CHAPTER 39 - In the Heart of Winter
Jag sat perched on the edge of the seat in front of the commstation, his index finger tapping non-stop on the metallic surface. After leaving seven messages and hailing the Fel family communications unit at the estate on eight occasions, he was getting anxious. His initial call was mere minutes after nineteen hundred, usual family dinner time. It would have been a simple walk to the study from the kitchen to answer the hail.
Pushing back the chair, Jag brought his wrist up so he could read the chrono's face – 1925. His calls had gone unanswered for over twenty minutes. There was no doubt in Jag's mind that he had exercised extraordinary patience. He also had no doubt that something was horribly wrong.
Jag grabbed his pilot's bag and exited his office, the door swishing open and shut in his wake. He turned right and walked at a brisk pace past a series of offices. One of the doors slid open as he passed; it was the door to his father's office.
"Jag, did you get a hold of anyone at home?" Soontir's voice was not the usual crisp work tones, but more along the lines of his at-home-with-the-family nature.
Jag swung around in place. "No. Something's wrong. I know it."
Soontir held his arm out, gesturing for Jag to come inside his office. "Let's try again before we make any hasty decisions."
Jag backed away, shaking his head. "No, sir. I will respectfully leave that to you. I am going home as fast as I can get there."
Soontir frowned but made no attempt to stop his son. He knew it would have been pointless. Had the Baron been in his son's shoes, he would have done the same thing. "Take care then. This weather's pretty rough." Soontir called after Jag's retreating form.
Syal scurried down the stairs, knowing the contractions were coming quicker than she would have liked. She would have barely a couple minutes to make her call and get back to Jaina. Syal imagined one or both men would be frantic with worry because their call had gone unanswered for some time. It had taken longer than expected to get Jaina up the stairs and situated in the bedroom.
One of the cleaning droids was cleaning up the foyer floor. Syal smiled gratefully at Trick, who it appeared had taken the initiative to activate the droid, then edged past, making her way to the study. Once seated at the commstation, Syal noted there was no current hail. There were however eight new messages.
Syal started to scan them quickly, scrolling past each one as it became apparent they we all the same. Each message was Jag trying to figure out what was happening. By the second to the last message, Syal could see the desperate gleam in her son's eye. The final message was from her husband. The time stamp was ten minutes earlier. Syal reached for the call button hoping to catch both men before they did something rash, when an incoming hail flashed on the screen. Syal switched her hand to the answer button and depressed it.
Soontir's face appeared. "There you are. I was beginning to wonder what you two were up to." Her husband's greeting was instilled with forced joviality.
Syal cut to the chase. "We are having a baby. That's what we are up to."
Soontir's one good eye opened wide. "Isn't it a bit early? Maybe she is having those false contractions you had with Cherith."
"Wishful thinking, my dear husband. Her water broke during dinner, and the contractions are about four minutes apart and closing."
"Taking after her father I see." Soontir's tone was all too serious now.
Syal sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." She glanced at her wristchrono and frowned. Another contraction was probably starting. Syal did not want to leave Jaina alone for too long. Listen I need to talk to Jag so we can make plans. I don't have a lot of time."
"He's on his way. He left about ten minutes ago."
That was not the answer Syal wanted to hear. "Is he crazy taking the speeder out in this weather?"
"He's your son."
Syal's face became suddenly hard. "This is no time to joke, 'Tir. I have enough to worry about with…"
Soontir interrupted, holding his hands up defensively. "I wouldn't worry too much about Jag. If anyone is capable of flying through this kind of weather, it would be your son. And no, I don't think he took the speeder. He was heading in the wrong direction for that."
The house began to rattle around Syal and she looked up from the screen. "My goodness! He flew that blasted ship here…"
"Fighter, a ship is…"
Syal frowned at her husband and slapped the button to terminate the connection in disgust, just as the front door opened, allowing in a flurry of snow caught in a blast of freezing air. Jag stumbled across the threshold not more than a second later.
A gust of wind practically blew Jag through the door along with a dusting of wet snowflakes. After the harrowing landing of moments before, fighting strong crosswinds and even stronger downdrafts, he inhaled sharply. Jag took the time to gather his wits and draw back his mental barriers. Once satisfied he was in control, a quick shrug of the shoulders forced his parka halfway off. He began to take in the scene around him, a droid polishing the floor while Trick beeped excitedly. Jag continued to pull the parka off one arm at a time.
A voice off to the side drew his attention away from the sight. "Jag, you're home."
Jag turned to greet his mother as she swept out of the study, thankful and at the same time concerned that she had not made an issue of him landing his clawcraft in her front yard. There was a stray wisp of hair falling out of her usually tidy drawn back hair, and her outfit was a little worse for wear. Immediately, Jag knew his suspicions had been right.
"Where's Jaina?"
Syal crossed the foyer. "Upstairs in bed."
Jag started for the staircase when his mother halted him with a tight grip around his forearm. "Wait."
Jag faced his mother. "What? Is everything all right?"
