Chapter 22

Unknown Regions

Zeth pulled out of he tight turn to dive below the hull of one of the pirate's old Dreadnaughts. He was in a battle meld with Bail who was doing a si milar maneuver with the half of a squad he had been assigned with. Zeth wished he had been assigned with the Rogues, but instead he had been given a bomber flight of six fighters of the latest version of TIE bombers.

The Jedi had been called back to the Han Solo where General Shawnkyr gave them the rest of the details of the Jedi's mission which Admiral Fel eluded to when Zeth called him upon entering the battle. At first, Zeth thought the Admiral had lost his mind. The two Phantom-X's torpedo payloads were switched for the hastily put-together shadow bombs. They then were each to take half of the TIE squadron, Windspirits and then take a short jump and come back in behind the enemy. There he and Bail would take their flights and damage the capital ships by bringing down their shields with the shadow bombs and then the bombers would blow the hulls, hopefully taking the ships out of commission.

Zeth regretted not having enough time there before deploying with his half of the Windspirits to even look around the nearly empty main hangar bay for the one person he wanted to see most. But he knew he wouldn't find Cherith there. The Rogues would be out in the melee.

As the six bombers of the TIE squadron followed behind him in close cloaked formation, he let go of the two shadow bombs, making sure to keep them tucked under his ship and within the cloaking field. He had really never done this before today and took the first time or two to get the hang of it. He knew of the maneuver that the Jedi invented and perfected thirty-five years before during the Yuuzhan Vong war, but he had never even practiced it before and he had forgotten about it. In fact, he had to ask the general to refresh his memory of just exactly what she and the admiral wanted him and Bail to do. It had been more than little embarrassing that the Chiss general had to explain what exactly he and Bail were to do with the shadow bombs during the squad meeting in the same conference room he and Charith shared their first kiss. He could tell she was thoroughly enjoying telling the Jedi how they were to levitate the bombs to their targets and then trip the fuse with the Force. If Shawnkyr wasn't technically his commanding general and if Zeth wasn't hoping that someday she'd be his mother-in-law, he may have told her exactly what he thought of her explanation.

However, he had to admit that the strategy was working. He left go of the last pair bombs and they floated to just before the forward shield generator, which was near the command salon of the ship. There he caused them to explode; taking the generator with them, just as he had with the last five capital ships—another Dreadnaught, two large freighters and a very old ship that may have been a converted Neimoidian Clone Wars droid ship. Then he pulled up and looped away from the latest ship to fall victim to Jag's crazy plan, the next part would be up to the six TIE bombers. They would dump two torpedoes each into the shieldless section of the ship causing a major hull breach and if they were lucky, take out the command salon.

"Hey!!" one of the Imperial pilots called over the comm, "Would you look at that. They finally got the message."

Zeth then watched as the pirates began to pull back, allowing the GA ships a chance to regroup and come back with their own bombardment. Jag's plan turned the battle.

"They sure did," Bail came back with his response. "Well, gentlebeings, I say we go home. This party is getting rather lame and I'm out of party favors."

Zeth snickered as he and the six fighters with him met up with the Bail's group. They were heading to a jump point where they would take a half a light year jump and then come in at the back of the GA formation. Being the officer in charge of the mission he said as he tried to keep the snicker out of his voice, "Cut the chatter. Jump in four—three—two—mark."

X

Charith was exhausted and feeling sick. As she landed in the hangar bay she wondered if Gabe would notice that she wasn't well. She had avoided the med bay and particular the medic but she knew now that that had been a terrible mistake. The strenuous situations of battle and the fact that she had always flown with her inertia compositor set at its lowest setting advisable, hadn't done her any favors. She should have seen Dr. Kistun for another anti-nausea shot before the battle, but she didn't want to face his silent questions. Up until now she had been able to cope with the "morning sickness".

She saw the celebration around a group of TIEs but didn't think further of it as she slowly climbed down her ladder. When she turned around she found a very annoyed Gabe Darkligher scowling at her.

She swallowed the sudden urge to vomit and said, "Save it. I know what you're going to say." Then she tried to push past her commanding officer but he simply reached out and gently grabbed her upper arm.

