where I would have landed on my back.

Getting to my feet and cleaning my hands off with a rag, I asked: "Hey Terraca, what's a life debt?" As she closed the access hatch on my X-wing she said: "For those wookies that know honor, a life debt is a debt owed when someone saves a wookie's life. That wookie must then travel with that person who saved their life until they in turn save the life of the person they owe the debt too. It is the most sacred of bonds between wookies, similar in many respects as those you share between Jedi Master and student." I said: "Thanks for the lesson on wookie psychology and the reality check. See you later Chief." Her woofing laughter echoed behind me as I went home for the night.

Chapter 40

As I got to my front door, I could sense two minds inside. The first was my wife's and the second could only be Dieter's. I walked in and put my lightsaber on the table by the door next to Gabrielle's and saw the living room was empty. Stepping into our bedroom, I saw Gabrielle under the covers. Quietly taking off my boots and uniform, I crawled in next to her as she said: "Don't worry Ronin. I wasn't sleeping anyway."

Snuggling up next to me she remained silent as I held her next to me. I said: "I could sense Dieter's mind in one of the spare bedrooms. How did it go?" She took a breath and said: "When I got there, he was gone, staying with friends elsewhere on the base. As I walked in Cori was right behind me. She said she was carrying a message from Teeyara for me and Dieter. When she played it, it was a hologram. It said: "Gabrielle, that you are watching this means that I've died. I hope it wasn't a useless death. Please take care of Dieter for me. I know that you'll raise him as your own and I can't think of anyone I would trust more than you with that task. I want him to know that I'll always love him and that I'm sorry I can't be here to see him grow into the man that he will become. As my final gift to him, Cori will now be his droid as she was mine. When he asks, and I know he will, tell him I'm with his Father again and whenever he should be hurt, or sad or lonely, to think of us and remember us because we will be there for him, in his heart. I loved you like a sister and I know you will do a good job of watching over him for me. I love you both. Goodbye."

Gabrielle's narrative caught me up in a backwash of bittersweet emotion from our bond and I had to wipe a tear away from my eye. She continued: "When he got back, I showed him the message. The hurt in his eyes when he finally understood his mother wasn't coming home was heartrending. I started to cry again and would you believe he walked over to me, gave me a hug and said it would be alright! He was crying too but he still told me it would be all right. I thought that was supposed to be my line. Please tell me it will be all right Ronin, please."

This last was said with a gentle catching of breath. I said: "He is a strong one. No doubt of that and yes it will be all right, eventually. Not right away, but eventually. You both will still have some tears to shed, but you will heal and things will get better. I can sense that he's emotionally exhausted so we'll let him sleep tonight and help him finish settling in tomorrow."

Gabrielle lifted her head up long enough to give me a kiss. She put her head back on my shoulder and said: "How did debrief go . . . Commodore?" I snorted out loud and said: "So the General wasn't kidding about that memo." She smiled and said: "No he wasn't." I said: "Debrief was in and of itself dull. I gave my report and when the General signed off on it I figured that would be the end of it. Before the mission, he said that I could name my reward so I just said he could promote everyone but me. Everyone from the pilot's who flew air support, to the strike team to Chief Terraca's crews who made sure all the fighters worked. He said he'd been authorized to grant that as a blanket promotion. I said that he could give my promotion to Teeyara. The look in his eye when I said that was not a pleasant thing. I thought he might order me to turn in my rank for insubordination but instead he goes right on ahead and tells me about the honorary rank of Commodore and sticks me with it. It's a good thing for him I don't believe in vengeance or he would regret putting me in this spot." Gabrielle tried to keep a straight face but failed as she started to laugh which in turn got me to laughing.

After a few minutes of on-again, off-again laughter, Gabrielle said: "Ronin, I want to thank you for accepting Dieter as quickly as you have. I'm sorry I never told you beforehand about the agreement I had with Teeyara." I said: "At the risk of bringing up some bad memories, I'll say it again anyway. Your debts are my debts. Your word of honor given . . ." She put one hand over my mouth and finished: "Is my word of honor to carry out. I remember my Knight. I remember. I guess I never expected Teeyara to die until she was old and gray and Dieter grown. I know I never expected to marry such a loving, kind and gentle man as you and since we're on the subject of Dieter, I have something I want to ask you." I said: "What's that Milady?"