Syal drew herself up, and the frazzled woman before him was replaced by the confident character of one of her holodramas. "Jaina is fine. Before you go up there I wanted to warn you though." Jag's eyes reflected his impatience as she inhaled slowly through her nose to calm herself. "Jaina's water broke; she is in labor as we speak."
Jag's jaw locked in place, slightly parted. After a stunned heartbeat he blinked twice. Then the Fel in him took over. "How far apart are the contractions?"
"Four minutes and shortening every time."
"I will get the speeder ready."
Syal shook her head. "I don't think we would make it. Do you want her to have that baby in a speeder in the middle of this blizzard?"
Jag pursed his lips as he pondered the alternatives. After a quiet moment he spoke. "Call Father and tell him what is happening."
"He already knows."
"Tell him we can't make it. He'll know what to do."
Syal's face reflected her astonishment. "You can't mean to want your Father to drive the speeder out here in this storm."
"I do. He will have to bring Doctor Tarado." Jag took his mother's hand off his forearm and squeezed it reassuringly. "We already prepared for this possibility. It will be fine."
Syal nodded, accepting his words. She eyed the stairs. "I will make the call although I don't think he will happy to hear from me." Jag's brows furrowed in confusion. Syal shoved him toward the stairs, taking the parka from his hand as he went. "Go on, see your wife. I will be right up."
Jag bounded up the stairs two at a time and rounded the corner. It was five long strides to the door to the bedroom. As he crossed out of the hallway, Jag's heart practically broke in two. Jaina was curled on her side, one hand wrapped across her abdomen, the other clutching the comforter. White knuckles and the drawn lines around her face told of the terrible anguish she was experiencing.
Somehow, Jag found himself kneeling by the bed. He took her hand from the comforter and allowed her fingers to transmit her pain by punishing his own. Jag never batted an eye as her nails dug into the skin of his big strong hands. He stared into her misty brown eyes as she bit her lower lip silently. Each breath appeared to be a struggle.
Jag sat silently through the ragged breathing until her body began to relax. Then he eased onto the bed and smoothed away the stray strands of hair on her forehead, already damp with perspiration. Her grip lessened on his other hand to the point that it was bearable. That was when Jag decided to talk.
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Don't tell me you would take away the pain if you could for starts." Her voice was biting.
Jag kept his cool. "I would never…"
Jaina never let him finish. "Save it for someone who cares. Next you can start by moving all your stuff into another room. If this is how making love ends up, I am taking a vow of celibacy. I am beginning to think the Old Jedi Order had it right."
Jag smiled sweetly as he dismissed her pain induced banter. He bent over to place a kiss on her forehead, but Jaina would have none of it. She freed her hand and used both to shove him forcefully off the bed. Jag had to stand or fall on his rear.
"Go on. Get. Consider yourself privileged to have one child by me."
Jag tried to sit back down when he received an invisible shove that caused him to stumble across the room. He righted himself, then studied Jaina from afar. Not sure how to take his wife's hostility, he stood silently for a moment, watching her try to find a comfortable position.
He gestured over his shoulder. "I will go get Mother."
Jaina grunted. He made his way to the door when a pleading voice halted him. "Don't go."
Looking back, Jaina was in the grips of another contraction already. Jag glanced down at his wristchrono and marked the time. His mother's voice boomed from the doorway.
"Don't just stand there like a dimwit, Jagged. Get over there and hold your wife's hand."
Jag started to protest when Jaina piped in, her voice coming through gritted teeth. "Yeah, Jag. Come here so I can share the wonders of childbirth."
Jag shook his head before crossing back to the bed. The look of relief in Jaina's eyes as he offered his hand made up for the antagonism of moments before. Not doubting the severity of the contraction wracking Jaina's body and its effect on her outlook, Jag settled in his mind to take it all in stride, no matter what. When she closed her fingers around his hand and then proceeded to drag him down to the bed, all reservations about Jaina's desire for him to be at her side fled.
Syal came around the bed and began gently rubbing her palm along Jaina's back. Jag was too fearful to cause anymore pain, so he lent his support by his still confident manner. A single tear slipped past Jaina's barriers, which Jag wiped away with his index finger.
Syal commented in a calm tone. "It's all right, child. You can scream all you want. There is no one here but those who love you. You might even feel better. I know I surely did."
Jaina shook her head once against the pillow, refusing to be swayed.
Watching his wife silently wrestle with the agony, a realization suddenly hit Jag. Although Jaina was her father's daughter in every imaginable way, the most important part of her mother reigned supreme in this offspring formed from the love of a smuggler and a princess. For the first time, Jag saw the depth of Jaina's nobility in her quiet suffering. He had not thought it possible, but he fell even deeper in love with his wife at that very moment.
"Can I push yet?"
Syal peeked over the top of Jaina's knees and forced a calm smile. She tried to keep from looking at Jag as she did so. "It looks like it's about that time."
Jag bolted off the bed, still clutching Jaina's hand. He calmed himself as he gently lowered her hand to the comforter and released it. Jaina stared up at him with a strange wondering expression, peeking through her long brown lashes. Jag forced a smile. "I will be right back."
Jag strode past his mother, tugging her by the arm until they were both out on the hall. In a hushed voice he spoke to Syal. "She has to wait. Father won't be here with the doctor for some time."