In a quiet voice he said, "Cherith, I don't know what's going on but as your friend I'm concerned."

She met his gaze and said, "I can't tell you. Please, just leave it as that. But be assured I'll be removing myself from flight status after today."

"Cherith, what the blazes is going on?" he asked as he let her arm go.

"I told you that I can't tell you, Gabe. I—I need to talk to someone else first."

He looked at her with suspicion and then said, "I'm escorting you to the med bay."

"No." She came back a little too harshly. She swallowed and forced a s mile to soften her next words, "I'll go myself. But right now I just need to—"

"Cherith!"

She turned around and saw him trotting over to her. She couldn't believe it. "Zeth? Is that really you?" She looked back at Gabe and s miled, "Don't worry, Colonel, everything will be alright." Then she moved as quickly as she could away from her commander and headed toward Zeth.

They stopped to awkwardly stand before each other in the wide aisle between two Rogue Squadron X-wings. Zeth s miled and was the first to speak. "I'm so happy to see you, Cherith."

She returned his s mile, "Not as happy as I am to see you." Then she glanced around but the busy pilots and techs near the X-wings forestalled any other comments. She really wanted to go into his arms and feel his comforting love, but she knew that would have to wait. But she also was suddenly feeling very apprehensive about telling Zeth about the baby. What if he wasn't happy about it? They really hadn't been together that long. However, now wasn't the time to think about that either. Then she looked back at Zeth again she noticed the other pilot and a black astromech droid coming up to stand beside him.

Zeth looked over at the new comer and s miled as turned back to Cherith. "Cherith, you remember my cousin Bail? Bail, this is my immediate commander, Commander Cherith Nuruodo-Fel."

Bail bowed his head and s miled graciously, "Commander Nuruodo-Fel, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance again."

She bowed from the waist as was appropriate for royalty and s miled, "Prince Bail, it is good to see you again as well."

Bail wrinkled his nose and grinned lopsidedly, "Please, none of that Prince stuff; I'm just a Jedi pilot doing his job." Then he went on to say and she could easily see just how mischievous the Hapan Prince could be, "So, you're the young lady whose been keeping my cousin out of trouble? Or it could be said, getting him into trouble?"

She quickly glanced at Zeth who only shrugged and turned to say to the prince, "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"

Bail laughed, "No, not really. I began to wonder after the Kuat mission."

Charith nervously s miled, but she changed the subject quickly, "So, when did you return? There was some comm traffic that told of a crazy stunt behind the battle line." She watched as Bail and Zeth exchanged glances and then she realized they were part of it.

However, Zeth's words confirmed it, "Yeah, you could say that. We came out of hyperspace just in the nick of time and the Admiral remembered an old Jedi trick from the Vong war."

"My father was part of this?" She glanced back toward the TIE bombers where there still was a lot of celebrating.

Zeth grinned and nodded, "Yeah, he was."

Then Gabe came up beside her and she suddenly stiffened, "Welcome back, Lieutenant," he nodded to Bail, "Prince. So, you boys are the heroes of the battle?"

The two Jedi shifted nervously, but before either of them could answer the astromech gave off a long string of twitters and beeps and Bail actually blushed and Zeth laughed. Gabe simply grinned.

Cherith had never been able to understand the whistles and beeps of an astromech and, although she was as an accomplished X-wing pilot as she was a Clawcraft or TIE pilot, she never liked them. "What did it say?"

Zeth laughed harder and looked at Bail, cocking a dark brow, "You want to tell her or do you want me to?"

Bail swallowed and said, "It seems Vader," at her surprised expression, "that's his name. Well, he said that to call us heroes is wrong and will only swell our Jedi heads more than they already are. He thinks we should be called insane instead, plus his usual fare of a few rather—uh, colorful Hapan and Corellian words just to prove his point."

She stared at him, then finally said truly taken aback, "He should have a memory swipe for talking like that."

