Chapter Sixteen
oOo
"I feel like I lost my inertial dampeners." Nyla groaned. "It's not fair Taryn is as solid as a rock and I'm green as Yoda."
"Sorry, Dear, I wish I could help." Gen said feeling guilty for not being able to relieve his wife's suffering.
"Here try this." Taryn said, as she came into the Throne Room with her medical bag and gave Nyla something she had concocted on Verrell. "This almost always works."
Nyla drank the liquid; it was sweet bubbly and tasted like one of Moth's spices. She belched like a drunken sailor and her coloring slowly returned to normal. "Excuse me, I do feel better though."
"I'm glad the Ambassador wasn't in here for that lovely display of diplomacy." Gen teased.
"Hey! You got me into this mess. I was perfectly happy as a Jedi healer now I'm a pregnant Queen." Nyla teased back.
"I was only helping fulfill your royal mandate, to procreate." Gen said. "And I did save you from my wimpy wrinkled up cousin. Qui Loon."
"Yes, I met him last week, I would have run." Nyla added. "Taryn will Moth be back from the mission I sent him on? Wow! That still sound strange."
"I think he will be back latter today." Taryn said. "My Moth meter says he getting closer."
oOo
Moth and Yoda had been asked by Nyla to go on a fact-finding mission to see how the people were really fairing with the changes in government. They had traveled using the standard means of travel for Pyotrians and discovered the Political Party had been hard on the people. The standard of living was low; people were living in older homes, two or three generations all together. The people who grew their own food faired better than the city people, who had no access to the land and its benefits. The local governments were confused as to what laws to enforce the former laws from the Monarch days or the Laws set up under the political system that was now gone or wait for new laws to be set up. This was something that Nyla would have to address quickly because unscrupulous people were already using it to their advantage. Schools had not been a high priority under the old regime nor infirmaries. Roads and bridges were dangerous in places the government officials didn't travel and robbers preyed on the weak. "I think we have seen enough for now." Moth told Yoda. "Let's head back and report this to Nyla, Her Majesty that is."
oOo
Nyla was not pleased and requested a meeting with the head of the interim government Administrator Enzio to asked about the laws in question.
"I understand that some of the local law officials have been paying too much attention to the laws on collecting taxes and not enough on assisting travelers in distress from robbers." Quina Nya said in her most commanding voice trying to ignore her returning queasiness. "I want my people protected and I want all taxes suspended until I can review the tax laws."
"Your Majesty, do you realize how long it would take to review the tax laws and what that would mean to in lost revenue?" The nervous Administrator asked. "What it would mean to the government?"
"I guess you had better make sure I have access to the information to make a speedy decision then." Nyla pronounced.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will see to it promptly." Administrator Enzio assured her and quickly left to carry out her orders.
"I have a feeling they weren't expecting such a forceful Queen." Gen whispered to Nyla as they watched Enzio leave.
"I warned them repeatedly before I took the throne." Nyla said matter-of-factly.
oOo
Nyla sat trying to breathe wondering how her Mother had managed with twins and the thought of triplets would be unbearable and luckily she was only expecting one. Being rotund and Queen at the same time was difficult there were so many meeting to fix the many problems of the planet caused by the differing governmental styles. First, a monarchy that hadn't paid enough attention to the people; then, a political party that used the people to finance their pockets and now, back to a monarchy the changes was staggering. Some of the rich pockets were unhappy with the changes and had voiced their feeling quite loudly but Nyla was a Queen for the people. They would eventually realized they were not going to be, as rich but were going to benefit in the long run, they just didn't like running.
Taryn came in between meeting and to check on her. "You need to walk around a few minutes between meeting." Taryn counseled her.
"I have to go to the refresher between every meeting and have to take a break in the middle of each meeting to go." Nyla lamented. "I have just about driven the royal robermakers crazy requesting a simpler outfit."
"Why don't you allow Gen to take some of the meetings for you." Taryn asked.
"He has already handled most of the running around and fills me in on what I missed while I am in the fresher. Delī is dealing with most of the personal appearances. I just want to get most of the complicated procedures handled before the baby gets here since I will be busy with her for a while. I hope they will allow me to take time off to be with her." Nyla added.
"You don't have trouble making proclamations for others, make one for yourself." Taryn counseled her.
"I think one of us is going to deliver soon I heard Yoda playing his flute this morning, he once told me it was the song played for mothers about to deliver." Nyla told Taryn.
"Yes, I have started labor, just the mild contractions that come first, but I had to come check on you before I got too far along." Taryn informed her as if she was saying she had to go cook supper.