"Well, you better explain that to your daughter, but if she is anything like her mother, I doubt she will listen." Syal placed a comforting hand on Jag's arm. "Your baby is coming, Jag. We simply have to make the best of it."
Jag frowned. "What if something goes wrong? Jaina is still weak."
Syal did not have a good answer; all she could do was try to offer some of her strength to her son. "I don't think your wife came this far to have something happen now. Jaina is stronger than you think. Childbirth is all about wanting something so terribly you will endure any punishment to have it. Why else do you think I went through it five times?"
"I am beginning to think it was because you were insane."
Mother and son grinned at each other until a voice demanded their attention. "Hello, out there. Someone's itching to make her way into the world in here."
Jag sprinted back into the room. It was obvious from the look on Jaina's face she was trying to fight pushing, but the effort was harder than actually performing the deed itself. Jag resigned himself to the fact his daughter was coming now and settled onto the bed for the long haul. Just like his mother had showed him, he slipped an arm behind Jaina so he could help her bear down when the next contraction came. Jaina relaxed against him as the contraction waned.
Syal put on her game face and moved to the foot of the bed where all the real action was taking place. "Are you ready?" Jaina nodded. "You let us know when you feel like pushing, and we will take it from there."
"Okay." Jaina glanced up at Jag through her moist bangs, and grinned her Solo-grin. "A kiss for luck?"
Jag bent over and gently placed his lips on hers, like she were a fragile piece of glass. He pulled away. "I love you."
"I hoped so, because you are about to be stuck with two of me…AAAAA! Now!"
Jag helped Jaina roll up so she was grabbing her knees, supporting her back as the strongest of the contractions yet came. Jaina instinctively began breathing in short breaths, probably a result of her Jedi training. Jag felt like he was pushing with her, his whole body tensed with the effort of watching and helping. Syal glanced up and spoke encouragingly to Jaina.
"That's right, Jaina. You're doing wonderful."
Somewhere near the end of the pushing cycle, a slight moan escaped Jaina's lips. It was the first cry she had made. Jaina, exhausted by the effort, fell back against Jag. He wiped a towel across her forehead quickly while he had a free hand.
Jaina glanced down at Syal. "And you did this five times?"
"Of course. Aren't you glad I didn't stop at one?"
"Considering the predicament I am in, no."
"I will let you in on a secret. Jag was the easiest. He came out just like this. My water broke and a couple hours later there he was, all screaming and handsome. It hurt a little more, but it was over quickly." Another contraction started, but Syal kept on talking as Jag helped Jaina up again. "Each baby's birth is a hint to the person they are going to be."
Jaina turned red, but she kept her eyes on Syal, listening over the hiss of her breathing. "Take Davin, his birth was text book perfect, exactly the average length of labor, exactly the average number of pushes, it hurt but not too bad. Davin was just like that as a man – exact to the numbers. Jag, on the other hand came out in a flurry, attacking the world. He tried to do it feet first, but somehow they got him turned around. His delivery hurt like none of the others. There is a price to pay for loving a man like that; it has to hurt but the rewards make it all worth while."
Jaina nodded once as her body went limp. Syal smiled. "Just a couple more. She's crowning already."
Jag wiped back a tendril of sweaty hair, which had tumbled over Jaina's face during the exertion. "You are doing great, sweetheart."
Trying to regain control of her ragged breathing, Jaina forced a faint-hearted smile. She reached up, wiping the back of her hand against Jag's cheek. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"What, fatherhood?"
A blink of the eyes was the only indication of a reply Jaina gave as tensing of her body indicated the start of another contraction. Jag picked Jaina up; she offered no assistance any more, relying completely on him to put her in the right position to bear down.
"Do you remember when I came to the orphanage on Naboo after the Battle of Bimm?"
Jaina croaked an affirmative in between pants.
"I watched you pick that little girl up in your arms and hold her while you told that story about you and Jacen. I knew then I couldn't wait for the war to end so we could start our own family. There was something beautiful about the way you held that child in your arms. I know you will be a wonderful mother; I only hope I can be half the father."
Jaina cried out, ending Jag's soliloquy. He glanced to his mother for some reassurance as Jaina slumped in his arms.
"Her shoulders are out. Just one more, Jaina."
There was no acknowledgement from Jaina. In fact she almost appeared to pass out as she closed her eyes. After a fearful moment, Jag recognized her expression. She was falling into the Force to bolster her strength, reaching for some unseen power to aid in her effort. A fleeting smile crossed her lips.
Jaina opened her eyes, now brighter than before. "Mom's here. Jace, too."
For a moment Jag's heart about broke. His only regret for Jaina being on Csilla was that Jaina's family would miss out on the unfolding events, or more importantly that Jaina would miss having her family present. Jaina glanced over, probably sensing his mood.
"Don't worry. We will all be together soon enough." She grimaced. "It's time."
Jag lifted Jaina up, supporting her back again. His hands were amazed at the sheer strength of the muscles exerting themselves under the splay of his hands. Jaina gritted her teeth, and Jag found himself locking his own jaw in anticipation. Out of the blue, a low wail, barely recognizable for what it was came from his wife's lips, and she seemed to push harder than ever before.