The droid shuffled from side to side and whistled again and Bail rolled his eyes. Looking down at it, he placed his hand on the dome that was rotating back and forth in an imitation of a head shake, "No. No one is going to do that. But I think you need to get back to our ship. And keep quiet. This is the military not the Jedi or Hapan hangar." He looked back at Cherith and grinned, "He gets a little nervous when we begin mentioning that. But I'd never do it. I like him the way he is. I'll see you around, Commander, Colonel, Cuz." he bowed his head to each in turn, finishing with Zeth, to whom he flashed a knowing s mile.

And then he was gone with the R-9 twittering and beeping a string of sounds that must have been humorous because the prince laughed as they rounded the corner out of sight. Then Gabe also made his hasty farewells with a pointed look at Cherith that she knew Zeth couldn't have missed. Then suddenly she and the man she loved were alone again.

He ran his hand through his longish curling hair and s miled a s mile that nearly melted her. Then suddenly as she let the insecurity of their situation and the nausea and tiredness rake her body again, he lost the s mile and it was quickly replaced with concern. Gazing intently at her, he asked quietly, "Chertih, is something wrong?"

She knew him well enough to know that if she glanced away from that imploring green-eyed gaze he'd see through her slight lie, "Of course not. I've just fought a battle and I'm a little tired." Then she s miled, weakly but enough and quietly said, "And I've missed you."

"Hey! Durron!" came a voice over the ruckus of pilots and techs. Zeth continued to stare at her and she back at him until the voice sounded again more insistent, "Lt. Durron, the General wants to debrief you and the Prince. ASAP."

Zeth looked over his shoulder at the commander of the Windspirits and nodded his acknowledgement, "Thanks."

"You better go," she reasoned with a s mile. "Mother doesn't like to be kept waiting."

He grinned, "I suppose you would know that better than most. Meet me later in our ops deck?"

She swallowed and nodded then she turned and quickly moved away. Minutes later she was in the closest refresher vomiting.

X

Corellia

"They want you to do what?" Anakah asked as he informed her and the others of what her father wanted.

Marko had just entered the lounge of the freighter that Ben had modified into almost a home away from home. They had landed in Coronet and immediately a controller contacted them to alert Marko that he was to call the Masters at Ossus. He had just completed that comm call.

He responded to Anakah's question with a shrug and repeated, "The Council has a mission for me and they want me to leave immediately. Queen Violetta has requested my presence on Naboo. There has been another assassination attempt and she has a scheme to flesh them out."

"What's the scheme?" Ben asked from his position beside Liam at the table in the comfortable common room of Ben's ship Morning Star.

Marko first looked at Ben then at Anakah, who was keeping her raging emotions under control and locked away, "She wants me to pretend to be her suitor."

Ben chuckled, "Really?"

"Yeah. Apparently, she has been in contact with some count from Vannard and she wants me to pretend to be this count. I am to take then next available ship to Vannard and from there she will have a trusted escort bring me to Naboo." Marko shook his head and went on, "I've been undercover many times but never like this. Kriff, where's Bail for these kinds of missions. He is a prince. I don't know where to even begin."

Anakah stared at him. She had never seen him so riled up about a mission before and that made her wonder if it really was the mission or whether it had something to do with her being alone. Or at least without him. Then she smiled and said, "Bail wouldn't ever be assigned a mission like this, unfortunately. He is far too well known. You aren't. I understand why she chose you."

He glared at her and said, "I'm glad that you do. Because I sure as the Corellian Hells don't." He then moved into the hallway to the cabin area of the ship, leaving the rest of the Jedi in the lounge. She spared a glance at Valin who was trying miserably not to look at her from his spot on the side couch where he was checking the latest data reports on Myri's murder.

"She trusts you," she said as she caught up with Marko. At the door of the small cabin that held their things she went on, "And you know some of the case. You were there with me. I'm sure it's the same thugs that tried before."

He turned and stared at her. "I still don't like it. And I really don't know how this is going to work. Furthermore, if I really was this count So-and-so, I'd be furious if the woman that I was interested in began to strut around with someone pretending to be me."