"Go to your room you shouldn't be in here in your condition. Moth!" Nyla called out and caused a rush of Jedi and court officials. "Taryn is in labor take her to your room." Nyla ordered.
"Taryn are you all right?" Moth asked his wife concerned. "Why are you in here in your condition?"
"Stop fussing! I wanted to check on Her Majesty before I got too far along. I have delivered several hundred babies and assisted on several thousand, I know what I am doing." Taryn dismissed to excitement as unnecessary.
"Yes, but this is the first you have been on the productive side of the matter. Let's go to the infirmary." Moth gently prodded his wife.
"No! I am going to our room. I will deliver him there my self." Taryn announced to her shocked husband, oblivious to how crazy that sounded.
"We can go our room but if anything seems the least bit 'complicated', we are going to the infirmary." Moth gently ordered Taryn.
"Are you getting uppity with me?" She teased.
"Yes, Dear, I am." Moth informed her. "Now let's go."
Moth was glad he had finished redoing the infirmary at the Palace even if his wife was being obstinate about going there. Nyla had assigned him to review the infirmaries and see to their refit. He started with the one at the Palace and had worked out from there. Taryn had accompanied him on several trips but as she and Nyla had gotten larger it became more difficult so he convinced her to stay behind and keep an eye on Nyla.
Taryn and Moth arrived at their room and he realized she had known before she had left that she was in labor and she had prepared everything for the delivery ahead of time. She went to her bag and took out a bottle of a powered substance and poured some of it in water and started to drink it.
"What is that?" Moth asked concerned.
"Just something to assist with the contractions." Taryn said.
"Is it safe?" Moth asked.
Taryn looked at him and asked. "Would I be taking it if it wasn't? We have given this to women for hundreds of years and no one has been harmed by it yet."
"I'm sorry this is my first child and I don't think I'm thinking clearly. Ah… are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary?" Kotn asked his wife as she started out into the garden. "Where are you going?"
"For a walk." Taryn said as if was any other day.
"Now!" Kotn asked shocked.
"It helps with the contractions. You haven't delivered many babies have you." Taryn asked puzzled at his lack of knowledge of childbirth.
"No, usually I deal with illnesses and injuries, the women prefer other women to deliver the babies." Moth said as they strolled out through the garden her arm through his.
"I have asked the gardeners for some space to plant some of my medicines and Yoda has made a suggestion for a birthing chair that sounds interesting." Taryn said remarkable calm for her condition.
"Speaking of Yoda is that him in our room?" Moth asked and guided Taryn back toward their room.
"Finished the chair, I did. Ready to deliver sprout …a…baby." Yoda said visibly flushed from trying to finish the chair in time.
"How does it work?" Taryn asked looking over the strange contraption.
"No, work just sit." Yoda said.
"Sound like a male invention, no work, likely story." Taryn's fussing at a really confused Yoda.
Moth motioned Yoda toward the door and followed him out. "Thank you for the chair, let's let her look it over for a few minutes. I've noticed women in labor are hard to get along with so you can't take anything they say to heart." Moth tried to explain Taryn's mood to Yoda. "Unlike your people who have an easy time of it."
Nyla came around the corner dressed much less formal than before and asked. "It must be close to time if she has run the men out into the hall. I'll go in and check on her."
"Please do she wants to deliver him herself." Moth said nervously.
Nyla knocked as she entered the room. "Taryn, I…. What is that?"
"Yoda says, it's a birthing chair, it's suppose to make it easy to have a baby. Likely story! Huh!' Taryn sighed dealing with a particularly hard contraction.
"One thing I've learned from dealing with Yoda is he knows what he is talking about and I trust him with my life and my baby's." Nyla added. "Try it, how does it work."
"He said, you just have to sit in it." Taryn said removing her robe and rearranging her gown and sat in the chair. "It is comfortable and the contractions do seem less painful. That is worth the trouble by its self."
"Nyla, I think its tim…" Then a hard contraction caught her breath and they heard loud strong cry come from the catch basin under the chair.
Nyla moved Taryn's gown, retrieved the red-faced boy, wrapped him in a blanket and cut the cord. Moth, who had been talking to Gen at the other end of the hall, came running.
"Well, Poppa would you like to give your son his first bath." Nyla asked and handed him his son.
"Ben, this is your father Kotn Moth."
oOo
The Official Pyotrians Birth Registrar came to the Moth-Kenoba apartment to register the birth of the new child. "Handsome son you have Mrs., is it Moth or Kenoba?" The very efficient lady with elaborately white braided hair asked.