His mother encouraged the effort. "That's it. You can do it, Jaina?"
With one last cry, Jaina bore every ounce of her being into the effort and fell back into Jag's arms, completely spent. Syal sat in stunned silence at the foot of the bed. It was not until Jaina struggled to lift her head and look down at Syal that Jag realized what had happened. Glancing down at his mother, now beaming from ear to ear, Jag's breath left in a hiss.
Syal tore her gaze away from the sight in her arms. "You have a beautiful baby girl." Tears began to flow.
Jag stuttered, the first time in his life. "I-i-is she…"
"Come see for yourself."
A little reluctantly, Jag placed Jaina against the pillows, and moved toward his mother. As the tiny infant first came into sight, his heart forgot everything and only knew the blooming of a new kind of love. The first hiccough of sound emitted from his daughter's lips stopped him in his tracks.
Syal held his daughter up. Jag scanned her wet, purplish-red body quickly. There was a swatch of dark hair, dark eyes of still yet indeterminate color, two arms, two legs, ten fingers, and ten toes. To the outward eye she was complete. A matched pair of tears traced down his cheeks.
"Come on, Jagged. We need to cut the cord so Mommy can see her perfect baby." Shamed into action, Jag hurriedly came to his mother's aid. Syal held the whimpering infant out. "Here take your daughter while I clamp off the umbilical cord."
Jag accepted his daughter into his arms. She was so small, she barely spanned his two hands and felt as light as his fighter helmet. That something so precious could come from him was seemingly impossible.
Syal's words broke the reverie. "All done. Take her to Mom."
Jag gingerly placed one foot in front of the other until he was at Jaina's side. His eyes never left his daughter. Her arms wiggled in small motions as she fought to become accustomed to life outside the womb. Jaina reached up and touched their daughter tentatively; instantly the baby calmed in his arms.
"Yes, that's your Mommy. Do you want to meet her?"
The crying renewed with more vigor now as Jaina removed her hand to adjust her position. Once she was settled, Jag lowered the infant into her arms. Again, a touch was all that was needed to silence the cries. As Jaina brought the bundle of arms and legs down to her chest, a profound change crossed her face. Everything she had fought so hard for had come to pass, and now she was left with a whole family – a legacy of her love for Jag and his for her. Jaina recognized life for the beautiful gift that it was.
Syal came around from the other side of the bed and softly settled onto the mattress. She stroked Jaina's wet hair. "Your mother would have been proud."
A tear slipped out of Jaina's eye; the first of many to come she was sure. "Thanks."
"So are you two going to finally tell me what you decided to name this beautiful daughter of yours?"
Jaina looked to Jag, who urged her on. "Go on, you tell her. It was your idea."
Jaina stared at her daughter as she answered the question. "Her name is Keira. It means blessed."
"And that she is. Keira Fel, how absolutely wonderful that sounds."
Jag reached down and fingered his daughter's small fist gently. "We haven't decided on a middle name yet."
Jaina glanced over. "Actually I might have come up with a perfect one. I thought of it during one of the pushes."
"How could you do any thinking during all that? All I remember thinking was get this thing out of me." Syal winked mischievously at her son.
"I was thinking how insane this all was – me, hear in the middle of a blizzard, before the start of winter season, which by the way is an oxymoron on Csilla…"
Jag knew instantly what his wife had in mind, and it made perfect sense. "Winter. You want to call her Keira Winter Fel."
"Yes."
Jag placed his palm tenderly on Keira's forehead. "I couldn't imagine a better name."
The visibility outside the transparisteel windshield was so poor that Soontir had trouble making out the front end of the speeder, let alone the winding road to the estate. A trip that usually took thirty minutes was approaching one hour, and they were still a few turns from the front gate. From there it would be a straight shot to the house down the drive. Usually, Soontir could have made this drive with his eyes closed, but at the reduced speed forced by the raging blizzard and buffeting winds, he had to recall every turn in his memory at a painstakingly slow rate.
At the very last second Soontir realized he had to make a sharp left or crash into the sheer wall of the cliff he was winding his way up. The solid wall covered in a swath of snow and ice was barely distinguishable from the dense cloud of snowflakes, but the general knew it was there. Using one hand to bank left, Soontir reached over with the other to shunt extra power to the forward repulsors. His maneuver caused the speeder to bounce off the wall against the repulsor cushion, sending the vehicle's nose high before it crashed back onto the road facing the correct direction.
For the first time, Doctor Tarado moved from the position Soontir had forcibly deposited him earlier, clutching the door handle with a vice grip. Unlike most Chiss, he was not the stoic, harsh type, but had grown soft, stuck in the safe confines of a medical facility throughout his career. The doctor was getting along in years; he had been practicing for nearly a quarter century at the time he had delivered the Fel's first baby. Soontir imagined that in none of those years had the poor Chiss been dragged from the comfort of his office and practically kidnapped by a client. The Baron had never given the doctor a choice. Although by the pallor of his blue skin, Soontir wondered if Doctor Tarado might be utterly useless once they arrived at the estate.