"I'm sure Violetta knows what she's doing and I'm sure her real count does too. And agrees with her decision. He'd obviously have to know about this." She stared into his eyes for a long moment and suddenly felt a flash of jealousy from him. As if he realized that he let his shields down slightly, he turned from the pile of bags where he was retrieving his and took her into his arms. She fought back the impulse to push him away. She had avoided any physical contact with him during the several hour trip from Ossus to Corellia but now she couldn't avoid it any longer. He bent his head and captured her lips and she forced herself to respond to his desperate kiss.

After he pulled away, he held her close and whispered into her ear, "Please, Angel, give us a chance. I don't want to lose you. I know that you loved me once. I hope that you can find that love again."

Then he quickly let her go and grabbed his bag, leaving before Anakah had a chance to respond. That had been the closest he had ever come to telling her that he loved her. She quickly followed him out of the narrow hallway, only to find Valin watching her with unreadable grey eyes.

X

Unknown Regions, aboard Han Solo

Zeth had his hands shoved into the pockets of his jumpsuit that he had changed into and he fingered the ring that rested in there. He had no intention of asking Cherith just yet if she would marry him, first he had to make sure she felt the same for him as he did her. As he stared out at the debris laden space from the large observation portal of the room that was actually meant to be used for observing and reporting movement of cloaked enemy fighters, he again wondered about her odd behavior in the hangar earlier. He prayed that she hadn't had second thoughts about them.

He felt her familiar presence and turned to watch the door slid open. He swallowed and smiled. She was actually wearing civilian clothes. Royal blue pants and a tunic-like blouse of golden yellow. Her hair was pulled back into a tail.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he whispered as he stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms and kissed her lips tenderly.

"Zeth," she whispered and leaned heavily into him after the kiss ended with her head on his shoulder. Her arms went around his waist, pulling him to her in a fierce hug.

"You must have missed me." He snickered, "But breathing is important."

She realized how hard she had been squeezing him and let go some. Then she looked at him and he went one to say, "Cherith, love, what's wrong? I can sense that you're trying to hide something from me."

She swallowed and asked, totally ignoring his question, "Tell me what your family is like."

He furrowed his brow and said, "Why the interest in my fa mily all of the sudden? Besides, we've talked about them before."

She let go of him and moved away. Facing the transparasteel she quietly admitted, "I know. But I guess what I really want to know is what do you hope your fa mily will be like."

He was more than puzzled and he considered probing her mind to try to understand what she was talking about but he knew better. He instead moved to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her. She sucked in her breath as his hands came to rest over her lower abdomen, but he didn't think anything of it. Finally, he began quietly over her shoulder as he too looked out the viewport. "I guess, I hope to have at least two kids someday. If that's what you are asking." He glanced at the side of her face but she betrayed nothing.

"It is." She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him. "I never really thought about having a fa mily. But I guess two is a good number. I know I'm glad that I'm not alone in the galaxy. And my children will undoubtedly face the same trials Cleven and I faced. Maybe more."

He nodded and looked out the window again. "I've never been alone either. Even when Ana blocked me, I knew she was always there. Just as she had been since before we were born." Then he looked at her again and grinned, "But she's my twin. I also am close to my younger sister Meri and we have a younger pest of a brother, Liam."

"I—I can't wait to meet them."

Her whispered words completely shocked him and he turned her to face him. He was more than certain something was going on. However, he smiled and inquired, "You really mean that?"

She nodded, "Yes, Zeth, I want to meet your family and I hope that someday soon you get to meet the rest of mine."

"I've met her uncle earlier during the debriefing. He came by to find out who saved the day—preventing him from the chance," he added with a smile.

She snickered, "That's my uncle Cem for you. I'm sure he had Mother so angry she was ready to flay him."

Zeth chuckled, "Actually, it was your father who was the most upset by his late arrival."

She leaned against him again and he tightened his grip on her, as she said, "I'm sure he was."

She was quiet again and then she quietly asked, "Will your family accept me, Zeth?"

He finally had enough of her odd line of questions. He gripped her upper arms gently but firmly and held her before him to allow him to gaze into her eyes. Then he said with conviction, "They will love you as much as I do."

For a long moment nothing more was said, they just lost themselves in the other's eyes trying to find the answers to their uncertainties.

Finally, she whispered, "Zeth, I'm pregnant."