"On his planet the wife and child has the father's name, on my planet the mother and child keep the mother's name, only the I is changed to an A when she marries. We have chosen to go with both. I am Sage Taryn Moth Kenoba and our son will be called. Ben Moth Kenobi, since he is unmarried. My husband chose to keep his name he is Jedi Master Kotn Moth."
"Ben Moth Kenobi born the third evening hour on the first day of Myra in the first year of the new Monarchy. He was delivered by whom." The registrar asked without looking up from her paperwork.
Taryn paused for a second then said. "Quina Nya Jinnel."
"Quina Nya Jinnel" She said then realized who that was. "Quina Nya Jinnel is the Queen of Pyotr. Your son was delivered by the Queen?" The very shocked registrar asked.
"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Taryn asked.
"No! No problem!" She said nervously.
oOo
Taryn woke up for the middle of the night feeding and saw a shadow standing by the window slowly rocking the infant from side to side and singing a song she had never heard before.
"Sleep little Jedi, dream of the stars
of great adventures on planet so far,
Sleep little Jedi float on a river of stars
watch the …
"Who says he's going to be a Jedi, My Dear?" Taryn asked.
"I suspected that was going to be a problem." Moth whispered.
oOo
Nyla was in the middle of along and arduous trade meeting. The new trade commission and the former trade federation that had been set up by the political system was fighting for control. It was all she could do to keep the two sides from coming to blows in the Throne room. Some in the former trade federation hoped to use the Queen's condition to slip some of their agenda past her. She would have delayed the meeting or asked Delī to preside over it if the possibility of civil war hadn't seemed imminent. Delī and Taryn stayed close by and rushed to her during every break, which were coming more often.
Finally, Taryn put her foot down. "Your majesty, if you don't want to have this baby right here, in front of all these people, you had better adjourn for the day." Taryn said sternly.
Nyla finally acquiesced. "Lady and Gentlemen may I have your attention. I have decided to adjourn for the day. I will have a decision for you tomorrow on this matter." Then softly to Gen. "Could I have your arm?" She took his arm and slowly but regally walked out of the Throne room. As soon as the door closed behind them and no one was able to see them except her friends she buckled and Gen scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their suite. Delī ordered. "Sit her here on the side of the bed."
"Now, out with you." Taryn ordered and shooed him out the door under protest.
Moth and Yoda met him at the door. "Don't be offended no matter what planet you are on the women always shoo the husbands out when its time for the baby to be born. I think they want to keep some of their mystery. Taryn even threw me out and I'm a healer." Moth consoled the nervous father.
"I just wanted to help, to be with her." Gen said pitifully.
"Better than Wookie women, to kill their husband in process, they have been known." Yoda informed them.
Both men looked at Yoda in disbelief.
oOo
Yoda's contraption had been moved to the Queen's suite since they had left that morning. Nyla had heard Yoda playing his flute that morning and had suspected her time was near. Delī and Taryn helped her out of the oppressive robes and into a simple shift gown. "You should have been in here hours ago not being in there with those pompous idiots. They knew you were in labor and they just keep on fighting. How insensitive can they get! I wanted to do that hand wave thing Yoda does. Can he teach me that?" Delī fumed.
Taryn gave her a dose of the concoction to assist in contraction. "Here take this it will help." They watched as it eased her discomfort, somewhat.
Juri decided seeing her former Master deliver a baby was too much for her to bear, so she said. "I will go out to deliver a progress report to the men." She decided her place was with the Jedi in the hall and former Jedi rather than inside with the women.
Delī and Taryn assisted her onto the birthing chair and saw that she was eased by the support it gave. / Sachi, It's time, you can come out now. Moma's ready. / Nyla told her daughter then smiled.
Delī heard a cry and looked in the catch basin. "Hey, I like this chair." She wrapped the little girl in a blanket and cut the cord. "Hello, Sachi, I'm your Aunt Delila. We are going to be good friends."
After Nyla was comfortable back in bed, Taryn stepped out in the hall and told Gen it was time to meet his daughter. He came in and saw Nyla holding their child in a fluffy pink blanket singing softly. "Sleep little Jedi and dream of the stars…"
"I don't think she will be able to go to the Temple and be a Jedi." Gen said.
"I know I just wanted her to appreciate the Jedi as much as I do." Nyla said.
oOo
Her Royal Highness, Queen Quina Nya Jinnel
And
His Royal Highness Tra Gon Jinnel
are proud to announce the birth of their daughter
Sachi Rea Jinnel
in the second hour of the afternoon on the thirtieth day of Myra
in the first year of the new monarchy.
oOo
The Next morning the members of the trade federation showed up in the Throne room to push their agenda. Councilman Hamhel whispered his assistant. "The Queen will not be able to come because she had just delivered her first child and we will win the new contract by default. That is why I pushed so hard for the decrease in wages for the dock workers to delay the proceeding until today and the default deadline."