Soontir negotiated a sweeping turn to the right, then followed the long final sweep skirting the edge of the estate. One more right turn followed, and they were passing through the gates. Edging the throttle forward, Soontir barreled down the final straight road to the front of his home. He did not ease up until the lights of the front windows were visible.
The speeder dropped onto the snow as the repulsors powered off. Soontir was out of the speeder and around to the passenger door in a few long strides. He raised the door, then offered a hand to the aging doctor, steadying him in the brisk winds of the storm. Together the Chiss physician and Soontir scaled the front stairs. A deft flick of the hand at the controls caused the front door to open, revealing the warm light of the house.
The doctor entered the foyer before the general. Both shook their parkas off, snow falling to the ground and melting immediately at their feet. Doctor Tarado removed his outerwear as Soontir bellowed up the stairs.
"Syal, are you up there?"
Seconds later, a beaming blonde head appeared around the corner at the top of the stairwell. "You decided to join us finally I see."
Soontir urged the doctor up the stairs, grabbing the parka and throwing it aside, then removing his own parka hurriedly in turn. "How's Jaina?"
Syal stepped out from the shield of the corner, so she was in plain view. She was busy drying her hands with a towel. "The mother is fine," Syal practically beamed.
Catching the doctor halfway up the staircase, Soontir frowned at his slow progress; he was sure Jaina could make it faster in her condition. "I got here as soon as I could." Both men topped the stairs. "How close is she?"
Syal giggled. "Oh, we're done. You have a healthy, beautiful granddaughter waiting to meet you."
The Chiss doctor muttered something in his native language and pushed past Syal, heading for the bedroom. Syal wrapped an arm around her husband's and proceeded to drag him along. "Come on, you crazy man." She shook her head. "Flying in that blizzard, sometimes I wonder if you men have any sense at all."
At the doorway to the bedroom, Soontir halted, taking in the sight. Jaina, settled against some pillows on the bed, handed a tiny bundle to his son. The expression of love passing between the couple was breathtaking. Soontir remembered that feeling, like he had experienced it for the first time yesterday, taking Davin as a newborn into his arms.
Syal squeezed her arm around his. "Isn't it priceless?"
Soontir could only manage a nod as he watched Jag hold the tiny baby for the doctor. Setting his medical bag down, the Chiss doctor accepted the mewing infant with a comfortable ease. He turned and placed the baby on the foot of the bed. Everyone watched in a hushed silence as he examined the baby, running several scans and listening to her heart and lungs.
Turning to Jaina, Doctor Tarado addressed her directly in perfect Basic. "I will need to run more tests at the medical facility once the storm wanes to be sure, but after a preliminary evaluation your daughter appears to be strong and healthy. Now let's have a look at you."
Jaina's mouth flapped open, but uttered no sound for a moment. Doctor Tarado handed the baby to Jag, who smiled appreciatively, before turning back to his patient. "What is the matter? Has a tusk-cat got your tongue?"
Jaina blurted out a reply. "You spoke in Basic."
"Of course. I prefer to speak in my own tongue, but no mother should have to wait for someone to translate that she has a healthy baby. Wouldn't you agree?"
Jaina chuckled as she dipped her head in consent. "I am learning Chiss. It is very difficult to master."
Doctor Tarado settled on the bed next to her. "Well, after today you will have plenty of time to practice. Consider this a one time deal."
Jag backed away from the bed, keeping a careful eye to Jaina's examination, until he was by his father's side. He held Keira out so his father could get a better look. "Father, I would like you to meet Keira Winter Fel."
Soontir's heart melted at the sight of the tiniest baby he had ever seen. None of his children had been this small; she was so tiny one might fear losing her. She did have the same swatch of dark hair Jag had come into the world with and possessed a healthy, rosy glow. As she wriggled in her father's arms, Keira emitted a cry that promised a strong set of lungs.
"Do you want to hold her?"
Soontir tore his eyes away from his granddaughter to meet his son's proud green eyes. "I would be honored."
As gently as possible, Soontir accepted the tiny bundle. He marveled at the light feel in his hands, which she fit into easily. Almost instantly, Keira quieted. Her squirming protests tapered to silence and a peaceful calm washed across her face. Soontir raised her up to make a closer examination.
"Hello, Keira Winter. I am your Grandpa Fel. You and I are going to have the best of times, and I am going to spoil you rotten, so rotten that you will think I am the best Grandpa in the whole galaxy."
From across the room a sharp retort broke the moment. "I heard that, Dad!"
Soontir beamed up at Jaina as Jag and Syal laughed on either side of him. "You can't fault a guy for trying."
Syal rubbed her husband's back as she gazed down at Keira, nestled in his big arms. "Let's give Jaina some privacy while the doctor examines her."
Soontir held Keira out to Jag. "Take your daughter, Son. I know Jaina won't want the wee one out of her sight quite yet."
Jag removed Keira from his father's arms tenderly. Both parents exchanged a glance, grinning at the ease with which their son cradled his own daughter against his chest. Syal started to tug at Soontir's arm, but he held firm.
