Chapter Thirteen

Throughout my life, I had enjoyed learning new things and taking up new skills. One job I never would've ever believed I would do, however, was become a sap farmer. There wasn't much to the tapping part. All we had to do was maintain the lines that been strung through the forest years ago. The healthy Blba trees provided enough sap to provide not only for the village but every third month, a trade transport would arrive and buy the processed sap from the town leaders. It was the only export these villagers had and their only contact with the galaxy.

My job was menial seeing that Leia was due to make her appearance any day. Sy didn't want me to overwork myself, and so I walked to and fro checking the junctions of the sap lines. Once in a while, I would discover a leak and either fix it or replace the joint.

Obi-Wan and the other Jedi helped with the actual processing portion. It was hot and dirty work, which made me appreciate my assignment all the more. However, I missed being by his side although we typically stayed in constant mental communication.

It was an overcast day, with the lowered cloud bank threatening rain when I felt my first pain. It was dull at first but grew steadily and stretched along my back to my stomach. Immediately, Obi-Wan was alerted.

/What was that?/

I had a feeling it was the first labor contraction, although I wanted to be certain. Bant had warned me that I may experience false ones and had taught me how to tell the difference.

/Hold on,/ I told Obi-Wan calmly while I leaned against a tree. The cease of my movement, however, had drawn the attention of two elders who were also assigned to line testing. They rushed toward me as quickly as their old joints would allow.

/That had to be the real thing! How are you going to manage this?/

A half-smile lifted one side of my mouth. I had wondered if Obi-Wan was going to experience labor with me. I didn't want him to be in pain, but it somehow made it easier knowing that he was going to feel what I was.

"What is it?" one villager asked. "Is it the baby? Is it time?"

"Let's take you to the village," the other demanded. "One never knows how quickly this process may be. It's different every time."

I tried to calm my coworkers down to no avail. They actually seemed more thrilled about this than I was. It had been a long while since the village had celebrated the birth of a child. Apparently, most of the youth had abandoned their lives here on Dantooine and had left with the trade transports, leaving behind their parents and grandparents to carry on. There were very few children left in Dantoo Town.

When we'd been informed of their sad history, I immediately felt sorry for those left behind. Their hearts must've been broken. However, I quickly learned that most of the offspring returned from time to time to visit. Some had married and now had families of their own. The reunions were always pleasant, but the younglings were oftentimes grown. As far as I knew, no babies had been born in Dantoo Town for some time.

Therefore, I could understand their excitement. I just hoped none of them expected to actually witness the actual event. Bant and Obi-Wan were the only ones who had permission to do so. That was something I was going to have to make quite clear.

"I'm fine," I told the pair. "Let's get back to work. I'll let you know if anything else occurs."

"Are you sure? You can never be too safe. Perhaps you should go see that healer."

"Yes, she would know."

/I'm fine, really/ I told Obi-Wan.

"Let's get back to work," I pleaded before the two were finally convinced to return to their tasks.

I returned to the line I had checked last and followed it to the next juncture when a powerful spasm gripped my entire middle. All the way around this time. It was strong enough to force me to grab hold of the nearest object, which just so happened to be one of the sap lines. The flimsy piece of tubing wasn't strong enough to hold my weight and it collapsed. I stumbled, twisting in mid air to avoid landing on my stomach, but strong hands were there to help me recover and stand back up.

They couldn't have belonged to either one of old men in the forest with me, and I glanced up into the concerned eyes of Obi-Wan peering down at me. He had to have used the Force to travel that quickly to reach me in time.

"That wasn't normal, was it?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

My glee in him experiencing what I was quickly abated. I had changed my mind. If that last pain was just a hint at what I was going to feel, I didn't want him to have to suffer this along with me.

"How am I supposed to know?" I uttered, still dizzy from the experience. "I've never done this before!"

This was the wrong time to ask me a bunch of questions I had no answers to. I really didn't trust myself right now and there was no telling how I would respond!

"I'm taking you to Bant," he claimed. "And I promise not to ask any more questions."

His smile was charming and I usually appreciated his humor, but right now wasn't the time for it.

I didn't argue and Obi-Wan quickly swept me up in his arms. With the aid of the Force, we were in the processing building in just a few seconds and Obi-Wan was explaining to Bant what he had felt.

"That sounds extreme for such early labor. Let's take her to your quarters."

Everything was a little blurry, and Obi-Wan's voice sounded as if he were underwater. This isn't anything like I was expecting.

"Help her!" I heard Obi-Wan shout from far away and through a tunnel, nonetheless.

That was the last thing I heard before I woke up with a bundle in my arms and pain across my abdomen.

"Good, you're awake," the kind Calamarian smiled down at me.

"Where's Obi-Wan?" I sluggishly replied.

"He's been meditating on the Force and asking for its assistance. I've never seen him so scared. Frankly, I was forced to kick him out. He was being a huge nuisance."

Bant's large eyes were kind, as was her smile. I had never known a more empathetic individual. I not only appreciated her assistance, but her friendship.

"What happened?"

"The baby was breech and sucking on her thumb. My apologies, but I had to put you under while I used the Force to turn her into the proper position. It would've been too uncomfortable for you otherwise."

"But she's fine now?" I asked, gazing down at the sleeping infant in my arms.

"She's perfect," Bant happily informed me.

I could feel Obi-Wan's presence close by and lifted my head to see him sheepishly standing in the doorway.

"May I come in?"

"Don't be silly," Bant replied. "Come meet your daughter."

Obi-Wan stepped in, looked down at the life we had made, kissed me first and then asked my permission to hold her.

"Of course you can," I informed him. "She's your daughter."

"A daughter. I have a daughter!" he announced reverently, wearing the brightest smile I had ever seen on him. "She's beautiful."

"Of course she is," I agreed. "She looks just like her daddy."

Obi-Wan let out a soft raspberry of disbelief. "Not hardly. She has your eyes and hair."

"And your nose," I noted.

"Indeed," he sighed, running his fingers through brunette strands that were sticking straight up. "Poor thing. Don't you worry, honey," he continued, speaking directly to Leia. "If anyone ever makes fun of it, you come straight to me and I'll run my lightsaber right through them. Yes, I will!"

The last of his idle threat was spoken using baby talk, which caused me to chuckle, although I instantly regretted it.

"Ow," Obi-Wan replied. "Don't do that. It hurts."

"Don't I know it!"

A smiling Bant stepped up once more. "I'll leave you two alone for a while, although you are aware the entire village will be knocking on your door soon."

/She isn't kidding/ I informed Obi-Wan.

/I imagine the party is already being set up and it's going to be something we won't forget./

I gazed back at the child in my arms, the sight filling me with such joy and peace I had never known. I was suddenly and completely confident that my life could not get any better than this.