Just then to everyone's surprise Nyla showed up in the Throne room in her finest robes looking most regal and made the announcement she had promised concerning the Trade Commission. "Today is the dead line for the Trade Commission to complete its contract to take over the negotiations for the planets distribution of goods and services. The dock workers will receive their wage increase and the former Trade Federation will become null and void as of today, all authority is to be transferred to the Trade Commission. This is a valid change in power and as such will be honored by all businesses of Pyotr. I know some of the Trade Federation will be unhappy at this decision because it will affect them financially but they have prospered in the past to the detriment of there fellow man and I will not support one group prospering at the expense of everyone else. There was an effort yesterday to hold off this decision by unscrupulous ones knowing my condition and trying to use it to their advantage. Now if there is no further pressing matters I will adjourn to spend time with my new daughter."
"She wasn't fooled by your tricks to delay the contract and allow you to remain in power." The Head of the New Trade Commission told the former Head of the Trade Federation.
"This isn't the end of this. I will be back and we will see who gets the last word." Councilman Hamhel said not in a position to act so he retired to fight another day.
oOo
"Delila and Taryn, we need to set up a schedule to watch the infants and Drew. Taryn, I know it's a lot to ask but could you feed Sachi while I'm busy in Royal matters? I will try to keep it to a minimum but sometimes things don't cooperate. There is also a concern that some one would try to harm her so I would like a Jedi on guard in the nursery." Nyla tried to organize the nursery schedule.
Taryn realized that having a second child in the nursery was also a protection for Sachi but a danger to Ben. She knew trusted the support system they were setting up and she realized they wouldn't let anything happen to either child. Juri liked the garden outside the Royal suites and usually stayed there unless call away for an assignment. They were also learning that Taryn and Delila were more Force sensitive than anyone had suspected, being a twin of a Jedi or the wife of a Jedi had advantages. Their natural bonds brought access to the Force that most non-trained people didn't have.
oOo
In the coming months Yoda and Juri went to the Temple to receive their Padawans. "Master Poof, Yoda and I have been thinking about the Padawans we would like to choose and we have come up with a choice, we would like your permission."
"You may choose whom ever you like, what is the problem?" Master Poof asked.
"Young they are but solve many problems, this would." Yoda added.
"Ahh, you want the twins, this means you would have to work together for a long period of time; unless you can figure out a way to wean them away from each other. As you know we tried that and haven't been successful at all." Master Poof warned.
"This way the boys would be together enough to make them happy yet they would have separate Masters. Even though they are a little young to be a Padawan they needed the harder work to keep them out of trouble." Juri verified they had thought this out thoroughly.
"This particular problem at least partially off their hands, happy that should make the Council." Yoda smoothed Poof's ego.
"I like the idea of you and Juri teaching them. I had come to respect you, Juri. The two of you work well together, I had watched you spar often. Yoda, you have always had a good relationship with the boys and can handle the tricks they could pull. I think this will be a good arrangement for all including the Council." Master Poof smiled a rare smile for him.
oOo
Even at their young age they towered over Yoda, being almost five feet tall but Juri was closer to six feet could still look down at them. "Boys, like to be mine and Juri's Padawans, would you." Yoda asked.
"Yes! But aren't we still to young?" They said in unison. "Not that we are complaining."
"Yes but Master Poof has graciously allowed us to take you early." Juri added them.
"Will we be together?" They said in their usual twin speak.
"Yes, same assignment Juri and I have for now." Yoda answered.
"That doesn't mean we will always have the same assignment in the future though." Juri added.
"Who gets Yoda and who gets Juri?" They asked.
"Matter does it, you will swap up anyway, will you not? Huh?" Yoda looked at them knowingly.
The boys smiled mischievously and nodded.
"Do you know which of you is which?" Juri asked.
The boys looked at each other and then shook their heads. "Does it matter?"
"From now on TJ, you are and JT, you are." Yoda commanded. "Both names for both boys. TJ Yoda's Padawan, JT Juri's Padawan you are. Know we do you will switch, work with both of you we will, No tricks or Yoda will start doing tricks, unhappy you will be."
"Yes, Master." They said in unison.
"Now go get your things and come with us." Juri ordered. Then when the boys were out of hearing distances. "Tricks?"
"Not know what kind of tricks, Yoda knows. Worried they will be." Yoda told her.
'Worried I would be.' Juri thought imitating Yoda.
oOo