"One moment," the Fel patriarch begged his wife. Soontir strode across the room, until he was on the opposite side of the bed as the doctor. "Excuse me, Doctor."
The Chiss physician ignored the general, still miffed over his abduction. Undaunted, Soontir bent over and placed a kiss on Jaina's forehead, as Doctor Tarado continued his scan.
"Your father would be proud, young lady. You have once again delivered in true Solo fashion."
Rane dodged a platoon of pilots leaving the simulator room before making a turn down the hallway housing the senior staff of the Naboo Defense Force. His uncle had stayed behind after the Battle of Naboo, acting as a liaison between the Galactic Alliance military and the newly established NDF. Being that the newly reorganized Spike Squadron was assigned to the Trickster's Sword still in orbit over the planet, it was nice to have family nearby, especially when there was news to share.
Ending his sprint from the hangar in front of the door with the name placard – General Wedge Antilles – Rane inhaled deeply and straightened his uniform. One last pat on his flight suit pocket revealed his precious cargo was still in place. Rane activated the door with a swipe of the same hand and stepped inside. An administrative aide offered a cheery smile.
"Can I help you, Captain Fel?"
"Is my uncle available?"
Raucous laughter drifted out of the interior office. The aide offered Rane a mischievous grin. "Feel free to venture in, but do so at your own risk."
Rane arched a brow curiously, then walked the short distance to the door leading into his uncle's private office. The door swished open to reveal, not his uncle steeped in work, but rather, a cluster of pilots well past their prime propped casually in chairs, glasses of lomin ale in a hand or set before them on a table covered in credit chips and sabacc cards.
A dashing dark-haired man was the first to notice the new arrival. He swung his legs off the table, landing them on the floor with a thud. "Look Wedge, a new sucker for our game."
Wedge spun in his seat, an alcohol-brightened grin forming on his lips. "Rane, come in; come in. Do you know everyone?"
Rane stiffened to attention as he recognized the famed pilots of yesteryear. "Only by reputation, sir."
Wedge stood and walked over to his nephew, slapping an arm around the young man's shoulders. "Everyone, this is my nephew Captain Rane Fel, newly promoted I might add. Rane, these are the best damn friends a man could ever have." Wedge started pointing to each in turn. "Gavin Darklighter, Wes Janson, and I believe you know Tycho Celchu."
All the veteran pilots nodded in turn; Wes slid his chair over making room for Rane as Wedge dropped back into his seat. "Sit. Let us strip you of your father's riches, young Fel."
Rane grinned. "Jaina has already taught me the pitfalls of gambling with any Rogue pilots. I know better than to engage any of you in sabacc. I am not entirely sure you guys don't cheat."
Wes snorted. "Well, of course we do." He turned to Wedge with a look of contrived concern. "Haven't you been able to break the Fel out of this young man yet?"
Wedge laughed and started to reply, when Rane, unable to keep the news to himself any longer, spoke out of turn. "I hate to interrupt your game, Uncle Wedge, but I have an important message from home."
Wedge jumped from his seat, knocking credit chips off the table and sending sabacc cards flying. "Word from Csilla?"
Rane flashed a smile reminiscent of his mother's enchanting grin. "Yes."
Wedge's eyes flew wide open. "Well, out with it."
Rane shook his head. "It is a holomessage. I have not viewed it. I felt the effect would be more worthwhile if everyone viewed it together being that it was addressed to the Solos, myself and you. I figured with your connections you could locate the Solos, and we could all meet somewhere."
"Now, there's a plan."
Wedge rushed around the office gathering his things. He fell into the seat behind his desk and flicked on the commstation. A few seconds later, Iella appeared on the screen.
"Hello, Wedge. The boys run you out of money in the weekly card game already?"
Wedge forced the semblance of a hurt frown. "No, I was holding my own, thank you. I wonder if you could tell me where Governor Solo is this evening?"
Iella arched an eyebrow. "Problems?"
"No, our nephew stopped by. He has a message from Csilla."
Iella turned away and accessed her datastation. A moment later she addressed Wedge. "According to the latest security report, Leia cancelled all her afternoon appointments and went home after feeling ill earlier in the day."
Gavin interjected a thought from across the room. "I had seen on the holovids that she had collapsed at the government center, but her press aide dismissed it later as a minor stomach ailment."
A flash of brilliance beamed in Wedge's eye. "We'll take the news to her. That should cure Leia right up." Before Iella could reply, Wedge added, "See you at the Solo's, gorgeous." Then he flicked off the transmission.
Seconds later, a flight's worth of old Rogues ushered Rane out through the outer office and into the hall. Wedge threw the access key to his speeder at Rane. "Guess you're driving, big fellow."
It was quite a scene as Rane followed his uncle and his compatriots through the halls of the NDF headquarters. The men acted more like Rane and his academy classmates, than the distinguished heroes of several wars. No one who passed the laughing, joking bunch seemed the least bit offended by their antics. At home or on the Trickster's Sword, such behavior would be extremely frowned upon. It did not take long for the infectious mood of the gang to trickle past Rane's ingrained barriers, and he, too, was laughing with his uncle's friends.
