Orion woke to panic. Or did he wake fully at all? Partially, it seems, when he roused and suddenly, his wife was gone. As if he'd only just noticed the empty space and the light emanating from beneath the door of the refresher; Orion shuffled onto his backside, checked the time and waited. 5.00am: half an hour before he was due to rise anyway.
Three months since their private wedding on Naboo and word had spread like wildfire from no one. The evening they returned to Finalizer in time for his command the next morning, they were scarcely off the ship before he was informed that a com call waited. It appeared his father's spy network spanned deep into harmless bureaucracy and the name had sent stylist-pushers scurrying when it entered the system. Needless to say, Brendol Hux was not pleased and commed his son upon the revelation to broadcast that displeasure.
The official marriage was delayed but that mattered little to a blissfully happy couple, especially when fate prevailed and it powered through to grant the holo-cert that made it legitimate to everyone else. Now though….
"Lucilla?" This was the third time; that morning and twice the morning before that. Rushing suddenly in a tossing flurry of sheets and a hurried scraping of the door, it was no secret what she craved the privacy for.
"I'm fine!" Came the choked, strained reply after a few moments of tell-tale coughing and spluttering. "I'm…. I'm fine; I'm coming." Still, Orion waited; sitting up and anxious until she appeared, white-faced with her midnight locks strewn over one shoulder.
"This is the third time." As if she didn't know. Lucilla hovered near the door with the taste of toothpaste fresh in her mouth, almost shamefaced; like she had confused concern for disappointment and disgust.
"I know…. I'm sorry…."
"It is not an apology I want, Lucilla; I want you to see a medic." Realizing he had been too abrupt after being woken without warning; now, he implored her. "This is the second morning in a row, Darling; I simply detest seeing you in any sort of discomfort." With a prick of guilt for the perceived overreaction, Orion fixed the pillows thrown asunder and gathered back the sheets she'd rumpled in her haste; little actions to entice her back to bed. "Come, love. Please."
Uncertain, she re-paced the pilgrimage to the bed, to where he waited with open arms and an apologetic air.
"I'm sorry I woke you." Lucilla sighed, slotted to Orion's side while two command-strong arms enveloped her and brought her closer to his chest. "You're supposed to be getting up in a little while, that last half an hour is crucial…."
"You worry too much, little dove." The consoling kiss to her temple did the trick to reassure her; dropping his voice out of consideration for his wife's delicate ears as he rocked her carefully. "I will send for a medic as soon as I get to the bridge; I doubt I would be able focus without the reassurance that you're alright."
"Very well…"
"And you need not walk me to the bridge." He added, holding her firm when she stiffened out of protest; he wanted her to break a favourite habit of six months old?! "I would prefer you to rest until the medic has given you the all clear."
When he got up a half an hour later to shower and dress, Lucilla watched dolefully and stayed grudgingly; accepting the parting kiss without moving, like the norm before Starkiller blew.
Little more than an hour after Orion left, Lieutenant Mitaka arrived with her breakfast and a gentle explanation of when she was finished, that she was to accompany him to the medical bay. It seemed an in-house visit would not be sufficient when Dr Audin learned the identity of the patient; the General's wife who'd had a uterine transplant just over four months previous. Cloaked, with an entourage of the Lieutenant and two armed Stormtroopers, Lucilla did as requested.
"And everything has been fine?" Dr Audin pressed once Lucilla had presented herself, the Stormtroopers had disbanded and Mitaka waited loyally outside to be dismissed or sent to find the General.
The standard examination table would not do for this particular patient, fragile and all as she was. Instead, she occupied a bed reserved for more prominent guests; a similar one she had occupied after her surgery, in fact.
"Perfect." She countered while he flicked through his holopad for answers; jumping between recent test results and her old file, looking for something that stood out. "Never better."
"You've been feeling well? Aside from these little bouts? Are there any patterns that you've noticed?"
"No, I've been normal; very much so. I feel fine right up until I get sick and fine after it, no ill feeling to forewarn me."
Audin nodded without taking his eyes from the data file, but still at a loss.
"I'm not overly concerned." She continued, mirroring her sentiments in tone. "But Orion is worried..." Audin didn't outwardly react to his superior being called by his closely-guarded first name or the fact that the ruthless, emotionless lump of callousness was worried about the wife he adored. But Audin didn't doubt it, he'd seen it before. "I'm assuming I just ate something that didn't agree with me yesterday or the day before... We dined separately yesterday, you see."