She was silent a moment and then said: "I want to have your child, Ronin. I want to have your baby before I lose you on some mission somewhere. I want this more than anything I've ever wanted before. Please my husband, please." I'd never heard my wife plead before and its tone struck me to the very core of my being. Me . . . a father? I said: "Are you sure of yourself Gabrielle? Being a parent is important in and of itself but to be a Jedi parent carries an additional condition. Not only do we have to raise our child in the normal path of right and wrong, but good and evil as well."

Gabrielle would not be dissuaded as she said: "But you are a good man Ronin. I've seen it in how you treat your subordinates. I feel it every time we make love. I hear it now in how you have accepted Dieter. I believe you would make a great dad. I know we'll have to be extra careful because he or she will be Force Sensitive but I know we can do it."

I listened and contemplated before speaking. I said: "Don't misunderstand me Gabrielle, I love you with every fiber of my being and I do want to have a child with you but right now, with the galaxy still in the middle of this war, I don't think it would be a good idea to take a chance with a new generation yet." Gabrielle could sense my uncertainty through our bond and said: "Just promise me you'll think about it, okay?" I said: "You know I will." Staying where we were, we fell asleep as the events of the day caught up with us.

The next morning dawned clear and bright. I started breakfast preparations as Gabrielle went to get Dieter. Emerging from his new room with Cori in tow, he came out in his pajamas. He had grown since last I saw him. I could see his mother in his eyes and judging from the pictures I had seen of Dolan Bree, the son took after the father in the face.

The grief in his eyes was readily apparent but it was only natural given the circumstances. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat at the table as I said: "Morning Dieter. What would you like for breakfast?" I noticed his voice was starting to change as he said: "I'm really not that hungry sir." I smiled and said: "You don't have to call me sir if you don't want to Dieter. Call me Ronin. He smiled a little as he said: "Well si . . .er I mean Ronin, I remember my mom once told me if I ever had to go and stay with Gabrielle for good, that I could call her mom and if she was married, I could call him dad. She said she wouldn't mind if I did. Would that be alright?"

I was speechless a moment. I said: "If that's what you want . . . son." The last word almost didn't come out but I realized that if Teeyara had foreseen the event of her death and let Dieter know it was okay, who was I to argue?" Dieter said: "Yea, it is . . . dad." All I could say though my own voice was thick with emotion: "Welcome home son." He got down from the table and gave me a hug which I returned wholeheartedly. I saw Gabrielle looking on with a few tears in her eyes as I waved her over into the hug. It felt good.

It was made official quickly; Gabrielle and I adopted Dieter and hebecame our son in word and deed for he had taken for himself the full name of Dieter Jayks Bree. I felt more deeply honored than I ever had before in my life, so I forget exactly, several months at least, when I came to the next decision on our status as a family.

Gabrielle was once again in the position of XO of Gold Group and she took her duties as seriously as I took mine. Malec Dun, the man that had been injured by Gabrielle years ago was flying in Gold Group now that he had been healed by Gabrielle and the Force. Rumors that he and Ardra Dreel were thinking of marrying started to circulate. Everything was calm again.

It was a special night for my wife and I. Our anniversary. For these last many years, we had sworn to cherish each and no one else. Through separation due to capture, and for training, we still loved each other with all our hearts. It had been arranged for Dieter to stay with friends that night.

Gabrielle and I had a romantic dinner for two and while we danced to some of our favorite composers in the living room I held her to me and thought: "By the Force she is so beautiful." As our dance ended, I took her hands in mine and looked deeply into her eyes. I said: "For the past several years, I have been blessed with you as my friend, my wife and my partner. You have given me so much Gabrielle and I thank you. Now it's my turn to give you something in return."

Gabrielle said: "All I need is you and your love." I smiled and said: "You have it. But I wanted you to know that I've been giving it serious thought lately and I'm ready if you are." She said: "Ready for what my Knight?" As I took a deep breath, I said: "Milady, how would you feel about giving Dieter a younger sibling?" Gabrielle's eyes went wide as she said: "Are you sure?" I said: "Surer than I have ever been."

We embraced, and it was so . . .