Wedge's speeder was parked just outside the NDF headquarters building on a side street. As the light-hearted group fell into the large vehicle, a smaller speeder marked with Jedi Council emblems pulled into the adjacent parking space. Rane recognized the driver immediately. He stepped back from the driver's door, addressing his uncle who was climbing into the front passenger seat.
"Uncle, if you will excuse me, I will be right back."
Wedge tipped his head then plopped down into the passenger's seat.
Rane called after the young blonde woman who had emerged from the Jedi Council speeder. "Tahiri."
Tahiri spun around, her long braid whipping around with the motion and landing over her shoulder. She smiled when she recognized Rane jogging over. "Hey, Rane."
Rane ended standing directly in front of Tahiri, his smile matching hers in its genuine warmth. "I was about to call you."
Tahiri gazed up at Rane with a curious expression; her smile receded slightly. "Is there a problem?"
"No, not really. It's just that I promised we would go out tonight, but something has come up."
Her smile disappeared completely. "Oh."
Rane reached over and grabbed her hand, ignoring the muted whistles and calls emanating from his uncle's speeder. "It's not like I am happy about it. Can you please look at me?" Rane waited until she complied. Tahiri's eyes strayed for a moment to the commotion in the parked speeder. Rane smiled when he had her attention. "An urgent message came from Csilla today addressed to myself, the Solos and the Antilles. I am on my way to take my uncle and his band of inebriated cohorts over to the Solo residence to deliver the message."
Tahiri squeezed his hand, and a twinkle came to her eye. "Do you think it is about the baby?"
Rane nodded.
"Oh, this is so perfect. I just came over here to check on the status of Jacen's shuttle. He, Kyp and Valin were inbound from who knows where. They sent a message asking for me to pick them up."
"So, you are not mad?"
"Are you kidding? This is great news. Do me a favor though – drive the long route. Maybe I can get the others and meet you there. I would hate for Jacen to miss the big announcement."
"I think I can manage that, but don't take too long. This datacard," he patted his chest pocket, "is burning a hole in my pocket." He bent over and pecked Tahiri on the forehead with a quick kiss. The volume of cheers in the parked speeder behind him hit new record levels.
Tahiri giggled. "See you, if you make it through the ride there."
Rane rolled his eyes. "Nothing like babysitting your uncle. I will see you in a bit." Then he turned and walked back to the speeder.
The hoots and jeers only grew louder as Rane approached. He opened the door and dropped into the driver's seat, closing the door quickly behind him. As Rane powered on the speeder, he glanced over at his uncle. Wedge smirked at his nephew with a mischievous gleam in his eye.
"Got yourself a pretty one there, Rane."
Wes piped in from behind. "Probably couldn't resist after hearing about all the amazing feats Jedi are capable of from his brother."
Gavin smacked Wes on the back of the head. "Careful there. That's one of my former pilots you are talking about."
Rane turned a deaf ear to the remainder of the conversation as he entered the traffic stream. The Solo residence was located at the outskirts of the city. He could have driven straight through the heart of downtown, but instead he chose the scenic route around Theed, following the river as it wrapped from one side to the other.
A short while later, the checkpoint leading into the restricted part of the city, where many of the leaders and dignitaries including his uncle lived, came into view. Approaching the roadblock, Rane slowed the speeder to a stop as his uncle leaned over and flashed his identification to the soldier. The enlisted man saluted sharply and raised the gate, allowing them to pass.
It was only a couple of quick turns until they reached the townhome belonging to Han and Leia Solo. Several speeders were already parked in front. As Rane maneuvered his speeder into a spot several homes down from their destination, Tahiri's speeder blasted past. In a crazy move, the driver, who was not the blonde Jedi, whipped the vehicle in a spin, settling into the spot next to Rane.
The Rogue veterans filed out, making their way to the townhome, while Rane waited for the others. Kyp popped out of the driver's side of the Jedi Council speeder, followed by Tahiri on the front passenger side. Jacen and Valin emerged seconds behind. All the Jedi were grinning from ear to ear.
Jacen called over to Rane as the Corellian pilot moved toward Tahiri. "I hear you have got some news."
A sudden fear gripped Rane's gut. There were a lot of people showing up at the Solo residence under the pretense that he had good news on that datacard. It was quite possible the news could be disastrous. Tahiri must have sensed his fears for she grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"Don't worry. It's good news. Jacen would know if it weren't." Rane tipped his head, somewhat reassured. Then Tahiri tugged his hand. "Come on. Everyone's going to beat us inside."
Rane and Tahiri walked hand in hand to the entrance of the Solo home. Ahead, the veteran pilots and the other male Jedi where trickling in through the front door. Topping the steps, Rane found Han Solo greeting all the arrivals. At the sight of Rane, the ex-smuggler's grin grew exponentially.
"I hear you have a message from home."
"I do, sir."
Han beckoned the couple inside with an open palm. The fact that Rane clasped Tahiri's hand did not go unnoticed, and Han winked at the blonde Jedi. "Come in. News spreads fast among the Jedi. We have quite a crowd waiting."