"It could easily be a bug." Audin half agreed, lifting his spectacles to rub the bridge of his nose. "Food poisoning, not so much. There is one more test I'd like to do before I discharge you completely. Though I sincerely hope it comes back negative."
How does one be subtle when they're trying to gain another's attention? Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka had it down to a tee.
"The Dreadnought is not only on schedule, it's surpassing all our estimations in the smaller components also." Captain Cannedy, a robust and heavy faced man whose accent wasn't quite as clipped as his colleagues, paused in his status report to General Hux. "The ones we expected would need more fine tuning; the micro-computers and the like. All progressing better than initially proposed."
"Excellent." The bridge served as the meeting point with not a lot of time afforded. Captain Cannedy preferred to return to the Dreadnought's construction site with little delay but still had the foresight to present the data to the General in person. "They won't outrun us now. Fleet killers... That's what they'll call them." Hux paused, internally impressed with the advanced condition of the schematics projected from the table top. "And the hyperdrive tracking systems? Have the modifications been applied?"
"…..One of very few setbacks." Cannedy admitted hesitantly under the General's interrogative glare. "Our top engineers are sparing no effort or time in ensuring it's perfect." Placating Hux was imperative. "It's a difficult feat, as I'm sure you can appreciate and while progress is slow, it's certainly sure-"
"Offer incentives." Hux intervened, eyes lifting from the Dreadnought's anatomy to glance Lieutenant Mitaka hovering nearby before re-immersing himself in the diagnostics. "A significant salary boost to the engineer who makes the breakthrough; we shall see how quickly it's done then. What is it, Lieutenant?" Naturally, Cannedy turned too to see what could be as important as the Dreadnought.
"You're required in the medbay, sir." Mitaka answered placidly, hands clasped behind his back in the appropriate was to answer his superiour. Disdained, Hux sighed, clearly unaware of the reasoning or the magnitude.
"What is it?"
"It's your wife, sir." Instantly ripped from the juggernaut of a battleship, Hux was piqued and the Captain was curious. Brisk, booted footsteps pivoted from the table to lessen the distance between him and his Lieutenant while he tried to maintain a professional and stoic demeanour. Still, panic clawed and he fought to keep his mask from slipping.
"Did something happen?!"
"I was not privy to that information, sir. She just asked me to fetch you." She just asked…. She must have been alright…. Or maybe she wasn't…. What if it was some awful disease where she coughed his name on her deathbed?! What if-?!
"Very well…. You're dismissed, Lieutenant." Calling down the holoprints of the Dreadnought while Mitaka left, Hux turned to the overly curious Captain Cannedy. "Thank you for your time, Captain; I appreciate the personal presentation but if you'll excuse me, there is a pressing matter in the medbay." Cannedy opened his mouth but the General was already halfway off the bridge, calling as he went. "I will expect another briefing in one standard week!"
"Lucilla!" Charging into the medbay with a little less decorum than he would have liked, Orion had only one focus and alarm sang when he didn't see her immediately. "Lucilla?!" He rounded on the rustling of a curtain.
"In here." Audin stepped out and held the fabric aloft for the General to step past him; to swap places and, ultimately, give them privacy. Face unreadable, the doctor waited to relinquish his grasp; something Orion took instinctively until he found himself in the cordoned space with enough room for a chair and a bed.
"Little dove…." Orion's voice almost cracked with relief when he found her sitting up in bed, seemingly unharmed and well but when that enchanting face turned with snail-trail tear stains on her cheeks, he halted. Doing his best to gauge her, the redhead's approach was slow and measured until the bed restricted him from venturing further; from there, he perched himself close and waited for an explanation. He waited and waited but when he looked down, the closer inspection afforded him another observation; the subtle, scarcely noticeable pull at the corners of her mouth. Just to add to his bewilderment, of course. "Lucilla…. What-"
The answer didn't take the form of words; rather, the soft titters of sweet music from the little creature in the bed while she wiped another stray tear and sniffled her way through it. Cue Orion's perplexity to deepen. As if his presence completed something wonderful, the dark haired darling leaned back against her beloved's chest and sighed serenely; staring at nothing in particular.
"I'm pregnant."