Zeth stared at her not really comprehending what she was saying. "Wha—what?"

She swallowed hard and he felt her immediate fear as she repeated slightly stronger, "I'm pregnant."

Zeth suddenly felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. He tried to take a breath, to say something but nothing came out. He had never expected this nor was he remotely ready for this.

Cherith suddenly backed away from him. He felt her spike of pain and he felt her disappointment, tears sparkled in her dark blue eyes. She straightened to her full height and quickly turned sharply on her heel. She was nearly at the door before he realized what was happening.

In a voice shaky with emotion, he whispered, "I'm going to be a—a father?"

She didn't turn but she stopped and replied, her voice sounding more clipped like it had when she first arrived, "I understand if this is something you do not want. I know what needs to be done. No one else will ever know." Then she moved to pass through the opening door.

And suddenly her last words hit him like an out of control mag-lev train. "No!" She turned and he stepped over to her. Using the Force he reached out and closed the door again. Then more calmly he repeated, "No. I'm surprised that's all. Sweet Force, Cherith, I could never let you do that."

"But you do not want the child," her emotion laden voice betrayed the impassiveness she tried to portray in her expression. "I wasn't expecting this either."

He took another step toward her and she didn't protest as he took her into his arms again. "But how did this happen?"

She looked at him and her raised brow was answer enough.

He s miled, "Well, I know how. I mean isn't it protocol for all personnel to be on contraceptives. I just assumed…"

"That I would be on one," she finished his question. "I'm allergic to them. The last one I took nearly killed me. But I could ask you the same question."

He actually blushed and wouldn't meet her gaze, "Well, I never expected to need one." He swallowed hard and then said finally meeting her eyes again, "Cherith, I've only ever been with a handful of women. I never dated much nor have I ever found meaningless sex enjoyable. So, I just didn't take one either."

She gave him a puzzled look, "But you would have been issued a contraceptive upon entering the service. I had an exception. But you…"

He gently continued her sentence, "But I wouldn't have. Except I'm not really part of the military. I'm a Jedi on a mission, Cherith."

He then just held her for a long time. Then very quietly she asked, "Will our baby be a Jedi?"

He s miled as he moved to look into her eyes, "If you're asking if he or she will be Force-sensitive, the answer is probably, but it will be up to them if they want to actually be a Jedi." Then a thought occurred to him. This all was still very surreal to him. "Can I reach for it?"

"What do you mean?"

He grinned at her quizzical look, "I mean can I try to sense him—or her," he quickly added for some unknown reason.

"You can do that?"

"Yeah, I can. Turn around," she obeyed and he wrapped his arms around her and laid his hands over her lower abdomen. Then he closed his eyes and opened to the Force. It didn't take long for him to find the tiny spark of life within her that was different from hers and slightly fa miliar to his own. He took a sharp breath and pulled back when the emotion at touching his child became too much. He felt the tear slide down his cheek but he didn't care.

He whispered in her ear, "I love you Cherith. And I love our baby. Don't ever doubt that."

She reacted by turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck, with tears running down her pale blue cheeks she quietly replied, "I love you." Then she captured his lips with her own and kissed him with so much passion and love that it took his breath away.

He slid a hand from her back and reached into the pocket of his jumpsuit. As the kiss ended he brought his hand up before her face and held the ring he had hoped to give her someday. He glanced at it and that drew her attention to it as well. She gasped at the sight of the yellow corusca gem and then pulled her eyes to his with a silent disbelieving question in her gaze. He s miled and said, "I was planning on giving you this eventually, but considering this little guy has decided to surprise us I think now is perfect."

She looked back at the ring, when she spoke her quiet voice cracked, "Zeth, it's beautiful."

He too was feeling overwhelmed with emotion. He swallowed and s miled, as he began to speak she met his eyes again, "So, would you consider adding my name to that insufferable list of names you like to carry around with you?"

She s miled and it lit up her face. "Emm…Cherith Nuruodo-Fel Durron." She paused for affect and her s mile turned into a mischievous grin, "I think I'd consider it." Then before he could react she pulled him to her again and captured his lips with hers.

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