Rane and Tahiri entered the foyer, then followed the crowd into a large living room. Rane balked at the sheer number of people gathered. In addition to his uncle's group and the Jedi who came with Tahiri, there was Iella and her girls, Tycho Celchu's wife Winter, the entire Skywalker clan, the Horn family, and a dark-skinned man recognizable as the infamous Lando Calrissian. Leia Solo sat on the couch with Mara; Ben was crawling between the two women.
Han caught up with Rane in the family room as everyone offered a friendly greeting. There seemed to be a lot of reuniting going on, Corran and Mirax were wrestling their son into a family hug. At the same time, Jacen scooted onto the couch to embrace his mother.
"So how about that disc?" Han was holding out his hand.
Rane retrieved the datacard from his pocket and passed it to Han. "Here you go, sir."
Han studied the datacard for a moment. A strange, wistful expression wafted across his face momentarily before he reverted to his cheery self. Han marched through the crowd and slipped the disc into the holoprojector. After touching a couple of keys, an image sprang to life.
Situated on a bed, Jaina sat propped against a cluster of pillows, a tiny bundle in her arms and Jag at her side. The excited din of the room fell at the sight until the Solo living room was utterly silent. Jaina began to speak.
"Hello to all our family. Jag and I wanted the chance to introduce you to the newest member of the Solo-Fel clans. The Chiss were kind enough to grant us this opportunity to send out a message without the usual delays."
Jaina held the bundle up, and the holo zoomed in to reveal the tiny face hidden in the folds of the blanket. "Everyone, we would like you to meet Keira Winter Fel, born only a couple of hours ago. Mother and baby are doing fine, despite the fact she was born at home during a blizzard or, as Soontir says, in true Solo fashion."
The picture panned out to show the whole new Fel family again. "I can't begin to tell everyone how much I appreciate what each one of you has done to make this day possible, but…"
Jaina choked on a sob, and Jag took over where Jaina's voice failed her. "We want everyone to know our hearts and love go out to each of you. I am the happiest man alive today, with these two beautiful women in my life. We hope to be able to introduce Keira to you personally soon."
Jag glanced at Jaina, who watched as he finished her thoughts. She smiled as he wiped a tear away from her cheek. Jaina faced the front again. "I don't have time to speak to everyone specifically, because we have to keep this short, but I have one message that can't wait. Mom, Dad, I want you both to know how much I, no we, missed having you here. You were in my heart through it all. I am who I am today because of you. I only hope Jag and I can be as good as parents as you both were to me. Thanks for making me who I am. I love you."
The image faded out, and the hush of the room was broken by the sniffles of Leia. Jacen started to wrap his mother in a hug when another image appeared unexpectedly. Syal and Soontir Fel sat side by side beaming out at everyone. Syal spoke in a hushed voice.
"We wanted to add this to the end of the message without Jaina knowing. Leia, I know as a mother you worry, but I just wanted to reassure you that Jaina came through the delivery like a star. The delivery was not long, and she should be back on her feet in no time. Soontir and I are honored to have Jaina as part of our family and have treated her as one of our own. We look forward to the day you can meet your beautiful granddaughter as well. Han, Soontir promises not to poison Keira against you. Once you both have equal opportunity to spoil her, the two of you can have a go at it."
The Baron grinned mischievously as Syal winked, then the image faded. A message replaced the holo. It read:
Keira Winter Fel, you are a blessing from the Force, born from the love of two warriors who were only trying to find the meaning of peace. You snuck up on us in the middle of a blizzard and stole our hearts. It was all worth it. – Jaina Solo-Fel
Keira's image appeared below the message just to drive the point home. After a brief spell of hushed awe, the room awoke with rounds of well-wishes and hearty congratulations. Rane was amazed at the feeling of acceptance directed his way and received it all graciously. A strong arm around his shoulder caught Rane's attention. He looked over at the beaming face of Han Solo. With his other hand Han held out a small glass filled with a deep amber liquid.
"Jaina scammed this off your dad before Jacen left Csilla. I think she intended for it to be put to good use."
Rane took the proffered drink. "That she did, sir."
Han removed his arm from Rane's shoulders and stepped over so the two men were face to face. Leia leaned over the back of the couch and grabbed her husband's outstretched hand. The couple shared an unspoken thought before Han spoke.
"Your father will keep his word, and not spoil my granddaughter rotten until I get a fair shake at it?"
Rane chuckled. "Fels always keep their word."
Han nodded. "Your brother, he's a good man, isn't he?"
"The best." Rane offered with all the seriousness of the question.
Han held up his glass. "That's what I thought; just like this brandy, only the best for my little girl." He laughed. "My two little girls."
Rane held his glass up in a toast. "I will drink to that."
The two men emptied their glasses in unison, then offered contorted grins at each other as the smooth liquid seared its way down their throats. Impulsively, Han dragged his wife over the back of the couch, shoving his glass into Rane's free hand so he could wrap both arms around her.
Han beamed down at Leia. "Sweet Force Princess, we're grandparents!"
Leia giggled, love reflecting in her brown eyes. "Yes, we are, you crazy old fool. Now kiss me until I forget."
End of Chapter 39
TKL/h94